Waiting on Wednesday (#92)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

Truthwitch  by Susan Dennard

Expected publication: January 5th 2016 by Tor Teen

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch

January! JANUARY?!


What're you waiting on?

Release Day Blitz: Omega City

  

Coming this April 28th, Diana’s first book for readers eight and up is a thrilling adventure story, perfect for people who like their books with a side of rocketships and hidden treasure. Find out what secrets are hidden beneath the Maryland countryside in…

Omega City

Gillian Seagret doesn’t listen to people who say her father’s a crackpot. His conspiracy theories about the lost technology of Cold War-era rocket scientist Dr. Aloysius Underberg may have cost him his job and forced the family to move to a cottage in the sticks, but Gillian knows he’s right, and plans to prove it. When she discovers a missing page from Dr. Unerberg’s diary in her father’s mess of an office, she thinks she’s found a big piece of the puzzle–a space-themed riddle promising to lead to Dr. Underberg’s greatest invention. Enlisting the help of her skeptical younger brother, Eric, her best friend, Savannah, and Howard, their NASA-obsessed schoolmate, Gillian sets off into the ruins of a vast doomsday bunker, deep within the earth. But they aren’t alone inside its dark and flooded halls. Now Gillian and her friends must race to explore OMEGA CITY and find the answers they need. For while Gillian wants to save her dad’s reputation by bringing Dr. Underberg’s secrets to light, there are others who will stop at nothing to make sure they stay buried…forever.

 

GoodReads | IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple iBooks

Find Me Tag

Christy and Erica @ Novel Ink created their own tag! As you can see, it's called the Find Me Tag, and it's awesome (just saying.)

• There are 10 categories and you have to find one book in each category!
• You can either list the titles of the book, or the pictures, really whatever you want to do, it’s totally up to you!
• You can also tag as many people as you want, but those who are tagged are not obligated to do it!
• Link back to Novel Ink. 

Let the fun begin!

Review: Things We Know by Heart

Things We Know by Heart
Author: Jessi Kirby
Publication Date: April 21st 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~ 

When Quinn Sullivan meets the recipient of her boyfriend’s donated heart, the two form an unexpected connection.

After Quinn loses her boyfriend, Trent, in an accident their junior year, she reaches out to the recipients of his donated organs in hopes of picking up the pieces of her now-unrecognizable life. She hears back from some of them, but the person who received Trent’s heart has remained silent. The essence of a person, she has always believed, is in the heart. If she finds Trent’s, then maybe she can have peace once and for all.

Risking everything in order to finally lay her memories to rest, Quinn goes outside the system to track down nineteen-year-old Colton Thomas—a guy whose life has been forever changed by this priceless gift. But what starts as an accidental run-in quickly develops into more, sparking an undeniable attraction. She doesn't want to give in to it—especially since he has no idea how they're connected—but their time together has made Quinn feel alive again. No matter how hard she’s falling for Colton, each beat of his heart reminds her of all she’s lost…and all that remains at stake.

There are three things you need to know about Things We Know by Heart.

1) It will possibly break your heart.

2) It's not about moving on, or even moving forward, it's just about moving.

3) It's about learning to put it back together in a new way than it was. It's about evolving, reshaping, adapting to a missing piece that won't-and can't-be replaced.

Guest Review Amber: As I Wake

As I Wake

Author: Elizabeth Scott
Publication Date:  September 15th 2011
Publisher: Dutton Books for Young Readers

Pages: 269

Rough estimate of time it took to read: 20 (Over a weeks period)

Source: Gifted by Kirsty (Because she also hated it, and she likes to pass on the torture, and she's probably evil eyeing me whilst setting this up) Yes, yes I am.

Ava is welcomed home from the hospital by a doting mother, lively friends, and a crush finally beginning to show interest. There's only one problem: Ava can't remember any of them - and can't shake the eerie feeling that she's not who they say she is.

Ava struggles to break through her amnesiac haze as she goes through the motions of high-school life, but the memories that surface take place in a very different world, where Ava and familiar-faced friends are under constant scrutiny and no one can be trusted. Ava doesn't know what to make of these visions, or of the boy who is at the center of them all, until he reappears in her life and offers answers . . . but only in exchange for her trust.

Well I don't know what to think of this book. It's complicated. On one hand the main character was interesting to follow. But on the other, the storyline was so scattered it made the entire book difficult to read. Although there are parts where the plot is good and strong, the majority of the book felt rushed and confusing. It's really messed with my mind this book and it kills me to say this but... over all when thinking about the entire book - story - plot - layout - characters ect ect, I have to say I don't like it. And i really wish I did for Ava's story sake.

