Saturday, March 8, 2014

Weekly Rewind 3.8.14

Saturday, March 8, 2014 12:04 AM with 22 comments




The Weekly Rewind
The new books on my shelves, the links I loved, and my week in a nutshell.






Since I started this blog I've participated in Stacking the Shelves, which is a weekly feature hosted by Tyngas Reviews, and I'm going to continue linking to that meme. Throughout my student teaching semester I was using my weekend post as a way to let people know what's going on in my life, so I've decided to rename my weekend post because this feature is more personal than just what books I've received. The Weekly Rewind will be about what's going on with me and my blog, as well as about the books I've added to my shelves, and the links I've enjoyed over the past week from other blogs and the interwebs in general.  


My Life and Blog

Life: So my office has hired my replacement and expects for me to have her trained by the end of April. She starts mid-March. This blows for several reasons. The first is that I was really hoping to work through the summer as I will not be able to sub over the summer, obviously. I'm crossing my fingers to find a full time position for the fall. If I cannot, I do plan on continuing to sub next year, so looking for a temporary position for the summer is the LAST thing I wanted to do. Nobody is going to want to hire me since it will be obvious by that brand new master's degree that I'm not looking to sit in an office for any real length of time, and who wants to train somebody when they know they would leave at the drop of a hat. Which brings me to my next gripe. Training other people sucks! There are moments of pure craziness in my office when I have to be going, going, going, but for the most part I just sit at a computer. That's why I started this blog in the first place: to have something to occupy my time while sitting in front of a computer 8 hours a day. It's going to take, like, 20 minutes to train this girl. Okay, that's hyperbole, but it's definitely not taking a month. 

This week I subbed for a 4th grade class, a 6th grade class, and for a middle school reading specialist. I'm loving being able to see all the different schools around my city. I haven't been to the same one twice. The 6th grade class was in a swanky part of town and the school was so nice. I would love to snag a job there. 

On the blog front: 

  • Monday: nada.
  • Tuesday: A release day review of The Winner's Curse. I enjoyed this crazy-hyped novel quite a bit, but I didn't adore it. I'll definitely pick up the second book and would have no problem recommending this book, but it reads like the first book in a series. 
  • Wednesday: I'm waiting for One Past Midnight which was originally released in Australia under the title Between the Lives
  • Thursday: I discussed Reading Reviews. On the one hand I don't want my opinion or review to be swayed, but on the other I want to support my fellow bloggers. 
  • Friday: laziness. For the second week in a row I didn't watch a single movie. Hockey's back and I've just been reading more and going to bed kind of early since my sub schedule is getting me up earlier than I'm used to. 

New books:
 

I have a handful of new review and library books that I'm excited about to share with you this week, so without further adieu. I hope you are all having spectacular weekends. Yay for daylight savings. It sucks to lose that hour for the first day or two, but it means Spring is right around the corner. 

Review Books 

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Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
This was one of those books that people were buzzing about late last year/early this year. I'm a little over three-quarters of the way through, and am enjoying it quite a bit. I haven't read any reviews for this one, but it judging from star ratings on GR, you either like this one or you don't. I do. 
Dear Killer by Katherine Ewell
Nobody knows that London's notorious serial killer, dubbed "The Perfect Killer", is actually a teen girl. Well, nobody except the mother who trained her. I'm over halfway through this one, as well. It's different, but interesting.
Elusion by Claudia Gable and Cheryl Klam
From GR synopsis: 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. So, Total Recall basically. The cover reminds me of those Lisa Frank stickers I HAD to have when I was in grade school.
The Edge of Falling by Rebecca Serle
A girl getting over the death of her sister is mistakenly identified as a hero who saved the life a classmate who was committing suicide. I really like the disorienting cover with the Dorothy shoes. 

What I bought
 
Looking for Alaska

Looking For Alaska by John Green
I've only read TFiOS by John Green which I'm a bit embarrassed to admit. I've heard great things about this one and am excited to read it, especially since I found it for $2 at HPB.

What I snagged from the library


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The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
So, ok, I've owned Throne of Glass for months and got about halfway through it before setting it aside for unknown reasons (seriously, sometimes I just get distracted, even from books I'm enjoying. I don't know). It's been long enough that I'll probably have to start over anyway and I've heard it really is better to read all these little prequel stories first, so I was pumped when this book with all five stories came out and that my library had a copy. 
Mistwalker by Saundra Mitchell
A boy trapped in a lighthouse until he gets a thousand souls tries to seduce a girl into taking his place. I love the cover and have read a couple positive reviews. 
The Karma Club by Jessica Brody
After her boyfriend cheats on her without any consequences from the universe, a girl decides to create The Karma Club to get back at people who get away with wrong-doings. It sounds cute in a totally unrealistic contemporary way. 

Link Love

From blogs:


From around the interwebs:


22 comments:

  1. I've heard very polar things about Side Effects May Vary - now I'm curious to read it for myself!
    Sitting in front of a computer all day must be so annoying! I started working in a lab and half the time I'm just waiting on other people to finish using equipment so that I can get my stuff done. Waiting is so annoying!

