Review: Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage

Here's what my friends and I thought of Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage. The Young Adult at Heart digital book club!

Waiting on Wednesday: Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

For centuries, the Others and humans have lived side by side in uneasy peace. But when humankind oversteps its bounds, the Others will have to decide how much humanity they’re willing to tolerate—both within themselves and within their community...

Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed. Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the new, closer companionship as beneficial—both personally and practically.

But not everyone is convinced. A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others. What they don’t realize is that there are older and more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land that belongs to the Others—and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect what is theirs…

I love these books. I can't wait for this one. I might re-listen to the other two. They GREAT! 

~*~

Release Date: March 8, 2016 

Review: The Masked Truth by Kelley Armstrong

Publisher:Doubleday Canada
Publication Date: October 13, 2015
Rating: 1 star
Riley Vasquez is haunted by the brutal murder of the couple she was babysitting for.

Max Cross is suffering under the shadow of a life-altering diagnosis he doesn’t dare reveal.

The last thing either of them wants is to spend a weekend away at a therapy camp alongside five other teens with “issues.” But that’s exactly where they are when three masked men burst in to take the group hostage.

The building has no windows. The exits are sealed shut. Their phones are gone. And their captors are on a killing spree.

Riley and Max know that if they can’t get out, they’ll be next—but they’re about to discover that even escape doesn’t equal freedom.(Goodreads)

I love Kelley Armstrong. I've read her entire Women of the Otherworld series and her two YA trilogies that take place in the same world and I devoured them. But I couldn't even make it to page 100. This book was ridiculous. The kids kept saying the same thing over and over they was so much silly internal monologue that I didn't know what to do. I didn't feel sorry for anyone. I had no sympathy for any of these characters and without that, why both reading the book.

Snaps on the main character being Latina though!





I quit. But don't worry Kelly, I still love you.

Review: A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: December 9, 2013
Rating: 4 Stars

Sixteen-year-old Gemma has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. A Great and Terrible Beauty is an impressive first book in what should prove to be a fascinating trilogy. (Goodreads)

I love Libba Bray, I really do, I even met her once. That being said I did like this book, although not as much as I liked the Diviners. I liked the story, it was an interesting fantasy concept. I've never read anything quite like it, I also liked the historical fiction aspect. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give things away and I think the description tells you a lot about the book. My teeny tiny problem was an Gemma's friends. They. Were. Horrible. They were the worst, and even when they turned on her she still went back to them. They're basically the worst kind of people and Jemma does whatever she can to befriend them. I don't really like that message because it can be really hard to tell the difference between friends and enemies in middle school and high school. The people who are nice to you when you give them what they want, and turn from you when you don't are not the kind of friends you want. I know there are two other books and I hope that gets better, but right now , I'm a smidge miffed at Gemma and I hope innocent readers realize they aren't the best people.

Man it's been a while.

I took a break from blogging because I was going to Africa. It was an amazing trip but it took a million years (and a million dollars, not really, but it felt like that) to prepare for. Then I was gone for like two and a half weeks, and when I got back I had to get use to being 8 hours behind the time zone I had finally acclimated myself to. Ugh. The struggle was real, but I guess I can't be that mad because I was in Africa. A great first trip outside of the country... well except for Canada, but that hardly counts.

So I just wanted to check in with the blogging world and hopefully hop back on your radar. I'm back in the game!

Review: Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway

 
Publisher:HarperTeen
Publication Date: June 23, 2015
Rating: 4 Stars

Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy's soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?
Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life. . . . She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents' relentless worrying. But Emmy's parents can't seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.
Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart. . . . He'd thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who had kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing, and his thoughts swirling.(Goodreads)

I've been looking forward to reading this book for a while. When I saw that it was about a kid who was kidnapped and found 10 years later, it made me think of Pointe by Brandy Colbert, which I loved. After I read that book, I was so intrigued that I set up a Skype chat with the author, it was great. Anyway, moving on, Emmy and Oliver was much different from Pointe, but I still liked it. We knew from the thumb print heart and the line on the cover, that this was going to be a love story, but I though it was so much more than that. Emmy, Cara, and Drew were truly affected by the disappearance of a class mate and it was a huge deal when he came back. I like that they didn't look at Oliver's return as a do over, because you can't go back to the past, but they can start over as the people they have become.

Poor Oliver, I really felt for him, and I think that can be the hardest part of a book. We watched his slowly adjust to a new family, and an environment that he can't remember. We watched him have a few justified mental breakdowns and become over run by emotion. We watched Emmy's friends adjust to Emmy and Oliver's new relationship which one could say was cliche but I say so what. They were enough interesting elements in the story to over look the neighbors falling in love with each other. I thought it was sweet and well done.

Review: Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon

Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: August 28, 2012
Rating: 3 Stars

In Michelle Gagnon’s debut YA thriller, Don’t Turn Around, computer hacker Noa Torson is as smart, tough, and complex as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’s Lisbeth Salander.
 The first in a trilogy, Don’t Turn Around’s intricate plot and heart-pounding action will leave readers desperate for book two. Sixteen-year-old Noa has been a victim of the system ever since her parents died. Now living off the grid and trusting no one, she uses her hacking skills to stay anonymous and alone. But when she wakes up on a table in a warehouse with an IV in her arm and no memory of how she got there, Noa starts to wish she had someone on her side.Enter Peter Gregory. A rich kid and the leader of a hacker alliance, Peter needs people with Noa’s talents on his team. Especially after a shady corporation threatens his life in no uncertain terms. But what Noa and Peter don’t realize is that Noa holds the key to a terrible secret, and there are those who’d stop at nothing to silence her for good.(Goodreads)


So, I have to say, even though I only gave it three stars, I liked this book. Noa is a runaway foster kid that's been able to avoid bring sent back to foster care by creating a fake family with her computer knowledge. She she wakes up naked on a table, all heck breaks loose. She's lost three weeks of her life and people are after her. At the same time people are after Peter, a fellow computer hacker. The wind up running together. There's a lot more than that, but it's more interesting when you're discovering it all as you're reading it.