Waiting on Wednesday (91)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith

Expected publication: September 1st 2015 by Poppy

On the night before they leave for college, Clare and Aidan only have one thing left to do: figure out whether they should stay together or break up. Over the course of twelve hours, they'll retrace the steps of their relationship, trying to find something in their past that might help them decide what their future should be. The night will lead them to friends and family, familiar landmarks and unexpected places, hard truths and surprising revelations. But as the clock winds down and morning approaches, so does their inevitable goodbye. The question is, will it be goodbye for now or goodbye forever?

This new must-read novel from Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, explores the difficult choices that must be made when life and love lead in different directions.

Because it is Jennifer E. Smith, and she's my go-to when it comes to happy and sappy.


What're you waiting on? 

DNF Review: Trouble from the Start

Trouble from the Start
Author: Rachel Hawthorne
Publication Date: April 28th 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

One of two companion novels from beach-read favorite Rachel Hawthorne, this cute, romantic paperback original is about a good girl who falls for a bad guy.

Avery knows better than to fall for Fletcher, the local bad boy who can’t seem to outrun his reputation. Fletcher knows he shouldn’t bother with college-bound, daughter-of-a-cop Avery. But when their paths cross, neither can deny the spark. Are they willing to go against everything and let their hearts lead the way? Or are they just flirting with disaster?

Trouble from the Start releases simultaneously with companion novel The Boyfriend Project. These heartwarming paperback originals are the perfect summer reads, great for fans of Jennifer Echols, Lauren Barnholdt, and Susane Colasanti

If I talked about everything I hated in the first 50% from the Trouble From the Start (which is a lot) this DNF review would be way too long, so I'll get straight to the point with a list review. Also, warning, there's some swearing.

Review: My Heart and Other Black Holes

My Heart and Other Black Holes
Author: Jasmine Warga
Publication Date: February 10th 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

Sixteen-year-old physics nerd Aysel is obsessed with plotting her own death. With a mother who can barely look at her without wincing, classmates who whisper behind her back, and a father whose violent crime rocked her small town, Aysel is ready to turn her potential energy into nothingness.

There’s only one problem: she’s not sure she has the courage to do it alone. But once she discovers a website with a section called Suicide Partners, Aysel’s convinced she’s found her solution: a teen boy with the username FrozenRobot (aka Roman) who’s haunted by a family tragedy is looking for a partner.

Even though Aysel and Roman have nothing in common, they slowly start to fill in each other’s broken lives. But as their suicide pact becomes more concrete, Aysel begins to question whether she really wants to go through with it. Ultimately, she must choose between wanting to die or trying to convince Roman to live so they can discover the potential of their energy together. Except that Roman may not be so easy to convince

After reading All the Bright Places last year, I was a little apprehensive about reading My Heart and Other Black Holes, because of the mess All the Bright Places left me in. So I am so glad I can say that I loved My Heart and Other Black Holes for some of the reasons why I loved All the Bright Places and for other reasons that All the Bright Places didn't give me. Hope.

Guest Review Amber: What Curiosity Kills

What Curiosity Kills (The Turning #1)

Author: Helen Ellis
Publication Date:  May 1st 2010
Publishe Sourcebooks Fire

Pages : 288

Rough estimate of time it took to read: 7 Hours

Source: Gifted by Kirsty

Nobody can know your secret.
Nobody can know your power.
But if nobody knows who you are to begin with...what's stopping you?

I whisper, "What's so special about me all of a sudden?"

Nick says, "The Turning."

Mary feels different, but can't explain why. The fainting, the strange cravings...and worse, the things she's noticed about her body.

Mary doesn't know where to turn. If she tells her parents or her sister, she'll risk losing everything. She has no other family, no way of knowing if what she's going through is normal. Everyone she's ever known and loved could reject her...

I found What Curiosity Kills easy to read even if some of the words tripped me up a little bit. It's fast paced, but paced well with the well thought out plot, and I thought it was executed just as good. Even though there isn't another, I would've liked to have read it.

Waiting on Wednesday (#90)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

Expected publication:  September 3rd 2015 by QuercusChildrens

FROM THE WINNER OF THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR AWARD.

It's the beginning of the summer in a small town in Ireland. Emma O'Donovan is eighteen years old, beautiful, happy, confident.

