"Awaken" (A Lexi Review)

Hey, loves!!!

Okay, so have you ever been somewhere where everything is tech? Are you addicted to the phone, tv, Bluerays, and ebooks all at once, swiping a basic card to take care of everything you need? Tech is all around us, all the time, and it's difficult to escape it, or escape the need for it. For today's blog, I'm doing Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky.

This is a book where tech has replaced the need for bus passes, school, meeting people, etc. in this dystopian novel. What happens when a the teen daughter of the man who made this so meets a guy that denies tech? One that knows how to do things old style? One that actually wants to meet face-to-face, not via avatars?

The characters and story are well-written. The world creation is very far developed, and it's extremely realistic. I love the imagination that it took to come up with not only this story, but the entire background behind it that comes in increments throughout the novel.

That's all I'm giving you. It's an awesome book that makes you look at technology differently, and I say to read it. :)

Rating: 

5/5 computer screens

"Strangely Normal" by Tess Oliver Cover Reveal!!!!! (Peek-a-Boo Post by Lexi)

OOOOOH, Readers, guess what!!!



We were invited to do the cover reveal for a brand-spankin' new novel by the wonderful Tess Oliver!!! So, since Ashley has Mondays, this is Alexis just dropping by with this great news!!! We have a book description, info on the author, and even a teaser as well!!!

If you have never read anything else by Tess Oliver, please go do so! You'll be doing a favor for yourself. She is a great writer, and her novels are fun to read, and very enjoyable! Her novellas are fun as well, and I know that a few more of her books are coming up in my "books to read" pile that I have going, and now I'm going to be adding this one!!!

The cover is gorgeous, and the novel seems like it's going to be awwwwwwesome!!! Cannot wait to share more about it, y'all!!!!!



Title: Strangely Normal
Author: Tess Oliver

Book Description:
A unique summer job lands eighteen-year-old Eden Saxon into a lifestyle completely different than her own. She becomes a companion for nineteen-year-old Finley King, the daughter of a rock legend. Finley suffers from severe anxiety, and her father fears her being alone. Eden leaves her loving, but wildly dysfunctional, parents and dreary apartment and enters a world where no luxury is overlooked. She instantly adores Finley and her charming, quirky personality. The whole situation has only one flaw– Finley’s older brother, Jude. Jude King is cocky, arrogant and irritating. Unfortunately, he’s also completely irresistible. 


Eden realizes she’s underestimated the depth of Finley’s problems, and suddenly her dream job turns out to be a lot more than she’d expected. Eden soon finds herself in over her head . . . and her heart.

LOOK HOW PRETTY THIS IS!!!

Book Teaser:

He placed down his pencil and walked across the floor toward me. The crackling energy I’d felt between us the night before when he’d stood over my bed returned now and grew with hot intensity as the space between us disappeared. I was not the only one noticing the sudden charge in the atmosphere between us. He stopped directly in front of me, and even with loud music bouncing off the walls, I could hear the unnaturally fast rhythm of his breathing.

He hesitated a moment and then his hand came up slowly and brushed the hair off my face. His fingertips had only grazed my cheek, but I felt the sensation of his touch through my entire body. He looked back at me as if he’d smoothed his hands over every inch of my skin. The air between us heated and what had started out as a casual session between an artist and his subject had somehow erupted into something completely different.

About the Author:

Tess Oliver is a teacher and writer who lives in California with her husband, kids, a small pack of pampered dogs, and the recent addition of three ridiculously cute pygmy goats. She loves horses, chocolate and Jane Austen books. She has a BS of Nutrition Science, and a MA in Curriculum and Instruction. She is also an author published by Barron's Educational Publisher.

Website: http://www.tessoliver.com/
Blog: http://tessoliverauthor.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tessoliverauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4178161.Tess_Oliver
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Tess_Oliver




Till tomorrow, loves,

Alexis

"The Season" (A Lexi Review)

Aloha Hoalohas, ("Hello, my friend," in Hawaiian, cuz "Lilo and Stitch" is on!!!)

So what are y'all up to on this gorgeous day? Obviously looking at this book review, eh?

Okay, today's novel is The Season by Sarah MacLean.

The title and cover were enough to draw me in, but then you read this summary:

"Seventeen year old Lady Alexandra is strong-willed and sharp-tongued — in a house full of older brothers and their friends, she had to learn to hold her own. Not the best makings for an aristocratic lady in Regency London. Yet her mother still dreams of marrying Alex off to someone safe, respectable, and wealthy. But between ball gown fittings, dances, and dinner parties, Alex, along with her two best friends, Ella and Vivi, manages to get herself into what may be her biggest scrape yet.

