The Shortest Distance Between Love and Hate by Sandy Hall - Reshevled Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

Have you read Sandy Hall's latest young adult romance novel, The Shortest Distance Between Love and Hate yet?

If you haven't you definitely should.  Paisley and Carter are both starting their first year of college, where they meet at a party and end up kissing.  The two are just smitten with each other, only Paisley thinks that Carter's name is Bart. The problem?  Paisley soon finds out that Bart is really Carter, her arch-nemesis  and the boy who bullied her best friend in grade school.  

The romance is called off.  Friendship? Forget about it.  Now it is war.  The two begin to all pranks on each other, leading towards a slippery slope of pure trouble on both ends.  Will they be able to come to a truce and put the past behind them for good?

This novel is not only adorable and funny, but it also teaches a valuable lesson about revenge and forgiveness. I would give it all the coffee beans in the world if I could, but will settle for 5 out of 5, since that's what our rating scale is.  

Until the next read!
~Jessica  

Pretty in Punxsutawney by Laurie Boyle Crompton

Cover was copied from Goodreads! 

Helloooooo everybody!

This review is brought to you all by Netgalley! In return, I will be posting a fair and honest review. 

Thank you (many thanks!) to Netgalley for approving this title and allowing me another chance to redeem myself after the Netgalley fail of 2018. 

I’m going to start off this review be asking how many of you all have watched a John Hughes film. I hope that everyone is eagerly waving their hands in the air (or punching their fist in the air ala Bender in The Breakfast Club)

Pretty in Punxsutawney was inspired by Groundhog Day and the John Hughes’s film, Pretty in Pink.  Th book follows new girl, Andie as she navigates her first day of school. Every day of over 4 months!  As the reader, we can see how Andie navigates each and everyday in the hopes of breaking the spell that has been cast over her. 

Each day Andie learns different and new things about her classmates and she tries to use them to her advantage. Without them knowing that she knows.

Boyle- Crompton was able to easily pull me in with the opening! However, by the time I was at chapter 3, I was starting to lose steam in my positive feelings about this book. 

My problem with the book was that it was repetitive and redundant.  (Which makes sense when you factor in that Groundhog Day was a movie based on reliving the same day over and over and over again).

I felt like at one point, even the story gave us on itself because of how Andie was going out about her days.  

While it wasn't my favorite book, I must say that it did have a positive message at the end; that you need to be the best you. 

I would give this book 3.5 coffee beans.  

If you are interested in reading Pretty in Punxsutawney, the book is available now!

~ Jillian

Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan- Reshelved Books

I'm kicking off my book to movie adaptation month is...

Let us all ignore the fingerprints on my iPad. 'Kay? Thanks!

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist!!! (Which I am sure that you have gathered from the title)

This book, originally published in 2006 was turned into a movie in 2008.  The storyline follows two teenagers, Nick and Norah, over the course of 1 night in NYC- where they navigate the city and their feelings for one and another. (You guys, I remember when this movie came out! I lived for this movie.  I remember when VH1 did a special on the movie before it came out.)

When I thought about doing this theme, it occurred to me that while this is one of my favorite movies, I never have read the book.  (I've read and watched both Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List though!)

I would say that you should always ALWAYS read the book first and then go see the movie.  Sometimes, when you see the movie before reading the book, the book doesn't live up to your expectations.  (If you're with me on this, raise your hands!).

Having waited ten plus years to read the book... after seeing the movie COUNTLESS AMOUNTS OF TIMES- I hate to say this... I feel like a traitor... I LIKE THE MOVIE BETTER!!!

 :((((

I'm going to be honest and it kills me to write this but... 
If I had read the book first, I probably wouldn't have gone to see the movie ><

What can I say? Reading the book, I was envisioning and imagining how Nick (Michael Cera) and Norah (Kat Dennings) were in the movie.  It just did not compare.  No way, no how. 

They took some stuff from the book changed it and rearranged it around.

What was weird was that they had flipped how Nick and Norah ended up getting together for the movie.  I didn't realize it at first, even when I read it (!), I automatically was re-playing the movie in my head.

Dev in the book is Thom in the movie.
A lot of what Norah said in the movie, was said by Nick in the book. 

Yes, it is rather cool to see how the book influenced a new and different take in the form of the movie. 

