Listening Books – Audiobooks Recommendations: Loving Summer, Fallen Too Far and Oh The Places You’ll Go!

August 18, 2013August 18, 2013Leave a comment

This year I’ve been buying several Audiobooks on Audible (most of the time taking advantage of the special price because I had previously purchased the Kindle version of the books) and with this I can use the feature of Whispersync for Voice that is available when you own both formats (Kindle and Audible Audiobook).

In this post I want to share with you some thoughts about the last three Audiobooks I have listened:

Loving Summer by Kailin Gow

I read this book last December and I recently bought the Audiobook. This is the first book in the Series and also my favorite, is a story about growing up, about love, family and friendship that’s mainly focused in the relationship between a young girl named Summer, the Donovans (Rachel, Nat and Drew), and the times they spent together at Sookie’s Beach House (she’s Summer’s aunt). Even when Summer is not my favorite character (my favorites are the Donovan brothers), this a good book that I really liked.

And what about the Audiobook? I truly enjoyed it, in my opinion the narrator was a nice choice for this book and she delivers the emotions that the characters are feeling (I specially liked when she does Summer’s character).

So far three books from the Series had been released (and I had read them all): Loving Summer, Falling for Summer and Perfect Summer, but the only one with an Audible Version available is Loving Summer (I’m hoping they release soon the Audiobook of Falling for Summer, the continuation to the story and with the POV of the Donovan Brothers).

With a length of around 4 hours this Audiobook was my perfect companion during a Summer afternoon, it kept me entertained in the Fitness Center (I took with me my Ipod Touch and listened the first chapters in the Audible App) and back at home.

As I had previously purchased the Kindle Version of this Book (for around $2.99 USD), the Audiobook in Audible costed me only $1.99 USD (yeii!).

Fallen too Far by Abbi Glines

I read Fallen Too Far for the first time last January and I loved Abbi Glines’s writing, I became a Fan of the Series and when I found out that Audible Version had been released I bought it without hesitation and this week I listened to it.

My reaction to this Audiobook? It kept me really entertained and as soon as I finished it I couldn’t help to re-read Never Too Far and Forever Too Far (Book 2 and 3 from the Series).

Like with Loving Summer, due to the fact that I had previously bought the Kindle Version, I paid only $1.99 USD for the Audiobook in Audible) and its length is 6 hours 34 min.

Oh the Places you’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss.

My last Audiobook recommendation is this Children’s book by Dr. Seuss (when I bought it was an incredible deal in Audible), this a short story (7 min. length).

I don’t have any kids but as an adult I still enjoyed listening this Audiobook, the narration by John Lithgow is just amazing (his voice is perfect for the story).

Thanks for reading me and enjoy your Sunday you all!

Disclaimer: The offers may be available only for US customers, the prices and promotions from Amazon and Audible may change, is important that you always confirm the price prior to buy any book. I don’t work for Amazon or Audible nor I’m part of the Amazon Affiliate Program.

Music: The Blues Brothers Soundtrack

July 11, 2013Leave a comment

So happy with this buy, the CD was only $3.99 USD on Amazon and what makes it even better is that it has the AutoRip feature (which means that also includes for FREE the MP3 version for download).

🙂

Book Review: Fallen Crest Family (Fallen Crest High, #2) by Tijan

June 20, 2013Leave a comment

Book Description (from Goodreads):

Samantha and Mason are together. Everyone knows it. Not everyone is dealing with it. While Mason’s ready to give them the middle finger, there’s one not going away. Her mother. Threats are issued. Ultimatums are given. Even blackmail is used, but only Samantha can put a stop to Analise. However, when a trauma from her past is triggered, she may not have the courage or strength to do what’s needed. If she doesn’t, Mason’s future could be destroyed.

Book Review:

This review may contain spoilers of Fallen Crest High (first book in the Series).

After spending six months waiting for this book, today I finally bought and read this sequel to Fallen Crest High, and I’m glad to say that I was not disappointed (starting with the book cover which I liked a lot).

As with the previous one, I just couldn’t put down this book and I finished reading it within hours, the story and the characters caught me again.

