If You Could Be Mine by Sara Farizan + GIVEAWAY!

If You Could be Mine
Author: Sara Farizan
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Pages: 247

In this stunning debut, a young Iranian American writer pulls back the curtain on one of the most hidden corners of a much-talked-about culture.

Seventeen-year-old Sahar has been in love with her best friend, Nasrin, since they were six. They’ve shared stolen kisses and romantic promises. But Iran is a dangerous place for two girls in love—Sahar and Nasrin could be beaten, imprisoned, even executed if their relationship came to light.

So they carry on in secret—until Nasrin’s parents announce that they’ve arranged for her marriage. Nasrin tries to persuade Sahar that they can go on as they have been, only now with new comforts provided by the decent, well-to-do doctor Nasrin will marry. But Sahar dreams of loving Nasrin exclusively—and openly.

Then Sahar discovers what seems like the perfect solution. In Iran, homosexuality may be a crime, but to be a man trapped in a woman’s body is seen as nature’s mistake, and sex reassignment is legal and accessible. As a man, Sahar could be the one to marry Nasrin. Sahar will never be able to love the one she wants, in the body she wants to be loved in, without risking her life. Is saving her love worth sacrificing her true self?~Goodreads

If You Could Be Mine was unlike anything I’ve ever read. Not only was it culturally different from what I’m used to reading it was also thematically different. I was hooked from the start and couldn’t put it down until I finished. 

The realism of all the feelings and struggles portrayed throughout the story were just so spot on to me. 

I really liked the main character Sahar, for me, she was easy to relate to. The intensity, the worry and the insecurity that comes from loving someone so incredibly much but feeling as though you’re not worthy or good enough for them to love you the same, pulses out from every page. At times I wanted to  reach through the page, shake her, and tell her that she IS worthy and the people she cares for are not. One of the things I liked most about Sahar was that even though she feels less than exceptional as times, she never comes across as self-deprecating. She is smart and selfless and kind and giving and brave. And I enjoyed that she used humor during her turmoil, because honestly, I tend to be the same way :P 

(I still can’t get over the fact that she was willing to give up her entire identity in order to be with the girl she loves, that just blows my mind. The only slightly negative thing I could say about Sahar is that she reads as desperate at times, but it's easy to understand why.)

As for the love of Sahar’s life, Nasrin, she tends to come off as  selfish, spoiled and bratty. There were times where I just…couldn't even. She started out fine, but the more I read the more I started to disliked her. Unfortunately, for her, she has to deal with the consequences of her actions. And that’s all I’ll say about that.

Some of the secondary characters were really great as well, like Sahar’s cousin Ali and his friend Parveen. Both were wonderful support to Sahar and unique and amazing in their own rights. I would totally read a book about each of them.

I think Sara Farizan laid out the LGBT world respectfully and compellingly. The detail of the changes in which transsexuals have to go though and the struggles they face added such a huge realism factor to this book. I applaud her so much for the way she described and approached it. Then again, I’ve never read a book that touches on the topic of transexuality before (feel free to recommend some in the comments!) so I could be way off base, but I personally think she did a good job.

To me this book read as really fast paced, which I enjoyed but some may see it as rushing through the storyline. Some of the dialect was hard for me to understand so I had to make an educated guess as to what it meant or look it up but I think it added another needed element to the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I literally did not stop reading until I finished. If You Could Be Mine was captivating and heart-rendering and I would definitely recommend it. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~Character Interview~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After finishing the book, I really wanted to get to know Nasrin some more. Even though she wasn't my favorite, maybe I was missing something and she was kind a enough to answer a few questions for us!

Hi Nasrin! Thank you so much for stopping by!

So, Sahar and you have been best friends for a long time, what is one of your favorite memories of the two of you together?

Nasrin: We have so many wonderful memories. You're going to make me cry thinking about some of them! She probably wouldn't want me to share our moments to the public. Honestly, I think some of our best times together when we were little kids, playing together on the playground or in my house, when things weren't so complicated.

What do you admire most about Sahar?

Nasrin: How much time do we have? :) One thing that I really adore about her is how smart she is and she never makes me feel like I'm not as smart as she is. Most people think I'm not so bright, and maybe they're not wrong considering some of the choices I make, but Sahar always treats me like her equal.

What would you say is your biggest fear or insecurity?

