Top Ten Tuesday (62)

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic is

With the influx of dystopian books/series that we've seen over the past couple of years I feel like there are just so many worlds that I would absolutely go nowhere near.

Starters immediately pops into my mind because I'm reading Enders now.  A world full of only the elderly and the young, where unclaimed kids live in hiding and rich old people can rent out young bodies to do whatever they please?  No thanks.

Delirium, where love is an illness with a mandated vaccine that you get when you come of age.

Divergent, a world where extreme values decide where and how you'll spend your time.

Matched, where the society has decided everything for you AND has the bonus of having had most of the art, books, and music destroyed.  Censorship, yay.

The Hunger Games.  I wouldn't last ten minutes in the arena.  Hell, I probably wouldn't even make it INTO the arena.

The Darkest Minds, where the kids who've survived a mysterious illness are either gathered into "rehab" camps or being hunted down by people who want to use their newly acquired powers for personal gain.

Now, there are some decidedly not dystopian worlds I'd rather not be a part of also.

Harry Potter.  I know, I know, but that's the dream, you cry.  I just...I would so not want to be around during the Second Wizarding War.  Let me be transported in after the, "All was well" (or any point in the 19 years after the war) and I'm totally there.

The 5th Wave, where if the first four plagues didn't get you, the aliens disguised as humans probably will.

Everneath, where a rock band culls life force from their fans to be immortal.

Anna Dressed in Blood.  I love scary stuff, but if ghost hunting was my real life I'd be scared out of my mind.


What about you guys?  Where would you definitely NOT want to be?

Congratulations Award Winners!

Congratulations to this year's winners!  It's so awesome to see everyone on my twitter feed so excited about these books.  The only ones I've read are Doll Bones and Eleanor & Park, so I can't wait to check out the rest!

Waiting on Wednesday (54)

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Teen Spirit

Author: Francesca Lia Block

Pub Date: 2.4.14

From goodreads.com: After Julie's grandmother passes away, she is forced to move across town to the not-so-fancy end of Beverly Hills and start over at a new school. The only silver lining to the perpetual dark cloud that seems to be following her? Clark—a die-hard fan of Buffy and all things Joss Whedon, who is just as awkward and damaged as she is. Her kindred spirit.

When the two try to contact Julie's grandmother with a Ouija board, they make contact with a different spirit altogether. The real kind. And this ghost will do whatever it takes to come back to the world of the living.

Top Ten Tuesday (61)

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic is

I didn't come up with ten this week, but here's a few things I want to see more of in YA books.

Waiting on Wednesday (53)

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: And We Stay

Author: Jenny Hubbard

Pub Date: 1.28.14

From goodreads.com:  When high school senior Paul Wagoner walks into his school library with a stolen gun, he threatens his girlfriend Emily Beam, then takes his own life. In the wake of the tragedy, an angry and guilt-ridden Emily is shipped off to boarding school in Amherst, Massachusetts, where she encounters a ghostly presence who shares her name. The spirit of Emily Dickinson and two quirky girls offer helping hands, but it is up to Emily to heal her own damaged self.

This inventive story, told in verse and in prose, paints the aftermath of tragedy as a landscape where there is good behind the bad, hope inside the despair, and springtime under the snow.

Top Ten Tuesday (60)

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic is

Here are a few I'm looking forward to reading in no particular order:

Side Effects May Vary - Julie Murphy - 3.18.14
What if you’d been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you? 
When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that’s as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice’s scores are settled, she goes into remission.
Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she’s said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most?

The Art of Lainey - Paula Stokes - 5.20.14
Soccer star Lainey Mitchell is used to getting what she wants, and when her boyfriend Jason breaks up with her for no reason, what she wants is to win him back before the start of their senior year. Lainey and her friend Bianca check the interwebz for tips and tricks, but the online dating advice is all pretty lame. 
Then the girls stumble across a copy of The Art of War. Didn't someone once say that love is a battlefield? Jason isn't going to stand a chance once Lainey and Bee go all Zhou Dynasty on him... 

Ask Again Later - Liz Czukas - 3.11.14
Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in complicated romance. So when her brilliant plan to go to prom with a group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there's only one drama-free solution: flip a coin.
Heads: The jock. He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother's best friend really be?Tails: The theater geek...with a secret. What could be better than a guy who shares all Heart's interests--even if he wants to share all his feelings?Heart's simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates. But where her prom night ends up might be the most surprising thing of all...

Love Letters to the Dead - Ava Dellaira - 4.1.14
It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path.

The Break-Up Artist - Philip Siegel - 4.29.14
Some sixteen-year-olds babysit for extra cash. Some work at the Gap. Becca Williamson breaks up couples. 