One night, there's a party. Everyone is there. All eyes are on Emma.

The next morning, she wakes on the front porch of her house. She can't remember what happened, she doesn't know how she got there.

She doesn't know why she's in pain.

But everyone else does. Photographs taken at the party show, in explicit detail, what happened to Emma that night.

But sometimes people don't want to believe what is right in front of them, especially when the truth concerns the town's heroes...

One reason. It's Louise O'Neill. I loved Only Ever Yours (which is currently only £2.84 on Amazon) so obviously, I'm going to read anything she writes.

What're you waiting on?

Review: The Secrets We Keep

The Secrets We Keep
Author: Trisha Leaver
Publication Date: April 28th 2015
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

A girl takes over her twin sister's identity in this emotionally charged page-turner about the complicated bond between sisters.

Ella and Maddy Lawton are identical twins. Ella has spent her high school years living in popular Maddy's shadows, but she has never been envious of Maddy. In fact, she's chosen the quiet, safe confines of her sketchbook over the constant battle for attention that has defined Maddy's world.

When—after a heated argument—Maddy and Ella get into a tragic accident that leaves her sister dead, Ella wakes up in the hospital surrounded by loved ones who believe she is Maddy. Feeling responsible for Maddy's death and everyone's grief, Ella makes a split-second decision to pretend to be Maddy. Soon, Ella realizes that Maddy's life was full of secrets. Caught in a web of lies, Ella is faced with two options—confess her deception or live her sister's life

The Secrets We Keep is a hard one to review, because whether you agree with Ella's decision or not, you will never know what you would do in her situation, unless you have a twin. It's bad enough losing a sister or brother, but a twin, that's the other half of you? That's a whole different bond only twins have, especially identical twins. It is character driven, and because of that I'm not quite sure how I feel about it.

When Maddy and Ella were younger, they were inseparable and as close as you expect twins to be, until Maddy drastically changes after falling in with the 'in' crowd in high school and started dating Alex. The way she acted, the way she did her hair and makeup, to everything she wore changed to appease the people around her. Maddy shut off the way she used to be, and effectively, shutting out Ella. 

Review: Everything That Makes You

Everything That Makes You
Author: Moriah McStay
Publication Date: March 17th 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~ 

One girl. Two stories. Meet Fiona Doyle. The thick ridges of scar tissue on her face are from an accident twelve years ago. Fiona has notebooks full of songs she’s written about her frustrations, her dreams, and about her massive crush on beautiful uber-jock Trent McKinnon. If she can’t even find the courage to look Trent straight in his beautiful blue eyes, she sure isn’t brave enough to play or sing any of her songs in public. But something’s changing in Fiona. She can’t be defined by her scars anymore.

And what if there hadn’t been an accident? Meet Fi Doyle. Fi is the top-rated female high school lacrosse player in the state, heading straight to Northwestern on a full ride. She’s got more important things to deal with than her best friend Trent McKinnon, who’s been different ever since the kiss. When her luck goes south, even lacrosse can’t define her anymore. When you’ve always been the best at something, one dumb move can screw everything up. Can Fi fight back?

Hasn’t everyone wondered what if? In this daring debut novel, Moriah McStay gives us the rare opportunity to see what might have happened if things were different. Maybe luck determines our paths. But maybe it’s who we are that determines our luck

In the style of Just Like Fate, Everything That Makes You is cut into two different stories, a what if scenario, only with Just Like Fate, I actually liked it and though Caroline made some rash and stupid decisions, you could understand her, sympathise with her. Fioana and  "Fi" not so much. Wasn't the whole what if scenario was a way of thinking that if Fiona didn't get her face scarred when she was younger, she would be a different person?

If Everything That Makes You meant to say, that no matter what happens to you, you were always meant to be a certain person, then it succeeded, Because she was a horrible person both ways. If you think I'm being mean now, hang around a while. Fiona is a spiteful little bitch. There we go. She's bitter, which okay, you can get, she's bitter at the world, at herself, she has low self-esteem, given all that: she's still a bitch. To her family, to her so called friends, to her boyfriend, self deprecating , selfish and completely takes things for granted. Isn't having something so horrible like this happen to you, supposed to make you have a real long look at yourself and see just how strong you are? To make yourself a better person? Even the "Fi" What If, she was still like this and because of that, even though we know which part is which, I had a hard time differentiating  the two, and considering the names are in the chapter titles, it shouldn't be that hard.

