Monthly Archives: December 2016

Book Title:
Love and First Sight
Book Author:
Josh Sundquist
Publishing Date:
January 3rd, 2017
Publisher:
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Date Read:
December 27th, 2016
Source:
ARC from publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

On his first day at a new school, blind sixteen-year-old Will Porter accidentally groped a girl on the stairs, sat on another student in the cafeteria, and somehow drove a classmate to tears. High school can only go up from here, right?

As Will starts to find his footing, he develops a crush on a charming, quiet girl named Cecily. Then an unprecedented opportunity arises: an experimental surgery that could give Will eyesight for the first time in his life. But learning to see is more difficult than Will ever imagined, and he soon discovers that the sighted world has been keeping secrets. It turns out Cecily doesn't meet traditional definitions of beauty--in fact, everything he'd heard about her appearance was a lie engineered by their so-called friends to get the two of them together. Does it matter what Cecily looks like? No, not really. But then why does Will feel so betrayed?

Told with humor and breathtaking poignancy, Love and First Sight is a story about how we related to each other and the world around us

My Review

As my first 2017 book, let me tell you that as I read more and more books that release this year, it’s going to take a lot for them to grab me the way that this one did.  Why?  It’s … Continue reading

5 stars
4 Comments
Book Title:
Ever the Hunted
Book Author:
Erin Summerill
Book Series:
Clash of Kingdoms, #1
Publishing Date:
December 27th, 2016
Publisher:
HMH Books for Young Readers
Date Read:
Dece,ber 26th, 2016
Source:
ARC from publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

Seventeen year-old Britta Flannery is at ease only in the woods with her dagger and bow. She spends her days tracking criminals alongside her father, the legendary bounty hunter for the King of Malam—that is, until her father is murdered. Now outcast and alone and having no rights to her father’s land or inheritance, she seeks refuge where she feels most safe: the Ever Woods. When Britta is caught poaching by the royal guard, instead of facing the noose she is offered a deal: her freedom in exchange for her father’s killer.

However, it’s not so simple.

The alleged killer is none other than Cohen McKay, her father’s former apprentice. The only friend she’s ever known. The boy she once loved who broke her heart. She must go on a dangerous quest in a world of warring kingdoms, mad kings, and dark magic to find the real killer. But Britta wields more power than she knows. And soon she will learn what has always made her different will make her a daunting and dangerous force.

My Review

Lately, it seems like every time I pick up a super hyped up fantasy novel, I find myself either being bored, not relating to the characters at all, or thinking that the plot is just a rehashing of another dozen … Continue reading

2 stars
4 Comments
Book Title:
The Sun Is Also A Star
Book Author:
Nicola Yoon
Publishing Date:
November 1st, 2016
Publisher:
Delacorte Press
Date Read:
December 21st, 2016
Source:
Blogging for Books program

Synopsis

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

My Review

I read Everything, Everything last year when it first came out, and it was one of those books that I managed to finish up in one sitting.  It was such a powerful and beautiful book that I simply had to … Continue reading

4.5 stars
5 Comments
Book Title:
Finding Perfect
Book Author:
Elly Swartz
Publishing Date:
October 18th, 2016
Publisher:
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Date Read:
December 10th, 2016
Source:
ARC from publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

To twelve-year-old Molly Nathans, perfect is:

―The number four

―The tip of a newly sharpened No. 2 pencil

―A crisp white pad of paper

―Her neatly aligned glass animal figurines

What’s not perfect is Molly’s mother leaving the family to take a faraway job with the promise to return in one year. Molly knows that promises are sometimes broken, so she hatches a plan to bring her mother home: Win the Lakeville Middle School Poetry Slam Contest. The winner is honored at a fancy banquet with white tablecloths. Molly is sure her mother would never miss that. Right…?

But as time passes, writing and reciting slam poetry become harder. Actually, everything becomes harder as new habits appear, and counting, cleaning, and organizing are not enough to keep Molly's world from spinning out of control. In this fresh-voiced debut novel, one girl learns there is no such thing as perfect.