I liked how Caroline, Thom and Dev were more involved in the movie. Their characters had more lines and more interactions. Even though, it was a little trippy to see their lines all flipped around.  It was fun to see their adventure around NYC looking for Where’s Fluffy? too. Only a few scenes from the book seem like they were used in the movie. Book Norah didn’t mind sharing who her father was. Unlike movie Norah, who didn’t want anyone to know.  

Book Norah though...?  She was crazy and not in a good way.  I would describe it as psycho crazy. 
Book Nick though was very true to movie Nick. At least, I thought he was. haha. 

Because we love to be original here with our ratings...

I give the movie Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist 5 popcorn kernels out of five!!
I give the book Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist 2 coffee beans out of 5 :(

Come back next weekend for the next book to movie adaptation! 

~ JMB

Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi - Reshevled Books

Hello Dewey Readers!

Have you ever accidentally fell into a textual relationship... or friendship?  You know, where you just text someone and never hang out?  Where the very essence of your friendship lies between the words inside your phone?  Well, that what happened to Penny Lee, when she awkwardly ran into Sam while he was having a panic attack.  They exchange numbers and become each other's "emergency contact." 

And such is the basis for Mary H. K. Choi's debut novel Emergency Contact, which has been noted for being perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Rainbow Rowell.  AND having read all three, I can assure you that it is! 

So a bit more about this novel.  Penny's high school life was pretty much non-eventful.  She had a boyfriend that she liked but wasn't passionate about, she had okay friends, and pretty good grades, but nothing really stood out.  Her single mother always tried to be the "cool" mom, and more of a friend figure rather than a parental one.  Now Penny is off to college in Austin, Texas, and she's EXCITED.  1) because she no longer feels like she has to watch over her mother and 2) because now she can pursue her dream and actually start to cultivate her life.        

Meanwhile.... Sam, also in college for film, is poor.  He literally only has $17 dollars in his bank account, and he's working in a cafe.  Sam is a pancake man, and he sleeps on a mattress above the cafe.  He's trying to get over his ex-girlfriend.  In fact, he's been clean of all communication with her, that is until she shows up one day to tell him that she's been a few weeks late.......     

I adored the premise of this book, but it took me a while to get trough it.  Was my reading slump causing me to lose my attention span? I'm not sure, but I DO think that I'm going to add it to my I Read Y.A. Book Club list.  So Dewey readers, I leave you with a rating of 4 out of 5 Coffee Beans.... or pancakes.... whichever you prefer.  

P.S.  Sam didnt't really specifically make pancakes in the novel (he was a pie and donut guy),but I think imagining pancakes only makes the novel better.  

Until the next read!

~Jessica 

The Season of You & Me by Robin Constantine - Reshelved Books

Hey Dewey Readers!

Growing up and living in New Jersey, we love books that are based in our home state,  but do you know what we love even more than books that take place in Jersey!?  Books that take place down the shore.  Robin Constantine's novel The Season of You & Me is just that.  It's a young adult Jersey Shore romance that I have now read twice!  

So a bit about the novel.  This novel is told in the alternating perspectives of two main characters, Cassidy and Bryan.  Cassidy has decided to spend her summer down the shore at her father and step-mother's bed and breakfast.  She needs an escape from her home life, especially because she's struggling with and trying to come to terms with her first real heartbreak.   Is she running away from her problems?  Maybe one can say so, but she IS spending time with family in the form of her father, step-mother, and little brother she doesn't get to see that often.  So, I think it's safe to say the change of scenery is welcomed for many reasons.  Plus, I'm a firm believer that the ocean can heal just about anything.

Bryan lives down the shore.  He's recently paralyzed from the waist down after a skateboarding accident, which could have been prevented.  Rather than be bitter about his injuries, he shows acceptance and has a great sense of humor.  That's not to say that he isn't upset that he can't walk.  He is, he's just doing an excellent job of trying to be okay.  Bryan has had some romantic interests with girls that live in his hometown, but nothing has panned out.  Is it because of his injures? Is it because there was just no chemistry?  Maybe it's a mixture of both.  So when Cassidy begins to work at the same summer camp as Bryan during the day, they begin to develop....a friendship.  

More than just a summery young adult beach read that happens to take place down the shore, this novel tackles issues such as heartbreak, disabilities, divorce, family dynamics, friendship, acceptance, and so much more.  I adore this novel to the point where I am going to give it 55 out of 5 Coffee Beans, because I can.  Even my Grandma loved this novel, which just goes to prove how ANYONE of ANY AGE can read and enjoy y.a. fiction.    

I am also super excited, because Robin has agreed to come up to my library for an author visit!  You can check out all of her upcoming events, on her website.   

