BOOK REVIEW: Livvy by Lori L. Otto (final installment of the Choisie Series)

 5 stars!

What a ride Lori Otto has taken us on! From sweet sixteen to first love, to heartache and breakups, we have seen Livvy through her journey to becoming a woman. And I am so damn proud of her! We've seen Livvy make some really bad decisions, and say some really hurtful things.  We've seen how heartbreak can fuel her creativity.  We've seen a teenager rebelling against her restraints, for good and bad.  We've seen Livvy devastated.  But all of this has, together with her loving family, and her wonderful boyfriend, helped make Livvy into the kind of woman we could all wish to be, and the kind of woman we would be proud to have as our daughter.

I truly think that this book is the pinnacle of Lori Otto's writing.  And that's taking nothing away from Lori's previous books.  They are in no way "less".  But Livvy IS "more".  I can't quite put my finger on it.  Nothing in Livvy surpasses the emotion of Time Stands Still.  There is nothing more beautiful than the words written in Dear Jon.  Maybe it's just that we've been on this journey with Livvy and it means so much to get to the end with her.  Lori's writing IS beautiful and the story told in Livvy IS emotional.  Maybe it's just that everything that has made Lori's previous books so delicious to read is wrapped up with a pretty pink bow in Livvy.  I don't know.

What I DO know is that if you have been on this journey with Livvy? This final installment will be everything you hoped for, and then some.


Livvy will be released on December the 9th, and look out for awesome release day festivites on Lori Otto's Author Page here.

For pre-order and buying information go here.

HAPPY RELEASE DAY OLIVIA

It's here, it's here, it's finally here!!!

The wait is over!  We can all now find out what is happening with Olivia and Jon!

In my last post I spoke about the first book in the Choisie series, Contessa, which was on sale for 75% less.  That sale continues through today!  Contessa introduces us to Livvy and Jon, and Olivia continues their love story.

I was lucky enough to be given an Advanced Reader's Copy of Olivia, so I can happily share my review of this second book in the Choisie series, which I originally posted on Goodreads:

Which is my favourite book by Lori L. Otto? It's the Lori L. Otto book I'm reading at the time.

 

Olivia continues the story of Livvy Holland, begun in the first book of the Choisie Series, Contessa. Ms Otto deftly shows the growth of Livvy into a mature and responsible adult, the growth in Livvy's relationship with her parents, her dad in particular, and the growth in Livvy and Jon's relationship.

 

Not everything is smooth sailing though. Livvy has to come to terms with a type of loss she's never had to face before and in the process she loses a part of herself. This crisis in Livvy's life, and her dealing-by-not-dealing is woven throughout the book, so that it's always there even if it's not obvious. Which is exactly how Livvy is experiencing it as well. Once again Lori Otto pulls the reader into the life of her characters so that you feel as if you are the one experiencing all the good, bad, happy, sad, silly, stupid and unforeseen things that happen in the story. And there are plenty of each and more.

 

Lori Otto writes people as they are. Real people. There is perhaps no huge drama or mystery or angsty romance, but it's life. The relatively small personal dramas and mysteries and romances feel as life altering as if they were happening to you. Lori writes people stories, not crime or fantasy or erotica. Just the lives of everyday people who you come to feel are people you know. You become invested in these characters and the choices they make. You feel happy and sad with them. You feel proud of and cross with them. And at the end of each book you want to know where the next stage of their lives will take them.

 

Olivia is no different. You will finish this book wanting to know where the next book will take Livvy. I can't wait!

 

 

Believe me when I say, if you've read Contessa, you REALLY want to read Olivia.  And if you haven't read Contessa, you should really get on that.  Although the Choisie series is YA, the books grow as their characters grow.  And there is so much in these books that will remind you of that time in your life.  Your teenage years, your first love, your rebellions against your parents, pushing your boundaries and trying to discover the adult you wanted to grow into.  As with all Lori L. Otto's books, you will re-experience all of these things with the characters.

 

And there is a lot going on today to celebrate Olivia's release!  Join us over on Facebook for the Release Day Event!  Lots of fun and prizes to be had. The event begins at 12pm CDT (that's 7pm here in South Africa) and will continue until 9pm (well into 18 June in South Africa).  There will be drawings for prizes every hour, so get on over there and have fun.

 

In the meantime, here are some snippets to keep you busy and amp up your excitement.  Just click on the awesome graphics provided by Lori Otto to read some great teasers from Olivia!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And last but certainly not least, for a little sneak peak at the beginning of Olivia, click!

