"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Lily Bennett is less than thrilled to be the new kid as she starts her junior year in high school.

But soon after classes begin, she meets a classmate, Cole Drepeau, with whom she forms an immediate and intimate bond. As Cole and Lily grow closer, Lily learns about the murder that divided the town more than thirty years before. In 1985, graduating senior Amber Greeley snapped, killing her boyfriend Ben—Cole’s uncle—and taking her own life.

Lily feels inexplicably linked to Amber, and she can’t help but think that there’s more to the girl’s story. Determined to investigate the truth about Cole’s uncle’s death, Lily and Cole are pulled into a dark mystery—one that shakes the constraints of the world they’ve always believed in.

Masterfully told by best-selling author Victoria Laurie, this novel alternates voices between Lily and Amber, a generation apart, as decades of dark family secrets and treacherous betrayals are woven into the most epic of love stories.

Ahhh!!! The gorgeousness that is this cover! I am so psyched about this book. Gorgeous cover, mystery, suspense.... you guys, I need this one. NEED iiiiiiit! 

I absolutely can't wait to read Forever, Again by Victoria Laurie. This gorgeous book hits stores on December 13th with Disney Hyperion and I literally can't even!!!

What are you eagerly anticipating? I'd love to know so don't forget to share in the comments. If you participate in WoW make sure you leave your link below so I can stop by and check it out!

Happy Reading!

XOXO

Review: Shipwreck Island

Shipwreck Island by S.A. Bodeen

Release Date: July 29, 2014
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC
Pages: 192
Amazon  |  Goodreads


Sarah Robinson is deeply troubled in the wake of her dad's second marriage. She now has to deal with a new stepmom and two stepbrothers, Marco, who is her age, and Nacho, who's younger. Even though they've all moved from Texas to California to start life as a new, blended family, none of the kids seem remotely happy about it.

Sarah's dad and stepmom then decide to take the whole family on a special vacation in order to break the ice and have everyone get to know one another. They'll fly to Tahiti, charter a boat, and go sailing for a few days. It'll be an adventure, right?

Wrong. Dead wrong.
                                                          

After many, many years of avoiding Middle Grade like the plague, I have come to LOVE it! Looking back I wish I hadn't turned down all those review requests for it. So now that I'm a huge fan I'm always on the lookout for a new Middle Grade read.  I pulled Shipwreck Island off my shelf and enthusiastically dug in. I voraciously read through S.A. Bodeen's the Raft in previous years and was so looking forward to this one.

While it wasn't quite the home run for me that her YA novel, The Raft, had been, I enjoyed this quick MG read. The main character Sarah is having a horrible time adjusting to her father remarrying and having 2 new brothers in her life. To try to help the family adjust, their parents decide to trade in their first class tickets into economy tickets for the whole family. What once had been a honeymoon cruise turns into a reluctant family vacation for FIVE!

Right off the bat things start to go awry, and the family is really tested as they struggle to deal with everything. As I mentioned before, this wasn't quite the big hit that the Raft had been for me, but I still enjoyed this. Mixed families are extremely common and I thought it was both realistic and relatable for teens reading it. As I popped onto Goodreads to gather info for my review, I was really happy to see that this is a series with book 2 and 3 already out. I am looking forward to picking those up and continuing the story of Shipwreck Island.

Have you read this book, or the Raft? What did you think? I'd love to know your thoughts, so let me know in the comments!

Review: Popular : Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek

Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek by Maya Van Wagenen

Release Date: April 15, 2014
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Source: Publisher
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 272


Stuck at the bottom of the social ladder at pretty much the lowest level of people at school who aren’t paid to be here,” Maya Van Wagenen decided to begin a unique social experiment: spend the school year following a 1950s popularity guide, written by former teen model Betty Cornell. Can curlers, girdles, Vaseline, and a strand of pearls help Maya on her quest to be popular? 

The real-life results are painful, funny, and include a wonderful and unexpected surprise—meeting and befriending Betty Cornell herself. Told with humor and grace, Maya’s journey offers readers of all ages a thoroughly contemporary example of kindness and self-confidence.


                                                         

I had the pleasure of meeting Maya and her mother a few years ago at TLA where she graciously signed this book for me. I remember my Mom and I both being really impressed by Maya as well as really excited to read this. I wish I hadn't taken so long to pick it up, it was such a cute and fun read!

I adore all things vintage and old fashioned, so of course my opinion may be a little biased. My idea of a fun Friday night is canning fresh picked berries from our garden with my Mom, or quilting with my sister while we watch Jane Austen movie's with our beloved bunnies. My co-workers often called me Grandma but it never bothered me! 

