Michelle's Bookshelf

Contemporary Wednesday

2012-01-25T19:54:00.001-05:00

I thought I would introduce and incorporate a new meme on my blog that pertains to contemporary fiction seeing as I love and adore it. There has been a real increase in YA catering to paranormal/fantasy/dystopia etc and while I love and appreciate- not to mention read- all forms of literature regardless of genre and sub-genre, I did want to pay homage in a sense to the wonderful contemporary novels that are up and coming as well as pay tribute to some much loved novels of the past. Contemporary fiction is what turned me into an avid reader, especially contemporary YA and still after all these years, it's what I feel the most connected with. Therefore, every Wednesday I will post an upcoming contemporary YA title that I am very much looking forward to. I will also post a contemporary novel that has already been published that I immensely enjoyed and want to share with all of you. :)

The Thing About the Truth

By: Lauren Barnholdt

Pub date: July 10th, 2012

In this humorous love story from the author of Two-Way Street, an unlikely romance is the best sort of surprise—but the wrong secret can ruin everything. Kelsey’s not going to let one mistake ruin her life. Sure, she got kicked out of prep school and all her old friends are shutting her out. But Kelsey’s focused on her future, and she’s determined to get back on track at Concordia High.

Isaac’s been kicked out of more schools than he can count. Since his father’s a state senator, Isaac’s life is under constant scrutiny—but Concordia High’s his last stop before boarding school, so Isaac’s hoping to fly under the radar and try to stay put for a change.

When Kelsey and Isaac meet, it’s anything but love at first sight. She thinks he’s an entitled brat, and he thinks she’s a stuck-up snob. So it surprises them both when they start to fall for each other. Kelsey’s happy for the first time in months, and Isaac’s never felt this way about anyone before...But nothing’s ever completely perfect. Everyone has secrets, and Isaac and Kelsey are no exceptions. These two may have fallen hard, but there’s one thing that can ruin it all: the truth.

summary from goodreads.com

I love contemporary novels with romance. I find contemporary YA for the most part depicts romantic relationships in such a fantastic way. I have read one of Barnholdt's previous novels and really enjoyed it. This one doesn't include the most original of storylines but I'm always much less concerned with originality and more so with personal author interpretation. How the author takes something and makes it their own is always what I think stands out the most and makes a story what it is. I think for the most part writing today is compiled of similar themes and such but how the author makes it theirs, always shines through.

The Truth About Forever

By: Sarah Dessen

Pub date: May 11th, 2004

Sixteen-year-old Macy Queen is looking forward to a long, boring summer. Her boyfriend is going away. She's stuck with a dull-as-dishwater job at the library. And she'll spend all of her free time studying for the SATs or grieving silently with her mother over her father's recent unexpected death.

But everything changes when Macy is corralled into helping out at one of her mother's open house events, and she meets the chaotic Wish Catering crew. Before long, Macy joins the Wish team. She loves everything about the work and the people.

But the best thing about Wish is Wes—artistic, insightful, and understanding Wes—who gets Macy to look at life in a whole new way, and really start living it.

summary from goodreads.com

[excerpt]

I read this book back when I was sixteen and to this day, it remains one of my absolute favourites. I remember picking it up everytime I was in the bookstore and reading bits and pieces before I gave in and finally purchased it. The Truth About Forever was the first book that really launched me into the world of YA. I'd never come across anything like it prior to and from that point onwards, I was hooked. I know most people have read this book but if you've still yet to do so, I recommend it so very much.

Upcoming Release: Never Enough

2012-01-24T11:53:00.000-05:00

Never Enough

By: Denise Jaden

Pub date: July 10th, 2012

Loann’s always wanted to be popular and pretty like her sister, Claire. So when Claire’s ex-boyfriend starts flirting with her, Loann is willing to do whatever it takes to feel special…even if that means betraying her sister.

But as Loann slips inside Claire’s world, she discovers that everything is not as it seems. Claire’s quest for perfection is all-consuming, and comes at a dangerous price. As Claire increasingly withdraws from friends and family, Loann struggles to understand her and make amends. Can she heal their
relationship—and her sister—before it’s too late?

summary from goodreads.com

Denise's first book, Losing Faith is still patiently waiting on my bookshelf to be read but I must say that the premise for Jaden's novels are right up my alley. Nothing beats contemporary fiction and this one sounds great.

Upcoming Release: Waiting

2012-01-17T11:07:00.023-05:00

Waiting

By: Carol Lynch Williams

Pub date: May 1st, 2012

After her brother’s death, a teen struggles to rediscover love and find redemption in this gripping novel.

Growing up in Africa and Latin America as the children of missionaries, London and Zach were as close as could be. And then Zach dies, and the family is gutted. London’s father is distant. Her mother won’t speak. The days are filled with what-ifs and whispers: Did Zach take his own life? Was it London’s fault?

Alone and adrift, London finds herself torn between her brother’s best friend and the handsome new boy in town as she struggles to find herself—and ultimately redemption—in this authentic and affecting novel from award-winning novelist Carol Lynch Williams.

summary from goodreads.com

I haven't read anything by Williams yet but I do have a lot of her novels on my to-read list. This one, like her others sounds extremely captivating and intense. I love novels with character growth and also ones that deal and rely heavily upon character relationships. I also think the cover is really great and definitely eye catching.

Sneak Peek Saturday: My Life Next Door

2012-01-14T14:11:00.001-05:00

My Life Next Door

By: Huntley Fitzpatrick

Pub date: June 14th, 2012

"One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time."

The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen year old Samantha wishes she was one of them… until the day Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything.

Jase can sense that his beautiful neighbor is missing something in her sterile home, and as the two fall fiercely in love, his family makes her one of their own.

But when the bottom drops out of Sam's world, which perfect family will save her–and will her perfect love survive?

Excerpt

“Want to walk out to the lighthouse?”

I’m freezing, but I want to go anyway, to go anywhere with Jase, so off we go. The breakwater that leads to the lighthouse is strange, as the rocks are perfectly flat and even until about halfway, then get jagged and off-kilter, so that walking all the way out involves a certain amount of climbing and clinging.

By the time we reach the lighthouse, the evening light has turned from golden to pinkly golden with the sunset. Jase folds his arms on the black pipe metal railing and looks out at the ocean, still studded in the distance with tiny triangles of white, sailboats headed home. It’s all so picturesque that I half expect orchestral chords to swell in the background.

Tracy, my sister, is a pro at these things. She’d do a little stumble and bump up against the boy, looking at him through her lashes. Or she’d shiver and press herself a little closer, as if unconsciously. She’d know exactly what to do to get someone to kiss her just when—and how–she wanted him to.

But I don’t have those skills. So I just stand next to Jase, leaning on the rail, watching the sailboats, feeling the heat of his arm resting next to mine. After a few minutes, he turns to look at me. That look of his, unhurried, thoughtful, scanning me over slowly. Are his eyes lingering on my face, my lips? I’m not sure. I want them to. Then he says, “Let’s get home. We’ll take the car and go somewhere. Alice owes me.”

As we clamber back over the rocks, I can’t stop wondering what just happened there. I could swear he was looking at me like he wanted to kiss me. What’s stopping him? Maybe he isn’t attracted to me at all. Maybe he just wants to be friends. I’m not sure I can pull off being just friends with someone whose clothes I want to rip off.

Did I actually just think that? Oh God. I did.
____________
I welcome all realistic fiction with open arms. I love this idea about the Garretts being the complete opposite of the Reeds and having the main character be intrigued by that fact. I also like the whole dynamic of the relationship between Jase and Reese, and having them be so completely different. This sounds like it'll be a sweet and fun read for sure! For more on Huntley Fitzpatrick you can visit her official website.

Have a lovely weekend!

What's Happening

2012-01-14T13:47:00.001-05:00

As you can tell, my commitment to this blog has been seriously lacking. I started it back in March of 2009, a time where I wasn't in school and was also looking for a part-time job. In short: I had a lot more free time. Almost three years in the present now, things are quite different. I am currently a full time university student not to mention I have also recently acquired a part-time job. Between all the reading and assignments as well as work shifts, I have almost little to no time to do much of anything let alone read for fun (sadly) and keep up with the wonderful world of YA. I do still poke my head in every once and a while/wander around goodreads when time permits itself so therefore, I'm still somewhat in the loop although nothing like before.

The truth is blogging is a big commitment and I'm not the type of person who only commits 50% to something. It just doesn't feel right. So, that leads to the contemplation that has been taking place in my head as of what to do with this blog. I thought about closing it down altogether but I just don't have the heart to do it. I love reading too much and I love YA far too much to do it. A few weeks ago I was wandering the YA section in a bookstore, still giddy as ever as I rifled through book after book. I have also become so familiarized with sharing my opinions in review format, having great discussions about novels with other bloggers, sharing upcoming information about books we're so excited for amongst other wonderful things. I love being a book blogger, and more than that I love being a YA book blogger and sharing that passion with others who understand and love young adult literature as much as I do. After thinking about it for a few weeks I decided that I cannot close this blog, I just can't. I am currently super busy but this time in my life won't last forever plus I also have sporadic periods in the year where I am not in school (4 months summer vacation-woohoo) to name one in particular.

That all leads me to what I came here to say. I am going to try my best to keep up. There will me moments and months where the updates will be few depending on when school life gets super hectic. Memes are much easier to update and keep consistent than reviews as they do not consist of needing large heaps of time. I will try my absolute best to read at least one YA book per month-so sad- :( but for now it is an attainable goal. I do have a few reviews that I have yet to post, of books that I have read but have not gotten around to reviewing. I will get on that. I did want to improve this blog, to add more content such as author interviews etc. In general, I really wanted to strengthen Michelle's Bookshelf because I feel there is so much more that can still be done when it comes to being a book blogger. One thing I am definitely going to do is hold more contests. My 3rd year blogoversary is coming up (March 1st) so I will start thinking up what I will do for that. :)To sum it all up I am going to 1)be as consistent as I can with my weekly memes. 2)Read and post at least one YA review a month. I will work on strengthening and adding more content later on in the year, likely summer when I have much more time to do as I please.

At this point and time, I am taking no books for review of any sort (which is also made clear in my review policy tab located at the very top of my blog). Even if I am dying to read one in particular, I cannot accept any book(s) at this particular time as it would just not be fair to the author/publishing house for I cannot guarantee whatsoever that I will be able to read it in a timely fashion. I'm just going to stick to reading the books I have on my shelf/the library. If this changes, I will make sure to update my review policy page stating so. To those authors whose books I have accepted in the past but have yet to review. A HUGE apology is due from my end. I do keep track of every book I receive however and I will definitely review it at some point and time. I have accepted the task of doing so and I will follow through with it.

Lastly, thank you to my followers who have stuck it out with me even through this serious blog dry spell. You guys are fantastic! Also, thank you to the amazing book bloggers out there for being supportive and also, keeping me in the loop!

Never Have I Ever (The Lying Game, #2)

2011-12-13T11:11:00.005-05:00

Never Have I Ever (The Lying Game, #2)

By: Sara Shepard

My perfect life was a lie.

Now I’d do anything to uncover the truth.

Not long ago, I had everything a girl could wish for: amazing friends, an adorable boyfriend, a loving family. But none of them know that I’m gone—that I’m dead. To solve my murder, my long-lost twin sister, Emma, has taken my place. She sleeps in my room, wears my clothes, and calls my parents Mom and Dad.

And my killer is watching her every move.

I remember little from my life, just flashes and flickers, so all I can do is follow along as Emma tries to solve the mystery of my disappearance. But the deeper she digs, the more suspects she uncovers. It turns out my friends and I played a lot of games—games that ruined people’s lives. Anyone could want revenge . . . anyone could want me—and now Emma—dead.

summary from book

My Rating: 4/5

The mystery continues for Emma in the second novel of The Lying Game series as she tries to piece together her dead twin sister's life, hoping to find out who is responsible for her murder. Much like the first novel, the mystery and suspense is prominent and a permanent fixture throughout the novel's entirety. As the reader, you really don't know who you can trust which is exactly the same predicament that befalls Emma. The nice thing about this novel-and usually a series in general- is that the characters are more fleshed out. First novels in a series are always a kind of foundation, a gradual unfolding of information by the author while the ones to follow usually delve deeper into things, into the lives of the characters helping to paint a fuller picture. I enjoyed getting to know more about the characters, especially Sutton's friends and sister Laurel. And of course, I enjoyed being pulled farther into the mystery that is Sutton, her life, and the dramas contained within it.

Never Have I Ever picks up right where The Lying Game left off. The mystery pushes forward as other suspects are shoved to the forefront. In this novel Emma comes upon new information and motives as to why others would possibly have wanted to harm Sutton. Yet the mystery is slow in a sense or better yet, methodically paced. I'm assuming that much like the Pretty Little Liars series that came before this one also written by Shepard that this series will in the end be comprised of a large handful of novels as well. That being said, it makes sense as to why the mystery is unfolding in a slower way. It's obvious that the author has quite a lot she would like to touch upon before revealing the culprit or culprits behind Sutton's death and disappearance. All in all, I'm really eager to see where this series is taken and enjoy the pacing. Not a lot is thrust upon the reader at one time, Shepard choosing to hone in on one or two things allowing for more detailed insight.

