DEFENDING TAYLOR

By: Miranda Kenneally

Genre: Y/A Contemporary Romance.

Year: 2016

“Captain of the soccer team, president of the Debate Club, contender for valedictorian: Taylor's always pushed herself to be perfect. After all, that's what is expected of a senator's daughter. But one impulsive decision, one lie to cover for her boyfriend, and Taylor's kicked out of private school. Everything she's worked so hard for is gone, and now she's starting over at Hundred Oaks High.

Soccer has always been Taylor's escape from the pressures of school and family, but it's hard to fit in and play on a team that used to be her rival. The only person who seems to understand all that she's going through is her older brother's best friend, Ezra. Taylor's had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. But it's hard to trust after having been betrayed. Will Taylor repeat her past mistakes or can she score a fresh start?”

Miranda Kennelly brought us another wonderful story about Love and Lies, betrayal and forgiveness, lost and redemption.

There are great things about this book. I enjoyed the complexity of the story and the different perspectives showed in it.

I liked the characters, I think they are portrayed very well, each of them are unique, adding their personal touch to the story.

Taylor has a strong personality. She shows braveness despite her situation. The reader walks with her on her path to discover her reality, what she really wants, to find her own redemption.

Also, the story was well told, the family drama felt real, friends and their different relationships were lovely, and the romance made me sigh more than once. 

My only two concerns about this book are: the first one is coming from my very personal reader perception; I believe there are some apologies that should be told aloud and no leave implicitly. It’s the kind of thing that the reader wants to hear and not to leave at the imagination.

The second one, is more about the writing; In some points, I felt I read the same paragraph once and over and it’s not the first time, I caught the same issue, the repetition of the ideas, in other books by the same author. However, in this story I let it passed just a little, because I really loved Taylor, her enthusiasm, her devotion for the people she loves, and the courage she showed in her journey to herself discovery.

Four Stars and 100% recommended.

Best Phrases:

“I’ve never felt so lost but the more I think about it, I wonder if I’ve ever actually found myself to begin with… Maybe I’ve always been lost.”

“Taking a risk can be scary, but it can also be worthwhile”

“Don´t spend so much time thinking about future that you forget to live now.”

Note: Images taken from www.google.com

RECORDANDO...

     Es cierto lo que dicen por allí “la vida son sólo momentos”, y en una de esas de compartir y recordar dulces memorias, mi querida, talentosa y gran amiga Lorelein González, escribió estas  emotivas palabras, para luego amablemente autorizarme a utilizarlas en este post. 

     Una vez más gracias Lore por tan bellas palabras. Gracias friendcitos por llenar mi vida de inolvidables momentos.

“Esta foto y otras más de nuestra gran época podría compararla con El Principito. Cada vez que  leo ese libro, lo hago con una nueva perspectiva.

Hoy cuando nuestras vidas han cambiado tanto, empujadas por grandes desafíos e importantes decisiones, nos veo ahí en el medio de un paisaje desolado que nosotros nos encargamos de convertir en sitio mágico.

Fue mágico, porque nos entregamos a la aventura. Fue mágico, porque lo hicimos con inocencia. Fue mágico, porque vivimos el presente. Sigue siendo mágico, porque tenemos divertidos y emotivos recuerdos.

Gracias Cris, me ayudaste a recordar que hemos sido buenos, disciplinados, fuertes, perseverantes, valientes, leales, divertidos, espontáneos y hasta sabios. 

Vienen más cambios para nosotros y siempre podemos vivirlos como vivimos Humocaro, el Jardín Botanico, Ancon, La Puerta, Isnotu, tu casa (s), la casa de Beto, los cambures y las manzanas, los Coquitos y muuuuuchos más! 

Love u my forever friendcitos!”

WE WERE LIARS

Author:  E. Lockhart

Year: 2014

Genre: Y/A. Romance. Fiction

Rate: 3.5 stars.

“A beautiful and distinguished family.

A private island.

A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.

A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.

A revolution. An accident. A secret.

Lies upon lies.

True love.

The truth.”

What is great about this story?

The writing for start.- The author use an amazing, original, kind of poetic style, with beautiful prose and a easy and fresh way to tell the story.

The plot is also good. The descriptions are so vivid, so effective that makes you feel inside the island with the characters.

Also is an enigmatic and twisting story, a little predictable at the end but still shocking. Actually my heart cries every time that I remember the end.

And there is more. Like the intrigue and the anxiety to know what happened to Cady the main character. Basically the entire book is about to help Cady with her memory, to find the true.

Furthermore, the story shows problems of a rich family and all this intrigue that we believe exist around money.

Then we have the liars, the group of friends forced by their families to fake and keep the appearances of a normal life. That shattered my heart…Every teen need the opportunity to be themselves at least once in their life.

