Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Wishlist Wednesday #46


*Wishlist Wednesday is where you show a book that has been on your wishlist/TBR list for a while, the meme is hosted by Pen to Paper*


The Moon & More by Sarah Dessen

Publisher
Speak
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Pages: 464

The Story:

In her eleventh novel, Sarah Dessen returns to the beach town of Colby, setting of some of her best-loved books. Emaline is a Colby native, and so summer at the beach for her means hard work and a new population of beach goers. During this, her last summer before college, Emaline meets Theo while working for her family’s rental business. He’s a city boy who’s come to Colby as the assistant to a high-strung documentary filmmaker who’s in town to profile a reclusive local artist. Emaline knows he’s not her type, but she can’t help feeling drawn to him. And as their relationship develops, Emaline finds herself questioning her own goals, values, and choices in this classic Dessen romance.

-via Amazon



Meet the Author

I've been writing, in one way or another, for as long as I can remember. I was always a big reader, mostly because my parents were. I used to get frustrated with my mom because she bought me books for Christmas when what I really wanted were the gifts my friends got, things like sweaters and jewelry. But I did love to read. When I was eight or nine my parents gave me an old manual typewriter and a little desk in the corner of our den, and I'd sit there and type up my stories. I was the kind of kid that people always sighed over and said, "She has such a wild imagination," which usually meant "I wish Sarah would try to stick to the truth." I have a tendency to embellish: I think it's just a weakness of fiction writers. Once you learn how to make a story better, it's hard not to do it all the time."The books I read when I was teenager, the good ones anyway, have stuck more in my mind than anything since. I still love books, but while I couldn't tell you complete plots of novels I read even six months ago, I do remember even the smallest descriptive details from Lois Lowry's A Summer to Die or Judy Blume's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. I think it was because back then books were still somewhat new to me, and when I found an author who seemed to say just what I was feeling, it really struck me and resonated. I hope that my books do that for the people who read them: I think it's the best thing to which any writer can aspire. "As far as my other life, my non-writing life, I live in the country with my husband, some lizards, and two dogs who are completely spoiled and rule me completely. I like to work in my garden---although I have not yet perfected the art of keeping everything alive----and, in my weaker moments, shop. I have a bit of an addiction to the Gap clearance rack, to be honest. I have this strange need to buy huge quantities of black pants. How many pairs of black pants does one person need? (Obviously for me, the answer is 11 and counting. But I digress.) What else can I tell you? I love Starbucks mochas but they make me way hyper. I subscribe to too many magazines. I make a mean bean salad. I could go on, but the truth is, my books are much more exciting than I am, and that's a good thing. It's always more fun to make stuff up anyway."


Want to see my entire Wishlist? Check it out on Amazon: Books I Dream About

Happy Reading!

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Review : Matched by Ally Condie


*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

PublisherSpeak
Release DateSeptember 20, 2011
Pages: 416
Source: Own


The Story:

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow. .

via -- Barnes & Noble

RatingTHREE Gold Stars!!!


My Review

Matched is the first dystopian novel I read. Or at least the first I read in adulthood. And it was a brilliant start.


Tag Line:

In the society, officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Opening Line:

Now that I've found the way to fly, which direction should I go into the night? 

Plot:

Matched is a story about 17-year old Cassia who lives in a society controlled by Officials. And when I say controlled I am not exaggerating. The Officials controls everything down to what citizens eat, whom they marry, what jobs they will have and more. A predictable life is an understatement. Cassia seemed to be at terms with what her life would entail . . . until the Match ceremony where her personalized microcard glitches. At first, the microcard told Cassia she is Matched with Xander Carrow, her best friend, and she couldn't be happier. But then insert *glitch* and on the screen a face comes up she recognized. Name of the Face: Ky Markham. And Ky is no ordinary guy, no, he an Aberration who isn't eligible to be Matched. To make matters worse, as the story unfolds Cassia begins to fall in love with Ky and her whole world begins unravelling at the seams . . .

On that note, the premise of Matched is what drew me in. I thought the premise was fantastic. Fantastic for one book. Although I own the two sequels in the trilogy I have not read them because the novelty of the dystopian world and Cassia's romance dilemma will not be as captivating as it was in Matched.

Meet the Author:





Ally Condie (www.allycondie.com) is a former high school English teacher who lives with her husband and three sons outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. She loves reading, running, eating, and listening to her husband play guitar.


***Check out Ally Condie's website for more information about her and the MatchedHERE 






Happy Reading!


Teaser Tuesday #2



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just flip through your current read to a random page -- or not -- and share two teaser quotes from somewhere on said page.
This week my Teaser Tuesday quotes will be taken from my current read, Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas.

Teaser #1:
"She shakes her head. Nervously she checks over her shoulder, then steps closer. 'People disappear,' she whispers. 'They are here, and then they are gone, killed maybe, or taken somewhere. Not many of us notice, and most are too afraid to speak up about it.'" - page 169
Teaser #2:

"I study his face. A lock of shaggy hair has fallen over one eye, and my fingers itch to brush it aside so I can see him better. I lean closer." - page 53

What teasers are you sharing this week?

Don't forget to tell me in the comments or on twitter; @TheTatteredPage. You can also use #Ash&Bramble on twitter if you're reading it! 

Happy Reading!