Cicely Loves Books

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library. This week I'm reading Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan and listening to Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, read by Erin Moon. I'm reading Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Lab by Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith with my son right now.

Synopsis from Goodreads:  Her sisters have found wedded bliss with their wealthy,wonderful dream men, but not Julietta Conte. She’s stayed on terra firma as top executive of the family’s corporation, La Dolce Famiglia bakery. Work is her passion, and her trendy Milan apartment her sanctuary . . . until Sawyer Wells, a masculine masterpiece in a suit, lures her out of hiding with an irresistible offer: an exclusive partnership with his international chain of boutique hotels. Julietta’s been burned before—and trusting her brother-in-law’s friend, whose powerful gaze alone has her rethinking the best use of a conference room, is the riskiest proposition. But with a once-in-a-career chance to take the bakery global, will she mix stone-cold business with red-hot seduction? Number of pages: 387 My review: This is the fourth book in the Marriage to a Billionaire series and I have not read the first three books. But I realized you don't need to! It's sort of like some of the Nora Rober

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library. This week I'm reading Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan and listening to Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, read by Erin Moon. I'm reading Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Lab by Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith with my son right now. Last week I reviewed The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann, read by Peter Altschuler. Sent from Quirk Books for review   Nick and Tesla's Robot Army Rampage: A Mystery with Hoverbots, Bristle Bots, and Other Robots You Can Build Yourself by Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith In this second novel of the Nick and Tesla series, the precocious brother-and-sister duo find themselves solving another baffling mystery.  As the story opens, their Uncle Newt takes a consulting gig at

Finders Keepers (Lost and Found #3) by Nicole Williams Release Date: September 16, 2013 Age: Mature YA, New Adult Genre: Contemporary Romance Source: AToMR Tours Buy it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble There’s tortured. And there’s Garth Black. His life has been a constant carousel of tragedy and disappointment, including his love life. Of course, applying the term “love” to Garth’s conquests is a gross misuse of the word. Some people were made to give and accept love, and others weren’t. Garth Black redefines the “others” category. He’s made a vow that the day he meets a woman who could sucker him into falling in love will be the day he runs away. Garth’s plan has one flaw. What happens when he’s already fallen hard for a girl before the warning signs and red flags go up? What happens when the love he’s avoided his entire life brings him to his knees? What happens when Garth Black lets the dirtiest four letter word he’s ever known into his dark, lonely life? This cowboy’s about to find ou

Don’t get yourself noticed and you won’t get yourself hanged. In the faery slums of Bath, Bartholomew Kettle and his sister Hettie live by these words. Bartholomew and Hettie are changelings—Peculiars—and neither faeries nor humans want anything to do with them. One day a mysterious lady in a plum-colored dress comes gliding down Old Crow Alley. Bartholomew watches her through his window. Who is she? What does she want? And when Bartholomew witnesses the lady whisking away, in a whirling ring of feathers, the boy who lives across the alley—Bartholomew forgets the rules and gets himself noticed. First he’s noticed by the lady in plum herself, then by something darkly magical and mysterious, by Jack Box and the Raggedy Man, by the powerful Mr. Lickerish . . . and by Arthur Jelliby, a young man trying to slip through the world unnoticed, too, and who, against all odds, offers Bartholomew friendship and a way to belong. If I had to describe this book in a few words I'd say f

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library. This week I'm reading Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan and listening to Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, read by Erin Moon. I'm reading Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Lab   by Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith with my son right now. Last week I reviewed  The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith.

In the Fields by Willow Aster ★★★★☆ Release Date: September 10, 2013 Age: Mature 18+ Genre: Contemporary Romance, Race, Abuse, Southern Romance, Teen, Coming of Age Format: ebook Source: The Indie Bookshelf Buy it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords | Createspace 1971 — In the tiny, backward town of Tulma, Tennessee, optimistic, bookish Caroline Carson unwittingly finds herself in the middle of a forbidden romance. Severely neglected by her family and forced to flee Tulma to protect her secrets, Caroline’s young life comes crashing down around her. She finds refuge in a new town, but the past always has a way of stretching around time and stirring up trouble. When a new love comes into her life, she has to decide if she can give her heart to someone else, or if she will always be tied to someone she can’t have. The details described in this book may not be suitable for readers below the age of 18 as descriptions of rape, alcoholism, child neglect, and abuse are depicted. In the