When the Earl of Blackmoor is mysteriously killed, Alex decides to help his son, the brooding and devilishly handsome Gavin, uncover the truth. But will Alex's heart be stolen in the process? In an adventure brimming with espionage, murder, and other clandestine affairs, who could possibly have time to worry about finding a husband? Romance abounds as this year's season begins!" (Goody goody Goodreads!)

This novel was so much fun! Not only are these girls strong, they're also hilarious. They have attitudes when it's not acceptable, don't try hard during the season, and prefer adventure and near-death instead of waltzing around the room with potential suitors.

The fun and adventure in this novel is almost ever-present. I love that they act like Ash and I would in the same situation. The characters were very well-rounded, and every word and detail was needed and used properly. I love that you just get so sucked into the novel. I also love that I literally laughed out loud at parts, which I never do with a book. I felt a connection to this book, and I just love it.

For anybody who ever wanted to know what being a deb must have been like, go read this novel!

Rating:

5/5 London women during the London Season


Love,

Lexi

Boston and Dallas, We're Sending Our Love. (Lexi)

Hey,


This is Lexi. Obviously Ash put it into the best words, and I want y'all to read her post. I just want to say that our hearts, prayers, and thoughts go out to everybody who has been affected by the bombs in Boston, and the explosion in West, Texas. I have no words. I just cannot believe that these things are happening, and that it seems to be around this time each year that some big, horrible things go on.

I want everybody to take a moment today to love on your families. Think about how amazing it is that you've not been hurt by these events (and if you have, love on your families all the same). I know I'm very thankful that this hasn't hit our families, but so sad for those it has hurt. Just give thanks that you're alive. There's a reason for it, y'all. You've been spared. Be sad, be angry, but be grateful and not hateful all the same.

My heart and love are out to every person out there, including you.


Love to all,

Lexi

"Louder Than Words" review + My Poor Nook (by Lexi)

Hello, lovely loves!

This is Lexi again! (Or Alexis. Whichever.) Today, we have gathered for two reasons: 1) I read another great book, and 2) my Nook deserves some sympathy.

I've had my Nook Color for about two years. And I have tired out one cover, and now this next one. I've also cracked the bottom which, according to the Nook people in Ash and I's B&N, "I've never seen it broken like that before" (followed with "How did you do that?" and me shaking my head). Of course, I've also broken six laptops or so (with no way to fix it or figure out what the heck happened) and dropped my iPod directly into a glass of water on accident in the middle of the night before. I'm not good with my precious electronics, I guess. But I have been careful with my Nook. I really have been. But it's all sad-looking and is taking forever to do anything. And freezes a lot. However, my b-day is in 12 days, at which I will get the Nook HD plus a memory card. And a new laptop, because this poor thing is about done as well. (I honestly don't know how I do what I do.)

Let's have a moment of silence for the wonderful Nook Color...
...
...
...

Now, on to the review of Louder Than Words by Laurie Plissner.

Summary: "Since the snowy night when her family's car slammed into a tree, killing her parents and little sister, Sasha has been unable to speak except through a computer with a robotic voice. Nothing is wrong with her body; that's healed. But, after four years, Sasha's memory, and her spirit, are still broken. Then one day, she's silently cussing out the heavy book she dropped at the library when a gorgeous, dark-haired boy, the kind of boy who considers Sasha a freak or at least invisible, "answers" Sasha's hidden thoughts -- out loud. Yes, Ben can read minds; it's no big deal. He's part of a family with a host of unusual, almost-but-not-quite-supernatural talents. Through Ben's love, Sasha makes greater progress than she has with a host of therapists and a prominent psychiatrist. With him to defend her, bullies keep the world from ever understanding Sasha, he pulls away. Determined to win him and prove her courage by facing her past, Sasha confronts her past -- only to learn that her family's death was no accident and that a similar fate may wait for her, in the unlikeliest of disguises." (Thank you again, Goodreads!)


You will, at various times, think you know the answer to the questions presented; however, you won't.

The characters are fun to read about. You get so caught up in them, that you may wonder if this has ever happened; it feels so natural. "Sure," you'll say to yourself, "a guy can read minds. Duh. Happens all the time." lol... The characters are well-rounded and the story is easily followed. You'll be able to relate to Sasha through her thoughts, sassy quips, and dry sense of humor. You'll understand how she truly loves her aunt and uncle, and you'll appreciate them and their position on raising her. This is all not even touching how great the plot is.

