Her Good Name by Josi S. Kilpack

Goodreads Description:  Chrissy is having an identity crisis. As a single women and convert to the Church, she has always managed to find her place in life- at least until someone else begins using her credit cards, her bank account, and, most important, her name. Now the real Chrissy must prove her innocence against a growing pile of collection notices and unpaid bills. But with no job, no money, a warrant for her arrest, and a closet full of high-heeled shoes, a girl can only get so far.

When Chrissy meets Micah Heet, the other half of a blind date gone bad, the two discover they are facing the same battle and join forces to find the perpetrators. Little do they know that the small semblance of life they have left will be put on the line in the process.

My Review:  A great book! I read it in one day on my day-trip up to Idaho! (Sorry Jana...) Another hit from Josi Kilpack! This was a scary tale about identity theft! It was also a wonderful story about holding on to your faith, even through the hardest trials you could go through! Chrissy was such a fun character, and I just loved, loved, LOVED MMmmmmm. Hahaha, I just loved that. These characters that Josi writes about have so much more courage than I do, it's fun to see what situations they get themselves into. Thanks Josi!!

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Goodreads Description:  In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

My review:  WoW!! I loved this book! I really want to start it over right away and read it again so I can digest more of it! I can't believe all the hard things that Tris had to go through! It's interesting that they would divide into factions like they did. It seemed that that caused more problems than if they had recognized that they had a little of each faction in each of them. Ooohh, what about Tris's mom?

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon Day 2 - Key Lime Pie by Josi Kilpack

Goodreads Description: 
When Sadie Hoffmiller's new friend, Eric Burton, receives word that his missing daughter's body may have been found in Florida, he immediately packs his bags. Sadie is determined to stay home and prove to everyone that she is not a busybody. But when she senses Eric is hiding something, Sadie is compelled to take action. Before she knows it, she's in the heart of Miami, trying to piece together a trail that might just give Eric the answers he's so desperately searching for. In the process, Sadie finds herself in the company of some colorful characters and some good ol' southern cooking. But despite the drama and intrigue, all Sadie really wants is to go home ... as soon as she does just one more thing.
 
Includes eight new mouthwatering recipes, tested and approved by the official bakers of Sadie's Test Kitchen

My review:  I loved this book! Of course, I love all of Josi Kilpack's culinary mysteries. Sadie has done it again! For some reason, Sadie's adventures scared me a little more in this book than some of the others have. I know that I am not that curious/brave. Thanks Josi for another great book!

I borrowed this book from a friend.

Once Upon a Book-a-thon 2nd book

Only my 2nd book read for this read-a-thon!!  Better get reading more!  Another cute middle-school book that my daughter won.

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon Day 2 Mini-Challenge

Ok, I'm participating today in the mini-challenge posted on http://thebookishtype.blogspot.com/.  I'm supposed to make up a false synopsis based on a book cover.  The book cover I am basing it on is Divergent by Veronica Roth.  I'm going to be reading this today, so thought it would be fun!!  Here goes:



It is Summer 2012.  A sweltering day in Chicago, IL.  The residents all of a sudden notice a huge ring of fire hovering over the city.  Aliens?  The end of the world?  There are no airplanes or spaceships coming out of the fire, it just stays there.  What should they do?  The military is called in, and they tentatively try firing some of their weapons at it.  Nothing changes.  In a small community outside of Chicago lives an unassuming 14-year-old girl, Talula Boyd.  Without any of her friends knowing, Lulu has been involved in archery for the past 3 years.  She is actually an Olympic hopeful!  Lulu's father happens to work at a company that develops flame retardant products.  With the help of her father, she puts together a compound that will stay on her arrows.  All she has to do is to hit the middle ball of fire.  Will Lulu be able to save Chicago?

Hehehe, this was fun!!

Once Upon a Read-a-Thon Day 1 - Entwined by Heather Dixon

Goodreads Description: 
Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.
The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.
Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.
But there is a cost.
The Keeper likes to keep things.
Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

My review:  Beautiful cover and story!  I've had the children's book, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, for many years, and it was fun to read a little more grown-up version of the story.
This is another book I got with my Amazon giftcard that I won.

Read-a-Thon Mini Challenge Answers

Ok, here are my answers for my 1st mini-challenge hosted by http://www.ibbookblogging.com/.