Undertow by Amber Lynn Natusch Release Date: October 2013 Genre: Contemporary Romance, Women's Lit Cover Design: http://www.ladysymphonia.com/ Photography: http://ilsemoorephotography.blogspot.com/ How far does a girl have to run to escape a lifetime of pain and loss at the hands of Alaska's notoriously unforgiving Bering Sea? Twenty-seven-year-old Aesa Fredriksen thought landlocked Columbus, Ohio would suffice, and it does until the fear of regret drives her to return to Dutch Harbor in a final attempt to make amends with her nearly-estranged father. Intent on salvaging the wreckage of their relationship, she reluctantly agrees to join him—the only family she has left—as he heads out to fish for king crab, forcing her to brave the very waters that pulled him away from her as a child. The waters that stole her mother's life.
When the day finally arrives for the Norwegian Queen to sail off into an uncertain future, Aesa can't help but fear the worst. Beyond the violent

This is the post I've been dreading. I really need to rethink this blog. Sure, it's been tons of fun but I just do not have the time to do as much as I did before, now that I'm in college. It's sort of one of those things where it was fun while it lasted. I mean I did this for three years. People who don't have a blog really don't understand the long time commitment it takes to schedule posts, put them together, and take the time to sit down and write about what you feel. It's hard. It's not that reading doesn't interest me anymore because of course it does, but I just don't think I want to do reviews anymore. I was having trouble keeping up with all the requests even in high school. Plus, now I really do want to write about other stuff maybe. Like life or college or just experiences in general. I'd really have to consider that too though because that takes a lot of time and commitment. I've already switched my Tumblr into a personal acc

Cormoran Strike is having some serious troubles with his girlfriend, with paying back his debts and with life in general. But when a wealthy lawyer walks into his office asking him to solve the murder of his famous supermodel sister, he becomes embroiled in a case where everyone has something to hide. Because although the police have already determined that her death was a suicide, something tells Strike there is more to it than that. How easy it was to capitalize on a person’s own bent for self-destruction; how simple to nudge them into non-being, then to stand back and shrug and agree that it had been the inevitable result of a chaotic, catastrophic life. I picked this up after I learned who the real author was under the pseudonym.  Of course I did. I tried her Casual Vacancy but literary novels are not my thing.  But mysteries are. It was really good, long but good. I enjoyed it. Rowling can certainly write and certainly world-build. She also creates great characters like Cormor

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia Release Date: October 1, 2013 I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me. When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, she doesn't realize that paranormal forces are responsible--not until mysterious identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into her room and destroy a deadly spirit sent to kill her. Kennedy learns that her mother's death was no accident, and now she has to take her place in the Legion of the Black Dove--a secret society whose five members were all murdered on the same night, leaving the Legion in the hands of the next generation: a misfit group with unique skills. As the new members race to find the only weapon capable of destroying the demon, they use their individual talents to battle paranormal entities and earn their rightful place in the Legion--except for Kennedy. If she is truly the missing piece of the puzzle, can she stay alive long enough to find out--without losing her heart in the process? Protect Yoursel

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library. This week I'm reading Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard and then The Cuckoo's Calling and listening to The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann, read by Peter Altschuler. I'm reading Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Lab   by Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith with my son right now. I haven't finished anything lately to review. I think I'm in a reading slump mostly because I'm too tired at night to pick up a book. Sorry about that. 

Aspen  by Rebekah Crane Release Date: January 2014 Publisher:  In This Together Media Age: YA Genre: Contemporary Romance One quiet night in Boulder, Colorado, Aspen Yellow-Sunrise Taylor made a mistake. In the next instant, her life changed forever. Aspen doesn't want to remember when Katelyn Ryan, a sleek-haired popular soccer player, crossed the yellow line in her car and smashed into Aspen's. But forgetting is pretty hard- because Katelyn may have died - but she didn't leave. Her ghost is following Aspen around, and heading into senior year, it's kind of a problem. Especially when Katelyn's gorgeous former boyfriend Ben appears to be the only person at school with a clue as to how Aspen feels. Popularity, college, Homecoming Court, hot guys - none of these things ever mattered to Aspen. She's been busy trying to rein in her giant mass of blonde curls, keep her stoner mother Ninny away from Toaster, her mom's awful bongo drumming boyfriend, and prevent he

