Six Month Blogoversary + Mr. Owl Makeover!

Hello, all! 

Today, it's officially been six months since Janhvi and I started our book blog, The Readdicts! 

Happy six month blogoversary to us! :)

Unfortunately, we do not have a giveaway for you all, neither do we have anything for us. 

However, we do have something for the blog! 

We have decided to give our rating owl, Mr Owl, a makeover!

All thanks to our friend and fellow blogger, Ao @ Aobibliosphere and Aobiblioclassique, Mr. Owl now has an e-reader! 

In addition to the super cool e-reader, Mr. Owl also get to be somewhere we'd all love to be... In a book! 

Here we go! 

From now on, all the books that we read and review will be rated with the new rating system that I designed. I hope you all like it. :D 

I can't believe it's been six months of blogging! 

We've had so much of fun, met some really lovely people, made new friends, discovered new books, and had a blast over all. 

Thank you all for your help, encouragement and appreciation and we hope you continue the support in the future as well! ♥ 

Happy reading, guys! 

Sarika

Review- The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen

Summary-

There are those who don’t get luck handed to them on a shiny platter, who end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, who don’t get saved.

Luck was not on Callie’s side the day of her twelfth birthday when everything was stolen from her. After it’s all over, she locks up her feelings and vows never to tell anyone what happened. Six years later her painful past consumes her life and most days it’s a struggle just to breathe.

For as long as Kayden can remember, suffering in silence was the only way to survive life. As long as he did what he was told, everything was okay. One night, after making a terrible mistake, it seems like his life might be over. Luck was on his side, though, when Callie coincidentally is in the right place at the right time and saves him.

Now he can’t stop thinking about the girl he saw at school, but never really knew. When he ends up at the same college as Callie, he does everything he can to try to get to know her. But Callie is reserved and closed off. The more he tries to be part of her life, the more he realizes Callie might need to be saved.

Review-

I was super excited to read The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden. With its gorgeous cover and engaging summary it had all the elements I love reading about in a book. This book made me feel so many things at the same time that it is hard to describe. But its safe to say that is was one hell of a good book.

Callie and Kayden are very complicated characters. They are messed up. Like REALLY messed up. Each one of them has a fucked up past which they are trying to run away from while keeping all their feelings bottled up inside. On the surface they may seem like two totally different people but they have more in common than anyone could guess.

Callie was a nice girl. She has been through some horrible things which makes her want to be invisible. She struggles everyday to breathe. Her situation was so bad that it made me feel really sad for her. Then there's Kayden who's been suffering in silence. The abuse which he has to face from his father was painful to watch.

Callie and Kayden meet through a series of coincidences. Each one seems to be there for the other at just the perfect time. Their romance was a slow burn and I absolutely savored it. Trust doesn't come easily to both of them so it was amazing to see how their story progressed and became intertwined. We also get to see a sigh worthy romantic rain scene which totally does justice to the book cover.

Just when we start hoping that everything is going to be alright for Callie and Kayden and that they'll finally get the happiness they so badly deserve, comes the ending. It was a MAJOR cliffhanger which almost made me scream out loud with the unfairness of it. It leaves you craving desperately for the next book. If you hate cliffhanger endings like me I suggest you wait for the next book and then read it altogether or else get your hands on this one asap!

 X 4.5

 Janhvi

Review- Finally Home by Helen Scott Taylor

Goodreads Summary:

As manager of the charming Greyfriar House Hotel, Melanie Marshall loves her job and spending time with her young son. But she can never forget what she ran away from: her late husband's crimes and her own terrible guilt. Though lonely, Melanie can't afford to let another man into her life.

But when her boss, gorgeous hotel owner Jack Summers, returns from his supposed wedding without a ring or a wife, Melanie discovers there's more to him than she ever thought. For one, the ex-soccer star is her son's idol. But the closer she gets to Jack, the more she pulls away. She can't share her past. Ever.

For too long, Jack's protected his scarred heart by letting gold-digging women make him think love didn't matter. But a sweet single mother and a soccer-crazy little boy change everything. He knows Melanie has secrets. Secrets she'll have to share if he's to help her realize she's finally home.

