Forgive My Fins

author: Tera Lynn Childs

published: June 1st 2010

series: Untitled, but yes!

publisher: HarperTeen

format: hardcover

pages: 293

The following synopsis comes from Tera Lynn Childs's website.

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it's not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but when you're half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there's no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid—she's a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems—like her obnoxious biker-boy neighbor, Quince Fletcher—but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren't really the casual dating type—the instant they "bond," it's for life.

When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

My Thoughts:

The Cover: I think the cover is just beautiful. It's full of vibrant colors and the font of the title is really cool; it looks like it belongs to the sea. The title is surrounded by waves and it looks as if the girl is breathing the words onto the cover. It's quite pretty. I like that her lips are blue. It caught my eye when I saw it online and I immediately added it to my 2010-release list!

The Book: Lily Sanderson is a mermaid princess- something I wish I could be. So it's not surprise that I loved this book. She spends her time pursuing the gorgeous Brody, who she believes would make the perfect mermate. He's pretty much the typical hottie that only sees the superficial. Then there's Quince, the neighbor. I love him! He's so funny and so many quips that he just throws out. He's really funny and even though he picks on Lily, it's clear from the beginning (ish) that he really does like her and care for her; they're friends! But Lily doesn't think so. She only sees him as the kid next door that wants to make her life miserable. But he only does it because he cares.

Thalassinia is one awesome kingdom. I had so much fun visiting it with Lily and Tera Lynn Childs made this fantastic place so real and beautiful. It's a well thought out kingdom and has everything they could need. It's an awesome place!

While the book is some-what predictable, it still delivers. I had a fun time reading it and can't wait for the sequel, Fins are Forever!

Also, feel free to add this to your blog page if you would like to become an honorary merfolk!

The one you may see on my page (left, somewhere) is only for Official Splash Team Members, but if you'd like to become one of us, click the picture and read all about it! But there are a limited number of spaces left!

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

author: Morgan Matson

published: May 4th 2010

publisher: Simon & Schuster

format: hardcover

pages: 343

The following synopsis comes from Goodreads.com

Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn't seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she's coming to terms with her father's death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

My Thoughts:

The Cover:

The cover accurately portrays Amy & Roger's Epic Detour. From this cover and the title, you can tell that they're going on some kind of adventure. I like that the mountains are the background for the cover. And I really like that they're on the road standing on either side of the yellow lines. That's really cute!

The Book:

This book is full of adventure. I've always wanted to take a road trip and Amy and Roger do it right. This detour of a road trip not only takes them all over the U.S., but they meet people and open up. Both Amy and Roger have some baggage and I don't mean their suitcases. Together they embark on an adventure that helps them sort through the extra baggage and relieve some of the weight. The story is written in such a way, that the reader does not really understand what the extra baggage is until the characters are able to reveal it to each other and even themselves. This definitely adds to the excitement and plot of the story. It is an easy read, but it is not simple. It is full of real issues that these people have to deal with and it's truly an epic read.

This is one of the best road trips I have ever been on!

EDIT: I can't stop thinking about this book. It's amazing. It was so, so incredibly good. I can't even describe it in any other way. It's so great!

Beastly - The Movie

A while back, I read Beastly by Alex Flinn. (before I had a blog) In March of 2011 the movie based on this book will be released and I am very much looking forward to seeing this film.

The book is a modern take on the classic Beauty and the Beast which is one of my favorites. So, I suddenly thought about checking in on the movie and came across the poster which looks AWESOME!

It stars Vanessa Hudgens, Alex Pettyfer, and Neil Patrick Harris. (I love Neil, Alex is extremely good looking and therefore great for the part though I have not seen him in anything, and Vanessa. . . well, I'll just have to see how she does in this film before I make any comment.)

I'm going to write a review of the book in honor of the release of the movie. I don't know when I'll do this review. But here is the poster!

Reading With Tequila Giveaway!

Reading with Tequila is doing an incredible giveaway! Check it out here. This awesome giveaway is in honor of reaching 750 followers and as the number increases before the deadline for the contest, more books and winners will be added! This is an amazing chance to win some great books! SO be sure to check it out, fill out the form, post about it, and tweet about it!

Please click the link and enter and follow! It's too great an opportunity to miss!

How to Say Goodbye in Robot

author: Natalie Standiford

published: October 1st 2009

publisher: Scholastic Press

format: hardcover

pages: 276

The following synopsis comes from Goodreads.com

New to town, Beatrice is expecting her new best friend to be one of the girls she meets on the first day. But instead, the alphabet conspires to seat her next to Jonah, aka Ghost Boy, a quiet loner who hasn't made a new friend since third grade. Something about him, though, gets to Bea, and soon they form an unexpected friendship. It's not romance, exactly - but it's definitely love. Still, Bea can't quite dispel Jonah's gloom and doom - and as she finds out his family history, she understands why. Can Bea help Jonah? Or is he destined to vanish?

My Thoughts:

The Cover:

I absolutely love this cover. It caught my attention immediately; it's not often you see a bright, hot pink cover. And the phone dangling on the side? That just piqued my interest even more. I soon read a review by Maggie Stiefvater on the book and I finally got my hands on it. My favorite part about the cover is not actually the cover itself. It's how the cover makes its way inside the book. The monthly dividers inside the book are on HOT pink paper. It looks awesome! And a few pages in the beginning and one in the end are black. They look so cool! It's not a typical thing in books and it is way awesome! The phone also relates to the book. Which is cool.

The Book:

Amazing. How to Say Goodbye in Robot is about a girl, Bea, who is forced into a new school where she meets outcast Jonah, or Ghost Boy. Jonah hasn't had friends in a really long time and he lets her into his world very easily and Bea becomes closer to him than she has ever been to another person. Even family.

I have never read a book like this before. It is utterly original and completely touching. I became addicted to this book from the first page and when I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about Ghost Boy and Robot Girl. Wondering where they would go and how the book would end. It was fantastic. I highly recommend this to everyone, especially someone looking for a different, honest, unpredictable story about realistic teenagers.