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First of all, I have to say thank you to Magan (half of the amazing blogging duo at Rather Be Reading) for her recommendation of this novel. Magan wrote an amazing review of the entire series last month (seriously, check it out, it's in LIST FORMAT -- how cool is that?) and I immediately wanted to jump aboard the Ruby Oliver train. I'm glad I did.Before I express my love for the book, let's talk about the covers. I usually post the cover of the edition that I read in my review, but I had to include both in this one. The top picture, the one with the girl on the cover, is the version that I read, which is a newer cover release. Although both covers were in the library, I chose the newer one because the book looked unread. (I do make frequent use of my library, but I usually prefer to peruse the "new titles" section on the website and put books on hold that are still on order, so that I'm the first one to read them and other people haven't had their dirty paws on the book. Have you ever read a library book where all of a sudden there's some smudge on a page and you have no idea what said smudge is? Ew. Ew ew ew. The copy with the frog cover looked like it had been read a million times by LOTS of dirty hands, so I opted for the cleaner book). I have to say that I prefer the frog cover for three reasons: 1) ceramic frogs are part of the title, 2) the frog is so freakin' cute and 3) I have issues when the cover design includes a real person, and therefore influences my thoughts on what I imagine Ruby to look like while I'm reading the book. Does anyone else think so? It's like reading a book AFTER seeing the movie, and you can only imagine the lead actor as the main character. Kind of ruins the imagining part for me.Although I loved the story, and Ruby's list making, there was one issue that I had with the story, which prevented me from giving it a five star rating on Goodreads: FOOTNOTES. Footnotes in a novel drive me NUTS. I think it's because I'm a fast reader, so I have a tendency to miss those little numbers and, when I get to the bottom of the page, I realize that I've missed a footnote reference, so I have to scroll back up through the story, looking for that little number so that I know where the footnote fits into the story. I'm thankful that I read this in print format though, because some of the comments on my previous e-reader post expressed their thoughts on footnotes in an e-book, and I think it would drive me even more batty if I had to keep flipping to the end of the chapter.ANYWAYS, that was a lot of bookish ranting. Let me just say this: I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Ruby and I am super excited to finish this series. When I go to the library this week, I'm hoping that book two is sitting on the shelf (and also hoping it's a non-grubby copy! *fingers crossed*) Ruby is a really fun character and I loved watching her grow throughout the book. Her character reminded me a little of Jessica Darling, but at the same time she's so uniquely Ruby that it's hard to fully compare her to anyone else. I loved how she grew throughout the book, as she worked through the boyfriend list with her therapist, revisiting all of the boys that had played a role in her life. Ruby's a sweet, funny and extremely likeable character and I'm intrigued to see how she grows as the series develops.If you're looking for a fun, lighthearted contemporary, The Boyfriend List is a great book to add to your TBR list.

I never thought I'd dive into the world of e-books, never thought I'd actually read a full book on an electronic device, but I did. And am I ever glad that I picked Lauren Graham's debut novel as my first foray into the world of iPad reading!I have a tendency to shy away from books that are written by celebrities. If an actor is talented at his or her craft, this talent doesn't necessarily translate into writing fiction. I think that sometimes actors get picked up to write a book, simply because it'll sell well because of who they ARE, not necessarily how they WRITE. (Note: this doesn't apply to ALL actor writers, but I've just noticed that celebrity books aren't necessarily the best-written). Lauren Graham, however, CAN WRITE and tell a really, really good story.It was hard not to imagine her as Rory's mom from Gilmore Girls while reading this book, even though it's fiction and not a memoir of Lauren's foray into the world of acting. The way Franny Banks talks, and her brand of snark, was just SO Lorelei Gilmore that I just went with it, and imagined her as the lead character while reading.Someday, Someday, Maybe is the story of Franny Banks who is struggling to make it as an actress in New York City. She's given herself a deadline of three years to make it, or she'll re-evaluate and change her career goals. The book opens with six months until her deadline, and things are not going according to plan. What follows is her heartfelt and amusing journey through auditions and agent hunting, as well as friendship and love.The day planner pages of Franny's Filofax are also scattered throughout the book. This was a cute touch, although Franny's handwriting is a little difficult to read at times. One final word of caution: the book takes a little while to get going, but once it's going it's hard to put down. If you choose to read this in e-format, make sure your reader is fully charged by the time you reach the three-quarter mark or you'll end up like me, crouched on the floor with the reader plugged into the wall, anxious to finish those last ten pages, even though my iPad's battery was completely drained.I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and found myself laughing out loud quite a few times. The love story is perfectly told, and Franny's friends are quirky and entertaining. Someday, Someday, Maybe will make a fantastic beach read, so add this one to your summer TBR list!Note: I received an e-galley of this book from Netgalley. The fact that I received this book for review did not influence my review of this book in any way.

