Love and Other Unknown Variables by Shannon Lee Alexander

Love and Other
Unknown Variables
by Shannon Lee Alexander

Published: October 7th 2014
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Format: Ebook

Charlie Hanson has a clear vision of his future. A senior at Brighton School of Mathematics and Science, he knows he’ll graduate, go to MIT, and inevitably discover solutions to the universe’s greatest unanswered questions. He’s that smart. But Charlie’s future blurs the moment he reaches out to touch the tattoo on a beautiful girl’s neck.

The future has never seemed very kind to Charlotte Finch, so she’s counting on the present. She’s not impressed by the strange boy at the donut shop—until she learns he’s a student at Brighton where her sister has just taken a job as the English teacher. With her encouragement, Charlie orchestrates the most effective prank campaign in Brighton history. But, in doing so, he puts his own future in jeopardy.

By the time he learns she's ill—and that the pranks were a way to distract Ms. Finch from Charlotte’s illness—Charlotte’s gravitational pull is too great to overcome. Soon he must choose between the familiar formulas he’s always relied on or the girl he’s falling for (at far more than 32 feet per second squared).



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*MAY CONTAIN SOME SPOILERS*
At first I was a little hesitant whether I wanted to read the book or not. It was compared to The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, and you remember what happened with that. Not my favorite book, though I didn't hate it either. The main problem was I thought it would be about one thing, but as it turned out, it was about completely another thing!
Well, the same thing happened here, kind of. I expected the focus would be on Charlie and how he's a complete geek and completely fells for this girl, who is ill. It was a little bit like that, but something was missing.

Everything was just too.. mild. For example the synopsis describes Charlie's prank "the most effective prank campaign in Brighton history". It would be a completely different thing if Charlie pranked Charlotte's sister for the right reasons (like, for having fun etc.) but to take her attention off Charlotte? Really didn't get that.
And the whole pranking thing felt just a little awkward over all. As in this is actually funny haha vs. I'm trying to act as if this is funny.

I was also having hard time with their whole romance, cause I didn't really feel the vibe. Maybe there was some chemistry, but again I felt like things were really mild.
This was probably why I had no urge to finish this book. I usually read a little before going to bed and halfway through the book began checking the page numbers. Cause I felt like I had been reading this book for weeks and I was convinced I was nearly finished. As it turned out, I wasn't even halfway through which usually means it's way too slow-paced for me.

So overall, I loved the idea of this book, but as it turned out, ended up just liking it.


My thanks to Entangled Publishing for providing a copy for review!

ABOUT AUTHOR

Shannon Lee Alexander is a wife and mother (of two kids and one yellow terrier named Harriet Potter).
She is passionate about coffee, books, and cancer research. Math makes her break out in a sweat.
Love and Other Unknown Variables is her debut novel. She currently lives in Indianapolis with her family.



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New Books On My Shelf #69

Here's what showed up while I was in the US. So many wonderful books. Can't wait to read all of them. I've already started with THE JEWEL.

For review. A bunch of Harper Collins International ARCs. Thank you!!

A limited, signed copy of THE BODY ELECTRIC by Beth Revis. A huge thanks to Beth for sending me a copy for review and for the beautiful swag pack! x

Bought. I had a copy of NOT IN THE SCRIPT pre-ordered that showed up while I was gone. Of course I couldn't resist to get the Divergent Blu Ray and I'm really looking forward to the second season of Grand Hotel. 

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Back To Blogging - USA Vacation - New Books

How has it been almost a month since I last published a blog post? I better not start rambling about how time flies. The reason for my blogging silence was a fantastic 3 1/2 week vacation of traveling the US with my two friends Sandra and Sabine. We saw many different cities and places and it was such a fun, unforgettable experience I wouldn't want to miss. Unfortunately, I didn't have any time to read or write reviews. So I'm a bit behind on everything right now. Still catching up. Here's what my vacation looked like and the new books I got.

Miami- Fort Lauderdale

Skyscrapers and tropical beaches. That's how I'll remember Miami. While the humidity was way too high for my taste I really enjoyed relaxing on the beach or swimming in our hotel's pool. Miami Beach and Bill Baggs State Park on Key Biscayne with their crystal clear water were definite highlights.

