My Thoughts: An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

An Anonymous Girl
by Greer Hendricks
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& Sarah Pekkanen
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Publication Date: January 8th 2019
Publisher:  St. Martin's Press
Pages: 375
ISBN: 9781250133731
Genre: Adult Fiction | Mystery | Thriller
Source: Netgalley Review Copy

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The next novel of psychological suspense and obsession from the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us.

Seeking women ages 18–32 to participate in a study on ethics and morality. Generous compensation. Anonymity guaranteed.

When Jessica Farris signs up for a psychology study conducted by the mysterious Dr. Shields, she thinks all she’ll have to do is answer a few questions, collect her money, and leave.

Question #1: Could you tell a lie without feeling guilt?

But as the questions grow more and more intense and invasive and the sessions become outings where Jess is told what to wear and how to act, she begins to feel as though Dr. Shields may know what she’s thinking… and what she’s hiding.

Question #2: Have you ever deeply hurt someone you care about?

As Jess’s paranoia grows, it becomes clear that she can no longer trust what in her life is real, and what is one of Dr. Shields’ manipulative experiments. Caught in a web of deceit and jealousy, Jess quickly learns that some obsessions can be deadly.

Question #3: Should a punishment always fit the crime?

From the authors of the blockbuster bestseller The Wife Between Us comes an electrifying new novel about doubt, passion, and just how much you can trust someone. (Goodreads)

The moment I first discovered An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, I knew I HAD to read the book. I read their first collaboration, The Wife Between Us, last year and enjoyed the story SO much, and I was so curious to see what new story would come in this new book. I have to say, these two authors really know how to write, and this book had me HOOKED!

Let me start this by saying that I LOVE a good book that keeps me guessing. Since I read so much, I often times manage to figure out a plot very early on in a book, which can get old after a while. That did not happen with this book. It totally kept me guessing as I flew through the pages, and I was suspicious of every single character along the way. Not enough books keep me guessing, and I love when one actually does!

An Anonymous Girl is full of interesting characters, including the main character, Jess. I found myself relating to Jess more than a few times throughout the story, as I, too, sometimes feel like just another anonymous girl. I definitely felt the same paranoia that she experienced as the story went along, though had I been put in her shoes, I would not have handled things nearly as well. Dr. Shields was such mystery, I never knew what to expect from her, and she definitely freaked me out more than a few times as the story went along. This book is full of completely fascinating characters, and everyone was a suspect.

The storyline for this book was absolutely addictive. It was intense and mysterious, and kept me on the edge of my seat as I flew through the pages. Did I mention already that I love a book that will keep me guessing?? I do. And this book totally did that. I found myself wondering what in the world was going on in the story, and what was going to happen next. So many secrets. So much mystery. Ah, I loved it!

Overall; I do believe that Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen have yet another hit on their hands with An Anonymous Girl! I very much enjoyed this story, and I really, really hope that these authors continue to write more books together in the future. If you’re looking for a good mystery thriller to read, do check out An Anonymous Girl, and The Wife Between Us as well! Both books are really great.

My Thoughts: The Reckoning of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin

The Reckoning of Noah Shaw
(The Shaw Confessions #2)
by Michelle Hodkin
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Publication Date: November 13th 2018
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pages: 480
ISBN: 9781481456463
Genre: Young Adult | Paranormal | Fantasy
Source: Review Copy / Own

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Noah Shaw confesses all in this second novel of a chilling new companion series to Michelle Hodkin’s New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer trilogy!

Noah Shaw doesn’t think he needs his father’s inheritance.
He does.

Noah believes there’s something off about the suicides in his visions.
There is.

Noah is convinced that he still knows the real Mara Dyer.
He does not.

Everyone thought the nightmare had ended with Mara Dyer’s memoirs, but it was only the beginning. As old skeletons are laid bare, alliances will be tested, hearts will be broken, and no one will be left unscarred. (Goodreads)

The Reckoning of Noah Shaw by Michelle Hodkin was definitely high on my list of sequels that I wanted to read in 2018, and the book definitely did not disappoint! If you know me any at all, then you probably know how much I adore the Mara Dyer series, and now, the Noah Shaw Confessions as well. These books are just so good!!

One of the things that I love about this series, (same as I did with the previous series), is that the storyline gets curiouser and curiouser as it goes along. It definitely kept me guessing on what would happen next, and not enough books do that anymore. And I love it when it does happen, as it makes me feel even more involved with the story. The storyline for this book was all about the backstory, which was definitely interesting, and more than a little creepy. I loved it!