After watching her sister get left at the altar, Becca knows the true damage that comes when people utter the dreaded L-word. For just $100 via paypal, she can trick and manipulate any couple into smithereens. With relationship zombies overrunning her school, and treating single girls like second class citizens, business is unfortunately booming. Even her best friend Val has resorted to outright lies to snag a boyfriend.One night, she receives a mysterious offer to break up the homecoming king and queen, the one zombie couple to rule them all: Steve and Huxley. They are a JFK and Jackie O in training, masters of sweeping faux-mantic gestures, but if Becca can split them up, then school will be safe again for singletons. To succeed, she'll have to plan her most elaborate scheme to date and wiggle her way back into her former BFF Huxley’s life – not to mention start a few rumors, sabotage some cell phones, break into a car, and fend off the inappropriate feelings she’s having about Val’s new boyfriend. All while avoiding a past victim out to expose her true identity.No one said being the Break-Up Artist was easy.

Open Road Summer - Emery Lord - 4.15.14
After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking.

Far From You - Tess Sharpe - 4.8.14
Sophie Winters nearly died. Twice.
The first time, she's fourteen, and escapes a near-fatal car accident with scars, a bum leg, and an addiction to Oxy that'll take years to kick.The second time, she's seventeen, and it's no accident. Sophie and her best friend Mina are confronted by a masked man in the woods. Sophie survives, but Mina is not so lucky. When the cops deem Mina's murder a drug deal gone wrong, casting partial blame on Sophie, no one will believe the truth: Sophie has been clean for months, and it was Mina who led her into the woods that night for a meeting shrouded in mystery.After a forced stint in rehab, Sophie returns home to a chilly new reality. Mina's brother won't speak to her, her parents fear she'll relapse, old friends have become enemies, and Sophie has to learn how to live without her other half. To make matters worse, no one is looking in the right places and Sophie must search for Mina's murderer on her own. But with every step, Sophie comes closer to revealing all: about herself, about Mina and about the secret they shared.

Something Real - Heather Demetrios - 2.4.14
There’s nothing real about reality TV.
Seventeen-year-old Bonnie™ Baker has grown up on TV—she and her twelve siblings are the stars of one-time hit reality show Baker’s Dozen. Since the show’s cancellation and the scandal surrounding it, Bonnie™ has tried to live a normal life, under the radar and out of the spotlight. But it’s about to fall apart…because Baker’s Dozen is going back on the air. Bonnie™’s mom and the show’s producers won’t let her quit and soon the life she has so carefully built for herself, with real friends (and maybe even a real boyfriend), is in danger of being destroyed by the show. Bonnie™ needs to do something drastic if her life is ever going to be her own—even if it means being more exposed than ever before.

Elusion - Claudia Gabel - 3.18.14
Soon, Elusion® will change the world and life as we know it.
A new technology called Elusion is sweeping the country. An app, visor and wristband will virtually transport you to an exotic destination where adventure can be pursued without the complications—or consequences—of real life.
Regan is an Elusion insider. Or at least she used to be. Her father invented the program, and her best friend, Patrick, heir to the tech giant Orexis, is about to release it nationwide. But ever since her father’s unexpected death, Regan can’t bear to Escape, especially since waking up from the dream means crashing back to her grim reality.
Still, when there are rumors of trouble in Elusion—accusations that it’s addictive and dangerous— Regan is determined to defend it. But the critics of Elusion come from surprising sources, including Josh, the handsome skeptic with his own personal stakes. As Regan investigates the claims, she discovers a disturbing web of secrets. She will soon have to choose between love and loyalty…a decision that will affect the lives of millions.

The Chance You Won't Return - Annie Cardi - 4.22.14
Driver's ed and a first crush should be what Alex Winchester is stressed out about in high school - and she is. But what's really on her mind is her mother. Why is she dressing in Dad's baggy khaki pants with a silk scarf around her neck? What is she planning when she pores over maps in the middle of the night? When did she stop being Mom and start being Amelia Earhart? Alex tries to keep her budding love life apart from the growing disaster at home as her mother sinks further into her delusions. But there are those nights, when everyone else is asleep, when it's easier to confide in Amelia than it ever was to Mom. Now, as Amelia's flight plans become more intense, Alex is increasingly worried that Amelia is planning her final flight - the flight from which she never returns. What could possibly be driving Mom's delusions, and how far will they take her?

Do you guys have any debuts you're looking forward to checking out?