The reason I didn't give this book a higher rating is because I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I liked Noa, I felt for her, I really did, but something kept me from connecting with her on a more personal level. Same with Peter. They were good characters, but I needed just a little more from them.

Chatting about Three Times Lucky

The Young Adult at Heart Book Club (my friends and I) are going to be chatting about Three Times Lucky today!

Review: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Publisher: Walker Children
Publication Date: February 14, 2012
Rating: 5 Stars

Will Scarlet is good at two things: stealing from the rich and keeping secrets - skills that are in high demand in Robin Hood's band of thieves, who protect the people of Nottingham from the evil sheriff. Scarlet's biggest secret of all is one only Robin and his men know...that she is posing as a thief; that the slip of a boy who is fast with sharp knives is really a girl.
The terrible events in her past that led Scarlet to hide her real identity are in danger of being exposed when the thief taker Lord Gisbourne arrives in town to rid Nottingham of the Hood and his men once and for all. As Gisbourne closes in a put innocent lives at risk, Scarlet must decide how much the people of Nottingham mean to her, especially John Little, a flirtatious fellow outlaw, and Robin, whose quick smiles have the rare power to unsettle her. There is real honor among these thieves and so much more - making this a fight worth dying for. (Goodreads)

I've suggested this book to multiple patrons and all (except for one, but I'm planning to have a chat with him) have loved it and read the entire series. Despite all of that I've only just now read it and it was awesome. I really, and truly loved this book. I've actually never read a Robing Hood adaptation, although I love fairy tale adaptations. I typically left Robin Hood along because I didn't like Maid Marian, I typically steer toward strong female characters and int he original Robin Hood, she didn't really do much. This book is totally different. Robin Hood was suppose to lead, but his position as taken from him and he's not just stealing from the rich to give to the poor, he's stealing from the rich to give to his people. His band of merry men is small, only four people, and one of them is a woman, AKA Scarlet. It doesn't take a genius to figure out who she really is.

I think the secrete of who Scarlet really was and how she was connected to Gisbourne dragged out a little bit, and I really wish she was a smidge more open with Robin and the guys, she was so withdrawn, adn ready to run at a moments notice. Then again, Robin was kin of an ass, so I guess I get it. Anyway, the book was great. The characters were great. I loved the cameos of "Friar Tuck". The ending was pretty freaking awesome! I'll read the second one as soon as I finish my book Book Club on Sunday; I should probably start that.

Oh yeah, the cover is AMAZING!!!

Waiting on Wednesday: Dreamology by Lucy Keating

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

For as long as Alice can remember, she has dreamed of Max. Together they have traveled the world and fallen deliriously, hopelessly in love. Max is the boy of her dreams—and only her dreams. Because he doesn’t exist.

But when Alice walks into class on her first day at a new school, there he is. It turns out, though, that Real Max is nothing like Dream Max, and getting to know each other in reality isn’t as perfect as Alice always hoped.

When their dreams start to bleed dangerously into their waking hours, the pair realize that they might have to put an end to a lifetime of dreaming about each other. But when you fall in love in your dreams, can reality ever be enough?

Whimsical, romantic and utterly original, Lucy Keating’s debut novel will win readers’ hearts. 

~*~

Release Date: April 12, 2016 

Come watch our book chat!

The Young Adult at Heart book club is at it again. This month we're going to be discussing Three Times Lucky.

Review: The Mark of Noba by GL Tomas

Publisher: Rebellious Valkyrie Press
Publication Date: August 12, 2015
Rating: 4 Stars

Sterling Wayfairer has one goal for his senior year: make his mark. He’s been slipping into the background his whole high school career—distracted by his mother’s mental health, unsettled by the vivid dreams that haunt him at night, and overshadowed by the athletic accomplishments of his popular best friends. But this year is going to be different. He’s going to break a few rules, have some fun, and maybe even work up the nerve to ask his crush out on a date.

But things don’t go exactly as planned. Students are disappearing, Sterling starts losing time, and it all seems to center around Tetra, a girl no one else seems to notice but him. When he finally tracks her down for answers, they aren’t what he expects: He and Tetra hail from a world called Noba, and they’re being hunted by a Naga, a malevolent shapeshifter that’s marked them for destruction.

Tetra and Sterling have distinct abilities that can help them fight back, but their power depends heavily on the strength of their bond, a connection that transcends friendship, transcends romance. Years apart have left their bond weak. Jumpstarting it will require Sterling to open his heart and his mind and put his full trust in the mysterious Tetra.
If he doesn’t, neither of them will survive. (Goodreads)

I was turned on to this book when I was a part of the blog tour. It's about a boy names Sterling who who meets a girl from another planet named Tetra. He learns that they are bonded and have a history that has been blocked from his memories. When they're together Sterling has abilities that only Tetra can help him control.

I liked the book. It's not normally something I'd read because Sci-Fi has a tendency to confuse me, but I'm glad I gave this a chance. I liked watching Tetra learn to adapt to this new life. Life and relationships had always been stiff and stringent for her. Her people were very formal and analytical. Sterling and his friends were basically the teens of today, they dated, went to parties, and ignored their parents.

I wish we'd had the opportunity to learn more about Grey, he seemed like a cool dude but I wanted to see more of his relationship with his parents and his siblings.

