SBPT Stop #4: Waiting on Sunday with He Said Books or Me!

Welcome to the second post of the 2016 Summer Blogger Promo Tour! This is a summer-long event we created to find a way to promote a whole bunch of new bloggers while also making a bunch of new friends. If you're interested in learning more about how the tour works, you can click here! 

Today I'm here with Valerie from He Said Books or Me, and she's going to partake in a Waiting on Sunday meme - which is exactly like Waiting on Wednesday, but it's on a Sunday! Without further ado, here's her post!

Valerie's Waiting on:

 
Title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Authors: J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany & Jack Thorne
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Little Brown UK
Publication Date: July 31st, 2016

Summary: Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a new play by Jack Thorne, is the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. It will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on 30th July 2016 
It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.
While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places. 

Hi Everyone!

I'm Val from He Said Books or Me (hesaidbooksorme.blogspot.com) and I am excited to be here to talk with you today about a book that I am waiting on. Ever since it was announced, I knew that I would have to get my hands on this one and that was Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. This is the screenplay text that goes along with the performance that is happening now in London. (Please say it will come state side soon!) In the meanwhile, we will have the book to keep us happy! I can't wait to see what has been happening in the lives of our beloved characters. I have to say I am a little nervous too, but mainly excited!

I'd like to thank Valerie for taking the time to be spotlighted on The Book Bratz for the Summer Blogger Promo Tour today, and for sharing her Waiting on Sunday with us! :) Check back next week for a dystopian book tag with another blogger!

Also check out some of our previous Summer Blogger Promo Tour 2016 posts:

Week #1: Guest Review by Book Nerds Across America!

Week #2: Interview with The Cozy Little Book Nook!

Week #3: Perks of Being a Booknerd's Favorite Romance Books!

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Invisible I Am by Harriet Showman

invisible-i-am by Gregg Davis
Harriet Showman
Publication date: August 18th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

An experimental, literary YA multimedia narrative centered on the experiences of 16-year-old Gregg Davis, who undergoes brutal bullying and sexual violence by her peers. Spanning the mediums of the printed page, online social media and the screen, this story offers a wrenching, empathetic look at the experience of bullying through a victim’s eyes, and then extends this theme of oppression, humiliation and violence to address issues of historical and systemic racism in the U.S. today. A picture book.
Read Chapter One for free at invisible-i-am.com.
For updates on Gregg and the invisible-i-am story, follow her on Twitter @iaminvisibleiam, Tumblr via http://iaminvisibleiam.tumblr.com, YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ3_…, and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/invisibleiambook.

Goodreads / Amazon

Author Bio:
Harriet Showman (born 9 May 1954) is an author and multimedia artist born in South Carolina and raised in Pennsylvania. She returned to South Carolina for university and lives there today. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in colonial South Carolina history and has spent much of her life helping children and young adults succeed amidst challenging circumstances, including poverty and abuse. With a strong core of allies, Showman helped to establish a statewide Guardian ad Litem program to provide legal support for abused children; a Cities in Schools organization to serve underprivileged students; and a vehicle for the accumulation of monies to be distributed in grants through the Children’s Trust Fund. As a development officer for South Carolina’s flagship university, Showman attracted resources from major, national foundations to target South Carolina’s most urgent needs. She remains interested in the plight of children, teens and adults who suffer abuse, oppression and the paralyzing pain of invisibility.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

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I'd like to thank XPresso Reads for allowing The Book Bratz to be a part of this tour! 

TV Show Recommendation #1: Fringe

Title: Fringe

Network: Fox

Seasons: 5

Aired: 2008 - 2013

Total Episodes: 100
Rated: TV-14

Starring Actors:

Anna Torv - Olivia Dunham 

Joshua Jackson - Peter Bishop 

Jasika Nicole - Astrid Farnsworth 

John Noble - Dr. Walter Bishop 

Lance Reddick - Phillip Broyles

Blair Brown - Nina Sharp 

Summary:

The FBI teams up with a formerly-institutionalized scientist - who was performing experiments on the fringe of real science - and his son to investigate weird crimes that are seemingly part of a larger pattern, and may be connected with a global company called Massive Dynamic.