The plot is fully formed, and doesn't leave you asking questions at the end, which, for this story, is great. There are the major plot lines and the minor plot lines, but all are wonderful, and they are interwoven beautifully throughout the book. The author truly "shows" instead of tells the details you'd want her to show, so you feel like you're there with the Sasha. Plus, you'll feel sympathy, empathy, graciousness, happiness, and love while reading this novel.

Conclusion and Suggestion: Read this when you aren't in the mood for any book at all. That's what I did. It's worth the money, and you may want to read through it over again just because.

Rating:

5/5 luscious lips!


Well, my mom bribed me today with five books from Half Price Books today, so I'll let my Nook relax for a little bit. Get ready for some fun books coming up!


Your chica,

Lexi

Unusual Words! Insult using Shakespeare! Also, Yesterday and Today! (by Lexi)

Hola, mi amigos!

I truly had nothing to say yesterday. By the time I did, I was half asleep, so I do apologize for the lack of posts yesterday. I'm going to do a fun post for y'all today to make up for it!

Okay, so I'm going to list words you should know. We need to go ahead and use these on a regular basis! Start a movement with me (and sound intelligent while you do)!

Words to Bring Back

petrichor
The pleasant spell that accompanies rain after a drought.
(This is my favorite one, because the scent is perfection!)

harbinger
It used to just mean in archaic times "a person who you send ahead to provide lodgings"; now, it means "one that pioneers in or initiates a major change." Also, "one that presages or foreshadows what is to come; one that pioneers in or initiates a major change like a precursor."
(I love the part in Syfy's "Alice" where the knight calls Hatter a harbinger, so I had to add this awesome word!)

wampum
beads of polished shells strung in strands, belts, or sashes and used by North American Indians as money, ceremonial pledges, and ornaments
(Kinda like the clothes you give to Plato's closet so you can buy more there, or doing the same with books at Half Price Books, like I do! :D)

ephemeral
lasting for a very short time; an ephemeral plant

jollop
a strong liquor or medicine; it's a variation of julep and jalap.
(Southerners, think mint julep.)

airy-fairy
light, delicate, fragile; or fanciful, impractical, unrealistic.

highfalutin
pompous; bombastic

dragoman
an interpreter chiefly of Arabic, Turkish, or Persian that is employed especially in the Near East

corrigible
capable of being corrected, rectified, or reformed
(Thus, "incorrigible" means that it's not capable of the above.)

dirigible
a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms
(Not to be confused with aerodynamic things. Think Zepplin balloon.)

apodyopsis
part of your body that lets you know when you are hungry or full

jobbernowl
a fool or silly person

garrote
a method of execution by strangulation; the apparatus used; an implement (like a wire with a handle at each end) for strangulation; to strangle with or as if with a garrote
(I am not condoning strangulation, y'all.)

furuncle
a boil
(Sounds prettier.)

sycophant
a servile self-seeker who attempts to win favor by flattering influential people
(We all know at least one.)

indecorous
not decorous; not in keeping with good taste and propriety; improper
(Like belching while at tea with The Queen. She'd describe you as "indecorous," then behead you! loljk)

Shakespearean Insults

They insult so well, yet sound so lyrical.

Hope you had fun!


Love,

Alexis, smiling

"The Friday Society" (A "HIIIIYA!" Review by Lexi)

Hey!

I know that one should never judge a book by its cover, but I have to admit that the cover is what drew me to this book in the first place. Three girls that look like they're ready to kill you, with a steampunk look, and awesome outfits. I had to read it! "It" being The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress.

"An action-packed tale of gowns, guys, guns –and the heroines who use them all 

Set in turn of the century London, The Friday Society follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant; and Nellie, magician's assistant. The three young women's lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.

It's up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder–and the crimes they believe may be connected to it–without calling too much attention to themselves.
Set in the past but with a modern irreverent flare, this Steampunk whodunit introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike–well, relatively ladylike–heroines poised for more dangerous adventures." (Again, credit goes to Goodreads)

So three girls who meet in an unfortunate way team up to kick butt. On accident, these three young women meet. Then they each have their own reason to be up in arms, and they all feel responsible to help find the guy who committed the crimes.

I do want to say that this novel is very action-packed and quick-paced, which is perfect for this novel and this story. The characters all were developed very nicely, and the story was interesting. It just yanks you in from the first lines, and keeps you in its grasp for the rest of the book. The twists and turns that happen are well-thought out, and so is the plot.

