FORGET YOU by Jennifer Echols

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FORGET YOU
Author: Jennifer Echols
Source: Around The World Tours

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: MTV; Original edition (July 20, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1439178232
  • ISBN-13: 978-1439178232

SYNOPSIS:
WHY CAN’T YOU CHOOSE WHAT YOU FORGET . . .  AND WHAT YOU REMEMBER?  There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon.  But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before. Did she go parking with Brandon, like she planned? And if so, why does it seem like Brandon is avoiding her? And why is Doug—of all people— suddenly acting as if something significant happened between the two of them? Zoey dimly remembers Doug pulling her from the wreck, but he keeps referring to what happened that night as if it was more, and it terrifies Zoey to admit how much is a blank to her. Controlled, meticulous Zoey is quickly losing her grip on the all-important details of her life—a life that seems strangely empty of Brandon, and strangely full of Doug.  

MY THOUGHTS:

WOW! Amazing! Astounding! Breathtaking! Unforgettable!

Okay I assume you are wanting more of a review than just that one line. If I were to try and describe this book though, I am afraid I would give up spoilers and basically, I also don’t think I could do it justice.  This is the first book that I have been able to read so far by this author.  I have heard about her writing and how well she can create a story, but I never fully understood what this author is capable of.  So instead of trying to describe a brilliant book, I am just going to give you my opinions on the characters.

Zoey – I actually liked Zoey. She has been through a lot. Between her jerk of a father and mom who is a little mentally unstable, she has held herself together pretty well.  The one thing I didn’t like about her though, was how she automatically assumes since she slept with Brandon–knowing his personality–that they are a couple because of one night of sex in a vehicle. 

Brandon – A football jock who thinks he is a sex God.  Yeah, that just about sums him up.  He has been friends with Zoey for awhile and they are like best friends.  He always comes to Zoey for advice on girls and she always gives it to him.

Doug – Ah, Doug. The bad boy of the book who spent time in juvie and got suspended from school for fighting. He has had a crush on Zoey for a long time, but everyone is afraid of him.  You can’t help but fall for Doug throughout the book.  I hate how long it takes Zoey to figure this out!

All I can say is if you haven’t read this book yet then you are missing out.  You really need to go buy it and dive into this book! I know I will be buying it and the rest of her books as well!

MY RATING:


Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading!

Shoulder Bags and Shootings by Dorothy Howell

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SHOULDER BAGS & SHOOTINGS
Author: Dorothy Howell
Source: FSB Media
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Kensington (July 1, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0758223781
  • ISBN-13: 978-0758223784

SYNOPSIS:

Fashionista and amateur sleuth Haley Randolph is in hot pursuit of the season’s newest must- have handbag. But soon she’s also in hot pursuit of a killer — when she discovers the corpse of none other than her designer purse party rival . . .

Life is beyond fabulous at the moment for Haley Randolph. She just spent two amazing weeks in Europe with her boyfriend Ty Cameron, owner of Holt’s Department Store where Haley works. And now Ty’s grandmother, Ada, is letting Haley drive her way-cool Mercedes. Things would be perfect if she could just get her hands on her latest fashion obsession: the new Sinful handbag.

Every store in town is out of stock, and Haley would rather die than buy a knockoff. But when she finds the body of her nemesis, Tiffany Markham, in the trunk of Ada’s Mercedes, she’s not so sure she wants to trade places after all . . .

Topping the list of suspects, Haley doesn’t deny seeing red when Tiffany and her business partner not only stole her purse party idea, but also made more money. But Haley wasn’t jealous enough to commit murder. Now she’ll have to solve this mystery quickly — and find that Sinful bag — before she becomes a killer’s next fashion fatality . . .

SPECIAL FEATURE:

My mom wanted to read and review this book as well. So here is my moms review–

If you need a book to read quickly, without having to think too much, this is the book for you.  The lead character, Haley Randolph, has eyes for only two things in life: her new love and boss Ty Cameron, and snagging an authentic new Sinful handbag.  While obsessing over these two desires, she finds herself in the middle of a mess when a body is found in the trunk of the car she is using.  The corpse belongs to her rival, Tiffany.  Can she find the handbag, hang onto her man and solve the murder before she becomes the next victim?

This book would probably have been more interesting if I got to know Haley a little better.  I didn’t read the two previous Haley Randolph novels, and many references are made to them.  Haley seems to be too flighty and self-obsessed to worry about murder. I suggest reading the series in the order the were written. With a little more depth to the character, I would enjoy it more.  This book would be suited to taking on vacation or to the beach .  

MY THOUGHTS:

I agree with my mother’s review of this book. I had not read the previous books either and was left scratching my head at some of the references the author makes. Haley does come across flaky and aloof. She cares more about the bag than anything.  The repetitiveness and failed humor was a huge turn off for me in the book.  A good beach read if you read it as a series and not a stand alone book, but one that I would consider carefully before spending your money on it.


MY RATING:

 
I did not enjoy this book! 1 STAR

BLOG TOUR: Liberation by Maria Lucia

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Thanks to Pump Up Your Book Tours, I have the pleasure of introducing you to author Maria Lucia on My Overstuffed Bookshelf.  She is the author of Liberation and was kind enough to also provide a guest post about A Day in the Life of Writing For An Author.



