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.
Editor Letter

June News

Veronica Porras (TTB)

Hello Everyone!

Glad to be back to normal!

For the month of June Book Blast from the Past which happens the first Saturday of the month will be postponed until the 2nd Saturday of this month instead. Why? Because I had not noticed that the first day of June was a Saturday. My bad. Sorry guys. Book Spotlight will be changing. It will now happen every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month. More Posts! Yay! Reviews of books I am reading will come as I read them. That will stay the same. Top Ten Tuesdays will continue to be a feature I partake in. Everything is back to normal with a few minor tweaks.

Dates:

Book Blast from the Past: 6/8/13

Book Spotlight: 6/13/13 & 6/27/13

I am currently reading The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler. Expect a review of that book soon. So far, I’m loving it.

That is all for the news of the month of June.

Happy Reading!

Editor Letter

May Recap

Veronica Porras (TTB)

The month of May was a hectic one as you may all know if you’ve been keeping up with me. I graduated from college about a week ago and I am joining the real world as some like to say. This month I wasn’t able to do everything I normally do for my book blog but starting the month of June (tomorrow) I will be going back to normal. I might even add some extra features but no promises.

Books I read in the month of May:

1.  A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty | Review

2.  Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry | Review

3.  Perfect Cover by Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Review

4.  Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally | Review

5.  Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally | Review

6.  Crossing The Line by Katie McGarry | Review

7.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green |Review Coming Soon…

Top Ten Tuesday Posts

• Top Ten Books I Want To Reread | Link

• Top Five Books Dealing With Tough Subjects | Link

• Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun | Link

I was able to read a lot in the month of May even though I was crazy busy and there were many life altering events happening. Thank you everyone for putting up with my random posts this month. June will be different… or well going back to normal at least.

Happy Reading!

Tuesday Meme

Top Ten Books I Want To Reread

Veronica Porras (TTB)

toptentuesday-1Thank you to The Broke and The Bookish for creating this lovely and fun Tuesday meme.

Today, The Broke and The Bookish gave us the choice to pick whichever Top Ten Tuesday we wanted so I picked Top Ten Books I Want To Reread:

1. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

VA is one of my favorite books and series. And I am actually rereading it at the moment. 

2. Heist Society by Ally Carter

I absolutely loved all of the characters and I want to revisit them. Like old friends. 

3. I’d Tell You I Love You But I’d Have To Kill You by Ally Carter

The last book of the series is coming out soon. I want to re-read them all so I’m up to speed. And I LOVE spies.

4. Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald

I’m a little heart broken so… I wan to read this to make me feel better.

5. Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

There is just something about this story that I just loved. And it has cupcakes. Yup. I know, CUPCAKES.

6. Divergent by Veronica Roth

This book was phenomenal and I want to fall in love with four all over again.

7. Ana and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

This story is so cute. I just absolutely loved it.

8. Love Story by Jennifer Echols

There are no words for my love for this book. I always want to re read it. 

9. Two-Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt

I read this book back in 2009 and I absolutely loved it. I want to re read it to see how much I would love it now.

10. Girl Overboard by Justina Chen

I remember I loved this book in 2008. I want to feel the happy feeling it gave me when I read it then.

What are some of the books you want to re-read?

Are they similar to mine?

NA Romance, Reviews

Short Book Review: Crossing the Line Novella(Pushing the Limits #1.5) by Katie McGarry

Veronica Porras (TTB)

crossing the line (2)Goodreads Summary:

Lila McCormick, Echo’s best friend from Pushing the Limits, first met Lincoln Turner when tragedy struck both their lives. But she never expected their surprise encounter would lead to two years of exchanging letters—or that she’d fall for the boy she’s only seen once. Their relationship is a secret, but Lila feels closer to Lincoln than anyone else. Until she finds out that he lied to her about the one thing she depended on him for the most.

Hurting Lila is the last thing Lincoln wanted. For two years, her letters have been the only thing getting him through the day. Admitting his feelings would cross a line he’s never dared breach before. But Lincoln will do whatever it takes to fix his mistakes, earn Lila’s forgiveness—and finally win a chance to be with the girl he loves.