I just love these three girls' strength, and their determination. They seem like the kind of people that Ash and I would hang out with. On top of this, you can relate to one of these girls, if not all three in some way or another.

If you've ever wondered what it'd be like to act as a real-life superhero, you'll love this novel. Read it!


Rating:

5/5 katanas

"The Hallowed Ones" (A Lexi Review from Under the Covers, lol)

Hello, all!

Okay, so today's blog was going to be about The Sugar Queen, but I decided to postpone my view on it and go for The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle. The cover alone is creepy all by itself, and you know there's something eerie about to go down...

Now, if you're anything like me, and are interested in the Amish world (but not ever wanting to be Amish, lol), this book shows many different aspects of the culture. Of course, this is while you're being terrified out of your wits with the gore and creatures.

Book Summary: "Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers can get a taste of the real world. But the real world comes to her in this dystopian tale with a philosophical bent. Rumors of massive unrest on the “Outside” abound. Something murderous is out there. Amish elders make a rule: No one goes outside, and no outsiders come in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man, she can’t leave him to die. She smuggles him into her family’s barn—at what cost to her community? The suspense of this vividly told, truly horrific thriller will keep the pages turning." (Huzzah for Goodreads!)

Katie is a character who, like Belle, wants "much more than this provincial life" that she's leading/stuck in. Amish are quite strict with the way their people live their lives, in every respect there is. For example, one's hat brim being a millimeter bigger than your neighbor's means that you are proud (a bad quality to them). Now, know that there are communities that are more lax, but Katie doesn't live in a community like that; her life is very determinedly chosen for her.

When this terrifying and new disease goes around, there are vampires/zombies that are more than happy to attack others and murder them. However, they stay out of her community. So bringing in a foreigner? Heck no! Not allowed! Verboten! But Katie saves a man from the other side of the fence.

While the world collapses around them, it makes you wonder if one is supposed to feel an obligation to one's neighbor in this sort of time, or is it truly every man for himself, even in an Amish community?

The characters are great, and the plot is addictive-ly scary. The development of the plot is perfectly paced, making you practically become a zombie-like creature as you try to read "just one more chapter" with the words getting fuzzy at night. It's unpredictable and fun to read. If you like strong characters that you can relate to, or feel like you "know" them, these characters won't let you down.

Summary of Review: Read this fun book! The potential nightmares are quite worth it!

Five monsters out of five! lol


Until next time!



Love,

Lexi

Today's Holidays!!! Yes, An Odd Holiday Every Day!!! by Alexis

Hello, mi amigos!

Since Ash and I are odd, I decided to go with her random theme today, and looked up today's holidays... Did you know that every single day is a holiday? 'Tis true!!! Every single day, month, week, are all used to celebrate something or other. There's even a "Talk Like A Pirate" Day (September 19th), and my fave, "Mad Hatter" Day (October 16th).

So what shall you celebrate or honor today? It's all up to you! Here are the official holidays for today, April 7th, and tomorrow, April 8th (just in case it's too late for you to take the time today)...


April 7th:

• ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Day
• International Beaver Day
• National Day of Hope
• International Pillow Fight Day
• No Housework Day
• Paraprofessional Appreciation Day
• World Health Day
• Caramel Popcorn Day
• International Beaver Day
• International Snailpapers Day
• Metric System Day
• Teapot Dome Scandal Begins
• National Beer Day
• National Coffee Cake Day
• Public Television Day
• Matches First for Sale, 1827
• No Housework Day
• HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)
• It's the end of the following weeks:
• International Pooper-Scooper Week: 1-7
• Laugh at Work Week: 1-7
• Golden Rule Week: 1-7
• Medication Safety Week: 1-7
• Testicular Cancer Awareness Week: 1-7 (a.k.a. Get A Grip Day! lol)
• Publicity Stunt Week: 1-7

So, for today, don't clean your house, but drink some beer, eat some junk food, be healthy, go to another country and smack people upside their heads with pillows, and, while you're there, buy a beaver. All while on camera.

April 8th:

• 20 Days Till My Birthday (Yeah, not a holiday, but I'm going to include it here, lol)
• Buddha Day
• Zoo Lover's Day
• Draw A Picture of a Bird Day
• Trading Cards for Grown-Ups Day
• National Empenada Day
• All Ours Day

Claim everything is yours (scream "MINE!" like a toddler while yanking things away from people). Then draw a picture of a bird at the zoo on an index card and trade it with another adult for their bird drawing, but be very Zen about it all whilst eating an empenada.

