Waiting on Wednesday #90

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! 

Sorry I didn't post this sooner!  WoW completely slipped my mind, as today was my road test to get my driver's license!  Guess what?  I passed on my first try.  Now that that's over, I can stop stressing and focus more on the blog...
So, without further ado, here's the book I'm waiting on this week!

Title: The Museum of Intangible Things

Author: Wendy Wunder

Release Date: April 10th, 2014

Publisher: Razorbill

Hannah and Zoe haven’t had much in their lives, but they’ve always had each other. So when Zoe tells Hannah she needs to get out of their down-and-out New Jersey town, they pile into Hannah’s beat-up old Le Mans and head west, putting everything—their deadbeat parents, their disappointing love lives, their inevitable enrollment at community college—behind them. 

As they chase storms and make new friends, Zoe tells Hannah she wants more for her. She wants her to live bigger, dream grander, aim higher. And so Zoe begins teaching Hannah all about life’s intangible things, concepts sadly missing from her existence—things like audacity, insouciance, karma, and even happiness.

I've been wanting to read The Probability of Miracles, Wendy Wunder's first book, since its release in 2011.  Of course, the moment I heard of this new one, I had to add it to my wishlist.  Not only does it sound like an incredible contemporary, just look at that cover!  I love everything about it, and it may just be one of my favorites.  Definitely the best one I've seen in a while.  I am very eagerly awaiting this one...meanwhile, I should probably get my hands on The Probability of Miracles to feed this need.

What awesome title are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Review: Ink by Amanda Sun

Title: Ink
Author: Amanda Sun
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Category: Fantasy/Paranormal
Release date: June 25th, 2013
Pages: 326 (ARC)
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Source: Publisher
Goodreads | Amazon | Author

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building. 

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets. 

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

Katie has been through a traumatic loss and still feels that leaving her country wasn't the answer, even though it was the only option.  Being submerged in Japanese culture, she feels as though she's drowning.  She keeps forgetting to put her shoes back on after she leaves a building and she can't hold conversations in Japanese.  To top it off, she's seen something she wasn't supposed to, and now one of the popular guys won't leave her alone.  In a way, Katie doesn't want him to, because otherwise she won't be able to find out his deepest secrets, which he proves to have quite a few of.

One of the things I love most about Ink is the fact that it's set in Japan.  The author shows her readers some of the culture and constantly uses Japanese words to make the story feel even more authentic.  Having studied the language in middle school, I found it very refreshing to look back on my education, though there are a few reference pages in the back of the book containing each of the words and their English meanings.  I also felt as though the character development was steady, though the relationships seemed a little rushed, especially between Katie and Tomohiro.

This is my first time reading a story set in this country, but even so, I thought it was beautifully done.  Though the characters could have used more work, the writing and descriptions were beautiful.  It definitely has bumped Japan higher up on my "must-travel-to" list.  Aside from the setting, the most interesting and unique thing about Ink is that it's based around mythological gods called Kami.  The fact that Kami have these incredible powers to make their drawings come to life kept me turning the pages to find out what would happen next.

Ink holds an interesting and unique story of a lost girl and the friendships she makes, the healing of a wound that will never truly go away and a discovery that shocks her.  Maybe to some it will be lumped with all of the typical paranormal romances, but it definitely stood out to me.

In My Mailbox #88

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Gabrielle Carolina from The Mod Podge Bookshelf, originally created by Kristi from The Story Siren.

Won

-Echo by Alyson Noel

-Fated by Alyson Noel

-Lullaby by Amanda Hocking

-Wake by Amanda Hocking

-Infinity by Sharrilyn Kenyon

-Tempest by Julie Cross

-Vortex by Julie Cross

-Winter White by Jen Calonita

(box of books from Lena @ Addicted 2 Novels)

-Override by Heather Anastasiu

-Shutdown by Heather Anastasiu

(personalized copies from the author)

Bought

-The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

-The Theory of Everything by Kari Luna

-A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard

-Goblin face journal (from Grichels)

The books I won were supposed to be in last week's haul, but I totally forgot to post one!  

I also picked up this adorable leather journal at the renaissance faire over the weekend and while I probably overpaid, it's unique.  I'm almost afraid to write in it!  Do you ever feel this way about new journals or sketchbooks?  I'm thinking of leaving it blank until I begin traveling, so I can use it as a travel journal.

Thanks for stopping by!  What have you received in your mailbox?

Waiting on Wednesday #89

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: Side Effects May Vary

Author: Julie Murphy

Release Date: March 18th, 2014

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you? 

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.

This one sounds like it's going to be SUCH a good contemporary!  I have nothing more to say other than I need it ASAP!

