Author: Veronica Porras (TTB)

I am a thirty-something living in Southern California. I blog about books, read, and live life as best as I can.
Adult Contemporary, Reviews

Book Review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

“Hi, I’m the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you . . . ” 

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It’s company policy.) But they can’t quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O’Neill can’t believe this is his job now- reading other people’s e-mail. When he applied to be “internet security officer,” he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers- not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth’s and Jennifer’s messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can’t help being entertained-and captivated-by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he’s falling for Beth, it’s way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?

My Initial Thoughts:

The only RR book I had read so far is Fangirl and I wanted to check out RR’s adult fiction work. I was expecting her writing to be similar to Fangirl, but still be different if that makes sense. I honestly did not know exactly what to expect.

Review:

Really, I can only fangirl in this review. I stayed up until 12:30am last night just to finish this book. The last time I remember looking at the clock was around 10:20ish. I said to myself I’ve got time to read a little more… and a little more turned into finishing the book. You all know how that works.

Back in late October/November I read about 30 pages in a span of a week and it depressed me a little so I stopped. It was nothing like Fangirl and I knew the next time I picked this book up I had to be in an adult fiction mood. And that mood hit me last night.

Here are some of the reasons why I loved Attachments so much.

#1 The friendship between Jennifer and Beth.

The bond between these two is perfect. The way the talk, their jokes, how considerate they are of each other, and how real they are. It’s just one of the best friendships I’ve seen on paper.

#2 The D&D Crew

I just really love this bunch of married nerds that play video games once a week you can say almost religiously. They always accept Lincoln into their gaming family. Seriously, they are this big eccentric and weirdly awesome family.

#3 Lincoln

Oh, Lincoln. What have you done to my heart. I’ll love you for who you are. I promise.

#4 Lincoln’s mom

Even though she is a bit quirky and odd, she is still one of the best moms I’ve seen in literature these days. So caring and nice. (although she is a bit too attached to her children.)

#5 Doris

This woman cracks me up! With her stories about her marriages and life, she was exactly what Lincoln needed to stay at The Courier long enough to… figure things out. Yes, let’s put it that way. I don’t want to spoil you all!

#6 The ending!!!

Oh Dear Lord, that ending was just… perfect. The ending of this book left me on Cloud 9. I felt weightless, happy, and content. Just picture this: you know that warm feeling you get when you eat a really good meal and it just sits right? And you feel full, happy, and content? That’s exactly how I felt at the end of this book. I need more endings like that in my life.

Rating: 5/5

Tuesday Meme

Top (Ten) Five Things On My Reading Wishlist

Veronica Porras (TTB)

toptentuesday-1Thank you The Broke and the Bookish for this wonderful Tuesday Meme

Well hello guys. I haven’t done a Top Ten Tuesday in months. I feel a little rusty, but let’s tackle this! This week its all about the topics you wish authors would write about. Some of my answers may feel too broad, but bear with me.

1. Family

In YA, there are some really crappy family situations. In your honest opinion tell me which book comes to mind that has a good family dynamic, or even a so-so one? Any book? One comes to my mind, but apart from that one… I got nada.

2. Dystopian

You’re probably like, really Veronica… dystopian is the best you could come up with? Well… yes! When I think dystopian, I think Divergent, The Hunger Games, The Testing, Under the Never Sky. I want me some epic dystopian fighting for your life stories.

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3. Friendship

I want a YA book where we not only get good romance, but good friendship. I don’t want the friendship to take backstage, I want it in the front.

4. College Life

When I say college life, I do not mean New Adult. When I say college life I mean, freshman year of college. So many good stories can come out of that time period, but for some reason… they don’t exist. I really want a book where we can approach college life as a way of discovering yourself, not where a guy swoops in and saves you. College is so not like that. Trust me. I’ve been there and done that.

