The Third Twin by CJ Omololu

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Publication date: 2015
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 326
My rating: 3 stars
Ages: 15+

Ever since they were small, twins Ava and Lexi have used Alicia (their imaginary "third twin") as a scapegoat. Now 18, Ava and Lexi use the Alicia alias to date guys they wouldn't normally date. But then one of those guys ends up murdered and Lexi starts seeing a girl who looks just like her and Ava. Then the police start asking about Alicia. Is someone setting Lexi and Ava up or are one of them to blame?

I think the cover of this book makes it look creepier than it is, though the mystery can be a little spooky. It was one of those mysteries that I thought I had figured out several times throughout the course of the book. In the end, one of my guesses was right, but I had gone from one to another so many times that it was still surprising.

This book is good for anyone who likes murder mysteries. There is some some language (including about 6 instances of the f-word).

*I do not receive compensation from Amazon.

So, Anyway . . . by John Cleese

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Publication date: 2014
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Pages: 375
My rating: 3.5 stars
Ages:  17+

John Cleese never thought he would become part of one of the most loved British comedy troupes, or that he would become anything more than just a middle-middle class lawyer. But through events throughout his early life, by the time he was 25 he had been employed as a writer at the BBC and gone on tour and performed on Broadway. All of this led up to creating Monty Python's Flying Circus.

I love reading about people like John Cleese because you always think you know someone. Oh, that's John Cleese, he was in Monty Python and Fawlty Towers, he's pretty funny. But to read about a person from his birth, to see the things that influenced his life and how he became "John Cleese" puts things into a completely different perspective. Like, that he actually considers himself more of a writer than an actor, or that he never really seemed to try to get any of his successes (a fact that is both amazing and completely frustrating for all of those who have to try incredibly hard!).

Cleese's humor is quintessentially British, which can be hard to understand if you aren't familiar with it. Should you be taking it seriously or is everything a little tongue in cheek? It can be hard to tell. But I liked it. Even the captions to his pictures were funny. I don't know if I ever really "laughed out loud," but I definitely smiled.

And I also feel the need to go back and watch Monty Python and Fawlty Towers again.

There is some hard language spattered throughout the book.

*I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West

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Publication date: 2015
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 343
My rating: 3.5 stars
Ages: 14+

When Gia is dumped by her older, long distance boyfriend in the parking lot of her senior prom, she get desperate to prove to her friends that her boyfriend does exist. So when she sees a boy sitting in a car alone, she begs him to pretend to be her boyfriend for the night. Everything seems to go as planned, but she can't get her "fill-in boyfriend" out of her mind. She'll do anything to find out who he was, even become friends with someone she never would have before.

I was really surprised at this book. I was expecting a light teen romance, but I really think that that was secondary. Really, it was about Gia finally becoming her own person, making her own decisions, and deciding what it is she wants from her friends, her family, and from life.

Also, this book was so funny. The repartee between Gia, Bec, and Hayden is great. I really just wanted to keep reading, so I did. I finished the book in a day, staying up a little later than normal to finish it. I've read books by West before, and I think this is my favorite by far.

No language, no sex.

*I do not receive compensation from Amazon.

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brokenbrough

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Publication date: 2015
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine
Pages: 329
My rating: 3 stars
Ages: 15+

For hundreds of years, Love and Death have played their game, choosing their players carefully. In 1920, they picked Henry and Flora. Seventeen years later, the game is coming to its climax. With the differences in the players' status and race, Love considers changing his methods while Death grows tired with her destiny. All Henry and Flora want is to be happy.

This was an interesting way to tell a story, moving between characters (two who are immortal) to tell the story. However, it did take me awhile to really get into the story. The history of the 1930s was well represented, though I feel ashamed that I didn't realize how much the far west of the United States was affected.

I think that those who like books like The Book Thief, may find this an interesting read, though I don't think that I could say that it is comparable in quality, though similar in feel and narrative. I did like the ending and the changes in ALL the characters, not just Henry and Flora.

There is no language, but some sexual situations, though they happen off page.

*I do not receive compensation from Amazon.

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodges

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Publication date: 2015
Publisher: Balzar + Bray
Pages: 436
My rating: 4 stars
Ages:14+

At fifteen, Rachelle had to choose between death or murder. Choosing to live, three years later she is a bloodbound, doomed to become a servant of the Devourer. But Rachelle is determined to fight against her destiny and kill the Devourer, which means that when she is assigned to guard the king's illegitimate son, she's annoyed. But there is something more to the prince than what's on the surface . . .

I loved Hodge's debut novel last year, and this one did not disappoint. Using the tale of little red riding hood and 17th century France as her inspiration this time around, Hodge weaves a story that is new and fresh. She is able to create a world that is new, yet easily understood and familiar, never "talking down" to her readers. I think she does this by using elements that we are already familiar with, but she bends and infuses it with new and interesting things which is what makes it feel so real.

The twists and turns in the story are echoed in the cover design. All the characters are rich and complicated, with history and reasons for everything they do. The world is full and complete. I think that Hodge is definitely an author that I will continue to read.

There is an off the page sex scene, but no language.

*I do not receive compensation from Amazon.