I think my favorite character was Sterling. He was very realistic, and I think that can be hard to portray sometimes. He was for lack of a better term. "a real boy". I loved the rules list he made! He has crushes and insecurities. He made mistakes and he learned from them. He was brave, but not in a ridiculous Four kind of way. He reminded me of my own bother. He'll step up when he has to, but otherwise, he's a pretty chill guy.

Review: Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Publisher: Little, Brown Books
Publication Date: August 25, 2015
Rating: 4 Stars
 
After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O'Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. Now that the world knows of her ability to "read" objects, and therefore, read the past, she has become a media darling, earning the title, "America's Sweetheart Seer." But not everyone is so accepting of the Diviners' abilities...

Meanwhile, mysterious deaths have been turning up in the city, victims of an unknown sleeping sickness. Can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld and catch a killer?(Goodreads)

 Lair of Dreams is the second book in the Diviners series, and it was great! I loved it. In the past I've had an issue keeping track of books that have had a lot of characters, but Libba Bray is fantastic at writing in such a way that makes it's easy to keep all the names in order. I loved meeting the new characters, and rediscovering the old ones. I laughed, I cried, I was surprised, and at the end of the day, what else can you ask for. I must say that Evie is crazy annoying and I know she's supposed to be. All she's ever wanted was to be noticed and recognized and that's an annoying tendency regardless of weather the person is real or fictional.

Snaps to historical accuracy. There have been authors in the past who'll write historical fiction, and ignore all the parts that make them uncomfortable. Am I saddened by the issues between Memphis and Theta? Yes. Am i heartbroken that Henry has to hide who he really is? Yes. Did I almost cry in that one scene with Ling? Of course I did, but that's the way life was back in the roaring 20's, it wasn't all bootleggers, flappers, and swanky sayings. I think you only do your work a dis-service if you chose to pretend it didn't happen. Not to mention the dis-service it does to the people who lived through that time and had to fight to exist in this country. 

Side note: I really could have done without the love triangle though, it's not adding anything to the story.

Other than that, I loved this book and now I have to wait a whole year for the next one. That's just cruel and unusual.

Feature and Follow Friday- I'M THE FEATURE

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee.

This week, I was chosen to be the feature, it's a huge honor. I hope to meet some great people this way and grow my blogging family. (It sounds cheesy but it totally true.)

Questions:
When did you start blogging?
I started blogging about three years ago. I had just started my library career and begun to follow blogs of book reviews and library programming ideas. Then suddenly I realized that I could blog just like everyone else.

What is your favorite part of book blogging?
I love "meeting" like minded people. Out here in the real world a lot of people don't understand why I love reading so much, particularly why I fell so connected to YA books, and thing they're as important as any other type of literature. I get tired of having to explain or defend myself. I don't have to do that in the blogging community.

What type of books do you mainly blog about?
Mostly YA with a dash of Middle Grade and NA thrown in for good measure.

What are your favorite books?
Ironically my favorite book series is an adult book series. It's called The Black Jewel Trilogy by Anne Bishop. I basically worship the ground she walks on. Those books are amazing.

What has been the best thing that has happened to you because of book blogging?

I had a mom contact me after reading a review I posted on Goodreads, then she went to look at my blog. She liked the way I reviewed my books and was able to find some great reads for her daughter who's a bit of a reluctant reader. it felt good to help someone who I didn't even know. These blogs and reviews reach people everywhere and that's a great concept to me. 

This weeks question is:
Name a movie that you would have loved to read as a book. (That is not a book already obviously). Suggested by Go Book Yourself.

I am in love with the TV show Firefly, and I thought they did a good job trying to wrap up the show with the movie Serenity. I would love to have read Serenity as a book. I would have cried, yelled, screamed, and quite possibly stayed up for a full 24 hours reading it, but I would have LOVED it!!!


Don't forget to let me know you stopped by!

Review: The Lost Marble Notebook of Forgotten Girl & Random Boy

Publisher:Sky Pony Press
Publication Date: April 7, 2015
Rating: 5 Stars

If I let you read mine, will you let me read yours?

Forgotten Girl, a fifteen-year-old poet, is going through the most difficult time of her life—the breakup of her parents, and her mom’s resulting depression—when she meets Random Boy, a hot guy who, like her, feels like an outcast and secretly writes poetry to deal with everything going on in his life.

In The Lost Marble Notebook of Forgotten Girl & Random Boy, the couple’s poems come together to tell their unique love story. The two nameless teenagers come from opposite sides of the tracks, yet they find understanding in each other when they lay bare their life stories through the poetry they write and share with each other.

Through verse, they document the power of first kisses, the joy of finally having someone on their side, the devastation of jealousy, and the heartbreaking sadness of what each of them is simultaneously dealing with at home and hiding from the world. Finally they have someone to tell and somewhere to tell it in their marble notebook.

This is the powerful story of two imperfect teens in first love who find solace in poetry.(Goodreads)
 
This is a fantastic book. The book is written in pros, which really suites the content. This was a tough book to read, not because it wasn't great, but the content became dark toward the end and pretty much broke my heart. It got very Ellen Hopkins-y.

This book is about a girl who's parents have just fallen apart and her mother has slid until an unresponsive depression. Forgotten Girl (we never learn their names) leans out the window and meets Random Boy. Their relationship kind of explodes into drinking, smoking, bad decisions, and more. She's looking for someone to care, someone to pay attention, someone to see her, and this Random Boy is looking for exactly the same thing.

I've seen relationships like this before. With the exception of the scary end and ciolence, I've been in a relationship similar to this before. You're with this person because you don't know where else to go, or who else to be be. Although you know you should walk away, you're more afraid of what thing would be like without them, than with them. This is a mistake that many girls make when their young, like Forgotten Girl. She was lost and slowly tumbled into this relationship that was more toxic than not. It's hard to recognize the signs of a toxic relationship at that young an age, and it's even harder to pull yourself out of it. It's an almost impossible feat for an adult, let alone a 15 year old girl. As dark as this book got, it's an important story to tell, and I though Jaskulka did it beautifully.

