There Once Were Stars

Remember when I told you about my awesome resource for great new FREE e-books?  Well, this was one of them!  And I'm so glad I got it!

There Once Were Stars

Summary (via mcfarlanebooks.wix.com): Peace. Love. Order. Dome.
That's the motto that the Order has given the residents of Dome 1618 to live by.  Natalia Greyes is a resident of Dome 1618, a covered city protected from the deadly radiation that has poisoned the world outside for four generations.  Nat never questioned the Order, until one day she sees a stranger on the outside of the dome.

Now Nat wants answers.

What has the Order been hiding from the good and loyal people of Dome 1618?

Review (3/5 stars): The YA Dystopian Future genre is not something I delve into very often, but I find that when these types of books are written well, like this one, they leave you on the edge of your seat, disappointed only when you have to put it down and rejoin the real world. 

Within the first few pages you can easily visualize this other world where people live in domes to protect themselves from a deadly virus. It's fun, because as the reader you will find yourself imagining crazy plot twists and wondering what's real from the very beginning. Are they a science experiment? Are there really other domes? Does anyone know they're there?

The only criticism I have is that the lead character, Natalia, was very immature. However, she's 16 and lost her parents when she was very young. So, in some respects I actually applaud the author for keeping Natalia a little more true to real life. Often, in this type of book, the teenager is mature far beyond her years, handling every crisis with ease and knowing more about the world than all of the adults around her. So, even though Natalia's immaturity was often mildly annoying, so are most other 16 year olds.

The other characters in the book add nicely to the story. I felt like there were some unresolved storylines though. I never really understood why the grandmother acted the way she did toward Natalia and I wonder if the uncle's storyline ended the way it did to open the door for a sequel.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I'll definitely look up other books by Melanie McFarlane, (who it turns out lives not too far from me!!) and may even dip my toe in another dystopian future.

(I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.)

Did you know that Nasa did an experiment in 2015 and stuck 6 people in a dome for 8 months?!?!  I saw a (very bad) movie about this not too long ago, but I had no idea this was actually happening!  It's to prepare for the mission to Mars.

Watch the video to see inside the doom and meet the crew!

I think I'd go bonkers.  Do you think you could live in a confined space with only a few other people? Leave a comment below~

The Mind Readers

The first in a series of 4 books, The Mind Readers just might blow your mind~

Click the preview button to check out the book!

Summary (via Goodreads): Cameron Winters is a freak. Fortunately, no one but her family knows the truth... that Cameron can read minds. For years Cameron has hidden behind a facade of normalcy, warned that there are those who would do her harm. When gorgeous and mysterious Lewis Douglas arrives he destroys everything Cameron has ever believed and tempts her with possibilities of freedom. Determined to embrace her hidden talents, Cameron heads to a secret haven with Lewis; a place where she meets others like her, Mind Readers.

But as Cameron soon finds out some things are too good to be true. When the Mind Readers realize the extent of Cameron’s abilities, they want to use her powers for their own needs. Cameron suddenly finds herself involved in a war in which her idea of what is right and wrong is greatly tested. In the end she’ll be forced to make a choice that will not only threaten her relationship with Lewis, but her very life.

I think the same thing every day!

Review (3/5 stars):  I downloaded this book for free without realizing that it's a YA novel. Within a few pages though I expected as much.

YA is not a genre that I usually read, that being said, I did enjoy this book. Yes, the lead character is immature, but she's 17 and she's been pretty sheltered her whole life, so of course she's immature. What I did like is how the author gave her the thoughts and reactions of a 17 year old girl. She wants to fit in, she's a follower, she's moody, etc. We've all been there, and we all acted like that.

I did find some of the conversations between Cam and Lewis a bit repetitive but there was enough action to keep me interested so I was able to gloss over that aspect. With some editing I could totally see this book as a movie. It has everything it needs to be successful, including a good cliff hanger at the end that will make you want to go back for another installment. 


And now for some mind reading of my own....

Was I right?!?!Are you awed by my amazing mind reading skills? I can also tell that you will be the next person to leave a comment below!  How amazing is that???

The Ripped Bodice Bookstore

This one is for all you readers out there who can't resist a good romance novel!  The Ripped Bodice is a book store in Los Angeles that is the only one of it's kind in North America.  They carry nothing but romance novels!

Source

The Ripped Bodice is owned by sisters, Bea and Leah Koch.  They raised over $90,000 on Kickstarter to develop their dream of owning a bookstore completely devoted to the romance genre into a reality.

Source

I admit that it's pretty rare that I intentionally pick up a romance novel but I know how very, very popular it is.  What I didn't know was just how many sub-genres there are!  On their website, the list 48 different types of romance books you can find in their store.  From classics to contemporary, regency to ghosts and vampires, and of course, the ever popular bondage....it's all there in one place.

Watch the video to get an up close peek inside their store~

There's a similar type of bookstore in Australia, but other than that, this romance bookstore seems to be pretty unique.  Click HERE for a great (short) interview with the owners on BBC.

Like any other bookstore, they have book signings, author readings, book clubs, gifts, an online shop and even have a stand up comedy night!  It is L.A. after all.

Do you read romance novels?  Would you enjoy a bookstore like this in your city?  What's your favourite sub-genre of romance?  Be the first to leave a comment below!

Bookworm Bookmarks

Time for another fun, and very easy, DIY Bookmark craft project!

Supplies:

-Pretty papers
-glue
-googly eyes
-scissors (or a paper cutting machine)
-black marker (not shown)

Steps:
1) To get started just cut out some 1.5" circles.  I used 5 and then added 5 more on the back for a clean finish.

I used heavy weight scrapbook paper because I had it on hand, but you could try anything.  Old envelopes or gift cards, old book pages, paper bags, etc.

2) Dab some glue onto the edge of one circle and simply stick it to one of the other circles.  Keep dabbing and adding until you have a cute bookworm shape.

I repeated this process and added a second layer on the back so that it's pretty on both sides.

3) Just add some googly eyes and a smile and you're done!  Googly eyes are goofy enough on their own, but I like to use 2 different sizes just to make it extra goofy.

This is a fun crafting project to do with kids that will also encourage them to read.

I don't have any kids books, but I would highly recommend "You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes " by my favourite Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield for any kid or kid at heart.  It's an amazing collection of photos that he took of Earth when he was living on-board the International Space Station.  If you followed Hadfield on Twitter while he was circling the earth you saw some of them, but having them all together in a collection is wonderful.  And he's presented them all in very creative ways that make you see our planet in a whole new light.

Do you have any little bookworms at home that love to read?  Leave a comment below~

This project was inspired by this image I found on Pinterest.