DNF. Mediocre writing and character I dont care about. Plus plot points telegraphed a mile away. Huge, poorly done info dumps. There just isn't a reason to keep going.

I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.

I added this book to my TBR list when I read that it was based in Celtic mythology. I am a huge fan of mythology but most books are based in Greek and Roman mythology, so this was a unique Young Adult fantasy for me to read. I have been hooked by this story and I am official a fan of the series. Christy Dorrity did a wonderful job creating and writing Awakening. This book is not just for young adults but for adults as well. If you are a fan of mythology, fantasy, romance, and mystery than this book is for you. I cannot wait to see what Dorrity does with the next book of the series. 

Would I read it again?
Yes, I definitely would.

Will I read the next book?
YES!!

Would I recommend it to others?
Yes

Would I read other books by this author?
Absolutely

Review first appeared on fefferbooks.com.

I have to be honest: as eager as I am to read books written by friends of friends, it always makes me a little nervous. Will it be any good? Will I have to force myself to finish? Will I have to find something nice to say about it so my friend doesn’t feel bad for asking me to read it?

I was so thrilled (and relieved) to have that concern thrown right out the window, just a couple of chapters into Awakening by Christy Dorrity. I wasn’t just pleasantly surprised–I was downright shocked by Dorrity’s talent and ability. Awakening is a self-published book, which can have a certain stigma in the industry. Honestly? I would never have guessed that Dorrity published Awakening on her own. It’s impeccably edited and beautifully developed. But the proof is, as they say, in the pudding.

Dorrity has a great gift for writing: her characters are varied in nearly every way imaginable, and her story is just plain fun. Let me be the first to say that I’m not usually much for books about “magic,” and the cover didn’t necessarily appeal to me. There is, though, a great deal more to this book: it’s really a story about finding one’s talents and abilities, and caring for the people you love most. Dorrity spends the greater portion of the book developing relationships between the characters, which serves to further the plot. I was particularly fond of Rourke, the taciturn but deeply protective janitor.

Dorrity’s real talent lies in relating the psychology of her characters: she is excellent at capturing the complex emotions that make up being a teenager. I was particularly impressed by her ability to convey deep, profound communication with her characters’ subtle gestures and body language. I think it must take a high degree of observation to be able to translate such tiny but significant things into writing. Such is Dorrity’s gift.

I’m excited to see how well this book does. I’m still not quite sure about all the magic and world-building that happens at the very end (but if you’re into magic/mythology/Ireland, you will be NUTS for it), but I can’t say enough good about Dorrity as a writer. Awakening hits shelves today, and I think it has huge potential. Go! Buy! Read!

Squeaky clean, with a sweet love story. 4 stars.

Note: ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very odd "cookbook" to me. I saw it more as a paid advertisement for books in the market. I think there were approximately 15 books that were featured with a synopsis of the book, one recipe and then bloggers reviews. A chunk of the recipes are easily located in a basic internet search and were not anything special. I downloaded this book for free from Amazon. If I had actually paid for this, I would be ticked and returning it very quickly. Another note that I found interesting is that numerous of the Goodreads reviewers who have rated this book highly are bloggers who have been featured in the cookbook.

Don't read The 2012 Book Blogger's Cookbook if you're hungry. It will have you rushing to the kitchen to eat God knows what and you still will not be satisfied because it's not what's in the book. You've been warned!This cookbook is an amazing concept. It's the marriage of books, recipes, and book reviews. Each recipe matches a theme or an element of the book it's paired with. We get delicious ideas for food to make while also learning about books and what some book bloggers thought of them. I think it's brilliant. I thought so last year with the 2011 edition and I'm of a same mind with this year's edition.The books featured are predominantly of the young adult genre with a few middle grade titles and a couple of adult titles thrown in. If I had one suggestion, it would be to add more adult titles for those of us who read more adult books than YA. I can think of some amazing historical fiction titles that would be great in a future Book Blogger's cookbook.I recommend this cookbook to anyone who loves to cook, or loves food in general, and to those who love books. I'm looking forward to the future editions. Keep them coming, Christy!