Review: RANDOM

Who's the real victim here? This tense and gripping exploration of cyberbullying and teen suicide is perfect for fans of Before I Fall and Thirteen Reasons Why.

Late at night Tori receives a random phone call. It's a wrong number. But the caller seems to want to talk, so she stays on the line.

He asks for a single thing—one reason not to kill himself.

The request plunges her into confusion. Because if this random caller actually does what he plans, he'll be the second person connected to Tori to take his own life. And the first just might land her in jail. After her Facebook page became Exhibit A in a tragic national news story about cyberbullying. Tori can't help but suspect the caller is a fraud. But what if he’s not? Her words alone may hold the power of life or death.

With the clock ticking, Tori has little time to save a stranger—and maybe redeem herself—leading to a startling conclusion that changes everything.

“Don’t let your mouth write checks your heart can’t cash,” 

The short description of what the story is all about is not as intense as the story itself. The fact that it is recommended to fans of Before I Fall and Thirteen Reasons Why is enough to tickle my curious cat. I adore both books so it isn't a surprise that I have a soft spot for this one too.

What made it even more intense and gripping would probably be the fact that the whole thing happened in a span of 24hours.  I became invested to it from the very beginning and it escalated even more at the end.

I could only imagine the thoughts going on in the mind of a sixteen-year-old girl when she received some strange call from a person thinking of doing suicide. It's already bad that she had to go to a trial because of a felony act and now, she was  given such huge responsibility for another person or life.

I simply love the smooth twists and turns. It was beautifully sewn together. It wasn't cluttered or confusing. It all made sense.

I have also a strong objection against bullying in any form or type so clearly I am not happy with Tori's character. I just can't accept the fact that she wasn't aware that she was practically goading someone to bully another person or the fact that she was actually bullying someone. So the whole dropping of another suicide situation on her lap made me thought that she kinda deserves it at some point. It served as a lesson to her actually, in my opinion though. I mean, she's obviously too selfish, inconsiderate and plain insensitive. I just hate people like her that doesn't think twice about the consequences of their actions as long as other people thinks that they're cool.

This book is amazing in its own ways. The protagonist may not have killed the bullied person but that doesn't make her an innocent at all. And that's what this book is all about and what it teaches. It teaches us how a simple act could become something big and could ruin someone else's life. It may be a joke to you or your friends, you may not see the person you commented with something bad but it doesn't mean that that person isn't hurt or not taking it seriously. We have no idea what each person is going through in their lives so we gotta be careful with how we talk to them or how we deliver those unnecessary jokes.

The ending is priceless, its something I did not see coming. I was left speechless and my eyes widened. It made perfect sense and I loved it.

It may sound boring to some because it is consisted mostly of phone conversations but I do believe that it is what made the whole story intense and thrilling, like you're on a thread with Tori too. And as I've mentioned, Tori is selfish and it made the readers jittery because there could be a possibility that she might not help him and would more likely not be involved with it.

I highly recommend this to all. It's a must-read. A different treatment about cyberbullying because we get to see the other side of the story. It's in the perspective of one of the bullies. It would teach all the readers the value of being responsible with their actions and words. Kudos to Leveen!

Review: WHERE WE BELONG

The author of five blockbuster novels, Emily Giffin, delivers an unforgettable story of two women, the families that make them who they are, and the longing, loyalty and love that binds them together

Marian Caldwell is a thirty-six year old television producer, living her dream in New York City. With a fulfilling career and satisfying relationship, she has convinced everyone, including herself, that her life is just as she wants it to be. But one night, Marian answers a knock on the door . . . only to find Kirby Rose, an eighteen-year-old girl with a key to a past that Marian thought she had sealed off forever. From the moment Kirby appears on her doorstep, Marian’s perfectly constructed world—and her very identity—will be shaken to its core, resurrecting ghosts and memories of a passionate young love affair that threaten everything that has come to define her.

