Giveaway: 180 SECONDS by Jessica Park

What do I do when I love a book and want you to read it?

I give away a copy!

180 SECONDS by Jessica Park

Published April 25, 2017 by Skyscape

Pages: 300

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I was lucky enough to read an early copy of 180 SECONDS by Jessica Park. I shared my review this week. You can read my review HERE, but I'll give you some highlights:

"If you're just discovering Jessica Park's writing with 180 SECONDS, THIS is the story that will make you fall in love with her books."

"180 SECONDS exudes the power of human kindness and compassion, and everything you want to believe in love and trust and friendship. It's a book that you'll want to put into the hands of those most dear to you. It's the book that you'll want to share with a stranger. 

5 Stars are not enough. So I give it my heart."

I want everyone to have a chance to read 180 SECONDS so this giveaway is international (Int'l - as long as The Book Depository ships to you). You must be 18 or older to enter the giveaway. Enter by Rafflecopter below. Invalid entries will be disqualified.

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Review: 180 SECONDS by Jessica Park

180 SECONDS

by Jessica Park

Publication Date: April 25, 2017

Published by Skyscape

Pages: 300

Source: Netgalley

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Synopsis

Some people live their entire lives without changing their perspective. For Allison Dennis, all it takes is 180 seconds…

After a life spent bouncing from one foster home to the next, Allison is determined to keep others at arm’s length. Adopted at sixteen, she knows better than to believe in the permanence of anything. But as she begins her third year in college, she finds it increasingly difficult to disappear into the white noise pouring from her earbuds.

One unsuspecting afternoon, Allison is roped into a social experiment just off campus. Suddenly, she finds herself in front of a crowd, forced to interact with a complete stranger for 180 seconds. Neither she, nor Esben Baylor, the dreamy social media star seated opposite her, is prepared for the outcome.

When time is called, the intensity of the experience overwhelms Allison and Esben in a way that unnerves and electrifies them both. With a push from her oldest friend, Allison embarks on a journey to find out if what she and Esben shared is the real thing—and if she can finally trust in herself, in others, and in love.

My Thoughts

If you're just discovering Jessica Park's writing with 180 SECONDS, THIS is the story that will make you fall in love with her books.

After having read just a few chapters, I messaged a friend told her "It's already amazing. I'm just going to hand over my heart to Jessica Park. Seriously, just take it." I felt this way early on and that emotion continued throughout.

There is a tone and pacing to her writing that makes everything else fall away and I became immersed in the lives of the characters. I love the college setting and depiction of college life and the combination of social media. I work on college a campus and I could imagine walking up and seeing some of the scenes playing out.

180 Seconds has a lot of the Flat-Out Love vibes, but the Left Drowning feelings. Left Drowning is the book that means everything to me, and 180 SECONDS makes my heart feel just as full.

My favorite quote:
"There's no sorry here, only love." 

180 SECONDS exudes the power of human kindness and compassion, and everything you want to believe in love and trust and friendship. It's a book that you'll want to put into the hands of those most dear to you. It's the book that you'll want to share with a stranger. 

5 Stars are not enough. So I give it my heart. 

Disclaimer:  I received this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way other than the e-ARC provided.  I've also purchased a copy of this title for my personal libraryThoughts and opinions are my own.

Review: WHAT WE LEFT BEHIND by Robin Talley

WHAT WE LEFT BEHIND

by Robin Talley

Publication Date: October 27, 2015

Published by Harlequin Teen

Pages: 416

Source: Publisher via Media Masters Publicity

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from Goodreads

What happens when love isn't enough to conquer all?

Toni and Gretchen are the couple everyone envied in high school. They've been together forever. They never fight. They're deeply, hopelessly in love. When they separate for their first year at college—Toni to Harvard and Gretchen to NYU—they're sure they'll be fine. Where other long-distance relationships have fallen apart, their relationship will surely thrive.

The reality of being apart, however, is a lot different than they expected. As Toni, who identifies as genderqueer, falls in with a group of transgender upperclassmen and immediately finds a sense of belonging that has always been missing, Gretchen struggles to remember who she is outside their relationship.

