Waiting on Wednesday (187)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.


By Aditi Khorana
Publication Date: June 21, 2016

For Tara Krishnan, navigating Brierly, the academically rigorous prep school she attends on scholarship, feels overwhelming and impossible. Her junior year begins in the wake of a startling discovery: A message from an alternate Earth, light years away, is intercepted by NASA. This means that on another planet, there is another version of Tara, a Tara who could be living better, burning brighter, because of tiny differences in her choices. 

As the world lights up with the knowledge of Terra Nova, the mirror planet, Tara’s life on Earth begins to change. At first, small shifts happen, like attention from Nick Osterman, the most popular guy at Brierly, and her mother playing hooky from work to watch the news all day. But eventually those small shifts swell, the discovery of Terra Nova like a black hole, bending all the light around it. 

As a new era of scientific history dawns and Tara's life at Brierly continues its orbit, only one thing is clear: Nothing on Earth--and for Tara--will ever be the same again.


By Janet Evanovich and Goldberg Lee
Publication Date: June 21, 2016

Janet Evanovich, author of the blockbuster Stephanie Plum novels, and Lee Goldberg, writer for the Monk television show, team up once again for the fifth book in their rollicking, New York Times bestselling Fox and O’Hare series!

Nicolas Fox, international con man, thief, and one of the top ten fugitives on the FBI’s most-wanted list, has been kidnapped from a beachfront retreat in Hawaii. What the kidnapper doesn’t know is that Nick Fox has been secretly working for the FBI. It isn’t long before Nick’s covert partner, Special Agent Kate O’Hare, is in hot pursuit of the crook who stole her con man.
 
The trail leads to Belgium, France, and Italy, and pits Nick and Kate against their deadliest adversary yet: Dragan Kovic, an ex–Serbian military officer. He’s plotting a crime that will net him billions . . . and cost thousands of American lives.
 
Nick and Kate have to mount the most daring, risky, and audacious con they’ve ever attempted to save a major U.S. city from a catastrophe of epic proportions. Luckily they have the help of an eccentric out-of-work actor, a bandit who does his best work in the sewers, and Kate’s dad, Jake. The pressure’s on for Nick and Kate to make this work—even if they have to lay their lives on the line.


By Kiersten White
Publication Date: June 28, 2016

No one expects a princess to be brutal. And Lada Dragwyla likes it that way.

Ever since she and her brother were abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman sultan’s courts, Lada has known that ruthlessness is the key to survival. For the lineage that makes her and her brother special also makes them targets.

Lada hones her skills as a warrior as she nurtures plans to wreak revenge on the empire that holds her captive. Then she and Radu meet the sultan’s son, Mehmed, and everything changes. Now Mehmed unwittingly stands between Lada and Radu as they transform from siblings to rivals, and the ties of love and loyalty that bind them together are stretched to breaking point.

The first of an epic new trilogy starring the ultimate anti-princess who does not have a gentle heart. Lada knows how to wield a sword, and she'll stop at nothing to keep herself and her brother alive. 

My True Love Gave To Me by Stephanie Perkins (editor), Holly Black, Ally Carter, Gayle Forman, Jenny Han, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Myra McEntire, Matt de la Pena, Rainbow Rowell, Laini Taylor, Kiersten White

* * * 3/4

If you love holiday stories, holiday movies, made-for-TV-holiday specials, holiday episodes of your favorite sitcoms and, especially, if you love holiday anthologies, you’re going to fall in love with MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME: TWELVE HOLIDAY STORIES by twelve bestselling young adult writers, edited by international bestselling author Stephanie Perkins.

Review:            

  

When I first heard about this book, I about lost my business.  I mean seriously? Not only most of my favorite YA authors in one anthology but most of my favorite YA authors writing Christmas stories!  Hell, yeah! 

This compilation delivers just as the title and the contributing authors suggest.  The best story (in my opinion, of course) was the very first story - Midnights by Rainbow Rowell. I enjoyed it so much I re-read it twice before moving on to the rest of the book.  I couldn’t help but wonder if leading with such a great story didn’t put the other stories and authors at an unfair disadvantage. But they had nothing to fear.  Each author put their heart into their story and it shows. There really is something for everyone.  If you love YA and you love Christmas, this book is definitely for you.

So how do I review this?  In the past, when reviewing collections like this, I’ve just highlighted my favorite stories.  But each of these stories deserved some attention so I went ahead and gave my rating and opinion on each.  I really hope you all will read this.  I put it up there with Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares for happy holiday reading.

