The Best Books Ever

“Two tutors and three students from the Grigori training center in New York were arriving in two days and I couldn’t be happier.  I was going to be able to learn from the experts and have people my own age to train with, something I really needed.  I was sure with their help I would be able to get over whatever it was that had been holding me back.  Griffin had been eagerly awaiting the arrival of the two senior Grigori –the intelligence, resources and backup they could provide was much needed.  The Scripture that can decipher the identity of all Grigori, even those who have not yet embraced and are therefore defenseless, was at stake.  I would not stand by and watch it fall into the hands of exiles.  If they found they key to destroying all Grigori and gained the upper hand, the slaughter would not stop until all the humans knelt before them, worshipping them as gods.” Seventeen-year-old Violet Eden’s ...

 The Summer Essentials Tour Highlights two Middle Grade titles from Sourcebooks: Jade begins her summer confused. Yes, there's that whole "will this be a leg-day or a tail-day" kind of confusion, but Jade's got even bigger problems: It's been three weeks since Mom returned to the ocean with no news of her whereabouts. Plus, it's been twenty-one days since Jade first kissed her mer-boy Luke and now-nothing. Will Mom find the enchanted tidal pool that will allow her to become human? And why is Luke acting so weird? The SEAquel to Helene Boudreau's critically acclaimed Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings is as energetic and fresh as a salty sea breeze.  Professional ghost hunter Stacey Graham’s new book, The Girl’s Ghost Hunting Guide , will help pre-teen readers identify the creepy crawlers from the spooky spirits, the howling winds from the haunting phantoms. A paranormal investigator for over 20 years, she has as much experi...

Title:   Starters Author:   Lissa Price Publication Date:   March 2012, Delacourte Press Summary from GoodReads: "Her world has changed forever. Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers tha...

Hi everyone!  As most of you know, this blog is being run by 4 ladies- 3 of whom are very pregnant currently.  Ericka and Mandi are ready to pop and have pulled back completely from doing reviews for the time being (which is understandable).  I (Coranne) have been very sick (I am one of THOSE pregnant ladies) so I haven't been up to doing much other than laying in bed eating animal cookies and watching re-runs of Saved by the Bell.  So all that to say- Short and Sweet Reviews is going under a bit of a change.  For the next while (I am not sure how long), there will be significantly less content on this blog.  I was trying to keep up the ridiculous pattern of one or two reviews a DAY  (mostly read and reviewed by myself).  I was reading a book a day- this just isn't possible anymore.  My first priority is to my 2 year old and then to my blog. So what can you expect in the coming weeks? - Best Book Ever posts every Thursday -Revi...

Haven By Kristi Cook Published on February 2011 Published by Simon Teen Summary taken from Goodreads: Violet McKenna thought she was just crazy when she had a vivid vision of her dad's murder. Her life started falling apart when her premonition came true. She's had flashes of other events too. The problem was nobody believed her until she found a new school: Winterhaven The Cover: The cover is initially what drew me to this book.  It is very unlike any other covers out on the market in the YA section. It is very simple, very direct, and has very dark coloring.  I understand the significance of the books, but I am still a little confused on the significance of the butterfly.  It doesn't take away from the beauty of the cover though.  It is very unlike YA covers and I appreciate that. The Characters:  I really enjoyed getting to know the characters in this book.  The author did a fantastic job developing all of t...

Soooo I forgot to do Best Book Ever this week- sorry! I blame it on the preggo brain!  We are currently cleaning house and getting ready for a yard sale.  I have some books that I want to get rid of- so I figured, why not a giveaway!  This giveaway is for US/ CA only!  I am giving away 2 boxes of books- each box will have 4 books each!  I will be giving hints on twitter and facebook about what ARCs are in the boxes.  The boxes will be a mix of ARCs and finished copies! First hint:  One of the boxes will have a new release about fae from April Lynne Pike! So go fill out the rafflecopter and join in the fun! If I get to 1000 GFC followers during this giveaway I will add another winner! (And don't forget to enter my giveaway for Struck !) a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lucy By Kathryn Lasky Published by Scholastic Published on March 1, 2012 Summary taken from Goodreads : A choice between love and survival . . .Lucy's family is excited to spend the summer in Bar Harbor, Maine. Her minister father is pleased to preside over such a prestigious congregation, and his social-climbing wife is ecstatic at the chance to find a rich husband for her daughter.Yet Lucy wants nothing to do with the Bar Harbor social scene; she's simply excited to spend the summer by the sea, watching the waves from her favorite spot on the cliff. Despite having never gone swimming, Lucy feels an intense connection to the ocean, and meets a handsome ship-builder who shows Lucy a world she's never known, yet somehow always longed for.However, her mother will stop at nothing to keep Lucy and the ship builder apart, even if it means throwing Lucy into the arms of a wealthy man with a dangerous secret. Can Lucy break free and e...

