Catching Jordan

Author: Miranda Kenneally
Pages: 281 
Publication Date: December 1, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Synopsis:
What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

Characters:
Jordan Woods: a seventeen-year-old high school senior. She is in the football team, as a quarterback and a captain.
Sam Henry: Jordan's best friend and teammate. He is the wide receiver in the football team.
Tyler Green: aka "Ty". He is a new student moving from Texas. He is also playing as a quarterback.
JJ: Jordan's friend and teammate.
Carter: Jordan's friend and teammate.
Mike Woods: Jordan's big brother who is also a football player, but in collegiate level.
Donovan Woods: Jordan's father, an NFL player. He disagrees with Jordan's choice to be a football player.
Mrs. Woods: Jordan's mother, who is very supportive to Jordan.
Jake Reynolds: Mike's best friend.
Vanessa: Ty's younger sister.
Kristen Markum: a cheerleader.
Carrie Myer: a cheerleader and Henry's ex.
Lacey: a cheerleader.
Marie: a cheerleader. She and Henry "date" each other.
Coach Miller: Jordan's coach.
Coach Thompson: the coach of Alabama team

Review:
This book is a must-read! I love this book so much and cannot wait to read another of Ms. Kenneally's work. This one of books is simply fantastic. It's clean, precise, funny, romantic, and straight-to-the-point. I strongly recommend this one to the bookish who are like me... hopeless romantic!

First thing that attracted me about this book is the cover. Duh... like always! I love browsing through books and select the ones that have the best covers of the bunch. This one won... hands down! Just one look at the cover and I was like, have to read it.

The inside of the book is not a disappointment either. Each page is just as good as the last one. I love how the author added in a lot of humor. The wording is easy to understand and straight forward, and that's the must important part of any books. Sometimes, I find myself having fun reading a book, but it is just too abstract, messy and too much detail, which is kinda like a turnoff to me.

Here comes spoiler! If you have not read the book yet, I recommend not to read what comes ahead.

Frankly speaking, I was secretly wishing for Jordan to fall for Henry since the beginning. Who doesn't want to fall in love with your best friend? Someone who knows you and loves you for your true self. When she thinks she loves Ty, I was a bit disappointed since I was looking forward to read about Jordan and Henry's road to romance. Hard to judge Jordan when Ty is hot like hell and Henry is not making any move, but pushing her to date Ty. It is a selfless love! And I'm completely falling in love with Henry for that. When Jordan realizes that the one Henry loves is her... I was like, told ya! It is just sweet, very sweet.

I wish there were many other books out there like this one.

Forever Mine

Author: Elizabeth Reyes
Format: Kindle
Publication Date: September 6, 2010 
Series: The Moreno Brothers #1 
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Synopsis:

When her mother is sentenced to be put in jail, Sarah has no other choice, but to move to San Diego, where her aunt lives, just before her senior year. Leaving her best friend, Sydney, behind is another bad news added up to her misfortune. There, she meets Angel Moreno, a popular and handsome football player in the high school football team. They soon fall madly in love, but Sarah is still holding on to her decision – moving back to Arizona.

Review:

This book just amazed me to the point that I could not find words to describe. The book was so well-written and the plots were well-constructed. The book reveals many different sides of relationship that everyone can relate to. Reading this book gives me nothing but joy. I kept smiling to myself like crazy when I read to the parts that Angel and Sarah are together sharing their love. The protective side of Angel makes me feel connected to the character, somehow.

One disappointment I have about the book is the way the author kept raising the same problem repeatedly. We all know that Angel is being overprotected and everything, but mentioning the irritation Angel has with Sarah being with other men was kind of sweet and romantic at the first few times. However, when similar issues happened again and again, it became a letdown.

All in all, this book is perfectly suitable for people like me – madly in love with romance.

The Future of Us

Authors: Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Pages: 320
Publication Date: November 21, 2011
Publisher: Razorbill
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤


Synopsis:
The year is 1996 when Emma receives a gift of a computer from her father. When her friend and next-door neighbor, Josh, brings her the AOL CD mailed to his family for free, she discovers something - Facebook. The thing is Facebook is yet to be invented. Because of this, Emma and Josh are able to see what their lives are like in fifteen years.

Characters:
Emma Nelson: one of main characters of the story.Emma is a casual relationship which she does not want, but she dares not get out of it.
Josh Templeton: Emma's friend and also neighbor. We used to be so close until something happened that makes them grow apart.
Graham Wilde: Emma's so-call boyfriend.
Tyson James: A friend of Emma and Josh's best friend.
William James: Tyson's father. He owns a pizzeria called, GoodTimez Pizza.
Kellan Steiner: Emma's best friend. She is also in an on-and-off relationship with Tyson
Martin: Emma's stepfather.
Cody Grainger: Emma's crush. He is on a track team with Emma as well.
Sydney Mills: one of the most beautiful girls in the high school.
Rick Rolland: Sydney's ex-boyfriend.
Dale Nelson: Emma's father.
Cynthia: Emma's stepmother.
Rachel: Emma's newly-born half-sister.
David: Josh's big brother who goes to college far away from home.
Kyle Simpson: Emma's ex.