I first started watching this show my freshman year of high school (I have since graduated) and adored it. But sadly I lost interest around the ending of season two and stopped. I few weeks ago I started watching again and was immediately hooked. It's like a sci-fi version of Law & Order how could I not be down for that? Considering I look for shows that tend to have some form of romance in them, I was a little impatient to see where in the romance department this book was heading. It does not disappoint though. Though I haven't finished the show yet, I am currently on Season 3 Episode 4 I highly recommend it to science fiction junkies as well as anyone looking for something to open their minds to the unusual.

Yes, Walter has a thing for LSD. Its undiscribable really.

The show contains a scientist who was institutionalized for the death of a lap assistant seventeen years ago, and is checked out by his unwilling son Peter. The show is full of dark humor, most of it surrounding Walter, but bleeding into the other characters as well. Olivia who a bit more on the serious side investigates paranormal and scientific events, most commonly referred to as "Fringe Events" with the help of Walter's son Peter, who after a few episodes isn't so reluctant anymore. The show gets deeper as we are introduced to a parallel universe similar to ours but not entirely, and those versions of our main characters as well. 

Have you watched or heard about Fringe before? Let me know your thoughts below!!

ARC Review: Torn by Jennifer L. Armentrout (+Giveaway)

Title: Torn (A Wicked Saga #2) 
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Genre: New Adult, Fantasy 
Source: Inkslinger 
Publisher: Jennifer L. Armentrout 
Publication Date: July 19th 2016 
Summary: 

Torn between duty and survival, nothing can be the same. Everything Ivy Morgan thought she knew has been turned on its head. After being betrayed and then nearly killed by the Prince of the Fae, she’s left bruised and devastated—and with an earth-shattering secret that she must keep at all costs. And if the Order finds out her secret, they’ll kill her. Then there’s Ren Owens, the sexy, tattooed Elite member of the Order who has been sharing Ivy’s bed and claiming her heart. Their chemistry is smoking hot, but Ivy knows that Ren has always valued his duty to the Order above all else—he could never touch her if he knew the truth. That is, if he let her live at all. Yet how can she live with herself if she lies to him? But as the Fae Prince begins to close in, intent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld, Ivy is running out of options. If she doesn’t figure out who she can trust—and fast—it’s not only her heart that will be torn apart, but civilization itself.

So, I took a pretty long hiatus from the blogging world. 2 months long and I didn't read a single book in that time. Torn is the first book I read in a while and I left speechless. Armentrout never fails to amaze me with her imagination and execution of her novels. Having read most books written by her, all rated 3.5 stars and above it is easily shown she is an author that I love to read more of. When Inkslinger presented me with the opportunity I was more the grateful to take it. What a way to get back into the reading/blogging world. 

At the end of Wicked we learn that Ivy is the halfling that Ren, her boyfriend was sent to New Orleans to kill. But besides that the Prince (Drake) of the otherworld had entered our world by opening the gates. In Torn we deal with the aftermath of the events played out in Wicked, and the dark twisted events that take place in Torn. In Torn we see Ivy's willingness to save the ones she loves the most, as well as the sacrifices she makes to save those loved ones. (Trying to keep it spoiler free!!!!) 

Let's start off with what I loved about this book. TINK! We definitely learn a few more things about him in Torn, I guess he still wasn't so truthful as he claimed he was in Wicked. But I love his relationship with Ivy. Ivy could have easily casted him to the side when he was injured, but instead she rescued him and let him live with her. Their bond is something I adore in this book. As well at the witty banter, and Tink's none ending obsession of spending Ivy's money with Amazon Prime. But Armentrout has a few surprises in Torn about Tink that I didn't suspect. 

I also enjoyed Drake's character (The Prince.) As twisted and dark as he was, his character made the book what it was. With out Drake and his screwed up mind and ways Torn wouldn't have been enjoyable. (At least to me, that is.) 

There was a few aspects I was unhappy with though, there is one scene in the book that was highly predictable to me, and the aftermath of it as well. I'm not saying the whole book was predictable but I predicted most of what was going to happen for a good portion of Torn. (Hence, my four star rating.) 