Book One of The Andrusian Chronicles 
Amora Madre is content in the Smokey Mountains pursuing her teaching of love, things of the spirit, and metaphysics. Her childhood invisible playmates, Casey and Nia, are always by her side. But when soul mate Gabriel Ephraim enters her life, she is drawn into the heart of a horrific encounter with the spirit world in the skies over Washington D.C. Catapulted into service for the Intergalactic Supernatural Intelligence Agency, ISIA, the kindred lovers soon discover the existence of an invisible wickedness over the city, its galactic origins, and its evil designs for national and world events.
As part of an Andrusian galactic strike force, assembled to dismantle the malevolent legion’s brutal matrix, Amora and Gabriel, seasoned and accomplished, embark on a dangerous adventure filled with Onaweyans, Scorpillians, historical figures, and a confrontation with the dark supernatural syndicate over the fate of the United States and the earth.
With journeys into dimensional worlds, interactions with fantastic characters and creatures, and revelation of the current struggle between the spiritual forces of good and evil, LIBERATION draws the reader into a world where the spiritual dimensions and reality converge.  
GUEST POST:
Well, it all begins during your sleep time really, as you wake up and catch yourself pulling your hair while you sleep because the story is playing itself out in your dreams. So you wake up at three in the morning with a pen and pad and sit (sometimes on the toilet because it’s so urgent you have to do both) and write down the scene that’s trying to write itself in your head. But you have to get it right. So you scribble down pieces and words of dialogue for the characters which are crucial to creating the emotional setting you want. If you’re in a relationship, it can be trying since it involves turning on the lights to write. Then after a night of broken sleep you wake up for the day and go over your notes and try to make sense of what you where trying to convey. You sit in your chair with your coffee staring out the window wondering when you will find the will to get up and go to the computer. But then you do. You do it many times because you want to continue the story, you want to see it take shape. So you put in whatever time you can and stop to breathe and take in what you’re asking of yourself. 
Your back aches and so does your neck and out of self compassion you take a break for lunch. But there is something pulling at you. It pulls at you all of the time. “You have to keep going” a voice stresses in your head. But you’re tired and you really want to do something else. But the voice continues, it bugs you until you finally sit at the computer again to keep going, to keep bringing into form the story you promised to write. Only the story has you now and it begins to take hold of your time. Each day it gets stronger until you’re thinking about it all of the time, like a lover. Slowly you give in and allow the tale to tell itself. You become the instrument and give to it as much of yourself as you can, every day, until it’s done.
You can find out more about Maria Lucia at www.andrusianchronicles.com and watch her book video here and order a copy of her book at Amazon

SHOW ME THE SHELVES SUNDAY!

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Welcome to my new feature Show Me The Shelves!  This feature was inspired by Book Chick City!  Each Sunday I will feature a fellow blogger and their collection to showcase on my blog.  So sit back, enjoy the pictures that will cause you to drool, and know that you are not alone in hoarding your books!

Hey everyone! Amy asked if I wanted to share my bookshelves on her new feature. I thought why not, I had be meaning to do this post on my blog for a while but kept putting it off.  So here they are.

The first picture is one of my main bookcase. As you can see I collect more than just books. I’m a child of the 80’s and it shows when you walk into my bedroom.  Now I don’t keep every book I read or I wouldn’t have any room at all. This bookcase is mainly paperbacks. For the most part each shelf is organized alphabetically by author.  The fourth shelf down holds some of my TBR Books. These don’t fit on my TBR shelf.


This is my other main bookcase. Both the first one and this one are located in my room. These
books are mostly organized by author too.  The books are The Dark-Hunters series, Trade Paperbacks, Hardcovers and Graphic Novels/Manga.


Bookcase number 3 is located out in my hallway. This is my newest bookcase.  I got this one for review from CSN Stores.  Again organized by Author. It holds Young Adult books and some more paperbacks.

My TBR shelf. This shelf is connected to my head board.  These books consist of ones I want to read and review books. The hardcovers aren’t usually there. I normally keep them out in the hall bookcase.


And lastly Amy asked me to pick out three of my favorite books from my collection. At first I thought she was crazy and now I know she’s just evil.  Three books, the choosing was hard. Here are my picks:

Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris – This was the first Paranormal Romance book I read and it’s one of my favorite series.  I’m a big ol’ fan girl when it comes to this series. I actually have three different copies of this book.

Hunters: The Beginnings by Shiloh Walker – Hunters series is another favorite. This series introduced me to ebooks and Ellora’s Cave.  The first story in this book was the first ebook I read. I read it on my computer. I didn’t purchase the paperback until much later. I’m so glad for my Kindle and ereader.

The Mane Event by Shelly Laurenston –  This is the first book in the Pride stories. I picked this book out because this series has been my obsession of 2010.  I love these books and have said so many times on my blog. Sadly, I’ve read all the books in the series. So, now I have to wait how every long until the next one.

Amy, Thanks for having me at your blog. :]
Thanks for sharing Anna!!!
If you would like to have your shelves featured on the blog, just send me an email at
djsfoxylady (at) gmail (dot) com