Waiting on Wednesday (24): The Outside by Laura Bickle

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!

The Outside: The Hallowed Ones #2

by Laura Bickle

Book cover for The Outside by Laura Bickle

Amazon | Goodreads

After a plague of vampires is unleashed in the world, Katie is kicked out of her Amish community for her refusal to adhere to the new rules of survival. Now in exile, she enters an outside world of unspeakable violence with only her two “English” friends and a horse by her side. Together they seek answers and other survivors—but each sunset brings the threat of vampire attack, and each sunrise the threat of starvation.

And yet through this darkness come the shining ones: luminescent men and women with the power to deflect vampires and survive the night. But can these new people be trusted, and are they even people at all?

In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, it’s up to one Amish girl to save her family, her community, and the boy she loves . . . but what will she be asked to leave behind in return?

Friends, Laura Bickle‘s THE HALLOWED ONES was legit one of the creepiest, most interesting books I’ve read in a long time. I absolutely loved the time we spent in Katie’s Amish community, and I loved how that increased the tension between their world and the outside (heyo!), where the evil, EVIL vampires lurk in the night. Chills, friends. CHILLS. 

To say that I’m eagerly anticipating the sequel, where Katie is forced out of the only life she’s ever known into the vampire-infested world, is an understatement. THE OUTSIDE sounds like it’s going to bring the fear and take it up a notch. Also, I’m looking forward to seeing what happens with Katie and Alex. One of my favorite aspects of THE HALLOWED ONES was the Amish setting, so I’m curious about what is going to take the place of that environment, but I’m confident that Laura Bickle is going to BRING IT.

THE OUTSIDE is coming out September 3, 2013 from Harcourt Children’s Books.

Top Ten Tuesday (62)

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Best Bookish Memories

Top 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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[Read more…]

In My Mailbox (59) / Stacking the Shelves (14)

in my mailbox stacking the shelvesWeek of February 2, 2013

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. It’s awesome. Every week, we all get a chance to tell everyone what new books we’ve gotten so that we can tell you guys and we can all drool and squee together! Huzzah for squees! Stacking the Shelves is another weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga’s Reviews. They’re both awesome memes and I love meeting all of you through them!

LOTS of super fun books this week, friends! Alas, I have fallen off the NetGalley wagon. Kind of hard. Hopefully this will be the last big batch for a while. Don’t laugh at me! I just can’t help it sometimes! I get so excited about ALL THE BOOKS!!

NETGALLEY

Book cover for Nantucket Blue by Leila HowlandAmazon | Goodreads

Nantucket Blue by Leila Howland (May 7, 2013 from Disney Hyperion). Will you just look at this beachy, swoony cover? I mean, if that isn’t enough to make you want to read this book, then the synopsis DEFINITELY will: It’s about a young girl with some real friend issues who has to spend her summer working instead of chilling with her BFF. It sounds kind of intense and meaty but still light and beachy. Obviously, there’s a boy too.

Book cover for Rules by Stacey KadeAmazon | Goodreads

Rules: Project Paper Doll # 1 by Stacey Kade (April 23, 2013 from Disney Hyperion). A dystopian about a young girl who is half human, half ALIEN who was created in a genetics lab and escapes. The rules in the title are basically her rules for survival, and they include not falling in love, so you know that’s going to happen. Plus the people who created her are chasing after her to bring her back. DRAMZ!

Book cover for Quintana of Charyn by Melina MarchettaAmazon | Goodreads

Quintana of Charyn: The Lumatere Chronicles #3 by Melina Marchetta (April 23, 2013 from Candlewick Press). I’m getting all geared up to start the Lumatere Chronicles Readalong, hosted by Hannah from So Obsessed With, so I was MUCHO excited to see this on Netgalley. I just know that I’m not going to be able to wait!

Book Cover for Notes From Ghost Town by Kate EllisonAmazon | Goodreads

Notes From Ghost Town by Kate Ellison (February 12, 2013 from EgmontUSA). I read and enjoyed–although didn’t LOVE–Kate Ellison’s debut, THE BUTTERFLY CLUES, last year. It was a really thought-provoking, dark story about grief, murder, and mental illness. This one sounds like more of the same, but with a ghosty presence of first love to boot. I’m really intrigued by it.

Book cover for The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy RafAmazon | Goodreads

The Symptoms of My Insanity by Mindy Raf (April 18, 2013 from Dial BFYR). DEBUT ALERT! YAY! Keeping with the mental illness theme from above, but taking a totally different spin, this one brings the funnies. Izzy is a hard-core hypochondriac, but she’s also got lots of personal things going on: her friend is acting weird and so is her crush, and her mom is getting sick. The synopsis calls this one “bittersweet,” which is kind of one of my favorite things. I KNOW, I’m weird. But excited to read this one!