I started reading this book last summer, but it was due back at the library before I had the chance to really get into the story. Then, I read Hannah @ So Obssessed With's review, and knew that I had to give this book a second shot.The world building is confusing at the beginning. With so many other dystopian-type fiction, we're thrust into a world that's quite different from our own, but the author describes and explains things as the story unfolds. With Under the Never Sky, we're dropped into this world, and things start happening, without that explanation stage. It was a little disconcerting at the beginning, but the world did start to make sense as I read further into the book. For anyone who hasn't yet read this book, I think this is a really helpful thing to know before you start reading -- otherwise, I definitely would have given up much, much earlier.Once you're in the world, you are IN. The story unfolds so perfectly as Aria takes off on her adventure and meets Peregrine, or Perry. I absolutely LOVED the connection between the two of them. It's so perfect and fitting. When I heard about Roar, I was excited to meet his character, but also a little apprehensive that this was going to be the infamous love triangle. I was relieved that Roar's in love with someone else, so I could just enjoy the wittiness that his character brought to the story, without the love triangle confusion.The story in the book is great and has the perfect amount of suspense. I like that the story wrapped up at the end, but still left me wanting to read the second installment. Unfortunately, it's still on order at my library, so I might be waiting a while! I'm definitely planning to continue reading this series, and I'm super excited for the next one, since I've heard it's even better than the first book!Review also posted at: http://bit.ly/XRUrpk

After finishing this book, I was chatting to a friend on how to write a review of this one. The answer is, I just can't. It would be impossible to say anything without giving the book away.So let me just say this: the storyline is good, the characters are completely unlikeable (but I think that's the point) and there were a couple of moments where I literally said "Whaaaaaaaat?" out loud while reading this one. It's a page-turner for sure, but I was left at the end feeling somewhat ... unsatisfied with the ending. But that's just me.

Book hype can go one of two ways: either it's just as incredible as everyone says it would be, or it's so over-hyped that it's a disappointing read. The Madman's Daughter didn't quite fit into either category for me, but sat somewhere in the middle.I'd heard of several bloggers saying that they couldn't put this book down, and just raced through the pages. When I picked it up from the library, Jaime @ The Perpetual Page Turner told me that the book had a slow start, but it would pick up. I'm glad that she warned me, otherwise this book likely would have ended up on my "gave-up" shelf. It took over a hundred pages to really get going, and I generally give up if the book hasn't captured by attention by page 50.The story is good, and the plot is well-developed. There's a few good twists to the story, but some of them are a little predictable. Perhaps that's simply because I've read so much Shakespeare during my undergrad degree -- most of the twists I figured out before they were revealed. I didn't know much about the H.G. Wells' Island of Dr. Moreau, the story that this book is based upon, but I imagine that the premise is somewhat similar. In some ways, this is an excellent way of bringing a taste of a classic novel into a more contemporary reinterpretation. A young adult of today may not pick up the classic tale, but would enjoy a more contemporary retelling of the story, thus ensuring that these classic stories don't completely fade into the woodwork.There were a few things about the book that irritated me, hence the fact that I didn't fall head-over-heels for the story. Juliet's character was a bit irritating, and I had to keep reminding myself that she was a Victorian girl. The way she pines over both Edward and Montgomery, then chastises herself for having feelings, then pines again drove me a little crazy. I understand that it's the way the Victorian era was; however, there were some points in the book where she would long to feel the touch of one boy, then imagine kissing the other boy in the very next sentence. It got to be a little much after a while. The second thing was the animal cruelty in the book. I had to skip over some sections of the descriptions, because I just can't stomach people mistreating animals, even if it is a fictional account. On the whole, The Madman's Daughter is a good book, and the pace of the story definitely picks up about a third of the way through the book. I liked the Shakespeare allusions, and enjoyed the majority of the book even though there were certain things that irked me a little. Sidenote: I am left confused by the fact that this is the first book in a trilogy? Not sure how the story will continue on, or whether I'm interested in reading on. I suppose I'll wait and see what the reviews for book two are like, and make up my mind at that time.Review also posted at: http://writergrrlreads.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-madmans-daughter-megan-shepherd.html