Nasrin: I'm worried about what happens to me when my looks fade. I also worry about being lonely sometimes. I am usually surrounded by lots of people, but still feel a kind of loneliness I can't describe. It's like something is always missing.

QUICK ROUND!

Early Bird or Night Owl?

Nasrin: Night Owl!

Favorite Food?

Nasrin: I love anything sweet.

Celebrity Crush?

Nasrin: I think Daniel Davari is so cute. He's the goaltender for the Iranian soccer team, but he grew up in Germany. I can't understand a word he says, but who cares 
with a face like that!

Who cares, indeed ;)

If you want to learn more about Nasrin, enter below for a chance to win a copy of the book!

*Looks Around*

*Taps mic* ehem...is this thing on?

Hi there. I missed you. Yes, you! Right there, behind the screen. Cute hair by the way, love the socks too! Or um, toes if those aren't socks...

I'm not really sure what kind of audience is still left around this ghost blog. I abandoned this place- something I never thought would happen.

I moved from Minnesota to Georgia and began saying things like, "y'all" and "soda" and then before you know it not only my blog but reading was a thing of the past. 

Heartbreaking, I know. 

I wouldn't say taking a break from blogging and reading was a mistake. Because sometimes we all need a little break. Taking a break for as long as I did was the mistake. I miss the friends I made through blogging. I miss squeeing about book covers and new releases. I miss my fictional boys *sobs*

Most of all, I miss you. My followers, commenters, supporters. 

I'm hoping y'all can forgive me and maybe squeeze me back into your favorites tab. 

If you're new here or have been here before, feel free to leave a comment so I can check out your blog or say hello! 

Oh, one last thing.....

*SMUSH HUGS YOU*

Hello lovelies!

I am so sorry for the lack of posts/updates. I'm currently in the middle of a major move and I've been buried under a pile of boxes. I'm slowly crawling my way out of the rubble and hope to be back soon!

All ARC Clear Out winners have been e-mailed! Thanks for the interest!! :D

Love you guise!

Happy Valentine's Day! 

Hosted by: The Book Hookup & I Am a Reader, Not A Writer 

As some of you may know, there's nothing I love more than a fictional boy. Hot Pockets run a close second, but fictional boys own my heart. 

And boy, oh boy, do we have A LOT of charming and funny and handsome and naughty ones to choose from! Yay, us! ;)

I'm having a really hard time picking a boy to giveaway (can you tell? Oh my gosh, and wouldn't that be sweet if i actually DID own them and could give them away!?! *dreamy sigh*) Ehem, anyway!! 

Today you may pick any boy that you desire. (Aka- book of choice! AS LONG AS HE FALLS INTO THE YA CATEGORY!)

(CLICK HERE IF YOU NEED HELP!)

***In order to enter just leave a comment saying which boy book you'd like and a way I can contact you!! :)***

*US ONLY*

Music Monday

Songs that have been on REPEAT this last week: 

Calvin Haris ft. Florence: Sweet Nothing 

Justin Bieber: Nothing Like Us

Hit me with some songs, yo! 

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Let the Sky Fall 
Author: Shannon Messenger
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 416
BUY: Barnes & Noble ~ Amazon ~ Indiebound 

Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.~goodreads

*signs* Let the Sky Fall….

This book took me by total surprise. I mean, I knew it would be good…but I didn’t know it would be THIS EFFIN’ AMAZING! Like holy crap!  I felt all the FEELS. This story was hilarious yet filled with somber undertones (umm?? Can you even use that to describe a storyline?! YES! YES, YOU CAN WITH THIS BOOK!) The romance was sexy and believable in an “OMG! JUST MAKE THE EFF OUT, ALREADY!” way. And the characters!? And just...the wind?! And like EVERYTHING!?!? LOVE. LOVE. LOVED!! I need to reread this book a million and sixty hundred times because it was EEEEEEEEE!! that good. 

I need to own it. I need to snuggle and drink tea with it. WAAAH. I want it to love me back. Oh my god. I’m seriously IN LOVE with this book. O_O

Ehem! Moving on….

Okay, so Vane and Audra are pretty much my new favsie couple ever. For seriously. They are both SUCH dynamic, layered IN-FREAKIN-CREDIBLE characters that when you get them on the same page?! WOOOSH! The story freakin’ takes off like nobody’s bIZness and you're riding the tailspin of their epically epic epicness. They’re both such stubbornly sarcastic individuals that when they're together they just equal perfection.