REVIEW:

I am a huge fan of Helen Scott Taylor's contemporary romances. They're the kind of stories that make you feel all warm, cuddly and gooey on the inside. Her stories make you believe that love happens and everyone gets their happily-ever-afters. I have read and loved Helen's Unbreak My Heart (my review of which can be read here), Oceans Between Us (my review of which can be read here) and A Family For Christmas (my review of which can be read here).  
Finally Home was a wonderful story of hurt, heartbreak, trust, love, hope and how there is light at the end of every tunnel, how there is gold and happiness at the end of every rainbow. I really, really liked this book which was the love story of Melanie and Jack. 
As characters, Melanie and Jack were similar in more ways than one. Both of them came with a past that they found hard to let go of. A past that bothered them immensely. A past that made them do certain things and not do certain things and finally, a past that brought them together. 
Melanie's husband, also known as Dr. Death was a cruel man who only used patients for his own personal gains and nearly got his and Melanie's child, Ryan, killed. Ryan himself was a complete darling. I absolutely loved reading about him. Melanie is super protective of her child. She was a good protagonist. There were times when I felt like pushing her and telling her to finally give in and at least give love another chance. Her point of view was totally understandable, but I really wish she had let go, gotten free and that she wasn't so inclined on pushing Jack away. Overall, however, she was a sweet person and a great mother. 
Jack's football career is crashed when he suffers from muscular pain and his life in public is devastated when his fiancée walks out on him right before their wedding. His mother's insistence on having grandchildren compels him to get engaged to Stephanie, but he eventually comes to his senses realising that they aren't right for each other and breaks it off with her. Now running a hotel, Melanie is employed by Jack and there is something about her that totally fascinates him. Jack was a really patient and kind man. He gave Melanie all the space she needed and his need to get to know her better was simply adorable. 
Melanie and Jack made an absolutely lovely couple. Jack's instant liking for Ryan who means the world to Melanie and Ryan's instant love for Jack made the three of them the perfect family. There were lots of ups and downs which are normal and needed for any love to show it's strength and the up in the end is that everyone is happy. 
Finally Home is a wonderfully sweet read about coming together, opening up and leaving a troubled past behind by building a strong future filled with love and care. It's a perfect Helen Scott Taylor read that leaves you smiling and makes you go 'aww!'. Helen's writing is simply beautiful and beautifully simple. Even though the characters and what they did frustrated me a little in this one, Finally Home is just as good as any Helen Scott Taylor romance. It is a sweet story about finding love just when you're about to give up. 

RATING:

X 4

Sarika

Feature & Follow Friday #22

Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. 

Today's question is:

Q:  WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE VILLAIN FROM A BOOK?

My answer:

Villains are supposed to be creepy, scary and terrifying, right? 

I remember how freaked out I get after reading about and watching Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters from J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. 

But the one Death Eater who terrifies me the most is the werewolf, Fenrir Greyback. 

*shudders* 
I literally have chills running down my back. That guy gives me nightmares, night terrors, sleepless nights and all that! 

But favourite villain? 

Hmmm... I think that has got to be Camerlengo Carlo Ventresca from Dan Brown's Angels & Demons.

 

Though I haven't read the series yet, I've seen the movies (duh, but of course I have!) and I like Saruman from J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. 

Both the Camerlengo and Saruman are powerful, intelligent and totally villainous villains. 

Who is your favourite villain?

Follow us and we'll follow you back! 

Happy Friday and happy reading, everyone! :D 

Sarika

Review- The Sea Of Tranquility by Katja Millay

Summary-

I live in a world without magic or miracles. A place where there are no clairvoyants or shapeshifters, no angels or superhuman boys to save you. A place where people die and music disintegrates and things suck. I am pressed so hard against the earth by the weight of reality that some days I wonder how I am still able to lift my feet to walk.

Full of rage and without a purpose, former pianist Nastya Kashnikov wants two things: to get through high school without anyone discovering her past and to make the boy who took everything from her pay.

All 17 year-old Josh Bennett wants is to build furniture and be left alone, and everyone allows it because it’s easier to pretend he doesn’t exist. When your name is synonymous with death, everyone tends to give you your space.

Everyone except Nastya, a hot mess of a girl who starts showing up and won’t go away until she’s insinuated herself into every aspect of his life. The more he gets to know her, the more of a mystery she becomes. As their relationship intensifies and the unanswered questions begin to pile up, he starts to wonder if he may ever learn the secrets she’s been hiding or if he even wants to.

