Tuesday, September 29, 2015

September Wrap-Up and October TBR

The books I managed to read in September:
-The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich
-Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty
-Dream Things True by Marie Marquardt
-Juniors by Kaui Hart Hemmings
-The Distance from Me to You by Marina Gessner
-This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee

My favorite book of the month was The Distance from Me to You!  It's about one brave teenage girl's solo journey along the Appalachian Trail.  I suppose I enjoyed it so much because I read it while I was traveling alone for the first time.

The books I plan to read in October:


Since it's October, I couldn't resist adding a few potentially creepy reads.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Blog Tour: The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore (Excerpt & Giveaway)

The Weight of Feathers is an imaginative new book that will open your mind to a magical world.  It hit the shelves on September 15th, so today I'm here to share an excerpt from the story and give away one signed copy!

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Night Circus meets Romeo and Juliet in this stunning young adult novel about two teens who fall in love despite the almost impossible odds against them.

The Palomas and the Corbeaus have long been rivals and enemies, locked in an escalating feud for over a generation. Both families make their living as traveling performers in competing shows-the Palomas swimming in mermaid exhibitions, the Corbeaus, former tightrope walkers, performing in the tallest trees they can find.

Lace Paloma may be new to her family's show, but she knows as well as anyone that the Corbeaus are pure magia negra, black magic from the devil himself. Simply touching one could mean death, and she's been taught from birth to keep away. But when disaster strikes the small town where both families are performing, it's a Corbeau boy, Cluck, who saves Lace's life. And his touch immerses her in the world of the Corbeaus, where falling for him could turn his own family against him, and one misstep can be just as dangerous on the ground as it is in the trees.

Waiting on Wednesday #102

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, which spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on! 

Title: P.S. I Like You
Author: Kasie West
Release Date: July 26th, 2016
Publisher: Point

What if the person you were falling for was a total mystery? 

While Lily is spacing out in Chemistry one day, she picks up her pencil and scribbles a line from one of her favorite songs on the desk. The next day, someone else has written back to her on the desk! Soon enough Lily and the mystery student are exchanging notes, and lyrics, and even sharing secrets. When Lily finds out that her anonymous pen pal is a guy, she's flustered -- and kind of feels like she's falling for him. She and her best friend set out to unravel the identity of the letter writer -- but when the truth is revealed, the guy is the LAST person Lily could have ever imagined it to be. Now that Lily knows the truth, can she untangle her feelings and gather the courage to listen to her heart?

This one is going to be a LONG wait, but I love Kasie West's writing, and I'm sure that her newest will be well worth it!

What awesome title are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Review: Dream Things True by Marie Marquardt

Title: Dream Things True
Author: Marie Marquardt
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Age Group: Young Adult
Category: Contemporary Romance
Release date: September 1st, 2015
Pages: 352 (eGalley)
Rating: 3 out of 5
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads | Amazon Author

A modern-day Romeo and Juliet story in which a wealthy Southern boy falls in love with an undocumented Mexican girl and together they face perils in their hostile Georgia town. 

Evan, a soccer star and the nephew of a conservative Southern Senator, has never wanted for much -- except a functional family. Alma has lived in Georgia since she was two-years-old, excels in school, and has a large, warm Mexican family. Never mind their differences, the two fall in love, and they fall hard. But when ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) begins raids on their town, Alma knows that she needs to tell Evan her secret. There's too much at stake. But how to tell her country-club boyfriend that she’s an undocumented immigrant? That her whole family and most of her friends live in the country without permission. What follows is a beautiful, nuanced, well-paced exploration of the complications of immigration, young love, defying one’s family, and facing a tangled bureaucracy that threatens to completely upend two young lives.

Alma has always worked hard for the things she has, especially her education.  When she returns to her hometown after spending two years at school in Atlanta, she takes a summer job with her father, working as a landscaper for the rich.  This is how she meets Evan, otherwise their paths may have never crossed.  He's attracted to her the instant he sees her and will do anything to have her in his life, although Alma knows that nothing more would ever come of it.  Her father tries to keep them apart, but they soon realize that they have much more to worry about.