I was excited to dive into Just One Day, but also a little hesitant. Some of my favourite, and trusted, bloggers (Jaime @ The Perpetual Page Turner and Magan @ Rather Be Reading) had RAVED about this book. Since their favourite reads are usually guaranteed wins for me, I checked the library to see if they had this book in the collection. No luck. So then I contemplated purchasing a copy, but I was hesitant to do so because I didn't LOVE Forman's other book, If I Stay (I know, I know -- SO many of my favourite bloggers have this book in their lists of all-time faves, but it was just okay in my opinion). So, for that reason, I opted not to purchase a copy and just wait and see if the library would acquire it at some point. And they did, finally!From the first few pages, I was hooked. The story line almost reminded me a little of the adventure of Maureen Johnson's 13 Little Blue Envelopes, but with a Stephanie Perkins-esque love story. Pure magic. Allyson's character was memorable, and I loved how she grew throughout the book. The love story unfolded perfectly, and Allyson's heartbreak was so real and heartfelt. I felt each emotion with the characters, which is testament to Forman's writing skills.And that ENDING -- yowza! I cannot WAIT for Just One Year to come out so that I can find out the rest of the story. I was so impressed with this story that I may just give If I Stay a second shot. Maybe I'll like it better the second time through?Review also posted at: http://writergrrlreads.blogspot.ca/2013/04/just-one-day-gayle-forman.html

The first book in this trilogy, Pure, was one of my surprise favourites of 2012. I remember picking the book up, not sure what to expect, and I was absolutely transfixed by the story. When I picked up Fuse from the library, I was expecting to be captivated in the same way, but also a little hesitant about whether my sleep-deprived brain could handle a dystopian novel (after my struggles to get through Going Too Far, I was starting to think that I might be on a contemporaries-only binge for a while, at least until Marko starts sleeping through the night).But Fuse captivated me just as much as Pure did. And I loved it.The story line picks up right where Pure left off. To avoid spoiling anything for anyone who hasn't read Pure yet, I won't talk about the plot at all, but just say that Julianna Baggot's writing sucked me into the story and refused to let me go. As I said in my bookish resolutions post earlier this year, I wasn't too sure how much reading or blogging time I was going to have with a newborn on my hands, and when I picked up Fuse, I was a little intimidated by its size (400+ pages). It took me a little longer to read than my usual speed, but I still feel like I flew through the book, reading a page or two whenever I had a spare moment. Even though that's not my usual style of reading (I'm usually one who prefers to sit down and read for an hour or so at a go), I found that this worked quite well for this book, mainly because Julianna Baggot's writing is so beautiful that you almost have to savour the words for a little while before moving onto the next section. In fact, I had a Twitter conversation about this aspect of the book: I want to purchase a copy of these books, just so that I can reread them in the future and savour each and every word. Here's an example:I feel like we weren't made for each other. We're making each other--into the people we should become.Fuse is a spell-binding sequel to Pure, and I might have enjoyed Fuse just a tiny bit more than Pure (and I LOVED Pure a heck of a lot). I'm so excited to see what the conclusion of the trilogy will bring!

