Review: Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger & ARC giveaway!

Title: Midsummer's Nightmare
Author: Kody Keplinger
ISBN: 9780316084222
Publisher: Poppy
Pages: 304
Rating: 4
Synopsis: Whitley Johnson's dream summer with her divorced dad has turned into a nightmare. She's just met his new fiancée and her kids. The fiancée's son? Whitley's one-night stand from graduation night. Just freakin' great. Worse, she totally doesn't fit in with her dad's perfect new country-club family. So Whitley acts out. She parties. Hard. So hard she doesn't even notice the good things right under her nose: a sweet little future stepsister who is just about the only person she's ever liked, a best friend (even though Whitley swears she doesn't "do" friends), and a smoking-hot guy who isn't her stepbrother...at least, not yet. It will take all three of them to help Whitley get through her anger and begin to put the pieces of her family together.


Hello! This is one of the wonderful books I snagged at TXLA. I had wonderful time at TXLA and met so many great bloggers and authors. I have wanted this book for so long. I was estatic when I picked up the ARC.

I love Kody's writing. I love, love, love it! Her character's voices are incredibly real and genuine. I liked Whitely from the first line. Kody's dialogue is original, funny, and real. It never feels forced. I never think "people wouldn't actually say that." She has such a good grip on reality. She always shows the truth. I can't get enough of it. I adored The Duff. Shut Out was a tiny bit disappointing to me. I didn't fall in love with it like I did The Duff, but A Midsummer's Nightmare- I fell in love with her writing all over again. 

Whitley is a little rough around the edges, but she's so likeable. She tries her hardest not to be liked, but really you can't help but want to be her friend. She's strong, sensitive, and a little lost. I cheered for her through every step of her journey. My heart broke for hers when she tried not to feel her emotions. I loved how caring she was even though she tried not to be. Whitley continually made me smirk throughout the novel with her actions and words. She's so familiar to me. I know people just like her in real life.

Nathan. Nate. Oh my, you gorgeous boy. I have a delictable image of him in my mind. He's kind, sweet, and surprising. I didn't expect some of the things he would say. Sometimes his emotions surprised me- but all in good ways. He's a fabulous love interest to lust after.

All of the surrounding characters are brilliant. Whitley's best friend is HILARIOUS. Her new stepsister has to be the sweetest girl. I want to slap and shake her dad until he woke up. Her stepmom's words melted me and made me pull for her.

This is an excellent novel and will be a fun summer read.

As for the giveaway....

I happen to have TWO ARCS. I will be giving ONE of them away! This book comes out on my birthday (June 5th) which is a month from today. I originally planned to leave to contest open until then, but I want one of you to have it before the release date. So, the contest will end on SUNDAY MAY 20 at MIDNIGHT.

What do you have to do? It's simple!
1) Leave a comment recommending a YA book. (I'm in need of something delicously good.)
2) This is not required, but if you would like extra entries- follow my blog. (leave your name please & a link to your blog- if you have one.)
3) Also, not required, but gets you extra entries- tweet about this contest. (leave me a link the comments. You can do this as many times as you desire. Each one will count as an entry.)
4) LEAVE YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDY so I can contact you if you are the winner!

I will select the winner at random. Good luck! Thank you so much for stopping by!

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Title: The Fault in Our Stars

Author: John Green
Published: Jan. 10, 2012
Publisher: Dutton Books
Pages: 313 pages
Rating: 5
Synopsis (via goodreads): Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.


*Pokes head out of the ground and looks around.* I feel like I need to adjust myself to the sunlight. It has been so long since I posted a review. The last time I posted a review I wanted to start posting frequently again. As you know....that did not happen. I'm hoping it will happen this time. My schedule is actually allowing it. It wasn't just my schedule that wasn't allowing me to post. It was me. I was not reading. I was stuck in a very long reading slump. I would pick up a book and I just could not get interested. Nothing was keeping my attention. I'm not quite sure why, honestly, there could have been a multitude of reasons. So much has happened in my life lately. A lot of good. And a hell of a lot of bad. I'm reading again. I'm excited about reading again. I feel addicted to it again which makes me very happy. Anywayyyyy....

I have something to admit. Brace yourselves.



This is the FIRST John Green novel I have read. I obviously know who John Green is and I admire him even though I'd never read one of his novels. Ah....not true. I read Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan. I...wasn't impressed. I've heard so much hype about John Green for years. All this hype honestly made me nervous to read his novels. I felt like I would be nothing except disappointed.