Now I am craving a trip down the shore.  

Jillian, can we take a day trip to Point Pleasant!? 

Until the next read!

~Jessica 

36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You by Vicki Grant - Reshelved Books

Hello everyone! 

So, let's talk about love.  Specifically, do you think that love can be formed through a survey of 36 questions answered together by two complete strangers? Well, Vicki Grant and her novel 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You thinks it just might be possible.  

This kind of kills the mystical and spiritual idea of love, no?  Well according to Grant, there was a study by Dr. Arthur Aron that suggests the love can be engineered through such a survey.  I took Psych 101 in college, not that I remember much of it other than that I had to color - yes, color - a picture of the brain, so I can't really say that I am familiar with the study  Actually, I could be a good reference librarian and research the study, but I'm doing laundry and painting cats right now...and don't really feel like it, so we'll just go with what the novel proposes.

The premise of this novel is a study with the hopes of proving or disproving Dr. Arthur Aron's hypothesis.  Can love be engineered between two strangers through 36 questions.  The two strangers that we meet are Hildy and Paul.  Both from two very different economic and familial backgrounds.  We have Hildy, the child a stereotypical nuclear family and who's mother is a doctor, and we have Paul, the child of a single mother who is poor and lives on his own.  Hildy signs up for the study because she feels honor bound by science, and Paul signs up because he wants the $40 it pays. 

What I liked about this novel is that it is written as an epistolary, where we have the question and answer/dialogue form.  This makes the novel read rather quickly.  What I didn't like about the novel is that Hildy and Paul do not answer the questions within the domains of the study room.  They leave the room!  They answer them through online messaging! In coffee shops! And God knows where else!  They have days to answer these questions! AND they have days to talk about other things that stem off of the questions, so of course love is possible.  Their potential love is not just based off the survey alone.  It's a learning process, just like any other relationship would be.  

So dear readers, I give you a rating of 3 out of 5 Coffee Beans.  I read this book within a day and I DID enjoy it, but besides the study not really being a study, Hildy annoyed me.  

Until the next read!
~Jessica 

The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle- Reshelved Books

**Jillian's Bonus Review**

This week's bonus review is brought to you by the letter "L"! "L" is for library and for the happiness that comes being surrounded by books all day :)

 I'm have some serious mixed feelings on this book... The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

I never look at review of books, but this one was necessary.
(Note: I started to quickly skim through reviews about half way through the book)

The more reviews I found, the more I saw that readers felt the writing style was a rough, the plot was cheesy. One review even said the book was sexist!
I thought that the book presented the spark that brings two people together. Yes, they met by a weird happenstance but I don't feel that their relationship was unbelievable. 

This book is story about Wren and Charlie, two seniors who on their last day of high school, feel this instant connection to one another. Two people who never had true interaction with each other- are now pulled together!  They spend so much time together! They eat, sleep and breath each other!  They're enamored with one another and they can't get enough.  Now, I don't know about you; but that sounds like young love to me!

I liked this book in the beginning- I did! I got halfway through the book and then I decided that I was going to start writing the review. Which lead to Google. Which then lead to GoodReads, which lead to a mixed bag of feelings.

I was sad to see that many readers gave it such a low rating on GoodReads :(

Yet at the same time, I understood where they were coming from.

I felt like the emotions between Charlie and Wren were real.  I thought that their feelings were the ones that everyone has at some point in their life.

I'm a believer that young love is raw- it's something that's just as emotional as it is physical.  So to hear Myracle explained the actions in the manner that she did... I don't know, it didn't seem like it was that unbelievable.

THAT being SAID...!!

Once you pass the middle of the book, AFTER Wren's first time with Charlie, then the writing style used to describe their relationship is really rather adult.  (Think the teen version of Fifty Shades of Grey....Not my personal favorite...) Hot and heavy and something that you would read about in an adult novel. 

Not a YA novel.

I did find Charlie to be an adoring character, Wren...eh... She became needy and got on my nerves. (But what else is new??)

I give this book 2.5 coffee beans out of 5.  Two and a half because I only enjoyed the beginning of the book which was the only part that was worthy of the review.

~ Jillian

If Birds Fly Back By Carlie Sorosiak - Reshelved Books

Hello Everyone! 

I recently just finished Carlie Sorosiak's ya novel If Birds Fly Back.  For those of you who love books like Eleanor & Park & Our Chemical Hearts, I think you just might find yourself loving this one as well. 