For the precocious and determined Kirby, the encounter will spur a process of discovery that ushers her across the threshold of adulthood, forcing her to re-evaluate her family and future in a wise and bittersweet light. As the two women embark on a journey to find the one thing missing in their lives, each will come to recognize that where we belong is often where we least expect to find ourselves—a place that we may have willed ourselves to forget, but that the heart remembers forever. 

"Even if we no longer have much in common, we would have always had the past, which, in some ways, is just as important as the present or future. It is where we come from, what makes us who we are."

Despite the fact that I have complete copies of Emily Griffin's books, this is the first time I've read one and I couldn't hide my delight that I am not disappointed nor irritated that I put my time and effort into reading one.

What triggered me to read this is the protagonist. Believe it or not, I got interested in the story because we share the same name. I put myself in the protagonist's shoes, you know, I imagined this was my story which made things or the whole experience a lot more interesting for me. I mean, I wanna be a TV producer and live in New York City after I graduate, so, yeah. Feels like a whole jump into my future, except the whole kid though.

"Whats not to love is hardly a reason to love. And the catch of your life is not the same thing as the love of your life. Be careful of that subtle but rather crucial distinction."

Everyone will agree to me that the story isn't fresh or unique, it's something we've seen on TV or movies or basically have read. The author's treatment is pretty much the same to others who have similar plots too but that doesn't mean that it's not worth the time.

I love that it didn't shy away from the reality. People who has or had the same experience would definitely relate with the characters. Marian is the typical 'i don't know how to deal with a child I put in adoption' kind of birth mother. I understand why she had to put the past behind her but at least she didn't totally deprive the child to at least get to know her coz she still used the same contact address she gave to the adoption center so that's saying a lot.

I didn't exactly appreciate the character of her boyfriend. I get it that he has the right to get upset that she didn't tell him right away but weighing everything down, he should be the more understanding one. Marian has tons of reasons why she didn't exactly tell him. It's not some lame secrets that you could just blurt out. It's something way bigger than anything else.

I love that Marian's character is dynamic. I have seen how she grew as the birth mother. She totally tried her best to at least bond with Kirby. Her awkwardness was not because she didn't like Kirby's presence but simply because she didn't really know how to deal with such situation and that's pretty normal. I just didn't like that she kept the whole pregnancy a secret to the birth father. I mean, cmon, he has the right to know. 

Kirby, on the other hand, I totally understand her attitude. Her feeling of indifference with her family. There's no deprivation of love and care from her family. They all love her equally but being an adopted, it's pretty normal to not find a single common interest with the members of the family. Her rebellion and the way she kept pushing them away is normal and I didn't get annoyed by it because she's also a developing character. She's going through a lot of 'finding herself'. I am just completely amazed that she went through her way to locate her parents and didn't exactly blame them for anything but just, you know, looking some closure and looking for that missing part of her life.


This book is not entirely magical or amazing of some sort. It's a good quick read, nothing fancy though. 

Review: THOUGHTLESS

For almost two years now, Kiera's boyfriend, Denny, has been everything she's ever wanted: loving, tender and endlessly devoted to her. When they head off to a new city to start their lives together, Denny at his dream job and Kiera at a top-notch university, everything seems perfect. Then an unforeseen obligation forces the happy couple apart.

Feeling lonely, confused, and in need of comfort, Kiera turns to an unexpected source—a local rock star named Kellan Kyle. At first, he's purely a friend that she can lean on, but as her loneliness grows, so does their relationship. And then one night everything changes... and none of them will ever be the same.

P.S.I'll be warning everyone who reads this that I might use cursing words here quite a few times so if you're not into vulgar expression of thoughts and feelings, you may stop from here.

Basically, the story of this book is about some bitch hooking up with her boyfriend's bestfriend WHO happened to be a local rock star. But to make it much much simpler, this is about CHEATING. Ain't that amazing?