Overall I really enjoyed Torn except for the few issues I had with it. I am excited to see where Armentrout is going to take Tink, Ivy, Ren and the rest of the crew in the next book Brave that will be coming out next summer! 

I also gave Wicked four stars, as much as I loved both books there were a few things I was unhappy about. Some which are mentioned above. 

Giveaway:

• Be 13 years or older (or a parents permission) 
• Winners will have 2 days (48 hours) to respond to the e-mail. If failed to do so a new winner will be chosen! 
• If you don't follow the rules you are disqualified 

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Review: The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by James Martin, S.J.

Title: The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything
Author: James Martin, S.J.
Publisher: HarperOne
Rating: 3/5 Stars
Paperback, 420 Pages
Published March 2010

Summary: The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by the Revered James Martin, SJ (My Life with the Saints) is a practical spiritual guidebook based on the life and teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus. Centered around the Ignatian goal of “finding God in all things,” The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything shows us how to manage relationships, money, work, prayer, and decision-making, all while keeping a sense of humor.  Filled with user-friendly examples, humorous stories, and anecdotes from the heroic and inspiring lives of Jesuit saints and average priests and brothers, The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything is sure to appeal to fans of Kathleen Norris, Richard Rohr, Anne Lamott, and other Christian Spiritual writers.

I had to read this book for my summer reading assignment before starting college in the fall, and at first I was definitely weary, because it didn't seem like the kind of book that I would be interested in. (Granted, I'm going to a Jesuit university, so reading a book on how to be a good Jesuit is a pretty good place to start my college career off right.)

I'm going to be attending a seminar given by the author, Father James Martin, once I get to school, so it was pretty interesting to read this book with that thought in the back of my mind, knowing that I'd have the chance to talk to him personally and ask him questions about whatever when I met him. It definitely made me pay attention to the material more, because I wanted to be sure that I'd be able to know what I'm talking about if we happen to have a conversation.

One thing that I really enjoyed with this book was how humorous the author was. Most people see the book's cover and think that it's going to be a boring, dry lecture on how to follow your faith. I found that it was the complete opposite. Father Martin used tons of helpful analogies and [lots of corny] jokes to get his points and ideas across, and aside from giving me a good laugh, I realized that they also did help me relate to and understand what he was trying to say about a particular topic. The use of plenty of humor and lighthearted banter (and no shortage of jokes at a Jesuit's expense) made the book both more enjoyable and much more understandable. 

All in all, The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything was a humorous book about using the Jesuit principles for spirituality, friendship and love to just be an all-around better person. I'd definitely recommend it to anybody looking to revamp their lifetstyle and become more of an open, accepting person. Even though I had originally just read this book as part of my summer assignment, I'm walking away from it with tips and skills on how to better myself in regards to my religion, my friendships, my relationships, and just being an overall good student, daughter, sister, girlfriend, friend, and citizen. I learned a lot more than I thought I was going to! 

SBPT Stop #3: Perks of Being a Booknerd's Favorite Romance Books!

Welcome to the second post of the 2016 Summer Blogger Promo Tour! This is a summer-long event we created to find a way to promote a whole bunch of new bloggers while also making a bunch of new friends. If you're interested in learning more about how the tour works, you can click here! 

Today I'm here with Kat from Perks of Being a Book Nerd, and she's going to answer some interview questions about what got her into blogging. Without further ado, here she is!

About Kat

Hello!! My name is Katheryn. I don't really like saying my age because it's a far cry than what I behave. >_< I live in England. I'm a reader, a writer, and I hope to one day be published. I'm working on something right now. (shhhh it's a secret!) I prefer YA but I do read some adult contemporary and non-fiction ( though those will be autobiographies.) 

Kat's Top 5 Favorite YA Romances!

1: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I've read this book a good 4 times, I believe. It's my go-to choice if I'm in a reading slump, and need something light and fun. It never fails to make me smile and giggle, it's so sweet. I love the setting - Paris! And how tentative Anna is with everything, slow to build and then she's got all these friends and a romance with St Clair. Man, I love him! Back off, Anna. :P 

2: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Another one I go-to when in a slump. I love how relatable Cath is, with her writing fanfic (which is something I used to do/sort of do when I can) and how obsessed she is with fandoms. It's so fun, and makes me feel not alone in this world. Her and Levi are one of the cutest couples around in YA, In my opinion.