What awesome title are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Most Anticipated: Panic by Lauren Oliver

If you've even been to my blog before, you might know that Lauren Oliver is one of my absolute favorite authors.  Her writing is stunning and lyrical, and her stories are some of the most unique I've read.  There's just something about her work that always stands out to me.  Before I Fall, her debut novel, was the first I'd read, followed by the Delirium series, which I only grew to love more as the series progressed.  Many of her characters and their stories are incredibly memorable, therefore I felt as though I had to share how much I was anticipating her next release, Panic.

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do. 

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought. 

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for. 

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

Everything about this book sounds exciting, and I can't wait to find out more!
Unfortunately, it releases in the spring of 2014, so we have a while to wait...

Review: How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Title: How My Summer Went Up in Flames
Author: Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Age Group: Young Adult
Category: Contemporary
Release date: May 7th, 2013
Pages: 307 (Paperback)
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Source: Bought
Goodreads | Amazon | Author

Rosie’s always been impulsive. She didn’t intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend’s car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So when she’s served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she’s heartbroken—and furious. 

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie’s parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie’s spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new.

Breaking up is always hard to do, especially if you're the last person to see it coming.  When Rosie's ex-boyfriend breaks her heart, she acts before thinking and ends up setting his car on fire.  Just because it was an accident doesn't mean that the court will necessarily see it that way.  Until then, her parents decide that it's best for her to join her best friend on a trip across country, where they can easily monitor their every move by the GPS in Rosie's phone.  Most teenagers would be all over this experience, but to Rosie, being stuck in a car with three teenage boys sounds like a summer in hell.

Matty is clearly Rosie's most loyal friend throughout this book.  He proves to be there for her when she needs him most, which is what really matters.  Though Rosie is dealing with a lot, she definitely knows how to have fun along the way.  Road trip stories are some of my favorites, because you know that it will be full of laughs, adventure and a bit of romance along the way.  In this case, there are quite a few options for Rosie to choose from romantically, but only one truly makes sense.

The author creates a light and fun story that I believe many teenage girls will be able to relate to in their own ways.  Rosie is a great main character, because although she constantly has thoughts about going back to make things right with her ex, she stays strong.  After all, what she truly needs is a little distance between her and the problems she left back home.  Instead of being depressed throughout the entire trip, it was nice to see her moving on and forgetting about her broken heart.

The thing I loved most about this journey wasn't the excitement of the adventure or Rosie's growth as a character, but the incredibly geeky boys that she had to share living space with over the span of a week.  I wouldn't have even expected these boys to make me laugh as much as they did, but I quickly found that they were typical boys that I tend to befriend.  Although they tend to pick on Rosie throughout the entire book, they also show that they're willing to do anything to protect her.

Overall, How My Summer Went Up in Flames is a quick and breezy summer read about friendship, adventure and finding your inner strength.  Though the book isn't completely what I expected, I still enjoyed the time I spent with these characters and would recommend it to others who enjoy summer road trip stories.

Waiting on Wednesday #88

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: To All The Boys I've Loved Before

Author: Jenny Han

Release Date: April 22nd, 2014

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters…

I've read Jenny Han's work before and really enjoyed both The Summer I Turned Pretty and Burn for Burn, but To All The Boys I've Loved Before sounds like a story that I'll love even more!  One of the things that draws me to it is that I could easily see this happening to myself in high school.  I can only imagine what this character will be going through and I'm curious to see how the situation will be dealt with!

What awesome title are you waiting for this Wednesday?

In My Mailbox #87

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Gabrielle Carolina from The Mod Podge Bookshelf, originally created by Kristi from The Story Siren.

Hooray for this being the last week of my blogging slump!  I know I've let some of you down over the past couple months, but I fully intend to make up for that soon!  Expect to see some reviews and discussion posts, even a few giveaways here and there.  I've really missed blogging, and I can't wait to get back to sharing my opinions with the world!  It also really helps that I got a TON of incredibly exciting books for review lately!

Review

-Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

-Dead Girls Don't Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

(ARCs from Bloomsbury/Walker)

 

-The Promise of Amazing by Robin Constantine

-No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale

-Avalon by Mindee Arnett

 

-Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

-Her Dark Curiosity by Megan Shepherd

-Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

-Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

-Maybe One Day by Melissa Kanton

-Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens

-Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas

-Pretty Sly by Lisa Ludwig

-Elusion by Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam

  

-Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell

-Great by Sara Benincasa

-House of Ivy & Sorrow by Natalie Whipple

-Panic by Lauren Oliver (not pictured)

Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss!  <333

-Endless by Jessica Shirvington

Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley!

Obviously, the book I'm most excited for is PANIC BY LAUREN OLIVER!  I honestly couldn't help but snag all of these new titles the moment I saw them online!  Almost makes me wish time would fast forward so I can read and review these right away!

