I Want A Pen Pal!

Hey all! A quick plug for a girl named Jess. According to her blog, Paper Utopia, she's a student in England and she's doing something awesome She organizes this thing called book blogger penpals. or #bbpenpal. You fill out a form on her page and she pairs you up with someone, and the letter writing begins.

I've always wanted to have a pen pal. To some, I think it seems old fashioned, and unnecessary. I have this feeling that bloggers understand the appeal. It's always easier to be 100% yourself when you're not face to face with someone, and from that, great friendships can blossom. Some of you may have noticed that in books like Roomies, Because You'll Never Meet Me, and that section of Aristotle and Dance Discover the Secrets of the Universe.

Maybe my expectations are unrealistic, but it would be nice to have a friend with common interest who you can talk to without holding back.

If any of you want to check it out, here's the link. 

Waiting on Wednesday:The Problem with Forever

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with the lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory faces a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.

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Release Date: May 17, 2016

I'm dying to read it!

Review: Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley

Publisher: Harper Collins
Publication Date: January 5, 2016
Rating: 4 stars

Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. The Brontë siblings have always been close. After all, nothing can unite four siblings quite like life in an isolated parsonage on the moors. Their vivid imaginations lend them escape from their strict, spartan upbringing, actually transporting them into their created worlds: the glittering Verdopolis and the romantic and melancholy Gondal. But at what price? As Branwell begins to slip into madness and the sisters feel their real lives slipping away, they must weigh the cost of their powerful imaginations, even as their characters—the brooding Rogue and dashing Duke of Zamorna—refuse to let them go. (Goodreads)

I got this book in my January (I think) Owl Crate box and I've just finished it. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the book because I haven't read a lot of historical fiction, but let me tell you... I freaking loved this book. This book was about the Bronte siblings and I've never read a single one of their books so I had no idea how everything would translate for me.

The book jumped off the page from the very beginning. From the state we knew that there was some mystery to solve, and we also knew that this book would have pretty amazing and desirable paranormal elements. The Brontes (or at least Charlotte and Branwell) are writers and they are able to transport themselves into the fictional worlds that they create and take on characters. They are literally able to live in their own stories! What's better than that. But as we can guess from the book description, things eventually take a turn with the siblings begin to loose control of what they've created, we also learn that great power comes at a great price.

I really liked that the chapters jumped between siblings. Not only were we able to connect with them better that way, we were also to see what they thought of each other. Emily the reckless, Anne quiet but watchful, Branwell also a bit reckless but much more unsure of himself, and Charlotte, the eldest, the creator. I can't say too much without going on a crazy tangent, but reading this book made me actually want to read the real Bronte sister's books. I don't normally choose classics but I just might.

Review: Flawed by Cecelia Ahern

Publisher: Macmillan
Publication Date: April 6, 2016
Rating: 2.5 stars

Celestine North lives a perfect life. She's a model daughter and sister, she's well-liked by her classmates and teachers, and she's dating the impossibly charming Art Crevan.

But then Celestine encounters a situation where she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule. And now faces life-changing repercussions.
She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found FLAWED.
In her breathtaking young adult debut, bestselling author Cecelia Ahern depicts a society where obedience is paramount and rebellion is punished. And where one young woman decides to take a stand that could cost her-everything. (Goodreads)


I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.

I really wanted to like this book, I really did. From the description the book was a dystopian (which I like although I know some people are over it) and from the cover, the main character was a POC and being a POC myself, I really try hard to find characters that I can relate to on a physical level (particularly with all of this election foolishness). However, though I tried, I didn't like this book at all.

