Waiting on Wednesday (8): Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

Hosted by Breaking the Spine 

 

 On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose. 

Description taken from Goodreads 

Why I'm Waiting

First off, the cover is gorgeous.  Second, the synopsis sounds absolutely amazing.  Third, I will read anything by Lauren DeStefano.

Perfect Ruin will be released on October 1, 2013  

What are you waiting for?  Let me know in the comments! 

Keeping Her by Cora Carmack Preview

 

 Garrick Taylor and Bliss Edwards managed to find their happily-ever-after despite a rather . . . ahem . . . complicated start. By comparison, meeting the parents should be an absolute breeze, right?

But from the moment the pair lands in London, new snags just keep cropping up: a disapproving mother-in-law-to-be, more than one (mostly) minor mishap, and the realization that perhaps they aren't quite as ready for their future as they thought.

As it turns out, the only thing harder than finding love is keeping it. 

Description taken from Goodreads

 Here is the link to the preview.  Enjoy!

 

Also, some news.  Ms. Carmack and Jay Crownover are both participating in a Goodreads chat on June 26.  Find out more here 

 

And go here to join a book club for Losing It!  It will take place on June 27 from 3-4 pm EDT

Keeping Her releases August 13, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (7): Unhinged by A.G Howard

 

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

  

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

 Description taken from Goodreads  

Why I'm Waiting 

This cover, guys.  Look at this cover.  It is just absolutely gorgeous.  And I just really want more of Morpheus.  

Unhinged will be released on January 7, 2014

What are you waiting on?  Let me know in the comments! 

Teaser Tuesday! (3): Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

  

 Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

 

Description taken from Goodreads

 

 

Teasers:

"I contemplated playing it off like I'd been joking, but that would also be a lie, and who jokes about STDs anyway?" 

 -page 19 of 447

 

"Okay, maybe he had a point about the sense of touch being worthy of favoritism."   

-page 135 of 447

June New Release Giveaway Hop!

 

Welcome to my stop on the hop!  I'm going to give you guys five books to choose from and at the end of the giveaway, ONE winner will choose ONE of the following books.  

 

 

Rules:

• Must be over 13 years old
• This contest is international as long as the Book Depository ships to you for FREE, PLEASE CHECK BEFORE ENTERING.
• No cheating please

 Just fill out the form to be entered in the giveaway!  Thanks for stopping by!


The winner is Nicole!  I have already contacted her and she has replied back.  She chose The Moon and More.  Congrats, Nicole!

Feature and Follow (2)

Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read

"The goal is to increase blog followers and make friends."

This weeks features:

 

 

Q: Activity- Spine Poetry.  Create a line of poetry with your book spines (take a picture).  Not feeling creative?  Tell us about your favorite poem.

 

Well, that was a lot darker than I thought it was going to be.  I swear I'm not depressed or crazy or anything.  :)

If you would like to follow me please use Bloglovin', I heard that GFC is kicking the bucket so Bloglovin' makes more sense.

Be sure to tell me that you followed so I can return the favor!

"What's Next?" (1)

I have so many review books to read and also just some books that I have bought over the weeks.  I really can't decide where to start, so when I found this meme I thought it was a perfect idea.

 

 In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them. 

Description taken from Goodreads

 

 

There are two sides to every love story. Now hear Will’s.

Colleen Hoover’s New York Times bestselling Slammed series has brought countless readers to their knees with a whirlwind of love, passion, and heartache.

Layken and Will’s love has managed to withstand the toughest of circumstances and the young lovers, now married, are beginning to feel safe and secure in their union. As much as Layken relishes their new life together, she finds herself wanting to know everything there is to know about her husband, even though Will makes it clear he prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong. Still, he can’t resist his wife’s pleas and so he begins to untangle his side of the story, revealing for the first time his most intimate feelings and thoughts, retelling both the good and bad moments, and sharing a few shocking confessions of his own from the time when they first met.

In This Girl, Will tells the story of their complicated relationship from his point of view. Their future rests on how well they deal with the past in this final installment of the beloved Slammed series.

Description taken from Goodreads

 

After surviving a deadly plague outbreak, sixteen-year-old Savannah thought she had lived through the very worst of human history. There was no way to know that the miracle vaccine would put everyone at risk for a fate worse than un-death.