I have strong objection towards infidelity. I don't go for "We're all humans, we are entitled to make mistakes along the way" kind of bullocks. I've never felt so loathsome to any protagonist or story 'til I read this badly written excuse of a book about romance. I didn't read anything romantic about this story or with any of the characters. This book teaches everyone what to do to ruin a perfectly built relationship AND how to be a bitch slut.


The protagonist, Kiera, is the biggest, prolly the Queen of all bitch sluts in the world. She is selfish, bratty and completely ridiculous in all forms. Actually, she doesn't deserve any pity or comfort, she doesn't deserve Denny at all. She juggled two bestfriends despite the fact that is crystal clear that she wants and been lusting over Kellan. I mean, what protagonist won't lust over a ROCK STAR, right? Pathetic. That's all I can say.

I wasn't able to find anything bad about Denny coz guess what, there's NONE. His character is every (sane) girl's dream. He's faithful, endearing and loving and quite frankly, stupid for even falling for a bitch like Kiera. He's the one who has the right to all our pities. He's been cheated on, both of his girlfriend AND bestfriend. 

And Kellan? I loathe that guy as much. He's ungrateful, disrespectful, downright immoral and the biggest DOUCHEBAG of all. He and Kiera are simply perfect for each other, a douchebag and a bitch slut. 

Your boyfriend goes overseas and you jump right into the bed of the douche available? WOW. Just WOW.

I must say, Kiera must have some magical vagina or is just a good manipulator to have two guys putty in her hands coz lemme tell you, I wasn't able to find anything good about her character. Honestly, I want to murder her. Yes, that's how much I loathe her. And what the freaking fuck is all the BLUSHING about?! It made me even angrier like do you even need to blush about almost everything? Don't tell me when someone tells you they're gonna poop right in front of you, you'll also blush!

And as I've said before, it is badly written. It's as if a five year old kid wrote this big blob. I am utterly disappointed. I am utterly disappointed to Stephens for this badly written book, for choosing a moron for a protagonist and for even putting all the readers in pure misery reading this book.

News Update: GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS 2015 WINNERS!

Hola!

I know most of you guys have been waiting for the results of the Goodreads Choice Awards 2015 like me. I must tell you all that the competition was amazing, The nominees were phenomenal and it was a really close number of votes. I'd like to congratulate all the authors that have won and made it through the final round. And of course the awesome fans and voters who made it possible for them to win.

Anyway, here are the winners this 2015!

BEST FICTION

From Harper Lee comes a landmark new novel set two decades after her beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, To Kill a Mockingbird.

Maycomb, Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch--"Scout"--returns home from New York City to visit her aging father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in a painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past--a journey that can be guided only by one's conscience. 

Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humor and effortless precision--a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill a Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to an American classic. 

BEST MYSTERY & THRILLER

A debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people’s lives.

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

Compulsively readable, The Girl on the Train is an emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller and an electrifying debut.

BEST HISTORICAL FICTION

In love we find out who we want to be.

In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When France is overrun, Vianne is forced to take an enemy into her house, and suddenly her every move is watched; her life and her child’s life is at constant risk. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates around her, she must make one terrible choice after another. 

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets the compelling and mysterious Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can...completely. When he betrays her, Isabelle races headlong into danger and joins the Resistance, never looking back or giving a thought to the real--and deadly--consequences.

With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah takes her talented pen to the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France--a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime. 

BEST FANTASY

Multiple award winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman returns to dazzle, captivate, haunt, and entertain with this third collection of short fiction following Smoke and Mirrors and Fragile Things--which includes a never-before published American Gods story, "Black Dog," written exclusively for this volume.

In this new anthology, Neil Gaiman pierces the veil of reality to reveal the enigmatic, shadowy world that lies beneath. Trigger Warning includes previously published pieces of short fiction--stories, verse, and a very special Doctor Who story that was written for the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved series in 2013--as well "Black Dog," a new tale that revisits the world of American Gods, exclusive to this collection.