Do my sea shells look like birds? 

This novel is told from the perspectives of two different characters. Linny, who's sister Grace has runaway, and who dreams of becoming a filmmaker - a dream which is shot down by her doctor parents, and Sebastian, a boy who never knew his father but learns that his father is a famous author, still alive, but very old (in his eighties!)  When Sebastian leaves home to track down and meet his father, Linny and Sebastian's worlds collide, and thus this novel is formed.  

Not only is Sebastian's father in his 80's, which is shocking to find out, especially when Sebastian is only around 17.  (His father REALLY should be his grandfather.)  But, Linny & Sebastian meet his father while volunteering at his nursing home.  Yes, you read that correct, his father is patient in a nursing home.  

While tackling subjects such as paternal abandonment, sibling abandonment / teenage runaways, and coming of age, this novel also becomes a story of falling in and learning to recognize first love. 

One thing worth mentioning, is while I absolutely adored this novel (trust me, you will NOT be able to put this one down!) I wasn't a fan of Linny's screen play tidbits.  Sections of this novel break away from prose, and are written in a screen-play format.  This is fitting because Linny's passion is film making, and also because these sections are Linny's way of working through her sister leaving, and for tying together the title of the novel with imagery of "finding one's wings."  However, I think I would have liked the novel even more if these snapshots of Linny's screen play were eliminated and if Sorosiak found another way to tie together the birds and Grace's disappearance... I'm not sure how she could do this.  It might have even been better if these screen play fragments were fleshed out more.  Basically, I found myself skipping over these parts and not really paying much attention to them at all.  

Overall, I'm going to give this novel 4 and 3/4 Coffee Beans.  I really want to give this novel 5 Beans, and I did on my GoodReads page.  However, because of my screen play critique, and for the purposes of this review, I just don't think I can.

Until the next read!

~Jessica 

Words In Deep Blue by Cath Crowley - Reshelved Books

Why hello there, For the Love of Dewey readers!

Today I offer you a review for a well promoted  (by publishers on the IG) and highly esteemed ya novel, Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley.  

This book takes place in an Australian used bookstore.  Could the setting be any more perfect?  In this bookstore there is a shelf where patrons underline words in books, leave notes and thoughts within the margins, and write letters in the hopes of someone specific finding them...while others do so in the hopes that these notes are never found at all.  In this novel there are two main characters, Henry, who's parents own the bookstore and who is suffering from his first "I don't love you anymore," and Rachel, Henry's at one time best friend, who is forever changed since she tragically lost her brother Cal to a drowning accident, and who is and always has been, secretly in love with Henry.  

In addition to love and loss, this novel also touches upon the idea of jobs that pay to live and jobs that become a meaningful part of life.  Can money buy happiness?  Sometimes, I think that it could, and I sort of wish I chose a career where a master's degree would bring in the big bucks $$$.  After all, if you're not comfortable can you ever be truly happy, or would you forever be strapped with worry?   Then again, if your passion lies within a job that doesn't pay much, would doing something else for the rest of your life lead to resentment?  Maybe resentment exists with both options. This is what I was thinking about when Henry's family proposes selling the bookstore in the hopes of giving Henry and his sister George a better life.  The bookstore itself almost seems like a fairytale place.  It is an oasis amongst the stacks.  It is something that I know I would LOVE to call home... but is it feasible for the long run? 

Overall I adored this novel.  It's cute yet thought provoking, despite Rachel's grief, isn't overly sad or depressing.  So Dear Dewey Readers, I leave you with a rating of 4.5 out of 5 Coffee Beans. 

P.S. This is book is my second library book club book, and is also the 1st book to be discussed in my new group for Adults Who Love to Read YA in September!!!  For those of you in the New Jersey area who love to read ya, message or comment below to find out how you can join!

~Jessica  

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han - Reshelved Books

Hello fellow Dewey readers!

I just finished reading Jenny Han's highly anticipated and final novel in the Lara Jean trilogy, and I was NOT disappointed!  For those of you who aren't familiar with the series, the novels follow the storyline of Lara Jean, a young teenager who lives with her father and three sisters, and who's mother had tragically passed away.  In addition to love and loss, the novels tackle cultural issues (the girls and their mother are Korean but their father is Caucasian),  as well as change, growth, and coming to age.  You can view my review of the second novel in the series, P.S. I Still Love You, here.  