My Review

Somehow this book slipped right under my radar, and I hadn’t heard anything about it prior to the awesome folks over at Macmillan Children’s sending me an ARC of it.  Intrigued, I opened up the first page of the book, … Continue reading

5 stars
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Book Title:
Iceling
Book Author:
Sasha Stephenson
Book Series:
Icelings, #1
Publishing Date:
December 13th, 2016
Publisher:
Razorbill
Date Read:
December 9th, 2016
Source:
ARC from publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

Lorna’s adopted sister, Callie, is part of a mysterious group of non-lingual teens, Icelings, born on a remote Arctic island, who may not be entirely human. Now Callie wants to go home.

Seventeen-year-old Lorna loves her adoptive sister, Callie. But Callie can’t say “I love you” back. In fact, Callie can’t say anything at all.

Because Callie is an Iceling—one of hundreds of teens who were discovered sixteen years ago on a remote Arctic island, all of them lacking the ability to speak or understand any known human language.

Mysterious and panicked events lead to the two sisters embarking on a journey to the north, and now Lorna starts to see that there’s a lot more to Callie’s origin story than she’d been led to believe. Little does she know what’s in store, and that she’s about to uncover the terrifying secret about who—and what—Callie really is.

My Review

This book has been on my radar since I first heard about it months ago.  It seemed like it was going to be the perfect blend of science fiction, family relationships, and a whole bunch of twists that were sure … Continue reading

4 stars
4 Comments
Book Title:
Fate of Flames
Book Author:
Sarah Raughley
Book Series:
Effigies, #1
Publishing Date:
November 22nd, 2-16
Publisher:
Simon Pulse
Date Read:
December 6th, 2016
Source:
I received a copy from the publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

Years ago, everything changed. Phantoms, massive beasts of nightmare, began terrorizing the world. At the same time four girls, the Effigies, appeared, each with the unique power to control a classical element. Since then, they have protected the world from the Phantoms. At the death of one Effigy, another is chosen, pulled from her normal life into the never-ending battle.

When Maia unexpectedly becomes the next Fire Effigy, she resists her new calling. A quiet girl with few friends and almost no family, she was much happier to admire the Effigies from afar. Never did she imagine having to master her ability to control fire, to protect innocent citizens from the Phantoms, or to try bringing together the other three Effigies.

But with the arrival of the mysterious Saul—a man who seems to be able to control the Phantoms using the same cosmic power previously only granted to four girls at a time—Maia and the other Effigies must learn to work together in a world where their celebrity is more important than their heroism.

But the secrets Saul has, and the power he possesses, might be more than even they can handle…

My Review

While I love fantasy novels (they are definitely among my favorite genres), for some reason it seems to take me a bit longer to read them than it does other genres, such as contemporary.  While this isn’t always the case … Continue reading

3.5 stars
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Book Tour
Book Title:
Pusheen Coloring Book
Book Author:
Claire Belton
Publishing Date:
October 25th, 2016
Publisher:
Touchstone
Source:
I received a copy from the publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

Pusheen returns in a delightful coloring book perfect for fans of I Am Pusheen the Cat.

The Internet’s favorite chubby, tubby tabby is back in a purr-fectly cute coloring book featuring adorable kitty drawings that will charm cat lovers and coloring book fans everywhere!

My Review

I love cute things…and I’ll admit it, looking at Pusheen related things always makes me happy, no matter what kind of day I’m having.  So when I saw that there was a Pusheen coloring book, I kind of went nuts…I … Continue reading

5 stars
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Book Tour

Lock & Mori: Mind Games Series: Lock & Mori, # 2 Author: Heather W. Petty Publication Date: December 6th, 2016 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Synopsis: Sherlock Holmes and Miss James “Mori” Moriarty may have closed their first case, but the … Continue reading

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A Shadow Bright and Burning Author: Jessica Cluess Series: Kingdom on Fire, #1 Publication Date: September 20th, 2016 Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers Synopsis: I am Henrietta Howel. The first female sorcerer. The prophesied one. Or am I? … Continue reading

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