Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted at Breaking the Spine! 



 The Fall 
by Bethany Griffin
 Release Date: October 7, 2014

Madeline Usher is doomed.

She has spent her life fighting fate, and she thought she was succeeding. Until she woke up in a coffin.

Ushers die young. Ushers are cursed. Ushers can never leave their house, a house that haunts and is haunted, a house that almost seems to have a mind of its own. Madeline’s life—revealed through short bursts of memory—has hinged around her desperate plan to escape, to save herself and her brother. Her only chance lies in destroying the house.

In the end, can Madeline keep her own sanity and bring the house down? The Fall is a literary psychological thriller, reimagining Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Fall of the House of Usher.

This one sounds like the perfect level of creepy! I've always been a fan of The Fall of te House of Usher, so I'm really interested to see what this one is like. 

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Monday, July 28, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish

I have a lot of books. I mean, a lot of books. Obviously, there are authors that I love and of course, I own all of there books because I have to. Here are some of the most noteworthy. 



1. Tim LayHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins


When I was a child my father read all of The Left Behind series by Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye. It was super popular back in the day and I wanted to be exactly like my father - so I read the kids version. 
These are shorter books ranging in length from 150-300 pages, but there are 40 of them. 

40.

I own 40/40 and have read 40/40. 




2. Georgette Heyer 


I own 10 Georgette Heyer romances. I have only read 1/10, but there was a great deal at a yard sale
once of many of her hardbacks and I'd heard many good things. Now I have a ton.

No regrets.

3. J.K. Rowling


I own 9 books by J.K. Rowling. The 7 H.P. books, Beadle the Bard, and The Casual Vacancy. 
I've read 8/9. 

4. Jane Austen

I own all of Jane Austen's novels, because who doesn't? I have 7 books, 9 if you count the partial ones. I've read 7/7. 

5. Richelle Mead


The Vampire Academy used to be my obsession. I really need to re-read them, but all in all I own 7 books by Richelle Mead. I have read 6/7. 

6. Neil Gaiman


I love me some Neil Gaiman. He is amazing, and I think he might be an alien because hello, who else would be able to be THAT diverse? 

I own 7 Neil Gaiman books and I have read 6/7. 

7. G.R.R. Martin


I own 5 G.R.R. Martin books. All of which belong to A Song of Ice and Fire. I have read 4/5. 


 And that is all that seems significant! 

The Half Life of Molly Pierce by Katrina Leno

Title: The Half Life of Molly Pierce
Author: Katrina Leno
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: July 8, 2014
Goodreads

You take it for granted. Waking up. Going to school, talking to your friends. Watching a show on television or reading a book or going out to lunch.

You take for granted going to sleep at night, getting up the next day, and remembering everything that happened to you before you closed your eyes.

You live and you remember.

Me, I live and I forget.

But now—now I am remembering.


For all of her seventeen years, Molly feels like she’s missed bits and pieces of her life. Now, she’s figuring out why. Now, she’s remembering her own secrets. And in doing so, Molly uncovers the separate life she seems to have led…and the love that she can’t let go.

The Half Life of Molly Pierce is a suspenseful, evocative psychological mystery about uncovering the secrets of our pasts, facing the unknowns of our futures, and accepting our whole selves.

This book was really incredible. I love books that break away from the norm, and this title did exactly that in a truly beautiful way.

It's a contemporary revolving around a teenager who thinks she might be crazy. She misses hours of her life, waking up miles away from her last memory just to have no explanation of what she was doing to fill that time.

It's very interesting and very original, I've never read a book like it in my life. It's not a fun or happy book. It deals with many intense emotions including depression and the inner workings of the human mind. There are more questions than answers for so much of it that your curiosity will steer you to the end before you know it.

It is truly beautifully written, Katrina Leno seems to have a gift for story telling. This book deals with major issues, but yet never once did I want to turn away or stop reading. It was never too much to handle.

Molly's voice is one that is easy to relate to.  When you're a teenager you always feel different. You're trying to discover who you are, and Molly is no different. Her emotions feel more potent than other narratives because of the subject matter but it is at its basis a classic coming of age story. Molly discovers who she is. She discovers her problems and fixes them herself.

The love story here isn't the focus of the story which is something I always appreciate. I feel that so many stories now live off of the love stories, but there is so much more to the story than that.

Overall: With Molly Pierce there is true depth. It is beautifully written with great character development and you see the growth of Molly literally with every page. In some ways it is haunting, and it definitely comes recommended.