Vane's training scenes were some of my favorite parts of the whole entire book. Because REALITY CHECK GUISE. WIND IS FREAKIN’ AWESOME. AND POWERFUL AS EFF. Like holy CRUD-CAKES! I want to be a Sylph. Screw vamps and wolves and ghosts and merms (WAIT! NO, I still love merms!) but Sylph are brilliantly spectacular creatures. I mean the wind WHISPERS its secrets to them...like?!?! Dope.

And speaking of dope, Audra is so B.A. I canNOT even begin to describe her to you. (but I’m going to because, like, it wouldn’t really be a review if I didn’t?) She is so tough YET so undeniably broken that you can’t help but love her and sympathize with her. She’s given up so much of her life just to protect this one boy. To keep him safe. She’s given up eating and drinking and dating, all for him. Do you know how bad that would suck!? To have to watch this person LIVE their life and NOT be allowed into it?? Poor girl.

And she's so passionate and dedicated in everything she does. GAH! I want to be friends with her. And what i loved most about her is that she’s not a pansy “this-boy-is-so-HAWT-omg!” type of girl. She has her own worries, thoughts, feelings and dreams that don’t revolve around him. I desperately appreciated that.

GUISE! Also, the bad guys in this book are, like, really bad. I was seriously effin’ worried for a while there. YIKES.

And OH MY GOSH! The ending had me TEARING UP. WAAAH. I need the sequel yesterday. I need more Audra and Vane and WiiiiiiNNNnnnnNNNNnnnnd!

This book just reached into my soul and took out all the elements that it adores most. I would DEFINITELY recommend this book--it was stunning and breathtaking and all the good things in this world!!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine! And this week--plus last week plus the week before that annnnd the week before that and possibly even next week-- i'm waiting on: 

You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…

Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery...who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.~Goodreads

LOOK. AT. THAT. COVER. Yeah, i know you've seen it before and i know you love it! It's so dark and gothic and beautiful. GAH! I need this book like the tooth fairy needs a tooth, like Santa needs a cookie, like the JONAS BROTHERS NEED TO MAKE A COMEBACK! So....A LOT! I'm FREAKING out about it, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea soundz freakin' superb and yeah...wants! 

Watchya'll waiting on this week?? Link me up, yo! 

Teaser Tuesday: Elegy

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate all you have to do is:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!) 

 Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

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I was still lost in thought when i heard Jillian sigh dramatically. 

"Are you going to sneak into my brother's room tonight and, like, do it?"

BAHAHA! Oooh, Jillian. I absolutely adored this book and you guise should definitely check this series out if you haven't already! 

Music Monday: Songs i've been jammin' to!

Erik Hassle: Wanna Be Loved

DJ Pauly D ft. Jay Sean: Back to Love

Paramore: Now

Any song recs? Leave 'em in the comments! :)

I'm Baaaaack!

New Year, New Design!! Whoop! Whoop!!

I am SO IN LOVE with it and i hope you guise will love it too!

Come back soon for new giveaways, fictional boy favorites and, of course, reviews!

And thanks for sticking around while i took a break!!

LOVE YOU GUISE! :D

Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Breathe

Author: Sarah Crossan

Publisher: Greenwillow

Pages: 400

Rating: 4 Breathtaking Stars!

Team: Alina!

Source: Thanks SO much to Krys over at Bibliopunkk for sharing her extra copy! Love ya, woman! :)

Inhale. Exhale. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe...

The world is dead.

A glass dome houses the survivors of the Switch, the period when oxygen levels plunged and the free world withered. A state lottery meant a lucky few won safety, while the rest suffocated in the thin air. Now Alina, Quinn, and Bea are leaving the dome, walking straight into the heart of danger. They have only two days’ worth of oxygen in their tanks. What will happen on the third day?  

Welcome to The Pod—where its citizens are charged an air tax simply because they exist. They can’t play sports, dance, run or even have sex unless they’re a Premium—someone who can afford the extra oxygen to do all those things. 

