Waiting on Wendsday (8)

Waiting on Wendsday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine where we show the books that are not yet released, but that we are eagerly awaiting!

Goodreads Summary: 

Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.

A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page.

Expected Publication Date: December 8th, 2011 from Razorbill

Preorder HERE!!

Why I can't wait for this book: a sarcastic female main character always peeks my interest, because I myself am a very sarcastic person, so usually I relate pretty well, but also this book sounds like a good "life lessons" and inspiring novel, and I've heard nothing but WONDERFUL things...

Book Review: Dark Eden by: Patrick Carman

ReadingNook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I've always loved books that focus on psychological issues, so as soon as I heard that Dark Eden played on the fears of the teens that are under evaluation there, I knew I couldn't wait to read this book. The "psychologits" are trying to cure the teens under evaluation of their fears that are partially crippiling their lives. 

Will was a great and strong main character. The male POV was refreshing. His character was well-developed and I liked him as a character. When Will escapes going to the ward to cure himself of his fear he hides out in an adjacent buildings basement, where he finds a secret room that has moniters so he can watch the other teens undergo treatment, if thats what you want to call it. It seems great to be able to be cured of your fears, but at what cost??When you literally need to be scared to death, to be able to cure youself of your biggest fear, is it worth it? 

This book was a page-turner, and it def. raised my heart-rate quite a few times, and made my palms sweat. It was intense at times and I flew right through this book. I loved it. If you like psychological thrillers, and/or an action-packed story, then Dark Eden is definitely for you. It's like nothing i've ever read, and while the rest of the characters weren't very well developed throughout the story, you really grew to be attachted to Will.

IMM week ending 11/27

IMM is hosted by Kristi over at TheStorySiren.com where you show the books you recieved over the week, either purchased, won, for review, or gifted. 

Review:

(Thanks to Shelf Awareness)

Gifted:

(Thanks to my friend Karen OCDofbooks)

(Free E-book on Barnes and Noble)

(Free E-book Thanks to Barnes and Noble)

What did you get in your mailbox??

Waiting on Wendsday (7)

Waiting on Wendsday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine where we show the books that are not yet released, but that we are eagerly awaiting!

GoodReads Summary: 

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine

-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

Why I Cannot Wait for this Book:

Ok, if this appeals to fans of Gayle Forman's If I Stay, then I should love this book!! That book was amazing, but this book sounds just as brilliant. A near death experience, and a girl overcoming the odds, sounds like it can be just as brilliant, I cannot wait.

Just Contemporary Month Review: If I Tell by: Janet Gurtler

ReadingNook Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I've heard nothing but good things about Janet Gurtlers novels, and now I know why. I could not put this book down, it grasped me from the very first page and didn't drop me off until the very last word. 

Jaz Evans was raised by her grandmother and grandfather. Her Mother was a teen mom and decided that she'd be better off with her parents until she could get her life together. But Jaz's mom never seems to get it together, and Jaz is still living with her grandparents, which is probably for the best, until Jaz learns that her mom is pregnant again, with her boyfriends baby, and only a day prior Jaz saw her mom's boyfriend making out with her best friend at a party, so what should she do? Should she tell her mom and potentially leave her baby brother or sister in the same situation she was in, fatherless and with a mother who can't handle it alone? or should she keep it a secret, and have it eat at her day in and day out?

This book was unlike anything else i've read, I really connected to Jaz's character, and felt she was a strong and likeable character, and I loved her new friend/potential love interest Jackson. The characters in this novel were strong and compelling. The topics that were discussed throughout the pages were important and unique. If you haven't read a Janet Gurtler novel as of yet, you need too. I can't wait to get my hands on I'm Not Her, which is her other novel.

In My Mailbox 11/20

IMM is hosted by Kristi over at TheStorySiren.com where you show the books you recieved over the week, either purchased, won, for review, or gifted. 

Purchased:

(With Points from Random Buzzers)

For Review: 

(Thanks to LibraryThing Early Reviewers)

Gifted:

(Thanks to Alexis!!!)

What did you guys get in your mailbox??

Just Contemporary Review: Lie by: Caroline Bock

ReadingNook Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Before I read this book, i had never heard the term "beaner-hopping", which basically a hate crime against mexican immigrants. Yes, I'd be completly nieve if I didn't know that this kind of predjudice exsisted, but haven't ever read a novel regarding hate crimes of this nature, so it immediately intruged me.


This book took a while for me to get into but about fifty pages in the pace really picked up for me and a few twists and turns really grabbed me. This story is unique in the fact that it had multiple points of view, not just a few, but more like 8 or 9 which helped tell the story, from different points of interest. I related to some of the characters while others, not at all. I liked Skylar and Sean, but Lisa Marie and Jimmy not so much. Lisa Marie in my opinion was a horrible friend, and I honestly could have skipped her POV completley and probably liked the book that much better. Jimmy just felt under-developed to me, I wish they would have told his point of you, and maybe had some insight into why he did what he did alongside Sean.