There are so many things that I loved about this book that it's hard to know where to even begin. I'll start with the book itself. The artwork is so cute, the dust jacket, the cute polka dot lining, the way the original pages from Betty Cornnell's book are woven throughout the book along with pictures of Maya as she attempts to marry these old fashioned tips into her modern life.

This book was really fun, and even comical at times as I pictured these things happening. If I had nieces I think I would buy them each a copy because Maya had such integrity and personal conviction that I found really inspiring in this world. I can't imagine what life is like now for a teen, what they face daily at school and from their very own peers. It was so refreshing and fun to read this memoir and I really recommend it to everyone! 

Whether your a teen having a hard time fitting in, or your an adult who just feels left out at work, or life in general, there is so much we all can learn from Maya's experiences. This was a wonderful social experiment that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. If you've read it let me know in the comments, I'd love to know your thoughts!

 

Waiting on Wednesday (35)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

There may only be one killer, but no one is innocent in this new thriller from Natasha Preston, author of The Cellar and Awake.

When Mackenzie treks to a secluded cabin in the woods with six friends, she expects a fun weekend of partying, drinking, and hookups. But when they wake to find two of their own dead and covered in blood, it's clear there's a killer among them.

As the police try to unravel the case, Mackenzie launches her own investigation. Before long secrets start to emerge, revealing a sinister web of sins among the original seven friends. The killer is still free. Every one of them is a suspect. And Mackenzie starts to realize that no one is innocent…

I go crazy for a good mystery/thriller/suspense book. I seriously live for them!Curling up in bed during a thunderstorm with a thriller and a nice hot cup of tea. Perfection!

I love this cover with the single cob webbey rose. It's so creepy and mysterious. I can't wait to read The Cabin by Natasha Preston when it releases on September 6th with Sourcebooks Fire!

What are you eagerly anticipating? I'd love to know so don't forget to share in the comments. And if you participate in WoW make sure you leave your link below so I can check it out!

Happy Reading!

XOXO

Review: Blackbird

Blackbird  ( Blackbird Duology #1) by Anna Carey

Release Date: September 16, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen

Source: Publisher

Format: ARC

Pages: 256

Amazon   |  Goodreads

This twisty, breathless cat-and-mouse thrill ride, told in the second person, follows a girl with amnesia in present-day Los Angeles who is being pursued by mysterious and terrifying assailants.

A girl wakes up on the train tracks, a subway car barreling down on her. With only minutes to react, she hunches down and the train speeds over her. She doesn’t remember her name, where she is, or how she got there. She has a tattoo on the inside of her right wrist of a blackbird inside a box, letters and numbers printed just below: FNV02198. There is only one thing she knows for sure: people are trying to kill her. 

On the run for her life, she tries to untangle who she is and what happened to the girl she used to be. Nothing and no one are what they appear to be. But the truth is more disturbing than she ever imagined. 

The Maze Runner series meets Code Name Verity, Blackbird is relentless and action-packed, filled with surprising twists.

I never actually read the Maze Runner series ( I know, I know!!!) or Code Name Verity , although I own both.  I do however really love Anna Carey's Eve trilogy and the premise of the book totally reminded me of the tv show Blindspot which I am hooked on! So I finally decided to dust this book off and give it a try. 

I have no idea why, but this book just did not work for me. I wish that I could put my finger on what exactly it is that went so awry for me, but I can't.  I love the author, she writes some crazy cliff hangers that make my screams heard from halfway around the world. And the idea of the story I absolutely adore, but for some reason this book just didn't do it for me.

I had a hard time getting into it, I think it actually took me about 10 days to complete the book. I really, really wanted to like it, to love it, and to FINISH it and put it behind me.  I didn't connect with the character's, the story, or anything in the book which is so unusual for me when it comes to this author's work. 

I'm not really sure if I will be picking up the companion book Deadfall or not... nevertheless if YOU have read Blackbird I would love to know your thoughts, so don't forget to leave me a comment!

Review: These Vicious Masks

These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

Release Date: February 9, 2016
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Source: Library
Format: Finished Copy
Pages: 298



England, 1882. Evelyn is bored with society and its expectations. So when her beloved sister, Rose, mysteriously vanishes, she ignores her parents and travels to London to find her, accompanied by the dashing Mr. Kent. But they’re not the only ones looking for Rose. The reclusive, young gentleman Sebastian Braddock is also searching for her, claiming that both sisters have special healing powers. Evelyn is convinced that Sebastian must be mad, until she discovers that his strange tales of extraordinary people are true—and that her sister is in graver danger than she feared.




