Waiting on Wednesday #191 - Winter by Marissa Meyer

Winter
(The Lunar Chronicles #4)
by Marissa Meyer
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Publication Date: November 10th 2015
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
ISBN: 9780312642983




Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Here is the stunning conclusion to the national bestselling Lunar Chronicles, inspired by Snow White.

When Princess Winter was thirteen, the rumor around the Lunar court was that her glamour would soon be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana. In a fit of jealousy, Levana disfigured Winter. Four years later, Winter has sworn off the use of her glamour altogether. Despite her scars, Winter’s natural beauty, her grace, and her gentleness are winning admiration from the Lunar people that no amount of mind-control could achieve.

Winter despises her stepmother, but has never dreamed of standing up to her. That is, until she realizes that she may be the only one with the power to confront the queen.

Can Cinder, Prince Kai, Scarlet, Wolf, Cress, Thorne, Princess Winter, and the palace guard Jacin find their happily ever afters? Fans will LOVE this amazing conclusion to the series. (Goodreads)

Is this cover GORGEOUS, or what?? I can't wait to add it to my collection.
I still need to read Scarlet and Cress, but both books are on my TBR for this year!
Maybe I can read them all right before Winter is released!
That would be pretty awesome. :)

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Review: Everything That Makes You by Moriah McStay

Everything That Makes You
by Moriah McStay
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Publication Date: March 17th 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9780062295484
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Realistic Fiction
Source: Edelweiss

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One girl. Two stories. Meet Fiona Doyle. The thick ridges of scar tissue on her face are from an accident twelve years ago. Fiona has notebooks full of songs she’s written about her frustrations, her dreams, and about her massive crush on beautiful uber-jock Trent McKinnon. If she can’t even find the courage to look Trent straight in his beautiful blue eyes, she sure isn’t brave enough to play or sing any of her songs in public. But something’s changing in Fiona. She can’t be defined by her scars anymore.

And what if there hadn’t been an accident? Meet Fi Doyle. Fi is the top-rated female high school lacrosse player in the state, heading straight to Northwestern on a full ride. She’s got more important things to deal with than her best friend Trent McKinnon, who’s been different ever since the kiss. When her luck goes south, even lacrosse can’t define her anymore. When you’ve always been the best at something, one dumb move can screw everything up. Can Fi fight back?

Hasn’t everyone wondered what if? In this daring debut novel, Moriah McStay gives us the rare opportunity to see what might have happened if things were different. Maybe luck determines our paths. But maybe it’s who we are that determines our luck. (Goodreads)

Everything That Makes You is the wonderfully written debut novel by Moriah McStay. This is a story of ‘What Ifs’. What would happen if your life went in a completely different direction than you expected? What if there was one circumstance that completely changed the course of your life? What if? What if?

The story is about Fiona Doyle, a girl who was in a terrible accident when she was a child and was left with disfiguring scars on her face. To cope, she writes songs that deal with all the frustrations that she experiences in her life; songs she never has the courage to sing in public, undeterred by her best friend Lucy’s insistence. She’d prefer to stay hidden, just another face in the crowd, than to bring attention to herself. The choices that Fiona makes in the story change her world forever, in ways that she never thought possible. 

We also meet Fi Doyle in the story, through alternating chapters. Fi is a girl who was never in an accident as a child, who instead is one of the top-rated lacrosse players in her state, who has a bright future ahead of her with a scholarship at a great college. But Fi makes different choices through the story, one in particular that changes her path in ways that she herself never expected as well.

While most of the secondary characters in the novel are in both storylines, they are all different in each story as well. I can say that in both storylines she was surrounded by pretty great people, especially by her brother Ryan. He was such a great brother to her, and you could tell he really loved his sister.

I really liked that the story was told from different viewpoints, but from the same character. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book like this before, and I was totally hooked, waiting to see what was going to happen for both Fiona and Fi. The story takes place from high school on through college, so we really get to see the different paths and choices that these girls make. It was definitely interesting to read.

Overall; I really enjoyed Everything That Makes You so much more than I expected to. I’m super excited to read more books by Moriah Mcstay in the future, as I’d love to see what she will come up with next! Add this book to your to-read list, or order a copy today!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Spring TBR List

March 17:
Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR List

1. The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson - This book is probably my Most Anticipated read for 2015. This book doesn't actually come out until July, but I was lucky enough to get an ARC of it, and I'm doing everything I can to fit it into my schedule as quickly as possible. This book is a MUST read for me!

2. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir - I'm hearing good things already, so I'm really excited to check this book out. I have a feeling it's going to be super interesting!!

3. P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han - Seriously, who does NOT have this on their Spring TBR??? It's definitely one of my most anticipated, as I'm dying to see what's in store for Lara Jean!

4. Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen - I cannot wait to start Saint Anything. Sarah Dessen is one of my most favorite contemporary authors, and I'm always super excited to read something new of hers.

5. The Good Girls by Sara Sheppard - This is one of my most anticipated reads for 2015! The Perfectionists was my very first experience with Sara Shepard, and I'm hooked! I can't wait to get back into this story!

6. Get Dirty by Gretchen McNeil - This is yet another book on my most anticipated reads for 2015. I really enjoyed Get Even, and I'm super curious to see what's going to happen next for these girls!

7. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige - Because I heard this book was really awesome, and I need to read it before The Wicked Will Rise is released!

8. The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige -  Because it's going to be so super awesome to start this right after I read Dorothy Must Die!

9. Nowhere But Here by Katie McGarry - I loooooooove Katie McGarry's *Pushing the Limit's* series, so I'm super excited for her new Thunder Road series!!

10. Joyride by Anna Banks - I really enjoyed Anna's *The Syrena Legacy series*, and I'm super curious to read her first contemporary! I have a feeling that it's going to be awesome.

There you have it, Bookworms!!
The Top Ten Books on my Spring TBR!!
I am SO Super Excited to read all these books,
and there are SO many more that I could have added!
Seriously, it's going to be a fantastic spring for books!!

What books are you most excited to read this spring?
Leave your link in the comments, as I'd love to come see what everyone else is excited to read!

ARC Giveaway *The Start of Me and You* by Emery Lord!!

Hey Bookworms!!

In celebration of the upcoming release of *The Start of Me and You* on March 31st,
I am giving away this lovely advance reader copy to one lucky winner!!
(Starbucks not included. lol!)

If you haven't yet read something by Emery Lord just yet,
trust me, you will want to.
I thought her previous book, *Open Road Summer* was amazing,
and *The Start of Me and You* is even better!!
You are definitely going to want this book.

Now on to the giveaway...


The Rules:

• One (1) winner will an ARC of The Start of Me and You.
• Open to US / CA Addresses Only.
• Giveaway ends March 23rd.
• Winner will be contacted via email.
  If you do not respond within 24 hours, a new winner will be chosen.
• By entering this Giveaway, you are agreeing to the terms listed above.
  
  There are lots of options to enter, so follow, tweet and like!!

Good luck, Bookworms!!

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Review: Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Bone Gap
by Laura Ruby
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Publication Date: March 3rd 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9780062317605
Genre: Young Adult | Contemporary | Mystery
Source: Edelweiss

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Available for Purchase:
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Everyone knows Bone Gap is full of gaps—gaps to trip you up, gaps to slide through so you can disappear forever. So when young, beautiful Roza went missing, the people of Bone Gap weren’t surprised. After all, it wasn’t the first time that someone had slipped away and left Finn and Sean O’Sullivan on their own. Just a few years before, their mother had high-tailed it to Oregon for a brand new guy, a brand new life. That’s just how things go, the people said. Who are you going to blame?

Finn knows that’s not what happened with Roza. He knows she was kidnapped, ripped from the cornfields by a dangerous man whose face he cannot remember. But the searches turned up nothing, and no one believes him anymore. Not even Sean, who has more reason to find Roza than anyone, and every reason to blame Finn for letting her go.

As we follow the stories of Finn, Roza, and the people of Bone Gap—their melancholy pasts, their terrifying presents, their uncertain futures—acclaimed author Laura Ruby weaves a heartbreaking tale of love and loss, magic and mystery, regret and forgiveness—a story about how the face the world sees is never the sum of who we are. (Goodreads)

Going by just the cover of the book, I really didn’t know what to expect when I started Bone Gap. The story that I got from this book was unique and mysterious and full of a strangeness that will have you wondering just what story you’ve landed in.

The storyline for the book revolves around Finn and his obsession with finding Roza after she was kidnapped one night. Unfortunately he’s absolutely no help at all in describing her kidnapper, and no one seems to believe what he says anyways. So we follow him through the story as he tries to figure out what happened and who is to blame. The story is mainly told from Finn’s point of view, but we also get many different characters points of view throughout the story as well, including Roza’s, Finn’s brother Sean, and Finn’s friend Priscilla/Petey, who I really liked. 