Along with broader character development and a moving forward of plot, Never Have I Ever also contains more romance than the first novel. It is definitely a sub-plot and much like the general plot, very drawn out and well paced. I'm also interested to see where that goes and think that the entire relationship she has with this person-one in which she can be her true self-is a nice and welcome change and deviation from the novel's main premise. As fun and entertaining as it is to see Emma pretending to be Sutton, it is also just as satisfying for me, to see Emma being Emma, and learning more about who she is which ultimately is someone very different from Sutton.

The third and fourth installments of The Lying Game series are both set to come out next year. Two Truth and a Lie (February 7th, 2012) and Hide and Seek (July 31st, 2012). With the way that Never Have I Ever ended let me just say that I am very eager to read on. I think the next novel is going to be quite interesting and will once again divulge more information on Sutton, her life, and the intricate relationship she shared with those close to and around her.

Overall: If you enjoyed The Lying Game you probably don't need my convincing in telling you to read on and pick this book up as well. I think this series as a whole is heavily entertaining not to mention a lot of fun to read. I like mystery and suspense and secrecy and if you do as well then I'd highly recommend you give this series a try!

The Lying Game

2011-12-06T15:19:00.004-05:00

The Lying Game (The Lying Game, #1)

By: Sara Shepard

I had a life anyone would kill for.

Then Someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does—an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.

Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me—to slip into my old life and piece it all together.

But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she’s the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, carefree daughter when she hugs my parents good night? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?

summary from book

My Rating: 3.5/5

I will rightfully admit that I began reading this series for two main reasons. Reason #1: I had stumbled across this show deciding to give it a try seeing as I am a fan of the Pretty Little Liars TV series and reason #2: I have always wanted to read something by Sara Shepard and even own the first novel in the Pretty Little Liars series -but as goes the story of my life- I have yet to read it. I figured since The Lying Game TV adaptation had just begun and I wasn't rightfully attached to it or anything that I wouldn't mind being spoiled by the novels if such a thing were to occur. Also, I'd pretty frequently read that the show and the novels were extremely different (surprise, surprise) and so I decided to give in and give them a try.

The Lying Game is exactly what I'd hoped it would be not to mention it contains my favourite aspect of the TV show adaptations of Shepard's novels: secrets. I love secrecy in novels. I am a huge fan of being told little to nothing and having to piece together the incoming evidence much like the protagonist is being forced to do as well. I think the concept of long lost twins encountering one another is fascinating all on it's own, especially given the situation that both siblings have lead such immensely different lives. But that's not all. Then, thrown into the mix is the fact that Sutton, the rich and much nastier twin whose life seems to be riddled with lies, deception, and secrecy is murdered, leaving Emma, the much sweeter of the two to take over Sutton's life-being mistaken for her in a quick instance only to realize that staying and being Sutton is the only way she can solve her murder. Whew! Sounds like a party. Soon, Emma begins to realize that no one in Sutton's life can be trusted and that each individual she encounters seems to have a justifiable reason as to why they would want Sutton dead. Even her best friends and sister (the biological child of her adoptive parents) have enough reason to want to hurt Sutton. Having Emma navigate this world, learning something new each chapter is part of the fun of The Lying Game. The more she learns about her late twin's life, the more she begins to realize that finding her murderer is going to be a lot more difficult than previously assumed.

The plot for me is the highlight of this book. The characters are fine, I don't dislike them or anything but this is not going to be the novel that contains super fleshed out beings with complex background stories and moments that make you feel connected to them, as if they are real people above all else. Don't get me wrong, the characters in this novel do have background stories (how can they not when Emma is discovering so much about those around her-present and past?) But it is not the main focus of The Lying Game. Like I said, it's not so much about internal growth and or conflict but ultimately about what is happening outside and around Emma. Maybe down the road, when the series is drawn to a close these moments will be present, maybe not. I definitely can see Sutton (who is attached to her sister Emma in death, trying desperately to find out and discover who killed her also as she cannot recollect anything from her life) as having a few of those moments in the end for she is realizing, through Emma's interactions with her world that she was not the nicest individual. Regardless, it is not the fuel that burns this fire so to speak. Being someone who loves character driven novels above all else, I was not bothered by this fact. I knew that this series would be plot heavy above all else and that is what I wanted to find when I picked up The Lying Game. Sometimes you need a novel like this one that has mastered plot and keeps you on the edge of your seat because of it.

Overall: This was a very fun read, the kind of book you have a difficult time putting down because each new chapter is filled with some kind of new revelation, big or small. If you such as myself are into novels with a woven element of mystery then I highly recommend this series. I'm currently on the second novel (Never Have I Ever) and am very much enjoying it. Also, if you're a fan of the The Lying Game TV show and or Pretty Little Liars I would also recommend you pick up either series, this one included. Just be warned that it may ruin the show in the sense that this book is MUCH better than the series and may (as it did for me) take away from some of the show's enjoyment factor.

Upcoming Release: How to Save a Life

2011-05-24T17:57:00.004-04:00

How to Save a Life

by: Sara Zarr

Pub date: October 18th, 2011

Jill MacSweeney just wants everything to go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. You can't lose one family member and simply replace him with a new one, and when her mom decides to adopt a baby, that's exactly what it feels like she's trying to do. And that's decidedly not normal. With her world crumbling around her, can Jill come to embrace a new member of the family?

Mandy Kalinowski knows what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, she knows she wants a better life for her baby. But can giving up a child be as easy as it seems? And will she ever be able to find someone to care for her, too?

summary from goodreads.com

Sara Zarr! I have loved each of her already published novels. I love me some contemporary fiction and Zarr writes some of the best.

Sneak Peek Saturday: My Beating Teenage Heart

2011-05-14T14:37:00.005-04:00

My Beating Teenage Heart

By: C.K. Kelly Martin

Pub date: September 27th, 2011

Ashlyn Baptiste is falling. One moment she was nothing—no memories, no self—and then suddenly, she's plummeting through a sea of stars. Is she in a coma? She doesn't remember dying, and she has no memories of the life she left behind. All she knows is that she's trapped in a consciousness without a body and she's spending every moment watching a stranger.

Breckon Cody's on the edge. He's being ripped apart by grief so intense it literally hurts to breath. On the surface, Breckon is trying to hold it together for his family and his girlfriend, but underneath he's barely hanging on.

Even though she didn't know him in life, Ashlyn sees Breckon's pain, and she's determined to find a way help him. As her own distressing memories emerge from the darkness, she struggles to communicate with the boy who can't see her, but whose life is suddenly intertwined with hers. In alternating voices of the main characters, My Beating Teenage Heart paints a devastatingly vivid picture of both the heartbreak and the promise of teenage life—a life Ashlyn would do anything to recover and Breckon seems desperate to destroy—and will appeal to fans of Sarah Dessen, John Green, and David Levithan.

Chapter One

The first moment is utter darkness. The absence of thought, the absence of everything. An absence which stretches infinitely backwards and threatens to smother your sanity—if there was a you, that is. But there's not. I am nothing and no one. I never was. I must not have been because otherwise, wouldn't I remember?

Don't look back. Don't let the darkness inside you.

If I'm talking to myself, there must be a me. That in itself is a revelation. I exist. The second before was starkly empty and now I'm swimming with celestial stars. They're as silent as stones but they shimmer, glimmer and shine. I think…I think I can hear them after all but not in a way I've heard anything before...
____________
I am so very excited for this book! C.K. Kelly Martin is fantastic and her novels always deliver. To read this excerpt in full you can do so here. (link isn't direct. You can find the excerpt under the heading "books" on Martin's website). For more on C.K. Kelly Martin and her other amazing novels you can visit her official website.

Have an amazing weekend! :)

Upcoming Release: Lie

2011-05-10T13:58:00.002-04:00

Lie

By: Caroline Bock

Pub date:August 30th, 2011

A gripping and incredibly important story about a tight-knit town torn apart by a vicious hate crime.

Everybody knows, nobody’s talking…

Seventeen year-old Skylar Thompson is being questioned by the police. Her boyfriend Jimmy stands accused of brutally assaulting two young El Salvadoran immigrants from a neighboring town, and she's the prime witness. Skylar is keeping quiet about what she's seen, but how long can she keep it up? Jimmy was her savior. When her mother died, he was the only person who made her feel safe, protected from the world.

But when she begins to appreciate the enormity of what has happened, especially when Carlos Cortez, the victim's brother, steps up to demand justice, she starts to have second thoughts about protecting him. Jimmy's accomplice, Sean, is facing his own moral quandary. He's out on bail and has been offered a plea in exchange for testifying against Jimmy. Sean must decide whether or not to turn on his friend in order to save himself. But most importantly, both must figure out why they followed someone like Jimmy—someone who bullied people and advocated violence against others—in the first place.

summary from goodreads.com

Sounds very powerful and gripping. I'm all for novels that deal with and discuss difficult subject matter.

Friday's Finest

2011-05-06T16:32:00.001-04:00

Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

"There are moments in every girl's life that are bigger than we know at the time. When you look back, you say, that was one of those life-changing, fork-in-the-road moments and I didn't even see it coming. It had no idea. And then there are the moments that you know are big. That whatever you do next, there will be an impact. Your life could go in one of two directions. Do or die.

We'll Always Have Summer (Summer, #3) by Jenny Han

Upcoming Release: Burnout/Possess

2011-05-03T10:07:00.003-04:00

Burnout

By: Adrienne Maria Vrettos

Pub date: September 13th, 2011

On the day after Halloween, Nan wakes up in a subway car. She is not dreaming. She doesn’t know where she’s been or what she’s done. She’s missing a whole day from her life. And she’s wearing skeleton makeup and a too-small Halloween costume that she doesn't remember putting on.

Nan is not supposed to wake up in places like this anymore. She’s different now, so far from that dangerously drunk girl who hit bottom in the Nanapocalypse. She needs to find out what happened to her, and fast. As she tries to put together the pieces of the last twenty-four hours, she flashes back to memories of her previous life. But she would never go back to her old friends and her old ways. Would she?

The deeper Nan digs, the more disturbing things get. This time, she may have gone one step too far. This time, she may be a walking ghost.

summary from goodreads.com

I am intrigued. The last line of the summary has definitely captured my attention. All in all I really love the sound of this book as I'm usually drawn to stories where characters are trying to pieces together something from their life that they can no longer remember.

Possess

By: Gretchen McNeil

Pub date: August 23rd, 2011

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

summary from goodreads.com

This just sounds downright creepy! Definitely something you'd read at night with the majority of the lights off. (or at least I would haha)

Daily Dose Monday

2011-05-02T17:20:00.001-04:00

Hosted by: Good Golly Miss Holly

Wishing you all a wonderful week! :)

New Releases: May 2011

2011-05-01T15:04:00.001-04:00

Above are four of the novels being released in May 2011

IndieBound | Amazon [.ca] [.uk] | Barnes & Noble | Chapters | Book Depository

1. What Happened to Goodbye/Sarah Dessen/10th

2. Moonglass/Jessi Kirby/3rd

3. Between Here and Forever/Elizabeth Scott/24th

4. Awaken/Katie Kacvinsky/23rd

5. Notes from the Blender/Tricia Cook, Brendan Halpin/24th

6. I'm Not Her/Janet Gurtler/1st

7. Divergent (Divergent, #1)/Veronica Roth/3rd

8. Tighter/Adele Griffin/10th

9. The Summer of Firsts and Lasts/Terra Elan McVoy/3rd

10. BFF Breakup/Taylor Morris/10th

11. Bitter End/Jennifer Brown/10th

12. Flawless/Lara Chapman/10th

13. Compulsion/Heidi Ayarbe/3rd

14. Are You Going to Kiss Me Now?/Sloane Tanen/1st

15. A & L Do Summer/Jan Blazanin/10th

16. You Don't Know About Me/Brian Meehl/10th

17. The Cellar/A.J. Whitten/2nd

18. Jane Jones: Worst.Vampire.Ever/Caissie St. Onge/10th

19. If I Could Fly/Judith Ortiz Cofer/24th

20. Shine/Lauren Myracle/1st

21. Instructions for a Broken Heart/Kim A. Culbertson/1st

22. Jeremy Bender Vs. Cupcake Cadets/Eric Luper/3rd

23. The Royal Treatment (Princess for Hire, #2)/Lindsey Leavitt/3rd

24. Me and Tennessee/Sheridan Hernandez/3rd

25. Girl Wonder/Alexa Martin/3rd

26. The Magnolia League (The Magnolia League, #1)/Katie Crouch/3rd

27. Kane Richards Must Die/Shanice Williams/12th

28. The Pull of Gravity/Gae Polisner/10th

29. Wrapped/Jennifer Bradbury/24th

30. Queen of the Dead (Ghost and Goth, #2)/Stacey Kade/31st

31. Starcrossed (Starcrossed, #1)/Josephine Angelini/31st

32. My Life, the Theater, and Other Tragedies/Allen Zadoff/ 10th

33. Beauty Queens/Libba Bray/24th

34. Popular/Alissa Grosso/8th

35. The Sweetest Thing/Christina Mandelski/10th

36. So Much Closer/Susane Colasanti/3rd

37. My Not-So-Still Life/Liz Gallagher/10th

38. OyMG/Amy Fellner Dominy/10th

39. Kiss of Death (Scarlett Wakefield, #4)/Lauren Henderson/10th

40. The Lucky Kind/Alyssa B. Sheinmel/10th

41. Behind the Gates (Tomorrow Girls, #1)/Eva Gray/1st

42. Sixteenth Summer/Michelle Dalton/3rd

Sneak Peek Saturday: My Life Undecided

2011-04-30T14:59:00.001-04:00

My Life Undecided

By: Jessica Brody

Pub date: June 7th, 2011

PLEASE READ THIS! MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!

