Tag Archives: 2013 release
Waiting on Wednesday: Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always by Elissa Janine Hoole
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. It’s designed for bloggers to spotlight the upcoming releases that they simply can’t wait to read.
Title: Sometimes Never, Sometimes Always
Autor: Elissa Janine Hoole
Publisher: Flux
Release Date: November 8, 2013
Summary (from Goodreads):
Cassandra fears rocking the family boat. Instead, she sinks it. Assigned by her English teacher to write a poem that reveals her true self, Cassandra Randall is stuck. Her family’s religion is so overbearing, she can NEVER write about who she truly is. So Cass does what any self-respecting high school girl would do: she secretly begins writing a tarot-inspired advice blog. When Drew Godfrey, an awkward outcast with unwashed hair, writes to her, the situation spirals into what the school calls “a cyberbullying crisis” and what the church calls “sorcery.” Cass wants to be the kind of person who sticks up for the persecuted, who protects the victims the way she tries to protect her brother from the homophobes in her church. But what if she’s just another bully? What will it take for her to step up and tell the truth?
This sounds like an interesting story about rebellion. I can’t wait to get to know Cassandra and learn who she REALLY is. I already feel sorry for her not being able to express who she really is and for having to stick up for her brother from being bullied.
Filed under Waiting on Wednesday
Waiting on Wednesday: Twigs by Alison Ashley Formento
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. It’s designed for bloggers to spotlight the upcoming releases that they simply can’t wait to read.
Title: Twigs
Autor: Alison Ashley Formento
Publisher: Merit Press
Release Date: September 18, 2013
Summary (from Goodreads):
They call her “Twigs,” because she’ll never hit five feet tall. Although she was born early, and a stiff breeze could knock her over, Twigs has a mighty spirit. She needs it, as life throws a whole bucket of rotten luck at her: Dad’s an absentee drunk; Mom’s obsessed with her new deaf boyfriend (and Twigs can’t tell what they’re saying to each other). Little sister Marlee is trying to date her way through the entire high school; Twigs’ true love may be a long-distance loser after a single week away at college, and suddenly, older brother Matt is missing in Iraq. It all comes together when a couple of thugs in a drugstore aisle lash out, and Twigs must fight to save the life of the father who denied her.
Filed under Waiting on Wednesday
Student Review by Alex H.: Prodigy by Marie Lu
Title: Prodigy
Author: Marie Lu
Series: Legend #2
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Published: January 29, 2013
Alex’s Summary: Marie Lu has the two characters, June and Day, working alongside each other to rescue his captured brother. Just a while back his mother had just been killed by the Republic as a way to capture him. This was before June would decide to go on Day’s side. With Day captured June thinks everything is done yet the truth behind the Republic begins to unravel and she goes against everything to join Day’s side. Now traveling in Las Vegas on the run, they will join the Patriot rebels and attempt to save Day’s brother and reunite the country that once was. But the unthinkable happens, the Elector Primo dies and his successor will spell disaster if nothing is done to suppress the chaos that follows. With a compelling story just like its predecessor, Prodigy will immerse you into a story that is filled with mystery, suspense, thrills, and love.
Alex’s Review: After reading Legend, the open ending at the end of the book just compelled me to want to read the sequel. I wanted all the questions to be answered, what would happen after everything that has happened? Who would die and who would live? The questions just kept coming but because of all those questions, I congratulate Marie Lu. She has written a story so compelling that you won’t want to put it down. Everything about it just makes the book readable. I love the way she uses the questions that readers might possess at that time and answer them in a variety of ways. Ways that may surprise the reader. The way the events play out is easy to follow and I was left with little questions about why this happened or why this character did this. There is nothing I can say about the book and Marie Lu that I would have changed. It’s just that good. It keeps you on your heels, holding a mystery around every corner and the suspense forces you to keep going. The 3rd and final book of this series, Champion, will have me itching for what Marie Lu has in store for the epic finale. I would love to see a country unified now into one country. I would love to see her continue using the format she’s been using to keep me reading the books and always wanting more. I want the ending to be something worth remembering as the series comes to an epic closing.
Filed under Student Review
Waiting on Wednesday: Champion by Marie Lu
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. It’s designed for bloggers to spotlight the upcoming releases that they simply can’t wait to read.
This book is the perfect choice this week as one of my students has submitted reviews for both Legend and Prodigy that I will post over the next two days. We can’t wait for November!
Title: Champion
Autor: Marie Lu
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: November 5, 2013
Summary (from Goodreads):
The explosive finale to Marie Lu’s New York Times bestselling LEGEND trilogy—perfect for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES and DIVERGENT!
He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?