Feature and Follow Friday

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee.

Question of the Week: Share a random quote from the book you are currently reading.

Right now I'm reading The Lost marble Notebook of Forgotten Girl & Random Boy and I'm loving it. It's written in pros, which really suits the book. Here's the line I just finished reading in the book.

"Don't get me wrong;
I've has a lot of sex;
but now I know
what it's like
to lose
my virginity."

It might sound weird alone, but it really makes sense in the context of the book.


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Review: All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Publisher: Knopf
Publication Date: January 6, 2015
Rating: 5 Stars

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.(Goodreads)

All I can say about this book is HOLY FEELS BATMAN. I stayed up until 1 am to finish this book and see if my worse fears would come true.

Finch and  Violet meet on a very high ledge. Finch constantly thinks about death and the ways in which he may kill himself, and Violet has recently lost and loved on and is having trouble dealing. We watch as Finch and his sporadic, impulsive, funny, and interesting personality slowly pry Violet from her shell. Their relationship feels real to me. At first I was a little annoyed that Finch seemed to fall for her instantly until he explained why he chose her, and it was easy to see why Violet feel for Finch and it happened over time.

I wanted to strangle Finch's mom, and I wasn't to happy with his older sister. I'm the oldest of three (by a lot of years) and I'd be gosh darned if I acted the way his sister Kate did. Watching Finch's life fall apart which Violet got her feet under her, killed me. I wanted to climb into the book and fix everything. *Sigh*.

I can't say much more without some major spoilers,  but this is a great book, and I hope it continues in movie production. I look forward to watching it. This is a story that needs to be told. I suggest it to everyone. If you do choose to read this book, make sure you read the author's note at the end.

Review: The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: June 2, 2015
Rating: 4 Stars

The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak.

Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry—except for one.

Christian Kane is a notorious playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He’s also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn’t treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life.

When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove’s high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn’t the only thing making waves, though—swept up in Christian’s seductive tide and entranced by the Cove’s charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn’t what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who’s best known for breaking them . . .(Goodreads)

I've held off on this review because I wasn't sure how I felt about this book. I liked it. That's for certain. I have a musical theatre background and although I never made it as far ans I secretly wanted to I loved/ love to sing. I can't imagine being o the verge of stardom, and losing that. Being inside the mind of Elyse broke my heart sometimes. She was lost. Every dream she'd ever had for herself was gone forever. When you really stop to think about that, it's jarring.

Christian... I liked him, but I felt like he could have been better developed in some way. I don't know what that way was, but I still feel it. His relationship with his parents was the worse. I'm not surprise he took whatever he could get from the random girls he encountered throughout the Summer. Christian's with his brother was brilliant. I couldn't have asked for better, and speaking of that HUGE snaps to Sarah Ockler fort challenging gender roles.That along gives the book extra stars in my book. I think Ockler did a great job creating the supporting characters. Vanessa was brilliant and I want her to be my best friend, although sometimes I think I am that friend. Kirby, Lemon, Noah... I really liked them all.

I also appreciated learning a bit about Elyse's culture and past. She spoke of the festivals, the coca coca fields, and the island of Tobago which I'd never even heard of. There aren't many books that expose you to a new culture, so this was very refreshing. Not to mention the interracial relationship, although I do on occasion like the books where to people from opposing backgrounds find a way to be together, this world will only fully be past racial inequality when to people from opposing background can be together, and it's so normal, that no one thinks twice about it. I wish for that day, which we got a taste of in this book.

I still feel like something was missing, but I did like this book.

My First Video Book Club Meeting: Ash by Malinda Lo

Some friends and I did our very first live video book discussion. We're decided to call ourselves the Young Adult at Heart Book Club, although other book club name ideas are appreciated. There were a few technical difficulties but we eventually figure it out. We had a blast doing this and plan to hold these book clubs ever month.

If you've got a second take a look at the video below and tell me what you think!!

P.S. I have no idea how my face ended up as the frozen, opening image.

Young Adult books are not full of threesomes!

Before reading this post, it is very important to first read this one. I basically want to explode, and I'm sure the article was written to inspire anger and outrage and to get people to read it, fine, great, good for you. That being said, nothing irritates me more than people who generalize and stereotype. It pisses me off more than when people change lanes without using their blinker.

First of all love triangles and threesomes are not the same thing, let's just get that one straight. A love triangle is when you have feelings for two people and one or both of them have feelings for you too. A threesome is when three people have sex with each other, I don't think I've read a single book where that one happens although I wouldn't be surprised if they were out there.

I'm going to list a few books:

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Solving for Ex by Leigh Ann Kopans
Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira
Breath, Annie, Breath by Miranda Kenneally
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Say What you Will by Cammie McGovern
Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
Pointe by Brandy Colbert

I'm going to list a few more books:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
Divergent by Veronica Roth
No Parking at End Times by Bryan Bliss
The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
Pushing the Limit by Katie McGarry
Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult

Now, I could go on with these list all day, or at least until I ran out of books on my Goodreads. The first list are books where kids have sex, either the main characters or supporting characters, the second list are books where they don't, and there are NO threesomes. There may be a love triangle or two, but no threesomes. On top of that, in the books where the characters are having sex, it's a big deal. There are characters in books who wont have sex because they aren't ready, characters in books who have sex because they are ready, characters in books who make bad sexual choices and have to lives with the consequences. While teens are reading these book they're thinking that they don't want to be the girl who has sex with a guy to get him to like her but then he leaves her. Their "friends" might pressure them to do just that, but after read "insert book here" they know what the possible negative outcomes could be. Katie McGarry's Pushing the Limit has a super sexy looking cover.