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5. Winter

We all know that there are a ton of stories set in the summer, but what about winter? I find it hard to find stories set in the winter time. Let It Snow is one of my favorite books because it is set in the winter. I love reading about snowy days (which as a California girl I have NEVER experienced), hot beverages, blankets, and coats. Really winter is a wonderful time for love stories. There is an excuse to cuddle up to someone without being obvious. Muahaha.

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What are some topics you want to be reading about?

Tell me! I want to know!

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Other

Roomies Giveaway Winner!

Veronica Porras (TTB)

I have picked the giveaway winner and that is…

Lysette L!

The publisher will be mailing you out the book soon! Congratulations!

Side-note: One thing makes me sad guys. One of the rules was to leave a quick roommate story down in the comments below and no one that filled out the form left a comment. Everyone should be disqualified for not following the rules, but since not one person that filled out the form did, I decided to count those entries anyways. 

Special Review, ya contemporary

Book Review: Backward Compatible by Sarah Daltry & Pete Clark

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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I was provided a ebook copy through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review

Summary:

A YA Gamer Geek Comedy in the vein of Scott Pilgrim and Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Ideal for fans of The Big Bang Theory, The Guild, and all things Joss Whedon.

WARNING: There is no sex in this book. Your Kindle or other device will remain at a pleasant room temperature. At no point will your panties drop. Your significant other will be allowed to snore in peace as you read. You may, however, laugh yourself out of commission.

Not too long ago, in a town that, depending on your current location, is either not super far or actually quite close… (insert Star Wars theme music here…)

It is a time of chaotic hormones.

Two nerdy gents home for winter break have discovered a female gamer at a midnight release.

During the break, the gamer trio manages to reveal the game’s secret boss, a hidden enemy with enough power to destroy anything in its path.

Review:

Let’s start of with the bad to get it out of the way. I was really disappointed by the amount of swear words and innuendoes throughout the entire novel. There were too many for my liking and I even think for most people.

The romance was cute. George and Katie are both funny and perfect for each other. Even though I didn’t know half of the gaming vocabulary, I was still able to enjoy the novel. I have not read a novel where a lot of secondary characters are present in the novel constantly until now. I don’t think it can work unless its in this novel’s setting. The secondary characters didn’t feel two-dimensional at all. They all had distinct voices, which helps a lot when at one point there are 12 characters involved at the same time. I’m telling you, this book is crazy in a really good way. Also, having both George’s and Katie’s POV worked really well for the novel. It added that much more to it and made it even funnier.

If you are a fan of cosplay, gaming, and any other “geeky” things as the system likes to call them, well then you have found the novel for you.

But seriously, if you don’t like a lot of swear words or innuendos in your novels, don’t read this book. I regret reading it even though I loved the romance between these two adorable geeks. GATIE ALL THE WAY!

Rating: 4/5

Other

Roommate Story + Giveaway: Roomies by Sarah Zarr & Tara Altenbrando

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Roommate Story:

I have so many roommate stories… mostly bad ones. My last year of University I had a wonderful roommate, one of my close friends, and we were great together. Just to make this interesting I’ll give you my roommate story of my first year of college which scarred me for life.

I went to a small private university in California. Everyone raved about the close-knit environment and how everyone got along. Boy, was that totally not my experience. My freshman dorm was a old building which was the farthest from the main campus and housed about 250 students. I was stuck in a triple (one room for three girls) and the room was already small to begin with. One of my roommates was hispanic (like myself) and the other was Japanese-hawaiian. Need less to say, the hispanic roommate was out of our room within two weeks of school starting. Why? Because she was impossible to live with.

