Review: The Duff by Kody Keplinger

Book: The Duff by Kody Keplinger
Publisher: Little Brown/Poppy
Pages: 280
Source: Library
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

GAAHHH, where has Kody Keplinger been all of my life?!

Contemporary isn't my favorite genre, but this book gives me hope that I will ADORE other contemporary novels just like this one. *silence* NO, I KID, *chuckles* but seriously, WHAT an awesome contemporary novel.

WHY THE DUFF GIVES ME HOPE

• BIANCA and her hilariousness.
• Who is Bianca? Why, everyone, she is the heroine of this novel! Armed with a cynical voice, sarcastic remarks, intellect, and tons of hilarity, how could I not like her? We're practically the SAME! I pretty much fell in love with her when she made her statement of teenagers can't possibly fall in love at this stage because love takes YEARS. THAT, my friends, is my mentality on love and Bianca stating my exact thoughts sold me on her!

• Bianca's best friends are not dumb bimbos. YAAA to the AAAAY!
• Going into the book, I completely expected that this novel would consist of Bianca's annoying "best friends" who use her, are hot, are completely dumb, and create drama. Yeah, COMPLETE opposite of that! 
• Casey and Jessica (the best friends) are three-dimensional, lovable characters. SERIOUSLY. Their friendship with Bianca was something I totally adored throughout the whole novel!

• This book was FILLED TO THE BRIM with panty melter moments. GOOD GOSH.
• Romance, romance, romance! I cannot live without it. Wesley and Bianca's relationship started off really rocky, but seeing it blossom throughout the novel with their back and forth (HILARIOUS, if I may insert) banter and the events that allowed them to connect was just "EEEEP" worthy!
• NOW, onto the panty melter moments. The sexual tension, hot kissy scenes, just YUM. Fans of  contemporary romance will REJOICE when reading this book, just like I have.  (I cannot say anymore, due to my fear of sounding inarticulate like this: SLAHJDJLDSHJ IT WAS SO GOOD AND HOT GIMME MORE.)

• I finished this in a day. SAY WHHHAAA?
• I kid you NOT that I, the slowest reader ever, finished this book in a day. It was SO addicting, I just literally could not put it down.

• While The Duff has many of its light hearted moments, it also touched on some more mature subjects as well. Being able to mesh together more airy, lively scenes as well as serious topics in a novel is SUCH a big win for me. 

And, my friends, that is why The Duff gives me hope. Read this, be enlightened by its awesomeness, then come tell me about it on Twitter or through the comments.

Looking for a Co-Blogger!

Or would it be co-BLOGGERS? I'm not too sure yet. Heck, I don't even know if someone even wants to co-blog with me! XD

 Anyways, hello all! I've been meaning to post, I really have, but AP prep classes have been really demanding of my time and I'm going insane over the amount of work I have to do. Never mind me though, that's not the point of this post.

I realized I'm going to be REALLY busy throughout the school year with school and such, and so, I decided to open up the floor for anyone who would like to be my co-blogger! :) I love my blog, I really do, and I do not want to have to neglect it or even shut it down! D:

If I'm like THIS from an AP prep class:

Then only GOSH knows how MORE tired I'll be from an entire day at school with AP CLASSES. XD Heck, I don't even have any reading time lately. D:

So... I need someone's help. :( I really do. 

Fill out the form HERE if any of you are interested. 

Do you DETEST forms? Then shoot me an email instead at babygeebookreviews(at)gmail(dot)com and tell me why you want to blog with me, a bit about yourself, and yep. :)

*awkward silence*

No takers? Okay then...

Top Ten Steamy Recommendations

Welcome to another day of Steamy Reads Week! Here's a recap of what's happened so far:

What's an insanely hot read with dual perspectives of both the sexy boy and the mysterious girl? Read my review of Pushing the Limits here!

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Today, I'll be borrowing The Broke and Bookish's idea of Top Ten Tuesday, but with an entirely different topic: STEAMY RECS. C'mon, everyone, we all know you love a little smexiness in your reads!

1. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare -- If you haven't read these series yet, I HIGHLY suggest you do. This book has SUCH good plot, delicious writing, and it's HISTORICAL. The romance is also to die for as well. It definitely has its sexy times, but can be sweet and also heart wrenching. <3

2. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo -- I WAS TORN apart between the two boys! It's such well written romance that had me rooting for both of the boys! In the end, they each took a piece of my heart. :'(

3. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins -- If you haven't read this yet, I only shake my head in shame at you. THIS IS ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVORITES. 'Nuff said.

4. Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear -- I totally ate up this steampunk fantasy's romance. I was swooning over the majority of the time I was reading this book.

5. The Duff by Kody Keplinger -- FINISHED THIS IN A DAY. There were so many panty melter moments I just died. <3 (And it's freaking hilarious and good and "ASFADJFH" worthy as well.)