Sick of feeling trapped and unable to breathe, Alina decides to join the Resistance—a group of people who want to breathe freely again. Outside of the Pod they have a secret meeting place, where they grow...SOMETHING(!)...illegally and where they train to breathe in less oxygen. And OH MY GOSH! I LOVED The Grove! It was so spectacularly beauteous and i want to live there! And i want Alina to live there because I loved her. She was so bad ass and totally my favorite character. Her & Dorian needz to getz togetherrrr! ;)

Then there’s Quinn, who’s a Premium and also a teenage boy—so I basically already automatically liked him a lot. And even though he comes from money, he’s considerate of everyone and very giving, which I also liked about him very much. And his crush on Alina was adorbs.

Quinn’s best friend, Bea, was probably my least favorite character. She was whiney and love struck and something about her just didn’t sit right with me. She grew on me as the story evolved but...she didn’t come close to Alina’s awesomeness.

Side note: Maude Blue is CRAZY. Read the book, you'll understand. :P

The only off-putting element about this book was that there wasn’t a ton of world building. I felt as though the basics were laid out but I would’ve liked more descriptions and information on them. Breathe was very character based, so I’m hoping its sequel focuses more on the world and its issues! (Which I have a very strong feeling that it will!)

Overall, Breathe was a cool dystopian story filled with great characters, crazy plotlines and an ending that’ll have you eagerly anticipating the sequel!

Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Hidden (Firelight #3)

Author: Sophie Jordan

Publisher: HarperTeen

Rating: 5 Fire Breathing Stars! (too lame? :P)

Team: OMG! I LOVE BOTH BOYS. I CAN’T PICK. I CAN NOT EVEN...JUST...BOTH! Team Wassian?? Yep. Team Wassian. 

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning....

Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy.~Goodreads

Holy. Freakin’. Amaze. This book was incredible and jam-packed with angst and romance and emotional turmoil and just wow! What a way to end the series!

Hidden surprised me in so many ways. Just when I thought Jace and her crew were safe, I was all, “WAIT! I still have 200 pages left! THEY AREN’T SAFE!! *dun dun *SOB* dun!*”

I was scared. I was happy. I was heartbroken. ANNND I had the sniffles at LEAST three times while devouring this book.

Sophie Jordan delivered breathtaking imagery and heart-stopping intensity with every flip of the page, once again her writing enchanted me. 

The characters were as amazing as ever and I’m SO, SO SAD to say goodbye to them. Especially Will (omg do you know how many daydreams I’ve had about him?? Ehem I mean...)

Jace was totally kick-ass and in charge but she also had moments where she broke down and I loved her even more for those. She had to make a lot of tough decisions in this book and handle some pretty effin' scary situations but she's a fire-breathing pro at them! 

Will was *sighs*...Will was still and will always be absolute perfection. He’s so effing loyal and supportive and trustworthy and gah! He’s just a handsome heavenly hero! I am so in love with this earth-bending boy! SO. IN. LOVE. ‘Nuff said.

But that’s not to say the other hero in the story doesn’t have a special place in my heart. Cassian was incredible in this installment as well. He proved himself to be just as loyal as Will AND just as self-sacrificing and just as caring. He deserves to be happy. I want him to be happy....With me...<3>

But I think the character who grew the most throughout the series was Tamra. She went from being a selfish-bitchy brat to someone who's kind and helpful and brilliant. Also her new love interest?!? Yum. They are so effing adorable together too! I WANT A TAM/DEGHAN SPIN OFF!! Please? :)

It’s always sad when a series comes to an end and the Firelight Trilogy makes no exception, but overall, I’m happy with how Hidden turned out! (I still wouldn’t mind a book 4, 5, & 6 though :P )

Team I’LL LOVE WILL AND CASSIAN FOREVERRRR!!

HELP IS HERE: Over You Giveaway + Break Up Kit

WINNERS:

Jaiden 

&

Stephie R. 

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Over You by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus 

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 304

Guys. Guys. GUYS! I absolutely adored this book. And i freakin' LOVED MAX! She's pretty much the coolest MC ever! So i basically fan-girled super hard to Emma & Nicola and they were sweet enough to send me some signed copies! AND i HAVE TO SHARE THIS AMAZING BOOK WITH YOU GUISE! And i HAVE to throw in one of these bad boys too!

So, check out my review, check out the trailer and enter below! You know you want to! 

:P

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BOMB-SAUCE TRAILER!! 

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