Friday, July 25, 2014

Stacking the Shelves!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews

This week was an incredible week for me as far as books go. I received my amazing Christmas in July book swap package from Holly at Finding My Everyday Happy! I also received some pretty stellar books for review. 

So let's get this party started!

My package from Holly was full of so much awesome I can't even talk about it. She went completely above and beyond in every way. 

 All of three, yes THREE of these books were ones I was DYING for. At this point I think she knows me better than half the people I see everyday.

Look at these bookmarks! They are so precious and they remind me of something... oh yeah. 


Even down to Loretta and Conway she got the coloring right!

For Review:

AHHHHH! Look at them! I'm super excited to have them both. 
I haven't read The Burning Sky yet but I think I'll have to after all the wonderful things I've heard. 

The Jewel by Amy Ewing
The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas

Bought: 

I've begun to watch Orange is the New Black and because of this when I saw it was a book first I HAD to get it. 



That's all for this week, a huge thanks to Holly and HarperTeen for the packages of awesome! 

Don't forget to check out my latest "Let's Talk" Discussion on English Majors!

What did you guys get this week?

Let's Talk: English Majors

As many of you know, I have been a student in the wonderful world of college for longer than I care to admit here. During my time there have been certain things that I have noticed about my fellow peers. English majors are a special breed, often times we are seen as artsy individuals who will never find employment. Other times we are hailed as the most important major for pursuing the "most important subject - being a human being."

I tend to side with the latter.

However, we as a major have certain quirks, each of us housing different interests and views while under this umbrella of the English Language.

The following are the most prevalent English major types that I have seen in my time within two English Departments. Shout out if you see yourself.

 *Take these with a grain of salt, after all, all English majors are fantastic. 

1.) The Doctor:
This is the individual who writes twenty pages when the page count is ten. This individual not only reads the required reading, but they read ALL of it weeks before it is assigned. They know the syllabus and what it says better than the professor does while often annoying fellow students by being the first to ask all the questions all the time.
 How to spot one: Normally this individual is so persistent in their studies they are taking more than the average load of classes so you will often find them sprinting across campus. They may not have much free time to party, but they will definitely share their notes with you, so they're definitely alright.

2.) The Sleeper:
This is the person who chose English because they thought it would be easy. However, at times you worry they never put the reading/writing aspect into consideration when choosing that to be their future path. This person sits towards the back, normally in the corner, propping their head on the wall and we're never completely sure if they're awake or not. If you get this person as your partner for anything, you may find yourself doing more than your fair share of the work... but they're normally totally game to present so you don't have to.
How to spot one: They often times don't do their homework, not because they don't care exactly, but because they were asleep when it was assigned. If called on, they'll normally just throw in some mumbo jumbo with a pinch of existentialism, "The wheel barrel was red to symbolize the struggle, man."Yeah. Like we didn't see THAT one coming.

3.)The Poet:
The poet is an interesting individual. Like The Doctor this person takes things seriously, but normally it's themselves that they take seriously. They chose their major not because they enjoy literature and writing, but because they were destined to do it.
How to spot one: You'll find them taking Creative Writing classes and saying that people "don't get the vision" if they don't see the perfection. Often times this person only reads literary fiction because it is the only thing worth reading in their eyes. Sometimes I have seen Poets disguise themselves as Hipsters. You have been warned.

4.) The YA/Children's Lit Evangelist*: 
The YA Evangelist is a particularly prevalent individual in today's world. These individuals are constantly reading literature that some view as below their age group, but they don't care. Forever are they searching for the understanding from other individuals in their major but they normally don't find it. They want the world to see what a wonder that children's lit can be, but sadly, the world just isn't ready. 
How to spot one: You'll find them carrying copies of Harry Potter proudly and scanning the Teen section of the bookstore. They often love fairy tale retellings and tend to "book shimmy" out of excitement for upcoming titles. 

*Chances are, they still don't like Twilight. 


5.) Charles Dickens: 
This person is stuck in the 1800's. They tend to feel that anything worth reading was written ages ago, but they generally know their stuff. They have mounds of research backing up their viewpoints about famous authors, sometimes they make sense while other times they are bizarre.
How to spot one: You will find them sitting on campus reading a huge leather bound work under a tree. Sometimes they will recite their favorite passages, while other times they will be so engrossed in their current study they won't know you're there.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday!

 
Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine!

This week has been crazy! I just started my Marketing Internship at a local hospital and I'm getting used to my new two job life. On the brighter side though, here is a title that I am DYING to get my hands on - and this is why you should be too!