As the story progresses, the reader is shown how Alma and Evan's upbringings differ.  While he has always had everything money can buy, yet lacks the love and closeness of family, Alma has always had to struggle for things, yet knows what it feels like to be cared for no matter what.  The fact that Spanish was used a lot in this book only added to Alma's story, although I can see how it could be a little confusing for those who aren't familiar with the language.  What I loved the most was Evan's willingness to learn, to open his mind to what is happening around them, unlike his Senator uncle, who is to blame for some of this.

When the unthinkable happens, Alma remains as strong as she can.  She does what she feels is best for her family, and although her relationship with Evan is a huge part of this story, she shows that it isn't the only part.  Being undocumented has always meant that they would have trouble with everything they do, from getting into school, finding work, travel, and even basic things that most sixteen-year-olds are able to do--get their driver's license.  Once the ICE begins to raid her town, pulling anyone who even looks like they might be an undocumented immigrant into detention centers, Alma realizes that nothing is safe.

Some aspects of this story may feel a little rushed, such as the romance and the way everything wrapped up, but I enjoyed reading from the perspective of someone very different from me.  I learned more about what actually happens to many families each day.  Although her parents only wanted a better life for their children, they're treated as if they're not just another human.  The author did a great job showing how society treats different races, which is a huge issue that we really need to work on.

Saturday, September 19, 2015

September Book Haul


Review
-The Last September by Nina de Gramont
(Hardcover from Algonquin Books)

-The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
(Hardcover from Thomas Dunne)

-Juniors by Kaui Hart Hemmings
(ARC from G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers)

NetGalley


-Dream Things True by Marie Marquardt
(eGalley from St. Martin's Press)

-Never Never by Brianna R. Shrum
(eGalley from Spencer Hill Press)

-Menagerie by Rachel Vincent
(eGalley from MIRA)

Edelweiss


-Into The Dim by Janet B. Taylor
-How It Ends by Catherine Lo
-Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie
(eGalleys from HMH and HarperCollins)


-The Lifeboat Clique by Kathy Parks
-A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
-The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins
(eGalleys from Katherine Tegen Books and HarperTeen)


-The Girl From Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
-Dreamology by Lucy Keating
-Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan
(eGalleys from Greenwillow Books and HarperTeen)


-Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace
-The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos
-The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine
(eGalleys from Katherine Tegen Books and Balzer + Bray)


-Harmony House by Nic Sheff
-A Drop of Night by Stefan Bachmann
-Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan
(eGalleys from HarperTeen and Greenwillow Books)


-Bluescreen by Dan Wells
-Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto
-The Leaving Season by Cat Jordan
(eGalleys from Balzer + Bray and HarperTeen)


-Take The Fall by Emily Hainsworth
-Shade Me by Jennifer Brown
(eGalleys from Greenwillow Books, Balzer + Bray, and Katherine Tegen Books)


-Thicker Than Water by Kelly Fiore
-The Word for Yes by Claire Needell
-Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin
(eGalleys from HarperTeen and Balzer + Bray)

I had a SERIOUS case of grabby hands this month, but HarperCollins put so many amazing Winter 2016 titles on Edelweiss.  I couldn't help myself!  I don't even know where to start, I'm so excited to read them all!

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Blog Tour: Dream Things True by Marie Marquardt (Excerpt & Giveaway)

Today I'm excited to share a great new contemporary romance that hit the shelves at the beginning of this month.  It's called Dream Things True by Marie Marquardt.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A modern-day Romeo and Juliet story in which a wealthy Southern boy falls in love with an undocumented Mexican girl and together they face perils in their hostile Georgia town. 

Evan, a soccer star and the nephew of a conservative Southern Senator, has never wanted for much -- except a functional family. Alma has lived in Georgia since she was two-years-old, excels in school, and has a large, warm Mexican family. Never mind their differences, the two fall in love, and they fall hard. But when ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) begins raids on their town, Alma knows that she needs to tell Evan her secret. There's too much at stake. But how to tell her country-club boyfriend that she's an undocumented immigrant? That her whole family and most of her friends live in the country without permission. What follows is a beautiful, nuanced, well-paced exploration of the complications of immigration, young love, defying one's family, and facing a tangled bureaucracy that threatens to completely upend two young lives.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Review: Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty

Title: Lock & Mori
Author: Heather W. Petty
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Age Group: Young Adult
Category: Mystery/Retelling
Release date: September 15th, 2015
Pages: 256 (eGalley)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Edelweiss
Goodreads | Amazon Author

In modern-day London, two brilliant high school students, one Sherlock Holmes and a Miss James "Mori" Moriarty, meet. A murder will bring them together. The truth very well might drive them apart. 

