Genre Definition and Recommendation #59

Genre Definition and Recommendation is a feature where I will define a genre and a sub-genre definition and the make some recommendations.  

 Realistic Fiction- Definition found on Wikipedia

Realistic fiction, although untrue, could actually happen. Some events, the people, and the places may even be real. 

My Recommendations: 

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path.

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

  

Life. Death. And...Love?

Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.

But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.

Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.

Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

What Do you Recommend? 

Weekly Wrap Up #41

 

Weekly Wrap-Up 

March 24th - March 30th 

Reviews:

Love Letters To The Dead by Ava Dellaira
Inhuman by Kat Falls

Weekly Memes:

Genre Definition and Recommendation
Teaser Tuesday and Top Ten Tuesday

Waiting on Wednesday

Delightful Discoveries
Follow and Feature Friday

Stacking the Shelves

Books Read:

Reading Plans:

Stacking the Shelves #72

Stacking The Shelves is a hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Come join the fun and share all the book you received this week. 

For Review:

Dolls by Kiki Sullivan

         In a Handful of Dust

Eveny Cheval just moved back to Louisiana after spending her childhood in New York with her aunt Bea. Eveny hasn’t seen her hometown since her mother’s suicide fourteen years ago, and her memories couldn’t have prepared her for what she encounters. Because pristine, perfectly manicured Carrefour has a dark side full of intrigue, betrayal, and lies—and Eveny quickly finds herself at the center of it all.

Enter Peregrine Marceau, Chloe St. Pierre, and their group of rich, sexy friends known as the Dolls. From sipping champagne at lunch to hooking up with the hottest boys, Peregrine and Chloe have everything—including an explanation for what’s going on in Carrefour. And Eveny doesn’t trust them one bit.

But after murder strikes and Eveny discovers that everything she believes about herself, her family, and her life is a lie, she must turn to the Dolls for answers. Something’s wrong in paradise, and it’s up to Eveny, Chloe, and Peregrine to save Carrefour and make it right.

In A Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis

The only thing bigger than the world is fear.

Lucy’s life by the pond has always been full. She has water and friends, laughter and the love of her adoptive mother, Lynn, who has made sure that Lucy’s childhood was very different from her own. Yet it seems Lucy’s future is settled already—a house, a man, children, and a water source—and anything beyond their life by the pond is beyond reach.

When disease burns through their community, the once life-saving water of the pond might be the source of what’s killing them now. Rumors of desalinization plants in California have lingered in Lynn’s mind, and the prospect of a “normal” life for Lucy sets the two of them on an epic journey west to face new dangers: hunger, mountains, deserts, betrayal, and the perils of a world so vast that Lucy fears she could be lost forever, only to disappear in a handful of dust.

In this companion to Not a Drop to Drink, Mindy McGinnis thrillingly combines the heart-swelling hope of a journey, the challenges of establishing your own place in the world, and the gripping physical danger of nature in a futuristic frontier.

The Blonde Ops by Charlotte Bennardo & Natalie Zaman

                  
          

Expelled from yet another boarding school for hacking, sixteen-year-old Rebecca "Bec" Jackson is shipped off to Rome to intern for Parker Phillips, the editor-in-chief of one of the world’s top fashion magazines. But when a mysterious accident lands Parker in a coma, former supermodel and notorious drama queen Candace Worthington takes the reins of the magazine. The First Lady is in Rome for a cover shoot, and all hands are on deck to make sure her visit goes smoothly.

Bec quickly realizes that Parker's "accident" may not have been quite so accidental, and when the First Lady's life is threatened, Bec is determined to uncover the truth. On top of that, Bec must contend with bitchy models, her new boss, Candace, who is just as difficult as the tabloids say, and two guys, a hunky Italian bike messenger with a thousand-watt smile and a fashion blogger with a razor-sharp wit, who are both vying for her heart.

Can Bec catch the person who's after the First Lady, solve the mystery of Parker's accident, and juggle two cute boys at the same time? Blonde Ops is a fun, action-packed romp through the hallways of a fashion magazine and the cobblestone streets of Rome.

Don't Touch by Rachel M. Wilson

A powerful story of a girl who is afraid to touch another person’s skin, until the boy auditioning for Hamlet opposite her Ophelia gives her a reason to overcome her fears.