Fallen Crest Family is the continuation of the story of Sam and the Kade brothers, in this sequel we can see what happens now that everyone (including their parents) knows about the relationship between Sam and Mason.
The story also delves into the relationship between Sam and her mother (which becomes even more intense) and it was interesting to find out some things about them and their past.

One of the things I like most about this series of books written by Tijan is the dynamics of the relationship between Sam, Mason and Logan as they seek to protect each other no matter what (Nate also is part of the group but this book made me question some things about him and I’m now really curious about his past).

Mason is still devoted to Sam, and even though I understand that for many he might be the favorite of the Kade brothers, after this book I have a soft spot for Logan, he is truly loyal and with a big heart and I look forward to see his growth as character in the next book.
Another character I liked is Heather, she’s strong, independent and just the kind of friend that Sam needed.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, I think it was worth the wait and I would recommend it, specially to people who enjoy reading romance with some high school drama (family drama as well), strong characters and “Alpha males” .

I can’t wait to read the next book in the series, Fallen Crest Public, and see how things will be for Sam and the Kade brothers.

Short Story Review: Cinderella is Evil by Jamie Campbell

June 14, 2013Leave a comment

Description (from Goodreads):

History is told from one person’s perspective. Sometimes they don’t get it right.

Ugly Stepsister Anna has wrongly been accused of being mean and evil. Now it is time she got the opportunity to tell her side of the story.

With Cinderella so perfect and wonderful, it is no wonder Anna feels ugly in comparison. Dealing with bullies, a grumpy mother and the death of her step-father, Anna is at her wits end.

When the Prince’s ball approaches, Anna is told she must find a husband to save the family fortune. Attending with her sisters, the sulky Prince Charming only has eyes for Cinderella.

With the burden of being the only one to unite her step-sister with the Prince, will Anna act as cupid? Or will she protect Cinderella from the arrogant Charming?

A charming twist to the story of Cinderella, told completely from the point of view of the Ugly Step-Sister.

My Review:

I found this short story on Amazon, the title intrigued me and made me want to read it.

This is an interesting retelling of Cinderella from the POV of Anna (one of the stepsisters), while I was reading I felt sorry for this stepsister (here things were not easy for her).

My favorite part of the story was reading Anna’s opinion about Prince Charming.

Overall this was a quick read that enjoyed and I’d love to read more from this author.

Book Review: Things I Can’t Forget by Miranda Kenneally

June 10, 2013Leave a comment

Book Description (from Goodreads):

Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker.

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt–with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

Note: Mature themes, sexual situations, religious discussions.

Book Review:

I loved Catching Jordan and after spending several days on my Local Library’s waiting list, I was happy to finally pick up this book and start reading.

This book tells the story of Kate, who during the summer is working as counselor in the same Christian Camp where she was sent when she was eleven years old, however things and people have changed over the years and she is going to learn that.

In this story we find romance, friendship and all the fun that comes with summer camps, but also certain sensitive issues are addressed by the author, one of them refers to the secret that Kate keeps (I will not give any spoilers here), also religion and people’s beliefs are an important part of the story.

The author has a great talent to create good characters and this book wasn’t the exception, Kate wasn’t my favorite in this book but is a well-developed character, quite interesting to read and I really enjoyed follow her emotional journey.

There were other characters that I liked better, among them were Will and Parker (I thought they were a lovely couple) and of course Matt (romantic, loyal, adorable, I couldn’t find any fault in him) this character has become (so far) in my favorite from the two Miranda Kenneally’s books I have read.

The things I loved about this book were the friendships, the chemistry between Kate and Matt and Kate’s relationship with her parents (they were sympathetic, supportive and I found them likeables, especially her father).

Would I recommend this book? Yes, this is a great summer reading and even when at times I found that Kate’s character was quite judgmental for my taste, this is an engaging book that I enjoyed reading and that reminded me the wonderful summers I spent meeting people and making new friends.

Book Review: Ryan Hunter (Grover Beach Team #2) by Piper Shelly

June 3, 2013Leave a comment

I loved “Play with Me” by Piper Shelly and in that book I fell in love with Ryan’s character.
When I found out that another book would be released, but now from the POV of Ryan, I knew I had to read it.