Breaking Nova (Nova #1)  by Jessica Sorensen Release Date: September 3, 2013 Publisher: Forever: Grand Central Publishing, Hachett Book Group Age: New Adult Genre: Contemporary Romance Format: ebook Source: Publisher via Netgalley Buy it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble |  iTunes Nova Reed used to have dreams-of becoming a famous drummer, of marrying her true love. But all of that was taken away in an instant. Now she's getting by as best she can, though sometimes that means doing things the old Nova would never do. Things that are slowly eating away at her spirit. Every day blends into the next ... until she meets Quinton Carter. His intense, honey brown eyes instantly draw her in, and he looks just about as broken as she feels inside. Quinton once got a second chance at life — too bad he doesn't want it. The tattoos on his chest are a constant reminder of what he's done, what he's lost. He's sworn to never allow happiness into his life ... but then beautiful, sweet No

Screwed by Laurie Plissner Release Date: May 2013 Publisher: Merit Press Age: Mature Young Adult Genre: Contemporary, Coming of Age, Teen Pregnancy, High School Format: Hardback Source: Publisher for Review Buy it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble Flattered by the attentions of Nick, the cutest guy in school, seventeen-year-old Grace Warren, captain of the math team, lets down her guard and gets pregnant the night she loses her virginity. Hopeful that Nick will drop to one knee and propose when she breaks the baby news to him, Grace is heartbroken - Nick wants nothing to do with her. Her best friend, Jennifer, thinks she should get an abortion, but Grace is certain that her morally upright parents will insist that she keep the baby. After she comes clean to her super-religious, strait-laced parents, they surprise her by insisting that she terminate the pregnancy to avoid humiliating the family. But when she sees the fetus on the ultrasound, she decides she can't get rid of it. Deciding

  There is No Light in Darkness (Darkness #1) by Claire Contreras ★★★★★ Release Date: January 10, 2013 Age: Mature New Adult, Adult, 17+ Genre: Contemporary Romance, Best Friends, Orphans, Family, Drama, Crime, Love, Suspense, Drama, Famous Format: ebook Source: Purchased Buy it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble   Currently only $.99!! A past hidden in darkness. Her present cloaked in secrets. The future holds the only truth that cannot be escaped. After the mysterious and violent death of her parents, Blake Brennan finds comfort with an unconventional family. As the dramatic loss of her parents continues to haunt her—and hinders her from reciprocating love that others give freely—Blake embarks on a harrowing journey in search for the truth. Living in a constant state of fear and need for control, vivid nightmares reveal details that lead to perilous situations. The past begins to collide with the present, and Blake must decide if the truth is worth losing the ones she loves. Can love conqu

Weekly Round-Up is my wrap-up of last week's activities and includes what I'm reading this week, reviews I've posted, books in the mail and anything else of interest plus From the Library, my weekly listing of what I've checked out from the library. This week I'm reading Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard and then finishing The Cuckoo's Calling and listening to The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann, read by Peter Altschuler. I'm reading Nick and Tesla's High-Voltage Lab   by Bob Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith with my son right now. I think I will start featuring the chapter and middle grade books we are reading together. Last week I reviewed She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith. Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard The year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia… Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is d

Stay With Me by Elyssa Patrick ★★★★☆ Release Date: August 2013 Age: New Adult, 17+ Genre: Contemporary Romance, Drama, Love, College, Famous, Rock Star, Actor Format: ebook Source: Author via Netgalley Buy it: Amazon | Barnes and Noble With one look, I’m his . . . With one touch, he’s mine . . . With one kiss, it changes everything between us . . . I’ve been famous since I can remember. Singing, acting, dancing—I’ve done it all. The tabloids cover my every move, but I don’t want that anymore. I want to be normal, whatever that is. When I leave Hollywood for college in Vermont, I’m on my own for the first time in my life. This is my chance to figure out who I am and what I want in life. But it’s a lot harder than I expected. I can’t escape my image. Classes are difficult, and I’m struggling. And then there’s Caleb Fox. Sexy, intriguing Caleb Fox. Caleb is the one man who doesn’t want to use me. He breaks down my walls. He challenges me. He wants me. And I just don’t know if I can give