Hopefully, ya'll are just as excited to see what comes next as I was! Also, there are loads of extras in the ebook, so go ahead and purchase your own copy by clicking on one of the links below:

Paperback / Kindle / iBooks / Nook / Other Digital Format

The Long Road To My Online Life

Inspired by this post at the Keysmash Blog: MyFaceTwitTumJournal
 
So I was reading the latest post on Keysmash and my comment kinda ran away with me.  I had just had pain pills which make me chatty, so blame that.  But after reading through the comment I realised 1. It was really long, 2. It basically outlined my online evolution, 3. I haven't posted anything here for a while, and why not post this?  So here is my comment to the above Keysmash post in all it's chatty and roundabout glory:

"Different social media platforms definitely have different personalities.  And people use them for different things and people (I find) always prefer one over the other.  I was late to this whole connecting with people online thing.  Aside from email, I kinda felt like joining Facebook would make me vulnerable to the world. And, and... people could spy on me or track me or something. I dunno, I was young and suspicious.  I still am.  Suspicious, I mean.  How one person can see the world through rose tinted glasses and still be suspicious of EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE, I don't know, but I am.  And I digress...

Um... Where was I? Okay, right.  Facebook.  MySpace was never really a thing here (here being South Africa).  Not that I know of anyway. I kind of get the feeling that by the time we joined the internet bandwagon and people could like, have it in their home, MySpace was already dying a slow death and Facebook was the thing.  Like, I never even knew Facebook was ever not available publicly. And also, I went to University to study (shocking).  And I'm not being insulting at all.  I mean, the crowds at University terrified me, strange people terrified me, classmates terrified me, being social in any way terrified me.  This was not the same me who went to High school and started off with straight A's and slid down the slippery slope of boys and parties and drinking and boys and parties.  A thing happened. My brain melted or something and let's not talk about that.  So, come time to go to university I hoped and prayed everyday that no-one would talk to me and I could just be left alone to get my degree and maybe by the time that happened I could actually handle getting a job.  I digress again.

Point is, I wasn't socialising in real life so why would I want to socialise online?  The friends I wanted to keep and who wanted to keep me, I could keep in contact with via texting, and email and sometimes...even letters!  No need to put myself ONLINE and become vulnerable to internet monsters.

And then my best friend got married.  And she had moved provinces so we didn't get to see each other often, but I was a bridesmaid and there were a shit-ton of photos and she said "Well, why don't you just get Facebook?  I'm putting them all there anyway."  She was going to send me a disc with all the thousands of photos on (she did) but that would take a while, while the photos from her and others would go to Facebook almost immediately.  I tried to resist, I really did, but in the end, I gave in.

Wedding pics. Just me, unfortunately, coz I know I gave myself permission ;)

I bit the bullet.  I got a Facebook account, uploaded the photos I had taken, friended her and friended the maid of honour.  And then started the friend requests...  From some people I was happy to catch up with and from some I had hoped to forever forget about.  When my ex-(douchebag)boyfriend's sister wanted to friend me, I about hit the roof.  I mean she was nice enough.  But I never, ever want to know what is going on with him and that was too close a connection for me.  I feel a little bad for ignoring her request, but, you know, not THAT bad.

So I was on Facebook and then everyone started on about Twitter and I thought I had never in my life heard of a more ridiculous concept than Twitter and tweeting and wtf anyway?  And Twitter was worse than Facebook coz anyone could stalk you there and find out stuff about you and I was sure Twitter was an alias for Big-Brother-Is-Watching...  In the end, I got a twitter account because a radio station was running a competition that you could only enter via twitter.  I had an account but very little was going on there, and I very seldom checked in on Facebook. 

And then Twilight happened.  And I was late to that as well.  I saw the movie first coz Sis wanted to and I was like, what. the. hell.  An obsessive co-dependant relationship between an old man and a teenager and they "fall in can't-live-without-you love" like in 5 minutes?  No.  Just no.  And THEN Sis read the book.  In like 3 days.  And loved it.  And let me tell you, Sis doesn't read. At all.  She went through a stage of Danielle Steele, but even then it would be 6 months per book.  I tried to get her to read the first Harry Potter and it took her a year and she didn't even finish.  Sis. Doesn't. Read.  But she read Twilight in under a week?  I had to know... And the rest is history, as is the case with so many people.  And then came Breaking Dawn.  By the time I had read the first 3 books, Breaking Dawn hadn't come out yet so I had to wait.  Thrilling! And then the fade-to-black, and then the search on the internet, and then fanfiction, and then a search for Quileute mythology (I'm a historian, I had to) and then Osa Bella and then Twitarded and then I was kinda screwed.