In “Ryan Hunter (Grover Beach Team, # 2)” we learn more about Ryan’s feelings towards Liza and we see more of the Soccer team.

The book was an easy read, engaging, sweet and fun with a lovely romance.
I really loved the main characters that the author created for the Grover Beach Series (Liza and Ryan) and I found Justin (one of the secondary characters) very likeable.

I must say than from the two books of the Grover Beach Team Series, this from Ryan’s POV became my favorite.
This book made me smile a lot, kept me reading without a break (it was impossible for me to put it down) and now is part of my “To re-read” shelf.

Overall this is a well written and very enjoyable book that I really recommend, specially to people who like YA books and stories with romance and sports (to have a better understanding of the story and the characters I recommend to read first “Play with Me” the Book 1 in the Series).

If in the future more books of the Grover Beach Team Series are released, I’ll definitely read them.

Book Review: The Great Scott by Adam Poe

May 29, 2013May 29, 2013Leave a comment

Book Description (from Goodreads):

As the greatest high school basketball player to ever come out of Davidson County, NJ, Taylor Scott is a living legend, a born superstar. While everyone—his mother, father, coaches and best friend—assume he can easily handle the weight of the world on his young shoulders; things aren’t always what they seem.

Throughout this intense and highly personal coming-of-age story, Taylor struggles to make the transition from high school basketball celebrity to unproven college freshman, fighting to understand who he is and where he’s going, while running head-on to his greatest fears.

A timeless story of basketball, friendship, family and most importantly, the passion that drives us to become who we are even when we aren’t sure ourselves; this story will capture the hearts and minds of anyone who has ever dreamed of accomplishing something bigger than themselves.

The lights shining inside the basketball arena are bright, but what happens off the court is what really counts.

Book Review:

I love books about sports, specially those with inspiring stories, those that leave you with “something to think about” after you finish with them and when I saw the synopsis from The Great Scott I knew this was a book I had to read.

This is the story of Taylor Scott (named by the media “The Great Scott”) the star of High School Basketball team from New Jersey, people admire him and many coaches are trying their best to convince him to be part of their College’s teams.

I liked the pace of the story, also the detailed and descriptive writing that made me feel like I was there watching the games, the training.. I was totally immersed in the story.

Something to point out about this book is that the characters seem real and is easy to relate to them (I think the author does a really good job at giving us enough of their background history).

I particularly enjoyed reading about Taylor’s relationship with his mom and with his best friend Jimmy (the last was one of my favorite characters) and also learn about how was Taylor’s transition from High School’s star to College’s freshman.

This is a great book with an engaging and emotional story about a young man who is growing up, trying to find his place, his identity. I truly enjoyed reading this book and I definitely recommend it.

Book Review: The Guardians by Jennifer Raygoza

May 26, 2013Leave a comment

Book Description (from Goodreads):

The Guardians is a compelling tale focused on love, pain and sacrifice. The battle of good versus evil. The question is who will win.

Gianna Botticelli is the daughter to a Los Angeles Mafia boss. Although content working for her father, she mentally struggles with her mother’s death—and life choices after her passing. But everything she knows will change when she meets the sexy, mysterious Caleb.

Who is he? What is he? How does he know things? Gianna finds herself struggling with her feelings for him—and the sacrifices she will have to make as Caleb introduces her to a world unknown. Will she have to sacrifice herself to save everyone and everything?

Sexy and entertaining, this book is for mature vampire lovers. I challenge you not to fall in love with Gianna and Caleb.

WARNING: This book contains violence, adult language, and passionate love scenes.

Book Review:

This book follows to Gianna who works for the “family business” with her father (a Mafia’s boss) and her brother.

I have to say that I found interesting that the protagonist of the story was a strong, determined and independent woman (not the typical “damsel in distress”) and she really knew how to deal with the men who work for her father.

There was some characters that I really loved, one of them was Caleb (with that air of mystery) and the other one was Maddie (she was sweet and nice).

As the book progresses we see that this is not just a paranormal romance story, there are some twists, there’s a war between good and evil and Gianna has a rol in it.