Step on a crack, break your mother’s back. Touch another person’s skin, and Dad’s gone for good.

Caddie can’t stop thinking that if she keeps from touching another person’s skin, her parents might get back together…which is why she wears full-length gloves to school and covers every inch of her skin.

It seems harmless at first, but Caddie’s obsession soon threatens her ambitions as an actress. She desperately wants to play Ophelia in her school’s production of Hamlet. But that would mean touching Peter, who’s auditioning for the title role—and kissing him. Part of Caddie would love nothing more than to kiss Peter—but the other part isn't sure she's brave enough to let herself fall.

Perfect for fans of Laurie Halse Anderson, this debut novel from Rachel M. Wilson is a moving story of a talented girl who's fighting an increasingly severe anxiety disorder, and the friends and family who stand by her.

Includes back matter from the author.

Feature and Follow Friday #101

Feature Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel of Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read!

Featured Blog:

and

Featured Question:

 Snap it Time! A picture is worth a thousand words. Anything and anything. Just give us a pic.

A: Alright you asked for it. There is only one adorable little guy that I get my camera out for!

Here is some cuteness for you!

Review: Love Letters To The Dead by Ava Dellaira

Title: Love Letters To The Dead

Author: Ava Dellaira

Publisher:  Farrar, Straus, and Giroux 
Publishing Date: April 1st 2014

Pages: 323
Genre:  YA Realistic Fiction

Series:  Stand Alone
Source: ARC 

  

It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path.

I was so uber excited to get this book. Everything about it called to me. I was interested first for the cover, its so pretty, then the title, clever, and finally the act that it is written in letters. Sounds awesome... oh and of course the synopsis grabbed me. The book was good. I loved it. It was intense, emotional, and captivating. 

Laurel lost her sister May about 6 months ago. School is starting, and it will be her first day of a new high school. She goes to school, makes no friends, she is a misfit, she eats lunch alone. She has an english assignment, write a letter to someone who is dead.  Laurel decides to write to Kurt Cobain, he was her sisters favorite. The letters don't stop with that one. Laurel keeps going and writes about her decision to wear May's clothes, meeting new friends, crushing on a guy, everything that is happening to her. Laurel also decides to write about her past, her sisters death, family issues, secrets, she airs it all out in these letters. As she writes, she lives, she learns, she loves, she heals. 

Awesome read! This was a very tough read emotionally but well worth the heartache and tears. The main character, Laurel, went through a bunch of crap. From the very beginnning it was easy to feel her hurt, see her struggles, and are for her deeply. Everything that Laurel went through, it was amazing she was as sane as she was. She was a survivor and since her sister's death, she's had difficulty finding reasons to survive. She was living with tons of guilt over her sisters death but won't tell anyone what really happened that night. Slowly throughout the letters, the truth comes out and all I wanted to do was hug Laurel. She had so many deep emotions, hard emotions, emotions that can change a life drastically and she was doing her best to make it through everyday living with a broken family and a broken heart. 

Laurel wants to let someone in, just not all the way, or she doesn't know how. She had a fresh beginning at a new school and when she meets a group of misfits,everything changes. This book was full of wonderful supportive characters who all had stories and issues of their own. I had few issues with Hannah and her story at first but in the end she made more sense to me. I liked Kristen, she was a very intelligent and wise friend to Laurel. I also fell in love with Sky. He wasn't perfect by far but he was a great love interest for the story. He was screwed up a bit too, had some big issues going on at home, but he as a good guy, a great heart, and a pretty good head on his shoulders. I liked him a bunch. 

I really do believe the cast of misfit characters made the book, add it to the the story and of course a pinch of romance and its a great read. The romance was sweet and of course came with true healing powers. It wasn't the main focus of the story but it was a big part of Laurel's journey and I was truly wonderful! 

The story read was very quick, but packed full of goodness. Once I started I couldn't stop. I loved it all and hope to see  more from the author in the future. 

Addicting. Powerful. Beautiful. 

Ava Dellaira is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow. She grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago. She believes this book began when she bought her second album ever—Nirvana’s In Utero—which she listened to on repeat while filling the pages of her journal. She currently lives in Santa Monica, California, where she works in the film industry and is writing her second novel.