Thanks for stopping by!  What have you received in your mailbox?

In My Mailbox #86

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Gabrielle Carolina from The Mod Podge Bookshelf, originally created by Kristi from The Story Siren.

I should have known that after such a great mail week last week, this time couldn't compare!  That's okay, though, because something happened yesterday at work that made me insanely happy.  Have you heard of Neon Trees?  Well they were set to play a concert here last night, but I wasn't going to be able to go.  I totally forgot that they were in town until the lead singer came into the store...and then he came in once again a few hours later!  And I got to make his drink!  Yeah, I'll be talking about this forever.

Enough about that...here are the review books I got this week!

-Northern Bites (Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter #2) by Nikki Jefford

(eGalley from Nikki Jefford)

-Fairy Tale Comics edited by Chris Duffy

(hardcover from First Second books)

Thanks for stopping by!  What have you received in your mailbox?

Waiting on Wednesday #87

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: Split Second

Author: Kasie West

Release Date:February 11th, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Life can change in a split second. 

Addie hardly recognizes her life since her parents divorced. Her boyfriend used her. Her best friend betrayed her. She can’t believe this is the future she chose. On top of that, her ability is acting up. She’s always been able to Search the future when presented with a choice. Now she can manipulate and slow down time, too . . . but not without a price. 

When Addie’s dad invites her to spend her winter break with him, she jumps at the chance to escape into the Norm world of Dallas, Texas. There she meets the handsome and achingly familiar Trevor. He’s a virtual stranger to her, so why does her heart do a funny flip every time she sees him? But after witnessing secrets that were supposed to stay hidden, Trevor quickly seems more suspicious of Addie than interested in her. And she has an inexplicable desire to change that. 

Meanwhile, her best friend, Laila, has a secret of her own: she can restore Addie’s memories . . . once she learns how. But there are powerful people who don’t want to see this happen. Desperate, Laila tries to manipulate Connor, a brooding bad boy from school—but he seems to be the only boy in the Compound immune to her charms. And the only one who can help her. 

As Addie and Laila frantically attempt to retrieve the lost memories, Addie must piece together a world she thought she knew before she loses the love she nearly forgot . . . and a future that could change everything.

I LOVED reading Pivot Point earlier this year and I can't get enough of Kasie West's writing style.  Of course, this means I can't wait to continue the series!  Her most recent release is titled The Distance Between Us, and believe me, I'm going to get my hands on it ASAP! 

What awesome title are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Most Anticipated: July Releases

July 2nd 

-Truly Madly Deadly by Hannah Jayne

-The Distance Between Us by Kasie West

-Awaken by Meg Cabot

-Shutdown by Heather Anastasiu

July 8th

-Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

July 9th

-Right of Way by Lauren Barnholdt

July 11th

-The Theory of Everything by Kari Luna

July 23rd

-A Darkness Strange and Lovely by Susan Dennard

-OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu

July 30th

-Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike

-All Our Pretty Songs by Sarah McCarry

Which July releases are you looking forward to reading?

June Wrap-Up and July TBR

I'm so ashamed by the lack of books I've read lately!  For some reason, in May I was hit hard with a reading slump that I wasn't able to shake until the end of June.  I even had to lower my reading goal from 115 to 80 (and now Goodreads tells me that I'm right on track).  Since it's the beginning of a new month, I'm going to do everything I can in order to catch up.

The books I managed to read in June:

-Golden by Jessi Kirby

-How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

I've been a bad, bad blogger.  I only reviewed one book last month and as it turns out, not even one of the two books I read were books I've gotten for review!

The books I started in June but have yet to finish:

-Ink by Amanda Sun

-Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

-The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

As you can see from my past two monthly wrap-ups, I've gotten into this horrible habit of starting books and not finishing them.  It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I keep getting distracted.  I will be starting this month by finishing Ink, at least.

The books I will definitely try to read in July (for review):

Hopefully I'll be able to get to at least two of these review books, if not all!  Maybe then I'd be able to try catching up on the review books that I've skipped over these past few months...if only I had infinite time (or at least a summer vacation!)

Though most of my posts in June were my weekly WoW and IMM posts, I also took some time to explain what was going on with me and why the blog hasn't been very active.

My birthday was also in June and I held a few giveaways to celebrate!  You can win a signed copy of The Rules by Stacey Kade (US/CAN- Ends July 17th) or enter to win a book of your choice or box of books (INT- Ends July 6th)

Finally, I just wanted to say thank you for sticking with me throughout my reading slump!  I'm sure you all know how awful it feels not being able to read/having the motivation to when reading is a large part of your life!  Hopefully July will be better!