30 November 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (39)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where book bloggers discuss the books that they are most anxiously waiting for! (And this fabulous button was designed by my dear blogger friend Lindsay at The Violet Hour)

This week I'm waiting on...


Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay
© 27 December 2011 by Harper Collins Children's
My wish
is to fall
cranium over Converse
in dizzy, daydream-worthy
love.


When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.


By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this "vacation" has become permanent. She starts at a new school where a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you've watched your parents' affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? can you even know it until you've lost it? 
I don't read many books in verse--just generally my personal preference.  However, this one seriously intrigues me.  I've heard that the story and writing is beautiful so I'm hoping to be able to give it a shot. :)


Also, I figured I would combine this post with W.W.W. Wednesdays...so here is some more info about my reading for this week! To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…Grab the logo...and post your link at Should Be Reading!



What are you currently reading?


(Currently listening to...)

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next? 


What are YOU waiting on this week?

29 November 2011

(ARC) YA Book Review: Saving June by Hannah Harrington


Release Date: 22 November 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Source: NetGalley

Buy It! Amazon | B&N

Goodreads description:
When her older sister commits suicide and her divorcing parents decide to divide the ashes, Harper Scott takes her sister's urn to the one place June always wanted to go: California. On the road with her best friend, plus an intriguing guy with a mysterious connection to June, Harper discovers truths about her sister, herself and life.
My Thoughts...

Saving June was a heart-wrenching, beautiful read.  Once I started reading, I was so drawn into the story that I couldn't put the book down.  Trust me--I was SO wishing that I hadn't volunteered to work on Black Friday because I could have been reading this instead!
If she's waited less than two weeks, she would be June who died in June, but I guess she never took that into account.
-p7, eARC
When the story opens, June is dead and her younger sister, Harper, is dealing with the aftermath--the funeral and wake, the pitying glances, the endless casseroles, and the unwanted affectionate embraces of old women wearing too much perfume.  Harper was always very different from her sister, but now she is forced to see the world around her differently.  Did she really know her sister?
But I wasn't interested in being like June, and I definitely didn't want to live in June's shadow. Even if mine was less impressive, at least it was my own.
 -p34, eARC
I connected with Harper early on in this book.  She's a unique person who's never been afraid to stand up for herself and do her own thing, but at her deepest points, she has more in common with each and every one of us than she ever imagined.  She is so heartbroken over her sister's death that my heart broke right alongside hers.  I thought that her grieving process was handled immensely well, including her "wild" idea to drive June's ashes across the country to scatter them in California.  It seemed like such a fitting tribute that coincided with what we knew of June and what we're learning about Harper.
"Without music, life would be a mistake."
-Jake, p175, eARC
Jake is a character who pops into Harper's life out of nowhere, and I felt from the first moment that I "met" him that he was going to be significant.  Throughout the story I loved getting to see Harper and Jake interact and get to know each other and themselves in the process. Jake is so not the person I expected him to be from initial interactions and I seriously grew to like him a lot.  The only thing that irked me just a little were his mood swings. I mean, this boy SERIOUSLY suffers from male PMS.  His bickering with Harper would kind of pop up out of nowhere and make me want to smack the boy! But don't worry, he more than makes up for it later (despite a minor major f-up toward the end).

My very minor gripe aside, this book was phenomenal.  Ms. Harrington has taken a story of teenage grief and turned it into a beautiful story.  I think fans of contemporary YA fiction will fall deeply, madly in love with this story.

28 November 2011

(ARC) Ya Book Review: Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook



Release Date: 3 January 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Pre-Order It! Amazon

Goodreads description:
Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.
My Thoughts...

Unraveling Isobel was a delightful contemporary paranormal read! The story pulled me in from page one and I found myself turning page after page, finishing it in just a few hours one afternoon! It was highly engaging and impossible to put down. While the plot twists were not overly new or exciting, Ms. Cook has written a novel that truly keeps you on your toes.
When you're seventeen and the only friend you have in town is a stuffed animal that doesn't even belong to you, I think it's safe to say your life is officially in the shitter.
-p27, ARC
Isobel caught my attention from page one. She's so realistic--I'm totally convinced that we would have been BFFs in high school. Her sarcastic personality translates into her dialogue, both internally and externally. She's a strong young woman, but she's clearly susceptible to the same insecurities as all most high school girls. Thus, she has to deal with catty friends, a boyfriend, and parent issues, just like we all have at some point. I'm not really sure what else to say about her--I just really connected with her (well, except for the obvious...you know, seeing ghosts).
"Okay, fair enough. You're embarrassed and I made it worse. Do you want me to do something embarrassing to even the score? You want me to sing?"
-Nathaniel, p52, ARC
Nathaniel grew on me VERY quickly, once he got over being a bit of an ass. He sang "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in the library and from that moment on, I was won-over. The relationship between him and Isobel is very sexy and realistic...with that hint of "forbidden love," because, uh, they're step-siblings. Let's just say...I got over that real fast. :) I think two of my final comments while I was reading were "Yay Nate!!! <3."
There were really only three options. Either Evie was intent on trying to send me a message, Dick was behind everything to get rid of me, or I was crazy.
-p203, ARC
This storyline overall felt fun and fresh. I enjoyed the way that the paranormal played into the story in little ways throughout, but I was left, in the end, wishing that the ghosts would have played just a slightly larger role in the story, especially toward the end. I suppose part of me wanted the ghost to swoop in and scare the hell out of some people who I wasn't too fond of. The only other thing that irked me a little bit was how Dick's accusations of Isobel's potential mental illness seems to pop up out of everywhere. I mean, I seriously disliked Dick throughout but it was a moment that seemed out of place regardless. I found myself flipping back a few pages to look for the set-up to that moment. It was totally a "Dick" move, but I think that it just came too suddenly out of seemingly nowhere.