Before they were mortal enemies, they were much more. 

FACT: Someone has been murdered in London's Regent's Park. The police have no leads. 

FACT: Miss James "Mori"Moriarty and Sherlock "Lock" Holmes should be hitting the books on a school night. Instead, they are out crashing a crime scene. 

FACT: Lock has challenged Mori to solve the case before he does. Challenge accepted. 

FACT: Despite agreeing to Lock's one rule--they must share every clue with each other--Mori is keeping secrets. 

OBSERVATION: Sometimes you can't trust the people closest to you with matters of the heart. And after this case, Mori may never trust Lock again.

Death tends to bring people together, but Mori never expected to team up with a boy named Sherlock Holmes in order to solve the mystery behind the recent murders at a nearby park.  Each of them have an eye for the details that would be overlooked otherwise, so Lock convinces Mori that there's no better team to solve the case.  With each clue, Mori learns more about herself and the family she was born into.  Wanting to protect her younger brothers, she keeps her theories under wraps and tries to unmask the murderer on her own, all while falling for the one person she promised not to keep secrets from.

While everyone is familiar with the name Sherlock Holmes, this story isn't about him.  He's the sidekick to James Moriarty, Sherlock's known nemesis.  In Lock & Mori, Mori is a teenage girl, which makes things a lot more interesting, especially when the two become more than partners in the investigation.  The romance isn't the main focus of the story, but it is a nice bonus.  It makes you wonder where exactly things went wrong in the relationship.

Readers get to peek into Mori's life and see that every day is a struggle.  Since her mother passed away, her dad has turned into a completely different person.  He's abusive and withdrawn, only coming home to open a new bottle of booze.  She's suffered more than the loss of one parent, yet she knew that she had to step up in order to try to give her siblings a better life.  Overall, she's a good person, but it's not hard to see how all of those struggles could change someone for the worse.

Lock & Mori is such a great contemporary retelling filled with mystery and intrigue. Fans will surely appreciate the references to Sherlock Holmes, though you don't have to be familiar with his story to enjoy Mori's.  This is one story I will definitely be continuing, just to see where the author takes us next.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Review: The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich

Title: The Dead House
Author: Dawn Kurtagich
Publisher: Little, Brown BYR
Age Group: Young Adult
Category: Mystery/Thriller
Release date: September 15th, 2015
Pages: 432 (eGalley)
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads | Amazon Author 

Over two decades have passed since the fire at Elmbridge High, an inferno that took the lives of three teenagers. Not much was known about the events leading up to the tragedy - only that one student, Carly Johnson, vanished without a trace... 

 ...until a diary is found hidden in the ruins. 

But the diary, badly scorched, does not belong to Carly Johnson. It belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, a girl who shouldn't exist Who was Kaitlyn? Why did she come out only at night? What is her connection to Carly? 

The case has been reopened. Police records are being reexamined: psychiatric reports, video footage, text messages, e-mails. And the diary. 

The diary that paints a much more sinister version of events than was ever made publicly known.

There's something very different about Carly and Kaitlin Johnson.  They're sisters, but their two souls share a body.  While Carly lives in the day, goes to school and makes friends, Kaitlin comes out at night, wanders around and watches others from afar.  After the death of their parents, they were sent to a psychiatric hospital for care.  Everyone told Carly that Kaitlin didn't exist until Kaitlin began to believe it herself.  They realize that if they're going to survive, they have to stick together...until one of the souls disappears.

I was on board with this story from the moment I read the description.  There are few things I love more than a horror that will make it hard for me to turn the lights out at night.  Unfortunately, The Dead House didn't live up to my expectations.  The way the author told the story in diary entries, police reports and video footage was incredibly unique, and I wanted to love it.  As creepy as some of the scenes were, the book didn't make me feel anything other than the fact that I was only reading to get it over with.