Trigger Warning explores the masks we all wear and the people we are beneath them to reveal our vulnerabilities and our truest selves. Here is a rich cornucopia of horror and ghosts stories, science fiction and fairy tales, fabulism and poetry that explore the realm of experience and emotion. In "Adventure Story"--a thematic companion to The Ocean at the End of the Lane--Gaiman ponders death and the way people take their stories with them when they die. His social media experience "A Calendar of Tales" are short takes inspired by replies to fan tweets about the months of the year--stories of pirates and the March winds, an igloo made of books, and a Mother's Day card that portends disturbances in the universe. Gaiman offers his own ingenious spin on Sherlock Holmes in his award-nominated mystery tale "The Case of Death and Honey". And "Click-Clack the Rattlebag" explains the creaks and clatter we hear when we're all alone in the darkness.

A sophisticated writer whose creative genius is unparalleled, Gaiman entrances with his literary alchemy, transporting us deep into the realm of imagination, where the fantastical becomes real and the everyday incandescent. Full of wonder and terror, surprises and amusements, Trigger Warning is a treasury of delights that engage the mind, stir the heart, and shake the soul from one of the most unique and popular literary artists of our day.

BEST ROMANCE

Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

BEST SCIENCE FICTION

With shades of The Hunger Games, Ender’s Game, and Game of Thrones, debut author Pierce Brown’s genre-defying epic Red Rising hit the ground running and wasted no time becoming a sensation. Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within. A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Son guarantees Pierce Brown’s continuing status as one of fiction’s most exciting new voices. 

BEST HORROR

The hugely anticipated finale to #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz's acclaimed Odd Thomas series, featuring his most popular character-a thrilling tour-de-force packed with suspense and emotion that gives fans everything they've been waiting for... and much, much more.

Two years after the cataclysmic events that sent him journeying into mystery, Odd Thomas, the intrepid fry cook who sees the dead and tries to help them, has traveled full circle, back to his beloved home town of Pico Mundo and the people he loves. He has come to save them-and perhaps humanity-from the full flowering of evil it is his destiny to confront, as he draws ever closer to the truth of the world and his place in it. Stronger, wiser than he started, and with the help of the friends he has made along the way, Odd prepares to confront the terrible forces arrayed against him and possibly to journey still farther, to his long-awaited reunion with his lost love, Stormy Llewellyn. 

BEST HUMOUR

In Why Not Me?, Kaling shares her ongoing journey to find contentment and excitement in her adult life, whether it’s falling in love at work, seeking new friendships in lonely places, attempting to be the first person in history to lose weight without any behavior modification whatsoever, or most important, believing that you have a place in Hollywood when you’re constantly reminded that no one looks like you.

In “How to Look Spectacular: A Starlet’s Confessions,” Kaling gives her tongue-in-cheek secrets for surefire on-camera beauty, (“Your natural hair color may be appropriate for your skin tone, but this isn’t the land of appropriate–this is Hollywood, baby. Out here, a dark-skinned woman’s traditional hair color is honey blonde.”) “Player” tells the story of Kaling being seduced and dumped by a female friend in L.A. (“I had been replaced by a younger model. And now they had matching bangs.”) In “Unlikely Leading Lady,” she muses on America’s fixation with the weight of actresses, (“Most women we see onscreen are either so thin that they’re walking clavicles or so huge that their only scenes involve them breaking furniture.”) And in “Soup Snakes,” Kaling spills some secrets on her relationship with her ex-boyfriend and close friend, B.J. Novak (“I will freely admit: my relationship with B.J. Novak is weird as hell.”)

Mindy turns the anxieties, the glamour, and the celebrations of her second coming-of-age into a laugh-out-loud funny collection of essays that anyone who’s ever been at a turning point in their life or career can relate to. And those who’ve never been at a turning point can skip to the parts where she talks about meeting Bradley Cooper.

BEST NONFICTION

Now a New York Times Bestseller

A hilarious, thoughtful, and in-depth exploration of the pleasures and perils of modern romance from one of this generation’s sharpest comedic voices

At some point, every one of us embarks on a journey to find love. We meet people, date, get into and out of relationships, all with the hope of finding someone with whom we share a deep connection. This seems standard now, but it’s wildly different from what people did even just decades ago. Single people today have more romantic options than at any point in human history. With technology, our abilities to connect with and sort through these options are staggering. So why are so many people frustrated?