Okay, maybe that was a bit melodramatic, but I’m sorry, I’m feeling a bit melodramatic at the moment.

Here’s the deal. My name is Brooklyn Pierce, I’m fifteen years old, and I am decisionally challenged. Seriously, I can’t remember the last good decision I made. I can remember plenty of crappy ones though. Including that party I threw when my parents were out of town that accidentally burned down a model home. Yeah, not my finest moment, for sure.

But see, that’s why I started a blog. To enlist readers to make my decisions for me. That’s right. I’m gave up. Threw in the towel. I let someone else be the one to decide which book I read for English. Or whether or not I accepted an invitation to join the debate team from that cute-in-a-dorky-sort-of-way guy who gave me the Heimlich Maneuver in the cafeteria. (Note to self: Chew the melon before swallowing it.) I even let them decide who I dated!

Well, it turns out there are some things in life you simply can’t choose or have chosen for you—like who you fall in love with. And now everything’s more screwed up than ever.

But don’t take my word for it, read the book and decide for yourself. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll scream in frustration. Or maybe that’s just me. After all, it’s my life.

Prologue

The sirens are louder than I anticipated.

Not that I ever in a million years anticipated sirens at the beginning of all this. Otherwise, obviously, I never would have agreed to it.

Hindsight.

It’s a bitch.

But even when my unnervingly calm best friend, Shayne, informed me that they were coming, I never expected them to be this loud. Or this…I don’t know…conspicuous. They’re like beacons blasting through the dark night, waking the neighbors, calling out to anyone within a five mile radius, “Hey! You! Look over here! Brooklyn Pierce has screwed up…again!”

Why don’t they just send out a freaking press release or something?

Although, I have no doubt this will make the front page of tomorrow’s paper. Or at least the top-clicked story on a few local blogs. Because really, what else is there to talk about in this boring, little, nothing-exciting-ever-happens town? The fact that the First Church of Who the Heck Cares got a new pastor last week?

No, this will definitely be the news...

____________
This book sounds like a lot of fun! To read the remainder of the excerpt you can do so here. For more on Jessica Brody and her other novels you can visit her official website and blog.

In My Mailbox 39

2011-04-30T12:49:00.001-04:00

Credit for In My Mailbox goes to Pop Culture Junkie and The Story Siren

Purchased

I pretty much celebrated the end of the school year with a book buying spree. I am beyond excited for each and every one of these and can't wait to read them all! I hope you all scored some great reads as well that you're excited about! :)

Happy weekend!

Friday's Finest

2011-04-29T19:51:00.002-04:00

Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

"Conrad was first, and I loved him in a way that you can only really do the first time around. It's the kind of love that doesn't know better and doesn't want to- it's dizzy and foolish and fierce. That kind of love is really a one-time- only thing."

We'll Always Have Summer (Summer, #3) by Jenny Han

I'm Back!

2011-04-27T13:27:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to officially acknowledge that I am still alive and that I'm back! School is done for the year (woohoo!) which means that I have time again. I have really missed blogging not to mention reading, something I haven't done for fun in months. :( I definitely have a lot of catching up to do but I'm really looking forward to it.

Thank you lovely followers for being patient with me! I'm really excited to start blogging again. :)

Hiatus

2011-02-23T12:51:00.001-05:00

As you may have noticed I have been very absent as of late. School is really picking up and there have also been some developments in my life that I've had to put first over reading and blogging. As per usual the bloggers guilt has been setting in and I feel terribly about it yet right now, I think the best thing to do would be to take a breather just for a short while. Once everything starts to fall back into place again I will definitely be back! I may update sporadically and I also hope to begin commenting on all of your blogs once more as well.

Another thing, I've noticed that my followers have been increasing and I just want to say thank you to everyone! It means a lot to me and I promise that I will be back with more reviews and updates soon.

XOXO
Michelle

Cover Reveal: Tris and Izzie

2011-02-17T18:09:00.001-05:00

Tris and Izzie

By: Mette Ivie Harrison

Pub date: October 11th, 2011

A modern retelling of the German legend "Tristan and Isolde", "Tris and Izzy", is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until-- she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school.

summary from goodreads.com

This cover is stunning! I think I literally love everything about it. What do you all think? Plus I tend to really enjoy modern interpretations of past and familiar storylines.

Upcoming Release: Love Story

2011-02-14T09:49:00.001-05:00

Love Story

By: Jennifer Echols

Pub date: July 19th, 2011

Erin Blackwell is headed to college in New York City to study creative writing and earn a living as a romance novelist. Her grandmother has other plans: she approves of the college, but she wants Erin to major in business and then come back home to Kentucky to run the family’s famous racehorse farm. There is no way Erin will agree. Studying in New York and writing her way into a career is her escape from the farm and the family tragedy that happened there. So Erin’s grandmother decides Erin really will live life as a starving artist. She takes Erin’s future job running the farm, her inheritance, even her college tuition, and gives them all to Hunter Allen.

Hunter has lived on the farm for years. He’s Erin’s age, he’s the stable boy, and he’s the romantic dream of every girl in her high school. But he was involved in the family tragedy. Erin has always given him a wide berth. And he’s a slick opportunist. She’s furious that he fooled her grandmother into giving him Erin’s birthright and sending him to Erin’s college.

At least she’s free of him in her creative writing class. So she pens a story that has haunted her lately, in which the horse farm heiress at the very first Kentucky Derby starts a forbidden affair with the lowly stable boy. Unfortunately for her, the day she’s sharing this story with her New York classmates, Hunter walks in. He’s switching to her class. And after reading about himself in Erin’s story, he writes his own sexy assignments that lure Erin into dangerous fantasies about what could have been between them, and what might be.

summary from goodreads.com

So I usually post this meme on Tuesday but was too excited when I discovered this to hold out for one more day! I really love the concept and how it's different from anything Echols has written before.

Friday's Finest

2011-02-11T08:41:00.001-05:00

Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

"Hope?" he says. "There is always hope, John...Don't give up hope just yet. It's the last thing to go. When you have lost hope, you have lost everything. And when you think all is lost, when all is dire and bleak, there is always hope."

I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Upcoming Release: From Willa, With Love/Spoiled

2011-02-08T15:00:00.001-05:00

From Willa, With Love

By: Coleen Murtagh Paratore

Pub date: July 1st, 2011

It's a surprising, sparkling summer for Willa!

It's August on Cape Cod and Willa has a lot to look forward to. Soon, JFK will return home from baseball camp, and Willa has an idea for an exciting new project that will challenge her to dream big.

But life throws Willa some unexpected twists and turns: Ruby has bad news, a beloved friend leaves, a dear friend returns, her brother Will has something he does't want to talk about, and of course, there's a wedding to plan! There's also a cute boy who likes Willa . . . a lot, and Willa thinks she might like him too. It's a summer full of romance and surprises.

summary from goodreads.com

Confession time: I love covers like this one. Simplistic covers with people on them always always get me. I also happen to think this book sounds great also and as I've mentioned so many times you're probably sick of hearing it...I love contemporary fiction! ;)

Spoiled

By: Heather Cocks, Jessica Morgan

Pub date: June 1st, 2011

16-year-old Molly Dix loves her ordinary life in suburban Indiana, so when her single mother passes away, she is shocked to discover that her biological father is Brick Berlin, world famous movie star and red carpet regular.

Equally intrigued and terrified by her Hollywood lineage, Molly moves to Southern California and plunges head-first into the deep end of Beverly Hills celebrity life. Just as Molly thinks her new life and family couldn't get any stranger, she meets Brooke Berlin, her gorgeous and spoiled half-sister whom welcomes Molly to la-la land with a healthy dose of passive-aggressive "sisterly love."

summary from goodreads.com

This sounds SO fun! I love stories that involve fame in some way. It always makes for a really interesting plot.

Daily Dose Monday

2011-02-07T15:12:00.001-05:00

Hosted by: Good Golly Miss Holly

Sneak Peek Saturday: So Much Closer

2011-02-05T12:00:00.001-05:00

So Much Closer

By: Susane Colasanti

Pub date: May 3rd, 2011

Scott Abrams is the love of Brooke’s life. He just doesn’t know it yet. So when his family moves to New York City the summer before senior year, Brooke has no choice but to follow Scott. It’s her last chance to prove to him that they’re meant to be together.

But the city is full of surprises that Brooke never expected. Ever since a painful family trauma, she’s been closed off to her parents, to her friends, and even to herself. Now, inspired by the thrilling energy of the bustling and creative city around her, Brooke starts to explore her talents and become someone she never dreamed she’d be.

So what will she do when her greatest dream of love finally comes true . . . and instead, she wants something more?

Chapter One

Today I’m telling Scott Abrams that I’m in love with him.

Sometimes I think that if he knew, he would admit he feels the same way. Other times I think he would laugh in my face so hard I would never get over it.

But.

It could be so easy. Just go up to him, tell him, and see what happens. Put it all out there. Finally know how he feels about me.

It would probably be easier if he knew I existed.

The hope that Scott Abrams could like me back has kept me going for two years. It’s like this energy I live on. The idea of being with him is almost more exciting than being with him for real. But of course I want to turn this fantasy into reality.

The thing is, he’s never noticed me. Saying sorry because he accidentally bumped into me in the hall last year doesn’t count. So telling him that I know we belong together is probably a crazy thing to do.

I guess I’m crazy then. Because I’m doing it anyway...

____________

To read the remainder of this excerpt you can do so here. For more on Susane and her other novels you can visit her official website and or blog!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! :)

Thinandbeautiful.com

2011-02-04T22:00:00.007-05:00

Thinandbeautiful.com

By: Liane Shaw

Seventeen-year-old Maddie has always felt a hole in her life, but she has finally found a way to fill it with her quest to mold her body into her ideal, thinnest shape. When she comes across the world of Pro Ana websites, where young people encourage each other in their mission to lose ever more weight, she realizes she is no longer alone. Finally, she has found a place where she is understood.

Maddie quickly becomes addicted to the support and camaraderie she finds on thinandbeautiful.com. Now in a rehab facility where they are trying to "fix" a problem she doesn't think she has, Maddie is forced to keep a diary tracing how she arrived at this point. Angry that she is barred from accessing her online friends, Maddie resists therapy. Only when a tragedy befalls one of her comrades in arms is she shocked into admitting that she does need help.

summary from book

My Rating: 3.5/5

I'm always drawn to books that centre on body image and conflicts that can arise from obsessing about ones appearance because I can relate to such a topic on a highly personal level. I think that for the most part a large majority of us can sympathize with Maddie and her struggle to achieve exterior "perfection" in one way or another with varying degrees of severity. Although reading can be a fantastic form of escapism, allowing you the opportunity to live through the eyes of someone else, it can also be used as an incredible tool that enables you to feel less alone. There is no greater feeling at times than opening up a book and connecting with the protagonist.

I picked up this book on a whim during one of my very many library conquests. I hadn't seen or heard of it before but as I mentioned above was drawn to the concept and thought I would give it a try. I think that Thinandbeautiful.com is an honest story that needed to be told. I always find that when reading contemporary fiction it's often the subjects that are the most difficult to narrate that can end up having the largest and greatest affect on people. There's definitely a lot in Maddie that many individuals may be able to see in themselves either in the present or at one point and time in their lives. I haven't read that many books focused primarily on eating disorders but I thought that the portrayal of such seemed very accurate and well represented. At the very back of the book it mentioned that the author Liane Shaw had dealt personally with an eating disorder and so I have no doubt in my mind that this book is as realistic as it could be.

Maddie as a character was tricky for me. On the one hand I sympathized with her greatly because her life was being overrun by something that she was it great denial about. She kept pushing all those who cared for her the most farther and farther away from her blaming them for being selfish and irrational. I understand that this is all a part of the eating disorder talking, that the hardest part of getting better for many people is the admittance that something is wrong. Yet, that being said, I at times found it difficult to fully like Maddie. She was very vocal and not at all self aware. She believed there was nothing wrong, that she just wanted to be skinny and that it was her body and she could do as she wished. She did not believe she had an eating disorder. Again, this all makes sense in the context of the story given her disorder but at times I just couldn't sympathize which in turn made me feel kind of guilty given her circumstance. I don't think however that I necessarily needed to like Maddie at every given point in the novel. I realize that the frustration I felt as a reader was probably close to that of her friends and family that were being shunned and lied to time and time again. I think with Thinandbeautiful.com it was more important to have a fully realistic and honest protagonist than to have one that was highly likable and pleasant.

The ending of this book took me a little by surprise because I literally had no idea what to expect. Thinandbeautiful.com is set in the present day where Maddie is in a treatment facility receiving help for a disorder that she does not believe she has. The novel deals with Maddie as part of her treatment having to journal about her "life story" having the majority of this book being complied of flash back scenes starting from the very beginning and the events that triggered her eating disorder all interwoven with the present day. Maddie is a very stubborn character and not so open to change which is why I didn't know how this novel would conclude. I will say thought that I thought the author drew everything together in the best possible way.

Overall: Thinandbeautiful.com is a book that I can see reaching out to quite a handful of people. It is a book that I feel deals with an important subject matter and does so quite well. It is definitely honest and doesn't shy away from addressing anything serious or important.