A few months ago, I asked my Twitter friends which book I should start with if I wanted to dive into Jennifer Echols' work. Several friends immediately responded, professing their love for Jennifer's work. Since my library didn't have any of her books, I chose the two titles that my friends recommended and added them to my Christmas wish list. My wonderful sister-in-law gifted me not just one of the titles, but BOTH.I started reading this book towards the end of January, after I had to return Days of Blood & Starlight to the library since it was too heavy for my carpal-tunnel riddled hands. The size of this paperback made the book easier to hold, but I still only managed to read the first six chapters before Marko's arrival. It was a little surreal to dive back into this book, with such a life-altering experience in between the moment that I started the book and the moment that I tried to re-enter the story and piece together what had been happening. It is perhaps for this reason that I didn't love the book as much as I had hoped to, but I'm still sure that I will love Jennifer's work after I read another of her books.I did enjoy Meg's character, and her relationship with John. She was edgy and bold, and I found myself drawn to her angst, wondering what made her such a daredevil. (I'm just now realizing that her character was much more interesting than Parker's in Cracked Up to Be, which I recently reviewed. Even though they're both "bad girls," Meg's character was intriguing, whereas Parker was just plain annoying). What did annoy me a little about this book was the extended sexual tension between Meg and John. From the very beginning, I could tell where the story was headed, and I found myself wanting things to hurry up and get moving. Maybe the story would have been stronger if there hadn't been so many ride-along nights, since I found that each ride-along just flip flopped back and forth between "he likes me, no he hates me, no maybe he likes me ... I like him, no he annoys me, no maybe I really do like him..." Perhaps this is how the teenage mind really does work when it comes to sizing up a boy (and I just can't remember or identify with that) but it definitely dragged on a bit too long for my taste.With that being said, the rest of the story was very well done. Jennifer definitely paints a great story with intriguing characters that are well-developed. Although this particular story wasn't my favourite, I definitely have high hopes for Such a Rush and I'm sure that she won't disappoint!Review also posted at: http://writergrrlreads.blogspot.ca/2013/03/going-too-far-jennifer-echols.html

After I read Sweethearts in almost one sitting over the Christmas holidays, I was excited to read another Sara Zarr book -- and this one had received great reviews too. I listened to this one on audio as I drove to and from work for my last couple of weeks, which was great as it still gave me an opportunity to read when I wasn't reading much in the way of print books, due to my tingly fingers. I loved everything about this story. The characters were amazing and the narration on the audiobook was phenomenal (I absolutely LOVE when audiobooks use a different narrator for each voice in the story and Mandy and Jill were each narrated by a different actress, which was great since if I jumped into the car mid-chapter, it was easy to remember whose chapter I was in the middle of listening to). Plus, the storyline of the book was so relevant to what was going on in my life -- I remember Mandy talking about feeling the baby kick, and being 38 weeks pregnant and I was just going "Yes, yes, yes -- I totally know how you're feeling!" Plus, the relationships between all of the secondary characters, and the emotional struggles that each character goes through, and everything about this book is just so PERFECT. Sara Zarr has become one of my new favourite writers, and I'm so excited to read another of her books!

I actually reviewed this one towards the end of January; however, during the process of writing my review, my internet connection timed out and I lost the whole thing. Oops! I really enjoyed the other two books that I read by Courtney (Some Girls Are and This is Not a Test), but something about Cracked Up to Be just fell flat for me. I think it was mainly Parker's character -- I never found myself identifying with her, or empathizing with her in her struggles. The way that she behaved towards everyone around her grated on my nerves and, even when I found out WHY she was behaving the way she was, it still didn't justify her actions for me. Basically, without spoiling anything, Parker used to be the perfect high school girl -- great student, captain of the cheerleading squad, dating the most popular guy in school, etc, etc. And then she becomes the complete opposite -- barely passing her classes, drinking at school, in trouble with the admin, and basically being a royal pain in the butt to everyone around her, including her former friends. I kept reading because I love Courtney Summers' books SO MUCH but, even by the end, I found that this one didn't live up to my expectations. I still have one more of her books to read and my fingers are crossed that it's a better one!