The ending is what really irritated me, I felt like it just ended up abruptly with her decision to tell the truth, but I wanted to know what happened with Jimmy, if he was convicted, and how that played into their relationship? Did Skylar stay by his side, or did she leave him/or him her? I just felt cheated of too much important questions left unanswered.

I did think that this was a pretty decent book, I didn't LOVE it, but I definitely didn't HATE it either. It had a few downfalls, but was a unique topic for a YA novel, and in a generation where bullying is so prevelant, I felt the subject matter to be very important.

Book Review: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by: Ransom Riggs

ReadingNook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

If one thing freaks me out the most its creepy little children. I don't get creeped out very easily, but i'm not going to lie this cover completly freaks me out and when I saw the pictures on the back of the book as well, It creeped me out. BUT, that being said, I was completly intrigued by the story line, and felt like I needed to read this book.

First of all this book is made so well!! Quirk Books did a phenomenal job of designing this book, it felt luxiourious, from the cloth cover to the quality of the pages, and the pops of brown mixed in throughout the book. I loved everything about it.

I am so glad I gave this book a chance. I loved the story, and the pictures, although some were incredibly creepy,added to the story, in such a unique and interesting way. The story starts out with Jacob's grandfather telling him stories of his past with these pecuilar children, and while his whole family finds his grandfather to be a bit of a loon, Jacob finds his grandfathers stories to be intruging. After the passing of his beloved grandfather, things begin to unfold in regards to his grandfathers stories. Jacob finds letters and pictures and he starts to believe that although his grandfathers stories seemed far-fetched, there was some truth in them.

Jacob goes in search of Miss Peregrine to get some questions answered. And what unfolds is a great adventure of a story. I loved the "time travel" aspects of the story, and the peculiar children were all interesting and not at all creepy like I though they might be. Yes, the pictures are creepy, BUT they add so much to the story, and I couldn't fathom have them not playing a part in the story.

If your looking for a unique book, that has a bit of mystery, and peculiarness, then this is definitely a book for you, theres nothing else similar to this book that i've ever read, and I do A LOT of reading!! 

Waiting On Wendsday (6)

Waiting on Wendsday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine where we show the books that are not yet released, but that we are eagerly awaiting!! 

Goodreads Summary: After a humiliating "sexting" incident involving a hot and popular senior, seventeen-year-old Dylan has become a social outcast—harassed, ignored, and estranged from her two best friends.

When Dylan discovers the blogs of homeschooled fundamentalist Christian girls, she's fascinated by their old-fashioned conversation themes, like practicing submission to one's future husband. Blogging as Faith, her devout alter ego, Dylan befriends Abigail, the group's queen bee. But growing closer to Abigail (and her intriguing older brother) forces Dylan to choose: keep living a lie or come clean and face the consequences.

Expected Publication Date: November 8th, 2011 from Flux Books

Why I Can't Wait to Read This Book: It sounds so unique and unlike anything i've ever read, plus its just Contemp! Month and I wish I had my hands on a copy of this so I could read and review it!! It sounds amazing!! 

Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours: Review and Guest Post for Chosen by: Denise Grover Swank

ReadingNook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Denise Grover Swank always grabs my attention with her writing and as much as I want to savor the book, I feel like I always end up flying right through them. This one was a completly different genre then the first book I read from her, but stayed true to her writers voice that I loved so much in the previous story I read from her, twenty-eight and a half wishes.

This book follows Emma Thompson and her son Jake, they've been on the run for as long as Emma can remember, from who they don't know, but she does know that they want to get her and they find her eventually everywhere they go. When Emma's young son Jake inisists they need a stranger named Will to accompany them on their way, Emma is not happy, Jake is however usually correct with his feelings and intuitions and those same feelings and intuitions are usually what gets them away from the people following them in just enough time to escape. Will Emma be able to eventually trust Will, or will Jake's intuitions lead them right into the hands of the men they've tried so hard to stay away from?

This book is PACKED with action and intensity, with a bit of paranormal aspects thrown in there as well, which for me, who's usually hit or miss in the paranormal genre, felt like it had just the right amount, without feeling too far-fetched. I'm hoping that this book is a series, because I felt like the ending left me hanging and didn't answer some important questions, which is the only reason this book didn't get a full five stars, other then that, this book had me!!! (and it is a series, just had my questions answered, the second book is called, The Hunted)

Guest Post w/ Denise Grover Swank:

When I learned to read, an entire world opened to me. I didn’t just read books. I devoured them. In my first grade class, each student got a caterpillar with little bubbles we could color for each book we read. My teacher had to keep getting me more sheets. My caterpillar stretched to the side and around the corner. By the end of the year, I’d read 187 books.

As I got older, I always had a book in my hand and it wasn’t uncommon for my mother to find me hiding under covers reading with a flashlight instead of sleeping. (Some things never change. I’m still known for not going to sleep at appropriate times.)

