Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot

From Goodreads: Heather Wells Rocks! Or, at least, she did. That was before she left the pop-idol life behind after she gained a dress size or two — and lost a boyfriend, a recording contract, and her life savings (when Mom took the money and ran off to Argentina). Now that the glamour and glory days of endless mall appearances are in the past, Heather's perfectly happy with her new size 12 shape (the average for the American woman!) and her new job as an assistant dorm director at one of New York's top colleges. That is, until the dead body of a female student from Heather's residence hall is discovered at the bottom of an elevator shaft. The cops and the college president are ready to chalk the death off as an accident, the result of reckless youthful mischief. But Heather knows teenage girls . . . and girls do not elevator surf. Yet no one wants to listen — not the police, her colleagues, or the P.I. who owns the brownstone where she lives — even when more students start turning up dead in equally ordinary and subtly sinister ways. So Heather makes the decision to take on yet another new career: as spunky girl detective! But her new job comes with few benefits, no cheering crowds, and lots of liabilities, some of them potentially fatal. And nothing ticks off a killer more than a portly ex-pop star who's sticking her nose where it doesn't belong . . .

Heather and I got along great!  Her favorite candy bar is Butterfinger, so is mine! Her imagination runs away with her, so does mine! She was a teen pop star, so was... well, no, that's pretty much all we have in common, candy bars and an overactive imagination.  But that's okay, we still had a lot of fun together, almost, but not quite being recognized by almost everyone, never living up to Justine's reputation, almost getting killed, a few times, and solving some murders.  It was all in a days work for the Assistant Director of the dor-- I mean residence hall!

I do like Meg Cabot's writing, she is humorous and creates endearing characters. They may not always be the brightest, but you still love them! I enjoyed this pick from My TBR list very much and am looking forward to the rest of the series!

Traitor's Masque - Giveaway Winner!

From Goodreads: Eighteen-year-old Trystan Colbourne believes she has nothing to lose. Her father has died, her stepmother has stolen her inheritance, and her stepsisters are as vicious as they are beautiful. If she wants a future beyond their cruelty and indifference, she has just one chance to make it for herself—by accepting an enticing offer from an unexpected benefactor. The offer? A life of freedom in exchange for her part in a harmless deception. Trystan hopes her freedom will give her the chance to find out whether her mysterious new friend Donevan can be trusted with her secrets… and her heart. But trust is a dangerous business, and when her harmless deception turns sinister, Trystan discovers that trusting the wrong person may have placed the entire kingdom of Andar in grave peril. Unwittingly embroiled in espionage, treason, and deadly intrigue, Trystan will be forced to decide who she really wants to be, and how high a price she’s willing to pay to make her dreams come true.

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Congratulations Barb! You won by visiting Kenley on Facebook! I will get your Kindle copy sent out to you today! Enjoy! :D

My TBR List - February 2016 - And the Winner is... Size 12 is Not Fat

From Goodreads: Heather Wells Rocks! Or, at least, she did. That was before she left the pop-idol life behind after she gained a dress size or two — and lost a boyfriend, a recording contract, and her life savings (when Mom took the money and ran off to Argentina). Now that the glamour and glory days of endless mall appearances are in the past, Heather's perfectly happy with her new size 12 shape (the average for the American woman!) and her new job as an assistant dorm director at one of New York's top colleges. That is, until the dead body of a female student from Heather's residence hall is discovered at the bottom of an elevator shaft. The cops and the college president are ready to chalk the death off as an accident, the result of reckless youthful mischief. But Heather knows teenage girls . . . and girls do not elevator surf. Yet no one wants to listen — not the police, her colleagues, or the P.I. who owns the brownstone where she lives — even when more students start turning up dead in equally ordinary and subtly sinister ways. So Heather makes the decision to take on yet another new career: as spunky girl detective! But her new job comes with few benefits, no cheering crowds, and lots of liabilities, some of them potentially fatal. And nothing ticks off a killer more than a portly ex-pop star who's sticking her nose where it doesn't belong . . .