Some of our problems are unique to our time. “Why did this guy just text me an emoji of a pizza?” “Should I go out with this girl even though she listed Combos as one of her favorite snack foods? Combos?!” “My girlfriend just got a message from some dude named Nathan. Who’s Nathan? Did he just send her a photo of his penis? Should I check just to be sure?” 

But the transformation of our romantic lives can’t be explained by technology alone. In a short period of time, the whole culture of finding love has changed dramatically. A few decades ago, people would find a decent person who lived in their neighborhood. Their families would meet and, after deciding neither party seemed like a murderer, they would get married and soon have a kid, all by the time they were twenty-four. Today, people marry later than ever and spend years of their lives on a quest to find the perfect person, a soul mate.

For years, Aziz Ansari has been aiming his comic insight at modern romance, but for Modern Romance, the book, he decided he needed to take things to another level. He teamed up with NYU sociologist Eric Klinenberg and designed a massive research project, including hundreds of interviews and focus groups conducted everywhere from Tokyo to Buenos Aires to Wichita. They analyzed behavioral data and surveys and created their own online research forum on Reddit, which drew thousands of messages. They enlisted the world’s leading social scientists, including Andrew Cherlin, Eli Finkel, Helen Fisher, Sheena Iyengar, Barry Schwartz, Sherry Turkle, and Robb Willer. The result is unlike any social science or humor book we’ve seen before.

In Modern Romance, Ansari combines his irreverent humor with cutting-edge social science to give us an unforgettable tour of our new romantic world. 

BEST MEMOIR & AUTOBIOGRAPHY

In this intimate memoir of life beyond the camera, Connor Franta shares the lessons he has learned on his journey from small-town boy to Internet sensation so far.

Here, Connor offers a look at his Midwestern upbringing as one of four children in the home and one of five in the classroom; his struggles with identity, body image, and sexuality in his teen years; and his decision to finally pursue his creative and artistic passions in his early twenties, setting up his thrilling career as a YouTube personality, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and tastemaker.

Exploring his past with insight and humor, his present with humility, and his future with hope, Connor reveals his private struggles while providing heartfelt words of wisdom for young adults. His words will resonate with anyone coming of age in the digital era, but at the core is a timeless message for people of all ages: don't be afraid to be yourself and to go after what you truly want.

This full-color collection includes photography and childhood clippings provided by Connor and is a must-have for anyone inspired by his journey. 

BEST HISTORY & BIOGRAPHY

#1 New York Times Bestseller

From the bestselling author and master of narrative nonfiction comes the enthralling story of the sinking of the Lusitania

On May 1, 1915, with WWI entering its tenth month, a luxury ocean liner as richly appointed as an English country house sailed out of New York, bound for Liverpool, carrying a record number of children and infants. The passengers were surprisingly at ease, even though Germany had declared the seas around Britain to be a war zone. For months, German U-boats had brought terror to the North Atlantic. But the Lusitania was one of the era’s great transatlantic “Greyhounds”—the fastest liner then in service—and her captain, William Thomas Turner, placed tremendous faith in the gentlemanly strictures of warfare that for a century had kept civilian ships safe from attack. 

Germany, however, was determined to change the rules of the game, and Walther Schwieger, the captain of Unterseeboot-20, was happy to oblige. Meanwhile, an ultra-secret British intelligence unit tracked Schwieger’s U-boat, but told no one. As U-20 and the Lusitania made their way toward Liverpool, an array of forces both grand and achingly small—hubris, a chance fog, a closely guarded secret, and more—all converged to produce one of the great disasters of history.

