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Showing posts with label Kelly Oram. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kelly Oram. Show all posts

Monday, January 1, 2018

Top 10 Week! My Favorite Books of 2017




Happy New Year!!
The cold weather stinks! But, when it comes to my blog, I love this time of year, because I get to remember and pick out all of my favorite bookish things that I've read over the past year! 

Let's start the week off with my Top 10 Favorite books of the year!
(I couldn't begin to decide which I liked better than the other. It was hard enough to only pick 10. So, here they are, in no particular order)

Body Parts by Jessica Kapp 
Genre: Young Adult (Science Fiction)
Date Published: August 15,  2017
Publisher: Diversion Publishing

Why did I love this book?
People are scary. Many don't look farther than themselves, so I could see something similar happening in real life. That made for a very interesting reading experience.



How to Hang a Witch (How to Hang a Witch #1) 
by Adriana Mather 
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal)
Date Published: July 26, 2016
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Why did I love this book?
This story shows how, as a society, we really haven't changed much since the Salem Witch Trials. It was very well told, and allows you to think for yourself while still getting the full experience of what's going on. The author's personal history added a little fun too.


Beauty of the Beast (Fairy Tale Retellings #1) 
by Rachel L. Demeter
Genre: Adult Fiction (Fractured Fairy Tale/Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: March 15, 2017
Publisher: Self

Why did I love this book?
Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairy tale. Hands down! This retelling stayed true to the Beauty and the Beast feel, but told it's own darker story. This is the Beauty and the Beast that should have been made into a movie in 2017.

The Ghost of You and Me by Kelly Oram
Genre: Young Adult (Contemporary/Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: June 20, 2017
Publisher: Bluefields

Why did I love this book?
There are so many levels of emotions I went through while reading this book, it's hard to explain and still give it the justice it deserves.

Love Me Never (Lovely Vicious #1) by Sara Wolf
Genre: New Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: April 5, 2016 (first published April 5th 2015)
Publisher: Entangled Teen

Why did I love this book?
I absolutely love the sarcasm and bantering! Love it! That alone was enough to entertain me, but it has a darker side too.

Hunted by Meagan Spooner
Genre: Young Adult (Fractured Fairy Tale)
Date Published: March 14, 2017
Publisher: HarperTeen

Why did I love this book?
Like I said earlier, I love Beauty and the Beast. Clearly, I can't get enough B & B retellings either. Here's another one for you. This one brings something new to the table. It intertwines with Russian fairy tales. I'm not familiar with these stories, so it was a pretty unique spin. I really enjoyed the brief perspectives from the Beast too.

Caraval (Caraval #1) by Stephanie Garber
Genre: Young Adult (Fantasy/Romance)
Date Published: January 31, 2017
Publisher: Flatiron Books

Why did I love this book?
There aren't words for this one. Seriously, if you can only read one book from my list, this is the one. It's completely intoxicating.


The Valiant (Valiant #1) by Lesley Livingston

Genre: Young Adult (Historical Fiction)
Date Published: February 14, 2017
Publisher: Penguin Razorbill


Why did I love this book?
Gladiators and the whole mindset of their time fascinates me. This book fed that fascination. It's got a healthy does of girl power too!










Twisted: The Girl Who Uncovered Rumplestilskin's Name by Bonnie M. Hennessy
Genre: Young Adult (Fractured Fairy Tale/Fantasy)
Date Published: November 11th 2016
Publisher: Self


Why did I love this book?

Twisted was a dark and creative re-telling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale. It was unique, haunting, dark, and brilliantly written.






To All the Boys I've Loved Before 

(To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1) by Jenny Han

Genre: Young Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: April 15, 2014
Publisher: Simon Schuster & Books for Young Readers



Why did I love this book?

This book brought me right back to high school. Lara Jean reminded me so much of myself, it's embarrassing, but I enjoyed her story all the same.












The Honorable Mention goes to...

Why? Because I've gotten way too much enjoyment out of this series this year, for it not to be on this list. I'm addicted! I can't pick just one book from the series. This series, as a whole, has everything I love about romance and just enough of it! Sweet with Heat describes it perfectly!


