Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Series I Want to StartTop Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It’s awesome. Every Tuesday, the lovely folks over at The Broke and the Bookish post a top ten list topic so that book lovers like you and me can pour over our shelves and make our own lists. You can check out all the other Top Ten Tuesday‘s on their site!
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I can’t believe we’ve read a whole book already!! It feels like such an accomplishment to finally read a book that’s been on my TBR for ages. The end of FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK was pretty satisfying, in a Melina Marchetta way. I haven’t read any of Melina Marchetta’s books before this one, but I feel like I already have a sense of her storytelling ways: She doesn’t spell things out for her readers, which I appreciate. And she doesn’t always tie things up in a super neat bow for everyone, either. The thing that I most appreciate–and the thing that also frustrates me the most–is that her characters ALWAYS seem to have qualities that I don’t like. Kind of prominent ones, too. But she always gives us hope for them to be people of great character anyway. You know, kind of like real human people. The end of this book had some of that, but lots of other things to talk about besides! I can’t wait to start FROI OF THE EXILES next week!!
Week of March 2, 2013WHAT IT’S MARCH ALREADY?! I can’t even deal with how quickly this year seems to be passing right now. I kept myself OFF of Netgalley this week, friends. WHEW! But I did visit the LIBRARY for the first time in AGES! Huzzah!!
LIBRARY
Every Day by David Levithan (narrated by Alex McKenna). The audiobook collection at my library isn’t huge, but it does get used pretty heavily, so I was excited to find that this one was still on the shelves there! I’ve been meaning to read it (I got an ARC at last year’s BEA), but audiobooks are slowly becoming more prevalent in my reading, and I can’t wait to check out this story about a spirit, I guess, called A who wakes up every day in a new body. It sounds FANTASTIC.
Daughter of the Forest: Sevenwaters Trilogy #1 by Juliet Marillier. So many people have been urging me to read this book for ages. To date, I’ve only ever read one book by Juliet Marillier–WILDWOOD DANCING–and it was captivating. April and Alyssa almost stopped being friends with me because I hadn’t read this one yet, though, so I jumped on it at the library yesterday (which was, I’m happy to report, PACKED).
BOUGHT
Froi of the Exiles: The Lumatere Chronicles #2 by Melina Marchetta. I’m participating in the Lumatere Chronicles readalong, and it’s going swimmingly. We just finished FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK, and so this book–the Australian paperback I ordered from Fishpond–came just in time! I ordered all three books, but for some reason Fishpond shipped each one separately. Who knows, friends.
The Madness Underneath: Shades of London #2 by Maureen Johnson. I was a big fan of NAME OF THE STAR, so I knew that I would have to order this book to see what happens next with Rory and the rest of the Shades, particularly Stephen.
Star Crossed: Stargazer #1 by Jennifer Echols. Ummm DUH Jennifer Echols wrote a book. Therefore, I will buy it. She’s taking her swooniness to the grown-ups now! I like the possibilities, friends.
Scarlet: Scarlet #1 by A.C. Gaughen. This one was le cheap for le kindle yesterday, so I snagged it. I liked this one very much, even though I sometimes found Scarlet herself too prickly for my taste. Still. ROBIN HOOD. Yes, please.
SPEAKING OF LE KINDLE….
…I got a new one!!!
I had a kindle keyboard for about two years. It froze permanently on me twice: the first time it was under warrantee so I replaced it for free, but this last time, I had to buy a new kindle. I’ve been eyeing that Paperwhite for awhile, but didn’t want to replace a kindle that, until just recently, was working fine. But when my kindle broke for good two weeks ago, I hopped on the Paperwhite bandwagon and am not likely to fall off anytime soon. I want to be reading on it ALL THE TIME.
Guys, I forgot how many INCREDIBLE books are coming out this month?! Who knew that March was such a promising month for book releases! There are so many books that I can’t wait to read coming out this month that I had to shout out more than five. Woot!