The Sea of Tranquility is a slow-building, character-driven romance about a lonely boy, an emotionally fragile girl, and the miracle of second chances.

Review-

The Sea Of Tranquility by Katja Millay is an absolutely beautiful book. I had read a ton of reviews singing its praises and it was so much of a better book than what I thought it would be. It surpassed all of my expectations. The book is just as beautiful as the name suggests. How much ever I may collect my thoughts I don't think I have the words to describe the sheer amazingness of this book. But I'm sure as hell gonna to try.

Nastya Kashnikov has just moved in with her aunt. She was a piano prodigy but a traumatic incident has left her broken and full of rage. She just wants to get through high school without drawing attention towards herself. Nastya doesn't speak. At all. So the beauty of the whole thing was that we got to see everything going around her without her having to utter a single word. And then she meets Josh.

Josh Bennett just wants to be left alone. He's already lost all of his family and he has no intention of ever letting anyone close again. Everybody gets the message to the stay the hell away from him. Except Nastya. She comes into his life full of mystery and embeds herself into every thread of his life. Josh was a fascinating character. He was calm and composed and brooding. Its like he broke all of the cliches and stereotypes which surround boys.

Unlike so many books there is no opposites attract in this one. There is a lot of attraction but mostly because they find comfort in the fact that the other person is just as broken and fucked up as them. Josh and Sunshine, as he likes to call her, make sense even if everything else in their world doesn't. The romance and tension is subtle and it takes time. 

Josh and Nastya are not impulsive. They've both been through a lot so their relationship develops at a slow pace. But it was an absolute pleasure seeing their feelings intensify. Nastya understands why Josh wants to build furniture and Josh gets Nastya's obsession with names. Each of them had their own unique personality and that is what made this book distinctly different from the others.

The writing was blissful. Each word, each sentence pulled you in and made you feel exactly what Josh and Nastya were feeling. It is a character driven book. Each one has his or her own flaws and nothing is perfect. They don't try to save each other but there is hope. I loved the quote "It's a promise and a memory of the future and a book of better stories." That was how it ended and it was perfect. All I can say is go read this one asap because it is definitely worth it.

  X 5

 Janhvi

Waiting On Wednesday #22

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

If You Stay by Courtney Cole

Publication Date: February 12 2013

Summary-

24-year old Pax Tate is an asshole. 
Seriously. 

He’s a tattooed, rock-hard bad-boy with a bad attitude to match. 

But he’s got his reasons. 

His mother died when Pax was seven, leaving a hole in his heart filled with guilt although he doesn’t understand why. What he does know is that he and his dad are left alone and with more issues than they can count. 

As Pax grew up, he tried to be the kid his father always wanted; the perfect golden boy, but it didn’t work. His dad couldn’t overcome his grief long enough to notice and Pax couldn’t keep up the impossible perfect façade. 
So he slipped far, far from it. 

Now, he uses drugs and women to cope with the ugliness, the black void that he doesn’t want to deal with. If he pretends that the emptiness isn’t there, then it isn’t, right? 
Wrong. 

And it’s never more apparent than when he meets Mila. 
Sweet, beautiful Mila Hill is the fresh air to his hardened frown, the beauty to his ugly heart. He doesn’t know how to not hurt her, but he quickly realizes that he’s got to figure it out because he needs her to breathe.

When memories of his mother’s death resurface from where he’s repressed them for so long, Mila is there to catch him when the guilt starts making sense. Mila is the one…the one who can save him from his broken troubled heart; from his issues, from the emptiness. 

But only if he can stop being an asshole long enough to allow it. 

He knows that. And he’s working on it. 

But is that enough to make her stay?

I haven't read a single book by Courtney Cole yet but this one sounds SO good! I want to know more about Pax and why he is the way he is.

                                                                              What are you waiting on?

                   Janhvi

Teaser Tuesday #22

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Here's my teaser: 
I'm really hoping he's being genuine because I can already tell he isn't the kind of guy a girl gets a simple crush on. He's the kind of guy you fall hard for, and the thought of that terrifies me. I don't really want to fall hard for anyone at all, especially someone who's only making an effort because he thinks I'm easy. I also don't want to fall for someone who has already branded himself hopeless. But I'm curious. So curious. 
-Hopeless by Colleen Hoover 

Goodreads Summary:

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

What teaser are you sharing this Tuesday?

Happy reading, guys! :) 

Sarika