By What's Beyond Forks? on January 01, 2018 2 comments
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Monday, July 3, 2017

Book Review & Excerpt of The Ghost of You and Me by Kelly Oram





The Ghost of You and Me by Kelly Oram
Genre: Young Adult (Contemporary/Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: June 20, 2017
Publisher: Bluefields

How do you tell someone who hates you and blames you for the death of his best friend that you miss him?

From the bestselling teen and young adult author of Cinder & Ella comes a new heart-wrenching romance sure to bring all the feels.

The tragic death of Spencer Schott unravels the lives of the two people he loved most—his girlfriend, Bailey, and his best friend, Wes. Secrets and guilt from that fateful night keep both Bailey and Wes from overcoming Spencer’s loss and moving on with their lives.

Now, nearly a year later, both Bailey and Wes are still so broken over what happened that Spencer can’t find peace in the afterlife. In order to put his soul to rest, he’s given one chance to come back and set things right...even if that means setting up his girlfriend with his best friend.

With the emotional resonance of Jellicoe Road and the magical realism of The Lovely Bones, The Ghost of You and Me is a story about overcoming grief, finding redemption for past mistakes, and the healing power of friendship and love. Fans of John Green, Sarah Dessen, and Nicholas Sparks are sure to love this haunting new tale from Kelly Oram.

This is a clean young adult romance stand alone novel that reads like contemporary drama romance and has just a touch of magical realism.


The Ghost of You and Me by Kelly Oram really brought out all the feels for me. I cried a lot while reading and the thing is, it's not an overly sad book. Okay, that's not really true. It definitely has it's heartbreaking moments, but it hit me on a personal level(even during the not so sad moments), and I just couldn't stop crying.

The loss these characters go through is something we all can relate to. We've all had to deal with loss, and the author completely captures the whole mess of emotions one goes through who is left behind after losing a loved one. She also captures the healing process and the eventual hope. There are so many levels of emotions I went through while reading this book, it's hard to explain and still give it the justice it deserves.

I completely adored the three main characters, Bailey, Spencer, and Wes. They all love each other. I mean truly love each other. Their friendship is not one you find every day, and yes, I'm jealous of the friendship these fictional characters have. I'll admit it.

I know some of you aren't crazy about love triangles, but this is anything but a typical love triangle.
In fact, it's not a typical love story. Not by any means.

The ARC of The Ghost of You and Me by Kelly Oram was kindly provided to me by I Am a Reader for review. The opinions are my own.


I open the door and slam into a solid chest. Strong hands grip my arms to steady me, and they don’t let go. I know the hands are Wes’s without having to look. “Are you okay?” he asks.
At first, I’m comforted by his presence. His smell is familiar, and the heat of his tall, lean body feels like it could thaw my frozen heart. For a split second, I melt against him. His arms come around me as if holding me is as natural to him as breathing. For a second, everything is right in my pathetic world. For a second, I’m alive again.
“Bailey, what’s wrong?” His usually smooth, deep voice is gruff.
My head jerks up at the sound of my name, and reality catches up with me. I scramble out of his embrace, attempting to swallow back my panic. He’s watching me, waiting for an answer. I haven’t spoken to him since the funeral, and I’m not sure I can do it now. It takes me a minute to find my voice, and when I do, I blurt out, “What are you doing here?”
He sucks in a breath through his nose as he steps back, gripping the strap of a bag slung over his shoulder. Seeing the backpack, my jaw drops. “Are you coming back to school?”
The genuine horror in my voice makes him flinch. There’d been a bit of light in his eyes, but it’s gone now. His face closes off. “No, I’m not coming back to school here.”
He adjusts that strap again, then switches the backpack to his other shoulder while glaring at the ground. I’ve offended him. Or maybe he just still hates me. I wouldn’t blame him. I got his best friend killed, after all. I hate me.
Seeing him reminds me of that night all over again. The events replay in my mind with vivid detail. Everything from finding Wes and stopping him from doing something unthinkable, to the kiss, to the fight, and finally the accident and Wes holding me back while paramedics did their best to try and save Spencer’s life.
One look at his face, and I can tell Wes is thinking about the same events. He closes his eyes and takes a breath. When he looks at me again, his expression has smoothed out. “How are you?” he asks. “You know…today.”
I swallow back a lump of emotion. I’m not surprised that Wes knows today is Spencer’s and my anniversary, but his acknowledgement of it feels like a knife in my heart. Why does he care? He hated that Spencer and I were together, and he used to get so cranky on this day every year.
“What’s today?” someone behind me murmurs. “It’s not the anniversary of Spencer’s death. That’s not for a couple weeks.”
A crowd of students have gathered to watch the drama. I don’t know who spoke, but I wish I could make them all disappear. Could people be any more tactless? Why can’t they just mind their own business?
When my eyes start to burn, I turn to leave. I can’t stand here any longer.
Wes puts a hand on my shoulder to stop me. “Bay, wait.”
I freeze. Aside from that night, Wes hasn’t used my nickname since I got together with Spencer and he started hating me for stealing his best friend.
Wes lets me go and rubs a hand over his head. “Sorry. I just—we should really talk.”
“Don’t.” With a quivering voice and stinging eyes, I whisper, “I can’t do this. Not today.” Maybe not ever.
I can’t take it anymore. I can’t stare into those knowing eyes for another second. My guilt is bad enough without seeing his sadness and anger.
Wes doesn’t say anything as I leave, doesn’t try to stop me. I head straight for my car and don’t care if I get in trouble for leaving. All that matters is getting far, far away from here. I’m not really running from Wes. I’m running from the past. Running from myself. Those are two things I will never escape, but I run anyway.

