Tripping Over Books

Book Review | Kill Me Softly | Sarah Cross

May 7

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.

Book Review | Kill Me Softly | Sarah Cross

Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross
Series: Beau Rivage #1
Published by Egmont USA on April 10, 2012
Genres: Fairy tales, Fantasy YA, Retelling, Young Adult
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher via NetGalley
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Goodreads
four-stars

Mirabelle’s past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents’ tragic deaths to her guardians’ half-truths about why she can’t return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.

In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who’s a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.

But fairy tales aren’t pretty things, and they don’t always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy tale curses of their own… brothers who share a dark secret. And she’ll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.

In My Mailbox (26)

May 6

May 6, 2012

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!

SO EXCITED about the books I got this week, friends!! GAH!! AWESOME-PLOSION!

FROM NETGALLEY

Meant To Be by Lauren Morrill (November 13, 2012 from Delacorte). HOLY CRAP I CANNOT WAIT TO READ THIS BOOK I WANT IT SO BAD YAY LONDON. Ahem. So. DIED when this went up on NetGalley, friends. Sounds so stinkin’ cute.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick (June 14, 2012 from Dial BFYR). Another book that made me DIE. I can’t stand all these fantastic sounding contemporaries, friends. I might EXPLODE from how excited I am for this book about a girl who falls for her next door neighbor. EXPLODE!

Personal Effects by E.M. Kokie (September 11, 2012 from Candlewick Press). So, it’s probably not so big a secret that I LOVE this trend in YA involving the military. I don’t know if I could explain to you why I love reading about young people in the Armed Forces and all of that topic’s many trickle-down effects, but I do, and this book–about a boy whose brother is KIA in Iraq and he tries to figure out what happened to him there–appeals to me a LOTS of ways.

Every Day by David Levithan (August 28, 2012 from Knopf BFYR). I haven’t read any of David Levithan’s books yet, but this one sounds fantastic. It’s a story about a genderless spirit who is reborn every day into a different body–boy, girl, old, young, etc.–who falls in love with a girl. This sounds like an AMAZING romance, friends, with lots of BIG THOUGHTS going on.

Love and Other Perishable Items by Laura Buzo (December 11, 2012 from Random House Children’s). GUYS!! I died JUST NOW when I realized that LOVE AND OTHER PERISHABLE ITEMS is the US publication of Laura Buzo’s Australian work, GOOD OIL (2010)! GOOD OIL has been on my TBR for a while now, so I’m double excited about this book. Aussie YA is consistently STELLAR.

Palace of Stone: Princess Academy #2 by Shannon Hale (August 21, 2012 from Bloomsbury). Friends, if you haven’t yet read PRINCESS ACADEMY by Shannon Hale, PLEASE try to soon. It’s a wonderful MG fantasy, and Shannon Hale is AMAZING. When I found out that Miri and co. were getting a sequel that takes them to the big city, I got SO EXCITED. Can’t wait to read this one!

(Tackle hugs to Delacorte, Dial BFYR, Candlewick, Knopf BFYR, Random House Children’s and Bloomsbury for these AMAZING books! ILY!!)

BOUGHT

Where She Went: If I Stay #2 by Gayle Forman. This duo about a girl who almost dies along with her family in a horrific car crash, and the fallout of her near death and it’s affect on her relationship with her boyfriend is FANTASTIC. Needed to complete my collection, friends.

Insurgent: Divergent #2 by Veronica Roth. OBVS. Tris, Four, Amity, danger, corruption, ETC.?! Please.

Shade: Shade #1 by Jeri Smith-Ready. Guys, I can’t even tell you how much love I have seen lately for this series. I can’t resist it anymore! My library has NO JSR whatsoever, so to the credit card I go! Paranormal romance FTW!

The Hero’s Guide to Saving Your Kingdom: Hero’s Guide #1 by Christopher Healy. YESSSSS!!! I have not heard ONE even remotely bad thing about this book. I DIE, I want to read it so badly. It’s coming up very soon, friends. I don’t think I can wait much longer! BONUS? Christopher Healy lives in Jersey. HOLLA, HOMEBOY!

Bitterblue: Graceling Realm #3 by Kristin Cashore. SUPER OBVS. No way I’m missing the third installment in this fantastic set. NO. WAY.