1.  I'm embarrassed to say that I'm not all that familiar with mythology, so I can't choose which type is my favorite!

2.  Just finished Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini, and it was aMaZiNg!!!

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Goodreads Description: 
How do you defy destiny?
Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.
As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

My review:  Another book that I ordered with my giftcard.  The cover is beautiful, and the story was wonderful!  I don't know too much about mythology, guess I'm going to have to read more about it!  I loved all the characters and their "talents".  I'm so glad that Helen had Claire as her friend!  And what a smart little thing Claire is!!  Great book!

A little bit of language.

Secret Sisters by Tristi Pinkston

Goodreads Description:  Ida Mae Babbitt didn't mean to become a spy. But when visiting teaching stats are low and she learns one family under her care is in financial trouble, she'll do whatever it takes to make sure they have what they need. If that includes planting surveillance cameras in their home and watching them from a parked car in the woods, well, isn't that what any caring Relief Society president would do?

My review:  What a fun book!!  I read part of it on a short jaunt our family took, and had to endure all the sideways looks my hubby was giving me as I laughed out loud in so many places!  I definitely need to pick up more of Tristi's books!

I won a $50 Amazon giftcard, and this is one of the books that I ordered.

Pillage by Obert Skye

Goodreads Description:  When fifteen-year-old Beck Phillips travels by train to the secluded village of Kingsplot to live with his wealthy but estranged uncle, Beck discovers some dark family secrets. A buried basement, a forbidden wall, an old book of family history with odd references to... dragons? Beck's life is about to be changed forever in this suspenseful tale about the destructive nature of greed and the courage to make things right. Pillage is filled wtih Mr. Skye's signature humor as well as some very intense moments. including a surprising ending, that will keep readers young and old engrossed and entertained.

My review:  My daughter and I loved the Leven Thumps series, so I wanted to try this book. I really liked it, but it seemed to take a long time to introduce the characters and the story, and to lead up to the meat of the book.

The Upside of Down by Rebecca Talley

Goodreads Description:  "Hmmm," the doctor muttered.
Natalie wrinkled her forehead, almost afraid to ask, and said, "What does that mean?"
"You do know you're pregnant, right?"
Her breath caught in her throat. "Excuse me?"
"You're pregnant."
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. "I'm what?"

Natalie Drake certainly has her hands full raising a large family, dealing with her difficult mother, and maintaining a relationship with her rebellious teenager. Just when things seem to be going smoothly, she finds out another unexpected surprise--she's going to have a baby. Faced with so many challenges, Natalie must learn to trust in a plan that isn't what she imagined and discover that every situation has an upside.

Beloved author Rebecca Talley carefully creates this touching and heartfelt story that is sure to inspire you. With true-to-life characters and situations, The Upside of Down will reignite your faith and remind you of the importance of family.

My review:  I won this book from LDS Women Book Review blog. I've been wanting to read this for so long! It was the first book on my to-read list. Rebecca didn't disappoint me! What a beautiful book about holding onto your faith, even through all of life's trials. Natalie went through so much, and I could relate to a few things. One of the things I could relate to the most was having a wayward child and figuring out how to love them without liking their behavior. And sweet, sweet Gabby! What a blessing! Thanks Rebecca!!

The Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden

Goodreads Description:

When Crispin, Lord Cavratt, thoroughly and scandalously kisses a serving woman in the garden of a country inn, he assumes the encounter will be of no consequence. But he couldn't be more mistaken--the maid is not only a lady of birth, she's the niece of a very large, exceptionally angry gentlemen, who claims Crispin has compromised his niece beyond redemption. The dismayed young lord has no choice but to marry Miss Catherine Thorndale, who lacks both money and refinement and assumes all men are as vicious as her guardian uncle.

Trapped between an unwanted marriage and a hasty annulment, which would leave his reputation tainted and Catherine's utterly ruined, Crispin begins guiding his wife's transformatoin from a socially petrified country girl to a lady of society. Their unfolding relationship reveals encouraging surprises for both of them, and privately each of them wonders if theirs maay become a true marriage of the heart. But their hopes are dashed when forces conspire to split asunder what fate has granted. As a battle of wits escalates into a life-threatening confrontation, will it be possible for Crispin and Catherine to live happily ever after?

Review:  I don't read too many romances, but I loved this historical romance!! I loved Catherine, but felt so bad for the life she must have had growing up with her abusive uncle! It was so fun watching her grow. Crispin was great too, and I loved his sister!! A great story!