Check out my review of another book by this author!
author
Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen–a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She’s obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.

To learn more about Kelly Oram and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

Ends 7/26/17 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Ends 7/26/17 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway


By What's Beyond Forks? on July 03, 2017 0 comments
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Monday, January 2, 2017

Top Ten Week!! My Favorite Books of 2016




I hate winter! But, when it comes to my blog, I love this time of year, because I get to remember and pick out all of my favorite bookish things that I've read over the past year! 

Let's start the week off with my Top 10 Favorite books of the year!
(If I had to further rank these books, I'd be here all week. So, here they are, in no particular order)

Sweet Temptation (The Sweet Trilogy #4) by Wendy Higgins 
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal Romance)
Date Published:  September 8, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen

Why did I love this book?
This book was entirely from Kaidan's point of view. Need I say more? Seriously though, there were a few details that really enhanced this trilogy. Not that it needed help. It's one of my favorite series!





Bridges Burned (Going Down in Flames #2)
Genre: Young Adult (Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: January 19, 2015
Publisher: Entangled Teen

 Trial by Fire (Going Down in Flames #3) by Chris Cannon
Genre: Young Adult (Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: April 4, 2016
Publisher: Entangled Teen


Why did I love these books?
This is an amazing series. I'm crazy hooked on it! Both books made it to this list, because you can't very well list one and not list the other.. I'd I'd read book 1 in 2016, it'd be on the list too. They are just that good.







Beautiful Disaster (Beautiful #1) by Jamie McGuire
Genre: Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: May 26, 2011
Publisher: Self

Why did I love this book?
This is an overwhelmingly emotional book that I have a love/hate relationship with, so naturally, it's one of my favorites.



Reverie (Reverie #1) by Lauren E. Rico
Genre: New Adult (Dark Contemporary Romance/Psychological Thriller)
Date Published: April 30, 2016
Publisher: Harmony House Productions

Why did I love this book?
Since we're on the topic of emotional books... if you only read one of my recommendations, it needs to be this one. This book is dark. It's sinister. It's down right painful to read at times. In short: It's pretty amazing.



The Season by Jonah Lisa Dyer & Stephen Dyer
Genre: Young Adult (Contemporary Romance/Retelling)
Date Published: July 12, 2016
Publisher: Viking Children's

Why did I love this book?
If there ever was a "ME" book, this is it. Megan is spunky, sarcastic, and uncouth. She's everything I love in a main character. This was probably the most fun book I read all year!


Click here for the blurb and my full review!





If We Were a Movie (Power of the Matchmaker #3)
by Kelly Oram
Genre: New Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: March 1, 2016
Publisher: Bluefields

Why did I love this book?
This is a super cute romance, and I absolutely love the idea behind the whole "Power of a Matchmaker" theme with all the different authors taking part in the series.