Midnights by Rainbow Rowell 5/5 –This follows two best friends from their first high school NYE party to their latest NYE celebration.  This was my absolute favorite.  Rowell just GETS romance. 

The Lady and the Fox by Kelly Link 3/5 – A magical love story between a girl and a ghost (of sorts) that only appears at Christmas when it is snowing.  Their affection develops over the years and the grown girl attempts to keep him with her.

Angels in the Snow by Matt de la Pena 3/5 – A penniless young college student spends the holidays housesitting and hungry.  A neighbor girl slowly worms her way through his defenses, encouraging him to have a happy holiday despite his circumstances.  My heart broke for the young man in this story but don’t think it’s sad.  This story is holiday hope at its finest.

Polaris is Where You’ll Find Me by Jenny Han 3/5 – A lovely yet sad story about a human girl raised by Santa and his elves. This was a cute story right up until the end.  I can’t give it away but I will say that it is not necessarily a SAD ending but maybe just not the magical ending I wanted…

It’s A Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown by Stephanie Perkins 5/5 – Okay, I had two favorites, and it’s no surprise that Stephanie Perkins wrote the other one.  This story about an aspiring graphic artist, a boy with a voice and a tree is quintessential Perkins.  Full of humor, snark and sweetness.

Your Temporary Santa by David Levithan 4/5 – A boy convinces his Jewish boyfriend to play Santa on Christmas night so that his little sister can believe for at least one more year.  You all know how much I love David Levithan.  So I’m just going to say this…DAVID LEVITHAN!

Krumpuslauf by Holly Black 2/5 – Holly Black puts her own spin on the Krampus myth.  I really like Holly Black but it always takes a little while to immerse myself in her writing style. I think this short story just wasn’t for me. But if you are a Holly Black fan and/or you enjoy a dark spin to your Christmas cheer, you are definitely going to enjoy this one.

What the Hell Have you Done, Sophie Roth by Gayle Forman 4/5 – A New York girl struggles to fit into her small-town Midwest college.   As always, Gayle Forman delivers a thoughtful contemporary romance with a holiday spin.

Beer Buckets and Baby Jesus by Myra McEntire 3/5 – A prankster is given a second chance after accidentally burning down the church barn used for the annual Christmas pageant.  This was a cute story and definitely forced me to move Myra McEntire’s stories up on the TBR pile.

Welcome to Christmas, CA by Kiersten White 4/5 – This was an excellent contemporary romance with just a hint of magic.  And how can there NOT be magic in a town called CHRISTMAS?

Star of Bethlehem by Ally Carter 4/5 – Shel has been pushing me to read Ally Carter and I can’t blame her.  This story about a girl grabbing an opportunity to be normal for the holidays was full of all those warm fuzzies that Hallmark throws our way every holiday season.  Come to think of it, this (along with a number of others in this compilation) would make a great movie…

The Girl Who Woke the Dreamer by Laini Taylor 4/5 –Fantasy isn’t often my thing but this story was absolutely beautiful.  I now understand why there is so much love for Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone series.  She is certainly an artistic story teller.  

Nat

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

****

From HarperTeen:

Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion.  Everything changes when she meets the gorgeous, enigmatic Finn, who introduces her to the secret world of Albion's nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn't - power, money, status...and magic.  But Finn has secrets of his own, and the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess them.  Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits, can stop him.

Illusions is quite possibly my favorite Kiersten White book to date.  It is a funny, heartwarming, wrenching, romance mixed with a mystery full of twists and turns, all leading to a shocking conclusion that will leave you in awe of Ms. White.  

Jess is strong-willed and determined to use her intelligence to make something of herself, quite possibly by sheer willpower alone.  She left Melei to go to a private school in Albion, only gaining admittance because of a family connection.  Her father, an Ablion man, had visited Melei to research a book, so Jess is neither fully Melei or Albion and fits into neither place.  She's strong, but she's stubborn to a fault and distrustful.  

Finn is a mystery.  He clearly appears noble and comes to her aid in a moment of trouble, but doesn't reveal much about himself and beyond a strong attraction, strange things seems to happen when Jess is around Finn.  The two keep crossing paths until Finn decides that it is best that they are not friends.  When Jess receives a mysterious invitation to a ball, she assumes it is from Finn.  

Once it becomes clear that he cannot avoid Jess, Finn is willing to give her his heart, but he's driven by loss to complete the tasks for which he came to Albion.  Thrust into a world of magic and danger, Jess is more confused than ever.  Once Jess finds out the truth about Finn, the two of them become completely adorable.  Finn is so awkward and Jess clueless.  It's is a so much fun to follow their journey.   

