Book Title:
#famous
Book Author:
Jilly Gagnon
Page Count:
384
Publishing Date:
February 14th, 2017
Publisher:
Katherine Tegan Books
Date Read:
February 8th, 2017
Source:
eARC from publisher via Edelweiss - Thank you!

Synopsis

In this modern-day love story, Girl likes Boy, Girl takes photo of Boy and posts it online, Boy becomes accidentally insta-famous. And what starts out as an innocent joke spirals into a whirlwind adventure that could change both their lives—and their hearts—forever. But are fame and love worth the price?

Told in alternating points of view, #famous captures the out-of-control thrill ride of falling for someone in front of everyone.

My Review

Oh I loved this book. I loved it so much. Thank you so much, HarperTeen, for allowing me to read this book and fall in love with it. There’s humor, there’s a cute romance, there’s ridiculous social media usage and … Continue reading

4 stars
11 Comments
Book Title:
The Castle in the Mist
Book Author:
Amy Ephron
Publishing Date:
February 7th, 2017
Publisher:
Philomel Books
Date Read:
February 7th, 2017
Source:
ARC from publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

Tess and Max travel behind the walls of a magical castle where wishes really do come true—if the hawthorn trees don’t get you first.

Tess and Max are sent to the English countryside for the summer and long for some excitement. So when Tess, out for a walk alone, happens upon an ornately carved gate and an old brass key, she decides to see what’s inside. To her amazement, she discovers the grounds of a castle filled with swans, bullfrogs, a hedge maze, an old-fashioned carnival, and a boy, William, just her age. William invites Tess back, and she can’t wait to return, this time with her brother.

But strange things happen at William’s castle. Carnival games are paid for in wishes, dreams seem to come alive, and then there’s William’s warning: Beware the hawthorn trees. A warning that chills Tess to the bone.

In the end it’s up to Tess to save her family and her friends from being trapped forever in the world beyond the hawthorns—but will one wish be enough?

My Review

I was super excited to read this book, because I absolutely love the whole idea of a castle and huge fantasy area that appears out of nowhere and is absolutely amazing.  Don’t get me wrong, it was definitely an interesting … Continue reading

3 stars
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Book Title:
Empress of a Thousand Skies
Book Author:
Rhoda Belleza
Publishing Date:
February 7th, 2017
Publisher:
Razorbill
Date Read:
February 5th, 2017
Source:
ARC from publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

Empress

Rhee, also known as Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, is the sole surviving heir to a powerful dynasty. She’ll stop at nothing to avenge her family and claim her throne.

Fugitive

Aly has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. But when he’s falsely accused of killing Rhee, he's forced to prove his innocence to save his reputation – and his life.

Madman

With planets on the brink of war, Rhee and Aly are thrown together to confront a ruthless evil that threatens the fate of the entire galaxy.

A saga of vengeance, warfare, and the true meaning of legacy.

My Review

“Honor, loyalty, bravery.  Revenge.” Empress of a Thousand Skies is definitely a fast paced adventure from the very first page until the end of the book, without a boring moment in between.  In fact, you really have to try your … Continue reading

12 Comments
Book Title:
A Tragic Kind of Wonderful
Book Author:
Eric Lindstrom
Publishing Date:
February 7th, 2017
Publisher:
Poppy
Date Read:
February 7th, 2017
Source:
ARC from publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

In the vein of It's Kind of a Funny Story and All the Bright Places, comes a captivating, immersive exploration of life with mental illness.

For sixteen-year-old Mel Hannigan, bipolar disorder makes life unpredictable. Her latest struggle is balancing her growing feelings in a new relationship with her instinct to keep everyone at arm's length. And when a former friend confronts Mel with the truth about the way their relationship ended, deeply buried secrets threaten to come out and upend her shaky equilibrium.

As the walls of Mel's compartmentalized world crumble, she fears the worst--that her friends will abandon her if they learn the truth about what she's been hiding. Can Mel bring herself to risk everything to find out?

In A Tragic Kind of Wonderful, Eric Lindstrom, author of the critically acclaimed Not If I See You First, examines the fear that keeps us from exposing our true selves, and the courage it takes to be loved for who we really are.

My Review

In A Tragic Kind of Wonderful, we get a look into a sixteen year old girl’s life as she deals with bipolar disorder.  It’s an eye-opening experience for those who might not know much about it, and for those who … Continue reading

4.5 stars
9 Comments
Book Tour

Short Author: Holly Goldberg Sloan Publication Date: January 31st, 2017 Publisher: Dial Books Synopsis: Julia is very short for her age, but by the end of the summer run of The Wizard of Oz, she’ll realize how big she is inside, … Continue reading

2 Comments
Book Title:
To Catch a Killer
Book Author:
Sheryl Scarborough
Publishing Date:
February 7th, 2017
Publisher:
Tor Teen
Date Read:
February 3rd, 2017
Source:
I received a copy from the publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

Erin Blake has one of those names. A name that, like Natalee Holloway or Elizabeth Smart, is inextricably linked to a grisly crime. As a toddler, Erin survived for three days alongside the corpse of her murdered mother, and the case—which remains unsolved—fascinated a nation. Her father's identity unknown, Erin was taken in by her mother's best friend and has become a relatively normal teen in spite of the looming questions about her past.