June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion
Filed under Waiting on Wednesday
Review (Audiobook): Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike
Title: Life After Theft
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: April 20, 2013
Source: Purchased from Audible.com
Summary (from Goodreads): Moving to a new high school sucks. Especially a rich-kid private school. With uniforms. But nothing is worse than finding out the first girl you meet is dead. And a klepto.
No one can see or hear Kimberlee except Jeff, so–in hopes of bringing an end to the snarkiest haunting in history–he agrees to help her complete her “unfinished business.” But when the enmity between Kimberlee and Jeff’s new crush, Sera, manages to continue posthumously, Jeff wonders if he’s made the right choice.
Clash meets sass in this uproarious modern-day retelling of Baroness Orczy’s The Scarlet Pimpernel.
Review: I found myself making excuses to drive around so I could listen to this book. Jeff and Kimberlee are unforgettable characters. Jeff is likable even though he drives a nicer car than I would ever dream of. But all joking aside, Jeff is well-developed character who has a big heart. It’s frustrating at times to see (or in my case, hear) him get bulldozed by Kimberlee but he always finds a way to hold his own.
It was ironic that the day that I finished this book, Six Sense was on tv because when I originally read the summary, that is what immediately came to mind. However, any time seeing dead people is brought up that’s usually where my mind goes. But this book is much more than seeing a dead girl. Each character who is introduced has a complex story that is tangled up in Kimberlee’s pre-death antics which makes for great twists and turns in the plot. It is also much more light-hearted than most “ghost stories.” There are some really funny scenes. The dialogue in this book is fantastic. 
The only part of the audiobook that I didn’t enjoy (which had nothing to do with the story) was the voice that Jesse Bernstein did for Kyle. It was a little too cliche for my taste. In addition, I found it difficult to not laugh at the horrible accent for Officer Herrera. I really enjoyed Berstein’s reading of The Tragedy Paper, so I was a little disappointed when he read these two characters’ parts. Despite that, I would highly recommend the audiobook. The witty comments and hilarious banter is just too good to not have it performed for you.
I only wish that it would be available in print and not just e-book and audiobook so I could purchase it for the Bookshelves of Room 918.
Waiting on Wednesday: Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. It’s designed for bloggers to spotlight the upcoming releases that they simply can’t wait to read.
Title: Wild Awake
Autor: Hilary T. Smith
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Summary (from Goodreads):
1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.
5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.
Things that actually happen:
1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
2. He says he has her stuff.
3. What stuff? Her stuff.
4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—
5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—
6. You pick up a pen.
7. You scribble down the address.
8. You get on your bike and go.
9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*
*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.
Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy.
I can’t wait for this book to hit stores. I’ve been hearing such great things about it. Plus, I love the cover!
Filed under Waiting on Wednesday
Waiting on Wednesday: Dead Ends by Erin Jade Lange
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. It’s designed for bloggers to spotlight the upcoming releases that they simply can’t wait to read.
Title: Dead Ends
Author: Erin Jade Lange
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: September 3, 2013
Summary (from Goodreads): Dane Washington is one suspension away from expulsion. In a high school full of “haves,” being a “have not” makes Dane feel like life is hurtling toward one big dead end. Billy D. spends his high school days in Special Ed and he’s not exactly a “have” himself. The biggest thing Billy’s missing? His dad. Billy is sure the riddles his father left in an atlas are really clues to finding him again and through a bizarre turn of events, he talks Dane into joining him on the search.
A bully and a boy with Down syndrome makes for an unlikely friendship, but together, they work through the clues, leading to unmarked towns and secrets of the past. But they’re all dead ends. Until the final clue . . . and a secret Billy shouldn’t have been keeping.
As a journalist, Erin Jade Lange is inspired by hot button issues like bullying, but it is her honest characters and breakneck plotting that make Dead Ends a must-read.
Filed under Waiting on Wednesday
Review: The Waiting Tree by Lindsay Moynihan
Title: The Waiting Tree
Author: Linday Moynihan
Publisher: Amazon Children’s Publishing
Publishing Date: May 14, 2013
Source: Netgalley
Summary (from Goodreads): Eighteen-year-old Simon Peters wants to stand up for the truth about who he is. His love for Stephen is unwavering, but does he have the courage to defend it when his entire church community, including his eldest brother has ostracized him? Trapped in a cashier’s job he hates, struggling to maintain peace with his brothers after their parents have died, and determined to look after his mute brother, Simon puts everyone else’s needs before his own. It takes a courageous act of self-sacrifice on Jude’s part to change both of their lives forever. Jude, who knew that when the fig tree in their yard began to bloom, it was his time to finally be heard and to set Simon free.