I was wrong. I was so totally and completely wrong.

The Fault in Our Stars is beautiful, heartbreaking, raw, real, an emotional roller coaster. I laughed. I laughed hard. I was sitting in Barnes and Noble reading the first few chapters trying to contain my laughter, but I ended up snorting. I was pulled into this story from the very first page. The writing is brilliant and oh so lovely.

Hazel is so smart and unique. You can feel her emotions on every page. You are right there with her as she battles everyday. I love her sense of humor. I admire how humble she is. She is the perfect character to narrate this heartbreaking story. She carries you through. I truly admire this girl.

I am having so much trouble writing this review. I seriously just want to keep gushing and calling it beautiful. I am going to try to continue and convey to you why this novel is so brilliant.

Augustus Waters, oh how you captured my heart. Intelligent, funny, memorable. I fell in love with him the same way Hazel did. His words were amazing. His love for Hazel is boundless. You could feel their chemistry and the intense love between them. Their relationship felt so real. It wasn't forced, just flowed naturally.

The supporting cast of characters were also excellent. I adored Hazel's dad. I thought he was so cute! Her mom is a warrior. All of them were brilliant and so well written.

I felt that this novel rang with so many truths about cancer and losing the battle to cancer. And, there were so many sentences that made me stop in awe of how magnificent they were.

I strongly urge all of you to go pick up this fabulous book. It is worth owning. It is worth buying. I'm still in awe. I've been in awe since I set it down last night. You will laugh and you will most definitely cry, but it is so worth it.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Hello all! How have you all been? Are y'all feeling fall in the air? I am. And, I must say- it makes me SO happy. I do wish I lived somewhere else, so I could see the leaves change to beautiful colors, but I will accept the drop in temperature happily instead.

Today, I will be reviewing Lola! And, I will warn you now. I am going to gush. A lot. I can't help it. Stephanie Perkins does that to me. Her writing. Her boys. The settings. The quirks. Oh, the quirks!

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Rating: 5!
Cover rating: 5
Synopsis: Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive 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, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- 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.

I'm sure by now y'all have all read Anna and the French Kiss, and if not, I truly would like to know what rock you have been living under. I would also like you to get your butt to a bookstore and buy it's delicious goodness. It has a boy. A sexy with. With an English accent. WHO HAS PERFECT HAIR. What more do you need to know? Yeah, not much.

Anyway, I fell in love with Anna when I got my hands on an ARC last year. I have read it more times than I can count over the last year. I knew, I just KNEW, when I finished that book I would be a faithful follow of all of Stephanie Perkin's books.  So, of course I bought Lola at midnight on my nook and I absorbed every word into my soul. Once again, Perkins has delivered a stunning love story. A love story that makes you swoon. It will make your heart pound. You'll scream in frustration and bounce in anticipation. And, the best part? It's not a love story that could never happen. It's not something that could just be a dream. It's real. And, true. It's a love that is so beautiful in its pure innocence. It is a love that speaks to your soul and warms your heart. It's the love that I am holding out for.

Cricket Graham Bell, I will find a boy just as amazing, quirky, and beautiful as you. He's sweet and kind. Perkins' characters feel so real that I can see them next to me. I can hear their voices in my head. She makes them different, which only makes them more charming. I can't tell you how wonderful I thought it was that Lola had two dads. Amazing, and they are amazing. And, funny!

Stephanie Perkins inspires me in so many ways.
I will be dying until Isla is on shelves!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer-Michelle Hodkin/ I AM BACK