    - Kritika @ Snowflakes & Spider Silk

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  2. The cover for the Edge of Falling could give a few people vertigo! Some nice covers in your book haul, hope you enjoy them!

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  3. Great haul! :D

    Elusion looks great! I want to read it sometime soon. And I love John Green. I've only read The Fault in Our stars and Looking for Alaska + in the middle of An Abundance of Katherines. =D Hope you'll like LFA!

    Happy Reading!

    My STS!

    ~Stephanie @ Bookfever

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  4. I've never had to train anyone, thankfully. I feel sorry for the person who had to train me when I started in the office! Oh, Dear Killer is set in London! *gasp* I did not know this. I'm suddenly way more interested. I didn't know what the plot of Mistwalker was until now, and I'm chuckling a bit. A thousand souls is a lot of effort.

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  5. I am excited for your review of Side Effects May Vary and to see what you think of Looking for Alaska!
    Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings

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  6. I haven't read any of these but happy reading!

    Tsuki’s STS

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  7. Great lineup! I am going to check out Dear Killer.
    Have a great week!
    My STS

    Mary

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  8. Thanks for the link love!

    I was super pumped for Elusion, but a lot of the early reviews I've read aren't so positive. I haven't heard too much about The Edge of Falling, but it sounds really interesting.

    And don't be embarrassed about not reading JG. I haven't read ANYTHING by him! Haha

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  9. You got some great books this week. I love you blog title. It lets me know that there are more than just books in the post.

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  10. Yikes! Sounds like the non-book-side of life is kind of blue at the moment :\ I hope things work out! They always do, for better or for worse, in the end :) But book-related, you're doing pretty well! I loved Elusion, and I enjoyed The Edge of Falling. I have to pick up a copy of The Assassin's Blade at some point! I love that cover the most, of the series.

    Have a fantastic weekend!

    Check out my STS post!

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  11. Yup, training people is not always a lot of fun, depends on who you get!

    I also got Side Effects May Vary, it sounds good. And I hope The Edge of Falling is excellent, I loved her debut

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  12. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying Side Effects May Vary. It definitely has mixed reviews. Elusion sounds so good, but I think that's also getting mixed reviews, but I absolutely love the premise. And Looking For Alaska is a great book, hope you enjoy it. Have fun reading! ~Pam

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  13. Ah LOL...I knew that Elusion cover reminded me of something! :D Definitely the Lisa Frank stickers! Side Effects May Vary looks really good, so I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it!

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  14. Eh, Side Effects is one of those HATE or LOVE books, eh? I'm probably in the not-liking-yikes side....but I was probably a bit tough on it. XD I reeeally want to read Dear Killer. I think the author was a teen when it was published or something?? That's so cool! And Elusion's cover I love, but I haven't heard very many good things about it yet!

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  15. Love this very detail update and recap of your blogging and non-blogging life. I too have started a new chapter in my career that will pretty much lessen the amount of time I spend on the blog. Anyway, I hope you'll have better luck finding a permanent teaching position soon.

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  16. Well, training someone sounds fun :/. I would hate it, mainly because I'm not very fond of people. Either way, it just sounds annoying. I really enjoyed Side Effects May Vary, so I'm on that side too. Dear Killer's kind of the same, though yeah, it is...different. I loved it though, because it's a thinker book. As soon as I finished it my head hurt. And I kind of *cough* wrote an essay review of it. There's just SO much to talk about it though. Okay, TFiOS is the only John Green book I've read, (though I do have all of them on my shelf except for Looking For Alaska.) that I need to get to at some point, after I've come to terms that John Green wants his readers to shrivel up in a corner and cry. Not quite there yet.

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  17. My heart goes out to you on the job front. I'm having the HARDEST TIME finding a job after I finished my degree plan and graduated. The job I have after graduation pays less and is worse than the job I had before graduation.

    Oh, I can't wait to see what you think about Mistwalker!

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  18. I hate training too so I feel you there. I just had to train a new girl a couple weeks ago. It really does only take about 20 minutes to train for our work. I started a blog for almost the same reasons! lol. I have been going back and forth on whether I want to read Side Effects May Very. It sounds good but I usually don't read things like that. Looking for Alaska was a great book! I really enjoyed it. I actually haven't read tfios yet...

    Here's my Bookish Buys!

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  19. Wow, I like the cover of The Edge of Falling. I hope you enjoy these!

    My StS.

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  20. Good luck with the job hunt! Yes, training new people can be such a pain sometimes. Dear Killer sounds really interesting, but I still can't decide if I want to read it though, glad to here it isn't bad. I need to read the prequels, too for Throne of Glass. Hope you enjoy it! The series is pretty good!

    Here's my Sunday Post & haul (:

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  21. Nice haul. I haven't seen or heard of Mistwalker before but it sounds like an interesting read. I hope you enjoy all of your books :) My STS.

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  22. Can't wait to see what you think of Throne of Glass! Love that book so freaking much!

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Hello, there! Thanks for taking the time to comment. I read each and every one and will do my best to respond--usually on your blog instead of on mine. I will, however, always answer direct questions. Due to serious time restraints, this blog is now an award free zone, but I appreciate the thought!