It is a story that many of us think we know but don’t, and Erik Larson tells it thrillingly, switching between hunter and hunted while painting a larger portrait of America at the height of the Progressive Era. Full of glamour and suspense, Dead Wake brings to life a cast of evocative characters, from famed Boston bookseller Charles Lauriat to pioneering female architect Theodate Pope to President Woodrow Wilson, a man lost to grief, dreading the widening war but also captivated by the prospect of new love. 

Gripping and important, Dead Wake captures the sheer drama and emotional power of a disaster whose intimate details and true meaning have long been obscured by history. 

BEST SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

*Now a New York Times Best Seller*

Over the course of two decades, John Hargrove worked with 20 different whales on two continents and at two of SeaWorld's U.S. facilities. For Hargrove, becoming an orca trainer fulfilled a childhood dream. However, as his experience with the whales deepened, Hargrove came to doubt that their needs could ever be met in captivity. When two fellow trainers were killed by orcas in marine parks, Hargrove decided that SeaWorld's wildly popular programs were both detrimental to the whales and ultimately unsafe for trainers.

After leaving SeaWorld, Hargrove became one of the stars of the controversial documentary Blackfish. The outcry over the treatment of SeaWorld's orca has now expanded beyond the outlines sketched by the award-winning documentary, with Hargrove contributing his expertise to an advocacy movement that is convincing both federal and state governments to act.

In Beneath the Surface, Hargrove paints a compelling portrait of these highly intelligent and social creatures, including his favorite whales Takara and her mother Kasatka, two of the most dominant orcas in SeaWorld. And he includes vibrant descriptions of the lives of orcas in the wild, contrasting their freedom in the ocean with their lives in SeaWorld.

Hargrove's journey is one that humanity has just begun to take-toward the realization that the relationship between the human and animal worlds must be radically rethought. 

BEST FOOD & COOKBOOKS

THERE’S NO TIME LIKE DINNERTIME!

Oh, don’t get me wrong. I adore breakfast. I love lunch! But dinnertime definitely tops them all. It’s the time of day when we reunite with our sweeties, our kids, our friends, our parents . . . and catch up on the events of the day over something mouthwatering and delicious. Dinnertime anchors us, nourishes us, and reassures us. It’s the greatest meal of the day!

 The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime is a beloved collection of all the scrumptious supper recipes that make their way through my kitchen in regular rotation, from main dish salads to satisfying soups to hearty casseroles to comfort food classics . . . and everything in between. I lay out all the different ways I tackle dinner in my house, from super-quick 16-Minute Meals to make-ahead Freezer Food to irresistible pastas and a bundle of brand-new favorites of my crew.

You’ll want to immediately dive into surefire hits like Tomato Soup with Parmesan Croutons, Buffalo Chicken Salad, Baked Ziti, and Shrimp Scampi. But just wait till you try the Cashew Chicken, French Dip Sandwiches, Chicken Marsala, and Beef Stroganoff. And don’t even get me started on the Tomato Tart, Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce, and Pan-Fried Pork Chops. You’ll have a very tough time deciding on a favorite!

To take away the guesswork, I made sure to include all the step-by-step recipe photos I love to share, and I packed as much deliciousness into each chapter as possible. My hope is that you will turn to this book regularly to solve your dinnertime dilemmas, and that you will use these recipes to feed your family time and time again. The more stains, smudges, and smears on the pages, the better!

Enjoy dinnertime in your household, friends!

BEST GRAPHIC NOVELS & COMICS

From the Eisner Award-winning duo of Brian K. Vaughan (The Private Eye, Pride of Baghdad) and Fiona Staples (Mystery Society, Thor, SAGA is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the universe. As they visit a strange new world and encounter even more adversaries, baby Hazel finally becomes a toddler, while her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana struggle to stay on their feet.

BEST POETRY

Known for her eponymous blog and her confessional style of writing, this is Trista Mateer's second collection of poetry.

BEST DEBUT GOODREADS AUTHOR

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart ... 

BEST YA FICTION

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven. 

BEST YA FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION

The queen has returned.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world. 