Review:

This is a nice fluffy read for those who loved Pushing the Limits. We get to see Lila, Echo’s best friend, in a new light as she is having to deal with her own problems. In Pushing the Limits, we saw her as the ditzy but protective best friend. I even doubted she would stay by Echo’s side, but in this story we see how much she loves Echo and that she would do anything for her. Even though it was short, it is a novella after all, I really liked it. In the few pages we  had, we got to know not only lila but lincoln really well and were able to understand and empathize. I almost want to say I liked Crossing the Line more than Pushing the Limits. If you liked Pushing the Limits, I’m pretty sure you’ll like this novella as well. (Both Echo and Noah make a cameo appearance.)

Rating: 4/5

Rating System:

1/5: I hate it.

2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book.

3/5: I like it /A fun read.

4/5: I really like it, but something is missing.

5/5: I love it! It’s as close to perfection as it can get!

Reviews, ya contemporary

Short Book Review: Catching Jordan (Hundred Oaks #1) by Miranda Keneally

Veronica Porras (TTB)

Score_CVR.indd

Goodreads Summary:

“Whoever said football and girls don’t mix hasn’t read Catching Jordan. I couldn’t put it down ” — Simone Elkeles, New York Times bestselling author of the Perfect Chemistry series

ONE OF THE BOYS

What girl doesn’t want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn’t just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that’s just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.

But everything she’s ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he’s also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan’s feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart’s on the line?

Review:

I was a bit skeptical about this book because I thought to myself I can not in any way relate to Jordan, I’m not a football player but after reading the first chapter at Barnes & Nobles, I went against my previous stance and bought the book. This book was perfect. Some people say it was cliche but I have a different opinion. To me it was the opposite of cliche. The love triangle was very different in the sense of I didn’t expect it to turn out like it did. I loved this book and the fact that Jordan stood up for herself and when she saw that something was wrong for her, she changed her behavior and did what was best for her. In YA we see a lot of female characters be at the mercy of the guy and I loved that Jordan was not that girl.

Rating: 5/5

Rating System:

1/5: I hated it.

2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book.

3/5: I liked it (A fun read).

4/5: I really like it, but something was missing.

5/5: I love it! It’s as close to perfection as it can get!

Reviews, YA Mystery

Short Book Review: Perfect Cover (The Squad #1)

Veronica Porras (TTB)

pcdropGoodreads Summary: 

Bayport High operates like any other high school–jocks at the top, outsiders at the bottom, and everyone else in between. Enter Toby Klein, a sophomore computer hacker who doesn’t play well with others. She has zero school spirit, a black belt in karate, and what her guidance counselor calls an attitude problem. She’s the last person you’d expect to be invited to join the varsity cheerleading squad.
But things are different at Bayport.
Bayport’s varsity cheer squad is made up of the hottest of the hot. But this A-list is dangerous in more ways than one. The Squad is actually a cover for the most highly trained group of underage government operatives the United States has ever assembled. Athletically, they’re unmatchable, though they make it all look easy on the field. Mentally, they’re exceptional–but with one flash of their gorgeous smiles, you’ll completely forget that. Socially, they’re gifted, so they can command and manipulate any situation. And above all, they have the perfect cover, because, beyond herkies and highlights, no one expects anything from a cheerleader.
Toby Klein might not seem like the most likely recruit, but she’s never been one to turn down a challenge. If she can handle the makeover, Bayport Hight may just have found its newest cheerleader.

Pretty, popular, armed, and extremely dangerous–meet THE SQUAD.

Review:

The first time I tried to read this book I was like, “NO… NO… Why did I buy this book again?!” I put it down for about 2-3 weeks and decided to give it a second chance a few days ago. Boy was I happy I did because it just became one of my favorite books of 2013. It is fun to read, it is witty, it has great, strong female characters, and it is action packed. It made me look at a cheerleader in a whole new way.  Even though I had a lot of work to do, I still managed to finish this book in one day. Talk about accomplishment right there.