In fact I held off reading Pushing the Limit because I though it would be mushy and ridiculous, well folks, there's no sex at all. What this tells our readers is don't just a book by it's cover. For those guys who think they're ready for sex, like two characters in Solving for Ex, well then be safe and make sure you've thought it through and you're with the right person.

There is nothing wrong with having sex in teen books. Teens have been having sex since the beginning of time, they just don't try to hide it anymore. Also since the beginning of time, teens have been avoiding talking to their parents about sex. I would rather have my daughter read How to Love by Katie Cotugno where a teenager has been raising her child alone (well with her family) after her boyfriend who had a drug problem (that she thought she could change) cuts out of town. I'd want my teen daughter to take a closer look at her own boyfriend and think "is this kid worth is" and when it comes to sex I'd want her to think "am I ready for this possible consequence". That book can and may inspire those thoughts. If she's not going to talk to me, and she might not, I want her getting the right messages from somewhere. I'd rather her read a YA book than  watch the Anaconda music video and give that dance move a try in the streets.

All this threesome business, I have no idea what that's all about. It hasn't appeared in any of my books so I don't even know. What I do know is that I'm sick and tired of hearing "YA books are like this", "YA books are like that", "YA books are inferior because blah, blah, blah." YA aka Young Adult is an age specification; within that age there are multiple genres. Stop your judging and generalizing. Unless you've read ever YA book in creation and have exact statistics for me, I don't want to hear it.

Here ends the rant.

The Mark of Noba Cover Reveal

Today is the cover reveal for The Mark of Noba by GL Tomas. This cover reveal is organized by Lola's Blog Tours.

The Mark of Noba (The Sterling Wayfairer Series #1)
by GL Tomas
Genre: Fantasy
Age category: Young Adult
Release Date: 25 August, 2015

Blurb:
Sterling Wayfairer has one goal for his senior year: make his mark. He’s been slipping into the background his whole high school career—distracted by his mother’s mental health, unsettled by the vivid dreams that haunt him at night, and overshadowed by the athletic accomplishments of his popular best friends. But this year is going to be different. He’s going to break a few rules, have some fun, and maybe even work up the nerve to ask his crush out on a date.

But things don’t go exactly as planned. Students are disappearing, Sterling starts losing time, and it all seems to center around Tetra, a girl no one else seems to notice but him. When he finally tracks her down for answers, they aren’t what he expects: He and Tetra hail from a world called Noba, and they’re being hunted by a Naga, a malevolent shapeshifter that’s marked them for destruction.

Tetra and Sterling have distinct abilities that can help them fight back, but their power depends heavily on the strength of their bond, a connection that transcends friendship, transcends romance. Years apart have left their bond weak. Jumpstarting it will require Sterling to open his heart and his mind and put his full trust in the mysterious Tetra.

If he doesn’t, neither of them will survive.

You can find The Mark of Noba on Goodreads

You can pre-order The Mark of Noba here:
- Amazon

Excerpt:

I made my way to the top and timed myself at thirty-one seconds. Not better, but not bad for the days I took off. I thought it might help to freestyle a bit, to feel as though I’d worked. I didn’t brag about it, but it was euphoric to swim a fifty-meter lap in less than a minute. Guess that’s what happened when you kept at something. You got better at it. Who knew?

At my tenth lap, my lats started burning from the resistance. What better time than now to take a breather. I was nearing the pool’s edge, about to call it quits, when a vacuum-like pull dragged me back under the water. What the hell was going on?

I swam with war-like effort, but with every stroke I made, I seemed to sink deeper…deeper…

Did I push myself too hard? Maybe, but if I didn’t push hard now, I was going to drown.

Don’t panic, Sterling, you can do this! But no matter how hard I went, I’d reach a certain point and get sucked back down. I must be losing sanity points on top of oxygen because the next thing I saw was something I couldn’t believe. Shadows of what looked like two people. I was too deep to see features, but they were fighting…on top of the water.

Torpedoes of waves shot toward the pool’s surface with a violent quickness that almost pummeled me. I had to get up for air and now! The closer I swam to the top, the stronger the waves became.

There’d been two gusts of waves a minute ago, but now I counted eight at a time. I was sure I’d surpassed my current record of thirty-six seconds underwater, but that wouldn’t mean much if I was dead. I mustered what strength I had left before I had to open my mouth for air, but when I reached the surface, it was entirely solid.

I didn’t have much strength and soon I’d have to open my mouth. I used whatever in me I had left to break through the surface. No use—it was hard like a metal door. I wouldn’t be able to break it open, not with my bare hands.

I was going to drown. I took one deep exhale. It gave me a few seconds, but my lungs cried for oxygen.

A strong force hit the water. Someone was sinking with me. It was so fast, but seemed like slow motion. I didn’t make out her face, but I reached for their hand. Contrasting skin color. My mouth opened, allowing water to flood my throat, burning into my lungs. I couldn’t fight it anymore. At least I wouldn’t die alone.

About the Author:
Guinevere and Libertad go by many superhero aliases. Whether you know them by G.L. Tomas, the Twinjas, or the Rebellious Valkyries, their mission is always the same: spreading awareness of diversity in books. Oh, and trying to figure out the use for pocketless pants! They host other allies and champions of diversity in their secret lair in Connecticut.