Lots of AWESOME this week, guys! Hope your mailboxes are AWESOME, too!

Filed Under: In My Mailbox Tagged With: books, IMM

Five-Star Friday: The Penderwicks

May 4

Five-Star Friday is a periodically regular (say what?!) feature that I’m planning on running on Fridays (but not every Friday) in which I talk about (or verbally drool over) a book that I’ve read and ADORED (sometimes they’ll be recent releases and other times they might be older…my piles are tall and the bottoms are old). Yay! I always feel so happy and light and wonderful when I am beside myself with delight over a book, and I want to share the love with you all in the hopes that we can all get together and have an embarrassing, squeal-filled love-fest full of lots of high-pitched “Ohmygod, I KNOW!s” and chest-clutching sighs of contentedness. Huzzah!^*

Well, HELLO THERE, Five-Star Friday! Been a while, friend! Hopefully I’ll be able to make up for my long absence by talking up one of my very favorite middle grades, THE PENDERWICKS: A SUMMER TALE OF FOUR SISTERS, TWO RABBITS, AND A VERY INTERESTING BOY. Sigh. I love me some Penderwicks, guys.

Rewind and Review: May

May 3

Rewind & Review is an AMAZING new meme hosted jointly by two fabulous ladies, Ginger from Greads! and Lisa from Lisa Is Busy Nerding. This meme is all about mining your TBR piles and finding some long-lost gems (from 2010 or earlier) that you meant to read and somehow passed over. I KNOW, but it happens. Each month, each participant picks a few oldies but hopefully goodies to read, reviews ’em, and spreads the word. Huzzah!

Guys, I have consistently managed to underperform for this meme each month. I always pick three books, I always wind up reading LESS than three, and I always wind up switching one book for another all sneaky-like in the middle of the month. SIGH. BUT! I am definitely mining my pile, and that makes me crazy happy! In April, I reviewed I’D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I’D HAVE TO KILL YOU by Ally Carter and…that’s it. I told you. UNDERPERFORMED. In fact, I had no idea I only reviewed this one book until just today. I could’ve SWORN there was another one. Alas. I WILL be better next month, guys. I SWEAR. (In my defense, AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES was checked out of my library for most of this month, so….)

THE EXILED QUEEN is chilling in a pile right now, waiting for me, Katherines is on hold at the library, and SHADE–because I’ve been hearing TONS of love for these books now that the third in this trilogy is out–is coming to me courtesy of le wallet because my library doesn’t have them (for shame!)

May, I will crush you.

Filed Under: Rewind and Review Tagged With: pile of shame, rewind and review

Book Review: Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik

May 3

Title: Epic Fail

Author: Claire LaZebnik

Genre: Contemporary YA

Publisher: Harper Teen

Release date: August 2, 2011

Challenge: Completely Contemporary Challenge

Source: Bought

Summary: At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:

As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.

As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: 2012 Reading Challenge, Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: CCC, Claire LaZebnik, contemporary YA, Harper Teen

Tripping Over May

May 2

New books that are on their way this month!

DUDES. There are an absolute TON of books coming out this month. Seriously, I can’t imagine that I’ll be able to fit more than half here. MAY IS ON AND POPPIN’, friends.

Unfortunately, because of the aforementioned “on and poppin'” status of this month’s releases, I just about DIED trying to link up all the covers for this TOP-HEAVY month. So, I’ve gone the slightly less time-consuming route and just linked the titles. Also, check out this Goodreads list for all the books I DIDN’T EVEN POST HERE BECAUSE THERE’S SO MANY.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Tripping Over... Tagged With: books, new releases

Waiting on Wednesday (25): Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols

May 2

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!

Such a Rush

by Jennifer Echols

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business — until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers — and the consequences could be deadly.

I am a hardcore Jennifer Echols FANGIRL. MAJOR fan over here. Ever since I read GOING TOO FAR, she instantly became one of my always-read authors, and she’s never really let me down. (Although her romantic dramas are better than her romantic comedies, imho.) Her characters are always real and unique, her settings are always fresh (HELLO! Pilots?!), and her sexytimes are LEGIT TIMES INFINITY. To say that I am eagerly anticipating SUCH A RUSH, her newest romantic drama, is understatement central. Because I AM DYING FOR IT. Pilots? Flying? Secrets? TWO boys instead of just one?! *GRABBY HANDS*

SUCH A RUSH is coming out July 10, 2012 from MTV Books.

