Review: ALL WE HAVE IS NOW by Lisa Schroeder

ALL WE HAVE IS NOW

by Lisa Schroeder

Publication Date: July 28, 2015

Published by Scholastic, Inc.

Pages: 272

Source: Publisher

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What do you do with your last day on earth?

Just over twenty-four hours are left until an asteroid strikes North America, and for Emerson and everyone else who didn't leave, the world will end. But Emerson's world already ended when she ran away from home. Since then, she has lived on the streets, relying on her wits and on her friend Vince to help her find places to sleep and food to eat.

The city's quieter now that most people are gone, and no one seems to know what to do as the end approaches. But then Emerson and Vince meet Carl, who tells them he has been granting people's wishes -- and gives them his wallet full of money. 

Suddenly, this last day seems full of possibility. Emerson and Vince can grant a lot of wishes in one last day -- maybe even their own.

My Thoughts

I am a fan of books that take place in a twenty-four hour period. They are usually filled with fun adventures and new experiences for the characters. A lot can happen in a day. Now add the fact that is the last day on earth. That changes everything! How do you spend your time and who do you spend it with? All We Have Is Now gives readers one answer with the story of Vince and Emerson.

What I loved:

• The close friendship of Vince and Emerson.  Even though they kept secrets from each other, they trusted each other. 
• Dual storylines
• How much I cared about the characters. All of them. 
• The inclusion of poems among the chapters
• The various ways Vince and Emerson grant wishes and the people they meet along the way. Vince is imaginative and wants to make sure everyone has a memorable experience.
• The Mini-tour of Portland, Oregon - as Vince and Emerson grant wishes they spend the night all over the city
• Conspiracy theories and pumpkin pie (when you read it this will make sense)
• There's a ROAD TRIP! (How can that happen in 24 hours when the world is about the end- you'll have to read it and find out!

There are a lot of poignant moments as the characters consider their last hours on earth. Here are some quotes that stood out to me:

"Regret is a hard thing to shake."

"Doughnuts and Justin Timberlake," . . . "Now this is an awesome last day."

"No, see, you guys are looking at it all wrong," Vince says. "The amount of time isn't important. A hundred minutes or a hundred years. Whatever, it doesn't matter. Just make it count."

"Tears sting her eyes, and she tries to stop them, but it's useless. It's not fair, her thoughts whisper over and over again. How can it be over now, when she's just getting to the best part."

All We Have is Now is a really special book. Readers will appreciate the depth of the story while still having a fun time with the characters. It will move readers and hopefully make them consider their minutes, all of them, and make them count. I really enjoyed it. A recommended read!

Disclaimer:  I received this ARC from the publisher as part of a promotional tour in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way other than the ARC provided. Quotes are taken from ARC and may differ from the final published version. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lisa Schroeder is the author of over a dozen books for kids and teens, including the YA novels I Heart You, You Haunt Me and The Bridge From Me to You. She loves tea and cookies, flowers, family hikes, books and movies that make her laugh and cry, and sunshine. Living in Oregon, she doesn’t get nearly enough sunshine, but the hikes are amazing. You can visit her online at www.lisaschroederbooks.com on Twitter at @lisa_schroeder.

AUTHOR ONLINE: Website | Facebook | Twitter

MAKE A WISH

Make-A-Wish-for-the-Apocalypse- There’s just a little over 24 hours until a meteor is scheduled to hit the US. What do you wish for?

I don't know. Everything I can think of seems boring. I think I need Vince to help me come up with some fun adventure. 

GIVEAWAY

The author will be giving away $40 Powells e-gift card (US) OR a signed copy of All We Have Is Now (INT) to the winner of the below Rafflecopter. The giveaway ends August 5th.

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Waiting on Wednesday: NEVER BROKEN by Jewel

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

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

NEVER BROKEN

by Jewel

Publication Date September 15, 2015
Published by Blue Rider Press

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New York Times bestselling poet an multi-platinum singer-songwriter Jewel explores her unconventional upbringing and extraordinary life in an inspirational memoir that covers her childhood to fame, marriage, and motherhood.