Now, two very different kinds of infected walk the Earth, intent on nothing but feeding and destroying what little remains of civilization. When the inoculated are bitten, infection means watching on in silent horror as self-control disappears and the idea of feasting on loved ones becomes increasingly hard to ignore.

Starving and forced to live inside of the abandoned high school, all Savannah wants is the chance to fight back. When a strange boy arrives with a plan to set everything right, she gets her chance. Meeting Cole changes everything. Mere survival will never be enough.

Description taken from Goodreads

So, it's up to you guys!  Which book should I read next?  Let me know in the comments.

Waiting on Wednesday (6): The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines #4) by Richelle Mead

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

Spoilers ahead if you haven't read the first three books in the series.

 

 In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Description taken from Goodreads

Why I'm Waiting

One word.  Adrian.

 Need I say more?  Didn't think so. 


The Fiery Heart will be released on November 19.

What are you waiting for?  Let me know in the comments! 

Teaser Tuesday! (2): Slammed by Colleen Hoover

 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

  

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.  

 

 Description taken from Goodreads 

 

 

Teasers:

"If there is any man who can take my mind off of Will, it's definitely Johnny Depp."

-29%- page 96 of 317

 

"People can't cry forever.  Everyone eventually falls asleep"

-58%- page 199 of 317 

 

Review: Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson

 

 The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.

Description taken from Goodreads

My Review

I don’t even know where to start with this book.   I have never heard of the Bluebeard fairytale before and I have to say that when I saw Strands of Bronze and Gold in the bookstore, the cover was what really attracted me to the book.  I never really got around to reading it and I was so happy when I heard Bookworms' Avenue was looking for Guest Reviewers and that this was one of the books that I could choose from.

So, I went into this book with absolutely no knowledge of what it was really about except from the blurb that I read on Goodreads.

Right off the bat, I knew something was off.  I was getting a really bad feeling from Monsieur de Cressac.  My alarm bells were ringing, telling Sophie to get out of that house.  But, of course, she didn’t listen to me.

Monsieur Bernard, as Sophie calls him, is one complex fellow.  I swear that he is bipolar or has multiple personality disorder or something.   There is something wrong with him.  One minute he is fine, showering Sophie in treasures and making sure that she has everything she wants.  The next he is ordering her what to wear or how to keep her hair.  It’s like watching something horrible on TV, wanting to look away but you just can’t seem to do it.  It does get to the point where it is terribly disturbing.  You have to realize that Sophie is only seventeen and that M. Bernard was one of her fathers’ friends.  So he’s probably in his forties.

I really did like Sophie, but she was just so naïve.  I understand that it’s mostly the time period that the novel is set in but throughout most of the book I couldn’t help but shake my head thinking, “You have GOT to be smarter than this!”  She would question things that weren’t quite right revolving around M. Bernard but she would quickly dismiss them because M. Bernard is just that charming.  He makes you believe everything he tells you whether or not you truly believe it’s right or not.  

Strands of Bronze and Gold had me so frustrated, but in a good way, of course.  Right when you think things are going to turn around for Sophie, everything comes crashing down and she has to start all over again.  It was exhausting to be honest.  These were my emotions throughout the book.

I still don’t know how to feel after finishing this novel.  I really don’t.

Anyway, I digress.

The writing in Strands of Bronze and Gold is magnificent.  The author, Jane Nickerson, did a superb job bringing her readers right into the nineteenth century.  Every detail that was described made me feel like I was right there and it was wonderful.  The language and the way things were worded were absolutely beautiful and breathtaking.  The descriptions of the clothing made me want to be from this time period, even though I can’t stand wearing dresses.  It was just THAT good.

The character development is also astounding.  Sophie starts out as a little girl who is thrilled by the simplest things.  Pretty new dresses, her bedroom and everything that occupies it.  By the end of the novel, she still is a bit naïve but she has turned into a young woman who is trying to fight for her family’s well being, her own life as well as her freedom.  It’s a great transformation.

Even though I had little to no knowledge of this fairytale, I still enjoyed it.  Was it my favorite read of all time?  Absolutely not, but it kept me entertained and held my curiosity enough to finish it.  Be warned though, it does start off very slow but the end is definitely worth it.

3.5 out of 5 hearts

My review will be featured on Bookworms' Avenue sometime in the near future.  So keep an eye out for that and while you're over there you should follow her blog!  It's the nice thing to do, really.