Legacy of the Clockwork Key: The Secret Order #1 by Kristin Bailey
I’m sorry, did someone say the name of this series is “The Secret Order”? I mean, honestly. It does have a definite steampunky aspect, which isn’t always my jam, but this whole secret order/dangerous invention/stable boy romance are pushing all of my good buttons. (Simon Pulse, March 5)
Let the Sky Fall: Let the Sky Fall #1 by Shannon Messenger
WORD WEATHER! I love reading about weather, and this book about elementals is totally up my alley. TOTALLY. (Simon Pulse, March 5)
Strands of Bronze and Gold: Strands of Bronze and Gold #1 by Jane Nickerson
I will forever die to read fairy tale retellings. FOREVER. The Bluebeard tale is…pretty dark, friends. What with all those DEAD BODIES being kept locked up in a room and whatnot. But this Southern Gothic retelling sounds like the bees knees. (Random House Children’s, March 12)
Poison by Bridget Zinn
LOOK AT THAT PIGGEH!! Also, debut fantasy about a girl who must poison her former BFF–and the king–in order to save her home from destruction…except her plan to assassinate the king FAILS and she has to go on the run. Sounds AWESOME. (Disney Hyperion, March 12)
Clockwork Princess: The Infernal Devices #3 by Cassandra Clare
I’m listening to book 2, CLOCKWORK PRINCE, right now and I’m really digging it (maybe this has something to do with the fact that Ed Westwick–who has THE hottest voice EVER–narrates some of it). I’m obviously not sure yet what hangs in the balance for this series’ conclusion, but I’m confident that it’s going to be insane. (Margaret K. McElderry Books, March 19)
The Art of Wishing: The Art of Wishing #1 by Lindsay Ribar
I just right now realized that this book–a debut about a young girl who meets and falls for a genie–is going to be a series. Super! Bring it, genie lovers! Also: the author is a Jersey girl. PROPS. (Dial BFYR, March 21)
Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt
Friends, SEAN GRISWOLD’S HEAD was one of the most surprising in the best way ever books I’ve read. This one, about a girl who eschews all modern technology when her boyfriend cheats on her, sounds adorable with lots of room for meaningfulness. (Bloomsbury, March 26)
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
How To Lead a Life of Crime by Kirsten Miller 
A meth dealer. A prostitute. A serial killer.
Anywhere else, they’d be vermin. At the Mandel Academy, they’re called prodigies. The most exclusive school in New York City has been training young criminals for over a century. Only the most ruthless students are allowed to graduate. The rest disappear.
Flick, a teenage pickpocket, has risen to the top of his class. But then Mandel recruits a fierce new competitor who also happens to be Flick’s old flame. They’ve been told only one of them will make it out of the Mandel Academy. Will they find a way to save each other—or will the school destroy them both?
Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Auto-Buy AuthorsTop Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It’s awesome. Every Tuesday, the lovely folks over at The Broke and the Bookish post a top ten list topic so that book lovers like you and me can pour over our shelves and make our own lists. You can check out all the other Top Ten Tuesday‘s on their site!
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I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Me, Him, Them, and It by Caela Carter
ME is Evelyn Jones, 16, a valedictorian hopeful who’s been playing bad girl to piss off THEM, her cold, distant parents. HIM is Todd, Evelyn’s secret un-boyfriend, who she thought she was just using for sex – until she accidentally fell in love with him. But before Evelyn gets a chance to tell Todd how she feels, something much more important comes up. IT. IT is a fetus. Evelyn is pregnant – and when Todd turns his back on her, Evelyn has no idea who to turn to. Can a cheating father, a stiff, cold mother, a pissed-off BFF, and a (thankfully!) loving aunt with adopted girls of her own help Evelyn make the heart-wrenching decisions that follow?
SOOOOO much happened in this week’s reading!! One of the bigger reveals wasn’t really a surprise to me, though, as I had been thinking that very thing since week 1. Another bigger reveal was sad to me, but as always, the action keeps ramping up. More after the jump!
Say Hi To Justin from Justin’s Book Blog!I’m also excited to let you guys get to know Justin from Justin’s Book Blog a little bit better! So without further ado…TO THE INTERVIEW!
1. Give us a few details about yourself! How long have you been blogging? What’s your real life like when you AREN’T blogging?
