Books Make Great Christmas Presents: Realistic Fiction

Below you'll find a bunch of my all-time favorite realistic fiction books that would make great gifts!


1.) Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert
Perfect For: Older teens and some adults
Why It's A Great Gift - Ballads of Suburbia is my all-time favorite book. It's one that I continue to recommend over and over even though I first read it over a year ago. If my house burnt down, my signed copy of BALLADS is one of the first things I'd grab. Which is all to say - Ballads of Suburbia is a thought-provoking, emotional, honest, AMAZING book. It sugarcoats NOTHING and is just the perfect book for anyone.


2.) Beautiful by Amy Reed
Perfect For: older teens
Why It's A Great Gift - Beautiful is along the lines of Ballads of Suburbia in that it talks about drugs and suicide. However, it's much shorter and not quite as hardcore. It'd be the perfect gift for a teen that loved Ballads or isn't quite ready to read something as hardcore as Ballads.




3.) After by Amy Efaw

Perfect For - Teens, even some adults, with open minds

Why It's A Great Gift - After covers some sensitive material - babies being left in dumpsters. Even more sensitive is the fact that the mom of the baby is a teenager and claims to not know she's pregnant. It's a topic that most people have strong opinions about but After does a great job of showing the OTHER side to the story. Because of that, After is a great read for a teen that wants to be challenged.



4.) The Snowball Effect by Holly Nicole Hoxter
Perfect For - Teens
Why It's a Great Gift - It's great for teens that enjoy their romance but want something with a little more substance. It's fun and cute but also well-written and not at all a fluffy novel. Plus, it's got "Snowball" in the title.




5.) Break by Hannah Moskowitz
Perfect For - Teens, especially boys
Why It's A Great Gift - Honestly, there is no other book like Break out there. It's quick-paced and heartbreakingly honest. The main character is a boy that is on a mission to break all of his bones. While that may sound disturbing, I guarantee you'll be so sucked into the book you won't think so. It's the perfect book for boys, especially reluctant readers.

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

T​itle: The Lost Saint

Author: Bree Despain

Publisher: Egmont USA

Summary: The non-stop sequel to The Dark Divine delivers an even hotter romance and more thrilling action than Bree Despain's first novel. Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She gave her soul to the wolf to save him and lost her beloved mother. When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do. She must become a Hound of Heaven. Desparate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot - a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero. But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel begins to crumble. Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace becomes prideful in her new abilities - not realizing that an old enemy has returned and deadly trap is about to be sprung. Readers, raveous for more Grace and Daniel, will be itching to sink their teeth into The Lost Saint.


M​y Thoughts: The Dark Divine was one of my favorite books of 2009, so you can imagine how excited I was to read The Lost Saint. And, quite honestly, it went above my expectations.

The Lost Saint is like many other 2nd-in-a-trilogy books in that it develops the characters and leaves behind much of the intense romance that just flows along nicely. For someone, like me, who lives for the heartbreaking romantic scenes, this can be bad. But, Despain did a great job of turning The Lost Saint into much more than a romance story and still keeping the romance-lovers happy.

I love how the characters evolved in this story. Grace is not the perfect pastor's daughter anymore and Daniel isn't some tortured soul that thinks he's not good enough. The range of supporting characters grows as well. The plot also takes a few turns that I definitely did not see coming and I loved it.

The Lost Saint adds so much to the tale of Grace and Daniel. Fans of The Dark Divine are sure to love it. I can't wait for the final installment!

I've included the book trailer below. I'm not usually into book trailers but this one is outstanding. If you aren't excited for The Lost Saint yet, this is sure to get you there!

Book Discussion: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Book Discussion is going to be a new, occassional feature I have here where instead of reviewing a popular book, we can have a discussion about it. Spoilers ARE allowed so please be aware when you read the post and reader interaction is encouraged!

Today, I'd like to discuss Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick which is, of course, the sequel to Hush Hush. It released in October and I finally had the chance to read it two days ago. I literally read it in one night, I dropped EVERYTHING until I finished it.

Obviously, I was a fan of HUSH HUSH. I felt that it was compelling and I was definitely sucked into the tale. It was the first angel book I read and I loved it. I saw where the people who hated it because of Patch were coming from but I don't think the author was promoting that we all go find creepy boyfriends. Really, without Patch, the book would have been crap. Yes, he's not the ideal boy but his creep-factor added a LOT to the book.

Crescendo was...intense. I honestly thought that Patch was the bad guy. I really did. I didn't want it to be but all of the signs were pointing to him. So when it ended up being Rixon, I was completely SHOCKED. Also, the whole thing with her dad was incredible. The last page left my mouth hanging out.

I love how Nora grew as a character. She wasn't one of those characters that just went along with whatever her bf said, even if her instinct said to run. She stood up for herself.

I want the next installment NOW. What's going to happen to Patch? How long until the archangels find him? What are the Nephilim (if I spelled that right) going to do to the fallen angels?

What did you guys think of the book? Love it, hate it? What do you think is going to happen in the next installment?

Update on Guatemala

As I posted about a few days ago, I have the opportunity to go on a trip to Guatemala. It's the trip of a lifetime and I'm absolutely ecstatic to be going.