Belles  By Jen Cantolina Published by Poppy Published on April 10, 2012 Summary taken from Goodreads : Fifteen-year-old Isabelle Scott loves her life by the boardwalk on the supposed wrong side of the tracks in North Carolina. But when tragedy strikes, a social worker sends her to live with a long-lost uncle and his preppy privileged family. Isabelle is taken away from everything she’s ever known, and, unfortunately, inserting her into the glamorous lifestyle of Emerald Cove doesn’t go so well. Her cousin Mirabelle Monroe isn’t thrilled to share her life with an outsider, and, in addition to dealing with all the rumors and backstabbing that lurk beneath their classmates’ Southern charm, a secret is unfolding that will change both girls’ lives forever.  The Cover: This cover is why I wanted to read the book- it is gorgeous!  Now that I have a finished copy- it is even more so! I love the book when you take the half book jacket ...

Purity  By Jackson Pearce Published by Little Brown Published on April 24, 2012 Summary taken from Goodreads : A novel about love, loss, and sex -- but not necessarily in that order. Before her mother died, Shelby promised three things: to listen to her father, to love as much as possible, and to live without restraint. Those Promises become harder to keep when Shelby's father joins the planning committee for the Princess Ball, an annual dance that ends with a ceremonial vow to live pure lives -- in other words, no "bad behavior," no breaking the rules, and definitely no sex. Torn between Promises One and Three, Shelby makes a decision -- to exploit a loophole and lose her virginity before taking the vow. But somewhere between failed hookup attempts and helping her dad plan the ball, Shelby starts to understand what her mother really meant, what her father really needs, and who really has the right to her purity. ...

Tiger Lily By Jodi Lynn Anderson Published by Harper Teen Published on July 3, 2012 Summary taken from Goodreads : Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . . Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell. Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter. With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lov...

Short and Sweet Reviews welcomes Jennifer Bosworth, author of Struck to our blog!  Today Jennifer is going to share her picks for a Struck movie casting! Lights . . . Camera . . . STRUCK Casting! It’s always been my dream to have a novel of mine adapted to film. While I was writing Struck , I spent hours daydreaming about who the cast would be, and searching random celebrities on the Internet (when I should have been putting words on paper) to find the perfect face. The perfect actors to embody the characters I’d created. Want to step into the casting room with me and look at some headshots? Come on in! First up we have the lead, seventeen-year-old Mia Price, who is not only a human lightning rod, but also a lightning addict. Nothing makes her feel more alive than being struck, even when it kills her, which it does from time to time. Mia is a pessimist, and a bit of a cynic, but that’s just a front to hide her vulnerability and her uncertainty about h...

The Last Song By Eva Wiseman Published by Tundra Published on April 10, 2012 Source: Netgalley Summary from Goodreads : Spain had been one of the world’s most tolerant societies for eight hundred years, but that way of life was wiped out by the Inquisition. Isabel’s family feels safe from the terrors, torture, and burnings. After all, her father is a respected physician in the court of Ferdinand and Isabella. Isabel was raised as a Catholic and doesn’t know that her family’s Jewish roots may be a death sentence. When her father is arrested by Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor, she makes a desperate plan to save his life – and her own. Once again, master storyteller Eva Wiseman brings history to life in this riveting and tragic novel. My thoughts... I really wanted to like this book.  The premise takes an interesting, if horrific, time in history and looks at it through the eyes of teenaged Isabel.  I personally enjoy historical fiction, and the ...

Welcome to Best Book Ever here at Short and Sweet Reviews!  This week we will be talking about the number one thing that draws readers to a book- the cover!  Here are our picks for Best COVER Ever! I was torn this week. There are SO many gorgeous covers out there, it's impossible to pick just one. So, I decided to go with a book that makes me smile every time I look at it. I haven't read it yet, but the cover alone grabbed my attention and made me covet this book like a pair of Jimmy Choos. Hopefully, it lives up to the awesome cover.  Alanna @ The Flashlight Reader  When I think of Best Cover Ever, Lee Monroe's Dark Heart Rising . That cover is just beautiful and every time I look at it I feel like it's telling a story. It's just Art for me. In fact, Lee Monroe's entire series has beautiful cover. I haven't read the books, but I purposely bought the series from The Book Depository just because I wanted to have them on m...