Guest Review Amber: Shadows

Shadows (Dark Touch #1)

Author: Amy Meredith
Publication Date: April 1st 2010
Publisher: Red Fox

Pages : 240

Rough estimate of time it took to read : 14 Hours

Source: Gifted by Kirsty

Fifteen-year-old Eve Evergold is cute, sassy and enjoying a busy social life. What she doesn't know yet is that someone close to her is an evil demon that only she has the supernatural power to defeat. She needs to work out who it is - and fast! Because although there's something very attractive about the dark side...dating a demon? Pure hell!

I'm going to keep this review short since it's a short book, more like a novella than a full-length novel, and I'm not sure what I feel about it, either.

I'm not sure what to think of this book, the last 6-8 chapters were  worth the read but all the previous ones well I just feel like majority it was wasting my time to read. I really struggled with this book. I don't know what to think as I said the last couple chapters were very very good and made me want to read the next book in the series. But looking at the book over all I would have to admit not worth the read unless you are like me and have to finish a book once you've started just to get the satisfaction of knowing you slugged through it and completed a small challenge.

Waiting on Wednesday (#89)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

Drift & Dragger by Kendall Kulper

Expected publication:  September 8th 2015 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

As an orphan in the mid-nineteenth century in the insular whaling community of Prince Island, Mal has always been an outsider. He thought that changed once he became friends with Essie Roe, the daughter of the island’s mysterious water witch, until a magic spell gone wrong exposed what he really was: a “blank,” someone impervious to magic.

In a time when people rely on magic to protect their lives and livelihoods, blanks are seen as monstrous threats, due to the rumor that a blank can spread his invincibility to others. When Essie reveals his secret to the other islanders, Mal loses his best friend and his home and is cast out into the world.

A chance run-in with a charming stranger introduces him to the world of hunters, people who travel the world in search of dangerous—and valuable—magical artifacts. Mal teams up with Boone, and together they make a successful partnership, even as Boone remains wary of Mal’s blankness.

After Boone hears rumors that a strange and powerful dagger, thought to be lost forever, has reappeared, he tries to enlist Mal’s help in finding and retrieving it. Mal resists until Boone tells him the secret of the dagger: it can steal away a magical person’s ability, turning them ordinary and powerless. Mal knows just the person who deserves such a fate: Essie Roe, the girl who destroyed his life.

Crossing oceans and continents, Mal and Boone set off on a journey around the world in search of the dagger. Finding it means riches, fame—and revenge.

I loved Salt and Storm, so a prequel? Yes, please. 

What're you waiting on? 

Review: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda (THISBOOKTHISBOOKTHISBOOK)

Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda 
Author: Becky Albertalli
Publication Date: April 7th 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met

Right now my thoughts about Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda are along the lines of thisbookthisbookthisbook, it was when  I finished it, and it still is now, because THISBOOKTHISBOOKTHISBOOK. I know what you're thinking, how do I explain things so well? *cough* It's a gift.*cough*  ;) It's just so freaking adorable and funny and cute, and so much more than just freaking adorable and funny and cute, and again, I know, I explain things so well.  So I'll put it this way, Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda shows how far society has evolved regarding anything LGBTQ, and how everything diverse has changed in YA, but also how it hasn't changed for anyone LGBTQ.

Review: The Cemetery Boys

The Cemetery Boys
Author: Heather Brewer
Publication Date: March 30th 2015 
Publisher: HarperTeen
~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

When Stephen is forced to move back to the nowhere town where his father grew up, he’s already sure he’s not going to like it. Spencer, Michigan, is like a town straight out of a Hitchcock movie, with old-fashioned people who see things only in black-and-white. But things start looking up when Stephen meets the mysterious twins Cara and Devon. They’re total punks–hardly the kind of people Stephen’s dad wants him hanging out with–but they’re a breath of fresh air in this backward town. The only problem is, Cara and Devon don’t always get along, and as Stephen forms a friendship with the charismatic Devon and something more with the troubled Cara, he starts to feel like he’s getting caught in the middle of a conflict he doesn’t fully understand. And as Devon’s group of friends, who hang out in a cemetery they call The Playground, get up to increasingly reckless activities to pass the summer days, Stephen worries he may be in over his head.