The story has some good elements in it: romance, action, an underground world, also the fact that the vampires are portrayed in an interesting way (I won’t give any spoilers here).

This book is around 115 pages long (I finished reading it in one day) and I would have loved it to be a bit longer (that way I could had learned more about some characters). I’m not sure if this book is part of a Series, if so, probably some of the answers to my questions are in the next book.

Overall this is a quick and entertaining read that I think will appeal to fans of paranormal romance.

Documentary in Amazon Prime: Nursery University, looking for the perfect school

April 25, 2013April 25, 2013Leave a comment

Today I was looking at the available documentaries in Amazon Prime and I found “Nursery University”, this documentary follows some families while they’re searching for the perfect nursery school for their children, and gives us a look at how the application process works, here’s the synopsis from Amazon:

“In communities across the United States, competition to get into the best schools is starting early. New York City is at the center of this phenomenon, where nursery schools – homes of finger-painting, building blocks, and naptime – have become the arena where parents jostle for the privilege to place”.

After watching the documentary I was shocked by how hard it seems to find a spot for your kid if you live in New York, and how the process can be.
I’m married, but I don’t have any kids yet (and I don’t live in New York), but this documentary left me with a lot of questions: how many nursery schools are in the city I live? How many of them are private? How many are public? What is the average annual cost? How the application process works?

I end this post with a question for those who have kids: what was your experience when you had to look for a nursery school or a preschool for them?

DISCLAIMER:
The movies available for free to Amazon Prime members are subject to change, is important that you confirm the price of the movie before you start watching it.

Book Review: This morning I woke up dead by Mindy Larson

April 23, 2013April 22, 2017Leave a comment

Book Description from Amazon:

Things are seemingly perfect for Hadley Christensen and Dominic Morris. They’re engaged, both of them have promising careers in the medical field, and they’re happier and more fulfilled than they have ever been. When Hadley heads off to work one morning, she realizes things aren’t as they seem. While staring into the headlights of a fast approaching oncoming vehicle, life as she knows it is forever altered. Her last breath on Earth is only the beginning.

She isn’t about to die.
She is already dead.
No one else knows but they are all dead too.

This powerful realization forces Hadley to leave Dominic behind and exist in another realm. Neither soul handles the painful separation well, nor can their bond be broken. Even in death. Hadley is given the rare privilege to make contact from the other side, desperately hoping to convince her beloved of his true state and ensure they be together once more.

This Morning I Woke Up Dead takes you on a journey of discovery as two souls fight against their undeniably difficult situation of being tormented and separated by different realms of existence, proving that those who are destined to be together will not be kept apart by a beating heart.

Book Review:

My Rating 4.5

“This Morning I Woke Up Dead” explores the existence of an afterlife, a different realm of existence, and how life could be in that place.

I loved the beautiful love story of Hadley and Dominic, from the beginning I was waiting for them to find their happy ending.

This book also addresses some difficult issues, like the loss of a loved one, the grief and what follows for those who remain, but the author manages to do it very well.

Something I enjoy in books is the narrative from different POV, in this book the story alternates between the POV of Hadley (the main female character) and the one from Dominic (Hadley’s boyfriend), this allows us to see what they are experiencing in a parallel manner and in two different worlds.

For me the narrative of Dominic (particularly at the beginning) was really heartbreaking, through the pages you can feel his pain, his agony over the loss of Hadley, but also all his love for her.

Reading the book there were times when I experienced some sadness, but there were also moments that really made me smile (one of them was while reading how Hadley and Dominic met and began dating).

Besides the main characters there are others that I found good and likable, like Logan (Hadley’s “Guide”) and Emerson (Dominic’s sister) and it’s interesting to learn their stories.

This book is an emotional journey for the characters as well as a journey of learning and I think the author did a very good job in showing this in the story.

Something I think is important to mention is that there are moments in the book with transitions between past/present, one realm of existence and the other, in which you should pay attention so you don’t lose track of the progression of the story.

As the writing in this book is emotional, and the characters feel very real, be prepared to possibly shed a few tears as you read.

Overall I think this is a really good book and I recommend it, also I look forward to reading more from this author.