Las Vegas - Grand Canyon - Flagstaff - Las Vegas

When we arrived at the airport we were greeted in authentic Vegas style. With loud music and big, blinking neon signs.  After a short night we got our rental car and were on our way to the Grand Canyon. Just wow! None of my pictures does this wonder of nature justice. It was so beautiful! We spent the night in Flagstaff and then drove back via parts of the Route 66. I'm not much of a driver, but I loved the open roads and the wide view this street has to offer. Back in Vegas we spent two nights in the Stratosphere hotel and got to go up their tower for free. Stunning view! We toured the casinos at night and my friend Sandra even won some bucks. I really liked Vegas and will come back!

 

Los Angeles

I wouldn't come back to the US with the sole purpose to explore this city. I think that's because we saw some parts of the city that were dirty and scary...more so than we could tolerate. That does not mean we didn't have fun moments in LA, too. One day we drove to Santa Monica beach and the sun set was paradisic. For movie fans the Warner Brothers VIP Tour is an absolute must. They were currently filming Hart of Dixie so we got to tour Bluebelle's town square. Look at the gazebo! Gilmore Girls for ever! We had a treat at the Cheesecake Factory. Aaaaaand on our last day in LA we got to attend a live taping of The Big Bang Theory. WOW! A dream come true. We had to wait all day to get in but it was so worth it because Sandra and I scored first row seats directly in front of the boys' living room. The episode they were filming airs next Monday, Season 8 Episode 5. It was HILARIOUS! It was fun to see how many times they had to film a scene and how they recorded every single laugh of the audience. The cast was so awesome. Kaley and Johnny thanked everyone for coming and they told us that they were filming a behind the scenes special (air date: December 26th). Best experience ever and my highlight of this US trip!

This is Kunal's autograph who stayed a few extra minutes to sign. He's the sweetest guy!

San Francisco - Yosemite National Park

We only had one day to see everything in San Francisco we wanted to see. We took a Cable Car, strolled Fisherman's Wharf, saw the seals at Pier 39, had awesome breakfast in a diner near our hostel. On day two we rented another car and attempted to drive to Yosemite National Park and back on the same day. Unsurprisingly, we didn't have nearly enough time to see all of the park we wanted to see. We marvelled at the giant trees in the Mariposa Grove and drove through the thick forrest and high, stunning mountains. Yosemite is beautiful and I will definitely try to come back with more time in tow. On our long and dark way back to San Francisco we stopped at In-N-Out Burger and loaded up on delicious fries and burgers. Another highlight on this trip was our San Francisco bay cruise. Blue sky, a warm breeze and a relaxing sailing tour under the Golden Gate Bridge. Doesn't it look pretty?

Chicago

Chicago was hands down my favourite city. The parks were beautiful, Lake Michigan gigantic and we had the chance to plan another beach day. The bean, Buckingham Fountain and the Lincoln Park Zoo were some things we saw in our three days there. I even saw Four's ferris wheel, hehe. Didn't get to ride it but I thought of my favourite YA boy. We all went up Willis Tower and sat in a glass box over 100 stories above the ground. We had the best weather and I'm practically planning my trip back to Chicago now.

New York

New York was the city that finally fulfilled my bookish dreams. We saw the Times Square, Statue of Liberty, walked the Brooklyn Bridge, went to Top of the Rock, and spent a fab day in Central Park. But my New York favourite moment was the launch event at Books of Wonder I attended and the time spent in The Strand. So the books get an extra paragraph. After four days in New York we flew back to Germany.

Books and the City

New York was my favourite city when I get to rate all of them by book stores. In Barnes & Noble LA I bought four books, including a signed copy of RUIN AND RISING by Leigh Bardugo.

For the same amout of money I got ten books at The Strand. When I came to The Strand I thought I'd just walk through the store and head to my next destination. I'm not into used books so I was conviced I wouldn't buy a single book. In the end I bought ten. I absolutely LOVED this book store and immediately felt at home between the high shelves and the creaking floor boards. This would be a weekly stop if I lived in the NY area.
You can't imagine my fangirling when I noticed the TFIOS bench in front of the YA section. So much love! I teared up a bit when I read the plaque.

At San Francisco airport I bought a copy of THE ART OF LAINEY. And on October 2nd I attended the launch event at Books of Wonder for Sara Raasch's SNOW LIKE ASHES and Claire Legrand's WINTERSPELL. They were so great and of course I got a copy of SNOW LIKE ASHES signed. Thank you Sara!