I feel like I am probably the last person in the world to have read this book. When my Mom walked in the door from the library she works at and handed this to me I was so ecstatic. I really adore historical romance/ historical mysteries. It is seriously the stuff dreams are made of! Plus..my Mom kinda raised me on stuff like this so...ya know. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree I guess.

After I finished this book I read a LOT of reviews, a LOT people. I know it's REALLY hit and miss for people. Some people loved it, some people hated it, and there really weren't any people who were in between the two. My personal thoughts on that are because this is historical fiction. Historical fiction is NOT for everyone, most people will love it, or hate it. Historical fiction can be really tricky even for people who adore it. I've read some that you couldn't even tell were historical fiction except for an odd reference here or there. But enough about pro historical fiction vs con.

I really LOVED this book! When your an avid reader/reviewer you can really hit a slump and just get tired of reading and lose your enthusiasm. This book really energized me and breathed life back into my desire for reading again! I pretty much read the entire thing in 1 sitting which is HUGE for me. I've never been a marathon reader and my attention wanders really quickly.

The whole story was really well done, which I was concerned about being that this is written by a duo of male and female authors. Fear not, it was incredible! The main character was spunky and completely stubborn sometimes, but I really identified with her because I'm the same way!!! The story itself to me was unique and I loved the lengths Evelyn went to to find her sister Rose. My sister and I have a super close bond and I really related to that particular aspect of the story. To the moon and back people, to the moon and back!

If you like historical fiction, sisterly bonds, intrigue, romance, super human powers. then you should definitely pick up this book and give it a try! If you've read it, plan on reading it, or want to read it, let me know in the comments so we can fan girl together!

 

Waiting on Wednesday (34)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

In a hilarious comedy of errors that Booklist has dubbed “a good choice for fans of John Green,” high school matchmaker Shane Chambliss is content finding love for his classmates—until love finally finds him.

What if the secrets of dating and love were revealed in one simple formula? That’s the tantalizing proposition high school senior Shane Chambliss offers the hopeless and hapless guys who come to him for relationship advice.

After the girl of his dreams breaks his heart, Shane devises a mysterious formula called the Galgorithm and establishes himself as the resident dating guru at Kingsview High School. But his attempts to master the art of romance go outrageously awry.

As Shane tries to navigate the ensuing drama, he must follow his heart, abandon all the rules, and ignore his own advice in a quest for true love. What he discovers, no formula could ever predict...

I love a really cute contemporary to shake things up. The cover is really cute and it just sounds really light and fun! This hits shelves on June 21, 2016 by Simon Pulse!

What are you eagerly anticipating? I'd love to know so don't forget to share in the comments. And if you participate in WoW make sure you leave your link below so I can check it out!

Happy Reading!

XOXO

Review: Gabby Duran and the Unsittables

Gabby Duran and the Unsittables by Elise Allen & Daryle Connors

Release Date: May 12,2015
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Source: Publisher
Format: ARC
Pages: 208

Case File: The First Unsittable

Summary: The Association Linking Intergalatics and Earthlings (hereby known as A.L.I.E.N.) has a new member. After months of investigation, Gabby Duran, Associate 4118-25125A, has proven herself to be a babysitter extraordinaire. Her celebrity clients fly her around the country to care for their rambunctious little humans. Our spy, Associate 4118-23432B, otherwise known as Edwina, believes Gabby can be trusted with the truth: aliens are living among humans on Earth. And here at A.L.I.E.N we believe that even extraterrestrials need a babysitter now and then. No one was up to the task until now.

After accepting the top-secret position, Edwina has paired our new associate up with her first charge, a little girl from the planet Flarknartia. The timing for associate 4118-25125A is less than ideal. It's a school day on Planet Earth, Gabby's audition for the solo part in the band is tonight, and this tiny alien is a bit more than meets the eye. 

Can Gabby Duran, Associate 4118-25125A, First Sitter to the Unsittables, keep her otherworldly charge safe in the unpredictable halls of middle-school and keep A.L.I.E.N hidden?

I always thought I was not a fan of MG books, but seeing as this is the second one in the past 2 weeks that I've read and really enjoyed, I may have to stop saying that! Initially what drew me to this title is that it has ALIENS! ALIENS!!!! You guys, I LOVE Alien stuff! Books, movies, toys, you name it! I've even been Alien hunting with my friends. Whaaaat?!?!? Yeah, it's a thing!