New Releases: February 2011

2011-02-02T17:49:00.002-05:00

Above are four of the novels being released in February 2011

IndieBound | Amazon [.ca] [.uk] | Barnes & Noble | Chapters | Book Depository

1. Where I Belong/Gwendolyn Heasley/8th
2. Cloaked/Alex Flinn/8th
3. You Killed Wesley Payne/Sean Beaudoin/1st
4. The Trust (Secret Society, #2)/Tom Dolby/1st
5. Haunted (Dreaming Anastasia, #2)/Joy Preble/1st
6. Trapped/Michael Northrop/1st
7. So Shelly/Ty Roth/8th
8. Red Moon Rising/Peter Moore/8th
9. Father of Lies/Ann Turner/8th
10. Jack: Secret Vengeance (Young Repairman Jack, #3)/F. Paul Wilson/1st
11. Crescent Star/Nicholas Maes/1st
12. Leverage/Joshua C. Cohen/17th
13. Kick/Walter Dean Myers, Ross Workman/1st
14. Chasing AllieCat/Rebecca Fjelland Davis/8th
15. Mind Gap/Marina Cohen/1st
16. Ominous (Private, #13)/Kate Brian/22nd
17. Fever (Dark Touch, #3)/Amy Meredith/3rd
18. Waterfall (River of Time, #1)/Lisa Tawn Bergren/1st
19. Haven/Kristi Cook/22nd
20. Four Seasons/Jane Breskin Zalben/8th
21. Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance/Brendan Halpin, Emily Franklin/1st
22. The Iron Witch (The Iron Witch, #1)/Karen Mahoney/8th
23. Babe in Boyland/Jody Gehrman/17th
24. Wonderland/Joanna Nadin/22nd
25. Accomplice/Valerie Sherrard/1st
26. How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy/Crystal Allen/22nd
27. SkateFate/Juan Felipe Herrera/22nd
28. Outside In (Inside Out, #2)/Maria V. Snyder/15th
29. The Iron Thorn (Iron Codex, #1)/Caitlin Kittredge/22nd
30. Exposed/Kimberly Marcus/22nd
31. Desires of the Dead (The Body Finder, #2)/Kimberly Derting/15th
32. Kindred/Tammar Stein/8th
33. Darkness Becomes Her (Gods & Monsters, #1)/Kelly Keaton/22nd
34. Close to Famous/Joan Bauer/3rd
35. The Locket/Stacey Jay/3rd
36. Cryer's Cross/Lisa McMann/8th
37. Shadow Walkers/Brent Hartinger/1st

Upcoming Release: Gone, Gone, Gone

2011-02-01T13:00:00.003-05:00

Gone, Gone, Gone

By: Hannah Moskowitz

Pub date: 2012

Craig, for the first time in nearly a year, wakes up in Silver Spring, Maryland on October 2nd, 2002 to a house devoid of chirping, barking, and mewing. Between twilight and daylight, somehow his entire menagerie escaped. All the animals that he'd collected since his old boyfriend was dragged away to the psych ward. Gone.

Lio, the post-cancer kid transfer student from New York City, doesn't like to talk. But he does like Craig. His new therapist says he's "a little fucked up." Craig just says, if he has the time, could he help him put up posters?

At 5:20 PM, when their stack of posters is about halfway out and Lio surprises Craig with a kiss, the sniper shootings begin.

Ten people died in the D.C. sniper shootings. This is the story of two of the boys who didn't.

summary from goodreads.com

I know what you're thinking... 2012?! But I just had to post about this one. Not only does the concept sound great but I am a huge fan of Hannah's first novel Break and really look forward to reading more from her.

Daily Dose Monday

2011-01-31T11:35:00.001-05:00

Hosted by: Good Golly Miss Holly

Cover Reveal: Bitter End

2011-01-29T11:30:00.001-05:00

Bitter End

By: Jennifer Brown

Pub date: May 10th, 2011

When Alex falls for the charming new boy at school, Cole, a handsome, funny, sports star who adores her, she can't believe she's finally found her soul mate-someone who truly understands her and loves her for who she really is.

At first, Alex is blissfully happy. Sure, Cole seems a little jealous of her relationship with her best friends, Zack and Bethany, but what guy would want his girlfriend spending all of her time with another boy? But as the months pass, Alex can no longer ignore Cole's small put-downs, pinches, or increasingly violent threats.

As Alex struggles to come to terms with the sweet boyfriend she fell in love with and the boyfriend whose "love" she no longer recognizes, she is forced to choose - between her "true love" and herself.

summary from goodreads.com

I am so very excited for this book! I am a huge fan of Jennifer Brown's first novel Hate List and cannot wait to read this one. Sounds like another difficult yet extremely powerful read.

The Compound

2011-01-28T17:45:00.005-05:00

The Compound

By: S.A. Bodeen

Eli and his family have lived in the underground Compound for six years. The world they knew is gone, and they've become accustomed to their new life. Accustomed, but not happy.

For Eli, no amount of luxury can stifle the dull routine of living in the same place. with only his two sisters, only his father and mother, doing the same thing day after day after day.

As problems with their carefully planned existence threaten to destroy their sanctuary - and their sanity - Eli can't help but wonder if he's rather take his chances outside.

Eli's father built the Compound to keep them safe. But are they safe - or sorry?

summary from book

My Rating: 3.5/5

The Compound is a thrilling novel that is packed with many twists and turns as well as a multitude of secrets. I thought the concept to be highly intriguing and original as I had not read anything similar prior to reading this book. I found the beginning to be a little slow but only for a handful of chapters. Once the suspicions began rooting themselves in the protagonist Eli's mind, the remainder of the novel really flew by rather quickly. I was in that had- to- know- what- was- coming- next trance, not being able to read as fast as I wished I could. I think The Compound is marketed as a dystopian novel but above all I see it as more of a thriller/suspense sort of book. And that is all I can tell you. ;) Nonetheless, it's a captivating read.

As always, I pretty much speculated through the entire book's duration. I was on the right track but not entirely so as I did not predict the final larger twist whatsoever which is excellent! It's always kind of a downer when you are correct with your predictions especially with books such as The Compound whose one of many intentions is to keep the reader veiled in secrecy. The best part for me is always the excitement that is affiliated with not knowing the whole truth and then discovering it at the end and being equally as excited by the surprise of it all. But being a frequent reader and or movie watcher can at times take this sort of thing away from you as you start to get good at predicting and picking up on premature hints. That's why not being able to uncover everything by the end is a very large plus in my eyes.

I enjoyed the characters in this novel although I do admit that the driving force for me was the plot. It's what really hooked me in and kept me reading for consecutive hours. I did like the connection between certain members of the family especially between Eli and his two sisters. They were terribly mean to one another at times but I found that to be realistic and very much enjoyed watching them grow and come together when the time came for them to do so.

Overall: The Compound is a fairly short read packed with a lot of secrecy and suspense. It is one of those novels that you will not be able to put down until you have finished. If you're looking for something intriguing and fun to read, The Compound is definitely a great choice.

Friday's Finest

2011-01-28T08:14:00.002-05:00

Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

"Life is less complicated when you're a kid. You don't have to worry about what you're going to be and what you are right now and how you're doing in school and whether the guys like you or whether the girls like you or whether you're good enough or pretty enough or small enough or tall enough, or enough of anything to be worth something."

thinandbeautiful.com by Liane Shaw

Upcoming Release: Sass and Serendipity

2011-01-25T19:36:00.004-05:00

Sass and Serendipity

By: Jennifer Ziegler

Pub date: July 12th, 2011

Daphne Rivera and her sister Gabby could not be more different.

For fifteen-year-old Daphne, the glass is always half full, a dab of lip-gloss can ward off a bad day, and the boy of her dreams—the one she's read about in all of her beloved romance novels—is waiting for her just around the corner.

But Daphne’s older sister Gabby wishes Daphne would get real. In Gabby’s world, everyone’s out for themselves, wearing makeup is a waste of time, and boys only distract you from studying before they break your heart. The only boy Gabby trusts is her best friend, Mule, who has always been there for her.

Both Gabby and Daphne are still reeling from their parents’ divorce, though in very different ways. While Gabby will never forgive her unreliable father for failing her mother, Daphne idolizes her daddy and is sure that everything would work out fine if her cranky mom would just let him back into their lives.

When a crisis leaves the girls and their mom homeless, help comes from an unexpected source, and both girls are courted by surprise suitors who shake up their views of the world. Suddenly the glass isn’t so clearly half empty or half full . . . and love seems a lot more complicated than they ever could have imagined.

summary from goodreads.com

I really love stories that centre on the relationship between siblings. Maybe I'm so fascinated by them because I'm an only child? Regardless, I think this book sounds great as it deals with many elements I enjoy reading about in novels.

Daily Dose Monday

2011-01-24T10:21:00.002-05:00

Hosted by: Good Golly Miss Holly

Wishing you all an amazing week!

I turn 22 today! Man it's crazy how time flies.

Sneak Peek Saturday: Memento Nora

2011-01-22T14:54:00.001-05:00

Memento Nora

By: Angie Smibert

Pub date: April 1st, 2011

Nora, the popular girl and happy consumer, witnesses a horrific bombing on a shopping trip with her mother. In Nora’s near-future world, terrorism is so commonplace that she can pop one little white pill to forget and go on like nothing ever happened.

However, when Nora makes her first trip to a Therapeutic Forgetting Clinic, she learns what her mother, a frequent forgetter, has been frequently forgetting. Nora secretly spits out the pill and holds on to her memories. The memory of the bombing as well as her mother’s secret and her budding awareness of the world outside her little clique make it increasingly difficult for Nora to cope. She turns to two new friends, each with their own reasons to remember, and together they share their experiences with their classmates through an underground comic.

They soon learn, though, they can’t get away with remembering.

One

Nothing to See Here

Therapeutic Statement 42-03282028-11
Subject: James, Nora Emily, 15
Facility: Hamilton Detention Center TFC-42

I’m about to forget everything I’m going to tell you. So I’m only going to mention the parts that matter. To you, at least. The rest I’m going to keep to myself, for my self. For that old Nora James. The obedient daughter. The popular girl. The oblivious consumer. The one who really owns this cute little charm bracelet with the silver purse dangling from it. The one you want to keep around.

It all started a few weeks ago. It was a glossy day. No school. Downtown was having a sale to celebrate two quiet weeks in a row. And Mom was in one of her good moods—her post-TFC mood—and generous with the credit. A very glossy day...
____________
Loving the concept for this book a lot. The whole being able to forget terrible events that happen in our lives is an interesting subject to touch upon. To read the remainder of this excerpt you can do so here. For more on Angie Smibert you can visit her official website and or blog.

Have a fabulous weekend! :)

Friday's Finest

2011-01-21T13:00:00.001-05:00

Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

"When I was a little girl, I used to think my mom knew pretty much everything...The older I got though, the less she seemed to understand about real life. My real life, anyway."

thinandbeautiful.com by Liane Shaw

The Half-Life Of Planets

2011-01-20T19:33:00.003-05:00

The Half-Life Of Planets

By: Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin

Liana is an aspiring planetary scientist…and also a kissing expert. She's got a lot of experience. Maybe too much. So this summer she decides to conduct an experiment: She's going to give up the kissing part. It shouldn’t be too hard for her—after all, none of her kissing partners so far have been worth the lip time. That is, until Hank comes along.

Hank has never been kissed. He’s smart and funny—sometimes without intending to be—and a little socially challenged. Hank’s got Asperger’s syndrome. This means he knows nearly every track that Kirsty Maccoll has ever appeared on, but not when to shut up about it. Despite his loquatiousness, he also doesn’t know when to say the things he should. Things like,I don’t have a father. I want to hold your hand, I want to kiss you.

It would appear that Hank and Liana are in for an interesting summer—if the planets align.

summary from book

My Rating: 4.5/5

I was originally drawn to The Half-Life of Planets because of Hank. I had never read a novel that centered on a character with autism (asperger's syndrome) and I was interested in seeing how that original contribution to this novel would play out. Hank turned out to be one of my favourite, if not my absolute favourite aspect of this novel. He was just the sweetest person imaginable and I adored every facet of his character and how he was represented. From his infinite knowledge on anything affiliated with music, to his outward honesty and nervous contemplation on all topics involving Liana, he was in one word: wonderful.

In general, The Half-Life of Planets really surprised me and in a good way. I wasn't so sure what to expect from this novel. Due to the very brief summary with the indication of kissing mixed with the overtly cutesy cover I had come to the prior conclusion that this novel would be a fun and cute read. The Half-Life of Planets is a fun and cute but it's also much more than that. There are many underlying themes not mentioned at all in the summary that are touched upon and developed in this novel such as family and loss etc. I would describe this book as being very endearing and in possession of much heart. It's definitely a book that I feel many people will enjoy and appreciate because it incorporates so many well loved aspects that readers are often drawn to. There's romance, self-discovery and growth of characters, humor, family turbulence and so on.

I already mentioned how much I loved Hank above and now it's time to give Liana some much deserved credit as well. She was a great character with a strong voice who was dealing with a multitude of her own issues which was important. I have found in the past that with the utilization of having two or more protagonists narrating the story there can at times be the case in which one character is much more developed and interesting than the other. What I liked about Hank and Liana in The Half-Life of Planets is that they both shared their own separate individual struggles and share of problems. Yes, their stories were interwoven as their shared romance is a large part of the plot but aside from that, their entire being and story did not revolve solely around each other which made things much more interesting not to mention realistic.
Aside from Liana and Hank I was also very fond of Chase, Hank's older brother who I found to be really interesting and underneath his college boy exterior, quite a good brother. I also really enjoyed Hank's mom as well as a multitude of smaller characters particularly those that Hank encounters by working at a guitar shop part time.