Review: Faking It by Cora Carmack

Well, now that I have recovered from BEA and stopped pouting over wanting to go back, I can finally put out a review.  

 Mackenzie “Max” Miller has a problem. Her parents have arrived in town for a surprise visit, and if they see her dyed hair, tattoos, and piercings, they just might disown her. Even worse, they’re expecting to meet a nice, wholesome boyfriend, not a guy named Mace who has a neck tattoo and plays in a band. All her lies are about to come crashing down around her, but then she meets Cade.

Cade moved to Philadelphia to act and to leave his problems behind in Texas. So far though, he’s kept the problems and had very little opportunity to take the stage. When Max approaches him in a coffee shop with a crazy request to pretend to be her boyfriend, he agrees to play the part. But when Cade plays the role a little too well, they’re forced to keep the ruse going. And the more they fake the relationship, the more real it begins to feel. 

Description taken from Goodreads

My Review

I actually got Faking It at BEA and I got to meet Cora Carmack.  She was awesome and very sweet.  I was just so happy to get this, it was at the top of my list to get and when I got out of that line and was carrying the book back to my sister, I was like this. 

 

Then I was like this.

 

It’s official.  I need help.

Anyways, on to the review!  Faking It is the companion novel to Losing It.  You don’t have to read Losing It in order to read Faking It, but it would be nice to read them in order because you would get that solid back-story.

I absolutely loved Losing It and I didn’t think it was possible to love Faking It more.  Surprise!  It’s possible.

 

Faking It has everything.  Drama, romance, badassery, sarcastic bickering.  I also felt like I was able to relate a bit more to the story.  I find myself very similar to Max, who seems to be the misfit of her family or the dark horse.  

We learn that Max has a dark secret that is tearing her apart inside but is trying to keep a strong outer shell.  We also see Cade as he is trying to get over Bliss.  Both are failing miserably at this.

I really loved the dual POVs.  It was awesome to read the situations through both Max and Cade’s eyes.  Both of their voices were fully developed and I felt like I knew who they were right off the bat but of course that wasn’t the case, they trick you into thinking that you know who they are.  That’s how amazing Carmacks writing is.  Each character has so many layers, that you have to keep peeling away to really get down into the nitty gritty part of their personalities and truly begin to understand what they are going through. 

The romance in this novel had me swooning just about every second.  It was real and heartbreaking and raw.  The emotion behind it was so earth shattering.  It was comforting but it was also frightening because you really didn’t know when or if shit was going to hit the fan.  And shit always hits the fan, does it not?

This novel is beautiful in its own way.  If you enjoyed Losing It then you are definitely going to enjoy Faking It.  It’s a great contemporary novel but it has a little kick to it and definitely one of the top books in this category.  

Faking It came out earlier this week on June 4.  Go out and pick it up right now!

 5 out of 5 hearts

(I could seriously look through Supernatural gifs all day.)

Feature and Follow (1)

 Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read

" How does this work? The goal is to increase blog followers and make friends."

Q: Have you broken up with a series? If so which one and why?

A:  Why, yes I have, unfortunately.  There are a few series that come to mind for me.

Number 1

 

The Morganville Vampires 

This series was great, I loved the premise, I loved the romance between Claire and Shane but there are just so many books in this series.  I just kind of started to lose interest and didn't really care when a new book was released.  Maybe someday I'll revisit this series.

Number 2

The House of Night

The reason is pretty much the same as above.  The only other reason is that there was just too much going on this series.  Some of the plot choices just made me shake my head thinking, "Were the authors on drugs or something?"  Seriously.

I think I'll leave it at that for now.

What series have you broken up with?  Leave a comment and let me know!

If  you would like to follow me please use Bloglovin', I heard that GFC is kicking the bucket so Bloglovin' makes more sense.  

Be sure to tell me that you followed so I can return the favor!

Waiting on Wednesday (5): The Retribution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #3) by Michelle Hodkin

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

 

There is no description yet but I don't care...I'll still read it no matter what.

Goodreads

Why I'm Waiting

If I can't read this book soon then I might go insane.  Which would be totally appropriate, I think.  I need to know what happens after that cliffhanger from The Evolution of Mara Dyer. 

Go get this on October 22!

What are you waiting for?  Let me know in the comments!