You can find and contact with GL Tomas here:
- Website
- Facebook Author
- Facebook book blog
- Twitter account Libertad
- Twitter account Guinevere
- Twitter account YA book blog
- Twitter account NA, romance and adult books
- Goodreads
- Author Pinterest
- Pinterest Book Blog
- Book Blog Tumblr

Let's talk about romance novels

  

So let's talk about romance novels, shall we. When someone brings up romance novels and I can feel in my bones that they're going to have something... stereotypical to say, the first thing I think about is the article Damsels in Distress written back in 2013 and I wonder how so many people can function in society walking around with blinders on their face. Basically what I'm saying is that romance novels are typically about more than boy meets girl, they more than a sexual release, they're books, with a plot, meaning, and two people who eventually decide they love each other. Now, I want to say that I've never read those older Harlequin romance novels with the long haired dude and the beach so I'm not talk about those. I refuse to speculate on something that I haven't read enough of to make an educated decision.

Angels Fall by Nora Roberts. Everyone knows who Nora Roberts is, even if they don't read they know who she is. Nora Roberts is a famous romance writer (well she also has her J.D. Robb books which are mystery novels, but that's neither here nor there), I have no problem with calling her a romance writer, but I get upset when people assume that her books are nothing more than insta-love. Angels Fall is about a woman who has been traumatize due to a crime to horrific I literally can't wrap my mind around how she's still a functioning person. It's just about the worst of the worst as far as I'm concerned. She decides that she can't really handle life any more so she packs are car and drives. She winds up in this little tiny town working as a cook and trying to start her life over, but she obviously still has quite a lot to work though. She has crazy OCD when it comes to locking doors and is easily startled and she may even be on meds, I can't remember. Anyway, once day she sees a guy get murdered, and while she's trying to get someone to take her seriously and figure out who this dead woman was, her paths cross with this brooding, recluse, of an author named Brody (you know the type) and they fall for each other. Okay, fine, cool, but people there's more to the story than that. This is a mystery. There is a dead woman, and a killer floating around somewhere. On top of that, the Brody helps Reese (that's the main woman) handle her fear and anxiety. This is a book about beating the odds, and overcoming obstacles. This is a book about reclaiming you life for yourself . This is a book about believing in yourself even when no one else believes in you. (Well except the hot guy, he always eventually believes you, but so freaking what.) This book is more than just a petty romance and I resent the tone that people use when referring to Nora Roberts books, or other romance novels. They turn their nose up at them as if they have no substance, and I think that's crap.


So to the people who turn up their nose and romance novels and look at them only as plotless books that provide a sexual release and don't teach you how to be a better person, as well as help you to realize what you might be looking at in a partner, I only have one thing to say...

Review: The Secrets we Keep by Trisha Leaver

 
Publisher:
Publication Date:
Rating: 2.75 stars

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.  (Goodreads)

When I picked up this book, the first thing I noticed was the cover. I thought it was AMAZING, even though I thought it would be about dancers, I think it was the buns. Anyway, the thought of one girl pretending to be her twin sister sounded pretty awesome. I have to say, this book was a little, blah. Maddy was the popular twin, and when she dies and her twin sister Ella wakes up, everyone thinks Ella is Maddy. Now, (small spoiler) in the beginning of the book Ella, didn’t actually know who she was, she had amnesia so when people told her she was Maddy she went with it. However three pages later when she got her memory back, and was afraid to tell everyone she was actually Ella, I could understand. All of Maddy’s friends were there, Maddy’s boyfriend was there, and she didn’t want her parents to have to re-grieve for another sister. Okay. Cool, I’ll buy that. What I refuse to purchase however, was the whole, Maddy deserves a life so I’ll give her mine business that Ella was sprouting. It made no sense at all, and I’m pretty forgiving when it comes to books. She felt like it was her fault that her sister died. Okay, but you can’t make up for that by poorly pretending to be your sister. I was so annoyed with Ella that I could hardly pay attention to the “mystery” of what Maddy “did” to one the girls on the field hockey team, but I guess that wasn’t a big deal because I cracked that mystery before the half way mark of the book.
 
I guess one could suggest this book to reluctant readers, but… to be honest, there are plenty of books I would suggest before this one.

Review: Monument 14: Sky on Fire

Trapped in a superstore by a series of escalating disasters, including a monster hailstorm and terrifying chemical weapons spill, brothers Dean and Alex learned how to survive and worked together with twelve other kids to build a refuge from the chaos. But then strangers appeared, destroying their fragile peace, and bringing both fresh disaster and a glimmer of hope.

Knowing that the chemical weapons saturating the air outside will turn him into a bloodthirsty rage monster, Dean decides to stay in the safety of the store with Astrid and some of the younger kids. But their sanctuary has already been breached once. . . .

Meanwhile, Alex, determined to find their parents, heads out into the darkness and devastation with Niko and some others in a recently repaired school bus. If they can get to Denver International Airport, they might be evacuated to safety. But the outside world is even worse than they expected. . . 

Talk about a series that came out of no where. I had never heard of the Monument 14 books and I read through the second one like wildfire. It's so hard to say anything without spoilers, but I'm going to try. This book bounces between Alex's POV and Dean's. This book takes the kids through the world after the plant explosion where gangs of people have banded together to turn on each other. While reading the book it almost felt like the apocalypses. Neighborhood were abandoned,and people were in a complete state of panic. I loved reading about Alex and Dean's journey that I can't say much more about without spoilers, except if society falls apart tomorrow, I'm convinced I'll be just fine after all of the Dystopian books I've read!

Read the book people!

Review: Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Publisher: Straus and Giroux
Publication Date: April 1, 2014
Rating: 5 STARS

Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to the dead—to people like Janis Joplin, Heath Ledger, Amelia Earhart, and Amy Winehouse—though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating the choppy waters of new friendships, learning to live with her splintering family, falling in love for the first time, and, most important, trying to grieve for May. But how do you mourn for someone you haven't forgiven?