Review: Simon’s situation is heartbreaking and almost too much to handle. If you’re looking for a pick-me-up, this is not the book for you. I was surprised to find that this was not really a story about a gay relationship. It is, however,a story about family struggles, coming of age and overcoming obstacles. Simon’s thrown every curveball that one could imagine and then some curveballs that one wouldn’t even fathom could happen to one young man. I liked that Simon was a strong character who didn’t whine about his situation but was constantly thinking of others’ needs and what he could do to help them. His big heart and unselfishness makes him a likable character. I was instantly drawn into his world and invested in his future. In fact, all of the characters were well developed. The only issue I had with the characters was the halfhearted attempt at southern dialect. It seemed that the dialect was randomly sprinkled in with a few “ya’lls” and “yers.” Otherwise, I sometimes forgot that this was taking place in the South.
I was somewhat disappointed that Simon and Stephen’s conflicts and issues weren’t more of the story. It seemed, as you start to read that that is going to be the major plot line, but then it just takes a back seat for a majority of the story. I initially had a group of students who I thought would really identify with this story but as it ebbed so did my confidence in the intended audience. While I think that group of students would still be interested in the story, I don’t think they would identify completely with Simon’s issues.
My biggest issue with the plot was the ending. I was extremely disappointed. Without spoiling the story, the ending feels wide open. I was hoping there was at least one more page or even an epilogue, but I was left empty handed. Maybe I’ve been reading too many series books but this ending seemed to leave the door open for a sequel.
About the Author: Lindsay has had a passion for storytelling since her early childhood in Toronto, Canada. At eighteen, she moved to upstate New York to study at the Culinary Institute of America where she penned the text to Cake Art for the school’s publishing division. Moynihan currently lives in Orlando, Florida, where she attends the University of Central Florida, volunteers with local LGBTQ organizations, and continues to write about the struggles and successes of today’s young adults. The Waiting Tree is her first novel.
Want to find out more? Check out the The Waiting Tree’s Facebook page or follow Moynihan on Twitter.
Filed under Debut Author Challenge 2013, New Releases, Reviews
THE INFERNAL DETECTIVE by Kiersten Weiss Trailer Blast
Welcome to the Nerd TRAILER Blast for THE INFERNAL
DETECTIVE by Kirsten Weiss hosted by Book Nerd Tours!
THE INFERNAL DETECTIVE, the fourth book in the Riga Hayworth series, published by misterio press, will be available on Amazon May 21, 2013.
To promote the novel, the author created an alternate reality game – a virtual “novella” in the world of The Infernal Detective. The Infernal Detective video book trailer is the gateway to the game, which leads players through character blogs and a Pinterest board.
Hidden in the text are links to stories within stories, and a scavenger hunt for a “junk oracle.” The first fifty players to solve the game and report in to the author will receive an advance electronic copy of The Infernal Detective for Kindle, Nook, or Kobo.
When Riga Hayworth finds a dead body in her bedroom a week before her wedding, it’s par for the course. When the corpse drives off with her fiancée… That’s a problem.
Riga knows dead. More intimately than she’d like. So when a murdered photographer gets up and walks away, she’s believes there’s necromancy afoot. And when she discovers that several of her wedding guests are under the influence of dark magic, she’s certain. But how can she catch a killer and stop a necromancer when even her nearest and dearest are lying to her?
The Infernal Detective is a fast-paced, paranormal mystery, where nothing is quite as it seems, and magic lies just beyond the veil.
This giveaway is completely separate from the scavenger hunt mentioned above.
You need not complete it to enter for this awesome prize from the author!
1 Winner will receive
1 – Infernal Detective T-Shirt in the size they prefer
1 – Infernal Detective Charm
Shipping in US Only, No PO Boxes. Must be 13+ To Enter
About the Author:
Kirsten Weiss is the author of the Riga Hayworth series of paranormal mysteries: the urban fantasy, The Metaphysical Detective, The Alchemical Detective, and The Shamanic Detective.
Kirsten worked overseas for nearly fourteen years, in the fringes of the former USSR and deep in the Afghan war zone. Her experiences abroad not only gave her glimpses into the darker side of human nature, but also sparked an interest in the effects of mysticism and mythology, and how both are woven into our daily lives.
Now based in San Mateo, CA, she writes paranormal mysteries, blending her experiences and imagination to create a vivid world of magic and mayhem.
Kirsten has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer reruns and drinking good wine.
Kirsten’s Twitter Profile
Kirsten’s Facebook Page
Kirsten’s Google+ Page
Kirsten’s Pinterest Boards
Filed under Giveaway, Trailer Blast
The Real Bookshelves of Room 918 