We had all talked before school started and she didn’t seem that bad, but when she came to the dorm with her parents, I had a bad feeling which turned out to be true. Let’s call her Maria for the purpose of the story. Anyways, Maria was such a snob. Her parents drove a Mercedes and she was all about flaunting what she had. When she saw my mom bought me an iTouch, she was filled with rage. She was like you’re so lucky, but her tone was anything but sweet. Once I came from class and my bed looked like someone had jumped all over it and there was dirt on it. My other roommate was with me in the previous class so the only one who could have done that was her. She denied it of course. Also, when she saw my dad bought me a new car, she was so mad. She just left the room. Also, she had to have her afternoon nap and since she was a light sleeper, we couldn’t even go into the room or we would wake her up and she would be pissed. She kept having a bad attitude about everything until one day I went to the RD and said, either she leaves or I do, but I’m not living with her anymore. Let’s just say she left.

Now, to the GIVEAWAY part of this post where I tell you how you can win a copy of Roomies!

Giveaway Rules:

  • Must have a US Street Address, No PO Box’s please.
  • Must share a quick story about a roommate situation (It can be camp, college, etc.) in the comment section below.
  • Giveaway Ends January 13, 2013 by midnight PST.
  • Must fill out this form (Asking for your email address and US address)

Sara and Tara’s confirmed tour dates:

  • January 12, 2014 – New York, NY: McNally Jackson [venue link]
  • January 15, 2014 – Salt Lake City, UT: The King’s English [venue link]
  • January 16, 2014 – Provo, UT: Provo Library [venue link]
  • February 4, 2014 – San Francisco, CA: Books Inc, Opera Plaza [venue link]
  • February 5, 2015 – Petaluma, CA: Copperfield’s Books [venue link]

This is all possible thanks to the Little, Brown Books for Young Readers who are kind enough to let me host a giveaway!

Special Review, ya contemporary

Book Review: Pretenders By Lisi Harrison

Veronica Porras (TTB)


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I obtained a ebook copy through NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

Goodreads Summary:

Three girls, two guys, five secret journals.

The five most popular students at Noble High have secrets to hide; secrets they wrote down in their journals. Now one of their own exposes the private entries…

I am leaking these because I’m tired and I know you are too. The success bar is too high and pretending has become the only way to reach it. Instagrams are filtered, Facebook profiles are embellished, photos are shopped, reality TV is scripted, body parts get upgraded like software, and even professional athletes are cheating. The things we believe in aren’t real.


We are pretenders.

Review:

The summary of the book got to me. I love those exposure type stories. When I saw the book was diary-style, I was even more excited because we don’t see a lot of those in YA. After I started reading the book, I was sadly… disappointed.

All five characters in the novel think like seventh graders and not freshman in high school. If all five students were a part of the Phoenix Five, they should have been smarter, different. I think back to when I was a freshman and I thought differently, or it could just be that students nowadays are going backwards instead of forwards. That honestly is a very scary thought.

Since this book was character-oriented let’s focus on them. Some characters I felt bad for, while others I just didn’t care for. Finding out at the end of the novel that this will be a series was another turn off. The story built up and we never got a resolution, all we got was a “keep reading to find out.”

I’ve read other work by Lisi Harrison like The Clique series and her middle schoolers in that series are smarter than these freshman. This book had so much potential. At least it kept my attention until the end. That’s saying something.

Overall, Pretenders could have been something big. It could have been the next Pretty Little Liars. It had potential to get a TV show made out of it. One thing I did love is that the writing went with each character. The way each journal entry was written, the grammar, the style, it all matched the character. I applaud Ms. Harrison for that. Thank you for giving each character a distinct voice.

Rating: 2.5/5

Other

Guest: Jamie Baywood (author of Getting Rooted in New Zealand)

Veronica Porras (TTB)

Today I have a very special guest on my blog, Ms. Jamie Baywood. She recently published a memoir of her recent travels to New Zealand. If you would like to know more about her and her memoir, don’t hesitate to read her own words below.

Jamie Baywood and the Red Hat
Jamie Baywood and the Red Hat

It was always my dream to live abroad when I was growing up in California.  I had bad dating experiences in California and read in a New Zealand tour book that the country’s population at 100,000 fewer men than women.  I wanted to have some me time and an adventure. New Zealand seemed like a good place to do so. Although I intended to have a solo adventure I ended up meeting my husband a Scottish man in New Zealand.