Unfortunately, I just found out that the first payment, which is due the beginning of January, is double the amount I was expecting. If I don't get that first payment in, I'm unable to go on the trip. EDIT: I made the first payment!!! But I am still short on money to get my passport, which I need ASAP, and more payments will be due soon!So I'm asking anyone who's willing to please help me get there. Any contributition, whether it's $5 or $10 or more, puts me that much closer to being able to go. In addition, I'm still offering the services mentioned in my previous post and if anyone has anything else they'd like to me to do, please contact me.

I've added a "Donate Now" button on my side bar that takes you directly to Paypal if you're interested.

Thank you!

Harmony

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

T​itle: Siren

​Author: Tricia Rayburn

Publisher: Egmont USA

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything--the dark, heights, the ocean--but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge. That is until Justine goes cliff diving one night near the family's vacation house in Winter Harbor, Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day.

Vanessa's parents want to work through the tragedy by returning to their everyday lives back in Boston, but Vanessa can't help feeling that her sister's death was more than an accident. After discovering that Justine never applied to colleges, and that she was secretly in a relationship with longtime family friend Caleb Carmichael, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor to seek some answers.

But when Vanessa learns that Caleb has been missing since Justine's death, she and Caleb's older brother, Simon, join forces to try to find him, and in the process, their childhood friendship blossoms into something more.
Soon it's not just Vanessa who is afraid. All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes home to a string of fatal, water-related accidents . . . in which all the victims are found grinning from ear to ear.

As Vanessa and Simon probe further into the connections between Justine's death and the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance, and that will change her life forever.

My Thoughts: This was the first book I read by Tricia Rayburn and the first book I've ever read about sirens and I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised. I had high expectations going into this book and thought I knew what to expect but what I got was something completely different. Something unique with a lot of potential.

I loved the world that was built. It was the perfect book to read when it was snowing and I was dreaming of summer. I could easily picture the town and the places that the characters went, especially the one diner. I also loved how the truth about the sirens came out and all of the quirky things connected to that were revealed.

Unfortunately, I couldn't really connect with the characters. I couldn't feel the emotion coming through, even in some of the more emotional scenes. I felt like we only get a slight glimpse into the characters. I could never figure out why Vanessa felt so attached the Simon and because of that, their relationship fell flat.

However, this is the first in a series and I think that as the series continues, the characters will become more and more alive. I feel like this could develop into a series that everyone is excited for and I can't wait to read more by Rayburn!

BMGCP: It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder

One of my favorite middle-grade books is It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder (who also happens to be one of my favorite authors.) It's fun, cute, and the perfect read for any time of the year. Tweens, particularly girls, are sure to fall in love with the story and lucky for them, a companion will be coming out next year.

Other Options:
Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne. I reviewed this book back on my old blog and it's still a favorite of mine. It's great for any tween and even better for those tweens that are starting to become weight-conscious.

The Wedding Planner's Daughter (and sequels) by Coleen Murtagh Paratore. I fell in love with this series a few years ago and even though I'm technically to old to enjoy it now, I still find myself waiting for the sequels. These books are laugh-out-loud funny and a quick read. Paratore's other book, The Funeral Director's Son, is a great pick for boys as well.

Help Me Get to Guatemala!

The opportunity to travel to the small, mountainous town of Joyabaj, Guatemala with a few of my classmates has recently been presented to me. It's an amazing opportunity, one that could potentially be life-changing, and I'm EXTREMLY excited to be going. We spend 10 days there, going to school with the teens to learn and teach, do community service in the afternoon, go to one of the famous markets, and explore ancient Mayan ruins.

(This is the school we'll be attending.)

Unfortunately, the trip is rather expensive and the deal with my parents was that if I wanted to go, I had to pay for it myself. I had to get creative with my ways of raising money, so I've come up with these services.

For Authors:

1.) I'm having shirts printed up to promote books. These shirts will be worn by me and at least 4 of my friends in all different parts of Pennsylvania and other states. I've done this before with websites and businesses and it provides a great conversation piece where the person wearing the shirt can talk about the books and spread the word.

For a donation of $10, I'll have the title of your book and your name ("Book X by XYZ") on the back of all the shirts. For a donation of $30, I'll print the cover of your book and any other info you want (like the date it releases, etc) on the front of ONE shirt.

I'll be doing my best to create a design that is eye-catching and benefits everyone a great deal.

2.) Advertising on my blog. I'm offering advertising spots for countdowns, covers, or any other blog gadgets I can add to my sidebar for $5 for two weeks. I average over 1,200 views each month so quite a few people would be viewing the advertisement.

For Everyone Else:

1.) Manuscript Critiques. Critiquing manuscripts is one of my favorite things to do and for a donation of $15, I will critique a manuscript up to 80,000 words. For a donation of $20, I'll critique a larger wordcount. My critiques are an over-all critique where I comment on things such as characterization, plot, dialogue, realistic-ness, slow parts, and anything that you'd like me to focus on. I am very thorough with my critiques but I do not focus on line-by-line.

If you're interested in any of these or would like more information, please email me at harmonybookreviews[at]yahoo[dot]com.