Fourteen years later, Erin is once again at the center of a brutal homicide when she finds the body of her biology teacher. When questioned by the police, Erin tells almost the whole truth, but never voices her suspicions that her mother's killer has struck again in order to protect the casework she's secretly doing on her own.

Inspired by her uncle, an FBI agent, Erin has ramped up her forensic hobby into a full-blown cold-case investigation. This new murder makes her certain she's close to the truth, but when all the evidence starts to point the authorities straight to Erin, she turns to her longtime crush (and fellow suspect) Journey Michaels to help her crack the case before it's too late.

My Review

Every now and again, I love reading a mystery/thriller much like this one.  They tend to be full of tense, edge of your seat action, and honestly make you guess at what’s going on throughout the novel, leading up to … Continue reading

4 stars
12 Comments
Book Title:
Fire Color One
Book Author:
Jenny Valentine
Publishing Date:
January 31st, 2017
Publisher:
Philomel Books
Date Read:
January 19th, 2017
Source:
ARC from publisher - Thank you!

Synopsis

A father and daughter reconnect after a life spent apart to find their mutual love of art isn’t the only thing they share.

Sixteen-year-old Iris itches constantly for the strike of a match. But when she’s caught setting one too many fires, she’s whisked away to London before she can get arrested—at least that’s the story her mother tells. Mounting debt actually drove them out of LA, and it’s greed that brings them to a home Iris doesn’t recognize, where her millionaire father—a man she’s never met—lives. Though not for much longer.

Iris’s father is dying, and her mother is determined to claim his life’s fortune, including his priceless art collection. Forced to live with him as part of an exploitive scheme, Iris soon realizes her father is far different than the man she’s been schooled to hate, and everything she thought she knew—about her father and herself—is suddenly unclear. There may be hidden beauty in Iris’s uncertain past, and future, if only she can see beyond the flames.

My Review

Fire Color One was an interesting little book with a unique plot that combined a teenage pyromaniac, the love for art, and a father and daughter being reunited ahd sharing secrets.  It was also one of those books that I … Continue reading

3 stars
2 Comments
Book Tour

Wintersong Author: S. Jae-Jones Publication Date: February 7th, 2017 Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin Synopsis: Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell. All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the … Continue reading

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Book Title:
The Someday Birds
Book Author:
Sally J. Pla (Author) and Julie McLaughlin (Illustrator)
Publishing Date:
January 24th, 2017
Publisher:
HarperCollins
Date Read:
January 25th, 2017
Source:
eARC from publisher via Edelweiss - Thank you!

Synopsis

Charlie wishes his life could be as predictable and simple as chicken nuggets.

And it usually is. He has his clean room, his carefully organized bird books and art supplies, his favorite foods, and comfortable routines.

But life has been unraveling since his war journalist father was injured in Afghanistan. And when Dad gets sent across country for medical treatment, Charlie must reluctantly travel to meet him. With his boy-crazy sister, unruly twin brothers, and a mysterious new family friend at the wheel, the journey looks anything but smooth.

So Charlie decides to try and spot all the birds that he and his dad had been hoping to see together in the wild. If he can complete the Someday Birds list for Dad, then maybe, just maybe, things will turn out okay...

Equal parts madcap road trip, coming-of-age story for an unusual boy, and portrait of a family overcoming a crisis.

My Review

I have a seven year old daughter who was diagnosed with autism when she was three, so I was really drawn into this book from the very first moment I heard about it.  I knew I would absolutely love Charlie’s … Continue reading

5 stars
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Book Title:
By Your Side
Book Author:
Kasie West
Publishing Date:
January 31st, 2017
Publisher:
HarperTeen
Date Read:
January 22nd, 2017
Source:
eARC from publisher via Edelweiss - Thank you!

Synopsis

In this irresistible story, Kasie West explores the timeless question of what to do when you fall for the person you least expect. Witty and romantic, this paperback original from a fan favorite is perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins and Morgan Matson.

When Autumn Collins finds herself accidentally locked in the library for an entire weekend, she doesn’t think things could get any worse. But that’s before she realizes that Dax Miller is locked in with her. Autumn doesn’t know much about Dax except that he’s trouble. Between the rumors about the fight he was in (and that brief stint in juvie that followed it) and his reputation as a loner, he’s not exactly the ideal person to be stuck with. Still, she just keeps reminding herself that it is only a matter of time before Jeff, her almost-boyfriend, realizes he left her in the library and comes to rescue her.

Only he doesn’t come. No one does.

Instead it becomes clear that Autumn is going to have to spend the next couple of days living off vending-machine food and making conversation with a boy who clearly wants nothing to do with her. Except there is more to Dax than meets the eye. As he and Autumn first grudgingly, and then not so grudgingly, open up to each other, Autumn is struck by their surprising connection. But can their feelings for each other survive once the weekend is over and Autumn’s old life, and old love interest, threaten to pull her from Dax’s side?

My Review

I have heard nothing but good things about Kasie West books over the years, and while I have a few, I’ve never managed to find time to pick one up and read it until now.  After finishing it, I have … Continue reading

5 stars
13 Comments