Overall: The Half-Life of Planets is a wonderful book with very many redeeming qualities that I think a multitude of people would enjoy. As I mentioned above it's got a lot of heart and touches upon many topics that are easy to relate to and or sympathize with. Mix all of that with a fantastic cast of characters and you've got a great read!

Upcoming Release: Stupid Fast

2011-01-18T17:49:00.001-05:00

Stupid Fast

By: Geoff Herbach

Pub date: June 1st, 2011

I, Felton Reinstein, am Stupid Fast. Seriously. The upper classmen used to call me Squirrel Nut, because I was little and jumpy. Then, during sophomore year, I got tall and huge and so fast the gym teachers in their tight shorts fell all over themselves. During summer, three things happened all at once. First, the pee-smelling jocks in my grade got me to work out for football, even though I had no intention of playing. Second, on my paper route the most beautiful girl I have ever seen moved in and played piano at 6 a.m. Third, my mom, who never drinks, had some wine, slept in her car, stopped weeding the garden, then took my TV and put it in her room and decided she wouldn’t get out of bed.

Listen, I have not had much success in my life. But suddenly I’m riding around in a jock’s pick-up truck? Suddenly I’m invited to go on walks with beautiful girls? So, it’s understandable that when my little brother stopped playing piano and began to dress like a pirate I didn’t pay much attention. That I didn’t want to deal with my mom coming apart.

summary from goodreads.com

I am in no way shape or form athletically inclined and my watching of sports is limited to the occasional hockey and or soccer game (usually when the stakes are high aka The World Cup etc). Yet for some reason, I am always drawn to books where any sport plays a fairly large role in the protagonist's life. Why? I wish I could tell you.

Stupid Fast sounds like it contains an excellent mix of multiple elements, aside from football of course (which surprise surprise... I know next to nothing about aside from what Friday Night Lights has taught me lol). I like that Felton seems to be coming into his own and also how there seem to be issues going on at home as well as the prospect of romance. AND the protagonist is male. Lots to get excited for with this one.

Daily Dose Monday

2011-01-17T13:46:00.001-05:00

Hosted by: Good Golly Miss Holly

Have a beautiful week everyone!

Hardcover vs. Paperback

2011-01-15T10:35:00.003-05:00

[click on photo to make larger]

I really enjoyed the Hardcover version of The Unwritten Rule. It deals with a forbidden/frowned upon romantic relationship and I think the cover represented that failry well with the hesitant foot touching etc. The paperback version is pretty but it doesn't really say anything about the story.

I have a kind of cool story to tell in connection with Gimme a Call. I first posted about this book on my blog a while before the cover was released and needed a picture to post in conjunction with it as a temporary place holder. Well, I ended up using the photo above with the girl in the puffy skirt, telephone in lap. I was eventually contacted by Wendy Loggia, (editor at Delacorte) asking if I remembered where I had found that photo I'd used a while back when posting about Gimme a Call. I did and so I sent her the photo and Ta-Dah! They used it for the paperback version! Pretty cool right?

What do you guys think? Any preferences?

Sneak Peek Saturday: The Gathering

2011-01-15T09:37:00.003-05:00

The Gathering (Darkness Rising, #1)

By: Kelley Armstrong

Pub date: April 12th, 2011

Maya lives in a small medical-research town on Vancouver Island. How small? You can’t find it on the map. It has less than two-hundred people, and her school has only sixty-eight students–for every grade from kindergarten to twelve.

Now, strange things are happening in this claustrophobic town, and Maya’s determined to get to the bottom of them. First, the captain of the swim team drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. A year later, mountain lions start appearing around Maya’s home, and they won’t go away.

Her best friend, Daniel, starts experiencing “bad vibes” about certain people and things. It does’t help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret…and he’s interested in one special part of Maya’s anatomy: Her paw-print birthmark.

Prologue

Serena stood on the rock ledge twenty feet above the lake, singing in a voice known to bring tears to the eyes of everyone who heard it. Everyone except me.

“For God’s sake, Seri,” I said. “Just dive already.”

Serena stuck out her tongue and shifted closer to the edge, toes wrapping around it. She bounced there, blond ponytail bobbing, cheeks puffing. Then she dove. It was, as usual, an effort worthy of the Olympics, and she sliced into the water so smoothly that barely a ripple pinged across the glassy surface.

She popped back up, sleek as a seal. “Your turn, Maya!”

I flipped her the finger. She laughed and dove again.

Serena was the swimmer—captain of the school team. It’s not my thing, really. This was the part I liked, just sitting on the rock ledge, bare feet dangling. I basked in the morning sun, drinking in the tang of fall air and the perfect view of the crystal clear lake, the distant snowcapped mountains, the endless evergreens.

As Serena swam to the middle of the lake, I squinted over at the path, looking for a familiar blonde head. Daniel was supposed to join us. ..
____________
I'm very excited for this new series by Kelley Armstrong mainly because I was such a huge fan of her previous YA series, the Darkest Powers trilogy. I love that hew novels are just filled with twists and turns not to mention I really enjoy her take on the paranormal world.

To read the remainder of this excerpt (which consists of the prologue and chapter one) you can do so here. For more on Kelley and her multitude of other novels you can visit her official website.

Fall For Anything

2011-01-14T21:10:00.004-05:00

Fall For Anything

By: Courtney Summers

When Eddie Reeves’s father commits suicide her life is consumed by the nagging question of why? Why when he was a legendary photographer and a brilliant teacher? Why when he seemed to find inspiration in everything he saw? And, most important, why when he had a daughter who loved him more than anyone else in the world?

When she meets Culler Evans, a former student of her father’s and a photographer himself, an instant and dangerous attraction begins. Culler seems to know more about her father than she does and could possibly hold the key to the mystery surrounding his death.

But Eddie’s vulnerability has weakened her and Culler Evans is getting too close. Her need for the truth keeps her hanging on...but are some questions better left unanswered?

summary from book

My Rating: 4/5

Fall For Anything follows Eddie as she tries to come to terms with the death of her father. I loved the way in which Courtney Summers addressed Eddie's grief and how she put a different and new spin on the topic of losing a loved one. As always, the characters in this book much like those in Courtney's other novels were realistic, flawed, well etched, and developed. I admire Summers ability to adorn her characters with at times, some fairly unattractive personality traits because they are true to real life as we don't always act the right way or say the right things and are naturally far from perfect. I find that I always like and appreciate a character more when they are displayed in such a manner because I can relate to imperfections which in turn makes me feel much closer to a particular character. Flaws are interesting, especially in novels as they add an entirely new dimension to the story and character.

Eddie's father's death is a suicide which I can imagine leaves those left behind with a multitude of questions that they yearn to find answers to. I felt that Eddie's quest to find truths in affiliation to her father's death a great representation and illustration of her grief.

One of my favourite aspects of Fall For Anything which also happens to be one of my favourite aspects in contemporary fiction was the bond shared between characters primarily those involving Eddie, Milo, and Culler. Milo is Eddie's best friend and let's just say that things between them are tumultuous and complicated yet a very fare representation of what a long friendship between a boy and girl may look like for some. It was probably my favourite sub plot as I enjoyed all of the scenes in which they shared bumpy or not.

Culler really fascinated me as I never wholly knew where I should place him. I was quite wary of everything he said and did from the beginning mostly because the summary implies that one should be (or at least that's how I interpreted it). I have to hand it to Culler though because he did offer a very refreshing and unique aspect that contributed a lot to the plot. I did however predict early on as to what exactly was going on with him and his involvement in the story (possibly because I was so suspicious) which slightly bummed me out but overall did not deter from my overall enjoyment of this novel. The scenes in which he shares with Eddie were probably the most exciting and intense. They definitely made the book just fly by as I was searching for answers much like Eddie in affiliation to her father's death.

Overall: Fall For Anything is a novel dealing with the loss of a loved one yet presented in a unique way and with a refreshing set of characters that you can't help but be drawn to. It is a page turner for sure as it is littered with questions and Eddie's search for truth. If you haven't read anything by Courtney Summers I highly recommend not only this novel but her previous two as well.

Friday's Finest

2011-01-14T09:37:00.001-05:00

Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

"Just because you think you know something about someone doesn't mean that thing defines them. One thing- one word- or whatever, can't really define you."

The Half-Life Of Planets by: Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin

Upcoming Release: Kane Richards Must Die/ Shattered Souls

2011-01-11T11:00:00.002-05:00

Kane Richards Must Die

By: Shanice Williams

Pub date: May 12th, 2011

After an unexpected transfer to the States for her senior year, Suranne's new friends give her just one instruction: stay away from Kane Richards. According to everyone, he's a heartless playboy concerned only for himself.

With one glance, it's easy to see why he gets away with it. But things aren't always what they seem- especially when he sets his sights on her and whispers that she's "different."

Despite all the red flags, Suranne considers whether or not his intentions are genuine or if she's simply another name on his list.
In the process, she may just uncover the real Kane Richards. But, when it comes down to it, the real Kane Richards may not want to be found.

Filled with raw emotion, Kane Richards Must Die, explores relationships, trust, love, and what can happen when life takes an unexpected turn.

summary from goodreads.com

This book sounds like a lot of fun and the cover makes me laugh with the bra strap poking through. Very fitting to the title and summary.

Shattered Souls

By: Mary Lindsey

Pub date: December 8th, 2011

A dark and dangerous forbidden love story about a Speaker who helps lingering ghosts pass to the spirit world and the Protector who has pledged to server her.

summary from goodreads.com

I'm all for forbidden love. And this cover = beautiful.

Daily Dose Monday

2011-01-10T09:35:00.001-05:00

Hosted by: Good Golly Miss Holly

Wishing you all a fantastic Monday/week! :)

Young Adult Contemporary Challenge

2011-01-09T19:49:00.001-05:00

I am a HUGE fan of contemporary novels and everything that they have to offer. That's why I think Reggie's 2011 Young Adult Contemporary Challenge is an amazing way to get others to pick up more contemporary YA novels throughout the year.

This challenge is hosted by Reggie of The Undercover Book Lover and the objective is to read a minimum of thirteen contemporary YA novels that are to be released in 2011. Sounds pretty easy right? I know a lot of you are reading machines (of which I am envious) and thirteen books is definitely an attainable goal and a great number to start you off with!

What are contemporary novels exactly? It's the genre wherein the events can happen in real life at the present time. The characters in the novel can be present in real life.

For more information on this challenge, the official rules and the sign up sheet you can go here.

____________

If you're interested in joining this challenge but aren't super well versed in contemporary novels or aren't sure exactly what's coming out in 2011, feel free to view my Most Anticipated Contemporary Books of 2011 to get you started!

What Happened To Goodbye: Official Summary

2011-01-09T17:04:00.001-05:00

What Happened To Goodbye

By: Sarah Dessen

Pub date: May 10th, 2011

Another town. Another school. Another Mclean.
Ever since her parents' bitter divorce, Mclean and her father have been fleeing their unhappy past. And Mclean's become a pro at reinventing herself with each move.

But in Lakeview, Mclean finds herself putting down roots and making friends---in part, thanks to Dave, the most real person Mclean's ever met. Dave just may be falling in love with her, but can he see the person she really is? Does Mclean herself know?

summary from Sarah Dessen's blog

I stumbled upon the official summary for What Happened To Goodbye on Sarah's blog and totally had to share it! I know there are a lot of Sarah fans out there and if you're anything like me you've been patiently (or not so patiently) awaiting more details on this one.

Super excited!

Fixing Delilah

2011-01-06T12:42:00.001-05:00

Fixing Delilah

By: Sarah Ockler

"We all long for what could have been"

Things in Delilah Hannaford's life have a tendency to fall apart. She used to be a good student, but she can't seem to keep it together anymore. Her "boyfriend" isn't much of a boyfriend. And her mother refuses to discuss the fight that divided their family eight years ago. Falling apart, it seems, is a Hannaford tradition.

Over a summer of new friendships, unexpected romance, and moments that test the complex bonds between mothers and daughters, Delilah must face her family's painful past. Can even her most shattered relationships be pieced together again?

summary from book

My Rating: 5/5

Fixing Delilah is an amazing novel that centres on one of my favourite topics addressed in literature: family. Aside from loving well developed and three dimensional characters, one aspect I most enjoy is discovering the relationship that the characters share. I love knowing their story through and through, seeing their bond displayed firsthand or lack thereof. I love discovering why or how their relationship came to be in its current state and watching as the pieces either continue to unravel furthermore or slowly heal, mending back together for a first time or once more.

All of these traits and characteristics present themselves in Fixing Delilah as family and the inevitable secrets they come to shelter and withhold is one of the main focuses of this novel.

Character wise, I absolutely loved each and every one, flaws and all. Delilah had such a strong voice. From the first page I already had a very good grasp of who she was and what she was all about. I think that she was extremely realistic in everything she thought or did and just a fantastic protagonist through and through. I don't find myself disliking many protagonists when reading and usually am fond of and sympathize with the majority but not many of them stand out and command the same attention much like Delilah.