I like that the story is told from multiple points of view.  I always find it interesting because I feel like we get SO much more information this way. All of the characters in the book were interesting, and all for different reasons. The storyline for the book was definitely creative and unique, I can’t say I’ve read anything like this before, but it also reminds me a lot of Neil Gaiman’s The Ocean at the End of the Lane, just because of the how I felt while I was reading the book, trying to figure out what exactly was going on.

I think this review has been one of the hardest reviews ever to write for a book, because I just don’t know how to put what I thought about this book into words.  It is probably one of the most unusual books that I’ve ever read, and despite that, I could not put it down! I just had to keep reading so that I could figure out what was going on. And in the end, the book was definitely worth the read.

Overall, if you want to read something completely different from the norm, I definitely recommend that you check out Bone Gap. This book was unique and mysterious and will keep you guessing as you turn the pages. Check it out!

Waiting on Wednesday #189 - A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

A Madness So Discreet
by Mindy McGinnis
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Publication Date: October 6th 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
ISBN: 9780062320865



Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Grace Mae knows madness.

She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars, where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us. (Goodreads)

First off... The cover for this book is madness itself.
MADNESS!!
Is that not the coolest cover?
And the story sound pretty intense as well.
I already have my copy pre-ordered, and I can't wait to check it out!!

Also, I really, really want to read Mrs. Miggis' *Not A Drop To Drink* series!
It's on my list of books/series I hope to read this year!!

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

What's Your Winner's Curse? Blog Tour & Giveaway!!

Today I am participating in ‘What’s Your Winner’s Curse?’ blog tour for
Marie Rutkoski's The Winner's Trilogy!!

What is a Winner’s Curse, you ask? The ‘Winner’s Curse’ is an economics term that means you’ve gotten what you wanted – but at too high a price. Have you ever got something that you always, always wanted, but it came with a huge price? That’s a winner’s curse!


The Winner's Curse  &  The Winner's Crime
by Marie Rutkoski
Website | Twitter | Facebook
____________________________________________


For this blog tour, the fabulous friends at Macmillan ask,
“What’s your Winner’s Curse?”.

Wow, what a loaded question, right? One that could have SO many different answers, so I’m actually going to give you two answers for my pick.


My first answer to this question would be: My family.

I have been blessed with three healthy children and a husband. These people are my life, and their health and well being are super important to me, so I would pay just about anything that I could to keep them safe and healthy.

And also to go with answer, I'd pay just about anything to find a cure to diseases and cancers that  take people away from their families. To end the pain that people endure and the lose that occurs.


My second answer to this question would be:  Books.

Books are knowledge. Books are power. Books are one of the few things I wouldn’t want to live without, and it shows by the amount of books that I own. :smirk:. Books are seriously one of the few possessions that I would be willing to pay whatever amount for, within reason. And I’d love to be able to supply everyone with books. Schools, libraries, etc… no one should ever be without books!


Those are my answers to this question!!

Check out the Winner's Curse Tour Page to see what
other bloggers on the tour have to say!

______________________________________________

Giveaway Info:

Win a copy of The Winner's Curse OR The Winner's Crime!!

1 Winner will be chosen.
US ONLY.You must be 16 or Older to Enter.
Giveaway ends Sunday, March 15th.

Good luck!!

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Review: The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

The Winner's Crime
(The Winner's Trilogy #2)
by Marie Rutkoski
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Publication Date: March 3rd 2015
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Pages: 416
ISBN: 9780374384708
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy
Source: Publisher

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Available for Purchase:
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Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.

The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement…if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.

As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them. (Goodreads)

I was super excited to finally start The Winner’s Crime, especially after that ending in The Winner’s Curse. While I was a bit nervous to see what was going to happen, I knew I’d be in for a really unique story with this book, and I was definitely not disappointed.

I’ve really liked Kestrel since I first met her in the first book. She’s such a strong and determined character, and let’s be honest, she has a pretty brilliant mind. I do believe I am even more in love with Arin that I already was before. He’s such a great character and has a pretty brilliant mind as well. I love how the book showed how extraordinary Kestrel and Arin were. The ideas that they came up with and problems that they had to figure out were beyond remarkable. Also, I love the relationship between the two, and while we don’t get to see a whole lot of romantic times in the book, the parts that we do see are filled with tension.