I would definitely recommend this as a read to pick up in January! It was a fun read with realistic, relatable characters.  The story moves at a quick pace that keeps the reader turning page after page.  This is a fabulous contemporary read with a perfect blend of the every day and the paranormal--a little bit for fans of both!

27 November 2011

In My Mailbox (21)

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren where we can show some love to all the books that we got in the mail or otherwise!

Hello, my lovelies!!! Welcome back for another edition of In My Mailbox!! I got a few exciting things this week--check them out!! :)


For Review:
 Allegiance by Cayla Kluver
New Girl by Paige Harbison
Thanks to NetGalley & Harlequin Teen!

 
 Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta
Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough
The Obsidian Blade by Pete Hautman
Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriot
Another Jekyll, Another Hyde by Daniel and Dani Nayeri (not pictured)
Thanks to NetGalley & Candlewick!!


Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook
Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton
Thanks to Around the World ARC Tours for the chance to read these!!

 Masquerade by Cambria Hebert
Thanks, Cambria, for having me on the blog tour!! :)


Bought:  
Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
Wildwood by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis
The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

(ebooks)
 This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel (currently only $1.99 for Kindle!)
Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker (currently only $2.99 for Kindle!)

Won:
Winterling by Sarah Prineas (Thanks, Sarah! I'm STOKED to read this!)

What's in YOUR mailbox?!

25 November 2011

Friday Fling: a Mini-Review of The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

Photobucket


During Friday Fling , I share with you a short story or "just for fun" book that I read and really enjoyed.  It will generally be a "mini review" instead of a full review.  These are books that I think are simply fun, quick reads that are definitely worth checking out!


Release Date: 13 January 2011
Publisher: Acacia Publishing, Inc.
Source: Purchased

Buy It! Amazon | Barnes & Noble
(Only $2.99!)

Goodreads description:
Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe That’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family...

Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble...
My Thoughts...

When I kept seeing things about this book on Twitter, I was literally check B&N every day waiting for it to be available for my NookColor! I was simply in the mood for what this book was selling--fun, romantic high school drama with a happy ending!  Ms. Glines has a descriptive writing style that pulled me right into this world of Southern charm, good girls, and "bad" boys.

From the beginning, the story rolls out in a relatively predictable fashion with Ash quickly falling for the boy who's been there her whole life.  Until now she's held on to this "perfect girl" image of herself that she feels like she simply has to keep up for appearances.  Beau beings out the real Ashton, the spunky, spontaneous, mischievous gal who's not afraid of a good time and a swoon-worthy kiss.   You know from the beginning, I think, that the spark between Beau and Ash is pretty undeniable.

Ms. Glines makes you fall head-over-heels in love with her characters from page one. And, while you may see the ending coming, the twists and turn along the way will keep you guessing and turning the pages.  I seriously enjoyed reading this--I think I devoured it in the course of just over an hour! The world and it's characters could be happening next door.  If you're in the mood for a fun, quick read, I believe that The Vincent Boys is for you.  This one is DEFINITELY worth it's $2.99 price tag and I hope you'll check it out!!

(If you're unsure, you can read an excerpt from Chapter One over at Abbi's blog! Check it out HERE!)

23 November 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (38)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where book bloggers discuss the books that they are most anxiously waiting for! (And this fabulous button was designed by my dear blogger friend Lindsay at The Violet Hour)

This week I'm waiting on...

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
© 6 December 2011 by Entangled Publishing
Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.
I have heard that this is basically AWESOME.  I have it from NetGalley and my goal for this coming weekend if to plow through my current reads and get this one started! I mean, it sounds super interesting and different, right?! :)


Also, I figured I would combine this post with W.W.W. Wednesdays...so here is some more info about my reading for this week! To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…Grab the logo...and post your link at Should Be Reading!



What are you currently reading?


(Currently listening to...)

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next? 



What are YOU waiting on this week?

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