Most of this book revolves around Noah Shaw’s story, obviously, but also a bit about Goose, who we get to know a bit more about as well. A few of the characters from the previous books also make appearances, and I love seeing them again, even though these meetings where a bit confusing at times. One character was noticeably missed from this book, and that was Mara Dyer herself. I found myself waiting for her to show up as the story went along, but she was only there for a moment, and I can’t wait to see her again in the next book. She was definitely missed!

Overall; The Reckoning of Noah Shaw was a great addition to this highly addictive sequel, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series, which I assume will be the last, and which is currently untitled, but expected to release in November 2019. I can’t wait to read the rest of the story to see what is going to happen next. If you love these books, or if you’ve never read them before, I do highly recommend them!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Lost Girls of Paris and The Huntress

The Lost Girls of Paris
by Pam Jenoff
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Publication Date: January 29th 2019
Publisher: Park Row Books
ISBN: 9780778330271

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From the author of the runaway bestseller The Orphan’s Tale comes a remarkable story of friendship and courage centered around three women and a ring of female spies during World War II.

1946, Manhattan

Grace Healey is rebuilding her life after losing her husband during the war. One morning while passing through Grand Central Terminal on her way to work, she finds an abandoned suitcase tucked beneath a bench. Unable to resist her own curiosity, Grace opens the suitcase, where she discovers a dozen photographs—each of a different woman. In a moment of impulse, Grace takes the photographs and quickly leaves the station.

Grace soon learns that the suitcase belonged to a woman named Eleanor Trigg, leader of a ring of female secret agents who were deployed out of London during the war. Twelve of these women were sent to Occupied Europe as couriers and radio operators to aid the resistance, but they never returned home, their fates a mystery. Setting out to learn the truth behind the women in the photographs, Grace finds herself drawn to a young mother turned agent named Marie, whose daring mission overseas reveals a remarkable story of friendship, valor and betrayal.

Vividly rendered and inspired by true events, New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff shines a light on the incredible heroics of the brave women of the war, and weaves a mesmerizing tale of courage, sisterhood and the great strength of women to survive in the hardest of circumstances. (Goodreads)

You guys! I am super excited for this book to release next week!
I read Pam's previous book, The Orphan's Tale, last year and really enjoyed the book.
I can't wait to devour this one as well!

The Huntress
by Kate Quinn
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Publication Date: February 26th 2019
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
ISBN: 9780062740380

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From the author of the New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel, The Alice Network, comes another fascinating historical novel about a battle-haunted English journalist and a Russian female bomber pilot who join forces to track the Huntress, a Nazi war criminal gone to ground in America.

In the aftermath of war, the hunter becomes the hunted…

Bold, reckless Nina Markova grows up on the icy edge of Soviet Russia, dreaming of flight and fearing nothing. When the tide of war sweeps over her homeland, she gambles everything to join the infamous Night Witches, an all-female night bomber regiment wreaking havoc on Hitler’s eastern front. But when she is downed behind enemy lines and thrown across the path of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress, Nina must use all her wits to survive.

British war correspondent Ian Graham has witnessed the horrors of war from Omaha Beach to the Nuremberg Trials. He abandons journalism after the war to become a Nazi hunter, yet one target eludes him: the Huntress. Fierce, disciplined Ian must join forces with brazen, cocksure Nina, the only witness to escape the Huntress alive. But a shared secret could derail their mission, unless Ian and Nina force themselves to confront it.

Seventeen-year-old Jordan McBride grows up in post WWII Boston, determined despite family opposition to become a photographer. At first delighted when her long-widowed father brings home a fiancée, Jordan grows increasingly disquieted by the soft-spoken German widow who seems to be hiding something. Armed only with her camera and her wits, Jordan delves into her new stepmother’s past and slowly realizes there are mysteries buried deep in her family. But Jordan’s search for the truth may threaten all she holds dear. (Goodreads)

I have not yet read a book by Kate Quinn,
though I've had a copy of her first book, The Alice Network,

sitting on my shelf for far too long.
Both books sound AMAZING, and I'm really looking forward to reading them both!!

That's all for me this week...