The Accidental Highwayman 
by Benn Tripp

Release Date: October 14, 2014

The Accidental Highwayman is the first swashbuckling adventure for young adults by talented author and illustrator, Ben Tripp. This thrilling tale of dark magic and true love is the perfect story for fans of William Goldman’s The Princess Bride.

In eighteenth-century England, young Christopher “Kit” Bristol is the unwitting servant of notorious highwayman Whistling Jack. One dark night, Kit finds his master bleeding from a mortal wound, dons the man’s riding cloak to seek help, and changes the course of his life forever. Mistaken for Whistling Jack and on the run from redcoats, Kit is catapulted into a world of magic and wonders he thought the stuff of fairy tales.

Bound by magical law, Kit takes up his master’s quest to rescue a rebellious fairy princess from an arranged marriage to King George III of England. But his task is not an easy one, for Kit must contend with the feisty Princess Morgana, goblin attacks, and a magical map that portends his destiny: as a hanged man upon the gallows….

Fans of classic fairy-tale fantasies such as Stardust by Neil Gaiman and will find much to love in this irresistible YA debut by Ben Tripp, the son of one of America’s most beloved illustrators, Wallace Tripp (Amelia Bedelia). Following in his father’s footsteps, Ben has woven illustrations throughout the story.

“Delightful and charming. A swashbuckling adventure in the vein of Robert Louis Stevenson.” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson


What are you guys waiting on this week?

Friday, July 18, 2014

Stacking the Shelves!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews

This week for review I got... 

Emmeline knows she’s not supposed to explore the woods outside her settlement. The enemy that wiped out half her people lurks there, attacking at night and keeping them isolated in an unfamiliar land with merciless winters. Living with the shame of her grandmother’s insubordination, Emmeline has learned to keep her head down and her quick tongue silent.

When the settlement leader asks for her hand in marriage, it’s an opportunity for Emmeline to wash the family slate clean—even if she has eyes for another. But before she’s forced into an impossible decision, her dreams urge her into the woods, where she uncovers a path she can’t help but follow. The trail leads to a secret that someone in the village will kill to protect. Her grandmother followed the same path and paid the price. If Emmeline isn’t careful, she will be next.



It’s 5:00 a.m. on Fifth Avenue, and 16-year-old Gemma Beasley is standing in front of Tiffany & Co. wearing the perfect black dress with her coffee in hand—just like Holly Golightly. As the cofounder of a successful Tumblr blog—Oh Yeah Audrey!—devoted to all things Audrey Hepburn, Gemma has traveled to New York in order to meet up with her fellow bloggers for the first time. She has meticulously planned out a 24-hour adventure in homage to Breakfast at Tiffany’s; however, her plans are derailed when a glamorous boy sweeps in and offers her the New York experience she’s always dreamed of. Gemma soon learns who her true friends are and that, sometimes, no matter where you go, you just end up finding yourself.Filled with hip and sparkling prose, Oh Yeah, Audrey! is as much a story of friendship as it is a love letter to New York, Audrey Hepburn, and the character she made famous: Holly Golightly.

I am so excited about these two titles! I adore Audrey Hepburn. I own every movie she was ever in, and I mean EVERY MOVIE. She was in a single scene in Always released in the early 90's and I have it on DVD. The obsession runs deep. 

Winterkill looks fantastic because I can definitely see a Village twist in there (maybe...probably not...) but if there is, you read it here first! 

Both of them are courtesy of Amulet and NetGalley and to whom I am forever grateful. 

This week in a nut shell...

This week I posted a Let's Talk! Discussion about TBR piles. This post needs some comment love - I still need to know your TBR pile secrets!

I participated in Top Ten Tuesday where we see an abundance of cat pictures and Doctor Who.

My Waiting on Wednesday can be found here. See it before it vanishes...

My review for Boomerang was posted on Thursday, and it was quite great. If you're interested in New Adult - this book is for you.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Boomerang by Noelle August [Review]

Title: Boomerang
Author: Noelle August
Publisher:William Morrow (HarperCollins)
Genre: New Adult
ISBN: 0062341162
Source: Received from publisher for honest review.
The first book in a sensational New Adult trilogy from Noelle August

Welcome to Boomerang.com, the dating site for the millennial gen with its no-fuss, no-commitments matchups, and where work is steamier than any random hook-up

Mia Galliano is an aspiring filmmaker. Ethan Vance has just played his last game as a collegiate soccer star. They’re sharp, hungry for success, and they share a secret.

Last night, Ethan and Mia met at a bar, and, well . . . one thing led to another, which led to them waking up the next morning—together. Things turned awkward in a hurry when they found themselves sharing a post hookup taxi . . . to the same place: Boomerang headquarters.