Check back in with me on 2/27 to see how Heather and I got along! I'm pretty sure we'll be friends though! ;)

Traitor's Masque by Kenley Davidson (Giveaway)

From Goodreads: Eighteen-year-old Trystan Colbourne believes she has nothing to lose. Her father has died, her stepmother has stolen her inheritance, and her stepsisters are as vicious as they are beautiful. If she wants a future beyond their cruelty and indifference, she has just one chance to make it for herself—by accepting an enticing offer from an unexpected benefactor. The offer? A life of freedom in exchange for her part in a harmless deception. Trystan hopes her freedom will give her the chance to find out whether her mysterious new friend Donevan can be trusted with her secrets… and her heart. But trust is a dangerous business, and when her harmless deception turns sinister, Trystan discovers that trusting the wrong person may have placed the entire kingdom of Andar in grave peril. Unwittingly embroiled in espionage, treason, and deadly intrigue, Trystan will be forced to decide who she really wants to be, and how high a price she’s willing to pay to make her dreams come true.

This is not just a Cinderella re-telling. The traditional fairy tale plot line is the driver for Trystan's big decision, but there is so much more to this story than that. Our heroine must grapple with putting what she knows is right, not just over what she wants, but ultimately over her own freedom from an oppressive life, no small thing.  She becomes a changed person in the process, but once decided, never wavers.

The main characters are fully fleshed out and likable, their banter together is fun, further rounding their personalities.  I definitely rooted for them, and enjoyed the supporting characters as well.  As a debut novel I think this was great, and I'm looking forward to more from Kenley Davidson!

It's been awhile since I've done a giveaway, and I think Traitor's Masque is perfect for it!  I would love to share this story by giving away a kindle copy for another reader to enjoy.  That reader could be you! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway I read this for Winter COYER 2015/2016 as I received my copy gratis for review.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger

From Goodreads: IT TAKES THE WISDOM OF YODA TO SURVIVE THE SIXTH GRADE Meet Dwight, a sixth-grade oddball. Dwight does a lot of weird things, like wearing the same T-shirt for a month or telling people to call him "Captain Dwight." This is embarrassing, particularly for Tommy, who sits with him at lunch every day. But Dwight does one cool thing. He makes origami. One day he makes an origami finger puppet of Yoda. And that's when things get mysterious. Origami Yoda can predict the future and suggest the best way to deal with a tricky situation. His advice actually works, and soon most of the sixth grade is lining up with questions. Tommy wants to know how Origami Yoda can be so smart when Dwight himself is so clueless. Is Yoda tapping into the Force? It's crucial that Tommy figure out the mystery before he takes Yoda's advice about something VERY IMPORTANT that has to do with a girl. This is Tommy's case file of his investigation into "The Strange Case of Origami Yoda."

I've been wanting to check this series out for awhile now, so when I saw the audio available at the library, I decided it was just the thing I needed. I was looking for a quick and fun listen, which it definitely was. The concept is hilarious, getting advice from an origami puppet of Yoda, with an apparent mind of his own. It's treated like a case file with interviews from all those who had an interaction with the puppet, trying to decide if there's something more there, if the puppet is special. That being said, I think it was written at a little bit younger of a level than I can truly enjoy any more, I just wasn't the kind of kid this speaks to, but it was a quick and enjoyable listen, as I'm sure it would also be to read. I'm not sure if I'll read more in the series, maybe some day if I'm again in need of a super fast and light listen. I love the covers and the titles, they are great!

Read for the 2016 Library Challenge

My To Be Read List - February 2016 - Feeling Pretty

Welcome to my February 2016 edition of My To Be Read List, hosted by Michelle @ Because Reading. This is a monthly meme where we offer up 3 choices from our TBR pile for our readers to pick from to help us make the super hard decision of "what do I read next?" a little easier and to whittle away at the ever growing TBR Mountain! 

Theme: Feeling Pretty: these all have a dress on the cover, and I thought that was a good February theme.  Feel free to leave me a comment and tell me which you chose and why.

The poll will stay open through Friday 2/12 , and I'll update this post with the winning book on Saturday 2/13, then post a review on the 4th Saturday of the month, 2/27.

If you think this sounds fun and would like to join (the more the merrier, because we love voting!) please head on over to Because Reading where Michelle lays out the rules for us!

And the choices are...

From Goodreads: (Sophie Katz #5) Overjoyed at Maryanne's engagement, amateur sleuth Sophie Katz can't wait for the wedding vows and party toasts to begin. But then Dena—best friend, bridesmaid and all-around vixen—is mysteriously shot just after the announcement. Leave this to the authorities? No way. Dena may never walk again, and Sophie vows to marry her fists with the shooter's face. Problem is, the number of suspects is off the charts—from jaded lovers to anti-free-lovers to just plain old haters. Dena's made plenty of enemies thanks to her popular sex shop—and, yes, she's no saint—but really, who deserves to be shot? With an überlogical almost boyfriend condemning her vigilante quest, and a wedding planner going vicariously bridezilla over the dream princess wedding, Sophie's barely thinking straight. But if she can keep her cool (and avoid all errant taffeta), she just might nab her man and save the (wedding) day. Big if.

