The End of Google Reader and What It Means for Future Posts

If you didn't hear already, Google Reader will cease to exist after July 1, 2013, which means that if you subscribe through Google Reader, you won't be able to any longer. What does that mean for you? 

Well, there's several different options you can use to follow posts instead.

Bloglovin' 

If you click HERE, you can transfer your subscription for Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf as well as the rest of your subscriptions on Google Reader to Bloglovin. All you have to do is sign in (or make an account if you don't already have one on Bloglovin') and you should be taken to a transfer Google Reader page.

To learn more about Bloglovin', you can check out this post on it. 

You can find Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf's official Bloglovin' page HERE. 

Networked Blogs

You can also become a follower via Networked Blogs. To do so, just click the follow button under the Networked Blogs area on the right sidebar.

Twitter

I post links to all my blog posts on Twitter, so if you'd like to follow that way, click here. 

Hope that helps, and if you have any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments!

Review: This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

Summary/Cover Image from Goodreads:

If fate sent you an email, would you answer?

When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds.

Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs?

Review:

I'm always on the lookout for fun and romance filled contemporary reads, especially during the summer months, so when This Is What Happy Looks Like appeared on my radar, I knew I had to read it. Luckily, This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith provided just that and much, much more. From a fabulous setting to relatable characters to a slow burning yet exciting romance, this book had lots of amazing things going for it!

One of the aspects I enjoyed most about this book was the plot. I'm always a sucker for a good celeb-meets-ordinary-girl-and-falls-in-love story, so before I even began the book, it was already winning in that area. Thankfully, Jennifer E. Smith did such a great job of developing that story line into something fresh and exciting. I loved the fact that Ellie and Graham meet over email, and how everything involved from there. It allowed for a lot more development than just a love at first sight thing would have. Furthermore, I enjoyed seeing how the emails tied into everything.

Another part of the book I enjoyed was the characters. The book allows the reader to see from the viewpoint of both Graham and Ellie, which added a lot to the book. Ellie was the typical girl-next-door type, but I still enjoyed getting to know her. She was someone who really had her head on her shoulders, but at the same time, had a lot of problems to sort through emotionally. Graham, on the other hand, turned out to be anything but the normal celeb teen heartthrob. He was sweet and kind, and just like Ellie, he had his own set of problems to sort through as well. Seeing them come together was awesome, especially when it allowed for character development. I also really enjoyed the wide variety of side characters! However, I wish more of Graham's pig was shown!

Smith's writing was also a decent. At times, I felt the story could have been shortened a little (it's over 400 pages and tends to drag occasionally), but other than that, I thought she did a great job of delivering a sweet and enjoyable romance.

In all, This Is What Happy Looks Like is a perfect summer read, and I look forward to reading more by Smith in the future!

Grade: B+

This Is What Happy Looks Like (Amazon, Barnes and Noble) is now out! 

Source: Library 

Cover Reveal: The Sound of Letting Go by Stasia Ward Kehoe

About THE SOUND OF LETTING GO: 

For sixteen years, Daisy has been good. A good daughter, helping out with her autistic younger brother uncomplainingly. A good friend, even when her best friend makes her feel like a third wheel. When her parents announce they’re sending her brother to an institution—without consulting her—Daisy’s furious, and decides the best way to be a good sister is to start being bad. She quits jazz band and orchestra, slacks in school, and falls for bad-boy Dave.

 But one person won’t let Daisy forget who she used to be: Irish exchange student and brilliant musician Cal. Does she want the bad boy or the prodigy? Should she side with her parents or protect her brother? How do you know when to hold on and when—and how—to let go?

Find Out More:

Stasia on twitter

On Facebook

At Goodreads

At her blog

Rafflecopter code for giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway

So what do you think of the cover? I personally love it! The colors and font used are great, and while the whole holding a dandelion is a little cliche, I still like it. The premise sounds amazing as well! 

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Summary/Cover Image from Publisher's Website:

Lola Nolan is a budding costume designer, and for her, the more outrageous, sparkly, and fun the outfit, the better. And everything is pretty perfect in her life (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the negihborhood. When Cricket, a gifted inventor, steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Review: 

After reading the adorable and super sweet Anna and the French Kiss, I immediately started Lola and the Boy Next Door, the companion to Anna. I was a little worried it wouldn't be as good as Stephanie's first book; however, by the first chapter, I knew that wouldn't be the case at all, as Lola and the Boy Next Door was just as amazing, if not a little more so!

There were so many fantastic things going for this book; however, one of my favorites was the setting. Just like Paris, San Francisco is high on my list of places to travel, so the fact that Lola was set there made everything so much better. I loved Perkins' descriptions of the city, and I loved seeing her intertwine little parts of its history and charm within the text.

Another aspect I loved was the characters. Lola was someone who I'd want to be best friends with if she was real. I loved her spunk and attitude as well as her love of costumes and extraordinary outfits. She was such a kick ass character, so seeing everything from from her POV made this book great, in my opinion. I also loved the addition of Cricket, Lola's love interest. He was totally different from St. Clair; however, that made me love him all the more. I loved how wickedly smart he was as well as his love for inventions. Plus his love for Lola was seriously adorable, even though he made some major screw-ups at times regarding it. I also enjoyed seeing characters from Anna and the French Kiss pop up in this one as well! It was awesome getting to see them from anther character's perspective as well as to see how they played a role in this book.

The plot in this was also a lot of fun! I loved the development of Lola and Cricket's sorta-forbidden love as well as all the sweet and memorable scenes that popped up because of it. Furthermore, I enjoyed seeing more about Lola's love of costumes. Her outfits always sounded legendary, even though they probably would have been way too wild for me. I also loved the family aspect in this one. It was awesome to see that Lola had two dads, as that doesn't appear too much in YA. Plus I adored how Stephanie presented them just as any other family would be: loving, protective, and with their own fair amount of problems.

In all, Lola and the Boy Next Door was another great one by Perkins! I seriously can't wait to see how everything comes together in Isla and the Happily Ever After.

Grade: A+

Lola and the Boy Next Door is now out in paperback and hardcover.

Source: Bought