The supporting cast of characters were all very wonderful as well. You have sweet and adorable Patrick, Claire, Delilah's workaholic Mom as well as her eccentric aunt Rachel and so on. I loved the complex dynamic that each character shared with one another and how it was represented and addressed. The bond between each individual with another was special and multifaceted regardless of being friendly, tumultuous, or somewhere in between. The Hannaford family is one filled with many secrets (like many families in real life) and I enjoyed uncovering all of the harboring details that many of the characters had tried to suppress and tackle on their own.

Aside from a great plot and remarkable characters, the physical writing in this book (what I sometimes refer to as pen-to-paper, the words themselves and their technique) is beautiful. Sarah Ockler loves imagery and she definitely knows how to utilize it, showcasing it in its full potential. Much like her magnificent debut novel Twenty Boy Summer, I felt as if I were in Red Falls with Delilah and her family. Every aspect in Fixing Delilah was so vivid, so crystal clear in my mind that the majority of this novel played out in my head like a movie does onscreen.

Overall: You must read this book. It is beautifully constructed, filled with wonderful characters, realistic situations and moments that we can all relate to in some way or another. I think that Sarah Ockler writes some of the best contemporary YA present on the market today, her books reminding me very much of the lovely and talented Sarah Dessen. Both authors write in a similar style but overall for me, what I find so alike is the ways in which their novels make me feel; inspired, happy, excited and like anything is possible.

Cover Reveal: The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer

2011-01-05T17:22:00.001-05:00

The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer

By: Michelle Hodkin

Pub date: September 27th, 2011

Mara Dyer believes life can’t get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been
through, she can fall in love. She’s wrong.

summary from goodreads.com

So...I know I recently today posted another cover reveal for a separate book BUT can you blame me for making a post about this one? I literally couldn't help myself and wanted to help spread around the pretty. ;)

Also, how amazing does this sound?

Cover Reveal: Royally Crushed

2011-01-05T16:00:00.002-05:00

Royally Crushed

By: Niki Burnham

Pub date: March 22nd, 2011

Valerie's life is pretty good. While she's not the most popular girl in school, she does have decent grades, great friends, and a potential boyfriend. All a girl could want.

Then her mother announces that (1) she's gay, and (2) she's leaving Valerie's dad for her girlfriend. Not what Valerie envisioned for her future. And just when Valerie is getting over this bombshell, her father tells her he's gotten a new job as protocol chief for the royal family of some obscure European country.

Valerie's world has come unglued. She can either stay in Virginia with her mom and her über-organized, veggie-burger-eating girlfriend, or go with her dad, leaving everything she knows for some place she's never heard of. Valerie opts to go, and quickly discovers that it was a mistake -- until she meets the prince, and all bets are off!

summary from goodreads.com

Royally Crushed is comprised of three novels (all of which are published) They are: Royally Jacked, Spin Control and Do-Over. I have to say that I LOVE this cover!

New Releases: January 2011

2011-01-05T10:00:00.003-05:00

Above are four of the novels being released in January 2011

IndieBound | Amazon [.ca] [.uk] | Barnes & Noble | Chapters | Book Depository

New in January 2010:

1. Drought/Pam Bachorz/25th

2. The Reinvention Of Bessica Lefter/Kristen Tracy/11th

3. The Trouble With A Half Moon/Danette Vigilante/6th

4. Jazz In Love/Neesha Meminger/10th

5. The Big Crunch/Pete Hautman/1st

6. Entangled/Cat Clarke/6th

7. Famous/Todd Strasser/25th

8. Wishful Thinking/Alexandra Bullen/1st

9. The Water Wars/Cameron Stracher/1st

10. Love, Inc./Yvonne Collins, Sandy Rideout/4th

11. Taking Off/Jenny Moss/4th

12. Forsaken (The Demon Trappers, #1)/Jana Oliver/7th

13. The Lover's Dictionary/David Levithan/4th

14. Hexbound (Dark Elite, #2)/Chloe Neill/4th

15. Head Games (Pretty Tough, #3)/Keri Mikulski/6th

16. Slice Of Cherry (Portero, #2)/Dia Reeves/4th

17. The Latte Rebellion/Sarah Jamila Stevenson/8th

18. Subject Seven/James A. Moore/20th

19. The Running Dream/Wendelin Van Draanen/11th

20. The Education Of Hailey Kendrick/Eileen Cook/4th

21. The Darlings Are Forever/Melissa Kantor/4th

22. Vesper (Deviants, #1)/Jeff Sampson/25th

23. Prom And Prejudice/Elizabeth Eulberg/1st

24. Warped/Maurissa Guibord/1st

25. The False Princess/Eilis O'Neal/25th

26. Mad Love/Suzanne Selfors/4th

27. Unearthly (Unearthly, #1)/Cynthia Hand/4th

28. Here Lies Bridget/Paige Harbison/18th

29. All Just Glass/Amelia Atwater-Rhodes/11th

30. Timeless/Alexandra Monir/11th

31. Awakened (House Of Night, #8)/P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast/4th

32. Other Words For Love/Lorraine Zago Rosenthal/11th

33. Badd/Tim Tharp/11th

34. XVI/Julia Karr/6th
35. Flirt Club/Cathleen Daly/4th
36. Across The Universe/Beth Revis/11th
37. Shadowspell (Faeriewalker, #2)/Jenna Black/4th
38. Throat/R.A. Nelson/25th
39. Trickster's Girl/Hilari Bell/3rd
40. Choker/Elizabeth Woods/4th

My Most Anticipated Books Of 2011

2011-01-04T17:00:00.005-05:00

This list is for any books that are paranormal, dystopian, fantasy and so on. Pretty much any novel that isn't contemporary. I split my most anticipated books into two separate categories/posts so that I could squeeze in more books. I'm tricky like that.

Most Anticipated 2011:
1. Delirium (Delirium, #1)- Lauren Oliver
2. Ultraviolet - R.J Anderson
3. Dark Parties - Sara Grant
4. The Cellar - A.J Whitten
5. Forgotten - Cat Patrick
6. Fateful - Claudia Gray
7. Awaken - Katie Kacvinsky
8. Momento Nora -Angie Smibert
9. Divergent - Veronica Roth
10. Possession - Elana Johnson
11. A Need So Beautiful - Suzanne Young
12. Clarity - Kim Harrington
13. Future Imperfect - K. Ryer Breese
14. Luminous - Dawn Metcalf
15. Dead Rules - Randy Russell
16. Across The Universe - Beth Revis
17. The Gathering (Darkness Rising, #1) - Kelley Armstrong

Feel free to share what books you're most looking forward to in 2011! :)

My Most Anticipated Books Of 2011

2011-01-04T13:00:00.005-05:00

It was SO DIFFICULT to narrow this list to twenty books. Originally I planned on only having a top ten but as usual, I failed in that impossible quest. ;)

Most Anticipated Contemporary 2011:
1. We'll Always Have Summer (The Summer I Turned Pretty, #3) - Jenny Han
2. Where She Went (If I Stay, #2) - Gayle Forman
3. What Happened To Goodbye - Sarah Dessen
4. Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry, #3)- Simone Elkeles
5. Playing Hurt - Holly Schindler
6. Stay - Deb Caletti
7. As I Wake - Elizabeth Scott
8. Saving June - Hannah Harrington
9. Where I Belong - Gwendolyn Heasley
10. Ordinary Beauty - Laura Wiess
11. Babe In Boyland - Jody Gehrman
12. Bitter End - Jennifer Brown
13. But I Love Him - Amanda Grace
14. Between Here And Forever - Elizabeth Scott
15. Don't Breathe A Word - Holly Cupala
16. Imaginary Girls - Nova Ren Suma
17. Sometimes It Happens - Lauren Barnholdt
18. The Day Before - Lisa Schroeder
19. My Beating Teenage Heart - C.K. Kelly Martin
20. Entangled - Cat Clarke

My list for Paranormal, Dystopian etc books in 2011 will be up later today! :)

Upcoming Release: Reunited

2011-01-04T09:30:00.003-05:00

Reunited

By: Hilary Weisman Graham

Pub date: June 12th, 2012

1 Concert
2,000 Miles
3 Ex-Best Friends

Alice, Summer, and Tiernan are ex-best friends.

Back in middle school, the three girls were inseparable. They were also the number one fans of the rock band Level3.

But when the band broke up, so did their friendship. Summer ran with the popular crowd, Tiernan was a rebellious wild-child, and Alice spent high school with her nose buried in books.

Now, just as the girls are about to graduate, Level3 announces a one-time-only reunion show.

Even though the concert’s 2000 miles away, Alice buys three tickets on impulse. And as it turns out, Summer and Tiernan have their own reasons for wanting to get out of town. Good thing Alice’s graduation gift (a pea-green 1976 VW camper van know as the Pea Pod) is just the vehicle to get them there.

But on the long drive cross-country, the girls hit more than a few bumps in the road. Will their friendship get an encore or is the show really over?

summary from goodreads.com

I'm already really excited for Reunited! Road trip (which I love) + a concert (music = amazing) + three ex-best friends (I love complicated character relationships) = one awesome read.

Hardcover vs. Paperback

2011-01-03T19:00:00.003-05:00

[click on photos to make larger]

I think the For Keeps paperback is adorable. I can't believe they changed the cover for The Secret Year! I think the original is amazing.

I actually like all six of these. While I don't find anything wrong with the original hardcovers I think the paperback versions are great as well.

What do you guys think?

Favourite Books Read In 2010

2011-01-03T16:04:00.002-05:00

Super difficult to narrow down seeing as I read many great books this year!

1. Split [review]
2. Nothing Like You [review]
3. Borderline [review]
4. Ballads Of Suburbia [review]
5. Break [review]
6. For Keeps [review]
7. One Lonely Degree [review]
8. A Blue So Dark [review]
9. The Reckoning (Darkest Powers, #3) [review]
10. It's Not Summer Without You (The Summer I Turned Pretty, #2) [review]
11. Before I Fall [review]
12. A Match Made In High School [review]
13. Some Girls Are [review]
14. Tweaked [review]
15. The Sky Is Everywhere [review]

Daily Dose Monday

2011-01-03T10:00:00.003-05:00

Hosted by: Good Golly Miss Holly

Friday's Finest

2010-12-31T16:43:00.000-05:00

Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

"We all screw up. We all wish we were stronger than we are, and not one of us will get through this life without regret."

Split by Swati Avasthi

____________

I wish all of you a very safe and a very Happy New Year! :D

Split

2010-12-29T18:54:00.001-05:00

Split

By: Swati Avasthi

Sixteen-Year-Old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother Christian with a re-landscaped face (courtesy of his father’s fist), $3.84, and a secret.

He tries to move on, going for new friends, a new school, and a new job, but all his changes can’t make him forget what he left behind—his mother, who is still trapped with his dad, and his ex-girlfriend, who is keeping his secret.

At least so far.

Worst of all, Jace realizes that if he really wants to move forward, he may first have to do what scares him most: He may have to go back.

summary from book

My Rating: 5/5

I loved this book so very very much. Everything about it from the characters to the pacing of the plot and everything in between was just perfect. Books like Split are my absolute favourite to read because they really grab a hold of the reader and shake them. They open your eyes, they educate. They are so much more than just a form of entertainment and speak to the reader in a way that next to nothing else can offering an outside looking in perspective.

I have read novels where abuse is prominent (particularly verbal and physical abuse) yet I'd never read anything where the character has escaped the abuse and is trying to get their life back in fluid working order. Split follows Jace, the protagonist of the novel who has in the opening chapter recently fled home due to his father's abuse. He ends up at his somewhat estranged older brother's house as a result and so begins the start of Jace's new life. I really appreciated how nothing was sugarcoated in this novel. Many of the flashback scenes that Jace recounts from memory dealing with his abusive past and father were quite jarring and difficult to get through. We all know what physical abuse is and what it entails yet to have it showcased as it is in Split really makes a difference especially when you are so emotionally connected to these characters and want the best for them.

Another aspect of this novel that I really enjoyed was the reality of it all. Everything was very well handled and realistic. I was very happy with the ending for it offered just enough closure without making it a perfect little ending. With such a serious subject matter being addressed it would have been impossible not to mention unrealistic had everything suddenly been resolved and perfected. I don't want to give too much away but Split is authentic in its ability to remain raw and pragmatic.

I am a huge fan of well developed and credible characters which Split definitely has. I have to say that Jace is one of the best main characters that I have come across in a long time. What made me really like him is just how far from perfect he is. It takes guts as a writer to give a character negative qualities and traits and to highlight them multiple times throughout the novel because you want the reader not only to like your protagonist but to sympathize with them as well. Giving them negative traits and characteristics can sometimes backfire but for me it always makes me like a character all the more which was the case with Jace. Again, I don't want to give too much away but he was an admirable character who didn't always do the right thing but wanted better and was committed to trying.

Aside from the Jace, Christian and Merriam were two of my favourite supporting characters in Split. They were two very different individuals each adding something important to the novel. I liked how with Christian, the way he acts and goes about things especially his reluctance to talk and share was later explained and showcased. Merriam was great because she was the opposite, a talker who thought that things needed to be discussed in order to heal and move forward. I felt as if each character and each scene in this book all served an equal purpose in the overall story. Nothing was filler or unnecessary. Everything in this novel only adds to the overall result.

Overall: I think everyone should read this book. Not only is Split a well written novel with great characters and a well executed plot but its subject matter is one that is very important and I feel we should not shy or hide from.