Well, I'm off to a good start for 2013 by starting with an adult book (since, one of my bookish resolutions was to read more "big kid" books). I first heard of this book when Jaime @ The Perpetual Page-Turner RAVED about it in her review, so I put it on hold at the library. I haven't listened to an audio book in a long time, so I thought I'd give this one a shot on audio to help make my forty-five minute commute a little more tolerable (and distract me from the fact that I usually desperately have to pee by the time I get to work!)It was such a refreshing change to dive back into adult literature, and this was the perfect book for that reintroduction. Sarah Jio is a talented writer and I loved that the book flipped back and forth between two narrators. (Interestingly enough, I'm now listening to another audio book with two narrators, and I have to admit that I prefer having two separate narrators as well, rather than one person narrating two different voices). The storyline begins with a freak snowstorm in May in 1933, when Vera returns home from work to find that her little boy has gone missing. The storyline then switches to Claire's perspective, 80 years later, when another freak snowstorm hits Seattle on the same date in May, prompting Claire's features editor at work to assign her a story to cover the coincidence between the two storms. Claire, frustrated by the lack of anything remotely interesting about the story, begins investigating and learns about Daniel's mysterious and unsolved disappearance 80 years earlier. And the story takes off, weaving back and forth between these two women's points of view, as they deal with their own demons and come to terms with their losses.As I said earlier, Sarah Jio is a very talented writer and this book is perfectly paced. It's part mystery, part historical fiction and part love story, but perfectly balanced into a really, really good read. There were parts of it that were a little tough to handle (being that I was eight months pregnant while reading it), but I think that any story to do with children is going to tug at my heartstrings now. I will definitely be reading more of Sarah's work, and thank you Jaime for introducing me to this book!

I first heard of this book when Jaime @ The Perpetual Page-Turner posted a review in November. Jaime compared the book to the Jessica Darling series, and I was sold. Then, after getting myself on a Christmas-y contemporary kick with the above-two books, I decided to give this one a shot. I'd actually go one step farther and say that this book is Jessica Darling mixed with Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. I loved Audrey's snark (which is totally Jessica Darling-esque -- some of things that she said/thought just made me laugh out loud!). But the music aspect of the book is what totally won me over, which is why I would relate it to Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. Oh, and Just Listen by Sarah Dessen too. I absolutely LOVE books that have to do with music, whether it's friendships blossoming over a shared mixed tape, or a boy and a girl shyly sharing their favourite music with one another, and falling head over heels in love as they discover all that they have in common. Music is such a personal thing, and the sharing of music with one another is, in my opinion, a way of very intimately sharing piece of your soul with another person.But before I get too deep, let me just say that this book is a lot of fun. Audrey goes on one incredibly wild ride after her ex-boyfriend writes a song about their break-up, a song that becomes #1 on the charts and changes her life unexpectedly. (Think paparazzi, reporters wanting to hear her side of the story and other musicians wanting to date her so that she can "inspire" them). The story is told in such a fun way that, although Audrey can be a little bit annoying at times, you totally cheer for her and want her to come out on top at the end.

I've been excited for this one since I saw either Magan or Estelle @ Rather Be Reading tweeting about this one over the summer. I put it on hold at the library and it FINALLY arrived in mid-December. I dove into this one with SO MUCH excitement and anticipation and, while I enjoyed the majority of the book, there were a few things that fell flat for me.First of all, the characters in this book are incredibly well-developed. I loved the entire Garrett family SO MUCH and thought that Huntley did such a great job of bringing that crazy household to life. The contrast between Jase's lively and busy household and Samantha's cold and quiet household was so well done and really added to the storyline. It'll be hard for me to outline the things that I didn't like without being spoilery, so CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED! I felt that the friendship fallout between Samantha and Nan wasn't resolved and, although Tim kind of saved the day at the end, his storyline needed more closure, especially considering how messed up he was for most of the book. And, finally, although I wanted a happily-ever-after between Jase and Samantha (because, really, who doesn't?), the whole reveal-of-the-big-secret and how their relationship surpassed that moment didn't quite sit with me perfectly. I can't quite put my finger on exactly what it was that made it less-than-perfect, but it just seemed to resolve itself just a little too perfectly, considering what a momentous secret it was. But, on the whole, My Life Next Door is a fantastic contemporary ride, and definitely deserves its spot on all of those best of 2012 lists and I, for one, am SUPER excited to see what Huntley has in store in her next book! She's definitely a writer to watch.

