Why We Broke Up

Book Review

Title: Why We Broke Up

Author: Daniel Handler Illustrator: Maira Kalman

Date Published: December 3, 2013

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Page Count: 354

Rating:★★★

Buy Me: Amazon, B&N,Book Depository

Meet The Author: Daniel Handler

Meet The Illustrator:  Maira Kalman

Synopsis:

I'm telling you why we broke up, Ed. I'm writing it in this letter, the whole truth of why it happened.

Min Green and Ed Slaterton are breaking up, so Min is writing Ed a letter and giving him a box. Inside the box is why they broke up. Two bottle caps, a movie ticket, a folded note, a box of matches, a protractor, books, a toy truck, a pair of ugly earrings, a comb from a motel room, and every other item collected over the course of a giddy, intimate, heartbreaking relationship. Item after item is illustrated and accounted for, and then the box, like a girlfriend, will be dumped.

My Thoughts:

feel like I just got dumped. This book wasn't what I expected; to be honest I really don't know what I was expecting from this book I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it.

Our main character Min is breaking up with Ed, Min has a box full of memories that she wants to give back to Ed, so she is writing him a letter explaining the significance of each thing inside the box and how it lead them to break up.

I didn't hate this book but I did have some problems with it. I had never read a book like it. The Illustrations and the explanations kept me turning the pages; I also really grew attached to Min. The reason I gave this book three stars was the author's writing style, it just wasn't for me the run on sentences to explain one thing were so irritating. I have never read a book by Daniel Handler (Lemony Snicket) so I'm not sure if that is his writing style or it was only used in this book. Also I saw the ending coming and I hate books that have such a predictable ending (the true reason why they broke up), but I'm not going to lie the ending did make me tear up a little. I have a love, hate relationship with this book at the moment.

I'm not going to tell you don't read the book, but I wouldn't drop my current read to pick this up any time soon. Like I said I have very mixed feelings for this book. 

-SandraTheBookWorm

Magnolia

Book Review

Title: Magnolia

Author: Kristi Cook

Date Published: August 5, 2014

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Page Count: 336

Rating: ★★★★★

Buy Me: Amazon, B&N, Book Depository

Meet The Author: Kristi Cook

Synopsis:

In Magnolia Branch, Mississippi, the Cafferty and Marsden families are southern royalty. Neighbors since the Civil War, the families have shared vacations, holidays, backyard barbecues, and the overwhelming desire to unite their two clans by marriage. So when a baby boy and girl were born to the families at the same time, the perfect opportunity seemed to have finally arrived.

Jemma Cafferty and Ryder Marsden have no intention of giving in to their parents’ wishes. They're only seventeen, for goodness’ sake, not to mention that one little problem: They hate each other! Jemma can't stand Ryder’s nauseating golden-boy persona, and Ryder would like nothing better than to pretend stubborn Jemma doesn't exist.

But when a violent storm ravages Magnolia Branch, it unearths Jemma’s and Ryder’s true feelings for each other as the two discover that the line between love and hate may be thin enough to risk crossing over.

My Thoughts: 

I LOVED this book! It was the light, fluffy read I needed to get me out of my reading slump.

Jemma and Ryder have known each other since they were born and their family the Cafferty’s and Marsden’s have known each other since the civil war and have been dying to unite both families by marriage, and now that Jemma and Ryder have been born they finally can. There is just one problem Jemma and Ryder hate each other and have no intention of making their family's dreams come true. Until a violent storm hits Magnolia Branch and they're forced to spend a whole week together and their true feelings for each other begin to surface. 

This book reminded me of Romeo and Juliet but turned upside down. I loved how the love story wasn't insta love that Jemma and Ryder had known each other their whole lives, but they just didn't know how they felt about each other. I loved the Mississippi setting and that they lived in old plantation homes it just made the read so much better; the southern feel to it. Also Jemma was kind of bad azz I liked how she was captain of the cheerleaders, but she also had the best shot in Mississippi.

If you're in the mood for a light contemporary with a summery feel to it, look no further this book is perfect, or if you're in a reading slump this book will definitely get you out of it. A plus Ryder is so HOT and I need more of him in my life. I read this book in one sitting, that’s how good it is. If you haven't picked it up you definitely should.

-SandraTheBookWorm