Filed Under: Waiting on Wednesday Tagged With: contemporary YA, Jennifer Echols, MTV Books, waiting on wednesday

Top Ten Tuesday (25)

May 1

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I’d Like to See Made Into a Movie

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…]

Filed Under: Top Ten Tuesday Tagged With: top ten tuesday

Book Review | Pieces of Us | Margie Gelbwasser

Apr 30

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.

Book Review | Pieces of Us | Margie Gelbwasser

Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser
Published by Flux on March 8, 2012
Genres: Contemporary YA
Pages: 336
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher via NetGalley
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Goodreads
three-stars

Every summer, hidden away in a lakeside community in upstate New York, four teens leave behind their old identities…and escape from their everyday lives.

Yet back in Philadelphia during the school year, Alex cannot suppress his anger at his father (who killed himself), his mother (whom he blames for it), and the girls who give it up too easily. His younger brother, Kyle, is angry too—at his abusive brother, and at their mother who doesn’t seem to care. Meanwhile, in suburban New Jersey, Katie plays the role of Miss Perfect while trying to forget the nightmare that changed her life. But Julie, her younger sister, sees Katie only as everything she’s not. And their mother will never let Julie forget it.

Up at the lake, they can be anything, anyone. Free. But then Katie’s secret gets out, forcing each of them to face reality—before it tears them to pieces.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Reviews, Young Adult Tagged With: CCC, contemporary YA, Flux, Margie Gelbwasser

In My Mailbox (25)

Apr 29

April 29, 2012

Lots of great stuff this week from all manner of places! Woot!

FROM NETGALLEY

Timepiece: Hourglass #2 by Myra McEntire (June 12, 2012 from EgmontUSA). MORE HOURGLASS, MORE KALEB. Yes please!

One Moment by Kristina McBride (June 26, 2012 from EgmontUSA). So, FOOT on the cover–not my favorite thing. But! This book sounds intense, mysterious, and thought-provoking, what with a girl trying to recover the memories of what happened the night her boyfriend jumped off a cliff–where they were standing together–and died. Secrets are revealed, y’all!

(Thanks SO MUCH, EgmontUSA!)

FROM THE LIBRARY

The Dark Hills Divide: The Land of Elyon #1 by Patrick Carman. Middle grade fantasy about a girl who goes to investigate a mysterious forest outside the walls of the city where she lives. Sounds SUPER.

Fairy Tale Detectives: The Sisters Grimm #1 by Michael Buckley. This series has been on my radar for ages, guys, because it’s a middle grade series about descendants of the Grimm brothers who investigate crimes INSIDE fairy tales. Seriously.

Time Enough for Drums by Ann Rinaldi. So, I’ve mentioned before that I NERD over the American Revolution. Tara from Hobbitses heard this wonderful news and told me that I MUST read this book. American Revolution? CHECK. BONUS?! It’s set in Trenton, NJ. FANTASTIC.

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester. Another one from the backlist, friends. Also middle grade. About a young girl who can…wait for it…FLY, who gets sent to a special school for other kids with special gifts.

The Summer Before Boys by Nora Raleigh Baskin. I actually already reviewed this one over at Bookalicious.org. It’s a really sweet, thoughtful story about a young girl whose mom is serving overseas in Iraq.

Divergent: Divergent #1 by Veronica Roth. The more I thought about this book, the more I WANTED IT. Also, I was hoping to reread before INSURGENT comes out next week, but ALAS. I forgot how HUGE it was.

The Summer Series by Jenny Han. This is seriously one of the BEST, ANGSTIEST contemporary YA series, guys. I LOVE these books, and one of the most fraught, dramatic triangles ever. And, you know, CONRAD. SIGH.

Lots of AWESOME this week, guys! Hope your mailboxes are AWESOME, too!

Filed Under: In My Mailbox Tagged With: books, IMM

Tripping Over Books

Book Review | Kill Me Softly | Sarah Cross