Mini-review: Butterface by Gwen Hayes

Butterface by Gwen Hayes
Series: N/A
Source: Bought
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: April 21, 2010

Lucky has a secret--if he doesn't bring Beth to the "dog dinner" party his roommates are having, he's off the team. The soccer scholarship is paying his college tuition--he HAS to stay on the team. But if Beth ever finds out she's his entry in the contest for ugliest date, he stands to lose even more.

A lot more.

Butterface was a short and sweet novella. I enjoyed the characters of Beth and Lucky, and I loved that their relationship never seemed forced or like they didn't have chemistry. They were so cute with each other. My only real problem with Butterface was that it was so short and that everything happened so fast. All in all, it really was a cute story, and I liked it.

Top Ten Tuesday [20]

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke & The Bookish.

Top Ten Things That Make Your Life As A Reader/Book Blogger Easier:

Stephanie's Picks:

1. Goodreads

2. Scheduled Posts

3. Amazon

4. Twitter

5. Blog Calendar

6. Knowing a little HTML

7. My reading notebook

8. Kindle

9. Bookish Friends

10. COFFEE

Angela's Picks: 

1. Goodreads
2. My library
3. Calenders
4. Amazon

5. Email

6. Memo

7. Netgalley

8. Friends, followers

9. Kindle

10. Sleep

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

 

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
Series: N/A
Source: Purchased
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: August 28, 2012

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice,until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable.

Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver comes a luminous and magnificent novel that glows with rare magic, ghostly wonders, and a true friendship that lights even the darkest of places.

 

I was really expecting to love this one. I really enjoy stories that contain magic and when they are Middle Grade that just makes them even better. Unfortunately this one didn't live up to the expectations that I had going into it.

 

Throughout the book I found myself quite bored. This book just didn't seem to have enough going on in it to keep me interested and even though there was alchemy and ghosts, I just wasn't a fan. At times the pace was really slow and there were spots where there really wouldn't be anything happening. The end however is what saved the book for me. It was fitting and really cute and I found myself glad that it ended the way it did. The characters deserved the happy ending.

 

Po was my favorite character. He was adorable and funny. Plus he was a ghost and that was just plain cool. He kept Liesl safe and helped her with her mission even though he really didn't have to. Liesl was an alright character. She really didn't seem to develop much throughout the book but she did have her moments where she seemed to be getting better.

 

I do have to say that Lauren Oliver does know how to tell a story and her writing is magical. It never seemed forced or unbelievable and because of that I think a lot of people will enjoy this story. It really just wasn't for me.

 

 

 
 

Stacking the Shelves [8]

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

What Angela got this week:

Bought:

The Scarlet Dagger by Krystle Jones
Brightest Kind of Darkness by P.T. Michelle
The Deepest Cut by J.A. Templeton

Borrowed:

45 Pounds (More or Less) by K.A. Barson

Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Don't You Wish by Roxanne St. Claire

What did you get this week?

Blurb and Giveaway: Witchling by Ari Harper

Witchling by Ari Harper
Series: Curse of Kin #1
Publisher: Lycaon/Breathless Press

Publication Date: November 29th, 2012

Purchase: Amazon

Nera is a normal teenage girl living in Ireland-or so she thought. Her world is forever changed when she discovers that she is descended from a long line of witches. To her horror she finds she is the one that is supposed to stop the curse that has taken the life of every girl before her. As if that isn't enough, she must learn to use magic and her trainer is a man named Bones. He is the son of Mari, Queen of the Witches, and a god. It is Bones that has been entrusted to teach her the skills she needs to stay alive, which wouldn't be so bad if he didn't have an uncanny knack for pushing her buttons. Can Nera learn what she needs while staying immune to the charms of the man that gets under her skin at every opportunity?

Giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ari Harper never wanted to grow up.

To offset the limitations of aging ungracefully, she created her own set of unique worlds where she can be and do whatever she wants.

Gods, witches and demons surround Ari while she spins her magic, doing mainly what they tell her to do. Given a chance, she prefers to work amongst chaos, which is good because she is constantly surrounded by children, all clamoring for attention. Some of them end up in her stories, some of them even get to die grisly deaths or be cast away to another realm.

Connect with Ari:

Website | Facebook