Why I'm Waiting 

• As much as I love Maroon 5, I may love Jewel more (but it's not a competition)
• "Songs are only half the story" - and they say a whole lot, so I want to know what else she has to say
• She has a new album coming out at the same time and I want to find out how the album and the book compliment each other    

Blog Tour: LOVE LIES BENEATH by Ellen Hopkins - Review and Giveaway

LOVE LIES BENEATH

by Ellen Hopkins

Publication Date: July 21, 2015

Published by Atria Books

Pages: 320

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Collateral comes a gripping novel about a woman caught in a love affair that could be her salvation...or her undoing.

Tara is gorgeous, affluent, and forty. She lives in an impeccably restored Russian Hill mansion in San Francisco. Once a widow, twice divorced, she’s a woman with a past she prefers keeping to herself.

Enter Cavin Lattimore. He’s handsome, kind, charming, and the surgeon assigned to Tara following a ski accident in Lake Tahoe. In the weeks it takes her to recover, Cavin sweeps her off her feet and their relationship blossoms into something Tara had never imagined possible. But then she begins to notice some strange things: a van parked outside her home at odd times, a break-in, threatening text messages and emails. She also starts to notice cracks in Cavin’s seemingly perfect personality, like the suppressed rage his conniving teenage son brings out in him, and the discovery that Cavin hired a detective to investigate her immediately after they met.

Now on crutches and housebound, Tara finds herself dependent on the new man in her life—perhaps too much so. She’s handling rocky relationships with her sister and best friend, who are envious of her glamour and freedom; her prickly brother-in-law, who is intimidated by her wealth and power; and her estranged mother. However perfect Tara’s life appears, things are beginning to get messy.

Writing in beautiful prose, Ellen Hopkins unveils a new style while evoking her signature poetic form that readers fell in love with in Collateral and Triangles.

My Thoughts

As a long time fan of Ellen Hopkins and her books, I always experience great excitement when I know she has a new book coming out. I love her writing style and the depth that she goes to reveal the lives of her characters. I went in blindly reading Love Lives Beneath knowing that it was an adult novel, but not much else since I hadn't read the synopsis or book description. When I began reading the novel, I was surprised to discover that it wasn't written in verse like her other novels. As I read, I would catch myself thinking how different this book felt from the others because it was written in prose, but at the same time recognizing the nuances of an Ellen Hopkins book. I think readers will enjoy this writing style just as much as her verse novels. I know I did.

Love Lies Beneath is full of tension and suspense. And romance. It was easy to get swept up in the love affair between Tara and Cavin. He was charming and attentive and just the kind of man you would want to spend your days and your nights with. Yet, sometimes he seemed a little too good to be true. He had some secrets that he was keeping which became even more evident when his son was around.  

Something that I always find interesting about Hopkins's books are the dynamics of relationships. There is so much more going on that what the characters reveal on the surface. She is careful in how she presents the characters and EVERYTHING MEANS SOMETHING. Nothing exists just as filler. In Love Lies Beneath, the relationships, both romantic and familial, are complicated. There are power struggles throughout and they are intense. These are some of my favorite parts of the story.

I mentioned before that I went in blindly reading this novel, but about halfway through, I unintentionally read a small snip-it of the synopsis and discovered a major spoiler that had not yet been revealed in the book. Of course I was disappointed and surprised that this information was in the synopsis, but it didn't ruin the book for me. It did change the way I viewed the characters and how I read their story.  

Love Lies Beneath provides many elements of intrigue that make for a perfect book club selection and would make for a great discussion. I would put this book in the hands of readers who have missed out on Hopkins's books because they "don't like verse novels" (what is wrong with people). I think they would like Hopkins's storytelling so much that they would rush to read her other books. I like the new style and hope she continues to write more novels like Love Lies Beneath. I will definitely read them!