From Goodreads: Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women don’t get visited by ghosts. Or do they? When the spirit of Lara’s great-aunt Sadie—a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love, and the right way to dance—mysteriously appears, she has one request: Lara must find a missing necklace that had been in Sadie’s possession for more than seventy-five years, because Sadie cannot rest without it. Lara and Sadie make a hilarious sparring duo, and at first it seems as though they have nothing in common. But as the mission to find Sadie’s necklace leads to intrigue and a new romance for Lara, these very different “twenties” girls learn some surprising truths from and about each other. Written with all the irrepressible charm and humor that have made Sophie Kinsella’s books beloved by millions, Twenties Girl is also a deeply moving testament to the transcendent bonds of friendship and family.

From Goodreads: Heather Wells Rocks! Or, at least, she did. That was before she left the pop-idol life behind after she gained a dress size or two — and lost a boyfriend, a recording contract, and her life savings (when Mom took the money and ran off to Argentina). Now that the glamour and glory days of endless mall appearances are in the past, Heather's perfectly happy with her new size 12 shape (the average for the American woman!) and her new job as an assistant dorm director at one of New York's top colleges. That is, until the dead body of a female student from Heather's residence hall is discovered at the bottom of an elevator shaft. The cops and the college president are ready to chalk the death off as an accident, the result of reckless youthful mischief. But Heather knows teenage girls . . . and girls do not elevator surf. Yet no one wants to listen — not the police, her colleagues, or the P.I. who owns the brownstone where she lives — even when more students start turning up dead in equally ordinary and subtly sinister ways. So Heather makes the decision to take on yet another new career: as spunky girl detective! But her new job comes with few benefits, no cheering crowds, and lots of liabilities, some of them potentially fatal. And nothing ticks off a killer more than a portly ex-pop star who's sticking her nose where it doesn't belong . . .

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Claus: Legend of the Fat Man by Tony Bertauski

From Goodreads: Some legends are forged in fire. Others are born in snow. In the early 1800s, Nicholas, Jessica and Jon Santa attempt the first human trek to the North Pole and stumble upon an ancient race of people left over from the Ice Age. They are short, fat and hairy. They slide across the ice on scaly soles and carve their homes in the ice that floats on the Arctic Ocean. The elven are adapted to life in the extreme cold. They are as wise as they are ancient. Their scientific advancements have yielded great inventions -- time-stopping devices and gravitational spheres that build living snowmen and genetically-modified reindeer that leap great distances. They’ve even unlocked the secrets to aging. For 40,000 years, they have lived in peace. Until now. An elven known as The Cold One has divided his people. He’s tired of their seclusion and wants to conquer the world. Only one elven stands between The Cold One and total chaos. He’s white-bearded and red-coated. The Santa family will help him stop The Cold One. They will come to the aid of a legendary elven known as… Claus.

I know, it's a little late, or early, to be reviewing a holiday book, but I'm FINALLY getting around to writing it up!

I have mixed feelings on this one. I had friends who rated it highly, so maybe that made my expectations too great going in. You don't really get very many holiday fantasy reads, and that is how I would classify this, so that is a point in it's favor. I did like the Reindeer and Frosty, and the manifestation of traditional Christmas ideas into an almost sci-fi setting. Even though it took place here on earth, the technology level of the elven far surpassed the humans, as you can tell just from the blurb above. The plot was fine, I think what I really didn't like was Jack. I know he had to be awful, that was his role in the story, but his constant yelling and childish desires with a ruler's power behind them were annoying, even though I realize that was the point. He was a child throwing a continuous tantrum and it was tiring to me. Now, he does have a plausible reason for being the way he is, but I wonder if we didn't start getting into that too late for me, because I was already done with him by then. He was just too over the top.

I do recommend it if you're looking for some holiday reading, especially fantasy, since most of what it is out there is romance and cozy mysteries. I'm not sure if I'll be continuing the series, we'll see if I'm in the mood around the holidays. I gave this one a 3/5.

This was my first read for the winter edition of COYER.