Click here for the blurb and my full review!



Ren: Awakened by Brittany Quagan
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal/Romance)
Date Published:  August 2, 2016
Publisher: Balboa Press

Why did I love this book?
This book has a lot of umph! IT has an amazing main character with a clever love triangle of sorts that's not at all ordinary.


Click here for the blurb and my full review!




Red: The Untold Story by Angela M. Hudson
Genre: Young Adult (Fractured Fairy Tale)
Date Published: July 25, 2016
Publisher: Self

Why did I love this book?
I'm a huge fan of fairy tale re-tellings or fractured fairy tales, and this is one of the best.


Click here for the blurb and my full review!







Flawed (Flawed #1) by Cecelia Ahern
Genre: Young Adult (Dystopian)
Date Published: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Why did I love this book?
This was a well put together story that's very relevant to today's society and how we treat each other. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it, and how emotional it made me at times.






Starr Valentine by Wende Dikec
Genre: Young Adult (Science Fiction/Fantasy Romance)
Date Published: March 10, 2016
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing

Why did I love this book?
It's easy to get lost in the worlds of Starr. This story also offered some relevance and good messages for today, and how beauty is perceived.




By What's Beyond Forks? on January 02, 2017 0 comments
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Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Book Review of If We Were A Movie by Kelly Oram




If We Were a Movie (Power of the Matchmaker #3)
by Kelly Oram
Genre: New Adult (Contemporary Romance)
Date Published: March 1, 2016
Publisher: Bluefields

Music meets Movies in this sweet college romance from the bestselling author of Cinder & Ella. 

NYU freshman Nate Anderson is a triplet who is desperate to escape his wild and crazy brothers. After they screw things up for him one too many times, Nate flees his housing situation and takes the first available room for rent as far from his brothers as he can get. 

Enter his new roommate Jordan--a quirky LA girl who believes that everything in life has already been done in the movies. In this heartfelt tale of love, friendship and family, Nate learns how to deal with his new adult life using Hollywood films as a guide.


If We Were a Movie by Kelly Oram is another Power of the Matchmaker book, and I have to say, Pearl was even more of a sneaky little hoot. I love her. The story is told entirely from Nate's point of view. Within this story, he's finding himself and growing up. There is quite a bit of change in him from the beginning to the end. It's a long process for him though. Jordan is great. She's someone you'd want to be friends with and seems like such a cool person. The two have a lot in common, but in different ways and that probably won't make sense until you read the book. Sophie is a horrible excuse for a human. In fact, I wanted to kick Nate in his little boy parts a few times for not kicking her to the curb or even having some sort of backbone when it came to her. I think I literally yelled at him twice. That's how invested I felt in these characters. It kept me rooting for them and yelling at them.

Each chapter had a movie theme too, which was cute. I think Nate was more of a movie fan than he admitted to himself, even at first, because his movie comparisons within the chapters started before he even met Jordan. This was a wonderful little love story. It's fast paced and fun, and I can't get enough of Pearl!

The ARC of If We Were a Movie by Kelly Oram was kindly provided to me by Book Blast Tours for review. The opinions are my own.

“So this is what a Pearl-approved guy looks like.” She shook her head once and cracked a smile. “She’s got good taste, I’ll give her that. You’re an odd mix of sexy and adorable. Don’t see that often.”
I was a little taken aback by the compliment, if that’s even what it was. She may have just been stating what she considered to be fact. She laughed at my surprise and held out her hand to me. “Nice to meet you. I’m Jordan Kramer.”
I’d been afraid of that. “You’re a girl.”
Jordan laughed. “That’s what it says on my birth certificate, but I’m really glad you were able to figure it out without needing to read it.”
Nope. I definitely didn’t need that.


Check out my review of another book by this author!

author
Kelly Oram wrote her first novel at age fifteen–a fan fiction about her favorite music group, The Backstreet Boys, for which her family and friends still tease her. She’s obsessed with reading, talks way too much, and likes to eat frosting by the spoonful. She lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her husband, four children, and her cat, Mr. Darcy.

To learn more about Kelly Oram and her books, visit her website.You can also find her on Goodreads, Facebook, and Twitter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

By What's Beyond Forks? on March 15, 2016 0 comments
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