What began as a powerful connection between them is treated to a cold shower courtesy of two major complications. First, Boomerang has a strict policy against co-worker dating. And second, they’re now competitors for only one job at the end of summer.

As their internships come to an end, will they manage to keep their eyes on the future and their hands off each other, or will the pull of attraction put them right back where they started?

This book is definitely a cute summer read. A few words on the new New Adult genre; the more I read of New Adult the more I'm beginning to like it. It's a great hybrid between YA and Women's Fiction though be warned, there is some sexy time in this book which may not be appropriate for younger YA. You have been warned.

We begin Boomerang with Mia and Ethan, our two lovely protagonists who are engaged in a bit of intense hanky panky. They were out celebrating and ended up sharing their hangover together the following morning before rushing out to start their new jobs... which just happen to be together! They are the new Marketing interns at an up and coming dating site, though faculty relationships is an instant disqualification to the single position they have at the end of their unpaid stay.

This book touched on more serious topics than I originally expected it to. I was greatly impressed with Mia who is an aspiring film maker whose mother is a famous photographer in her own right. Mia wants to make it in the business on her own which is something I really respected about her. She  comes from a line of strong independent women, her Nana was a Civil Rights activist who taught her the true meaning of strength, and is now the subject of her film that she is hoping to be the start of her career.

Ethan has a different story, he comes from a humble background though he has spent the past four years of his life being a college soccer star and now needs a job to help pay off some loans.

These two though completely different, work together wonderfully. Their relationship is one that I enjoyed and one that appealed to me until the book was finished.

Every college student knows the pressures that comes with the college life. One of the most beneficial and most stressful is the internship. Internships are often unpaid chances to work within a company and pretty much show whether your 40k education is actually worth anything or not. From my experience with internships and college in general, what Mia and Ethan experience in Boomerang is pretty accurate.

Overall: This book is full of missteps and some light drama. It is enjoyable and definitely worth a look for anyone wanting a fun summer read!

I will be checking out the rest in this series when they become available and I can't wait to see some more Boomerang!


Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday!

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine


Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
Release Date: March 3, 2015



New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping story about two sisters inexorably altered by a terrible accident.

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.

I know I'm a bit early on this one but LOOK AT IT! It is so beautiful, and anything by Lauren Oliver is sure to be amazing. 

What are you guys waiting on this week?

Monday, July 14, 2014

Top Ten Favorite Not Book Things!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish!


Sherlock



Doctor Who




Colin Firth




CATS






Let's Talk: TBR Piles

I know that we all have been there, up ahead we see nothing but endless books that we HAVE to get our hands on, and a physical lack of time in which to actually read them all. 

I have a pile of books I need to read that taunts me. It stares at me in the corner with its brightly colored spines gawking as I try my hardest to read multiple books a week. 

So my question to all of you is - how do you sort your TBR piles? 

I look around the blogosphere and you all make it look so easy! Currently, my system includes listing all of the review books I have by their release date in my planner. This way I can look ahead to see what needs to be read first. I have noticed though while doing this that I never schedule time to read them,
so I end up starting them their release date and falling behind with multiple books. 

So, this happens. 

  
So here I am, weeks behind and in a state of false security..


So, what do you guys do about your To Be Read Piles? How do you sort through them all? How many hours a day do you read? Do you sleep on the books at night and have a Difusion scenario happen? 

Seriously, tell me your secrets. 

Seriously though, any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Stacking the Shelves!

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews!

This week I bought... 

 Kelsea Glynn is the sole heir to the throne of Tearling but has been raised in secret by foster parents after her mother - Queen Elyssa, as vain as she was stupid - was murdered for ruining her kingdom. For 18 years, the Tearling has been ruled by Kelsea's uncle in the role of Regent however he is but the debauched puppet of the Red Queen, the sorceress-tyrant of neighbouring realm of Mortmesme. On Kelsea's 19th birthday, the tattered remnants of her mother's guard - each pledged to defend the queen to the death - arrive to bring this most un-regal young woman out of hiding...

And so begins her journey back to her kingdom's heart, to claim the throne, earn the loyalty of her people, overturn her mother's legacy and redeem the Tearling from the forces of corruption and dark magic that are threatening to destroy it. But Kelsea's story is not just about her learning the true nature of her inheritance - it's about a heroine who must learn to acknowledge and live with the realities of coming of age in all its insecurities and attractions, alongside the ethical dilemmas of ruling justly and fairly while simply trying to stay alive...
 I'm so excited!!! It's beautiful, it's fantasy and it has been calling my name for months. Now it is mine! 

What did you guys get this week?
 
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