Monthly Archives: May 2016

Book Tour

Ivory and Bone (Ivory and Bone #1) Author: Julie Eshbaugh Publisher: HarperTeen Release Date: June 7th 2016 Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Retellings, Fiction Synopsis: A prehistoric fantasy—with allusions to Pride and Prejudice. Hunting, gathering, and keeping his family … Continue reading

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Book Title:
100 Days of Cake
Book Author:
Shari Goldhagen
Page Count:
352
Publishing Date:
May 17th, 2016
Publisher:
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Date Read:
May 21st, 2016
Source:
ARC from publisher

Synopsis

Get well soon isn’t going to cut it in this quirky and poignant debut novel about a girl, her depression, an aggressive amount of baked goods, and the struggle to simply stay afloat in an unpredictable, bittersweet life.

There are only three things that can get seventeen-year-old Molly Byrne out of bed these days: her job at FishTopia, the promise of endless episodes of Golden Girls, and some delicious lo mien. You see, for the past two years, Molly’s been struggling with something more than your usual teenage angst. Her shrink, Dr. Brooks isn’t helping much, and neither is her mom who is convinced that baking the perfect cake will cure Molly of her depression—as if cake can magically make her rejoin the swim team, get along with her promiscuous sister, or care about the SATs.

Um, no. Never going to happen.

But Molly plays along, stomaching her mother’s failed culinary experiments, because, whatever—as long as it makes someone happy, right? Besides, as far as Molly’s concerned, hanging out with Alex at the rundown exotic fish store makes life tolerable enough. Even if he does ask her out every…single…day. But—sarcastic drum roll, please—nothing can stay the same forever. When Molly finds out FishTopia is turning into a bleak country diner, her whole life seems to fall apart at once. Soon she has to figure out what—if anything—is worth fighting for.

My Review

“Maybe there is some combination of sugar, eggs, and flour that can make me care about school dances and four-hundred-meter relay times and college applications.  If there is, I will gladly eat piece after piece every day for the rest … Continue reading

4 stars
5 Comments

So I’m super excited to announce that the #DashnerDash Binge Read is starting today, and will last all through the summer and into September, when The Fever Code is released! I personally haven’t even had the chance to read The … Continue reading

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Book Tour

100 Days of Cake Author: Shari Goldhagen Publication Date: May 17th, 2016 Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers Synopsis: Get well soon isn’t going to cut it in this quirky and poignant debut novel about a girl, her depression, an … Continue reading

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Book Title:
Girl Against the Universe
Book Author:
Paula Stokes
Publishing Date:
May 17th, 2016
Publisher:
HarperTeen
Date Read:
May 16th, 2016
Source:
eARC from publisher via Edelweiss

Synopsis

Maguire is bad luck.

No matter how many charms she buys off the internet or good luck rituals she performs each morning, horrible things happen when Maguire is around. Like that time the rollercoaster jumped off its tracks. Or the time the house next door caught on fire. Or that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch.

It’s safest for Maguire to hide out in her room, where she can cause less damage and avoid meeting new people who she could hurt. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star. Jordy is confident, talented, and lucky, and he’s convinced he can help Maguire break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for Jordy is to stay away. But it turns out staying away is harder than she thought.

From author Paula Stokes comes a funny and poignant novel about accepting the past, embracing the future, and learning to make your own luck.

My Review

“Once I accepted the fact that I was bad luck, I shied away from group activities. And groups. And activities. I started spending a lot of time in my room, tucked under my covers reading books. There’s only so much … Continue reading

4.5 stars
5 Comments

The Telling Author: Alexandra Sirowy Publication Date: August 2nd, 2016 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Synopsis: Lana used to know what was real. That was before when her life was small and quiet. Her golden step-brother, Ben, … Continue reading

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Book Title:
Essential Maps for the Lost
Book Author:
Deb Caletti
Publishing Date:
April 5th, 2016
Publisher:
Simon Pulse
Date Read:
April 17th, 2016
Source:
I received a copy from the publisher

Synopsis

There are many ways to be lost.

Sometimes people want to be lost. Madison—Mads to everyone who knows her—is trying her best to escape herself during one last summer away from a mother who needs more from her than she can give, and from a future that has been decided by everyone but her.

Sometimes the lost do the unimaginable, like the woman, the body, Mads collides with in the middle of the water on a traumatic morning that changes everything.

And sometimes the lost are the ones left behind, like the son of the woman in the water, Billy Youngwolf Floyd. Billy is struggling to find his way through each day in the shadow of grief. His one comfort is the map he carries in his pocket, out of his favorite book, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

When three lives (and one special, shared book) collide, strange things happen. Things like questions and coincidences and secrets—lots of secrets. Things like falling in love. But can two lost people telling so many lies find their way through tragedy to each other…and to solid ground?

My Review

“Somewhere in the universe, a couple of stars collide.  They aren’t fancy stars, or even ones with names.  Just regular old stars.  Two of millions.  Still, just like that, some of the best things begin.” There are plenty of sweet, … Continue reading

4 stars
2 Comments

The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You Author: Lily Anderson Publication Date: May 17th, 2016 Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin Format: Hardcover/eBook Synopsis: Trixie Watson has two very important goals for senior year: to finally save enough to buy the … Continue reading

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Book Title:
The Girl I Used to Be
Book Author:
April Henry
Publishing Date:
May 3rd, 2016
Publisher:
Henry Holt and CO. (BYR)
Date Read:
May 4th, 2016
Source:
eARC from publisher via NetGalley

Synopsis

When Olivia's mother was killed, everyone suspected her father of murder. But his whereabouts remained a mystery. Fast forward fourteen years. New evidence now proves Olivia's father was actually murdered on the same fateful day her mother died. That means there's a killer still at large. It's up to Olivia to uncover who that may be. But can she do that before the killer tracks her down first?

My Review

I read a lot of thrillers, but I always find it difficult to find a good one.  A lot of them are just really hard to get into – whether it be from lack of details and a plot that … Continue reading

2 stars
6 Comments
Book Title:
Klickitat
Book Author:
Peter Rock
Publishing Date:
April 12th, 2016
Publisher:
Amulet Books
Date Read:
May 17th, 2016
Source:
I received a copy from the publisher

Synopsis

Vivian feels left behind when her older sister, Audra, runs away from home. She believes that Audra will return and pays careful attention to the clues around her. Then, inexplicably, writing begins to appear in a blank notebook.

When Audra does come back for Vivian, she’s in the company of a strange man. The three of them run away together and practice wilderness survival. While Audra plans for the future, Vivian continues to gather evidence: Who is this mysterious man, and does he have any connection to the words appearing in her notebook?

Klickitat is a haunting story, full of atmosphere and awakening, crafted by one of today's most startling literary talents.

"The dreamy narration is evocative of The Virgin Suicides…it might be a readalike for E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars…"--VOYA

My Review

Klickitat is quite possibly one of the most unique, strange books that I have read, and that isn’t a bad thing.  This book pulled off a story that, while at first I didn’t know if I would enjoy, I ended … Continue reading

4 stars
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