Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Charlie is a freshman. And while he’s not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no means popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it.

Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory: the world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But he can’t stay on the sidelines forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.

3* Read!

Review: Ugly Love

An unforgettable love story that breaks all the rules. When Tate Collins finds airline pilot Miles Archer passed out in front of her apartment door, it is definitely not love at first sight. In fact, they wouldn’t even consider themselves friends. But what they do have is an undeniable mutual attraction. He doesn’t want love and she doesn’t have time for a relationship, but their chemistry cannot be ignored. Once their desires are out in the open, they realise they have the perfect set-up, as long as Tate can stick to two rules – never ask about the past and don’t expect a future. Tate convinces herself she’s OK with it, but soon realises that it’s harder than she thought. Will she be able to say no to her sexy pilot when he lives just next door?

5* Read!

Life Interrupted by Kristen Kehoe Book Cover

Life Interrupted Review & Giveaway!

Rachel Reynolds is the daughter of a scientist and a poet, so her beliefs on Creation and Karma and all those other mythical things are varied. But when one passionate night with Tripp, the boy she’s loved her entire, life leads to heartache and a poorly chosen moment with another boy, whom she barely knows let alone loves, which then leads to a baby, she’s pretty sure Karma or no, the universe is a real biatch.

3.5* Read!

Book Review: The Before Now and After Then

Danny Goldstein has always lived in the shadow of his identical twin brother, Sam. But when a hurricane of events forces him into the spotlight, he starts to realize that the only thing he’s truly afraid of is himself.

With the help of his costume changing friend Cher, a famous uncle with a mysterious past of his own, two ageing punk rocker parents and Rusty, the boy who will become his something to live for, Danny begins to realize that the music of the heart is truly the soundtrack for living.

4* Read

Author Spotlight: Peter Monn Guest Post

Peter Monn, author of YA novel The Before Now and After Then has stopped by Confessions of a Book Geek to share his personal experiences with bullying and the inspiration behind his debut novel. As someone who suffered from bullying in my childhood and early teens, it’s an issue I feel strongly about, so I’m looking forward to reviewing this debut, as well as interviewing Peter as part of an Author Spotlight feature.

Book Review: Dare You To

If anyone knew the truth about Beth Risk’s home life, they’d send her mother to jail and 17 year old Beth who knows where. So she protects her mom at all costs. Until the day her uncle swoops in and forces Beth to choose between her mom’s freedom and her own happiness. That’s how Beth finds herself living with an aunt who doesn’t want her and going to a school that doesn’t understand her. At all. Except for the one guy who shouldn’t get her, but does… Ryan Stone is the town golden boy, a popular baseball star jock, with secrets he can’t tell anyone. Not even the friends he shares everything with, including the constant dares to do crazy things. The craziest? Asking out the Skater girl who couldn’t be less interested in him.

4* Read

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry Book Cover

Book Review: Pushing the Limits

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with “freaky” scars on her arms. Even Echo can’t remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo’s world shifts in ways she could never have imagined.

4* Read

Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire Book Cover

Book Review: Beautiful Oblivion

Fiercely independent Camille gladly moved on from her childhood before it was over. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn’t have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with a first weekend off in almost a year.

Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds before he even graduated high school. His friends wanted to be him, and women wanted to tame him, but after a tragic accident turned his world upside down, Trenton leaves campus to come to grips with the crushing guilt.

3.5* Read

#SEXMEUP Readathon To-Read List

So, in case you don’t know I’m taking part in the #sexmeup readathon hosted by Laura at She Loves to Read, it starts Monday 21st of July, and if you would like to sign-up you can find out more here. I was browsing my Goodreads To Be Read shelf to pick out a few juicy […]

Book Review: The Shock of the Fall

There are books you can’t stop reading, which keep you up all night. There are books which let us into the hidden parts of life and make them vividly real. There are books which, because of the sheer skill with which every word is chosen, linger in your mind for days. The Shock of the Fall is an extraordinary portrait of one man’s descent into mental illness.