Stephen’s fears prove well-founded when he learns of Spencer’s dark past. It seems the poor factory town has a history of “bad times,” and many of the town’s oldest residents attribute the bad times to creatures right out of an urban legend. The legend goes that the only way the town will prosper again is if someone makes a sacrifice to these nightmarish creatures. And while Stephen isn’t one to believe in old stories, it seems Devon and his gang might put a lot of faith in them. Maybe even enough to kill for them.

Now, Stephen has to decide what he believes, where his allegiances lie, and who will really be his friend in the end

Here I was thinking Tabula Rasa was one of the most ridiculous books I'd ever read because of the characters unrealistic qualities and actions.  Old stuck-in-the-mud creepy town? Check. Strange characters? Check. A towns urban legend complete with eerie atmosphere? Double check. It sounds perfect on paper,  but let's take away the horror aspect from The Cemetery Boys for a minute,  and what do you get? The second most ridiculous book I've ever read because of the characters unrealistic qualities and actions. 

Guest Review by Amber: Old Magic

  Old Magic 

Author: Marianne Curley
Publication Date: December 7th 2009 
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Pages : 317

Rough estimate of time it took to read : 18 hours

Source: Gifted by Kirsty

Jarrod Thornton is mesmerizing, but Kate Warren doesn't know why.

The moment the new guy walks into the room, Kate senses something strange and intense about him. Something supernatural. Her instincts are proven correct a few minutes later when, bullied by his classmates, Jarrod unknowingly conjures up a freak thunderstorm "inside" their classroom.

Jarrod doesn't believe in the paranormal. When Kate tries to convince him that he has extraordinary powers that need to be harnessed, he only puts up with her "hocus pocus" notions because he finds her captivating. However, the dangerous, uncontrolled strengthening of his gift finally convinces Jarrod that he must take Kate's theories seriously. Together, they embark on a remarkable journey -- one which will unravel the mystery that has haunted Jarrod's family for generations and pit the teens against immense forces in a battle to undo the past and reshape the future. 

* Just a little note

Before I get to the review, I just wanted to add a little message,  this is my first ever book review and  My wonderful cousin, Kirsty (she didn't tell me to say that *cough*)  has lent me some of her books that she couldn't finish,  

Since this is my first review it will only be a short, as I'm still new to this whole scene of things and need some practice.  Although Kirsty and I share some taste in books (e.g. Harry Potter, some of the Vampire genre and some of the classics), I will be reviewing my own (and my romantic partner's), so we'll have a few different genres within MG, YA and Adult. 

So some reviews you get off me will be slightly different than others as its all down to the books and how well or easy I find them to read. (Which will be difficult for me as I suffer from mild Dyslexia, which makes me read slower, but I love to read so will try my best to make my reviews readable with Kirsty's, help of course.)

Cover Reveal: Phoenix Rising

Today I'm helping reveal the cover of Phoenix Rising by Bryony Pearce. So, what's it about?

In a future world where fossil fuels have run out and democracy has collapsed, an outlawed pirate crew fight for survival on their ship, the Phoenix, kept afloat by whatever they can salvage or scavenge on the debris-filled seas. Toby has never known anything other than life onboard the Phoenix and he's desperate for adventure. But when trouble comes hunting the Phoenix down, Toby realizes that what you wish for isn't always what you want. He meets beautiful Ayla from the Banshee, a rival pirate ship and sworn enemy of the Phoenix, and his world is thrown into disorder. How can he know who to trust and what to believe? The future rests on him making an impossible choice...A gripping novel, perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz, Eoin Colfer and Suzanne Collins

Sounds awesome, right?   

 Now, for the cover....

Waiting on Wednesday (#88)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

Blood and Salt by Kim Liggett

Expected publication: September 22nd 2015 by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young 

Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn in this one-of-a-kind romantic horror.

“When you fall in love, you will carve out your heart and throw it into the deepest ocean. You will be all in—blood and salt.”

These are the last words Ash Larkin hears before her mother returns to the spiritual commune she escaped long ago. But when Ash follows her to Quivira, Kansas, something sinister and ancient waits among the rustling cornstalks of this village lost to time.

Ash is plagued by memories of her ancestor, Katia, which harken back to the town’s history of unrequited love and murder, alchemy and immortality. Charming traditions soon give way to a string of gruesome deaths, and Ash feels drawn to Dane, a forbidden boy with secrets of his own.

As the community prepares for a ceremony five hundred years in the making, Ash must fight not only to save her mother, but herself—and discover the truth about Quivira before it’s too late. Before she’s all in—blood and salt.

It explains itself, really. 

What're you waiting on?