I won't give away any spoilers, I will only say that you will be on the edge of your seat to finish this one.  Illusions is a great read - you should all go read it now!  

~Shel

Chaos of the Stars by Kiersten White

****

From HarperTeen:

Isadora's family is seriously screwed up.  

Of course, when you're the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that comes with the territory.

Isadora's sick of living a life where she's only worthy of a passing glance, and when she's offered the chance to move thousands of miles away, she jumps on it.  But as much as Isadora tries to keep her new world and old world apart, she quickly realizes there's no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family.

Chaos is filled to the brim with Kiersten White's trademark witty, snarky and fun characters.  Isadora, Ry, Tyler and the supporting cast are people you want to hang out with.  They are full of smack talk, sarcasm and foot-in-mouth syndrome.  Having spent her life secluded with only her family around, Isadora is desperate to get out from under her mother's thumb, so when her mother sees trouble, Isadora goes to stay with her brother in San Diego, where she gets herself a group of friends, the interest of a mysterious hot boy and an unidentified evil bent on destruction.

Isadora is bitter.  As a devout disbeliever in love and relationships, Isadora tries to keep her distance from everyone, and rebels by doing her best to disavow her heritage, but is drawn into a plot to destroy her family.  Can she learn to let people in and save her family?

I loved Paranormalcy, so it was with great trepidation I picked up Chaos.  I was delighted to enjoy it so much.  It's fast-paced, fun and a great way to spend an afternoon!  

Check out Kiersten's blog for more information and goofy good times!

http://kierstenwrites.blogspot.com

~Shel

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun


Top Ten Tuesday is a super fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  

The three of us LOVE a fun story that makes us laugh so we collaborated on this list for you all.  Enjoy!  



Bridget Jones Diary by Helen Fielding – I don’t think it’s possible for this one to get old.  It still makes us laugh.  And we forgive the movie adaptation simply for the hilarious and sexy casting of Colin Firth.  









Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis –  Three words for you.  The puppy, Twinkles.











Ten Big Ones by Janet Evanovich – Let’s just say that it’s yet again the dogs that make us snort our drinks through our noses.    









Paranormalcy by Kiersten White – Because it’s just so *bleeping* cute!










Let’s Pretend this Never Happened by Jennifer Lawson (a.k.a. The Bloggess) – Grab the kleenex.  You will be laughing so hard that you WILL cry.









Must Love Dragons by Stephanie Rowe – Because Satan is HILARIOUS!










The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella – This one will have you in stitches.









Eye Candy by Tera Lynn Childs – Completely adorable.  All the candy talk will have you reaching for the Jelly Bellies.









You Suck:  A Love Story by Christopher Moore – If Christopher Moore can’t make us laugh then there is something horribly wrong.  









Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins – Happy! Happy! Happy!  Such a HAPPY story!










Hope you enjoyed the list.  Share some of your favorites with us! 

Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike

***1/2

From HarperTeen:

Kimberlee Schaffer may be drop-dead gorgeous . . . but she also dropped dead last year. Now she needs Jeff's help with her unfinished business, and she's not taking no for an answer. When she was alive, Kimberlee wasn't just a mean girl; she was also a complete kleptomaniac. So if Jeff wants to avoid being haunted until graduation, he'll have to help her return all of the stolen items. But Jeff soon discovers that it's much easier to steal something than it is to bring it back.

Paying for your mistakes takes on a whole new meaning in this hauntingly clever twist on The Scarlet Pimpernel. 

I'm a fan of Aprilynne Pike's Wings series, so I was excited to read her latest endeavor.  Life After Theft is unique and interesting.  Ghost stories usually do not interest me, but there was more depth to this than your average ghost story.  It's about redemption and learning to see and love yourself.  All good lessons.  I also enjoyed the story being told through Jeff's voice and many of the visual's were hilarious!  

The description from HarperTeen says that fans of Ally Carter and Kiersten White will enjoy Life After Theft, and I have to agree.  It's a tad paranormal and a tad about sneaky thievery plans combined to make a fun read.

HarperTeen Impulse has a prequel short story One Day More, releases on 4/2/13 - I cannot wait to see what Kimberlee's last day was like!

~Shel

Waiting on Wednesday (51)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights future releases that we are excitedly anticipating.