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

My Thoughts: Slayer by Kiersten White

Slayer
(Slayer #1)
by Kiersten White
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Publication Date: January 8th 2018
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 404
ISBN: 9781534404953
Genre: Young Adult | Paranormal | Fantasy
Source: Review Copy / Own

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Into every generation a Slayer is born…

Nina and her twin sister, Artemis, are far from normal. It’s hard to be when you grow up at the Watcher’s Academy, which is a bit different from your average boarding school. Here teens are trained as guides for Slayers—girls gifted with supernatural strength to fight the forces of darkness. But while Nina’s mother is a prominent member of the Watcher’s Council, Nina has never embraced the violent Watcher lifestyle. Instead she follows her instincts to heal, carving out a place for herself as the school medic.

Until the day Nina’s life changes forever.

Thanks to Buffy, the famous (and infamous) Slayer that Nina’s father died protecting, Nina is not only the newest Chosen One—she’s the last Slayer, ever. Period.

As Nina hones her skills with her Watcher-in-training, Leo, there’s plenty to keep her occupied: a monster fighting ring, a demon who eats happiness, a shadowy figure that keeps popping up in Nina’s dreams…

But it’s not until bodies start turning up that Nina’s new powers will truly be tested—because someone she loves might be next.

One thing is clear: Being Chosen is easy. Making choices is hard. (Goodreads)

I am always super excited when an author that I like comes out with a new book, and when I discovered Slayer by Kiersten White, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it! Not only because I love Kiersten’s writing style, but also because this book was inspired by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which happened to be one of my most watched movies of the 90’s. Because of that, I couldn’t wait to dive into this. It was so good!

There are SO many things that I enjoyed about this book, including the main character, Nina, who I love. Nina has been in training to become a healer for years, but instead becomes The Chosen One, and also the very last Slayer ever. (This is not a spoiler, it’s literally in the summary for the book.) Watching her transition and come into her powers as a Slayer was definitely interesting, though it did feel a bit rushed at times. I love Nina, she’s really awesome, and I can’t wait to see more of her in the rest of the series. Also, I really love all of her friends as well, and quite a few of the other secondary characters as well.

I also really enjoyed the storyline for the book as well! It references both the original movie and the television show, which was cool, though I did feel a bit confused a few times because I never finished the show way back when. This is something that I definitely want to try to do before the next book in this series is released, and I’ll definitely be re-reading this book before that one is released, so I can actually understand the references.

The last thing that I want to mention is about those last few pages of the book. I am totally not going to spoil anything, but I just have to say, SO many things happen in the last few pages of the book really that really surprised me! Those who have read the book will totally know what I am referring to, and if you haven’t read the book, you should just so you can see what I’m talking about. It definitely left me curious to know what’s going to happen next!

Overall; I really enjoyed Slayer by Kiersten White, and I absolutely can’t waiting to get my hands on the next book in the series, which is currently untitled and with no release date. (Hopefully we will have some information for it soon!) Fans the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movies and tv show, do check out this first book in this brand new series, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Meant to Read In 2018 but Didn’t Get To

January 22: Books I Meant to Read In 2018 but Didn’t Get To

2018 was a pretty great reading year for me, and though I managed to read a LOT of books, there were still SO MANY that I wanted to get to, but didn't! I have all of these (and more) on my TBR this year, and I'm determined to actually read them this time!

Ash Princess by Laura Sebatstian
The Diviners by Libba Bray



Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao



Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien



The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman



The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
Providence by Caroline Kepnes

These are just a few of the books I picked up at some point last year but never got to actually read, but I'm really hoping that I can get to them this year!!

What about you??

Weekly Wrap Up & Book Haul • Week 3

Happy Sunday, Bookworms!!

Welcome to my weekly Weekly Wrap Up & Book Haul post!

Here I'll be sharing what books I read over the past week,
and what books I bought, borrowed, and received for review as well.

Check back every Sunday for new updates!

I purchased these three books this week after I made a list of series that I wanted to read this year, and realized that I didn't have copies of these. I'm super excited to read them all!


LIFELIK3 by Jay Kristoff
The Young Elites by Marie Lu
Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman

• • •

This book arrived in my mailbox this week from Flatiron Books, and I'm really enjoyed it so far!
(I'm also giving away a copy of Instagram this weekend, so check that out!)


Enchantee by Gita Trelease

• • •

And I borrowed these two books from the library this week after hearing lots of talk about both books, and they both sound super good!!


The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan

• • •

And lastly I added a few new e-ARCs to my collection as well! (SUPER excited to start these!)