Celestine followed all of the rules of her society until she didn't, (MINI SPOILER BUT YOU SHOULD REALLY SEE THIS COMING FROM THE BOOK DESCRIPTION) and she's found Flawed. I must say, the part where Celestine is branded flawed is actually my favorite part of the book. Judge Craven is a pretty awesome and malicious villain, everything else, was less exciting. Celestine seeing a guy through the glass of her prison wall and although they never speak except for one line of his, she's obsessed with him, he's constantly on her mind. I didn't buy it. I'm honestly pretty forgiving with things like this, but not this time, the author wasn't convincing at all so it got to the point that every time she though about this guy I wanted to throw my tablet across the room. If all of that had been left out (or done) I think I would have liked the book more. The scenes with the reporter... great. The mom... weird but amusing. I also liked the Celestine's perfectionist personality is at times what makes her leader and hero for the flawed people. I can't say I was a big fan of Art though, he just felt like a flat character.

*sigh* I wanted to like this book, I really did, it just wasn't well done in my opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday: P.S. I Like You by Kasie West

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

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

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

From beloved author Kasie West (The Distance Between Us) comes an utterly charming story about mixed messages, missed connections, and the magic of good old-fashioned secret admirer notes.

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Release Date: July 26, 2016

This looks super cute.

Review: Because You'll Never Meet Me

Publisher: Bloomsbury Children Books
Publication date: July 2, 2015
Rating: 4 stars

Ollie and Moritz are best friends, but they can never meet. Ollie is allergic to electricity. Contact with it causes debilitating seizures. Moritz’s weak heart is kept pumping by an electronic pacemaker. If they ever did meet, Ollie would seize. But Moritz would die without his pacemaker. Both hermits from society, the boys develop a fierce bond through letters that become a lifeline during dark times—as Ollie loses his only friend, Liz, to the normalcy of high school and Moritz deals with a bully set on destroying him.A story of impossible friendship and hope under strange circumstances, this debut is powerful, dark and humorous in equal measure. These extraordinary voices bring readers into the hearts and minds of two special boys who, like many teens, are just waiting for their moment to shine.(Goodreads)

I really liked this book. It took me a while to get into the book because from the start I was not feeling Moritz, he was cranky and drove me nuts. As the boys began to tell each other their stories it was a fascinating shift. At the beginning of the book Ollie read like he had a serious case of ADD, he was all over the place in a sometimes laugh out loud kind of way. We get the impression that he's like that because he so isolated and happy to finally have someone to talk to, but as his story unfolds, we learn there's a little more to it than that.

Moritz, on the other hand reminds me of a crotchety old grandpa. However the longer he talks to Ollie, and the more encouragement that Ollie gives him, although he still remains kind of crotchety, he branches out, makes friends, and even slowly steps into a relationship. (Snaps for that by the way).

The only problem that I really had with the book was show long they drew out the mystery of what happened between Ollie and Liz. Every time it was brought up and Ollie said some version of "I'll hold that story off for another day" I was super annoyed. I felt like the author wanted to keep us hooked to the story in a pandering kind of way. Also, I didn't like Liz. I understood, but didn't understand her all at the same time. I just didn't like her.

So, that being said, this is a great book, and appropriate for all age groups. Hats off!

Waiting on Wednesday: Otherworld Secrets by Kelley Armstrong

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine.

More than a decade after Kelley Armstrong first opened the doors to the Otherworld, fans are still clamoring for more. In response to their demands—and to coincide with the Syfy Network show based on the series—Plume has signed up three Otherworld anthologies, each of which revolves around a different theme. The second in the trilogy, Otherworld Secrets, features fan-favorites such as Cassandra, Savannah, and Adam in rare and neverbefore- published short stories—plus a brand new novella. Fans old and new will flock to this mystery-themed volume to discover the deepest secrets of this captivating world.



Anthology Contents
1) Life After Theft – new Hope/Karl novella2) Forbidden – Subterranean Press 2012 Elena/Clay novella3) Angelic – Subterranean Press 2009 Eve/Kristof novella4) Zen and the Art of Vampirism – Zoe novella from Subterranean Press’s long-sold out “A Fantasy Medley”5) The Ungrateful Dead – Jaime short story from “Blood Lite” anthology6) Counterfeit Magic – Subterranean Press 2010 Paige/Lucas novella 

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Release Date: January 26, 2016

I love this series so much it might be a bit of a problem.