The Strand

 Books of Wonder

Book Haul 

San Francisco Airport (The Art of Lainey) & The Strand

Barnes & Noble LA & Books of Wonder ( Snow Like Ashes)

Signed Books 
 

Other Stuff  + tons of clothes that cannot even fit into five pictures, ha!

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Blog Tour: Legally Undead by Margo Bond Collins

Legally Undead
by Margo Bond Collins



Publication:
May 27th 2014












A reluctant vampire hunter, stalking New York City as only a scorned bride can.

Elle Dupree has her life all figured out: first a wedding, then her Ph.D., then swank faculty parties where she’ll serve wine and cheese and introduce people to her husband the lawyer.

But those plans disintegrate when she walks in on a vampire sucking the blood from her fiancé, Greg. Horrified, she screams and runs — not away from the vampire, but toward it, brandishing a wooden letter opener.

As she slams the improvised stake into the vampire’s heart, a team of black-clad men bursts into the apartment. Turning to face them, Elle realizes Greg’s body is gone — and her perfect life falls apart.



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ABOUT AUTHOR

Margo Bond Collins is the author of a number of novels, including Waking Up Dead, Fairy, Texas, and Legally Undead.

She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, and several spoiled pets. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love.

She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters.



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Book Blitz: Rush by Eve Silver

Rush
by Eve Silver



Publication:
June 11th 2013














So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos.
In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out.

Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet.
She laughs. He doesn’t.
And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.



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EXCERPT

He catches my wrists and holds them, just tight enough that I can’t hit him anymore, but not so tight it hurts.

I freeze, heart slamming against my ribs, because I’m angry and afraid, and because he’s touching me, his hands on my wrists, our faces inches apart.

My pulse races; my cheeks feel hot. Lots of people touch me, and it never feels like this.

“So now you know,” he says. “Happy?”

I pull my wrists free. “No,” I say. “Not at all.”

“I know.” He lifts his hands and closes them on my upper arms. I stand there, too numb to jerk away.

Slowly, he pulls me closer. I let him. I let him wrap his arms around me.

I let myself rest my cheek against his chest. And for a few moments, I just breathe and listen to the steady beat of his heart.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Eve Silver lives with her gamer husband and sons, sometimes in Canada, but often in worlds she dreams up.

She loves kayaking and sunshine, dogs and desserts, and books, lots and lots of books. Watch for the first book in Eve’s new teen series, THE GAME: RUSH, coming from Katherine Tegen Books, June 2013.

She also writes books for adults.



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Book Blitz: Take Me On by Katie McGarry

Take Me On
by Katie McGarry



Publication:
May 27th 2014














Acclaimed author Katie McGarry returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to learn what winning really means.

Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.

West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.

Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.

Bonus novella included: Crossing the Line.



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Excerpt from West’s Point of View

“Look, it’s me or them.” I motion toward the thugs with my chin. “And I’m telling you, I’m not the bad guy in this scenario.” She laughs. And if it wasn’t such a beautiful sound, I’d be insulted.

“Because a guy driving an Escalade in this neighborhood is the equivalent of a Boy Scout.”

The right side of my mouth tips up. Did she call me a drug dealer?

“From the looks of you—” she glances at my knuckles again “—well, let’s just say you must have your own baggage and I’m not a baggage claim type of girl.”

“No, you’re the type that runs into traffic.”

She smiles and I like it. The anger racing through me moments before vanishes. I rub my jaw, then lean my hand against my open car door. Long light brown hair with waves, dark eyes that sure as hell suck me in as they sparkle, a tight body and a kick-ass attitude. Truth be told, I like more than her smile. Too bad I almost killed her by running her over. It’ll make asking her out awkward.

“Get into my car and I’ll drive you home.” I hold up both my palms. “I swear. No drive-bys on the way.”

ABOUT AUTHOR

KATIE MCGARRY was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, and reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan.

Katie would love to hear from her readers. Contact her via her website, katielmcgarry.com, follow her on Twitter @KatieMcGarry, or become a fan on Facebook and Goodreads.



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Blogging Break - Vacation

In the past weeks it's been quiet on the blog. I've been busy with work and preparing for my US trip. I'll be there for a bit under four weeks and I'm so excited! Want to guess where I'm going? Below are books that are set in the cities I'm visiting. Not pictured are Fort Lauderdale, Flagstaff, the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park. What should I do in each city? Do you have any special recommendations? Know of any bookish events?

Will post all September reviews in October. The winner of my last giveaway will also be drawn in October and there will be no Behind The Pages post in September.

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