BOUGHT & GIFTED

Books!

Sorry I don’t have a little more time to chat with you all about the books I bought this week, but straight up? PRODIGY is AMAZING, the Penguin drop cap edition of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is to die for, LOVED THE NAME OF THE STAR and am super excited for THE MADNESS UNDERNEATH, and that Bliss book is a MG about a BAKERY. Also, April totally surprised me with the audiobook for PERSONAL EFFECTS, which sounds excellent!! Such a happy-making surprise! 🙂

Prodigy: Legend #2 by Marie Lu

Pride and Prejudice: The Penguin Drop Cap Edition by Jane Austen

The Name of the Star: Shades of London #1 by Maureen Johnson

Bliss: The Bliss Bakery #1 by Kathryn Littlewood (Kindle)

Personal Effects by E.M. Kokie (Audiobook surprise from April @ Good Books and Good Wine–THANKS FOREVER, LADY!!)

 

Book Review: Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Book cover for Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Title: Stealing Parker
Author: Miranda Kenneally
Series: Hundred Oaks, #2
Genre: Contemporary YA
Amazon | Goodreads
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release date: October 1, 2012
Source: Gifted a copy from Tara (Thank you!!)

Summary: Parker Shelton pretty much has the perfect life. She’s on her way to becoming valedictorian at Hundred Oaks High, she’s made the all-star softball team, and she has plenty of friends. Then her mother’s scandal rocks their small town and suddenly no one will talk to her.

Now Parker wants a new life.

So she quits softball. Drops twenty pounds. And she figures why kiss one guy when she can kiss three? Or four. Why limit herself to high school boys when the majorly cute new baseball coach seems especially flirty?

But how far is too far before she loses herself completely?

[Read more…]

Happy Birthday, Pride and Prejudice

In Which We Celebrate the 200th Birthday of Pride and Prejudice, Belatedly

I know, friends. Th 200th birthday of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE was technically yesterday. I’m a little behind. But who said that we can’t celebrate this wonderful book EVERY day?! Not me. I always enjoy checking out different editions of books. I love to see the covers and the different designs. I especially love the way each different cover sends out different vibes. And because I was going for different, I shied away from using covers that have some kind of painting of a young, 19th century woman or women on the cover. We’ve all seen those, right friends? Check out these BEAUTIES instead! You can click the covers for links to Amazon or Barnes and Noble if you’re struck with the desire to flash these pretties on your own shelves!

Book cover for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Dover Thrift Edition (part of a three-book set)

Book cover for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Penguin Drop Cap Edition

(Just bought this one myself. It’s RED!)

Book cover for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Popular Penguins Edition

Book cover for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Splinter Edition

(GORGEOUS!)

Book cover for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Belknap/Harvard University Press Hardcover Annotated Edition

Book cover for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Barnes and Noble Leatherbound Edition

Book cover for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Amazon Digital Annotated Kindle Edition

Book cover for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Signet Classics Edition

Book cover for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Headline Publishing Edition

Book cover for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

HarperTeen Edition

Book cover for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Penguin Classics Clothbound Edition

Book cover for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Illustrated by Hugh Thomson Edition

(This edition’s cover is ALL OVER the place: on shirts, bags, iPhone cases, ereader sleeves. EVERYWHERE.)

Book cover for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Voyager Press 200th Anniversary Annotated Edition

Book cover for Pride and Prejudice

Digireads Edition

Book cover for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Marvel Graphic Novel Volume 1

(I can’t even.)

Top Ten Tuesday (61)

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Most Frustrating Characters

Top 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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[Read more…]

Book Review: Prodigy by Marie Lu

Book cover for Prodigy by Marie LuTitle: Prodigy
Author: Marie Lu
Series: Legend, #2
Genre: Dystopian YA
Publisher: Putnam
Release date: January 29, 2013
Amazon | Goodreads
Source: ARC from Publisher

Summary: June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

In this highly-anticipated sequel, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action.

[Read more…]

In My Mailbox (58) / Stacking the Shelves (13)

in my mailbox stacking the shelvesWeek of January 26, 2013

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. It’s awesome. Every week, we all get a chance to tell everyone what new books we’ve gotten so that we can tell you guys and we can all drool and squee together! Huzzah for squees! Stacking the Shelves is another weekly meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga’s Reviews. They’re both awesome memes and I love meeting all of you through them!

It’s been a few weeks, no? Yes? I’ve got some goodies in any case!