3: The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

I read this years ago, and haven't read it since, sadly. No, don't get me wrong, I want to. I just don't have the book anymore. It's a long story. And I never got around to buying another copy. lol. I remember how much this book made me cry. Cry a lot, I did. Hazel and Augustus's relationship was pure and sweet and I fell into that hole of hopelessness. Them both being so ill, and fate having it that one of them was obviously going to die, It was hard to stay positive. Still, I tried. Yet that ending killed me.

4. Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson 

I couldn't do this top 5 and NOT have a Morgan Matson book in it! No. I love her writing so much, and she somehow manages to make characters likeable and funny and sweet and just everything you want in a YA romance. It was one of those romances that made me grin like crazy and I really wanna reread it...if only I had a copy to hand. 

5: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

This isn't exactly a contemporary romance, or anything, and technically it's more science fiction - so I put it last in this list. Tarver and Lilac come from separate ends of society and despite how they obviously have deep feelings for each other, a lot of bickering goes on and truths to get out in the open. It made me eager  and hopeful, how the tension grew like crazy. I don't know how I survived, let alone them.

I'd like to thank Kat for introducing herself and choosing such great romance books for today's post on the Summer Blogger Promo Tour! Check back next week for a Waiting on Sunday with another blogger!

Also check out some of our previous Summer Blogger Promo Tour 2016 posts:

Week #1: Guest Review by Book Nerds Across America!

Week #2: Interview with The Cozy Little Book Nook!

About Us....and other things you may not know

You may have all noticed several changes on The Book Bratz lately, Amber disappeared for a while, Emily joined our crew, and we magically grew up! Considering our "About Us" tab is a little outdated now we figured it was time for a post about the current us.

About Amber:

By day Amber works, binges netflix and reads. By night....she does the same. When she isn't curled behind a book or netflix she is found working on her WIP or hanging out with friends. When she is older she plans a career in Criminal Psychology. (As of June 2016)  Some ofher favorite shows include Orange is the New Black, Fringe, Grey's Anatomy and The 100. She looks up to authors Jennifer L. Armentrout, Wendy Higgins and John Green. Amber creates all the graphics found on The Book Bratz as well designed it's current design. (As of 7/11/16)

About Jessica:

Ever since she was five years old, Jessica knew that she wanted to be a writer. At the age of fifteen, she self-published her debut novel, Switch, which you can check out here. She's eighteen years old and some of her favorite hobbies are reading (duh), writing (double duh), and dancing (were you expecting that one?). She has a younger brother and a younger sister, thus making her the oldest (and therefore the coolest) sibling. She loves all things John Green and YA Contemporary. She's currently attending Fordham University for a degree in English with a minor in Marketing, both of which she plans to use for her career in the publishing industry.

About Emily:

Emily is 17 years old and starting her freshmen year at Farmingdale State College, studying liberal arts. She's hoping to move on to a masters in library science. Emily loves to bake, some of her favorite TV shows include Friends, The Vampire Diaries, and Law and Order: SVU. The authors she looks up to most are Jennifer L. Armentrout and John Green. 

Introducing the Newest Book Brat: Emily!

Today on The Book Bratz, we have some special news for you guys...we officially have a third blogger! It's time to introduce you guys to Emily, a good friend of ours that, as of today, will officially be joining The Book Bratz for reviews, memes, and more!

Here's a small little blurb about Emily to get to know her:

Emily is 17 years old and starting her freshmen year at Farmingdale State College, studying liberal arts. She's hoping to move on to a masters in library science. Emily loves to bake, some of her favorite TV shows include Friends, The Vampire Diaries, and Law and Order: SVU. The authors she looks up to most are Jennifer L. Armentrout and John Green. 

Hopefully this gave you guys a little more information about Emily, who will be a Book Bratz regular from now on! Amber and I are so excited for everyone to get to know her and realize that she's just as much of a book nerd as the rest of us! 

Here's to the start of another great chapter here on The Book Bratz - can't wait to see where we go from here!