Both are included in:

•    Hate Week: 4-10
•    National Blue Ribbon Week: 4-10
•    National Public Health Week: 4-10
•    National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week: 4-10
•    National Week of the Ocean: 4-10
•    Holy Week: 5-11
•    National Women's Nutrition Week: 5-11
•    Explore Your Career Options: 5-10
•    National Networking Week: 5-11
•    National Read a Road Map Week: 5-11

Plus, the 2nd week of April (this week) is Garden Week, so get out there and garden!

All of April is...

• Southern Belles Month (awww, God just knew I'd end up in TX, huh? lol)
• National Pecan Month
• National Soft Pretzel Month
• National Soyfoods Month
• Amateur Radio Month
• Car Care Month
• Couple Appreciation Month
• Fresh Florida Tomatoes Month
• Holy Humor Month
• International Twit Award Month
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome Month
• National Kite Month
• Straw Hat Month
• National Fresh Celery Month
• National Humor Month
• International Guitar Month
• Keep America Beautiful Month
• Lawn and Garden Month
• National Poetry Month
• National Pecan Month
• National Welding Month
• Records and Information Management Month
• Stress Awareness Month
• Sexual Assault Awareness Month
• Woodworking Month
• Straw Hat Month
• Tackle Your Clutter Month
• World Habitat Awareness Month
• National Financial Literacy Month
• National Child Abuse Prevention Month
• National Humor Month
• Alcohol Awareness Month
• Counseling Awareness Month
• Women's Eye Health
• Safety Month
• Daisy Flower Month
• American Cancer Society Month
• National Garden Month 
• National Welding Month
• Zam! Zoo and Aquarium Month
• Math Education Month
• Keep America Beautiful Month
• National Anxiety Month
• Occupational Therapy Month
• Pets are Wonderful Month
• Community Service Month
• Thai Heritage Month
• Stress Awareness Month
• Cancer Control Month
• Month of the Young Child
• National STDs Education and Awareness Month
• International Guitar Mont
• National Frog Month
• National Poetry Month
• Autism Awareness Month
• Youth Sports Safety Month
• Sports Eye Safety Month
• National Recycling Month
• National Smile Month
• Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month
• Holocaust Remembrance Month

Well, there you go. Go celebrate all of that for the rest of April, because jobs and other responsibilities are just not as important. loljk

Have fun, y'all!

Love,

Lexi

"Strands of Bronze and Gold" (A Fairytale Review by Lexi)

Hello, Readers...

As I sit here and watch "Valley Girl" (complete with a Valley girl saying "Gag me with a spoon!" said by the same chick who did Timmy's voice in "Fairly Odd Parents" and Tommy in "Rugrats") starring Nicolas Cage at his finest (*laughing*), I'm wondering what exactly to write about this book... Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson. It's a novel based on the fairytale "Bluebeard." If you know the tale or not, this book is going to take you by surprise.

OMG. "I'm humiliated to the max!" was just said. Why have I taken so long to see this movie again? I need to buy this horrid blast from the past on DVD...

Anywho, this is a dark novel. The fairytale is dark as well, so it's very fitting. For a girl who is a fan of hilarious Southern fiction, this was not humorous, but depressing (again, fitting). There are slaves, treated horribly, without mercy. It is obviously realistic, so just be prepared for that (it broke my heart).

Summary: "When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world." (Goodreads, I love you. Just sayin'.)

Now for those who know the tale, you'll still be terrified out of your wits at appropriate times. I've thought about this tale being retold, and this novel surpassed what I wanted and expected out of a retelling of it. For those who don't know the tale, get ready for an awesome book with freak out moments.

I guess since I knew it, I was trying to get through the novel quickly to see how it all was going to turn out, and if the author was going to make this real or not, and how the tale was going to wind itself/tell itself. This novel has you wanting to yell at Sophia, and other times you want to sit down with her and give her a hug.

The action is there, the characters are whole when need to be, and this novel feels and sounds so realistic, that you start wondering if this whole thing really happened or not. It sounds plausible, and when you can get a fairy tale to become real, you have great talent and tons of imagination. And this author? She definitely has both. You'll be on the edge of your seat during this entire novel. You'll wonder who the "bad guy" is.

For me, because I wanted the novel to go faster, the pace was slow.  However, it's meant to build up the tension, which it does wonderfully. Also, the story has time to truly develop. The setting is shown instead of told, as are the little details that you want to be able to picture in your head. The overall structure is amazing.