Review:
Usually I am not into scinece fiction, but when the authors introduced the idea of seeing the future through facebook, I gave this book a try. Boy, did I enjoy every single page. The story is very captivating and fresh. Well, maybe there have been several other books built up on similar concept. However, I still find this book pretty amazing.

I have always been fond of the way authors tell the stories from two people's view. When the writers do so, the stories seem coming to life and interesting. Likewise, "The Future of Us" is told from both Emma's and Josh's view.

Another point I find worth mentioning is the characters in the story. There are various personalities you may find in the book from people who are quirky, independent, confident to people who are codependent, rude, and so on.

Lola and the Boy Next Door

Author: Stephanie Perkin
Pages: 338
Publication Date: September 29, 2011
Publisher: Dutton Books
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Synopsis:
Lola Nolan loves to wear wigs, sparkling outfits - in short she loves to be bold and fabulous. Her life seems to be right on track. She has supportive friends, caring fathers and a hot boyfriend, who is a rocker. Everything is working out just fine until the return of her next door neighbors - the Bells.

Characters:
Lola Nolan: a seventeen-year-old high school junior with intent interest in costumes. She usually makes her own outfits. She lives with her two fathers in San Fransisco.
Nathan Nolan: One of Lola's father. He is very protective of Lola.
Andy Nolan: One of Lola's father. Andy owns a pie store. Even he cares of Lola as much as Nathan, Andy is not as strict as Nathan.
Max: Lola's twenty-two-year-old boyfriend, whom Lola's fathers are not approved of. He is in a rock band.
Lindsey Lim: Lola's best friend. She loves the idea of being a detective, so she usually called Lola "Ned", a character from Nancy Drew
Cricket Bell: a smart and kindhearted eighteen-year-old boy who is handy when it comes to electronic devices. He also possesses a great sense of style and is very tall.
Calliope Bell: Cricket's twin sister. She is talented figure-skater and she dislikes Lola.
Norah Nolan: Lola's birth mother and a former alcoholic. Norah is also Nathan's younger sister.
Anna: Lola's coworker at the theater.
Etienne St. Clair: Anna's boyfriend and Cricket's dorm-mate.

Review:
Once again Stephanie Perkin wowed me with her work. In this book, even it is another love story other then Anna and St. Clair's, Perkin included them in the story as well. As a recommendation, if you have not have a chance to read "Anna and the French Kiss", well, you'd better read that first before this one.

Let's move back to Lola. I really love this book. I don't know how it possible, but frankly speaking, I like this Lola's story more than Anna's.

As I has said before, I am a sucker for books with great covers. With just one quick glance, I was hooked. Comparing with the previous book, "Lola and the Boy Next Door" definitely has a better cover. I love the clear blue sky in the background. Moreover, if we pay more attention on the cover, we can see every detail of both characters, Lola and Cricket, such as the wig (Lola almost always wears wigs) and the rubber bands that Cricket usually wears on his wrist.

I absolutely adore Lola. She is very quirky, beautiful, fun and smart. Besides, I like the fact that she does not afraid of being herself, even though being herself means wearing bright yellow raincoat in a clear weather.

Cricket, on the other hand, is more charming than St. Clair. He is unbelievably kind. The way the author describes Cricket makes it sound too good to be true. Any way, that is the point of a fiction, I guess. The way he cares for Lola is extremely sweet, which makes the story even more interesting.

I cannot wait for the next book by Stephanie Perkin, Isla and the Happy Ever After.

Anna and the French Kiss

Author: Stephanie Perkin
Pages:  372
Publication Date: December 2, 2010 
Publisher: Dutton Books
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤

Synopsis:
Anna is less than thrilled when her parents tell her she is going to a boarding school in Paris. Anna does not plan to leave her life in Atlanta where her friends, her job and everything else are. She definitely does not plan to meet Etienne St. Clair, a boy who teaches her so much more about life and love. They seem like a perfect match... if only St. Clair were not already taken.