3.5* Read

The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick Book Cover

Book Review: The Silver Linings Playbook

Imagine your life is a film directed by God. A rom-com, obviously, complete with happy-ever-after ending… Welcome to Pat’s world. It’s a world of silver-linings and true love, but also a world where God makes movies and Kenny G lurks in your attic. It maybe isn’t a surprise to learn that Pat has spent some time in a mental health facility. The problem is, Pat’s now home, and everything feels off. No one will talk to him about Nikki, his estranged wife; his beloved Philadelphia Eagles keep losing; he’s being pursued by the deeply odd Tiffany and his new therapist seems to recommend adultery as a form of therapy. In this enchanting novel, Matthew Quick takes us inside Pat’s mind, showing us the world from his distorted yet endearing perspective.

3.5* Read

True North: Finding Us Review and Giveaway!

Nathaniel Morrisey thought he had a handle on his affections for the one woman he ever cared about, Julia North, who happened to be his boss’s daughter and best friend’s little sister. But Jules is about to blow that calm self-control he’s had a tight grip on all to hell.

The North brothers are wild, adrenaline-junky thrill-seekers who thrive on challenge, speed and danger. Their little sister, Jules, is a sweet, quiet, bookworm who’s been overprotected all her life by her hulking big brothers… but she is a North after all, so she has her own wild streak—a secret that none of them expected, especially not Nate!

2.5* Read

Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire Book Cover

Book Review: Beautiful Disaster

Abby Abernathy is a good girl. She doesn’t drink or swear, and she has the appropriate number of cardigans in her wardrobe. Abby believes she has enough distance from the darkness of her past, but when she arrives at college with her best friend, her path to a new beginning is quickly challenged by Eastern University’s Walking One-Night Stand… Travis Maddox, lean, cut, and covered in tattoos, is exactly what Abby wants—and needs—to avoid. He spends his nights winning money in a floating fight ring, and his days as the ultimate college campus charmer. Intrigued by Abby’s resistance to his appeal, Travis tricks her into his daily life with a simple bet. If he loses, he must remain abstinent for a month. If Abby loses, she must live in Travis’s apartment for the same amount of time. Either way, Travis has no idea that he has met his match.

4.5* Read

Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover Book Cover

Book Review: Maybe Someday

Sydney is living in an idyllic bubble – she’s a dedicated student with a steady job on the side. She lives with her best friend, has a great boyfriend, and the music coming from the balcony opposite hers is fast becoming the soundtrack to her life. But when Sydney finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her, the bubble bursts. The mysterious and attractive man behind the music, Ridge, gives Sydney hope that she can move on and they begin to write songs together. But moving on is harder than she expects, Sydney can only hope…maybe someday.

4.5* Read

Boys Like You by Juliana Stone Book Cover

Book Review: Boys Like You

If I hadn’t fallen asleep. If I hadn’t gotten behind the wheel. If I hadn’t made a mistake.

For Monroe Blackwell, one small mistake has torn her family apart leaving her empty and broken. There’s a hole in her heart that nothing can fill. That no one can fill. And a summer in Louisiana with her grandma isn’t going to change that…

Nathan Everets knows heartache firsthand when a car accident leaves his best friend in a coma. And it’s all his fault. He should be the one lying in the hospital. The one who will never play guitar again. He doesn’t deserve forgiveness, and a court-appointed job at the Blackwell B&B isn’t going to change that…

5* Read

Book Review: Tease

Emma Putnam is dead, and it’s all Sara Wharton’s fault. At least, that’s what everyone seems to think when Sara, along with her best friend and three other classmates, are criminally charged for the bullying and harassment that led to Emma’s shocking suicide. But Sara is sure she hasn’t done anything wrong, because Emma brought it on herself. Sara is adamant that she was the victim – not Emma. Inspired by a true story, TEASE is a thought-provoking must-read that will haunt you long after the last page.

3.5* Read