In Always and Forever, Lara Jean, Lara Jean is about to graduate from high school, leaving her little sister, Kitty, as the last sister living full-time in the family home.  Amidst this change, Lara Jean's father is also getting married to the woman across the street!  For Lara Jean and Kitty this is exciting, but for their older sister Margot it is troubling.  Not because Margot is jealous or upset, but more so because she realizes how much has changed in the short time she has been away from her family while overseas at a Scottish University.  

This novel explores first love and whether or not it can last and stand up to life's changes.  It explores the idea of sacrifice in the name of something that is and can be great, and it also explores the idea that while change is scary, with acceptance it doesn't always have to be.  

So Dewey readers, I leave you with a rating of 5 out of 5 Coffee Beans for this book and the overall series. If you're looking for a cute series defiantly pick this one up!  You won't be disappointed.   

~Jessica    

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon - Reshelved Books

Hello fellow Deweys! 

Today I finished reading Nicola Yoon's The Sun is Also a Star.  I absolutely loved her novel Everything, Everything so I was excited to see a copy her latest book on my library's ya shelf.  The Sun is Also a Star is a love story that tackles the scientific perspective of love against the romantic perspective, by finding ways to blend the two together in order to find an example of a love that is real.  This novel also goes beyond the typical ya romance by broaching tough issues such as deportation and family racism.  

Natasha and her family are from Jamaica.  Natasha's father came to America to pursue a dream of acting.  A dream that has not been able to support the family of four.  When the family's visa's expire and Natasha's father is in trouble for a DUI, the family faces deportation.  Natasha, who has dreams of going to college, tries to fight her own deportation but nonetheless fails.  At one point the reader feels sympathy for Natasha.  Is it her fault that her family came to America, allowed her to grow up here, and ultimately let her down?  Should she pay for her parent's mistakes?  In the novel, Yoon mentions that Natasha knew her family was illegal and that her mother was going to buy her a Social Security Card with real stolen numbers so she could go to college.  Knowing that her mother was going to do that for her, and now can't, makes Natasha's heart break a little.  However, Yoon also mentions through the voice of Daniel, the boy Natasha falls in love with, that Natasha shouldn't be blamed because "She was a kid.  She didn't have choice.  It's not like she could have said Mom, Dad, our visa expired.  We should go back to Jamaica now" (Yoon, 2017, p. 294).  This makes the reader wonder could Natasha have said something?  Or is this newly found love blind? 

The relationship between Natasha and Daniel forms within 1 day.  In fact, the entire novel minus the last 10 or so pages encapsulates that of a single day.  For me this seemed to diminish the credibility of their love.  Personally, I believe in love at first sight because I've experienced it. Is it a love that works and lasts forever?  Well, that's up in the air.  But it definitely is and can be a love that is real.  It's the amount of activities and conversations within the novel that take place within a single day that I don't believe in. Along with the relationship of Natasha and Daniel, Yoon ties in the struggle of familial racism.  Daniel, a Korean boy, is supposed to fall in love with a nice Korean girl.  Not Natasha. Yet they do anyway.

While the format of The Sun is Also a Star mainly bounces between the perspectives of Natasha and Daniel, other perspectives are also thrown in, such as Natasha's father, a server in a Korean restaurant, a flight attendant, and explanations of science.  For me this gave the novel a unique and well rounded spin.  However, that one day story line sort of irked me. So For the Love of Dewey Readers, I leave you with a rating of 3 out of 5 Coffee Beans.    

Copy Referenced: 
Yoon, N. (2016). The sun is also a star. New York: Delacorte Press.

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti - Reshelved Books

Happy April everyone!

Spring WAS in the air here in New Jersey... It HAD been WARM- like 57 degrees warm.  Which WAS quite welcoming given the crappy weather that we've had.  The first day of April was rather chilly and the last day in March was just rain... Cold yucky rain but much needed rain at that! Then it was really nice on Sunday and Monday but then the rest of the week was meh. Like I took Baby C out in the stroller down through the downtown streets in the town where I grew up.

But alas... The warm weather is finally back it seems! Today especially!!

So to add a little something-something today, we have my review for this week! This week is a YA fiction review.  
(For those of you who might be wondering about the April 2017 #TheBookDrop Jane Box book, I am in the process of writing the review (love, love, LOVE the book!) and it will be up soon!)

Aahh.... I love YA fiction... Why? You may ask. I love YA fiction because there's a beginning, a middle and an end. There's no fuss. There is just wonderfulness.