By the time I was a teen, I’d blown through Judy Blume, Madeline L’Engle, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. (Which produced a semi-obsession with all things pioneer related and inspired me to create sunbonnets out of baby dresses. See? I had a wild imagination even back then.) I moved onto adult books. Barbara Cartland, Stephen King, LaVerle Spencer, J.R. Tolkien, Kathleen Woodiwiss, Robin Cook, T.H. White Do you notice a trend here? Yeah. Me neither. There is none. I literally read everything I could get my hands on. During the summer, it was common for me read a book a day. The library became my best friend.

When I started a family, my reading time decreased, although I would often cook and bathe kids with one hand and have a book in another. But my genre hopping still continued, now moving onto to Patricia Cornwell, Janet Evanovich, Michael Crighton, Mary Janice Davidson, Stephenie Meyer. (So I actually own up to that one. Sue me.)

Lately, I’ve gone through a paranormal romance and young adult craze. And let’s not forget the Game of Thrones marathon reads. But my current favorite author is Sarah Addison Allen, who writes adult magical realism. She was actually a partial inspiration for my humorous southern mystery, Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes. Her books are sweet and southern with a dash of paranormal thrown in.

Here’s the fact: I like change. I thrive on it. If I spend too much time reading one genre, it becomes stale. And if I was chained to a single genre to write, I’d probably gnaw my limb off to get away. Because even though writing is the most fun career I’ve ever had, it’s also the hardest. If I start writing stories that don’t excite me, then I might as well hang it all up. The only way I know to keep it fresh is to keep moving around.

Besides, I never know when and where inspiration for story ideas will strike next. It just might be in my next great read.

IMM week ending Nov. 6th

 IMM is hosted by Kristi over at TheStorySiren.com where you show the books you've recieved over the past week.



For Review: 

Thanks to Bloomsbury

Thanks to Shelf Awareness and RazorBill

Gifted:

Thanks so much to my friend Laura over at BooksarePreciousGems

Won:

(Signed) Thanks to Princess Bookie and her Contest Craze and Jen Calonita

Review: Little Women and Me by: Lauren Baratz-Logsted

ReadingNook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I've always been a fan of the classic "Little Women", so as soon as I saw this this book was based off that, I knew that I needed to read it. The main character Emily gets a school assignment to pick her favorite book, and to write a paper about three things she loved about the book and one thing she'd change. She could only pick one thing though according to her teacher so she knew she had to choose wisely. Everything changed when she starts writing the paper and finds herself as a March sister sitting in their living room. What fan of reading wouldn't love a chance to be plopped into a book and to have an oppurtunity to change something? The premise of that is so cool.

The plot of the story at times dragged on a bit, but I loved the modern twist that Emily played in the role of Little Women, I felt like the time period rang true on both sides, and I loved how "modern" Emily slipped out a few times in the story, with words and phrases that weren't around back then. Emilys big struggle was figuring out what she wanted to change in the story and what her "purpose" was for being placed into the story. I don't want to spoil anything, but I loved the ending and the role that Amy ended up playing, and found that to be really unique and something I didn't see coming at all, and although the part with the teacher telling her to re-write her paper, confused me a bit (its been years since I read/watched Little Women) I also really like the twist that went into play there as well.

I think the book had a great message, that sometimes change isn't always best, death is inevididable, and love can overcome a lot. It was a cute, fun read, and fans of Little Woman, and fans of reading in general, I think would all really enjoy this novel. 

Little Women and Me is releasing on November 8th from Bloomsbury, you can order your copy HERE!!

Waiting on Wendsday (5)

Waiting on Wendsday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine where we show the books that are not yet released, but that we are eagerly awaiting!! 

GoodReads Summary: 
A stunningly beautiful novel about a young boy’s survival during a winter that never ends. 2059. The snow begins to fall. Only the few are prepared. A new ice-age has begun. Born after the snows, fifteen-year-old straggler kid Willo Blake has never known a life outside hunting and trapping in the hills. When his family mysteriously disappears, leaving him alone on a freezing mountain, Willo sets off into the unknown to find them. Meanwhile, across Britain, outlawed followers of survivalist John Blovyn are planning an escape to the fabled Islands talked of in a revolutionary book. 

When Willo meets an abandoned girl on his trek across the hills, his world collides with outlaws and halfmen on an epic journey that leads him to the new world of the city - a place where the dog spirit inside his head cannot help him. 

It is a journey of betrayal and violence. A journey of awakening love and humanity. A journey that changes everything he ever thought he knew.

Expected Publication Date: 2012 from MacMillan Childrens Books

Why I cannot wait for this book: first of all its DYSTOPIAN, which I can't get enough of latley!! I love disaster-type, survival of the fittest type books, and this just sounds utterly AMAZING!! 

Massive BookHaulage!!

October Contest Winners:

First Blogoversary Winners: 
Mickey @ I'm a Book Shark won copies of: After Obsession and Between
Jesse P won a copy of: Going Underground
Swag Winners: 
* Krista @ Cubicleblindness
* April C. 

All We Ever Wanted ARC Giveaway:    
* Amanda S.


Spooktacular Book Hop Giveaway:
* Angie (Still waiting for confirmation)