There has been so much gushing love for Sara Zarr, especially in some of the end-of-year book surveys that I've been reading over the last month. So I thought what-the-heck, and put a book on hold at the library to give her a shot. And WOW. If I learned one lesson from this experience, it's this: when you see multiple bloggers gushing about a particular writer, especially bloggers whose opinions you know and trust, RUN to the library/bookstore to see what the fuss is all about!This story was just so charming and sweet that I gobbled it up in just over a day. I loved the relationship between Jennifer and Cameron, who hadn't seen each other in years, and then fell back into each others' lives suddenly. Their story was heartwarming, and just a little bit sad, and just perfect all over. Sometimes a book tries too hard to be sentimental and lovey (and I'm a hopeless romantic, so I can handle some serious sappiness), but this book just walked the line between being realistic and over-the-top SO WELL. I felt like these two weren't characters in a book, but rather were two real people that I came to know quite well over the course of the book. This definitely will not be my last venture into the wonderful world of Sara Zarr -- I'm hooked.

I've been reading through other blogger's End of the Year Survey's for the last couple of weeks (and if you haven't participated yet, head over to The Perpetual Page-Turner -- it's a great way to reflect on your reading for the past year!) This book seems to have popped up on at least half the surveys that I've read so far ... and the consensus is love, love and more love. So I put the book on hold, with a little trepidation. Although I completely respect and value the recommendations of other bloggers, I haven't exactly had the best experience with David Levithan so far. I was SO excited to read The Lover's Dictionary, and really intrigued by the premise of a story told in dictionary entries, but the story fell flat for me. David is a beautiful writer, but the story just didn't grab hold of me.Every Day was a completely different experience. Anyone with a beating heart would have a hard time not relating to A's struggles in this book. Each morning, he wakes up in a different body and spends the day as that person. He's come to accept his existence of never really being too attached to his surroundings, knowing that he'll be gone the next day, and that person will continue on with his or her existence, without even knowing that A was there. But one day, A enters the body of Justin, and falls in love with Justin's girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment on, A isn't able to deal with the day-to-day changing of bodies in the same way, because he finds himself inextricably linked to Rhiannon.It's hard to find the words to describe exactly what it was about Every Day that made it so memorable. The book is more about emotions than about actual events. The struggles that A goes through while trying to understand his existence and the way he comes to terms with his relationship with Rhiannon is both uplifting and heart-wrenching at the same time. I devoured this book in just over a day, which I haven't done in a LONG time, and then found myself thinking about it for a few days afterwards. Every Day deserves its spot atop all of those best of 2012 lists, and has renewed my faith in David Leviathan's ability to tell a really great story.Review also posted at: http://writergrrlreads.blogspot.ca/2012/12/every-day-david-leviathan.html

This book taught me a very valuable lesson: do not base my choice whether to read or not to read solely on Goodreads reviews that show up in my news feed. I honestly can't remember whose reviews I saw, only that the general consensus shortly after the release date seemed to be that Insurgent wasn't as good as Divergent. So my copy sat untouched on my shelf for months. I knew that I'd read it one day, but I just wasn't inspired to pick it up right away.Insurgent was well worth the wait though -- I loved it! I felt that Divergent did an excellent job of setting the stage for this book, by explaining the factions and creating this amazing dystopian world. Insurgent was more about the action and adventure, and it seemed like the book was perfectly paced from one adventure to the next. I could have raced through this book in a couple of days, but I'm trying to read a little bit slower in order to savour what I'm reading, rather than gobbling up books. (It's a new year's resolution of mine, but I'm starting a little earlier this year).There's not much more that I can say about the book without giving anything away, so let me just leave it at this: Insurgent is a fast-paced, adventure-packed book that picks up right where Divergent left off. What I loved best about this book is that you don't know who to trust throughout the book, as it seems like everyone's allegiances keep shifting. Tris' character grows a lot throughout the book, and I love her as a heroine even more after finishing Insurgent. And the ending just made me want to read Book #3 RIGHT NOW! It's going to be a long, long wait until September!Review also posted at: http://writergrrlreads.blogspot.ca/2012/12/insurgent-veronica-roth.html