Hello :)
I have missed all you lovely readers and the blogging world in general. I haven't read very much in the past few months and have definitely not been keeping up with book news or anything of the sort. But, by golly, I am getting my groove back. And, I am happy to say it is coming back with a vengeance! I recently started a new manuscript and I am literally bursting to tell this story. This has never happened to me. I have always been excited about my projects, but this one. Oh, this one. I am in love with it. I'm swooning with every word.
I think I am going to start doing this blog a little differently. I will be writing about writing, book reviews, and TV/movie reviews. All the things I love compiled in one! But, I am keeping my blog title. It's whatever.
Now, for those of you wondering, "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN, MIRANDA?!". I will not tell the whole story because I am a huge fan of my privacy. I am that person that doesn't even tell her best friend things until months later when the whole ordeal is over, but I will give y'all something. Y'all have continued to follow me. I've gotten e-mails from y'all. I adore y'all. So, where have I been? (I just had to look to see when I disappeared.) April, WOW! So here comes the list: I lost a few people in my family. I never like attending funerals, who does?, but, more than 1 in a just a few months is a lot to handle. Especially in these circumstances. My family was hit was life-changing and devastating news that shook up my entire life. I am still on edge about this news. Someone very, very close to me is very, very, very sick. It was unsettling to hear the news. On top of that, I broke up with my boyfriend of over 3 years and it ended to badly. I was very ready for the relationship to end, but it was still hard to move on and let go. Also, my family had to evacuate due to the fires in Texas. Our house is fine, thanks to God. I also transferred to a new university and have been adjusting to its lifestyle. Among all these things and then the daily ups and downs of life, I needed to take a break. I needed to disappear for awhile. I needed it. But, now, I need you guys! And, this world. This whole beautiful world that bloggers, readers, writers, and authors have created. I am back and I know it will be to open and loving arms. So, thank you for sticking around.

REVIEW TIME!

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Rating: 5 brilliant and shiny stars
Cover rating: 5
Synopsis:
Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong.

Review:
So, here I am, just getting back into the book world, strolling through Barnes and Noble. Nothing is really catching my eye. In all honesty, I was just there to get away for awhile and hoping that they would have Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins on the shelves early. But, then, I see it. The beautiful cover of Mara Dyer. I wanted to read this book since before I burrowed myself into my cave. After I picked it up, it was like a light in my head turned on. I need this book. I needed more books. Since I don't live at home anymore, my dad provides me with grocery money every week. I hadn't spent it yet, but I had spent all my extra spending money. I stared at the book and the few books I yanked off the shelves that I just had to have. Mara had awoken me. So, I bought the books instead of buying groceries. Yes, I did have to live off whatever I had left from my last trip to the store. No, it was no much. Yes, I was so, so hungry. No, I wouldn't rather have bought groceries.
I sat down in the cafe to read the first chapter before I headed home. The first chapter ended up being the first six chapters. I was enamoured. I couldn't put it down. I was cracking up laughing inside the store. Yes, I get strange looks when this happens, but truly I don't care. All lovers of books should understand. When a book is that good, a book is that good. I didn't want to put it down, but I had to. I had a major test the next day that I had to be prepared for.
As I was studying I kept glancing over at my bed where it was laying. I finally felt prepared enough for my test that I abandoned my school books and jumped back into Mara's mystery. Mara woke me back up. After I flew through it, it was 4 AM. I texted all the people I know that rely on me for book recommendations and told them to go get it ASAP.
Mara is a stunning debut by Michelle Hodkin. She writes a mystery that will definitely keep you up at night. She'll make you laugh and make your heart race by a sexy British boy. Seriously, Noah will make you drool. He is that sexy.
AND THE ENDING. THE ENDING. OH MY, GOD. I need the next installment, like, now. I will definitely be rereading Mara. Please, please go out and buy this book. It's worth it.

Update.

I have been away for so long due to a multitude of things. I am coming back. I will be working on reviews and design for my blog today.

To those of you I met at ATBF- Hi! :)

Amazing contest!

There is an awesome contest going on over at Good Choice Reading.

Their blog is amazing, I love it. I always trust their reviews. They are giving away an ARC of VANISHED by Sophie Jordan!

It's super easy to enter! All information is here.

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Title: City of Fallen Angels
Author: Cassandra Clare
Rating: 5
Cover rating: 4
Description: City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever.
Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.
 
I really think I could sum up this review in one sentence:
 
Jace is perfect.
 
But, I will expand...a bit.
 
I'm not a big fan of spoiler reviews and I really don't want to give anything away. So, here goes.
 
Jace Wayland-Herondale-Lightwood is perfect. I love him, he's amazing in every way. He makes me laugh and smile pretty much every time he is mentioned. Beyond him, I think this is my favorite novel in the Mortal Instruments series. It is beautiful written and crafted. I was hooked throughout the novel. When I was forced to put it down I couldn't stop thinking about it. I wanted to go back and continue with the characters. I also gained a huge amount of respect for Simon in this novel. I liked him a lot more than I have in the previous.