Upcoming Release: Dark Parties

2010-12-28T18:25:00.002-05:00

Dark Parties

By: Sara Grant

Pub date: August 3rd, 2011

Sixteen-year-old Neva has been trapped since birth. She was born and raised under the Protectosphere, in an isolated nation ruled by fear, lies, and xenophobia. A shield "protects" them from the outside world, but also locks the citizens inside. But there's nothing left on the outside, ever since the world collapsed from violent warfare. Or so the government says...

Neva and her best friend Sanna believe the government is lying and stage a "dark party" to recruit members for their underground rebellion. But as Neva begins to uncover the truth, she realizes she must question everything she's ever known, including the people she loves the most.

summary from hachettebookgroup.com

You can never go wrong with a dystopian novel. I am loving the concept for this one!

Daily Dose Monday

2010-12-27T09:20:00.000-05:00

Hosted by: Good Golly Miss Holly

To all who celebrate, I hope you had an amazing Christmas! Even if you don't celebrate I hope your weekend was just as amazing. :)

Friday's Finest

2010-12-24T16:10:00.002-05:00

Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

"Sometimes I wonder why words can't actually make us bleed."

Split by Swati Avasthi

The Market

2010-12-23T14:26:00.001-05:00

The Market

By: J.M. Steele

High school senior Kate Winthrop is about to find out just how much she's worth.

After stumbling across the Millbank Social Stock Market, Kate is horrified to discover that out of the 140 girls in her class, she's ranked a bleak 71. Sure, she's not drop-dead gorgeous, and her "fashion" choices leave a bit to be desired...but 71?! Determined not to accept her fate as a "junk bond," she and her best friends quickly set out to make her the fastest rising stock on the Market.

Armed with a sexy new haircut and killer wardrobe, Kate puts her plan into effect -- and the analysts take note. In a matter of weeks, her stock value soars, and "Blue Chip" status is within reach. But what begins as a fun social experiment quickly turns into an obsession, one that threatens to ruin her reputation, friendships, and a chance at first love. Will Kate survive the highs and lows of the Market, or will her security crash and burn?

summary from book

My Rating: 4/5

The Market is in short, a lot of fun. Armed with an intriguing and unique plot as well as Katie, a protagonist that is easy to understand and relate to, it would have been difficult for me not to have become absorbed with this novel. The whole concept of having a stock market ranking girls based on popularity and physicality is terrible but I have to be honest in saying that it made for a highly entertaining novel. I found the concept to be different; a fresh way of addressing the topic of popularity and striving towards it in a new and interesting way. The Market like I mentioned above is as a whole a fun book but it addresses many topics serious in tone such as a longing to fit in, not feeling good enough and so on. It manages to cover a lot of ground all the while keeping you intrigued and in suspense the whole way through.

Now, I hate, no, loathe economics yet somehow The Market was able to take similar concepts that I'd been forced to study in the past and made them entertaining. Like I mentioned above, the plot for this book was great! I guess you could say that it was predictable in some areas although I spent the majority of the time while reading being so wrapped up in the happenings that were occurring in the here and now that I didn't think too far down the road as to what was possibly going to unfold next. Even though I predicted a few small occurrences, many parts of this book did take me by surprise.

Character wise, I really liked Kate. I think that multiple people will be able to recognize many different parts of themselves within her. Although I never would have gone to the extremes that Kate did, I still found myself sympathizing and being able to comprehend her actions and desires. We've all at one point and time in our lives striven to fit in and be accepted by our peers. It's a part of growing up, yearning to be well liked and wanted etc. That's what made Kate so appealing to me, the fact that she was just a girl like everyone else with similar desires and wants that we've all at one point and time hoped for.

Overall: I really enjoyed The Market. Like I had assumed prior to reading it, the concept makes for a very interesting and overall highly enjoyable read. You won't be able to put it down once you've become absorbed in Kate's world.

Upcoming Release: Lark/Miles From Ordinary

2010-12-21T08:46:00.002-05:00

Lark

By: Tracey Porter

Pub date: May 11th, 2011

When sixteen-year-old Lark Austin is kidnapped from her Virginia hometown and left for dead in a snowy forest, she leaves behind two girls who are shocked by the loss of their former friend. At the same time Eve must face the hole left by Lark’s absence, she also can’t shake the guilt that Lark’s death was her fault. Meanwhile, Nyetta is haunted by Lark’s ghost, who comes through the bedroom window and begs Nyetta to set her soul free. Eve and Nyetta realize it is their responsibility to uncover why Lark is trapped in limbo, but only by coming together to find the missing pieces of themselves can they bring peace to Lark.

Told in alternating sections by each of the three heroines, Tracey Porter’s stunning narrative about love and loss demonstrates that forgiveness can never come too late.

summary from goodreads.com

I really like the whole premise for this one. It sounds interesting and I like that it's told through the perspective of all three girls. I'm always drawn to books where there has been a loss of some sort and the remainding characters are left to piece their lives back together.

Miles From Ordinary

By: Carol Lynch Williams

Pub date: March 15th, 2011

Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library, just as her mother is supposed to start work at the grocery store. Lacey hopes that her mother's ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money. But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control....

summary from macmillian.com

The summary doesn't give all that much away which works in its favour because well, now I am very curious. ;) I like that it takes place in one single day and I wonder as to what spins so terrifyingly out of control.

In My Mailbox 38

2010-12-20T22:49:00.004-05:00

Credit for In My Mailbox goes to Pop Culture Junkie and The Story Siren

Purchased

Borrowed

Hooray for Christmas Holidays! I can officially read for leisure again! :) And what do you do when you have a lot more free time? You buy/borrow a ton of new books. I am beyond excited for each and every book above. Hopefully, this means that I will have more reviews up as well in the very near future as they have been scarce. D:

I hope you all received some cool books that you're looking forward to and happy vacation to all who are off from school!

That's all for now, off to read I go!

Daily Dose Monday

2010-12-20T08:47:00.004-05:00

Hosted by: Good Golly Miss Holly

Kind of a themed Daily Dose this week. :) I hope you all have a beyond amazing week! Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!

Friday's Finest

2010-12-17T17:50:00.000-05:00

Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

"The maples near the porch shake their rustling green heads in the breeze, but Mom and Aunt Rachel don't notice. They just stare at each other, standing here in the middle of things with their arms dangling and the screen door half-open, the same blood flowing through their veins and a thousand pounds of unspoken words keeping them apart."

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Sleepless

2010-12-15T19:58:00.001-05:00

Sleepless

By: Thomas Fahy

Emma Montgomery is having trouble sleeping. Every time she falls asleep, she sees horrible, gruesome things in her dreams- and when she wakes up, she isn't sure where she was when she fell asleep. And she's not alone. Her friends are starting to have the nightmares too.

And that's when the murders start.

First one kid dies in a car crash, his brakes mysteriously cut. Then another girl washes up dead on the beach. The deaths match the nightmares, and Emma and her friends must confront the awful truth- something is making them kill in their sleep. Now they're in a race against time to keep themselves awake and figure out what's going on- before someone else turns up dead.

summary from book

My Rating: 3/5

What attracted me to Sleepless is the fact that it sounded very much like a horror movie. Turns out that it reads like one too which was my favourite aspect of this book. I picked Sleepless up because I wanted to read something creepy and twisted. Being a bit of a masochist, I am someone from a select few group of people who enjoys a good scare. My favourite time to read this book was right before bed, when it was completely dark outside MUAHAHAHA. It was deliciously creepy.

In all seriousness though, Sleepless is a definite page turner. I for one was eager to find out what was happening to Emma and her friends and read this book fairly quickly as a result of my morbid curiosity. I'll admit that I was in the dark for pretty much the entirety of this book (no pun intended). The plot was unlike anything I'd read or watched before and so I really had no idea who or what to suspect and so on which is a good thing. There's nothing worse than being a short distance into a book or a movie and coming to the conclusion that you know exactly what's happening and what is to come. Who likes that? I know I don't prefer it which is why Sleepless keeping things under-wraps and well contained within a lot of action was a good thing. There was so much going on that I didn't really even have the time to just try and assess what was happening.

Plot wise, I have no complaints. The characters on the other hand were just okay. Now, I didn't read this book for great character development etc. I read it for the story, the plot which is I feel, its main intention. Sure, it delves into the lives of the characters somewhat more so Emma and Jake, the two more stationary characters but aside from that, I honestly felt as if they could have been anyone and it wouldn't have affected the story all that much or me, the reader. I did really like Lily and Duncan (two of the supporting characters) mostly because I liked their relationship and the slight emphasis placed upon it.

Overall: If you like a good creepy story with an interesting take on things, I recommend Sleepless. It is a quick and entertaining read that will sustain your attention the whole way through. Don't forget to read it in the dark if you decide to give it a go. ;)

Upcoming Release: Forgotten

2010-12-14T18:23:00.001-05:00

Forgotten

By: Cat Patrick

Pub date: June 7th, 2011

Each night when 16 year-old London Lane goes to sleep, her whole world disappears. In the morning, all that's left is a note telling her about a day she can't remember. The whole scenario doesn't exactly make high school or dating that hot guy whose name she can't seem to recall any easier.

But when London starts experiencing disturbing visions she can't make sense of, she realizes it's time to learn a little more about the past she keeps forgetting-before it destroys her future.

Part psychological drama, part romance, and part mystery, this thought-provoking novel will inspire readers to consider the what-if's in their own lives and recognize the power they have to control their destinies.

summary from goodreads.com

Super interesting concept about not being able to remember anything that's happened once you've gone to sleep. Can't wait!

Cover Reveal: Queen Of The Dead

2010-12-13T20:10:00.002-05:00

Queen Of The Dead (Ghost and the Goth, #2)

By: Stacey Kade

Pub date: June 7th, 2011

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare–former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead–finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this, ugh, “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.

Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello?! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately signs her name in the “clearly not” column. But Will is, ahem, willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.

summary from goodreads.com

I have yet to read the first book in this series but I know a lot of you really loved it and I happen to think the covers are really awesome so...I thought I'd post it!

Daily Dose Monday

2010-12-13T07:52:00.000-05:00

Hosted by: Good Golly Miss Holly

Here's to a fabulous week! :)

Sneak Peek Saturday: Fall For Anything

2010-12-11T10:00:00.000-05:00

Fall For Anything

By: Courtney Summers

Pub date: December 21st, 2010

When she meets Culler Evans, a former student of her father’s and a photographer himself, an instant and dangerous attraction begins. Culler seems to know more about her father than she does and could possibly hold the key to the mystery surrounding his death.

But Eddie’s vulnerability has weakened her and Culler Evans is getting too close. Her need for the truth keeps her hanging on...but are some questions better left unanswered?

____________

My hands are dying.

I keep trying to explain it to Milo, but he just looks at me like I’m crazy.

"They don’t feel warm–they haven’t." I squeeze the tips of my finers as hard as I can, which hurts. "They’re not numb, though…"

"Maybe you have that… Raynaud’s disease," he says. He takes my right hand and studies my fingers. They seem healthy, pink. He shakes his head. "They’re not blue."

"But they’re cold."

"They feel warm to me."

"They feel cold," I insist.

"Okay, Eddie," he says. "They’re cold."

I jerk my hands from his and then I rub them together. Friction. Heat. Milo can say what he wants; they’re freezing. It’s the hottest summer Branford has seen in something like ten years, but I haven’t been able to get my hands to warm up since it happened.

I hold them up again. They don’t even look like my hands anymore. They don’t even look like anything that could belong to me, even though they’re clearly attached.

"They’re different" I tell him.

"Would you please put your hands down?" he asks. "Jesus."

My hands have changed. I catch Milo looking at them sometimes, and I see it on his face that they’re different, no matter what he’s saying now...

____________

December 21st cannot come fast enough! I am so looking forward to Fall For Anything. To read the remainder of this excerpt which includes chapters one through five you can do so here. For more on Courtney Summers and her amazing novels you can visit her official website and or blog.

Friday's Finest

2010-12-10T08:29:00.000-05:00

Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

"It's funny how someone can be such an integral part of your life, like you laugh at the same jokes and eat your ice cream cones the same way and share your toys and dreams and everything but your heartbeats, and then one day-nothing. You share nothing. It's like none of it ever happened."

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

Upcoming Release: Crossing Lines/Displacement

2010-12-07T12:00:00.002-05:00

Crossing Lines

By: Paul Volponi

Pub date: June 9th, 2011

Adonis is a jock. He's on the football team and he's dating one of the prettiest girls in school. Alan is the new kid. He wears lipstick and joins the Fashion Club. Soon enough the football team is out to get him. Adonis is glad to go along with his teammates . . . until they come up with a dangerous plan to humiliate Alan. Now Adonis must decide whether he wants to be a guy who follows the herd or a man who does what's right.

From critically acclaimed author Paul Volponi comes this discussable and finely wrought story of bullies, victims, and the bystanders caught in between

summary from goodreads.com

This sounds like a very meaningful book that addresses the very serious and unfortunately common world of bullying.

Displacement

By: Thalia Chaltas

Pub date: June 9th, 2011

Home is supposed to be a place you belong. It’s supposed to be parents who are there and siblings who bug you and a life that feels comfortable. It’s not supposed to be an absentee mother or a drowned sister. But that’s Vera’s reality, and she can’t stand it anymore. So she runs.

She ends up in an old mining town in the middle of the California desert. It’s hot, it’s dusty, and it’s as isolated as Vera feels. As she goes about setting up her life, she also unwittingly starts the process of healing and—eventually— figuring out what home might really mean for her.

summary from goodreads.com

I love me some contemporary fiction and I'm all about character journeys in any shape or form.