So without giving away any more, I'm giving this novel a 4.8...

So... read it! It's worth the money!

"Fearless" (Fearless, Sam, & Run) (A Top Secret Lexi Review)

Hi, peoples!

Anybody in the mood for an adventure? Then check out the first set of three books in one from the "Fearless" series by Francine Pascal!

Summary: "A repackage of a smart and sexy series whose heroine was born without the fear gene. Gaia is a brilliant, beautiful girl who is trained in three kinds of martial arts, has a reflex speed that’s off the charts, and can climb mountains, box, wrestle, and break codes in four languages. She has no trouble throwing a grown man over her shoulders. She doesn’t care what people think of her, and she’s never scared…  Because she is missing the fear gene. In this action-packed bind-up, Gaia makes her way through the treacherous halls of high school and is forced to come to terms with herself, the boys in her life, and her completely MIA family. But she can handle it. She is....Fearless." (Goodreads, gracias! You're amazing!)

How much better would life be if you never felt fear? Never felt real nervous feelings associated with it? Only understood the broad concept but never had to deal with the breath laboring, the heart pounding, nothing at all? Pretty amazing, right? Or is fear a gift that we should all have?

Well, Gaia (pronounced Guy-uh) is a girl who feels no fear. She feels adrenaline instead. Did I mention that she knows how to fight? Super well? Well, she does. So what's a few small-time criminals to her power?

As she makes enemies, she makes one friend; the first since childhood. Her fearlessness is supposed to be her secret, and she keeps it well. But with killers on the loose, and people after her, how much longer can she keep her secret?

The fun about this book is just thinking of how fun it'd be to be fearless. Fear is called a "gift" by many, but is it truly a gift, or is it more of an unneeded hassle? Then there are the characters. Some you'll recognize, such as the snotty popular chick, the once-popular guy, etc. Then there are characters that you haven't met: the old Jewish man who loves chess, the young wife, etc.

Action and adventure are everywhere in this novel. Don't worry though; there's still some romance. As you're living out the fun and harm of Gaia's life, fighting in a park, annoying teachers, etc, you'll also be examining your own life, and your own fears.

The characters are great, the setting is fun, and the stories are fun as well. However, when it comes to the end, you'll want to read on. However, there are 39 of these. Yeah. Juuuust a warning. Only the first six (in two three-stories-in-one books) have been reissued, and I don't know if she's going to continue to reissue the other 33, or what. But these three are worth the money. :)

Rating:

3.89 out of 5 because she leaves you on an extremely frustrating cliffhanger...

Recommendation: You'll not want to stop reading, so give yourself however long it takes to read the whole book. Don't stay up till 5 a.m. and get angry at the ending like I did, lol.

"The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox" (A Book Review by Lexi)

Hello, lovely loves!

Check out this next book:

Review: "In the middle of tending to the everyday business at her vintage-clothing shop and sidestepping her married boyfriend’s attempts at commitment, Iris Lockhart receives a stunning phone call: Her great-aunt Esme, whom she never knew existed, is being released from Cauldstone Hospital—where she has been locked away for more than sixty-one years.

Iris’s grandmother Kitty always claimed to be an only child. But Esme’s papers prove she is Kitty’s sister, and Iris can see the shadow of her dead father in Esme’s face. 

Esme has been labeled harmless—sane enough to coexist with the rest of the world. But she's still basically a stranger, a family member never mentioned by the family, and one who is sure to bring life-altering secrets with her when she leaves the ward. If Iris takes her in, what dangerous truths might she inherit?
A gothic, intricate tale of family secrets, lost lives, and the freedom brought by truth, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox will haunt you long past its final page." (Thank you, Goodreads! I <3 font="" you="">


So imagine this being real. You get this call that this aunt, who's lived in a psych hospital all her life is coming home -- your home. The secrets interwoven in your family's past come out to the light, and everything you thought was true? Yeah, it's not.

So who is Esme? Is she truly insane, or was she imaginative and just didn't fit in? It all depends on who you ask. Her sister has rambling Alzheimer's memories that truly make you understand the disease and what it does for the person. Then Esme herself has different memories. Tie it in with Iris's life, and you have a novel with multi-generational secrets that will make you wonder what secrets are in your family's past...

Rating:

4/5 because of heavy themes.

Suggestions: Read when you can handle something more on the serious side. The theme seems to be that verse in the Bible where the children will inherit their father's sins.