Waiting on Wednesday (52)

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Hollow City

Author: Ransom Riggs

Pub Date: 1.14.14

From bn.com: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was the surprise best seller of 2011—an unprecedented mix of YA fantasy and vintage photography that enthralled readers and critics alike. Publishers Weekly called it “an enjoyable, eccentric read, distinguished by well-developed characters, a believable Welsh setting, and some very creepy monsters.”

This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.

Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.

Top Ten Tuesday (59)

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic is

I'm sticking to five resolutions for the blog this year.  This way I can focus more on them (or so I tell myself).

1. Write more reviews.  Sometimes I read so quickly that I don't get my thoughts down on paper.  Once I move on, forget it, I can't write anything.  By my count, I only posted 9 reviews last year.  My goal this year is 20.  It's such a small fraction of what I read, there's no reason I shouldn't be able to do it.

2. Post more reviews.  I have a number of reviews from last year, basically fully written, sitting in a notebook.  I just never remember to type them up.  This year I WILL post everything I write.

3. Complete all challenges I sign up for.  Last year I fell way short on the debut author challenge and that won't happen again this year.

4. Be better about staying on top of my reading.  I did finish my goodreads challenge in 2012 and 2013, but in both cases I filled the end of the year with novellas and kids books trying to meet my goal.  On one hand, this was good because I am a kids bookseller and this helped me give better recommendations, but it makes it feel like an empty victory on the challenge side of things.

5. Be a more organized blogger.  I used to at least have a loose blogging schedule that I kept to.  That definitely fell by the wayside towards the end of this year.  I hope to get back on track, or maybe even come up with a new schedule to keep things fresh.

My blogging resolutions are all kind of basic this year.  Have you guys resolved to do anything fun?  Let me know in the comments!

End of the Year Book Survey

Thank you to the wonderful Jamie over at The Perpetual Page-Turner for this survey.

I tried to do this last year because I think it's awesome, but I didn't ever finish it.  This year I was better!  At least at answering these questions.

1. Best Book You Read In 2013? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)

I’m just gonna go with my gut and say Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson.  It was one of the first books I read this year and it hasn’t really left my mind since.  I’m constantly recommending it to people and I can’t wait to reread it myself.

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle.  It sounded like a good story, had an awesome cover, but I thought it was just too reminiscent of Judy Blume’s Forever.  And I know, most people consider Forever a classic, but I read it too late in life and didn't really connect with it like you're supposed to, so those feelings kind of carried over to this one.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2013? 

The Bloodlines series.  I read both Vampire Academy and Bloodlines for the first time this year (in a very short amount of time).  Love them both, but by the end of VA I was kind of fed up with Rose.  Bloodlines, though, turned out to be one of the best series I’ve read.  The main characters are some of the most well written that I’ve ever encountered and I can’t wait to see what comes next in Sydney and Adrian’s story.

4. Book you read in 2013 that you recommended to people most in 2013?

Probably Tiger Lily.  Or more recently This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales.

 5. Best series you discovered in 2013?

Bloodlines.  I’m sorry if this survey becomes a love letter to Richelle Mead, but I just love these books so effing much. 

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2013?

Bennett Madison.  I read September Girls and adored it.  I really enjoyed what he had to say about pop culture and society’s norms through the story’s (capital G) Girls.  I will definitely be looking out for more of his books in the future.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

I don’t really like reading too much Middle Grade, but I did read a bunch of it this year that turned out to be great: Doll Bones, Fortunately, the Milk, Timmy Failure, and Love That Dog.

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2013?

The most thrilling stand alone goes to If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch.  Series is (once again, I’m sorry) Bloodlines, especially The Fiery Heart.    

9. Book You Read In 2013 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

The Bloodlines series hands down.  I have wanted to reread them since I first put them down.  I can’t wait until we’re closer to Silver Shadows and I have an excuse to pick them up again.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2013?

I’m going to say Doll Bones by Holly Black.  The colors and the style of the art on that cover is gorgeous.  I would get it tattooed on me, I just love it so much.

11. Most memorable character in 2013? 

It’s going to be either Adrian Ivashkov or Sydney Sage from Vampire Academy/Bloodlines.  I can’t decide which one of them is more memorable to me.  I could write essays about both of them and their perfect imperfectness.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2013?

Lovely, Dark and Deep by Amy McNamara.  I didn’t know that she was a poet until after I read this book, but it definitely shows in her writing.  Lovely, Dark and Deep was a beautiful read.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2013? 

Doll Bones really got me thinking about when it becomes the norm to stop playing pretend and telling ourselves stories and that aspect of growing up.

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2013 to finally read? 

Vampire Academy.  It took A LOT of pressure from my sister for me to pick up these books, but it was well worth it.  And now I can't wait for the movie!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2013?