I consider myself an accidental author. I didn’t go to New Zealand with the intentions of writing a book about my experiences there. I had funny experiences that I had trouble believing were true. I wrote the stories down to stay sane. I wrote situations down that were happening around me and shared them with friends. The stories made people laugh so I decided to organize the stories into a book and publish in the hopes to make others laugh too.

One of the first people I meet was Colin Mathura-Jeffree from New Zealand’s Next Top Model. I had no idea who he was or that he was on TV when I meet him. He is friends with my former flatmate. We had a steep staircase that I kept falling down. Colin taught me to walk like a model so I wouldn’t fall down the stairs.

In New Zealand, I had a lot of culture shock.  One of the most memorable moments was learning the meaning of the Kiwi slang word “rooted.” One night I was brushing my teeth with my flatmate and I said, ‘I’m really excited to live in this house because I have been travelling a lot and I just need to settle down, stop traveling and get rooted’. He was choking on his toothbrush and asked me if I knew what that meant because it had a completely different meaning New Zealand than it does in the States.

I had the opportunity to write and perform for Thomas Sainsbury the most prolific playwright in New Zealand. I performed a monologue about my jobs in the Basement Theatre in Auckland.  The funny thing about that experience was Tom kept me separated from the other performers until it was time to perform. I was under the impression that all the performers were foreigners giving their experiences in New Zealand.  All of the other performers were professional actors telling stories that weren’t their own. At first I was mortified, but the audience seemed to enjoy my “performance,” laughing their way through my monologue. After the shows we would go out and mingle with the audience. People would ask me how long I had been acting. I would tell them, “I wasn’t acting; I have to go to work tomorrow and sit next to the girl wearing her dead dog’s collar around her neck.”

I love making people laugh more than anything else. I feel very grateful when readers understand my sense of humor. I plan to divide my books by the countries I’ve lived in. My next book will be about attempting to settle in Scotland.

About the book Getting Rooted in New Zealand:

Craving change and lacking logic, at 26, Jamie, a cute and quirky Californian, impulsively moves to New Zealand to avoid dating after reading that the country’s population has 100,000 fewer men. In her journal, she captures a hysterically honest look at herself, her past and her new wonderfully weird world filled with curious characters and slapstick situations in unbelievably bizarre jobs. It takes a zany jaunt to the end of the Earth and a serendipitous meeting with a fellow traveler before Jamie learns what it really means to get rooted.

About the author Jamie Baywood:

Jamie Baywood grew up in Petaluma, California. In 2010, she made the most impulsive decision of her life by moving to New Zealand. Getting Rooted in New Zealand is her first book about her experiences living there. Jamie is now married and living happily ever after in the United Kingdom. She is working on her second book.

Getting Rooted in New Zealand is available in paperback and ebook on Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/1482601907

Jamie Baywood can be followed on the following sites:

Facebook.com/jamiebaywood
Twitter.com/jamiebaywood
Pinterest.com/jamiebaywood
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7069448.Jamie_Baywood
amazon.com/author/jamiebaywood

Reviews, YA Dystopian

Book Review: The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Goodreads Summary:

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies–trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

My Initial Thoughts:

I went into this book blindly. It was on the Kindle Daily Deals and I decided… why not? So I bought it for a couple bucks and decided to read it. I love it when blind purchases turn out great!

Review:

Oh My Gosh. This book was absolutely amazing. Some people hate that it is marketed as the next Hunger Games, but honestly, I don’t care. In my head it’s the love child of Divergent and The Hunger Games. Just think Dauntless, Erudite, and the actual Hunger Games. Crazy right?

We start of with Cia on her graduation day where she goes from being labeled a child into actual adulthood and she can be a candidate for The Testing. The government chooses the candidates for The Testing, and only the brightest are chosen. The Testing is a test which determines if you are able to go to University and therefore become a future leader of the United Commonwealth.