When Kaitlin begins to hear a voice she calls Aka Manah, she fears that she is beginning to go crazy.  The voice is sinister and constantly there, whispering things into her ear.  Then, for the first time in her life, Kaitlin wakes up in the morning.  Carly is gone.  The only way she'll be able to get her back is if she puts trust in Naida, Carly's best friend, who seems to know a little about what might be going on.

As the story progresses, the diary entries get a little more manic, and you're not sure whether there's truly something evil happening in Kaitlin's body or if she just has multiple personality disorder.  She's an unreliable narrator and that's what makes the story interesting.  The Dead House is crazier than you would imagine, but with every twist and dark reveal, I grew restless.  I seem to be one of the very few who didn't enjoy this book as much, though, so if you enjoy stories about unstable characters, mysterious occurrences, disappearances, black magic and lies, this one might be for you.

Waiting on Wednesday #101

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, which spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on! 

Title: Riders
Author: Veronica Rossi
Release Date: February 16th, 2016
Publisher: Tor Teen

For eighteen-year-old Gideon Blake, nothing but death can keep him from achieving his goal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. As it turns out, it does. 

Recovering from the accident that most definitely killed him, Gideon finds himself with strange new powers and a bizarre cuff he can’t remove. His death has brought to life his real destiny. He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse. 

Over the coming weeks, he and the other horsemen—Conquest, Famine and Death—are brought together by a beautiful but frustratingly secretive girl to help save humanity from an ancient evil on the emergence. They fail. 

Now—bound, bloodied, and drugged—Gideon is interrogated by the authorities about his role in a battle that has become an international incident. If he stands any chance of saving his friends and the girl he’s fallen for—not to mention all of humankind—he needs to convince the skeptical government officials the world is in imminent danger. But will anyone believe him?

Veronica Rossi's Under the Never Sky series is one of my favorites, so naturally, I couldn't be more excited to read her newest story!

What awesome title are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Review: Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

Title: Vengeance Road
Author: Erin Bowman
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Age Group: Young Adult
Category: Historical Fiction
Release date: September 1st, 2015
Pages: 336 (eGalley)
Rating: 5 out of 5
Source: Netgalley
Goodreads | Amazon Author 

When Kate Thompson’s father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, the eighteen-year-old disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers and justice. What she finds are devious strangers, dust storms, and a pair of brothers who refuse to quit riding in her shadow. But as Kate gets closer to the secrets about her family, she gets closer to the truth about herself and must decide if there's room for love in a heart so full of hate.

When Kate is faced with tragedy, she doesn't retreat into herself or take time to grieve.  She barely has time to wonder "why?" before she makes the decision to go after the men who were responsible for the death of her father.  One day he's there, alive and well, and the next he's strung up from the tree her mother is buried beneath, leaving her an orphan for no good reason.  With the help of directions her father left for her in case of emergencies, she decides to disguise herself as a man by the name of "Nate" and sets out to seek revenge.

Vengeance Road is far from the type of books I'm usually drawn to, but out of nowhere, I got the urge to read it.  I can't even explain how happy I am that I did.  This book is filled with so many incredible images and brutal one liners.  The violence is completely gripping and unlike any YA book I've read so far.  What I loved most about this story is how badass and fearless the main character was.  Going after a gang of outlaws on your own couldn't possibly result in anything good, yet Kate was determined and nothing but death would stop her.

The action is heart-pounding and Kate's two unwanted sidekicks grow on you quickly.  These two boys try to keep her level-headed and their actions probably save her from getting them killed more than once.  There's even a little romance to keep me satisfied, and the best part is that it doesn't take anything away from the story and Kate's mission.  Thanks to all of the people Kate interacts with along the way- both good and bad- she's able to find out the truth about her family after years and years of buried secrets.

This story isn't for the faint of heart.  Although it's filled with blood and gore, shootouts, hangings and torture, there's also an overall sense of hope and pride.  Vengeance Road is so different from any other book I've read lately, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a unique story filled with excitement and emotion that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Check out Griffin Teen's new look!

Griffin Teen has redesigned their website and it's beautiful!  The new site features readers' favorites and upcoming releases.  There's also an easy way to subscribe to their newsletter if you haven't already.  These email updates include info about new titles, sweepstakes and exclusive content you won't see anywhere else.

In honor of this new makeover, Griffin Teen is holding a sweepstakes where you could be 1 of 10 winners to receive 10 amazing books.  Just click blow to enter!