It's not until Laurel has written the truth about what happened to herself that she can finally accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was—lovely and amazing and deeply flawed—can she truly start to discover her own path.

In a voice that's as lyrical and as true as a favorite song, Ava Dellaira writes about one girl's journey through life's challenges with a haunting and often heartbreaking beauty.

I thought this book was amazing. I think it's my only 5 stars so far this year. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to properly connect to Laurel when she was telling her stories through letters rather than experiencing it, but it was amazing. I think it was the perfect format for this story. Laurel spoke about her father and aunt, her sister, her new friends in high school, and her first boyfriend.

There were so many feels. I hardly know what to do about it. I highly suggest this book to anyone and everyone. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read this book if you haven't already.

Positive message/ negative message. I don't even know

So I just read the blurb for this new book coming out called Dumplin'. Here it is:

Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (dubbed “Dumplin’” by her former beauty queen mom) has always been at home in her own skin. Her thoughts on having the ultimate bikini body? Put a bikini on your body. With her all-American beauty best friend, Ellen, by her side, things have always worked . . . until Will takes a job at Harpy’s, the local fast-food joint. There she meets Private School Bo, a hot former jock. Will isn’t surprised to find herself attracted to Bo. But she is surprised when he seems to like her back.

Instead of finding new heights of self-assurance in her relationship with Bo, Will starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock the hell out of Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.

With starry Texas nights, red candy suckers, Dolly Parton songs, and a wildly unforgettable heroine— Dumplin’ is guaranteed to steal your heart.

It sounds great right, heck I almost can't wait to read it. Now for those of you who wondered why I used the world "almost" here's the section that drew me up short, o show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Now I'm a size 6 in most things, but I was a very late bloomer in high school so I was very very very small. I for one, as I'm sure most of you are as well, am 100% pro #weneeddiversebooks. I love that we're including everything under that hashtag. We're including LGBT, people with mental disorders, those who are physically disadvantaged, those who don't fit gender norms, those who are varying races, and yes, those with varying waistlines. 

Now a reoccurring theme that I have seen in books, movies and so forth is something I like to call thin shaming. Twigs. Bony. Skinny minnie. Unhealthy. Skin and bones. And from a song "All That Bass,"(a song I really like Skinny Bitches). I have noticed that at times, while trying to show full figured women that they are indeed beautiful, we can at times, use negative terminology with regards to those who aren't full figured, and basically... that irritates the hell out of me. One day my friends said that in Easy A Emma Stone looked unhealthy.

  

She looks fine to me, she's just little. And I really like Meghan Trainor and I'm not trying to slam her or anything, but skinny bitches? Really. I'm just not a fan and I don't even consider myself skinny. I consider myself average, and yet I'm still insulted. Everybody can have body image issues, no matter what their pant size, and calling people twiggy or skinny bitches isn't doing anyone any good.

Now I haven't ready Dumplin' because it isn't even published yet, but that one word in the descriptor got my juices flowing, and this is what poured out. I don't think authors, song writers, or script writers, or even the every day average Joe means to be insulting when they make passive aggressive statements about someone being thin, but just like the word fat can jump out at a person and make them defensive, so can the many comments a person makes about someone being on the smaller side.

So basically I think using fiction is a great way to empower someone, but let's make sure that we're not tugging others down along the way.


If anyone cares to read a little more, here's a blog post called Don't Call Me Skinny that I stumbled across, it's blunt, but interesting.

Review: Rooms by Lauren Oliver

Publisher: Ecco
Publication Date: September 23, 2015
Rating: 3 STARS
 
Wealthy Richard Walker has just died, leaving behind his country house full of rooms packed with the detritus of a lifetime. His estranged family—bitter ex-wife Caroline, troubled teenage son Trenton, and unforgiving daughter Minna—have arrived for their inheritance.

But the Walkers are not alone. Prim Alice and the cynical Sandra, long dead former residents bound to the house, linger within its claustrophobic walls. Jostling for space, memory, and supremacy, they observe the family, trading barbs and reminiscences about their past lives. Though their voices cannot be heard, Alice and Sandra speak through the house itself—in the hiss of the radiator, a creak in the stairs, the dimming of a light bulb.

The living and dead are each haunted by painful truths that will soon surface with explosive force. When a new ghost appears, and Trenton begins to communicate with her, the spirit and human worlds collide—with cataclysmic results.

Soooooo, this was a weird book.  I'm not even sure where to begin. So, a family returns to their old home to clean it out before it's sold, and everyone's a mess basically. The house is also haunted so we're told about the story not only from the families perspective, but also the ghosts. I'm not sure what to say about this book. It wasn't really a ghost story in the classic sense, no one was haunted. It was interesting learning about the lives of the ghosts and the family, but if it wasn't for the same mysteries in the book, I'm not sure I would have finished it. How did the ghosts die, who's the third ghost, why does everyone in this family seem to hate each other, but that was pretty much it. That's not to say it wasn't good, it just wasn't my style. The pace was a little slower than I would have liked. I don't know. It just wasn't my cup of tea I guess.

Review: Say What You Will

Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication Date: June 3, 2014
Rating: 4 stars

Born with cerebral palsy, Amy can't walk without a walker, talk without a voice box, or even fully control her facial expressions. Plagued by obsessive-compulsive disorder, Matthew is consumed with repeated thoughts, neurotic rituals, and crippling fear. Both in desperate need of someone to help them reach out to the world, Amy and Matthew are more alike than either ever realized.

When Amy decides to hire student aides to help her in her senior year at Coral Hills High School, these two teens are thrust into each other's lives. As they begin to spend time with each other, what started as a blossoming friendship eventually grows into something neither expected.