After Cia’s graduation everything unravels and her world is turned upside down. The Testing is not what she thought it was. Her father who is a alumnus of the University advices her not to trust anyone and to try to survive the tests.

The rest of the book has you on the edge of your seat. Who is a friend and who is a foe? Who can be trusted and who is a Judas? The author did a very good job at weaving the story and creating it in a way that we aren’t bored. It may be dystopian and we may have seen some of the plot before but the way it was written, she made the plot look fresh, new, and that is what good writing is all about.

I recommend this book and advice you to read it!

The sequel, Independent Study, comes out today, January 7, 2013. Go to your local bookstore and grab the first two books. Trust me, you won’t regret it!

Rating: 5/5

Special Review, ya contemporary

ARC Book Review: The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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Thank you to Balzer + Bray for proving me a arc copy through Edelweiss in exchange for a honest review

Goodreads Summary:

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who’s always done what she’s supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how.

One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love.

Review:

The beginning of the novel is hilarious. It sets the tone for the rest novel, although there are some parts in the book that weren’t my favorite, hence the 3.5 out of 5 rating.

The chemistry between Wren and Grayson is phenomenal. They are the reason I pushed myself to finish this book. The writing was good. In its entirety, The Promise of Amazing is not a bad book, but like I said, it fell short.

I really did not get the whole Amsterdam trip and the importance of it to Luke. Seriously. Every time Luke or Grayson’s other buddies appear, I would cringe and speed read the following pages where they were involved. I wish we would have seen more  the backstory of Grayson’s parent divorce and the importance of The Camelot to Wren’s family. This novel had so much promise, but it fell short from being amazing.

I still suggest you guys read the book. It’s not a bad book. There were several parts a throughly enjoyed and Wren and Grayson totally make up for it. 🙂

Also, I just loved Wren’s friends. I just wish we got to know them more. They were a hoot when they were on the page.

Rating: 3.5/5

Special Review, YA Thriller

Book Review: The Twisted Window by Lois Duncan

Veronica Porras (TTB)

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I received a ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review

Goodreads Summary:

The new guy at Tracy’s school is handsome, intense, and desperately needs her help—but there’s something about him that isn’t quite right 

High school junior Tracy Lloyd is unsure about the new guy in school. Brad Johnson is attractive, smart, and polite, but Tracy can’t help but feel he watches her too closely. Then one day Brad confides in Tracy a horrible secret: His little sister Mindy has been kidnapped by his stepfather, and he needs Tracy’s help to get her back. But even as Tracy commits to a plan to help her vulnerable new friend, details emerge that suggest nothing is what it seems.
The Twisted Window is a zigzagging thriller that keeps readers guessing up until the final page. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Lois Duncan including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection

Review:

When I saw this book on NetGalley I was super excited because I remember reading books by Lois Duncan in middle school and high school. I had even read this book about 8 years ago, and I remember loving it. I decided to take this opportunity and re-read it. Boy, was I in for some blasts from the past.

The re-marketing of this book was to make it more relevant to present times, which is why we have a cover change, and a few lines were added to the book to make it more in with nowadays. First thing I will be commenting on are the few cellphone references that appeared here and there, which overall made the novel feel weird. The novel was like a blast from the 80s from the way they talked, the way teenagers acted, and references that were mentioned through the novel, and those additional cellphone references were out of place. They didn’t belong in the story.

Now, onto the plt. I was actually a little disappointed in myself. I remember loving this novel when I was so young but now… it didn’t have the same appeal and made me second guess my love not only for this novel, but other Lois Duncan novels too. The suspense was ok, but I was so preoccupied with how Tracy was behaving and her logic behind things that I was just baffled by it all.

Overall, the novel is creepy, but not something I would read anymore. It isn’t the worse novel I’ve read, but it also isn’t the  best.

Rating : 3/5