Daily Dose Monday

2010-12-06T13:58:00.000-05:00

Hosted by: Good Golly Miss Holly

New Releases: December 2010

2010-12-05T12:37:00.001-05:00

Above are three of the novels being released in December 2010

IndieBound | Amazon [.ca] [.uk] | Barnes & Noble | Chapters | Book Depository

New in December 2010:

1. Rosebush/Michele Jaffe/December 7th

2. Real Live Boyfriends/E. Lockhart/December 28th

3. Tutored/Allison Whittenberg/December 14th

4. Deadly Little Games (Touch, #3)/Laurie Faria Stolarz

5. Once In A Full Moon/Ellen Schreiber/December 28th

6. The Lost Saint (The Dark Divine, #2)/Bree Despain/December 28th

7. Fall For Anything/Courtney Summers/December 21st

8. You Against Me (UK release)/Jenny Downham/December 2nd

9. Anna And The French Kiss/Stephanie Perkins/December 2nd

10. The Secret Sisterhood Of Heartbreakers/Lynn Weingarten/December 8th

11. Out For Blood (The Drake Chronicles, #3)/Alyxandra Harvey/December 21st

12. Fixing Delilah/Sarah Ockler/December 1st

13. Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy, #6)/Richelle Mead/December 7th

14. Vampire Crush/A.M. Robinson/December 28th

15. See What I See/Gloria Whelan/December 28th

16. Fallen Angel/Heather Terrell/December 28th

17. Something Like Hope/Shawn Goodman/December 28th

18. Sapphique (Incarceron, #2)/Catherine Fisher/December 28th

19. Falling In Love With English Boys/Melissa Jensen/December 23rd

20. Loser/Queen/Jodi Lynn Anderson & Brittney Lee/December 21st

21. Tempestuous (Wondrous Strange)/Lelsey Livingston/December 21st

22. The Book Of Spells: A Private Prequel/Kate Brian/December 21st

23. Vixen (Flappers, #1)/Jillian Larkin/December 14th

24. The Lying Game (The Lying Game, #1)/Sara Shepard/December 7th

25. Entice (Need, #3)/Carrie Jones/December 14th

26. Nicholas Dane/Melvin Burgess/December 7th

27. Bloody Valentine (A Blue Bloods Novella)/Melissa de la Cruz/December 28th

28. Bitter Melon/Cara Chow/December 28th

Sneak Peek Saturday: The Liar Society

2010-12-04T13:00:00.012-05:00

The Liar Society (Liar Society, #1)

By: Lisa & Laura Roecker

Pub date: March 1st, 2011

Kate Lowry didn’t think dead best friends could send e-mails. But when she gets an e-mail from Grace, who died mysteriously a year before, she’s not so sure. When the emails continue, Kate is forced to confront her school’s resident druggie, a sketchy administrator, and even her own demons.

As Kate moves closer and closer to the truth, she teams up with a couple of knights-in-(not so)shining armor–the dangerously attractive, bad boy, Liam and her love-struck neighbor, Seth. The three uncover an ancient secret lurking in the halls of their elite private school with the power to destroy them all.

But the truth doesn’t always set you free. Sometimes it’s only the beginning.
____________

Chapter One

Her e-mail didn't move or disappear or do any of the creepy things I'd expect an e-mail from a ghost to do. It was just there.

Existing.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
Sent: Tues 9/14 11:59 PM
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)

Kate,
I'm here…
Sort of.
Find Cameron.
He knows.
I shouldn't be writing.
Don't tell.
They'll hurt you.

The words blurred on the screen and my hands went limp. My phone clattered to the ground, the battery skidding across the hardwood floors of my bedroom.

Dead best friends didn’t send e-mails.

I shook my head fiercely in an attempt to clear my thoughts. It was the anniversary of her death and I missed Grace more than anything. Maybe my mind was just playing tricks on me. Maybe this wasn’t really happening.

I took a deep breath, grabbed my laptop, and refreshed my mail. All the air left my lungs when I saw her name on the screen again. As much as I wanted to believe that the e-mail was from Grace, my mind just couldn’t make the leap. Maybe this was some kind of joke, but that kind of cruelty didn’t seem possible. Plus, we guarded our email passwords with our lives, and there was no way anyone was capable of hacking into the school’s database...
____________
I love it when stories start off with a bang. Talk about a gripping first line/paragraph! To read the remainder of this excerpt you can do so here. (click on "The Books" at the bottom and then you'll find the pdf on the right hand side) For more on Lisa and Laura Roecker you can visit their official website and or blog. There's also a website for The Liar Society which you can check out.

I wish you all a very happy weekend! :)

Beautiful Creatures

2010-12-03T18:38:00.002-05:00

Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1)

By: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

summary from book

My Rating: 3.5/5

Beautiful Creatures is one of those books with a large amount of hype surrounding it. It falls into the paranormal/romance sub-genre yet with one minor difference- the narrator is male. This seems like such a simple difference but in the end, for me at least, it mattered a great deal. In general I love books told through a male's point of view and I especially loved what the narrator switch in this novel provided and that is a fresh and new take on the familiar.

Plot wise, Beautiful Creatures is brimming. All of the components are present that make for an entertaining read. There's romance, mystery, suspense, secrets, plot twists and much more. You name it, this book has it. The pacing is well maintained and drawn out. This book by many standards is considered to be quite lengthy (563 pages) yet there really was never a dull moment. I'd never read a book with this particular paranormal element and so I was very interested to learn more and to discover what was lurking in each chapter.

Setting, I feel, is a very large and important part of this book. Gatlin County is a small southern town where everyone knows everyone and so on. I think this added a lot to the story not to mention it made it different as well. I'd never read a paranormal YA novel that took place in such a setting and so I was intrigued and interested by it. Had Beautiful Creatures been set in a large city, this book would just have not been the same. The whole small town aspect really provided this novel with a different feel.

I was pleased with the characters in this novel. As I mentioned above, in the first paragraph, I really took to Ethan and his voice. He is very mature and sensible, easy to relate to and so on. I liked Lena as well, probably not as much as Ethan but she was intriguing and the authors did a good job of giving the reader a sense of who she was by giving her a past not to mention a collection of authentic family members. One of the major aspects that I appreciated about this novel is that the story didn't just revolve around Ethan and Lena and their search for answers. There were mentions of the past, things that happened before we meet the characters that added to their overall depth. I also liked the emphasis on family, especially where Ethan was concerned. His mother has passed away and unlike other paranormal books where this is mentioned is passing, Ethan actually dwells upon this fact a handful of time throughout the novel which I felt to be authentic and realistic. Contemporary novels tend to be the ones that dwell and delve into the loss of a loved one in great detail while other sub-genres such as this one on many occasions tend to mention it only in passing. In actuality, losing a loved one plays a huge part in a person's life and I liked how that was represented in more detail with this novel.

I cannot end this review without mentioning the wonderfully colourful supporting cast of characters. There were a large array of them, too many to name but I felt they contributed a lot to this novel, especially humor.

Overall: People love this book and I can see why. There is a lot in Beautiful Creatures, enough to satisfy a large range of readers. Naturally, if you love paranormal/romance YA then I very much recommend this one to you!

Friday's Finest

2010-12-03T13:00:00.001-05:00

Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

"I realize now that dying is easy. Living is hard."

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Upcoming Release: Here Lies Bridget/Flawless

2010-11-30T12:54:00.001-05:00

Here Lies Bridget

By: Paige Harbison

Pub date: February 1st, 2011

Bridget Duke is the uncontested ruler of her school. The meanest girl with the biggest secret insecurities. And when new girl Anna Judge arrives, things start to fall apart for Bridget: friends don’t worship as attentively, teachers don’t fall for her wide-eyed “who me?” look, expulsion looms ahead and the one boy she’s always loved--Liam Ward--can barely even look at her anymore.

When a desperate Bridget drives too fast and crashes her car, she ends up in limbo, facing everyone she’s wronged and walking a few uncomfortable miles in their shoes. Now she has only one chance to make a last impression. Though she might end up dead, she has one last shot at redemption and the chance to right the wrongs she’s inflicted on the people who mean the most to her.

And Bridget’s about to learn that, sometimes, saying you’re sorry just isn’t enough.

summary from paigeharbison.com

I always find novels with this premise beyond interesting. I really like the evolution that the character is bound to undertake through the course of the book. Plus I already want to know more about Bridget and her life not to mention her questionable actions.

Flawless

By: Lara Chapman

Pub date: May 10th, 2011

Flawless is a modern retelling of the Cyrano story in which a senior-class salutatorian with a notable nose agrees to help her perfectly gorgeous best friend catch the eye of the new hottie at school, only to discover he's actually the perfect guy for her.

summary from goodreads.com

I'm always drawn to books like Flawless. They're funny and sweet, not to mention entertaining. I look forward to seeing how Chapman interprets this somewhat familiar topic and makes it her own!

Daily Dose Monday

2010-11-29T14:19:00.001-05:00

Hosted by: Good Golly Miss Holly

Have a fabulous Monday and a fabulous week! :)

Sneak Peek Saturday: What Can't Wait

2010-11-27T11:04:00.000-05:00

What Can't Wait

By: Ashley Hope Perez

Pub date: March 1st, 2011

Seventeen-year-old Marisa Moreno has smarts and plenty of promise, but she’s marooned in a broken-down Houston neighborhood—and in a Mexican immigrant family where making ends meet matters more than making it to college. At school, it's another story. Marisa's calc teacher expects her to ace the AP test and to get into an engineering program in Austin—a city that seems unimaginably far away.

When her home life becomes unbearable, Marisa seeks comfort elsewhere—and suddenly neither her best friend nor boyfriend can get through to her. Caught between the expectations of two different worlds and carrying a dark secret, Marisa will finally have to decide what can't wait.
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Chapter One

You’d think that by now I’d know how to get out of the house.

Easy, right? Scrape together an outfit, make Papi and Gustavo some breakfast, grab my books, walk out the door. Finding two people camped out in the living room shouldn’t change things much.
The snoring lump on the couch is my sister Cecilia, and the niña curled up on the couch cushions by the wall is my five-year-old niece, Anita. They show up like this whenever Cecilia has a big throw-down fight with her husband, Jose. He’s definitely the bigger jerk, but I don’t approve of all the screaming and door slamming that she does in front of Anita. Or of how Cecilia drags her out of their apartment in the middle of the night, trash-talking Jose the whole time.

Cecilia is the last person that I want to deal with right now, so there are some simple rules I should follow. Don’t close the bathroom door because it squeaks too loud. Wait until Cecilia is in the middle of a good long snore before slipping past. Avoid saying anything that sounds even remotely like “Jose” (that always stirs up the demon in her). And definitely do not stand around watching Anita sleep when I should be walking to school...
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This books sound very moving and powerful. To read the remainder of chapter one you can do so here. For more on Ashley Hope Perez and her work you can visit her official website and or blog.

Have a great weekend you guys! :)

Upcoming Release: The Summer Of Firsts And Lasts/Liar Society

2010-11-23T17:37:00.004-05:00

The Summer Of Firsts And Lasts

By: Terra Elan McVoy

Pub date: May 3rd, 2011

Calla loves summer because summer means Duncan. They’ve been best friends for years, but Calla has never worked up the nerve to tell him how she really feels. This summer, the summer before college, is Calla's last chance.

Violet isn't much of a rule breaker in real life. But this isn't real life, this is summer, and Violet is determined to make the most of it. Besides, a little sneaking out never hurt anyone. And sneaking out with James is 100% worth the risk...even though James is completely off-limits.

Daisy has never been the sister that boys notice, but when sparks fly with Joel at the first bonfire of summer, it seems so easy and right. So why is being his girlfriend so complicated?

summary from goodreads.com

This sounds so sweet and cute! I love how there are multiple characters most likely sharing their individual stories.

The Liar Society (Liar Society, #1)

By: Lisa & Laura Roecker

Pub date: March 1st, 2011

Daily Dose Monday

2010-11-22T08:37:00.001-05:00

Hosted by: Good Golly Miss Holly

Friday's Finest

2010-11-19T08:42:00.000-05:00

Friday's Finest is a new meme hosted by Steff & Justine from A Bookful of Thoughts.

"History was a bitch sometimes. You couldn't change where you were from. But still, you didn't have to stay there. You didn't have to stay stuck in the past...and you didn't have to accept that things had to be the way they were."

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Cover Reveal: Chain Reaction

2010-11-17T22:41:00.002-05:00

Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry, #3)

By: Simone Elkeles

Pub date: May 24th, 2011

Luis Fuentes is a good boy who doesn't live with the angst that his big brothers, Alex and Carlos, have always lived with. Luis is smart, funny, and has big dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when he falls for the wrong girl, Luis enters a dark world he's never known, and just when he thinks he's got life all figured out, learns some disturbing news about his family that destroys his positive outlook on life. Will that Fuentes bad boy streak come out with a vengeance and lure Luis to live on the edge like his new girlfriend and his own father?

Continuing all the steamy romance of the first two books, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Simone Elkeles gives fans one more satisfying taste of the irresistible Fuentes boys.

summary from goodreads.com

I see I'm already late to the party but I had to post this anyways. How steamy is this cover? I can't wait to read about Luis as he is the complete opposite of Alex and Carlos in his mentality. Plus, I like the whole bad girl thing. We don't see much of that. SO excited!