The Romance Bookie

I realized something about myself the other day...I read when I'm sad, and going through a hard time. It's my out, when I want to get my mind off things, and just escape. Now don't get me wrong, I DO LOVE TO READ!  Reading has helped me from hitting that low in life where you just want to give up completely.  It's always been there to cheer me up, at least somewhat, when things have gotten really tough! But I noticed that I have always read when things were hard when I realized I had read two books in one week when I found out two loved ones in my life had passed away. I haven't been able to read for months...heck almost a couple of years at this point!  I've been in a very happy place in my life, for the first time in...Ever.  I've always had an amazing family that was there for me, but something was always missing.  I felt really lonely for a long time, because I have always had trouble making friends who truly accept me for who I am.  But then I ...

Hello Everyone, It really saddens me to do this, but I have made the extremely tough decision on putting The Romance Bookie on Hiatus for a bit. There is too much going on in my life, and I've putting this on hold for way too long at this point.  I have been very busy, and with school, work, and family I just can't handle everything anymore. Yesterday, my family was told some very sad news.  One of our German Shepherds, named BJ, died while he was getting surgery to remove tumors in his spleen.  It turned out the cancer was far more advanced than they had thought, and he passed away while they were operating.  I, along with my family, is absolutely devastated.  Our dogs (we have three German Shepherds) mean the world to us.  They are part of the family, and losing one is like losing a piece of ourselves. He was only eight years old, which even for a big dog like a German Shepherd is not old.  It is by no means, young, but also not old.  So...

Hey Everyone! So today, I'm taking part in the Ugly Love  by Colleen Hoover Blog Tour!!  Colleen's latest release, Ugly Love , hit shelves on August 5th, and for all Hoover fans...Man, is this the perfect book to add to your collection! This is only my second book by Colleen, that I've read...I know I jumped on the Colleen Hoover bandwagon a little late.  But at least I've joined it now!!! I read her last novel,  Maybe Someday , a few months ago, and absolutely loved it!  And now I've read Ugly Love  too, and holy moly was it good!!! From Goodreads : When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves t...

***WARNING!!! THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!!*** Hey Everyone! Welcome to Day 6 Part 1 of Meg-A Readers 2014! Today I've got my review for Meg Cabot's 8th book in The Princess Diaries  series, Princess on the Brink . From Goodreads : At last, Mia is a junior. An upperclassperson. Free of her responsibilities as student body president. So why is it that everything is going so terribly wrong? What is she doing in Intro to Creative Writing? When she has made it through Algebra and Geometry, why must she be faced with Precalculus? And for the love of all that is Genovian, why has Lilly nominated her for school prez again? All this is nothing compared to the news Michael springs on her, however. On top of all the mathematical strife, her beloved boyfriend is leaving for Japan for a year. Precalc has nothing on preparing for the worst separation ever Turns out there is one way she might convince Michael to stay. But will she? Or won't she? No matter what,...

So yesterday, I once again went into the world of John Green, but this time through a different perspective...through the big screen. I saw The Fault in Our Stars  featuring Shailene Woodley (as Hazel) and Ansel Elgort (as Augustus). I know, I know, pretty much everyone has already seen it!  But due to a very busy fun weekend last week (I celebrated my first anniversary with my boyfriend), I was unable to see it.  In one way I'm very glad that I didn't have to deal with crowds, because I heard theaters were PACKED!! Anyway...to the REVIEW! From IMDb : Hazel and Gus are two teenagers who share an acerbic wit, a disdain for the conventional, and a love that sweeps them on a journey. Their relationship is all the more miraculous given that Hazel's other constant companion is an oxygen tank, Gus jokes about his prosthetic leg, and they met and fell in love at a cancer support group. My Thoughts: Wow!  Let's just say I went through another box of ...

Happy Sunday Everyone!! Have any of you ever read a book where you found yourself wanting to do something afterwards, because it inspired you?   Second Chance Summer  by Morgan Matson is one of those books.  I found myself wanting to run to my parents and giving both of them a big fat hug and telling them I love them. From Goodreads : From the Flying Start author of  Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour , a powerful novel about hope in the face of  heartbreak.   Taylor Edwards’ family might not be the closest-knit—everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled—but for the most part, they get along just fine. Then Taylor’s dad gets devastating news, and her parents decide that the family will spend one last summer all together at their old lake house in the Pocono Mountains. Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the peop...

Today I'm so excited to be a part of the No Attachments  Blog Tour!!! I can't even tell you how much I enjoyed this book!!...oh Wait, YES I CAN!!! From  Goodreads : Ashton Garrison walked away from a privileged life in order to hide from the one thing she's not willing to face. She knows she left behind a trail of pain, but in the long run, her betrayal will hurt less than the truth. She now has one goal: Live life to the fullest with no regrets and no attachments. She has high hopes that a move to new surroundings will provide the escape she desires, but what Ashton doesn't count on is how fate always seems to find a way to screw up any good plan. Sometimes, when love comes knocking, the pull is too strong not to answer. Suddenly, what she thought she wanted to escape from is what Ashton now wants more than anything. Nathan Lockton has one mission: find his target and complete the task he was hired to do—no attachments and no emotion necessary. ...

Hello Everyone! Today I'm part of the Stardust Summer Blog Tour ! :) Stardust Summer is Lauren Clark's latest book! :) From Goodreads :   Single mom Grace Mason doesn’t believe in miracles, magic, or love at first sight. She likes the quiet life, complete with her eight-year-old son, their tiny house, and her teaching job. For Grace, happiness means that nothing much ever changes in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Then, one thousand miles away, tragedy strikes. A massive heart attack leaves Grace’s estranged father comatose in an Upstate New York hospital. While a team of doctors fight to keep Henry Mason alive, Grace and Evan rush to his bedside to say their final goodbyes. Henry’s passing brings little closure for Grace, but she finds herself inexplicably drawn to her new surroundings. What begins as a short trip results in an entire summer spent with Henry’s second wife, Kathleen, and her next-door neighbor, Ryan Gordon, the town doctor. When a series o...

Coming out March 19th, 2013 Heart Like Mine by Amy Hatvany is a novel that will have fans of Jodi Piccoult and Emily Giffin wanting more! From Goodreads :   Thirty-six-year-old Grace McAllister never longed for children. But when she meets Victor Hansen, a handsome, charismatic divorced restaurateur who is father to Max and Ava, Grace decides that, for the right man, she could learn to be an excellent part-time stepmom. After all, the kids live with their mother, Kelli. How hard could it be? At thirteen, Ava Hansen is mature beyond her years. Since her parents’ divorce, she has been the one taking care of her emotionally unstable mother and her little brother—she pays the bills, does the laundry, and never complains because she loves her mama more than anyone. And while her father’s new girlfriend is nice enough, Ava still holds out hope that her parents will get back together and that they’ll be a family again. But only days after Victor and Grace get engaged, K...

Before I begin, let me just say I know I'm like the last person in the reading world to read this book...okay not literally, but it sure seems like it!!, but let me just say I've been working up my emotional level to get it started... When reading John Green's The Fault in Our Stars the reader honestly can't help but think...Life is unfair. Why is it that the good people always have to be the ones to go first?  And why so young? Unfortunately, that is how life is a lot of the times.  It's scary, unpredictable, and unfair. And there's nothing we can do to change it... The Fault in Our Stars is the story of Hazel, a 16 year old girl, who found out at the age of 13 that she has Stage IV thyroid cancer.  She's living each day, thinking it might possibly be her last, while rolling an oxygen tank cart behind at all times, to help her lungs breath.  Her mom makes her go to a Support Group, at a church near them, and that's where she meets Augustus Wa...