Book Review: 'Time After Time' by Tamara Ireland Stone



Time After Time by Tamara Ireland Stone

Title: Time After Time
Author: Tamara Ireland Stone  (Website)  (Facebook)  (Twitter)
Age Group: Young Adult
Release Date: October 8, 2013
Pages: 339
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion


To say I simply loved this book would be an understatement.  I got so engrossed in this book that I read straight through the second half because it kept me on my toes and pressed me to keep going to see what came next.  I have to admit I wasn't disappointed in the ending, but I was unsure about what would really happen until the very end which I loved. 

This book is the sequel to Time Between Us which is told in Anna's point-of-view and this book gives a nice counterbalance by being told through Bennett.  I have to admit I'm not a huge fan of books and series who switch between character's point-of-views, but I didn't have any trouble seeing this long distance romance through Bennett's eyes.  In fact, it makes the book duo all the more relatable and real.  In the first book we see this new romance blossom through an average girl's eyes until we finally learn Bennett's secret.  In this sequel, now that his secret is out, we the readers are able to explore, feel, and see what it'd be like to be the one with the time travelling powers.  Despite this being deemed a "sequel" I'd consider it more of an amazing companion book.  With this series we get the yin and yang of time travel from both sides and with the series now complete I think it's perfect.

As I mentioned before I couldn't put this book down.  There were so many moments of "What if?" and "Will they or won't they be together?" that I couldn't stop.  If I did I would have wondered around the rest of the day thinking, All I want to do is read more to find out what happens!  I think it is the mark of a great book if I do nothing for the day but stay in my PJ's curled up with some tea or coffee reading. 

I love Anna and Bennett and their romance is one for the record books.  Despite time travel not being a feasible thing at the moment, I have a feeling not many relationships could withstand 17 years between them.  It's hard enough for long distance relationships as it is!

I highly recommend this book, and the series, to those who love romance or who want to escape the real world and wish time travel were real.  I could think of a ton of places I'd like to go if I had that power! 

I've had the pleasure of meeting Tamara twice at signings at my local Barnes and Noble and she is honestly one of the nicest people ever!  Not many authors go up and personally introduce themselves to everyone in the audience and talk with them for a bit.  That's incredibly awesome in my book. 

So if you haven't read Time Between Us and Time After Time I highly recommend dropping what you're doing and going and picking it up...NOW!  ;)

Book Review: 'Wonder' by R.J. Palacio

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Title: Wonder
Author: R.J. Palacio  (Website)  (Wonder Facebook)
Age Group: Children's
Release Date: February 14, 2012
Pages: 320
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

It's a great wonder how I put off reading this book for so long!  Between the realistic characters and situations this book was both emotional and eye-opening.  I shed my fair share of tears during several parts and would not mind shedding them again during a re-read of this great book.

August (Auggie) is a strong, likable character that I think anyone can relate to, physical differences or not.  Everyone has some awkward or embarrassing "something" and through Auggie's story he shows that looking different is okay and he is like everyone else.  Palacio depicts some awful, yet truthful, realities of what those with "differences" go through on a daily basis, especially to young people.  The looks, comments, and bullying are very reminiscent of what I witnessed myself when I was in fifth grade and I really felt the pain August went through.  Through Auggie's perseverance and positive choices he shows that the only ones who are "different" are those who are not kind to others.    

Despite this book being geared toward the younger reader set, I would recommend it for all ages.  The main themes of finding acceptance for being yourself and bullying transcend the juvenile age group and are very relevant today.  Many instances struck a chord with me and reminded me of the hard times growing up.  I think if I had read this book when I was younger I would have been a lot more confident in being myself instead of trying to hide and not draw any attention to myself.  I would argue that this book can give many young people advice of how to handle tough situations, like bullies, and it shows that good things do come out of the bad.  The most important lessons I think this book portrays are: 1) you should be brave and strong despite whatever tough situation you may be in and 2) even though some people may look different from you they are probably some of the nicest people around and extending yourself to be their friend is one of the nicest things you can do. 

I absolutely loved this book and hope that R.J. Palacio does a follow-up at some point...possibly when August gets to high school? (*hint hint*) :)

Long Time, No Post

As I revisit this blog I can't believe it's been SO long since I've posted here!  The only reason I can think of is I started doing more book videos on YouTube, HERE, but not really book reviews like I've previously posted on this blog.  I certainly have been reading a lot and have decided to do book reviews again.  I've been reading some older books as well as new releases so these reviews may be re-caps for some and new to others.  Hopefully you'll enjoy my reviews and spread the word about this blog if you like what you read!  I will be posting my first new review today so keep an eye out for that.  Along with keeping up with this blog I will also start up again on my Twitter, HERE. On Twitter you can follow me about daily life and find updates on any new blog or YouTube entries.  I hope you enjoy the new book reviews!  Feel free to comment and I'll get back to you. :)