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti is this week's review from moi. 
I hate that I'm going to write this but... I really didn't care too much for this book. I know! Crazy right?? Since I'm usually one to say I like this book or that I love that one.  This one... I sadly did not like.  We'll get to why I didn't like it later on though.  

First things first!

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett is the book that follows Hawthorn Creely, a high school student on her quest to solve the missing person's case of Lizzie Lovett; in addition to navigating herself and figuring out who she is and what her role in life is.
Lizzie Lovett is a 21 year old female who was in the same class as Rush, Hawthorn's older brother.  Lizzie goes out into the woods one night camping with boyfriend Enzo (Lorenzo) - only for her to disappear into the dark.

From the fall, when Hawthorn first heard that Lizzie Lovett disappeared until the winter time-the reader is with Hawhtorn when she finds out what happened to Lizzie and when she finds herself. We watch as Hawthorn chases her theory that Lizzie turned into a mythical creature (a werewolf to be exact) as she is accompanied by Enzo.  We also get to see Hawthorn go through a break with Emily, her best friend and how she (Hawthorn) forges new friendships with people she never thought she would associate with.  

I found an interview with Bustle, where Chelsea Sedoti stated that her inspiration from The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett came from her own feelings toward a story of a missing girl-someone she never had any interaction with.  Sedoti explains that while she never met the girl, she was obsessed with her story, even though her disappearance was "nothing overly mysterious". You can find that article here.  Sedoti goes on to explain a little about her character Hawthorn in the article as well.

I had a love-hate relationship with this book. 

I feel like the way in which Sedoti tells the story of Hawthorn is great.  She was able to express Hawthorn's emotions and thoughts beautifully in her writing.  As a writer, Sedoti was able to convince me that maybe, just maybe, Hawthorn was right when she believed that Lizzie turned into a werewolf.  To me, when a writer is able to do that, that's really impressive. You were also on this emotion roller coaster ride with Hawthorn. I felt anxious for her when Emily announced that they needed a break. I also was sad for Hawthorn after she slept with Enzo.  I was left yearning for Hawthorn to find the happiness that she deserved.  

The issues that Sedoti tackled in The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett, where issues that everyone has come across in their teenaged years. We've all had falling outs with our friends or taken breaks from our friends, like Hawthorn and Emily did.  Even falling for someone who's older than you.  The biggest issue, I think, that Sedoti addressed was finding happiness and finding yourself.

Hawthorn had this perceived notion that Lizzie was happy.  She viewed Lizzie as someone who didn't have any problems, someone who had the world at their fingertips. Lizzie's happiness is something that Hawthorn so desperately wanted.  Hawthorn had, what I would call, an obsession with Lizzie.  I use the word "obsession" because Hawthorn went on to get hired as a waitress at the Sunshine Cafe (where Lizzie worked before she "disappeared") and Hawthorn had a brief relationship with Enzo (Lizzie's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance). 
She had one conversation with Lizzie when she was a freshman and hiding in the girl's locker room.  From that moment, Hawthorn believed that she and Lizzie had a "special connection" and that they would be able to forge a friendship.  But when she found Lizzie in the hallway, Lizzie couldn't remember Hawthorn's name much less the conversation that she had with Hawthorn. It's even mention in the book that this is moment where the love/hate feeling Hawthorn has for Lizzie starts.

The aspect of the novel that I did not like was how Hawthorn acted.  I felt like she was terribly immature.  It was something that drove me over the edge on multiple occasions throughout the book.  It got to the point where I was considering not finishing it because I wanted to grab Hawthorn by her shoulders and shake her.  I was proud of Hawthorn by the end of the book though, you could see that she had grown up and starting to find her way.

I give this book 3.5 coffee beans out of 5.  Even though it wasn't my favorite book, I still believe that it's worth a recommendation.  If you liked Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, then I believe that you would like The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett.

~JBG




Article that was referenced: https://www.bustle.com/articles/156938-see-the-hundred-lies-of-lizzie-lovett-cover-read-the-first-chapter-of-this-ya

Everything, Everything By Nicola Yoon - Reshelved Books

Hello fellow For the Love of Dewey Readers!  *Woof, Woof!* I just read an amazing book that left we with a complete and utter book hangover.  This book, just like the photo below, is EVERYTHING. 

Dogs and books are everything. 

I stumbled upon Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon while I was scrolling through Facebook one evening before bed.  Someone had shared a trailer to a movie that was coming out and it looked good. I don't really watch movies, but when I found out it was also a book I got SO excited.  I immediately placed it on hold at my library, and it was everything I hoped it to be and more.   