However and even when the plot is good and I insisted the writing was beautiful unusual, I have some trouble with a couple things.

First there are some inconsistences with the back and for between flashbacks and the present. It was good to have those flashbacks but the transition could be clearer special with this particularly writing.

But I think my biggest problem was the main character Cadance. I got to understand her conflict, her needs for knowing what happened to her years ago.  However I never felt a connection with her. In fact, she was so disconnected with the story that her relationship with her cousins and the rest of the characters felt unreal.  The romance with Gat felt fake, I didn’t believe in it. And it is so sad because the author could develop a great love story, one for the reader to crave. And for me wasn’t nothing like that.

Still, there is something about this book that keeps me reading but I don’t know if I would read it again.

Best phrases.

“I will prove myself strong; when they think I am sick.

I will prove myself brave, when they think I am weak.”

“Read them and you hear the echoes of one story inside another then echoes of another inside that. So may have the same premise: once upon a time, there were three.

The island is ours here, in some way we are younger forever.”

“Tragedy is ugly and tangled, stupid and confusing

That is what the children know

And they know that the stories about their family are both true and untrue there are endless variations and people will continue to tell them.”

Note: Image taken from www.google.com

COVER REVEAL

TITLE: Long Way Home

Author: Katie Mcgarry

Year: Jan 2017

Genre: Yong Adult. Contemporary Romance.

Synopsis:

Seventeen-year-old Violet has always been expected to sit back and let the boys do all the saving.

It’s the code her father, a member of the Reign of Terror motorcycle club, raised her to live by. Yet when her dad is killed carrying out Terror business, Violet knows it’s up to her to do the saving. To protect herself, and her vulnerable younger brother, she needs to cut all ties with the club—including Chevy, the boy she’s known and loved her whole life.

But when a rival club comes after Violet, exposing old secrets and making new threats, she’s forced to question what she thought she knew about her father, the Reign of Terror, and what she thinks she wants. Which means re-evaluating everything: love, family, friends . . . and forgiveness.

Caught in the crosshairs between loyalty and freedom, Violet must decide whether old friends can be trusted—and if she’s strong enough to be the one person to save them all.

Long Way Home is the third Book of the Thunder Road Series.

Katie McGarry Bio:

Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON,  BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine's 2012 Reviewer's Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.

Note: Image and Info sent by @InkSlingerPR  

Z IS FOR....

ZZzzz 

Tonight go to sleep and have some dreams…

Dream about the life you want.

Dream about what makes you happy.

Dream about wishes, flowers, castles and stars...

Dreams come true… Always believe in that.

But for that to happen, you must to work on it.

Magic exists… Just, if you are willing to create it.

Good Night!

Last day of #atozchallenge... Wonderful month!

Note: Images taken from a to z challenge and google.com

Y IS FOR

YOUR LIFE IS YOURS TO LIVE

I wanted to write about life, about how important is understand that we come to this world just once.

Then, I have a better thought. I wanted to write about how to live that one life. How to embrace every moment, how to enjoy every step without collecting regrets… How significant is make it right … But that wasn´t enough.

 I could write pages and pages about how I feel in this moment… And still it wouldn´t be enough.

Then I remember a song with the perfect lyrics that portrayed exactly what my heart, my soul, my mind want to say it.

Here is the link of “I Lived” by One Republic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k009TIxQc8

Note: Images taken from a to z challenge and google.com and the video is taken from youtube.com

X IS FOR....

X-MAS 

“Star light, star bright,

The first star I see tonight;
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight”

 The two girls were sitting in the front porch of the big house, the night of Christmas eve. Holding hands, both girls saw the first bright stars, the wishes one… They closed their eyes and asked for just one thing... To be best friend forever…
Even when the next day they are going to be miles away. Even when they are going to be in a different school, and meet new friends. The two little girls believe in their love for each other, and because of that they asked to the magic stars to keep the hearts together always.

Note: Images are taken from a to z challenge and google.com

W IS FOR...

WILD RECKLESS

By: Ginger Scott

Year: 2015

Genre: Mature Young Adult. Romance

My rate: 4 stars

“Kensington Worth had a vision for her senior year. It involved her best friends,

her posh private school in downtown Chicago and time alone with her piano until her audition was perfected, a guaranteed ticket into the best music programs in the world.

Instead, a nightmare took over. 

It didn’t happen all at once, but her life unraveled quickly—a tiny thread that evil somehow kept pulling until everything precious was taken from her. She was suddenly living miles away from her old life, trapped in an existence she didn’t choose—one determined to destroy her from the inside, leaving only hate and anger behind. It didn’t help that her neighbor, the one whose eyes held danger, was enjoying every second of her fall.