Twitarded led me to one of my best friends, author Lori Otto, who I have blogged about many times here, and who I could only stalk and chat with via email or Twitter.  (Lucky for me, she didn't mind my stalking.) And twitter was easier. The funny thing is, that Lori far prefers Facebook.  I far prefer Twitter.  All of this led to blogs and Tumblr and now Pinterest and on and on and on.  And some Twitter friends have become Facebook friends and some Facebook friends I have met because of books we're reading, and it's like this never ending circle of online friendship.  Let's all hold hands and sing Kumbaya together *sigh*.

How did that get here...

It has all become intertwined and mixed up, but at the end of the day, each type of social media has a different personality that is better suited to certain types of activities, and is better suited to certain types of people.  I mostly browse and reblog on Tumblr (pretty pictures and porn), keep in touch with old and new friends on Facebook and chat everyday, every damn day, with online turned RL life friends on Twitter.  It's as natural as texting my family at this point.  I love my twitter friends and they have become a very important part of my life.

Each to her own.  And it works.


P.S. I wonder how many online lives were started because of Stephenie Meyer...?"

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 30

Day 30 - Team spirit.


Sigh.  This is the last day of the photo challenge.  I have enjoyed it SO much!  And I'm sad it's over.  BUT the group read is still happening so ONWARDS!

#TeamEmi

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/



If you want more information on the group read go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-group-read-with-merit-badges/
 

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 29

Day 29 - The scene in Never Look Back that brought out the tissues.

 Happy tears.

                   

 

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 28

Day 28 - The most romantic thing Jack said.

Again, just one of many. 

Best book guy

                                  

 

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 27

Day 27 - Favourite city mentioned in the series. 

Now, I don't have one seeing as I've never been to any of the places mentioned in the books. But if I could choose one to visit, it'd be Dallas cause then I'd be close enough to visit Lori :)

 Not a world traveller.

             

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 26

Day 26 - Most hated character 

  I have a theme going for krazy Kiersten.

           

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 25

Day 25 - The best part of Never Look Back

 

 

 

Sigh

 

 

 

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 24

Day 24 - Your favourite scene of Jack's

 Just one of many

                   

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 23

Day 23 - The most heart-wrenching scene of Time Stands Still

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 22

Day 22 - Jack's brownstone 

Home Sweet Home

                   

 

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Group Read & Photo Challenge Day 21

*SPOILERS*

I've made it to the third badge! I'm on a little bit of a holiday for the next three days, an extra long weekend I gave myself, so hopefully, I will make some real progress now.

This 'Pow' badge comes at a pretty upsetting time in the first book. Nate has gotten himself into a little bit of trouble by losing himself to passion. Again. That boy...

Many of the readers are very anti Nate's girlfriend in this stage of the book. I don't really think Samantha deserves quite that much derision. I see her as highly naive but not really manipulative.

Anywhoodle, onwards!

 

Day 21 - Most memorable symbol in the series. 

There are so many memorable symbols, but for me, the most memorable one is a phrase.

I can make a phrase a symbol if I want

 

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 20

Day 20 - Your favourite scene of Emi's.

This is one of many, but I just love watching Emi let go!

Team Lush

                       

 

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 19

Day 19 - The best part of Time Stands Still



The gift that keeps on giving

         

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 18

Day 18 - Least favourite of Nate's girl friends



nuff said

                           

 

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 17

Day 17 - Your favourite scene of Nate's.

I love this, because this is where Nate took a good hard look at himself and how he was treating Emi,
and didn't like what he saw. This is where Nate became the man he was meant to be.

The original artist of the piece used as the background is Richard Cornwell.

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

 

ELAF Group Read & Photo Challenge Day 16

I am so far behind in the group read it's pathetic.  But I made some progress last night and am halfway through chapter 3.  I even earned the second badge without realising it!

The red shirt. He's broken up with someone. Uh oh...

Day 16 - The worst part of Lost and Found

This was so easy.  I mean there are a lot of frustrating or sad or angry making parts in the book.  But this was, without a doubt, the worst part of the book.  And not only because it was the end.

*sob*

If you want more information on the group read go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-group-read-with-merit-badges/

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 15

Day 15 - Nate's art



Leonid Afremov always comes to mind

 

 

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/

ELAF Photo Challenge - Day 14

Day 14 - Actors you'd choose for the leads 

Add caption

              This was an easy one.

For more information on the photo challenge, go here: http://authorlorilotto.wordpress.com/2013/08/30/emi-lost-and-found-30-day-photo-challenge/