Disclaimer:  I received this e-ARC from Atria Books via Edelweiss in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way other than the e-ARC provided. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tour Wide Giveaway

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Complete Tour Schedule

July 20th – Fangirlish – Review, Author Interview

July 20th - J & J Book Bangers – Review

July 21st - Bookhounds – Review, Top Ten

July 21st - Reads All The Books – Review

July 21st - Fiction Dreams – Guest Post

July 22nd - Between The Pages Book Blog – Review, Interview, Top Ten

July 23rd - Actin' Up With Books – Review

July 23rd - All For Love of the Word – Review

July 24th - Books & Bling – Review

July 24th - Ramblings of a Perpetual New Girl – Review, Author Interview

July 27th - Backseats and Airports – Review

July 28th - Books and Ladders – Review

July 29th - Journeys & Life – Guest Post

July 29th - Book Chic – Review, Author Interview

July 29th - Room With Books – Spotlight/ Excerpt

July 30th – Bibliophilia, Please – Guest Post

July 31st - Alec John Belle – Review

July 31st - Bookish - Debbie – Review

July 31st - Pixie Vixen Book Reviews – Review

July 31st - Heather Ann Book Reviews - Review

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Review: ANYA AND THE SHY GUY by Suze Winegardner

ANYA AND THE SHY GUY

Backstage Pass #4

by Suze Winegardner

Publication Date: July 14, 2015

Published by Entangled Publishing:Crush

Pages: 230

Source: Publisher via Netgalley

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It's always the quiet ones...

Anya Anderson doesn't just need a big break, she needs any break. Living on the streets doesn't leave a girl many options, so when she scores a gig reporting on the Seconds to Juliet tour, she jumps at the chance to earn enough money to sleep somewhere safe. And the paycheck will get bigger - and keep her off the streets for good - if she can dig up dirt on Will Fray, the irritatingly hot "shy guy" of the band.

Problem is, Will Fray isn't who everyone thinks he is. In fact, he's not Will at all. Matt, Will's identical twin, is actually the guy onstage, reluctantly covering for his brother while he's in rehab. To make matters worse, Matt's being shadowed by a cute reporter with troubled eyes determined to get the scoop. On him. And he's having trouble finding the willpower to keep his distance...

But if the secret gets out, it won't just be his head on a platter - it'll be the whole band's.

This Entangled Teen Crush book contains steamy make out scenes, graphic language, and a love story so hot your copy may spontaneously burst into flames. You've been warned.

My Thoughts

I have a crush on The Shy Guy. I have a crush on Will. I mean Matt. Yeah, Matt. Did you catch that?! Will is really Matt, Will's twin brother. When I first read that, I was all "What the what?" How did that happen? How can Matt pull it off? Who is in on the switch and how long can he keep it up the charade? Anya and the Shy Guy gives readers a little twist to The Backstage Pass series and it adds to the fun. I loved it!

This book has a different feel to it compared to the others. There seemed to be less interaction between the band members which makes complete sense. Matt has a huge secret to hide and the less he interacts with the band members, the less of a chance there is that he will be found out. I did want more interactions because I enjoy the comradarie with the other guys. There are some great one-liners so we do get a bit of the other guys in Seconds to Juliet (more Ryder please!)

Like not-Will, Anya has her own secrets that she must keep and must walk a fine line to keep them. I like how Winegardner addressed Anya's struggles and her needs and didn't trivialize her experience. I did want to know more about Anya's background and her relationship with her mom. We get pieces, but that is something that I would have like more of.

Some favorite moments:

• The eating contest between Matt and Anya
• Anya becoming friends with Natasha
• Rooftops at night
• "WET" serenade

Some favorite quotes:

"Anyway, if you're not living life on the edge, you're taking up too much room."

"I'm going to remind you that you said that."

"Don't be embarrassed. Or if you are embarrassed, get used to it because I intend on kissing you like that every chance I get." He paused, his gaze wandering over her face. "You're phenomenal, and you're mine. Wait. That didn't come out right. I meant I'm yours. If you'll have me."

Love it!!!

Each book of the series continues to compliment the others published before it. I look forward to reading each book and I love recommending them to my friends. They are fun, entertaining, and "take me back to my teens" books.

Disclaimer:  I received this e-ARC from Entangled Publishing in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way other than the e-ARC provided. I've also purchased a finished copy for my personal library. Thoughts and opinions are my own.