Owen Harper was trouble, his heart wild and his past the kind that’s spoken about in whispers. And somehow, his path was always intertwined with Kensington’s, every interaction crushing her, ruining her hope for any future better than her. Sometimes, though, what everyone warns is trouble, is exactly what the heart needs. Owen Harper was consumed with darkness, and it held onto his soul for years. When Kensington looked at him, she saw a boy who’d gotten good at taking others down when they thr

eatened his carefully balanced life. But the more she looked, the more she saw other things too—good things…things to admire.”

 

This is my first book by the author, and it left me a good impression. I enjoyed her narrative style, the well-defined characters, assertive dialogues, and of course the very complex plot. In this story, Scott incorporates subtle, and effective, sensitive issues such as: addiction, suicide, mental illness, marital infidelity and divorce, doing a excellent job handling those issues, which certainly could break the strength of any teenager.

And of course we have the main element as the romance between two teenagers Kensington and Owen, who at a young age have to deal with too many problems, and because of that they learned to support each other and find a balance in their lives. I need to say by the way that the love story impregnate in those pages is sublime.

 Now on the other hand I have some concern like: The pace of the story, the first part is strong, deep, full of passion en every page, suddenly it turn slow decreasing in emotion, in fact despite the well done end, I would love more passion and emotion with the same intensity that hooked us at the very beginning

Kensington the female main character was portrayed as a determined person but then she got lost in the story, changing completely to become en somebody fragile.

Also, I don´t want to spoiler but there are characters that we learned to like them and then they just disappear and I strong believe some conversations had to be happen and it didn´t.

In addition it is the mature sex scene. Which don´t take me wrong, was excellent written, however I think it was a scene disconnected from the rest or the narrative style which was more sweet and light. For me it felt like it was part of the other book inside of this book.

It was difficult to decide my rating, between 3.5 and 4 starts. But I am giving 4 stars, mostly because all the beauty of the narrative and the sensitivity Ginger Scott showed with her written. Also because the way Owen was described. He is a complex character who grew up stronger and more human with every page.

I would love to read this story from Owen P.O.V, sure it´d be interesting.

Best Phrases:

 “Just then, I realize, he´s not really wild at all. He´s heartbroken. And maybe I don´t hate him as much as I thought I did.”

“I love you…but I will suffocate you. Drown you. Loving me… It will kill you”

“I shouldn´t let you… But I don´t care Kensy. Because I think I need you to survive. I think I need you to love me, because that´s literally  all I´ve got” 

Note: Images taken from a to z challenge and google.com

V IS FOR....

 VOW TO A NEW BROTHER

The prince was walking quietly on tiptoes. He was hiding behind every pillar and huge curtains. It was a long way to the exit door and from there to the stables.

Today is his birthday and as every number seven he's going to receive a significant present.  This year he was going to have a horse, finally his own horse.

Once outside it got easier.  Everybody was inside preparing the party in h

is name. So he just ran until the stables and there it was a magnificent black horse.

He walked near to it, thinking already in a name, almost touching it, but the horse started to jump, the prince tried to calm down but it didn´t work. The horse turned frenetic and made the prince to fall into a poodle of mud.

A boy stood between the animal and the prince, protecting him.

“Are you ok my prince?”

“No, I'm not. I survived to be killed by my own horse, just to end dying in my sister hands. Look my cloths. It took me forever to come here without been seeing by anybody.

“We can use the back door behind the kitchen and follow the hallway. Everybody is busy nobody is going to notice us. I can take you to your room, you could change and give me your dirty clothes and I´ll wash them. Your sister will never find out.

            The prince smiled widely. “What´s your name?”

            “Kellan, my name is Kellan, my prince” The servant said giving a reverence.

The prince offered his hand. “Call me Rhyon. Today you have saved me twice.”

Note: Images taken from A to Z challenge and google.com

U IS FOR

UPSTAIRS BALCONY

“You are late”. The boy said.

“Not, I m not. What time it is?” The girl said looking up.

“I don’t know but you are late”.

“Is this the game for tonight? You saying I´m late and I´m saying I´m not”. This time the girl smiled.

“Nah… I wanna play another thing. The boy smiled back”.

“What do you want to play?”

The boy thought for a sec, then he asked her “Does your neck hurts?”

“A little. I have the worst part...looking up, kind of uncomfortable. You got it easier, just looking down all the time.”

“Do you want to stop playing with me here?” The girl noticed the sadness in her friend´s voice.

“No! I like our games.” The girl said with honesty.

The light was dim, the barely could see each other, a floor was the distance between them.

“I like them too” The boy told her with relief. “You pick the game”

“What about guessing? I brought my books with many guesses”.

“Okay… I´ll go first… Hit me…”

It was like that every night for many months. The two kids met at the balcony. One lived in the first floor, the other one in the second floor. There weren´t social media, or cell phone at that time. They just talked, read and listened to music. One day the girl moved out and never so her friend again.