I LOVED photographing this book. 

So, what would you do if you had a terrible illness that suppressed your immune system to the point where you had to live inside, be homeschooled online, only see certain visitors monitored for their health, and breathe filtered air?  What kind of person would you be?  Do you think that you would know what you were missing if you never knew it was there?  For Madeline Whittier this is her reality and the only life she has known.  Madeline  has a rare disease known as SCIDS, which the novel describes as a disease that surprises her immune system to the point where any "trigger" has the point to kill her.  I have never heard about SCIDS before, so I decided to learn more about it.  As a future librarian and person with anxiety, I probably shouldn't have Googled it but I did.  Did I mention that I wasn't feeling well when I read it?...  Anyway for those of you who are curious, here is a link to a website dedicated to SCIDS.    

Back to the book. 

One day, a new family moves into the house next door.  The boy, who is about her age, and his sister go to Madeline's house to bring over a bundt cake, but over course they can't come in and Madeline's mother cannot accept the cake.  This sparks an interest and  online friendship that blossoms into sneaky yet sterilized visits between Madeline and her new neighbor, ultimately causing Madeline to question her life, her dreams, and love.  

A For the Love of Dewey rating of 5 out of 5 coffee beans! This book is gripping, it is inspiring, and it's a bookish love story.  Check out the trailer to the movie to be released this year!

~Jessica

P.S.  Nicola Yoon liked our post on Twitter!

Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland - Reshelved Books

One Fish, Two Fish, Blue Fish, Lots of Fish.....

Isn't this cover just awesome!?  I know we've talked about this before, and how you should never ever judge a book by it's cover...but I'm guilty once again.  I had stumbled across this cover while scrolling through our #bookstagram and thought the fish just looked so real. And they do, right?

Anyway, upon doing some detective work to figure out more about this book I read a Goodreads summary that compared Sutherland's Our Chemical Hearts to Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park and John Green's The Fault in Our Stars.  I wasn't a big fan of The Fault in Our Stars but I absolutely devoured Eleanor & Park, so I decided to give this book a chance, checking it out of my local public library.  

This book is just...WOW.  It has elements of tragedy, of grief, and of death as found in The Fault in Our Stars, but it also has an Eleanor and Park love story while giving the reader a glimpse into various family dynamics.  This novel shows the struggle of finding balance with life and grief, as well as with daily responsibilities in conjunction with the larger picture that makes life actually worth living.  This novel tells the story of love, of loss, of heartbreak, and of healing.  It's also told from a male perspective, which makes it a great novel for both boys and girls to read.  I don't want to tell you anything more, I just want you to read it.  

So my dear For the Love of Dewey readers, I give you my rating of 5 out of 5 coffee beans!

Please add this book to your To-Read List!

~Jessica    

#RelationshipGoals Readings: Reshelved Books (Valentine's Day Edition)

Hey guys!

In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I am posting a review on not one but THREE books that are centered around romance and relationships. 

Boys of Summer by Jessica Brody
The Improbable Theory of Zak and Ana by Brian Katcher
The Romantics by Leah Konen

Those three books circle around relationships and love (for the most part... Boys of Summer also deals with death and it affects those who lost their loved one) AND all three books handle the topic of family (on a side note: I realized that family was a commanding topic as well once I was editing this review - this is a comment from Editing Jillian).

As a collective whole, I am giving these three books together twelve (12) coffee beans.
Continue reading down below if you'd like to see the review breakdown!

Scrapbook stickers and washi tape stripes are by Reflections. 

I bought them last year (2016) at Michael's.

Boys of Summer by Jessica Brody: 3 coffee beans out of 5

This book... I thought it was a little odd in terms of the writing style.  The book was centered around three friends; Grayson, Mike and Ian.  Grayson, Mike and Ian developed and fostered their friendship at Winlock Harbor during the summer months (hence the title Boys of Summer).
This is the last summer before the boys go off to college in the fall and it's the summer of major change- change that is influenced by tragedy. 

Grayson got into a major accident, the result of his parent's separation and divorce; affecting his abilities to play football in college.
Mike broke up with his girlfriend (Harper) of six years, changing his plans for once the fall rolls around.
Ian suffered great loss with the passing of his father, who was a SGT in the Army; and is having a hard time coping with the loss and the change in his mother's behavior as she tries to cope too.

As the book progresses, each boy finds a girl that he is interested in and the reader gets to see their relationships bud and how they unfold. The reader also gets to see how the dynamics of each boy's family progresses.