6. The Angelfire Series by Courtney A. Moulton -- AHHHHHH. This romance had me swooning SO HARD that I almost fell off the face of this earth.

7. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles -- HAAWWTTT, smoldering goodness.

8. The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen -- HAAWWTTT, smoldering goodness with a paranormal touch and more sexy boys.

ANNND, those are all my recs for you guys! :) See anything you liked? Read any of these already?

Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Book: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Publisher: Harlequin TEEN
Pages: 384
Source: Netgalley
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

So wrong for each other...and yet so right.

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.  Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

GOSH. This book is SO deceiving. Do NOT be deceived, guys. It may seem utterly boring and completely cliche, but it is FAR from that and it is ah-maziiing!

WHAT IS SO GREAT ABOUT THIS BOOK?

 Um, EVERYTHING? Of course if I just said that, then this review wouldn't really be a review, now would it? SO, let's start off with the story itself.

• Personally, I totally thought this was going to be a really cliche story with a girl who got abused and boy comes in to save the day. Hint: IT WASN'T. **
• The BIG mystery: what the heck happened to Echo? I loved how it was a bit hard to figure out and the answer to the mystery itself was rather shocking!
• What was also a really great aspect of this book is that there's some pretty dark, edgy topics that are touched upon in this novel, and to see Noah and Echo overcome all their trials separately and together was so great. It was emotionally touching, just as it was riveting.

•  I'm actually beginning to enjoy dual point of views.
• I got to see what Echo felt when she was emotionally distraught from the real truth, understand how Noah felt when he was with Echo, and it was really great to grasp their thoughts and what makes them tick.

• Now, what really makes this book shine is the ROMANCE and the two characters stuck in the middle of it.
• I really liked how the tension between Noah and Echo gradually builds up, and explodes with a burning inferno. There's so many small yet electrically charged moments between these two I just felt like my heart was going to explode from swooning! McGarry does not disappoint on delivering!

•  Noah and Echo? I loved them both together, and each as an individual!
• First off, NOAH. Dude, this guy is one of the most swoon worthy men I have ever had a chance to read about. Fiercely loyal and protective, charming and seductive, this guy has it all! Did I mention that he's really really hot too? SCORE.

• YAY for Echo! Ahhhh, I really really liked this girl. She didn't make it to one of my all time favorites, but she had an awesome personality and was really strong which is a PLUS.

**(NOT that I'm saying that getting abused in real life is boring and cliche, I'm just saying it's predictable to see that kind of twist pop up in stories.)

Do yourself a favor, and just read Pushing the Limits when you get a chance to. The words in my review does not do this book any justice on how utterly beautiful yet emotionally raw this story is.

 EQUALLY STEAMY READS:

 OH WAIT. Pushing the Limits doesn't come out till near the end of this month... Poop. Well, I have some GREAT recommendations for you to check out:

• In for something equally steamy, engaging, with a HOT male lead except on the paranormal side? Read Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins. (It's one of the BEST romances I've read by far.)

• In the mood for something more contemporary and light hearted with a few sexy times thrown in? Read The Duff by Kody Keplinger.

Stacking the Shelves (7/8/12)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by the lovely Tynga!

 

This week, I got:

For Review

Wake (Watersong #1) by Amanda Hocking

Unguarded by Ashley Robertson

Library

The Duff by Kody Keplinger

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What's Happening this Week

SO, I'm going to be starting THEME weeks on the blog. :) Of course they won't be every week (or else I'd be out of ideas for LIFE), but once in a while. 

Theme Weeks at Books to Infinity will have a few (hopefully FUN) posts AND at the end of the theeme week is a small giveaway of the books that go with the theme. :D (I'm not sure if this idea was taken by anyone yet, but feel free to correct me on that!)

This theme of the week for  is:

STEAMINESS GALORE, featuring your own and VERY only Kaidan Rowe from Sweet Evil.

Of course if it was ALL about Kai this week, I think it would put off a LOT of readers! That's why I'm including other steamy reads and ideas, but Kai/Sweet Evil will definitely be incorporated into each post. ;)

WHY am I featuring Kai from Sweet Evil specifically?

Well, he's in the YA Crush Tourney! He's going to be up against Finnick on July 13, and I really hope I have your guys' support and vote. :) Sweet Evil is one of my top favorite books for this year, so it makes me so happy to see that Kai is being discovered by new readers!

I hope you all have an awesome week! ♥

Waiting on Wednesday: "OOOH Blue Light!" Edition

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

This week, my picks are:

In this riveting debut, a telepathic girl must figure out why she is the key to her brand-new world--before the wrong person finds the answer first.

Twelve-year-old Sophie has never quite fit into her life. She's skipped multiple grades and doesn't really connect with the older kids at school, but she's not comfortable with her family, either. And Sophie has a secret--she's a Telepath, someone who can read minds. But the day Sophie meets Fitz, a mysterious (and adorable) boy, she learns she's not alone. He's a Telepath too, and it turns out the reason she has never felt at home is that, well...she isn't. Fitz opens Sophie's eyes to a shocking truth, and almost instantly she is forced to leave behind her family for a new life in a place that is vastly different from what she has ever known.