 From Eleanor & Park:

16. Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?

Shortest: The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl, 32, Longest: Last Sacrifice (Vampire Academy #6) by Richelle Mead, 594

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

Indigo Spell, the frat house scene obv.  Please come talk to me about Sydney and Adrian.  PLEASE.

18. Favorite Relationship From A Book You Read In 2013 (be it romantic, friendship, etc).

Sydney and Adrian from Bloodlines.  So good for each other, such strong characters, such a realistic relationship in an unrealistic world. 

19. Favorite Book You Read in 2013 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Just One Day by Gayle Forman (or Just One Year!), Going Rogue by Robin Benway,

20. Best Book You Read In 2013 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else:

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke. I didn’t really think gothic was my thing, but I picked this one up on a recommendation from my sister (who is very rarely wrong) and it was great.  Totally creepy and very awesome.

21. Genre You Read The Most From in 2013?

From a quick survey of what I’ve read, it looks like Contemporary was the clear winner this year.

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2013?

ADRIAN IVASHKOV.  No question.

23. Best 2013 debut you read?

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.

24. Most vivid world/imagery in a book you read in 2013?

Neverland in Tiger Lily.  She totally rips down what we’ve all known about Neverland from when we were little and reinvents it for this story. 

25. Book That Was The Most Fun To Read in 2013?

Timmy Failure by Stephan Pastis.  It was hysterical.  I think I read every other line out loud to my sister because it was killing me.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2013?

Tiger Lily made me SOB.  Like, I didn’t think I was going to be okay ever again kind of sobbing.  So good, but so so sad.

27. Book You Read in 2013 That You Think Got Overlooked This Year Or When It Came Out?

I don’t know, I didn’t really hear much about Cherry Money Baby by John M. Cusick, but I thought that was really good.  I fell off the blogging train a bit this year, so I didn’t really hear a lot of the hype.

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2013 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2014?

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black.  It just always feels good to have a Holly Black book I haven’t read waiting in the wings for me. 

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2014 (non-debut)?

Silver Shadows (Bloodlines #5) by Richelle Mead.  I have to KNOW.

3. 2014 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy and Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano

4. Series Ending You Are Most Anticipating in 2014?

The Everneath series.  (Okay, I already read Evertrue, but it technically doesn’t come out until 2014 so I still feel good about this choice.)

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging In 2014?

Be better.  I fell off the blogging train towards the end of the year, but I really hope to pick myself up and get back on here.  I really enjoy it and it helps me better remember what I’ve read. 

Top Ten Tuesday (58)

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's topic is

1. The Fiery Heart
11/19/13
&
2. Silver Shadows
- Richelle Mead
August 2014
I can't even really describe how much I love the Bloodlines series.  I only read it two weeks ago, but every day since has been a struggle to not reread them.  It is definitely made its way onto my list of favorite series of all time.  Sydney and Adrian are forever.  They're just so well written, separately and together, and I need to know what's going on with them.

3. Isla and the Happily Ever After - Stephanie Perkins
5/13/14
I have been waiting for Isla for ages.  I've wanted to reread Anna ever since the first time I read it, but made a promise to myself that I wouldn't do it until I could read all three books together and we're slowly inching closer to that being a reality.

4. Evertrue - Brodi Ashton
1/21/14
I haven't even read Everbound yet, but I loved Everneath so much that I want them all!

5. The Infinite Sea - Rick Yancey
5/6/14
I was really glad The 5th Wave lived up to all it's hype.  I can't wait to see where the story goes, though I'm not a huge fan of this title.  I never remember that the two books are connected.

6. The Retribution of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin
6/10/14
I was really sad to hear that this release was getting pushed back.  I can't wait to read the conclusion of this series.

7. Hollow City - Ransom Riggs
1/14/14
Miss Peregrine was so different than anything I've read before and I can't wait to jump back into this world.

8. Enders - Lissa Price
1/7/14
I loved Starters and was super excited to continue on with this series, but I think it was another one that got pushed back?  Anyway, I really want to find out what is in store for Callie and the others.

9. Vengeance - Megan Miranda
2/13/14
Fracture is one of my favorite books that I've read since I started blogging and I was so excited to hear that there was going to be a sequel to it.  I love Delaney and Decker and can't wait to spend more time with them.

10. Going Rogue - Robin Benway
1/14/14
I LOVED Also Known As.  A teenage safecracker with an awesome family and an even more awesome best friend (Roux was the best!), what's not to love?  And it's Robin Benway, so you know it's gonna be great.  I can't wait for this one!

Are there any sequels you guys are especially excited for?  I'm always looking for books to add to my insanely long TBR list!