I’ve been blogging for almost 2 years now, will be 2 years this August. It’s something I wasn’t extremely serious about when I started blogging but over time it has become something that I couldn’t see myself not doing. As for what I do outside of blogging? I mainly just read and do school work, that is mainly all my life will consist of for the next six years or so. Going for a degree in Mechanical Engineering, so I got a lot ahead of me. Really doesn’t leave much free time.
I really had to think about this one. There are so many great quotes in books, but there is one that really stands out in my mind. It is probably one of the more iconic book quotes from my childhood. There really isn’t anything to spectacular about it, but considering how young I was in 1998 when the book came out here in the US I just really loved when this quote was said in the book.
3. What is the last book you read and gave five stars to? What made it so special?
As of typing this, the last book I gave five stars was The Edge of Never by J.A. Redmerski. This book was absolutely incredible. It is New Adult, which is a genre I really want to get into more as the year goes on. If you haven’t had the chance to read it yet, I highly suggest checking it out.
Wow, there are so many. One that comes to mind is The Maze Runner by James Dashner. I have had this book forever, but have never got around to actually reading it yet. One of these days I will though.
I’m guessing you mean things such as ALA, BEA, etc. If so, no I haven’t. I do want to though, and I plan to try to go to ALA in Chicago later this year but we will have to see. As far as just normal signings go, I have been to two of them. The most memorable being one for Jen Calonita and Jackson Pearce. The reason that one is so memorable is because that was the first time I had met someone that recognized me from my blog and that was pretty awesome and I made a pretty great friend having met her.
You know, I honestly don’t even use Google Reader. I did use it some when I started, but it has been a very long time. So I honestly can’t even answer this. I mainly use Twitter and other things to find different posts.
I like happy endings, but I don’t really like it to be clear from the start. I like books that have moments that really make you wonder how it will turn out in the end. I know that is a short answer, but I can’t think of a better way to put it.
Some of my favorite blog posts would have to be all my author and blogger interviews that I have done. I love getting to interview authors because it allows me to dig around and try to figure out what they were really aiming for with a book or whatever the topic of the interview might be. And I love getting to interview other book bloggers because it allows me to get to know more bloggers than I would otherwise. You can see my author and blogger interviews here: http://www.
I do, I have an older Kindle looking to upgrade it to the new Paperwhite here soon. Not really a fan of the colored readers/tablets. As for what I prefer more.. I prefer printed books when it comes to the finished version of a book. However, when it comes to galleys I prefer to have them on the ereader.
There are a lot of wonderful things about book blogging, but one of the most enjoyable is just being able to do what I love and get more people interested in all of the awesome books that are out there. Know that might sound cheesy, but having someone tell you that you convinced them to pick up a certain book and that they also enjoyed it is one of the best feelings ever as a blogger. And I don’t see myself cutting blogging out of my life anytime soon.
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. I love it because it is basically a squee-fest where book lovers can choose one book that they are DYING to get their hands on. Check it out!
You stop fearing the devil when you’re holding his hand…
Nothing much exciting rolls through Violet White’s sleepy, seaside town…until River West comes along. River rents the guesthouse behind Violet’s crumbling estate, and as eerie, grim things start to happen, Violet begins to wonder about the boy living in her backyard. Is River just a crooked-smiling liar with pretty eyes and a mysterious past? Or could he be something more? Violet’s grandmother always warned her about the Devil, but she never said he could be a dark-haired boy who takes naps in the sun, who likes coffee, who kisses you in a cemetery…who makes you want to kiss back. Violet’s already so knee-deep in love, she can’t see straight. And that’s just how River likes it.
Blending faded decadence and the thrilling dread of gothic horror, April Genevieve Tucholke weaves a dreamy, twisting contemporary romance, as gorgeously told as it is terrifying—a debut to watch.
YOU GUYS. I am looking forward to this debut SO HARD. First of all, BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA takes place…well…near the ocean. I’m a big sucker for books with seaside settings. But I’m mostly loving the kind of dark and twisted vibe I’m getting from this summary. I’m intrigued by this River character, who may or may not be the Devil himself. Usually beach reads are kind of fluffy and light…this one sounds like the exact opposite. BRING IT, April Genevieve Tucholke!!
BETWEEN THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA is coming out August 15, 2013 from Dial.