By Kiersten White
Publication Date:  February 19, 2013

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

Shel's Top 10 of 2011

I know we have been a little lax this holiday season with keeping you entertained, but we will definitely be back to devouring books and driving our readers nutes wiht silliness after the holidays.  Until then, please enjoy my top 10 list:

Here at BiblioJunkies we have been discussing what to do with our 2011 "top" lists.  How many books, etc.  Unfortunately, when it came right down to it, I could not narrow my list down to just 5.  In fact, to get to 10 I had to be pretty specific in my lists - favorite by someone other than Meg Cabot or Janet Evanovich (because let's face it, these ladies will always top my favorite book lists) and lets not forget Rick Riordan, whom I adore.  And then I couldn't narrow down to eliminate books in a series (ie The Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices, all of which are fantastic).  It really took a lot of thought and planning to get my list down to just 10, because I have read SOOO many truly fantastic books this year.  Each of the books below have touched (Yes, I am talking to you Suzanne Young) or entertained me and stood out among the plethora of books that I read this year.  So, here's my list, in no particular order:

The Infernal Devices and The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare

The Mythos Academy Series by Jennifer Estep

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

Alex Van Helsing Series by Jason Henderson

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Hush, Hush by Becca FitzPatrick

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

The Chicagoland Vampire Series by Chloe Neill

I recommend all of these books and/or series.  Check them out and let us know what your favorites of 2011 have been!  Happy New Year and happy reading in 2012!

~Shel

A Peek in the Biblio-Bin - #6

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. It is a way for bloggers to share what books they have won, received for review, bought from the bookstore, borrowed from the library or friend, etc.

This week Nat gives you a peek into the Biblio-Bin.

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be . . . kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.

But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.

So much for normal.

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,

To storm or fire the world must fall.

An oath to keep with a final breath,

And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa tol him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring and bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem - when the Voice took over he mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for and evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery - although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely - enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes od Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life

Share with us the books you acquired this past week!

New Books & Torture

Everyone knows the feeling.  You are lost in a book.  You come to the end, the climax of the story and then it's over.  Still exhilarated and riding the high of the book, you hop online to see when the next book in the series is going to be released (because pretty much all books are part of a series these days) and you see it, your heart plummets, you are overcome by disappointment.  The book will not be released for a year... 

This draconian practice in the publishing industry is torture, pure torture.  I am not a patient person.  Nope, no one has ever said that patience is one of my virtues.  I love seeing a movie or reading a book as soon as it is released.  When everyone is excited about the release and there is a buzz in the air.  Being a fan of instant gratification, waiting a year for a book is hell for me.  It has gotten to the point that I go against my nature and do not read the books from my favorite series or authors as soon as they are released.  I save them, so that I can read one book and then the next.  I currently have three books in the Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series saved up to read.  Luckily, Explosive Eighteen is releasing early (11/22/11), so we get two Stephanie books this year!  I will have four books saved up for November!

And, because I have the attention span of the average 16 year old, unless it is a book/author I truly love, in the year between books, I often lose interest or move on to other books/things.  My books shelves are full of partial series' of books.  Publishers and authors have apparently taken Psych 101 and combat my attention span by offering "sneak peeks" and "teasers" for the upcoming releases.  For someone like me, this practice is even more tortuous than waiting the year for the next book.  When I start to read a book, I want to keep reading it.  Giving me a few sentences, pages or even a chapter or two is just plain mean. 

Did you all read City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare?  It released April 5, 2011.  I had just finished the other the Mortal Instruments books (an excellent series and BiblioJunkies favorite), so it was natural to move directly to reading COFA.  The ending of this book is probably the best cliff-hanger I have ever read.  I needed to read what happened next.  Of course, I jumped online to Cassandra Clare's website and was horrified to find that City of Lost Souls will not be released until May 2012.  Yep, that's right - more than a year after COFA was released.  I wanted to scream - not exaggerating.  I love your writing Cassie, so please do not take my pain as criticism!  I bring this up because Cassandra Clare is the queen of sneak peeks and teasers.  In fact, she does one per month (for each series, the Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices).  While I appreciate that she wants to keep the buzz around her books given the obscene length of time between COFA and COLS, it is like opening a old wound every month...

I have been fortunate this year in that most books I have come across have the next in the series releasing soon - as in next week or in the next few months.  This makes me very happy.  Which brings me to one of my favorite things - telling people what I am looking forward to reading in the hopes that they will love the books as much as I do. 

Here goes:

July 26 Releases:

I Am Number Four The Lost Files:  Six's Legacy by Pittacus Lore

Supernaturally by Kiersten White

Alex Van Helsing: Voice of the Undead by Jason Henderson

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Tonight, the BiblioJunkies will be heading to Anderson's Bookstore in Naperville, IL to meet Maggie Stiefvater, author of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, Shiver, Linger and Forever.  Check out Nat's reviews from last week. 

~Shel