Mini-Reviews: Deadly Cool, And Then Things Fall Apart, Paradise, and Pregnant Pause

I haven't been reviewing regularly, which makes me sort of forget how to review a book, but I have read SO MUCH lately. SO MUCH! I read a book today! And a book yesterday! And soon I will start another one! So much reading! I think I could just read and read and read forever and as long as I could also write and drink iced tea and maybe watch television, I would be happy. I don't know if that's really nice or really pathetic. Also I would need country music though, of course.

ANYWAY.

Some super-short reviews of the books I've read lately. And by super-short I mean super super short. Also, unlike most of my reviews, these are more just my opinions than a real, critical look at the books.

Deadly Cool, by Gemma Halliday -- Quick, frothy murder mystery (ex-boyfriend accused of killing the girl he was cheating with) that did not hook me, though it might you. Recommended if you like series, mysteries, and pop-noir, if that's even a thing.

And Then Things Fall Apart, by Arliana Tibensky -- Plath-obsessed teen writes the story of how her life fell apart (parents' divorce, best friend's betrayal, major fight with boyfriend) while she's sick with the chicken pox. Very poetic-like, lots of musings about life and Bell Jar comparisons. Having never read Plath I really enjoyed it and can only assume you'd like it even more having read Plath.

Paradise, by Jill S. Alexander -- Defying her mother, Paisley joins a country-rock band and falls in love with their new lead singer. Though there are some parts I really enjoyed, on the whole it was mostly forgettable and the ending threw me for a loop.

Pregnant Pause, by Han Nolan -- Teen gets pregnant, marries her boyfriend, and works for the summer at his parents' fat camp while her own missionary parents are in Africa. A few subplots felt a little contrived, but protagonist Eleanor is one I totally love and her journey is as great as she is -- or at least, as great as she wants to be.

A Blogger Pet Peeve

For a while there I was reviewing every single title I read for the Cybils. It completely wore me out -- I've read over 20 books since Oct. 1st and as much as I want to I just can't put my usual amount of time, thought, and energy into writing the reviews as I normally do. At least, not if I also want to do everything else in life. You can tell from the weird lack of posts on my blog that it was wearing me out. I'm going to continue reviewing Cybils books, but it'll likely just be the ones that really speak to me or that I really want to share with you guys.

In non-Cybils, non-review news, I do have so many posts I want to write and lately I just haven't found the energy to write them. So, my apologies. Today I really do have a post to write though! I've had a few slightly strange review pitches come to me in the past few weeks and I kind of want to comment on them because this particular thing is starting to be a Blogger Pet Peeve of mine.

Please please please don't say you're a fan of my blog if you're not. Authors and publicists, when you email saying that you love my blog I think it's awesome. When you go on to pitch your fantasy epic/paranormal romance trilogy/historical memoir, I can't help but think you're lying to me just a little bit. Maybe you're not lying, maybe you do read my blog but just haven't checked my review guidelines.

In any case, let me say: if you're pitching your book to me please read my guidelines. I don't read paranormal. I don't read fantasy. This is a blog of YA (and sometimes MG), which means that I'm not going to review mainstream (adult) fiction, memoirs, or nonfiction aimed at adult readers. It's just because I've chosen to give this blog a narrow focus that works well for me and -- I hope -- my readers.