Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

YAY!!!  She did it again!!! Loved, loved, loved it...go read it...can't wait for the next one...if I gave out stars this would get a 5...not much more to say...

Book Description via Amazon.com
One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Insurgent (Divergent)Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Sssssiiiiggggghhhhhhh....love....this....book.....

It was a perfect read during a very stressful time - I was sitting in the hospital while my husband was recovering from a pretty significant surgery, thankfully, all's good now.  This book transported me to a happy place - it was light and breezy, without being too sacchariney, and such.great.characters.  I loved that Anna and St. Claire (a la Anna and the French Kiss) make an appearance and she created a whole new cast that I really would love to meet especially the Dads...they are just...awesome.  Ms. Perkins does it again!

Product Description via Amazon.com


In this companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, two teens discover that true love may be closer than they think

Lola and the Boy Next DoorFor budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous, the outfit - more sparkly, more fun, more wild - the better. But even though Lola's style is outrageous, she's a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.
When the family returns and Cricket - a gifted inventor and engineer - steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin

Part Survivorman, part love story, part tragedy...typically everything I love in a book, but this was just ok.  I really like his character development - even if his male leads are a tad, how shall I put it, unrealistic *ahem*. 

Ben and Ashley meet at the airport during a storm and decided to take a small charter plane to try and get around the storm.  Ashley is rushing home to her wedding and Ben is rushing home to a job and a difficult situation with his wife...and the plane crashes...and you can probably see where this is heading...

Book Description via Amazon.com


Charles Martin'sThe Mountain Between Us: A Novel [Hardcover](2010)On a stormy winter night, two strangers wait for a flight at the Salt Lake City airport. Ashley Knox is an attractive, successful writer, who is flying East for her much anticipated wedding. Dr. Ben Payne has just wrapped up a medical conference and is also eager to get back East for a slate of surgeries he has scheduled for the following day. When the last outgoing flight is cancelled due to a broken de-icer and a forthcoming storm, Ben finds a charter plane that can take him around the storm and drop him in Denver to catch a connection. And when the pilot says the single engine prop plane can fit one more, if barely, Ben offers the seat to Ashley knowing that she needs to get back just as urgently. And then the unthinkable happens. The pilot has a heart attack mid-flight and the plane crashes into the High Uintas Wilderness-- one of the largest stretches of harsh and remote land in the United States.
Ben, who has broken ribs and Ashley, who suffers a terrible leg fracture, along with the pilot's dog, are faced with an incredibly harrowing battle to survive. Fortunately, Ben is a medical professional and avid climber (and in a lucky break, has his gear from a climb earlier in the week). With little hope for rescue, he must nurse Ashley back to health and figure out how they are going to get off the mountain, where the temperature hovers in the teens. Meanwhile, Ashley soon realizes that the very private Ben has some serious emotional wounds to heal as well. He explains to Ashley that he is separated from his beloved wife, but in a long standing tradition, he faithfully records messages for her on his voice recorder reflecting on their love affair. As Ashley eavesdrops on Ben's tender words to his estranged wife she comes to fear that when it comes to her own love story, she's just settling. And what's more: she begins to realize that the man she is really attracted to, the man she may love, is Ben.

As the days on the mountains become weeks, their survival become increasingly perilous. How will they make it out of the wilderness and if they do, how will this experience change them forever?
Both a tender and page-turning read, The Mountain Between Us will reaffirm your belief in the power of love to sustain us.