I recommend this book to anyone that is stressed out. Get past the first two chapters and you’re going to thank me I told you to read it. Go on now.. GO BUY IT!

If you want to know more about the book and discuss it with me, leave a comment below! I’m all for talking about it!

Rating: 5/5

Rating System:

1/5: I hated it.

2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book.

3/5: I liked it (A fun read).

4/5: I really like it, but something was missing.

5/5: I love it! It’s as close to perfection as it can get!

Tuesday Meme

Top Five Books Dealing With Tough Subjects

Veronica Porras (TTB)

toptentuesday-1

(Disclaimer: My list this time is not detailed and is short. Why? I have finals next week but I don’t want to miss this week’s topic. I love my tuesday meme’s. They make me happy. *cue sappy music*)

Thank you The Broke and The Bookish for creating the Top Ten Tuesday Meme. It is lovely. Now onto this weeks Top Ten Tuesday List!

Top Ten Five Books Dealing With Tough Subjects

1. Looking For Alaska by John Green

2. The Liar Society by Lisa Roecker

3. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

4. Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

5. Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

What are some books you thought would be fluffy or at least not as tough to read as you originally thought? or What are some books you knew would be tough to read but loved anyways?

NA Romance, Reviews

Book Review: Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry

Veronica Porras (TTB)

pushing-the-limitsGoodreads Summary:

So wrong for each other… and yet so right.No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with “freaky” scars on her arms. Even Echo can’t remember the whole truth.

But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his surprising understanding, Echo’s world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can PUSH THE LIMITS and what she’ll risk for the one guy who might teach her HOW TO LOVE AGAIN.

What I liked:

Oh Boy, there is a lot I liked in this book! I liked that we had both Echo’s and Noah’s point of view. I also liked the way the background of the characters was presented in the book because it did not bore me. It didn’t feel like I was being given background information. What I mean by that is that sometimes in some books when the author is giving background information, it seems to drag on forever and I start getting impatient. Also, the pace of the novel was perfect. It wasn’t too slow or too fast. I also enjoyed that the characters in the book were relatable and I was able to empathize.

What I disliked:

The writing could have been a little better. It wasn’t bad, but some sentences felt awkward to me. I wish we would have known a little more about Echo’s mother and Beth. I know this will make me sound nit-picky but I didn’t like the font they used for Noah.

Overall:

I really liked this book. It got me out of the reading funk I was in. I had just finished Clockwork Prince and couldn’t seem to read anything else after that. I guess I was in a book hangover type of situation. Pushing The Limits wasn’t heavy, but it wasn’t a light book either. As the tumblr book community would say, This book wasn’t too hard on the feels. I encourage you guys to read this book. You won’t regret it. 🙂

Rating: 4/5

Rating System:

1/5: I hated it.

2/5: It had some redeeming qualities but overall, not a good book.

3/5: I liked it (A fun read).

4/5: I really like it, but something was missing.

5/5: I love it! It’s as close to perfection as it can get!

Editor Letter

May (A sort of hiatus)

Veronica Porras (TTB)

Hello everyone!

I am in the last two weeks of school, then a week of finals, and at the end of that week, I graduate! It’s crunch time for me so I have canceled Book Blast from the Past and Book Spotlight for this month. I will continue to do my normal reviews (If I can find time to read and do all of my final papers and assignments) and I will definitely continue to do the Top Ten Tuesday meme because I need some fun and consistency in this blog. The blog will return to normal in the month of June.

Happy Reading!

Tuesday Meme

Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun

Veronica Porras (TTB)

toptentuesday-1

This week’s topic is: Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun

Tired of having book hangovers and getting too emotionally attached to a book? Look no further, I have ten books that will keep you sane and entertained. Thank you Broke and Bookish for these wonderful Tuesday Meme’s. *hugs*

1. Ana and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

2. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

3. Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald

4. Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik

5. Confessions of a Serial Kisser by Wendelin Van Draanen

6. Lipstick Apology by Jennifer Jabaley

7. The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler

8. The Juliet Club by Suzanne Harper

9. The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

10. Amy and Rogers Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

 

What are some of your light and fluffy books? 🙂