Review: Geek Girl by Holly Smale

Title: Geek Girl
Author: Holly Smale
Publisher: HarperCollins
Rating: 2/5 Stars
Paperback, 378 Pages
Published February 2013

Summary: Harriet Manners knows a lot of things. She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves. As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did. And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

I've heard that a lot of people liked this book, so I decided to give it a try. Once I started reading it I realized that it was more of a Middle-Grade book than a Young Adult one, but I decided to give it a try anyway.

Maybe it's the book itself, or maybe it's just because I'm older now, but the story felt incredibly childish to me. I've read some Middle Grade stories before and not had this issue, so I thought maybe it wasn't that. The main character, Harriet, just seemed way too immature, which made getting through reading the book increasingly difficult. 

I feel like the story itself just seemed entirely too unrealistic. Granted, it's a book, but like...Harriet just gets discovered wearing gross gym clothes at a convention and gets signed on to be a model for one of the biggest designers in the field? With one of the cutest guys? And everyone's just totally okay with that? It just felt like everything was happening way too quickly, to the point that it almost seemed unrealistic. 

Long story short, I felt that this story basically was rushed and threw in a bunch of small, unrealistic situations to teach some life lessons to younger readers, but it ended up feeling just really unrealistic and...weird. The only way I can describe the book is as "okay." It wasn't god-awful, but it wasn't great either.

I don't think I'll be continuing with the Geek Girl series, but that's just because this book wasn't my cup of tea. It doesn't mean that it can't be yours, though, so I definitely recommend giving it a decent try!

Waiting on Wednesday: Perfect (Flawed, #2) by Cecelia Ahern

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine where we highlight some of the upcoming books we can't wait to read!

Jessica's Waiting on:

Title: Perfect (Flawed, #2)
Author: Cecelia Ahern
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: April 4th, 2017

Summary: Macmillan’s Feiwel and Friends imprint has acquired U.S. and Canadian rights to Cecelia Ahern’s debut YA books, Flawed and its sequel, Perfect, due out in summer 2016 and summer 2017, respectively. Sort of like The Scarlet Letter meets Divergent, Flawed and Perfect are set in a future society where perfection is valued above humanity and "flawed" people who commit acts of disobedience or rebellion are branded with an F.

I read Flawed earlier in the year and loved it, so I'm super excited to read the next book in this series! I think it's a totally different kind of the story, and the left book left you on the kind of cliffhanger that makes you eager for the next part of the story. Can't wait for this one!

What are you waiting on this week? Leave your links so I can stop back! 

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Facts About Me

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish!

This Week's Theme: Ten Facts About Me!

1. I published my first novel at age fifteen.

Yep! It's right here and it's my proudest achievement, and I can't wait to write my next one.

2. My favorite color is purple.

3. My favorite band is U2. 

I listen to their albums all day, every day, and I'm able to recognize a U2 song on the radio within the first five seconds of it playing.

4. My favorite drink is Vanilla Coke.

There is not a single situation or time of day where it isn't appropriate to have a can of Vanilla Coke.

5. I'm going to college to be an English major and work in publishing!

I start my freshman year of college this fall, and I couldn't be more excited about it.

6. My favorite movie (and Broadway play) is The Phantom of the Opera.

I've undoubtedly seen this movie more days than I've lived on this planet. Which should theoretically be impossible. But it's not. I made it possible.

7. My mom's homemade chicken soup is my favorite meal of all time.

I can eat her chicken soup for dinner for every night for the rest of my life. My record has so far been four nights in a row. It's impossible for me to get sick of it, just like Phantom. It's just so goooood. 

8. I'm definitely a Jeep girl - I drive a Jeep now and I definitely plan on doing it for the rest of my life.

My next car is going to be the newest Wrangler, and it's going to be badass, and I can't wait.

9. My favorite book is Looking for Alaska by John Green.

This one never changes. And yes, it was still my favorite book before the rise of the Basic Teen Girl John Green Phase. Also, this John Green gif always makes me smile, so I felt the need to share.

10. I've been a dancer for fifteen years.

So, that's my Top Ten Tuesday for this week! Hope you all enjoyed learning a few quirky facts about me. :-)