She doesn´t remember his name, or his face. But thirty two year later, she still has the memories of their meeting nights at the balcony.

Note. images taken from a to z challenge and google.com

T IS FOR....

THE SADDEST SONG I´VE EVER HEARD

“Pick a star on the dark horizon and follow the light.

You'll come back when it's over

No need to say goodbye”

The girl was seated in a coffee shop savoring her double latte; a soft melody in the background filled her heart, the lyrics from Regina Spektor´s song made a single tear pop from her eye rolling slowly through her cheek.

A bunch of memories bombarded her mind, but just one in particular stuck in her thoughts as every time she listened to the saddest song she has ever heard.

The airport was crowded that morning, men running with suitcases, mothers with crying children, people who were trying to find the right directions. She was there in the middle of the chaos, standing at the other side of the door, holding briefly her hand against the crystal, contemplating the love she was going to leave behind.

With the tip of her finger she wiped the tear from her face; she drank the last drop of coffee and with determination walked out of the shop to the raining day. 

Every night, the girl carefully observed the horizon, hoping to see the starlight. “Soon the moment would come” she repeated to herself. 

Note. Song: The call by Regina Spektor. Images taken from a to z challenge and google.com

S IS FOR....

SOMETHING MORE IN SPANISH!

A continuación voy a citar algunos versos de mis poemas favoritos, pero esta vez en español.

Espero los disfruten

Posees la libertad de ser tú mismo,

de mostrar tu verdadero ser, aquí y ahora,

y nada se puede interponer en tu camino”.

El Manual del Mesías

Richard Bach

Y mi alma baila herida de virutas de fuego.

Quien llama? Qué silencio poblado de ecos?

Hora de la nostalgia, hora de la alegría, hora de la soledad,

hora mía entre todas!...”

Poema 17

20 poemas de amor y una canción desesperada

Pablo Neruda

“Hora de soledad y de melancolía,

en que casi es de noche y casi no es de día.

Hora para que vuelva todo lo que se fue

hora para estar triste, sin preguntar por qué.

Todo empieza a morir cuando nace el olvido.

Y es tan dulce buscar lo que no se ha perdido...

¡Y es tan agria esta angustia terriblemente cierta

de un gran amor dormido que de pronto despierta…”

Crepúsculo

José Angel Buesa

“…Que jamás el destino, comprendiéndome mal,

me otorgue la mitad de lo que anhelo

y me niegue el regreso. Nada hay, para el amor,

como la tierra; ignoro si existe mejor sitio.

Quisiera encaramarme a un abedul, trepar,

por las ramas oscuras del blanquecino tronco

y subir hacia el cielo, hasta que el abedul,

doblándose vencido, me volviese a la tierra.

Subir y regresar sería muy hermoso.

Pues hay cosas peores en la vida que ser

un columpiador de árboles.”

Abedules

Robert Frost

Note: Images taken from a to z challenge and google.com 

R is for...

RHYON, THE FUTURE KING.

We arrived to the cave hidden in the middle of Evergreen Woods before the breaking dawn. It was the perfect security location. A few months ago, Kellan and I found it.  It was so intricate to get in and out of there, we even got lost once. 

Under Kellan´s orders, the guards went to check the perimeter, while Ryder and Spring set a temporary camp.

Kellan pulled me in a tight hug and kissed my front head. “Are you hurt?” he asked me. I shook my head.

“Can you tell me what the hell is going on?" 

 But I couldn´t answer. Instead I looked at Rhyon. Kellan did the same, then he walked in his direction. Placing a hand in one of Prince´s shoulders he asked, “Are you Okay?”

 The Prince shook his head.

 “Are you hurt?” The prince shook his head again.

“Our father is dead” Rhyon finally said.

 Kellan hugged the prince with affection and sorrow. In that moment the two men grieved the fallen king as two children who had lost their father. Yes, because, not by blood, but definitely King Rowland had also been a father to Kellan.

“Long life to the King Rhyon”, one of the guards who broke the silence, while he was kneeling dawn before him, as the rest of people did the same. I knelt as well to honor my new king.

Kellan separated from Rhyon and started to kneel dawn, but Rhyon stopped him. “Don´t”.

Rhyon extended his hand helping me to stand up. “Don´t do it again” he said lowly. “Everyone, stand up please. Thank you for your loyalty but I´m not the King yet”.

“But you will” Kellan said with determination. “First we must to protect our Prince.” He spoke to the small crowd “and then we save our Kingdom”.    

Note: Images taken from a to z challenge and google.com

Q IS FOR...

QUIET

The shadow of silence. 

My silence, yours; 

Silence surrounds us spreading calm ...

 The silence lulls us but also it gives us fear. 

Silence speaks to us, but We do not listen, 

How sad it is not to understand that we would learn

 more with more silence among us.

Note: Images taken from a to z challenge and google.com