This book is beautiful, moving, and if I was the crying type, I sure it would have happened more than once. Amy has, cerebral palsy and Matthew and a pretty severe case of OCD. After Amy writes a paper claiming that she loves her life exactly the way it is, and has no regrets, and considers herself luckier than her classmates despite her CP, Matthew speaks up for the first time stating that he thinks she’s making it up. There’s no way she can know what it’s like navigating friends, relationships, and confidence issues if she’s never been exposed to them. This statement makes Amy think that he’s probably right. She should be exposed to creating relationships with people her own age, something she’s never done before, but will have to do when she leaves for college the next year. Amy convinces her parents to hire student to aid her throughout the school day and introduce her to her peers, as opposed to adults. Although throughout the book, Amy develops relationship with all of her peer helpers, she’s becomes closest to Matthew. Not only does she appreciate that he’s the only person, other than her mother, who’s even told her something that she might not want to hear (being a disabled girl) but she also notices his OCD behavior and likes that for once, she can help someone else, instead of only needing help.
There was a lot of emotion in this book. I've noticed in reviews that most people didn't connect with Matthew, or like him as much as Amy, but I have to say, I had the opposite reaction. My heart broke for the challenges that Amy faced (and I kind of hated her mother, I understood her, but I still hated her) and I feel like she’s a character to look up to. That being said, Amy has had CP for her entire life, she’s had to fight and struggle her entire life, for what she’s obtained, Matthew however, didn't even know he had OCD until Amy pointed it out to him. He knew that was he was different from his peers and that he’d changed somewhere between Middle School and High School, but for the longest time he couldn't see what the problem actually was. I can’t imagine, developing a disorder like that at such a critical time in my life. The thought is almost too much to handle. My heart broke for Amy, but my heart smushed for Matthew. His character development through the book was AMAZING. It was like he was a completely different person, but he knew that he still had a long road ahead of him, and he took active steps to better his future. Snaps to that. It’s hard to do as an adult, let alone as a kid with a disorder that can literally ruin your entire life. I loved him.

That being said, I had a few issues with Amy. I though she was a great character and well written. I can’t being to comprehend what it’s like to have CP but her character was written in a way that help real to me, she had this disorder, but she didn't let it define her. Awesome. Great. There were times though, where I was furious at how she treated Matthew. No he wasn't physically disabled, but he had some very serious mental problems, problems, that Amy knew about. I thought her actions after prom were ridiculous, and I still can’t figure out why it happened. Sanjay lied and told her that Matthew left the prom without her. Up to this point, Amy has been written as a character who steps up and speaks her mind, and she completely shut him out because she was being selfish and childish, you’re 18 and going to an Ivy League school for goodness sake.
***Spoiler***
***Spoiler***
***Spoiler***




Then let’s talk about the sex… Amy decided that it would be a good idea to have sex so that she would know what to do when she was with someone she really cared about. I can’t get behind that. It doesn't make sense. Nope, I don’t get it. I also don’t understand how she could do something that would so clearly hurt Matthew, and then try to defend that decision, she should have been screaming “I’m Sorry” not trying to defend her actions. She liked Matthew, she obviously liked her. He was just as inexperienced as she was, they could have learned together. There should have been little to no pressure here. It was really the only part of the book that made me blanch. I had to kind of force myself to forget about it and move on. 

I adored everything else though!

Waiting on Wednesday: Cut Both Ways

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Will Caynes never has been good with girls. At seventeen, he’s still waiting for his first kiss. He’s certainly not expecting it to happen in a drunken make-out session with his best friend, Angus. But it does and now Will’s conflicted—he knows he likes girls, but he didn’t exactly hate kissing a guy.

Then Will meets Brandy, a cute and easy-to-talk-to sophomore. He’s totally into her too—which proves, for sure, that he’s not gay. So why does he keep hooking up with Angus on the sly?

Will knows he can’t keep seeing both of them, but besides his new job in a diner, being with Brandy and Angus are the best parts of his whole messed-up life. His divorced parents just complicate everything. His father, after many half-baked business ventures and endless house renovations, has started drinking again. And his mom is no help—unless loading him up with a bunch of stuff he doesn’t need plus sticking him with his twin half-sisters counts as parenting. He’s been bouncing between both of them for years, and neither one feels like home.

Deciding who to love, who to choose, where to live. Whichever way Will goes, someone will get hurt. Himself, probably the most. 

~*~

Release Date September 1, 2015 

Waiting on Wednesday: Don't Ever Change

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Eva has always wanted to write a modern classic—one that actually appeals to her generation. The only problem is that she has realized she can't "write what she knows" because she hasn't yet begun to live. So before heading off to college, Eva is determined to get a life worth writing about.

Soon Eva's life encounters a few unexpected plot twists. She becomes a counselor at a nearby summer camp—a job she is completely unqualified for. She starts growing apart from her best friends before they've even left for school. And most surprising of all, she begins to fall for the last guy she would have ever imagined. But no matter the roadblocks, or writer's blocks, it is all up to Eva to figure out how she wants this chapter in her story to end.

Perfect for fans of E. Lockhart, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell, Don't Ever Change is a witty, snarky, and thought-provoking coming-of-age young adult novel about a teen who sets out to write better fiction and, ultimately, discovers the truth about herself. 

~*~

Release Date July, 7 2015 

Despite the fact that I should have already discovered myself (I'm in my late 20's for goodness sake) I'm still trying to get a handle on everything.

Waiting on Wednesday: Am Ember in the Ashes

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.

I really want to read this because apparently it was picked up for a movie deal before it was even released. And we get to see more Emma Watson. I love her.

~*~

Release Date April 28, 2015