FOCUS Cristina! Back to the book on hand... the ALIEN tie in may have been what drew me in, but this was a really cute and fun read. The main character Gabby has really awesome skills at baby sitting which is why Edwina seeks her out to work for them, sitting for the "unsittables" aka alien babies!!! Ahhhh!!!

There's some stolen alien property, an underground society plotting against them, a possible world take-over...this book had everything! It was so cute and fun, and I honestly didn't want it to end. I really love it and I think you will too! If you like MG, ALIENS or maybe just want to reach out of your comfort zone and try something different then I think you should pick up a copy of Gabby Duran and the Unsittables. It's such an entertaining story that will take you out of this world!

 

Review: These Shallow Graves

These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly 

Release Date: October 27, 2015
Publisher: Random House Delacourte
Source: Library
Format: Finished Copy
Pages: 488
Amazon  |  Goodreads

Jo Montfort is beautiful and rich, and soon—like all the girls in her class—she’ll graduate from finishing school and be married off to a wealthy bachelor. Which is the last thing she wants. Jo secretly dreams of becoming a writer—a newspaper reporter like the trailblazing Nellie Bly.

Wild aspirations aside, Jo’s life seems perfect until tragedy strikes: her father is found dead. Charles Montfort accidentally shot himself while cleaning his revolver. One of New York City’s wealthiest men, he owned a newspaper and was partner in a massive shipping firm, and Jo knows he was far too smart to clean a loaded gun.

The more Jo uncovers about her father’s death, the more her suspicions grow. There are too many secrets. And they all seem to be buried in plain sight. Then she meets Eddie—a young, brash, infuriatingly handsome reporter at her father’s newspaper—and it becomes all too clear how much she stands to lose if she keeps searching for the truth. Only now it might be too late to stop.

The past never stays buried forever. Life is dirtier than Jo Montfort could ever have imagined, and the truth is the dirtiest part of all.

I haven't read anything by Jennifer Donnelly so I didn't know what to expect going into this book. I just knew the cover was hauntingly gorgeous and I couldn't get the synopsis out of my head. I honestly fell in love with this book within just a few chapters. 

The main character Jo, and Eddie really made this story for me. Jo is torn between two worlds, what is expected of her and what she longs for. I loved her interactions with Eddie  and they soon became my favorite parts of the book. I found myself racing through the chapters, not wanting to put this book down for a second! 

This book has mystery and suspense, historical features, a love triangle, and I found it incredibly well done! By the time I got to the end of the book I found myself grabbing up all the books the author noted as her source material and research for the book. A total FIRST for me! A book has NEVER entanced me so much that I couldn't let it go and had to delve in beyond the book itself. Which speaks volumes as to how amazing this book really was! It is an all time favorite for me. If you've read it I'd love to hear your thoughts, and if you haven't, run, RUN to the bookstore NOW!

 

Waiting on Wednesday (33)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

This electric cross-country thriller follows the game of cat and mouse between a girl on the run from a murder she witnessed—or committed?—and the boy who’s sent to kill her.

Nicolette Holland is the girl everyone likes. Up for adventure. Loyal to a fault. And she’s pretty sure she can get away with anything...until a young woman is brutally murdered in the woods near Nicolette’s house. Which is why she has to disappear.

Jack Manx has always been the stand-up guy with the killer last name. But straight A’s and athletic trophies can’t make people forget that his father was a hit man and his brother is doing time for armed assault. Just when Jack is about to graduate from his Las Vegas high school and head east for college, his brother pulls him into the family business with inescapable instructions: find this ruthless Nicolette Holland and get rid of her. Or else Jack and everyone he loves will pay the price.

As Nicolette and Jack race to outsmart each other, tensions—and attractions—run high. Told in alternating voices, this tightly plotted mystery and tense love story challenges our assumptions about right and wrong, guilt and innocence, truth and lies. 

I am ALWAYS looking for more mystery/thrillers to add my never ending TBR list. I adore the cover of this and I think the story sounds fantastic too! I can't wait to read How to Disappear when it hits stores June 14, 2016 by Simon Pulse!

What are you eagerly anticipating? I'd love to know so don't forget to share in the comments. And if you participate in WoW make sure you leave your link below so I can check it out!

Happy Reading!