But Sophie still has secrets, and they're buried deep in her memory for good reason: The answers are dangerous and in high-demand. What is her true identity, and why was she hidden among humans? The truth could mean life or death--and time is running out.

Summary from Goodreads.

MG! EEEEP! Yes, this book is totally MG but that doesn't stop it from sounding adorable! ♥ :3

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Miranda wakes up alone on a park bench with no memory. In her panic, she releases a mysterious energy that incites pure terror in everyone around her. Except Peter, a boy who isn't at all surprised by Miranda's shocking ability.

Left with no choice but to trust this stranger, Miranda discovers she was trained to be a weapon and is part of an elite force of genetically-altered teens who possess flawless combat skills and powers strong enough to destroy a city. But adjusting to her old life isn't easy--especially with Noah, the boyfriend she can't remember loving. Then Miranda uncovers a dark truth that sets her team on the run. Suddenly her past doesn't seem to matter...when there may not be a future.

Dan Krokos' debut is a tour-de-force of non-stop action that will leave readers begging for the next book in this bold and powerful new series.

Summary from Goodreads.

Doesn't that cover look particularly...epic? c: I've been wanting this book ever since I saw it on Netgalley, and I managed to snag a copy at ALA! ♥

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! ♥ Hope y'all have a SPECTACULAR day! :D

P.S. Please please please vote for the smexy Kaidan from Sweet Evil on July 13 at the YA Crush Tourney. It would mean the WORLD to me if you guys did, and even MORE if you guys grabbed the button or changed your avatars to show your support! ♥ Thanks for reading! :)

(Also, the button isn't as big as it seems! I just made it look larger to make it a bit more easy on the eyes.)

<a href="http://www.taterstalltails.com/p/ya-crush-tourney-team-kaidan-official.html"><img border="0" width="110%" src="http://oi49.tinypic.com/xf156p.jpg"/></a>

Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Book: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Pages: 358
Source: ALA
Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

REASONS WHY THIS BOOK WAS AWESOME:

• Emotionally evoking read? YES.
• Guys, this book made me feel the FEELS. I laughed at Alina's almost snarky, sarcastic humor, I felt my heart do TEN THOUSAND leaps during the steamy/cutesy times, I teared up (which is something that does NOT happen often) MANY times, and I had my heart pummeled and crushed into billions of pieces.
• Oh yes, everyone, this book pulls many Cassie Clare-like tricks on you. Anyone read Clockwork Prince? Yeah, my heart was ripped out and stomped on as many times when I read CP. *sniffle* (And, I secretly enjoyed it but don't tell anyone that.) 

•  ALINA. You awesome heroine, you!
• Yes, that one word is a key aspect of why I loved this book so much! Far from those vapid ninnies YA books seem to call heroines nowadays, Alina was such a well written character. Realistic with a humorous voice, it was so so fun to read things from her perspective. 
• The way she acted in her situations was so realistic. The whole time I was reading this I kept thinking, "OH! I WOULD DO THE SAME THING TOO!" I love it when I can relate to characters.

• I actually ADORE this love triangle.
• Well, it's not necessarily a love triangle, but I seriously could not stop myself from rooting for both guys! When you haven't picked a side because you're so TORN between the two, that... THAT is when you know that it's a good romance.
• Pushing the two equally sexy men my heart pines for aside, I am so happy to say I hardly found any trace of instant love. The steamy scenes were practically BUILT on damn good  romantic tension, and the scenes where it made my heart go "AWWW!" were absolutely adorable and completely believable.

• Pertaining to the love triangle up above, Mal and Darkling. ENOUGH SAID.
• Well, I will say that each have their own attractive qualities which made me fall hard for both of them. The Darkling has more of this mysterious, infuriatingly sexy allure to him, while Mal's allure is just plain cute and charming.

• THE WRITING. OH MY GOSH.
• The prose in Shadow and Bone doesn't necessarily elicit the kind of vibe you get from elegant, beautiful writing, but more reminiscent to that of Suzanne Collins: engaging and compelling where it didn't let me go after I read the first sentence.

•  Surprise, twists, and shocks, oh my!
• Shadow and Bone definitely threw me in for a whirl. I practically did not see half of the things coming, and some of them were so shocking that it actually made my heart tear itself in half!

•  This Russian inspired high fantasy KICKS BUTT.
• Why does it kick one's arse? Well because of the world building! Filled with lavish descriptions and rich settings, Shadow and Bone was a book I wanted to take my time delving into. From the kefta to the kvas to the Grisha themselves, I loved every single aspect!

Point is? This book is like a sweet, sugary treat. I savored every last bit I could get out of it, and I cannot wait for more!