As with any good book, Rutkoski gives you a wide range of characters to meet while reading the book. Some new characters are introduced that you will grow to love; as with Verex, Tensen and especially Roshar, who we will hopefully see a lot more of in the next book. But she also gives you a few characters to hate, mainly the emperor, who was so much more different than what I expected after his brief mention in the first book. And then there are the characters that are going to disappoint you and break your heart into teeny, tiny pieces.

The storyline for the book was just as engrossing as the one for the first book. I was seriously hooked, and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen next. The suspense nearly killed me at times! And then there was that ending…  Oh my goodness, that ending. I can’t say I didn’t see it coming, I knew something would pretty big was going to happen, and it’s left me anxious for the next book to see what is going to happen next for Kestrel and the rest of the story.

Overall; if you haven’t yet started reading this series, I highly implore you to do so. This is a series like no other, and it’s guaranteed to have you hooked. From the gorgeous covers to the amazing characters and storyline, this series really has it all. Check it out!

Waiting on Wednesday #188 - Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

Ice Like Fire
(Snow Like Ashes #2)
by Sara Raasch
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Publication Date: October 13th 2015
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
ISBN: 9780062286956



Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.

Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world. (Goodreads)

If you've read Snow Like Ashes, then you know EXACTLY why I'm waiting on Ice Like Fire.
If you haven't read Snow Like Ashes, YOU SHOULD!
(Right now. Go ahead, I'll wait.)
The book was sooooooo good, it was one of my favorites of 2014!
And not only is the story amazing, but the covers for both books are freaking gorgeous as well. :)
I absolutely cannot wait for the second book, I already have it pre-ordered!!
Hurry October!!

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Review: A Wicked Thing by Rhiannon Thomas

A Wicked Thing
(A Wicked Thing #1)
by Rhiannon Thomas
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Publication Date: February 24th 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 337
ISBN: 9780062303530
Genre: Young Adult | Retelling
Source: Edelweiss

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Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Rhiannon Thomas's dazzling debut novel is a spellbinding reimagining of Sleeping Beauty and what happens after happily ever after.

One hundred years after falling asleep, Princess Aurora wakes up to the kiss of a handsome prince and a broken kingdom that has been dreaming of her return. All the books say that she should be living happily ever after. But as Aurora understands all too well, the truth is nothing like the fairy tale.

Her family is long dead. Her "true love" is a kind stranger. And her whole life has been planned out by political foes while she slept.

As Aurora struggles to make sense of her new world, she begins to fear that the curse has left its mark on her, a fiery and dangerous thing that might be as wicked as the witch who once ensnared her. With her wedding day drawing near, Aurora must make the ultimate decision on how to save her kingdom: marry the prince or run.

Rhiannon Thomas weaves together vivid scenes of action, romance, and gorgeous gowns to reveal a richly imagined world … and Sleeping Beauty as she’s never been seen before. (Goodreads)

A Wicked Thing is a fairytale retelling of Sleeping Beauty. I can’t resist a retelling, so when I discovered A Wicked Thing, my curiosity was piqued. The story is about Aurora, who is awoken 100 years after her curse was placed by a kiss from a true love she doesn’t know, to find everyone she loved was gone and her kingdom has moved on without her. 

There was a bit of role reversal between the prince and princess in the story. Aurora wanted a life with excitement and adventure, with none of the pressures of being a princess, while the prince was shy and often blushing whenever he was around the princess.  There was also no chemistry between the two characters, at all, but this is how the author wrote their relationship. I found both of these characters to be likeable, but I did have a hard time connecting with them. Especially with Aurora, as I knew there was a fire inside her, but it never really had a chance to blossom in the story, and I kept waiting for it to do so. I’m hoping that is something that we will get to see as the series moves along. I should also mention that there are a lot of characters that you’re going to love to hate in the novel; especially the King.

There’s also what could be two other love interests in the story for Aurora, but unfortunately, we don’t get to explore much of these relationships either. As far as romance goes in the novel, it’s pretty rare, if even there at all.

The storyline for the book, while interesting, was a bit slow moving for me, and because of this, I had a really hard time keeping interest in the book.  The book starts to pick up near the end, and leaves us with a bit of a cliffhanger which leaves us curious for the next book in the series, which is due to release in 2016.

Overall; while I thought the storyline for the book was slow moving, and I had a hard time connecting to the characters, I did enjoy the retelling aspects of the book. I do believe that fans of Sleeping Beauty will really enjoy the book, and I’m curious to read more in the next book in the series.