Character:
Anna Oliphant: the main protagonist of the story. She loves movies and plans on becoming a well-known female film critic.
Etienne St. Clair: a Parisian with British accent, whose mother is an American and father is a French, that he does not get along well with. He is charming and understanding.
Bridgette Saunderwick: Anna's best friend in Atlanla. She is a skillful drummer.
Toph: Anna's crush back in Atlanta. He is in a rock band.
Sean: Anna's seven-year-old brother.
Ellie: St. Clair's girlfriend. She does not study with them since she is now a college student. 
Meredith: Anna's next-door neighbor at the dorm. She is the first person that becomes Anna's friend in Paris. She loves football (soccer, in US). 
Rashmi: another girl in Anna's group of friends at the boarding school. She's Josh's girlfriend. 
Josh: St. Clair's best friend. He is a gifted artist, but he does not take school seriously. 

Review:
The book really lives up to my expectation. It is funny, romantic and full of surprises. The first impression from that book is that I love the cover and the title is attractive. When I read the first few pages, I was very interested in Anna since she is very realistic than some other protagonists.

The love story between Anna and St. Clair is very interesting. Until many other main characters, St. Clair and Anna have many flaws, as well as their good qualities. By adding those flaws, the author makes the characters and situations they can somehow be related to.

One point that I find a bit cheesy is that why everyone has to love St. Clair. The author makes it clear that St. Clair is charming, good-looking and all, but it does not have to mean that he will be loved by everybody. And the fact that both Anna and St. Clair have bad relationship with their father is a bit repetitive for me.

I love the part that Anna is being betrayed by her friend, Bridgette. The way that Anna handles the situation is amazing to me. Stephanie Perkin really does an outstanding job capturing the feeling of teenagers during this phase in their lives.

Where I Belong

Author: Gwendolyn Heasley
Pages: 289
Publication Date: February 2, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤


Synopsis:
Corrinne Corcoran's life is dramatically changed when her father is laid off due to recession. Since living in Manhattan, New York, is not going to be easy for them, her parents decide to send her and Tripp, her brother, to Broken Spoke, where their grandparents live. Since then Corrinne has faced so many changes.


Characters:
Corrinne Corcoran: a sixteen-year old, beautiful, spoiled rich girl from Manhattan. She is sent to live with the grandparents in Broken Spoke, Texas when the family is having a financial problem due to the recession.
Cole Corcoran: Corrinne's father. He is an investment banker in New York.
Jenny Jo Corcoran (J.J): Corrinne's mother and a former model. She left Broken Spoke for New York when she was 21 and has never been back until then.
Tripp: Corcoran's little brother. He is twelve and sweet. He wants to spend more time with Corrinne, but she tends to disappoint him.
Waverly: Corrinne's best friend. They have planned to be roommates when they come to Kent, a boarding school. However, their plan fails since Corrinne has to move to Broken Spoke.
Billy Bo Houston: Corrinne's grandfather
Sandy Jean Houston: Corrinne's grandmother. She loves cooking and her food tastes great also. She is still working.
Kitsy Kidd: a sophomore and a Mockingbirdette (a cheer leader). She is nice to Corrinne and they become best friends later on. Kitsy is skillful with makeups.
Hands: Kitsy's boyfriend and also a quarterback of the football team.
Bubby: Hands' friend and teammate. He is in the same class with Corrinne and showing that he is interested in her, but she doesn't return the interest. He never gives up though.
Rider: a wannabe rock star. He is in the band called Friday Night After the Light. He also works at the stable with Corrinne.
Ginger: owner of the stable and an old friend of Corrinne's grandmother. She is Corrinne's employer as well.
Kiki: Kitsy's seven-year-old brother. He is the town's champion mutton buster.
Luis: Spanish teacher and also football coach
Sweetbread: Corrinne's horse
Mr. Chin: owner of Chin's Chinese Restaurant


Review:
The first thing that interested about this book is the cover, of course. I am a sucker when it comes to books with  attractive designs. As for this book, the cover is so sweet and it's hard to resist for me. One more point is that the tittle itself is eye-catching, as well. Due to other distractions, I tend to spend more days finishing this book than I have expected. However, it was a joy during the reading process, even though it is not the best one of the best books I have read, I have to agree that it is well-written.

The first thought that came to me when I read this book is Corrinne is a spoilt brat. She is used to the life that she can get whatever she want. So when everything doesn't turn out as she has expected, she just freaks out. Well, maybe if we look at the situation from her perspective, it might be normal to freak out. She has to leave my big city life behind and start a new one, where everything is totally different. 


Speaking of her life in Broken Spoke, I think it is not so bad at all. She still goes to school, even now it is a public school. She also can out with friends and the curfew is not bad at all. Midnight for a sixteen-year-old girl is very generous in my option. But still, maybe I look at it from my view only. 

There are many transformations that happen to Corrinne. She changes from being a shallow, impolite, ill-tempered young woman to a thoughtful and understanding person. Her relationship with her mother is also getting better. I am touched by what Tripp has written about Corrinne being his heroine. It is so sweet.