NETGALLEY/EDELWEISS

Book cover for Through the Skylight by Ian BaucomAmazon | Goodreads

Through the Skylight by Ian Baucom (March 19, 2013 from Atheneum BFYR).  OMG friends, THIS BOOK. First of all, MG. Second of all, TIME-TRAVEL. Third of all, MIDDLE AGES. Guys! This book is about three kids in modern…well, I’m not sure where. London, maybe? But they get caught up in the lives of three kids living in the middle ages who need to be rescued from child slavers! AHHH!! PS. There’s pictures. Thank you, Atheneum and Edelweiss for this super gem!

Book cover for On Little Wings by Regina Sirois

Amazon | Goodreads

On Little Wings by Reginia Sirois (August 15, 2013 from Viking Juvenile).  This one was self-pubbed, I believe, in 2011, but it’s being released by Viking this summer. It sounds quiet and intense: it’s about a young girl who’s trying to figure out the truth about her mother. Always a meaty topic. Plus, it takes place in Maine, one of my must-read book settings. Don’t as me why because I don’t know. But anyway, sounds good!

Book cover for The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding

Amazon | Goodreads

The Reece Malcolm List by Amy Spalding (February 5, 2013 from Entangled Teen). I don’t know if you guys can see, but this book was blurbed by Sara Zarr. That in itself is something that catches my eye. But really, I would have wanted to read this book regardless: It’s about a young girl whose mother is a famous author whom she hardly knows or sees. When her dad dies, she gets shipped off to live with her stranger author mom, and things get family-emotional from there. Thank you, Entangled Teen!

Book cover for The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

Amazon | Goodreads

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston (May 14, 2013 from Disney-Hyperion). Debut alert! This one sounds all kinds of awesome. A girl and her family are being shuttled around in the Witness Protection program because of something shady that Meg’s–that’s the girl’s name–dad saw or did. She’s basically fed up with the pretending. They’re in Louisiana now, and she’s determined to try and figure out what her family has been running from. PLUS, there’s a southern farm boy named Ethan Landry (Landry! FNL forever!) complicating matters. Thanks Disney!

BOUGHT

Book cover for The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Amazon | Goodreads

The Archived: The Archived #1 by Victoria Schwab.  DUH. A book about paranormal librarians who guard the dead, who exist as books. Stop it. Also, it’s supposed to be AMAZINGLY clever, and just amazing in general.

That’s my mailbox for the last few weeks, friends! I hope you all got some great things, too!

Book Review: Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Book cover for Just One Day by Gayle FormanTitle: Just One Day
Author: Gayle Forman
Series: Just One Day #1
Genre: Contemporary YA
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Release date: January 8, 2013
Amazon | Goodreads
Challenge: YA Contemporary Challenge
Source: Bought

Summary: When sheltered American good girl Allyson “LuLu” Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.
[Read more…]

Waiting on Wednesday (23): Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

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!

Dirty Little Secret

by Jennifer Echols

Book cover for Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols

Amazon | Goodreads

Bailey wasn’t always a wild child and the black sheep of her family. She used to play fiddle and tour the music circuit with her sister, Julie, who sang and played guitar. That ended when country music execs swooped in and signed Julie to a solo deal. Never mind that Julie and Bailey were a duet, or that Bailey was their songwriter. The music scouts wanted only Julie, and their parents were content to sit by and let her fulfill her dreams while Bailey’s were hushed away.

Bailey has tried to numb the pain and disappointment over what could have been. And as Julie’s debut album is set to hit the charts, her parents get fed up with Bailey’s antics and ship her off to granddad’s house in Nashville. Playing fiddle in washed-up tribute groups at the mall, Bailey meets Sam, a handsome and oh-so-persuasive guitarist with his own band. He knows Bailey’s fiddle playing is just the thing his band needs to break into the industry. But this life has broken Bailey’s heart once before. She isn’t sure she’s ready to let Sam take her there again…

SHUT UP, FIDDLER. I can’t even deal with the fact that Jennifer Echols is taking on music right now. She’s gotten me to read about cops (DUH love them), swimmers, horses, pilots, and now musicians. Is there anyone out there who thinks she’s not going to knock DIRTY LITTLE SECRET one out of the park, too? And I’m loving that this has a sister vibe going on, too. I really enjoy reading about siblings, especially when there’s drama. 

Honestly, though, let’s just cut to the chase: Sam. First of all, he’s in a band. Second of all, he’s the guitar player. Third of all, he lives in Nashville, which is one of those cities that I would LOVE to go to. I’m swooning over the little bits we get of him in just the two sentences up there in the synopsis. I can’t even IMAGINE how swoony he’s going to be in DIRTY LITLE SECRET. Am I the only Nashville watcher who is getting Gunnar and Scarlett feels from this synopsis??? AHHH YAY!! Love Jennifer Echols so much!

DIRTY LITTLE SECRET is coming out July 16, 2013 from MTV Books.