The content in the book didn't bother me. What annoyed me was that I was reading a book where three guys were the narrators and I felt like they were speaking like teenage girls. (Granted, I was a teenage girl back 10 years ago and I don't know how teenage boys think but I don't think that they would think like this!). Like why would a teenage boy go out and buy a whole new outfit, buy cheese and crackers and build a tent outside; never less GOOGLE romantic date ideas?! All to impress a girl who is a teenager herself! 

My heart went out to Ian, I was proud of how Mike was able to pick up and move on, and Grayson... Well, I wish he was a more forthcoming in his decision. But if he did that, then there wouldn't be much of a story on his end and no character progression (or digression at times...)

All in all, I don't think that the book was bad... It just wasn't my favorite book of the three that I am reviewing here.

I am giving this book 3 coffee beans out of five. 

The Improbable Theory of Zak and Ana by Brian Katcher: 4 coffee beans out of 5

I am going to start this review of by asking (you'll see why I'm asking this later on in my review).... Is anyone going bookcon this year?! NYC!! HEEEYYYYY! If you are, comment below! Jess and I are going so we'll see you all there! (Did anyone see that Chad Michael Murray is going to be there talking about his new book??! *swoons*)

Moving right along....

The Improbable Theory of Zak and Ana follows a boy named Zak and a girl named Ana (Duh. As if you didn't get that from the title...) and how one night can make you fall for someone.

Zak or "Duke" is forced to join Quiz Bowl, something he is quite reluctant to do but totally necessary if he wants to pass a required class to graduate in the spring. 
Ana is a high achieving student and captain of the Quiz Bowl, who is less than thrilled to learn that Zak is the new member on the team....

Lucky for Zak, he gets to spend time with the girl he is smitten with! Sadly for Ana...she's that girl and she has NO interest in Zak.

After competing in a day of quiz bowl, Ana's younger brother Clayton decides that he is going to attend Washingcon, the convention where Zak "should" have been spending his weekend, not at the Quiz Bowl competition (See why I asked you guys about bookcon?!).

It is at Washingcon where Zak and Ana go on an adventure to find Clayton before morning, when Mrs. Brinkham would find them missing thus jeopardizing Zak's final grade and Ana's parents finding about their Tom Foolery. 

The main focus of the book is around the adventure Ana and Zak share at Washingcon (The adventure is what makes the book!) All I can say is poor poor Zak...  You're left wanting to know what turns are going to happen in the plot, who Zak and Ana meet at Washingcon, where the last Clayton spotting was! Katcher made Zak to be a lovable character, one with terrible misfortune but a guy who was able to provide laughs.  

The reason why I gave this book four coffee beans out of five is because I could NOT stand Ana! There were times during the book that I thought she was getting better and I was starting to like her and then her character would do something that annoyed me and I was off put by her again.  I would be thinking "WHY Zak?! WHHHYYYY?!? You can find someone different! You could do better! You sound like such a cute guy, PLEASE find someone better!". 

In the end, Katcher wrote a book that had an interesting story line.  The situations that Ana and Zak encountered were unimaginable and crazy but you could laugh with some of things Zak got caught up in (which I think was from his laid back personality). The end of the book also made me happy for Zak and Roger.  

The Romantics by Leah Konen: **5 coffee beans out of 5**

If you want to read a lighthearted book about romance that is absolutely adorable than THIS is the book for you! And yes, "absolutely adorable" is a technical term (;

I loved this book! I loved Gael Brennan, I loved his adorable little sister Piper, Sammy Sutton and I loved how Love was the story's narrator. 

This book follows 17 year old Gael Brennan on his quest to find love and the trials and tribulations that he encounters along the way. You also get to meet three very different girls: Anika, Sammy and Cara.

With Love as the narrator, the reader is taken on a ride where you learn about the different types of romantics and how Love is able to influence certain situations and thoughts.  (Not to mention, there are cute little illustrations within the some chapters.)  The reader also learns that Love peeks in on already established relationships and ensures that the love is not lost... for the most part (if you read the book, you'll get what I mean). 

As for Ms. Konen, she wrote a story that was easy to follow and fun to read.  It was hard to put the book down! Finishing it was bittersweet but the ending was a happy moment for Gael (which is what you were rooting for after what he had been through).  I am looking forward to reading her other two books (hint hint: stay tuned for those reviews in the near future!). 

Happy Valentine's day!

~ Jillian