BEST MIDDLE GRADE & CHILDREN'S

Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .

BEST PICTURE BOOKS

The companion to the #1 blockbuster bestseller, The Day the Crayons Quit!

I'm not sure what it is about this kid Duncan, but his crayons sure are a colorful bunch of characters! Having soothed the hurt feelings of one group who threatened to quit, Duncan now faces a whole new group of crayons asking to be rescued. From Maroon Crayon, who was lost beneath the sofa cushions and then broken in two after Dad sat on him; to poor Turquoise, whose head is now stuck to one of Duncan's stinky socks after they both ended up in the dryer together; to Pea Green, who knows darn well that no kid likes peas and who ran away—each and every crayon has a woeful tale to tell and a plea to be brought home to the crayon box.

Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers have combined to create a companion book every bit as funny and kid-friendly as the #1 bestselling The Day the Crayons Quit.

Review: THE GEOGRAPHY OF YOU AND ME

Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father.

Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met.

A carefully charted map of a long-distance relationship, Jennifer E. Smith's new novel shows that the center of the world isn't necessarily a place. It can be a person, too.  

I have been in a long distance relationship for like a year and a half now so maybe that's why at some point I was able to appreciate this story and its sentiments. I have voiced out my opinion towards This is what happy looks like and it turned out to be This is what boring looks like to me. It was pretty much harsh but it spoke truth on my part. Jennifer E. Smith's books have made quite a buzz which made the cat curious.  

 "Absence makes the heart grow fonder."

When I learned what this story is all about I was keen to know how  she'd be able to pull it all off. I mean, they're basically strangers, they only met once and apparently that meeting turned out be like sparks flying. And as you may all notice that's the starting point of all J.Smith's story. What I was looking forward to was how they'd be able to develop a relationship with such little and inconsistent communication with each other. Their means of communication was through postcards and emails which isn't exactly an ideal way to use when you're in a long distance relationship so it got me saying, I wanna know more. I feel like this is some sort of a good challenge for the protagonists. How would they work this all out considering Lucy moved out all of a sudden to a new country?

"How long could a single night really be expected to last? How far could you stretch such a small collection of minutes?"

It was all of a sudden. It was like, they suddenly met and then they suddenly just went apart from each other. And those all happened in the first few chapters of the story. It's like we were forced to love and admire a relationship or couple with such little amount of moments between them.  And that was such a challenge for us too because we had to decide whether we wanna move forward with this story or not and I'm proud that a lot have taken the challenge like me. 

"There was no point in waiting for someone who hadn't asked, and there was no point in wishing for something that would never happen."

As much as I doubt the postcards and emails as being effective means of communication I have found it quite more endearing, more intimate and more meaningful than receiving texts. I'm not against texting or calling, I mean, my boyfriend do that a lot but I don't know, postcards and emails just screams effort to me. And you get to have something from that person you love that you can keep. I mean, you'd be able to hold postcards, it's cute and with the emails, not everyone is bold enough to use them nowadays but you know, its cute too and its different. Its like bringing the old times back. You know what I mean? But hey, when you're in a long distance relationship, every means of communication is important and special to you. 

"Maybe they were never meant to have more than just one night. After all, not everything can last. Not everything is supposed to mean something."

What I also love about this book is that, there was no instant love between the characters. The relationship they have are a product of a challenged long distance friendship.

The character aren't very dynamic. There was little development. I love how they were introduced and how I was able to learn so much about them, their relationship with their family and how they dealt with issues surrounding them. The idea of them having different relationship with other people was nice. I felt like it helped a lot for them to actually work on what they felt towards each other and to finally come terms to what they have between them.

"When there was nothing but space between you, everything felt like a leap." 

The story is obviously fluffy, just cute and romantic in a very light way kind of a contemporary. It's not exactly life-changing, it doesn't make you wanna have a Long Distance Relationship with anyone but I can  guarantee you that it's a quick read you'd definitely love and enjoy. It may not be the kind of book that would stick with you but it's definitely worth the shot.