Book Review: The Espressologist by Kristina Springer

Synopsis (Goodreads): What's your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you're lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it's a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie. Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it's not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane's Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee. Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She's the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right?

With overtones of Jane Austen's Emma and brimming with humor and heart, this sweet, frothy debut will be savored by readers.

My thoughts: I picked this book up at my local library because I happened to glance over the title. Me, being the coffee addict that I am, was curious about the story found within the pages of this book. I read the inner flap and thought it sounded cute, even though I figured that it would be entirely cliché. This book was only about 185 pages. It was a cute contemporary story; however, I was correct in assuming that it would be cliché. I knew what was going to happen before I even got close to the end.
The main character, Jane Turner, works at a coffee shop (Wired Joe's). While working there, she keeps a notebook and jots down coffee orders and a description of the people who order them. With this information, she starts matching certain individuals together to see if they hit it off. She is always accurate. Her manager, Derek, finds about her Espressology and requests that she conduct for the store as a holiday promotion. This book has a mixture of drama, love, and friendship, and of course coffee. Since, this story was entirely cliché, I ended up giving it a 3 out of 5 stars.

Book Review: I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Book Synopsis (Goodreads): Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books - but we are real. Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. We have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.

Number Two in England.

And Number Three in Kenya. 

They killed them all. 

I am Number Four. 

I am next.

My thoughts: This is the first installment of the Lorien Legacies series. I was unsure if I would enjoy this book because I had heard mixed reviews. However, I always like to read a book for myself and form my own opinion. For me, this was a good read; I really enjoyed it. One aspect of this book that I loved was the way the author allows the reader to imagine that it could actually be reality. On the back flap of the book the author, Pittacus Lore, says he is Lorien's ruling Elder and that he has been on Earth for the past 12 years. While on Earth he has been preparing for the war that will decide Earth's fate. It also states that his whereabouts are unknown. So, it gives the reader a different perspective on the author that they typically do not encounter from a novel. It was a new, refreshing facet to include with the book. I Am Number Four is about nine young adults who had to flee their home planet, Lorien, because it was invaded by Mogadorians. Lorien was destroyed; however, the children (the Garde) were able to escape along with their guardians (the Cepan). They all fled to Earth where they remain in hiding from the Mogadorians. The nine Garde can only be killed in order unless the charm is broken. The charm can only be broken if the children. So, it is essential for the nine members of the Garde to stay separated to ensure the greatest amount of safety possible. The first three members of the Garde have been killed. There are only six left. The next in line is Number Four. I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading young adult novels and likes science fiction. So, if you haven't read it, you definitely should check it out. Hope you enjoy it. Happy reading!