House of Salt and Sorrow by Erin A. Craig
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
One Summer in Paris by Sarah Morgan
The Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams
The Plus One by Sophia Money-Coutts


• • •    • • •    • • •

It wasn't my best reading week this week, but I did finish up two books, and both were really great! I am hoping to have my thoughts for both of these books up on the blog this week.

Slayer by Kiersten White
An Anonymous Girl by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen

• • •

That's all for me this week! How was your week??

My Thoughts: Evermore by Sara Holland

Evermore
(Everless #2)
by Sara Holland
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Publication Date: December 31st 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9780062653697
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy
Source: Edelweiss / Own

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The highly anticipated sequel to New York Times bestseller, Everless!

Jules Ember was raised hearing legends of the ancient magic of the wicked Alchemist and the good Sorceress. But she has just learned the truth: not only are the stories true, but she herself is the Alchemist, and Caro—a woman who single-handedly murdered the Queen and Jules’s first love, Roan, in cold blood—is the Sorceress.

The whole kingdom believes that Jules is responsible for the murders, and a hefty bounty has been placed on her head. And Caro is intent on destroying Jules, who stole her heart twelve lifetimes ago. Jules must delve into the stories that she now recognizes are accounts of her own past. For it is only by piecing together the mysteries of her lives that Jules will be able to save the person who has captured her own heart in this one. (Goodreads)

Evermore by Sara Holland is the much-awaited sequel to Everless, which I read when it first released last year and really enjoyed. After reading the first book last year and being really drawn by the story, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen in this sequel, especially since this is was the final book in the duology. I was definitely not disappointed!

The thing that drew me to Everless, (besides the gorgeous cover), was how unique the story was. I don’t think had ever read anything like it before, and I was instantly hooked as I turned the pages. The ending, of course, was a cliffhanger, and it left me pining away to get my hands on the sequel. Since I have read many books after the first read of Everless, I ended up re-read it before starting Evermore, just to give my brain a little refresher before starting the sequel, and I’m so glad I did. There was so many little details to the story that I had forgotten, and I’m glad I could re-read to remember those again.

That being said, I seem to feel a bit different about the sequel. I enjoyed the story very much, and loved that a lot of my lingering questions from the first book were answered, but… this book just seemed to have a slightly different feel to it than the first book did. And I’m not even sure why, to be completely honest. There were a few things that felt a bit rushed, and a few things that were a bit confusing as well. I probably need to re-read the book again to figure out where things went wrong for me.

The characters were still great, and I enjoyed getting to know more about Jules and Caro, and some of the secondary characters as well. I love Jules for her strength, and getting to know more of her backstory was really interesting. I do wish she had been a little less indecisive throughout the book, as she seemed to change her mind about things quite a bit throughout the story. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the storyline, and I definitely need more books with sorcerer’s and alchemist in my life!

Overall; Evermore was definitely an interesting follow-up to Everless, and having finally read the book, I’m kind of sad to see it end. This definitely could have been a longer series, but I’m happy with the way things wrapped up in the end. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more books by Sara in the future!

Waiting on Wednesday: Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss & On The Come Up

Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss
by Kasie West
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Publication Date: February 5th 2019
Publisher: HarperTeen
ISBN: 9780062675798

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Lacey Barnes has dreamt of being in a movie for as long as she can remember. However, while her dream did include working alongside the hottest actor in Hollywood, it didn’t involve having to finish up her senior year of high school at the same time she was getting her big break. Although that is nothing compared to Donavan, the straight-laced student her father hires to tutor her, who is a full-on nightmare.

As Lacey struggles to juggle her burgeoning career, some on-set sabotage, and an off-screen romance with the unlikeliest of leading men, she quickly learns that sometimes the best stories happen when you go off script. (Goodreads)

Is anyone else SUPER excited for the new Kasie West book??
It sounds super cute, and I can't wait to read it!!

On the Come Up
by Angie Thomas
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Publication Date: February 5th 2019
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
ISBN: 9780062498564

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Sixteen-year-old Bri wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighborhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Bri’s got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shutoff notices are as much a part of Bri’s life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make it—she has to make it.

On the Come Up is Angie Thomas’s homage to hip-hop, the art that sparked her passion for storytelling and continues to inspire her to this day. It is the story of fighting for your dreams, even as the odds are stacked against you; of the struggle to become who you are and not who everyone expects you to be; and of the desperate realities of poor and working-class black families.

This is another book that I'm super excited for! I read The Hate U Give last year,
and really enjoyed it. I can't wait to read Bri's story next!!

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