While Toni worries that Gretchen, who is not trans, just won't understand what is going on, Gretchen begins to wonder where she fits in Toni's life. As distance and Toni's shifting gender identity begins to wear on their relationship, the couple must decide—have they grown apart for good, or is love enough to keep them together?

My Thoughts

I wanted to read What We Left Behind from the minute I found out about it because I haven't read many books about gender identity, and I wanted to read a story about someone's life experience that was different from my own. Even though Toni's story is a fictional account of a person questioning their gender identity, I knew that the story would allow me to consider my own thoughts on how I relate and understand people. It's not that I needed this book to teach me something, but it felt like it was a book that I needed to read.

What I loved:

• The depiction of college life - the new and exciting friendships and how people you've just met can suddenly become important to you
• The depiction of college life - not everyone you meet is going to be your BFF and you still have to deal with them anyway
• The depiction of college life - balancing social life with academic life
• The flashbacks - the tell a lot about Toni and Gretchen's relationship when they were together since they were physically apart for most of the book. My favorite "before"/flashback is at the beginning of the book and we learn how Toni and Gretchen met at a Homecoming Dance
• Toni's relationship with Audrey, Toni's younger sister. Audrey is the one person in the family who Toni can be most authentic with. Toni fears judgment and Audrey offers the support Toni needs.
• The exploration of relationship dynamics. Can long distance relationships last? Can open relationships work? Can you be friends with an ex? 
• The reality that there isn't a "perfect person" or a "perfect relationship" no matter how much we wish it to be.

What I found most significant about What We Left Behind is the idea that we are always trying to figure out who we are and we are always ever growing and ever changing and only we can determine who we are. Toni spends most of the book trying to find a label but discovers that any label is limiting and never quite accurate and that even the chosen label can change at any moment. 

As I read, I found myself wanting to know more about Gretchen and who she was outside of her relationship with Toni. From the beginning, it felt like What We Left Behind was Toni's story and not so much Gretchen's. And having finished the book, this imbalance makes complete sense because this is where most of the conflict between Gretchen and Toni. Gretchen doesn't know who she is without Toni.

I'm so glad to have read this book and hope that I can share it with other readers and discuss it with them. What We Left Behind opens the door for readers to engage each other in conversations about gender identity and gender questioning. It certainly doesn't capture all experiences as they are all individual, but it does capture an experience that is worth reading. I enjoyed the writing, the storytelling, and the characters. This is definitely a recommended read.

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

Waiting on Wednesday: AGAIN by Lisa Burstein

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:
 

AGAIN
by Lisa Burstein
Publication Date: September 22, 2014
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From Goodreads

How far would you go for a second chance?

Eleven years after flunking out of college, Kate has finally hit rock-bottom. Losing her job and boyfriend in one drunken night, she’s determined to fix her life by going back to the moment when she let partying and sex take over. And do things right this time. At twenty-nine, she heads back to freshman year of college, with a catch.

Pretending she's nineteen with a new roommate and full class schedule is easy. When she meets her shy, sexy and seven-years-younger RA, Carter, following her self-imposed sobriety and celibacy rules is proving to be anything but.

A senior enduring years of regret, Carter is more than ready to graduate. He’s anxious to move on from the party his freshman year where he witnessed his frat brothers about to commit a sexual assault. Instead of doing the right thing and stepping in, he looked the other way and left. His guilt has made for a lonely four years.

When he meets the new freshman on his floor, spunky and confident Kate, he wonders if his time as an outcast has finally come to an end.

Kate and Carter’s growing friendship and undeniable attraction make it harder to hide the demons from their respective pasts. But when their secrets are finally revealed, will their chance at starting over together still be there?

Why I'm Waiting

• I am a HUGE FAN of Lisa's books - I love her characters and the stories she tells
• It's a story about second chances 
• I must find out how a 29 year old can pull off being a 19 year old 
• This two chapter teaser - read it for yourself and then add AGAIN to your TBR list!