XOXO

Review: Wildthorn

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

Release Date: January 17, 2012
Publisher: Young Picador
Source: Purchased
Format: Finished Copy
Pages: 359
Amazon  |  Goodreads


Seventeen-year-old Louisa Cosgrove longs to break free from her respectable life as a Victorian doctor's daughter. But her dreams become a nightmare when Louisa is sent to Wildthorn Hall: labeled a lunatic, deprived of her liberty and even her real name. As she unravels the betrayals that led to her incarceration, she realizes there are many kinds of prison. She must be honest with herself - and others - in order to be set free. And love may be the key...

I am embarassed to say that this sat on my bookshelf untouched for many, many years. As in 4 years ...*face palm*  ANYWAYS...moving on. Of course the cover is what initially attracted me, but I really enjoy historical fiction and I was really curious about this book. I am so glad that after such a long time I dusted it off and gave it a try!

The main character Louisa is not your typical victorian belle, she has much more in common with girls today like you and I.  She wanted more than to  just wear fashionable clothes, look pretty, and procure a good marriage. She was fascinated by her father's work ( he was a doctor) , she studied and had dreams of becoming a doctor herself one day. She was a character I could really identify with. Most girls from the time they are little play act weddings and by the time they are 10 have their entire weddings planned out. I was never that girl, I wanted to go to college and have a career. So I really connected with Louisa right away. Which is why this story was so utterly heartbreaking. . .

After her father's death, which is hard enough, she is committed to an insane asylum simply because she wants to study and become a doctor. It really saddens me that something as simple as being different, or  not being content with just being a housewife actually landed women in asylum's . But things like this ACTUALLY happened, which is what this whole story is based upon.

"Excessive study, especially in one of the fair sex, often leads to insanity."

I won't go any farther into the story because I think its an incredible book that every woman should read! It will make you cry, and make you thankful to have the freedom to be a wife, a mother, a student, or whatever it is that you desire to be.

 

Review: Young Miss Holmes, Casebooks 1-2

Young Miss Holmes Casebook 1-2 by Kaoru Shintani

Release Date: March 13,2012
Publisher: Seven Seas
Source: Borrowed
Format: Paperback
Pages: 384


Christie is Sherlock Holmes' precocious niece. She lives in a beautiful home with her maids and her giant dog Nelson, who look after her in the absence of her parents. Her maids include the proper Annemarie and the unrefined, uneducated Nora, whose skill with her "Snake Tongue" whip occasionally comes in handy. Though Christie hates studying, she loves using logic to solve mysteries, and so she often ends up helping her uncle and Dr. Watson solve their cases.

I am a big fan of anything Sherlock Holmes, books, movies, comics, re-tellings, you name it and I am ALL about it! When I saw this at my local library while perusing the manga shelves, I had to take it home, and I am so glad I did!

This is a super cute series, that's easy, fun and a super quick read. The story centers around  Christie, Sherlock Holmes niece. She wants to follow in her uncle's steps and is definitely proving to be a relation of his with her quick wit and sharp skills of observation.  As would be expected in Victorian times, she does it all with a maid and tutor in tow!

I really began to enjoy seeing how she would go about inserting herself into her Uncle's cases, I found it quite comical at times. Although only 10 years old, Christie can hold her own in the grown up world of mystery , suspense and scandal! Throw in  a few vampires and you have yourself a really fantastic series.

If your fans of Sherlock Holmes, Manga or your just want to try something different then I recommend you pick up a copy for yourself!

 

Waiting on Wednesday (32)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

From gold medalist and reality TV star Shawn Johnson comes a debut YA novel inspired by her own experiences as an elite teenage gymnast—just in time for the Summer 2016 Olympic games.

Charlie Ryland has a secret.

She may seem like your average high school sophomore—but she’s just really good at pretending.

Because outside of school Charlie spends all her waking hours training to become one of the best gymnasts in the world. And it’s not easy flying under the radar when you’re aiming for Olympic gold…especially when an irresistible guy comes along and threatens to throw your whole world off balance.

Inspired by her own experiences as a fifteen-year-old Olympic gymnast, gold medalist Shawn Johnson writes a delightfully entertaining novel about chasing big dreams and falling in love, all while trying to keep it real.

I had absolutely no clue that Shawn Johnson was writing a YA based off her experiences...how EPIC is that guys?!? I am such a HUGE olympics junkie, and a fan of Shawn. It isn't often that you find a YA with a MC training for the Olympics! In fact...this is probably a FIRST! Wooo! I seriously cannot wait you guys! Thank goodness this hits stores  June 7th!

What are you eagerly anticipating? I'd love to know so don't forget to share in the comments. And if you participate in WoW make sure you leave your link below so I can check it out!

Happy Reading!

XOXO