Weekly Rewind 6.25.16

Weekly Rewind
The new books on my shelves and my week in a nutshell.

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.

My Life and Blog

Life: So I spent my first week of summer break sick as a dog. At first I thought I was getting a cold, and then I thought it might just be allergies. I'm finally starting to feel better, and I'm now pretty sure I had a sinus infection. It's so confusing when you get sick this time of year as allergies carry so many of the same symptoms. I didn't get anything done this first week like I would like. Regardless of whether or not I end up having to go back to VA, my husband and I would like to get out of our current housing situation. We bought our place about a year after moving to PA, and while the house is in a great central location, the neighborhood has really gone to shit over the past decade. Our place needs a lot of work before we get it on the market, though, so I was hoping to get some stuff done. Instead, I literally spent the whole week in my bed watching bad TV and napping. Oh, well. At least I still have, like, over seven weeks left. Although I know that time will fly. 

Blog and reading: You'd think somebody who is basically bed-ridden would/could blog all day...but that didn't happen. I didn't get a whole lot of reading done either (my eyes were a water-y mess and seriously ached, so reading was out). I did, however, buckle down to finish With Malice this morning. It was interesting, but didn't end up being quite as awesome as I'd hoped. I'm about halfway through The Long Game (The Fixer's sequel) and hope to finish it this weekend, as well. 

New Books: I have a small handful of pretties to share with you this week. So without further ado, I hope you are all having fabulous weekends! 

For Review

   

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

A city at war and monsters and Victoria Schwab. So, yeah.

Secrets, Lies, and Scandals by Amanda Morgan 

In the vein of I Know What You Did Last Summer, five teens try to keep the death of their teacher a secret. As a teacher, I have to hope they get caught. You know. Because death sucks. 

A Million Times Goodnight by Kristina McBride

This is one of those one choice, two paths books. This one features a stolen car and a naked picture posted online for the school to see. 

How to Talk to Girls at Parties by Nail Gaiman

This is a graphic interpretation of one of Nail Gaiman's short stories. 

What I snagged from the library

  

Books:

All the Feels by Danika Stone

This girl about a freshman in college who ignites the fandom after the death of her hero sounds adorable. 

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

I'm going to be honest. I want to enjoy Morgan Matson's work, but despite owning two of her books, I've never finished one of her works. I have an e-arc of this and had made decent progress before the book was released...and I set it aside and forgot about it. I was enjoying the story, but couldn't keep her non-distinguishable friends separated in my head, and I hate--hate--20+ page chapters (and this is more like 40+). Regardless, I'm going to give this a second go. 

Movie:

The 5th Wave

I've been meaning to read this book for ages. Ages. I might just end up watching the movie...

Well that's it for me this week. Feel free to leave a link to whatever weekend post you do (Stacking the Shelves, In My Mailbox, etc). I love to see what books people have recently snagged and especially enjoy hearing about my fellow bloggers' weeks. I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!

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Weekly Rewind 6.18.16

Weekly Rewind
The new books on my shelves and my week in a nutshell.

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.

My Life and Blog

Life: Home for the summer! I cannot wait to spend the next few weeks sleeping in and reading and hanging out with my cats and husband. Tuesday was the last day of school for students, and Thursday was the teachers' last day. We just had a luncheon and said good-bye to those who are leaving/retiring. That's about all there is to ramble about.

Blog and reading: A TTT and a WoW this week. I finished As I Descended, which was awesome. I started reading And I Darken a few days ago, but didn't get a whole of reading time this week between the last days of school and packing/moving my apartment. It is interesting so far, though. I'm about half-way through The Long Game. I had to take it back to my VA library on Wednesday, but luckily it had already came in for me at my PA library, though, so I'll be able to finish it this weekend. 

New books: I have a handful of pretties to share with you this weekend. So without further ado, I hope you are all having fabulous weekends! 

For Review

  

   

And I Darken by Kiersten White

I really didn't have a clue what this was about when I snagged it. I started it a couple of days ago, and while I've only read the first couple of chapters, I'm finding it intriguing so far. 

A Season for Fireflies by Rebecca Maizel

This looks like the perfect summer book. It's about a girl who is cannot remember how she went from theater geek to queen bee of her school. 

Run by Kody Keplinger

This is a bad meets good girl friendship story. It's been done a million times, but this one sounds interesting and I've heard good things about the author.

Never Missing Never Found by Amanda Panitch

A thriller about a girl who was kidnapped as a girl, but was able to escape her captor.

All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda

This adult thriller is told in reverse, which is an intriguing concept. 

First Comes Love by Emily Giffin

I loved Giffin's first 3 books, thought the next couple were ok, and downright despised her last one. I hope this one is reminiscent of her early work.

Invincible Summer by Alice Adams

I don't know much about this book beyond that it follows four people who were friends in college in the late 90s. I'm trying to get some more adult novels back into my reading rotation. 

What I snagged from the library

   

Books:

The Way to Game the Walk of Shame by Jenn P. Nguyen

I've been dying for this one for months. So excited. 

Here's to Us by Elin Hilderbrand

Three (I'm assuming ex) wives of a famous chef gather at a Nantucket cottage after the man's death. Hilderbrand's writing is hit or miss for me, but this sounds pretty interesting. 

Movies: 

Secret in Their Eyes

I thought the adverts for this looked so interesting when it first came it, but I don't think it made much of an impact in theaters. I'm excited to see this.

Victor Frankenstein

I know this flopped, but I'm excited for it anyway. 

Well that's it for me this week. Feel free to leave a link to whatever weekend post you do (Stacking the Shelves, In My Mailbox, etc). I love to see what books people have recently snagged and especially enjoy hearing about my fellow bloggers' weeks. I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!

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Waiting on Wednesday (155) To Catch a Killer

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. Click the link to see the original post plus a whole slew of links to other blogs. After you read this one, of course.

To Catch a Killer

Author: Sheryl Scarborough
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: February 7, 2017

Goodreads:

Erin Blake has one of those names. A name that, like Natalee Holloway or Elizabeth Smart, is inextricably linked to a grisly crime. As a toddler, Erin survived for three days alongside the corpse of her murdered mother, and the case—which remains unsolved—fascinated a nation. Her father's identity unknown, Erin was taken in by her mother's best friend and has become a relatively normal teen in spite of the looming questions about her past.

Fourteen years later, Erin is once again at the center of a brutal homicide when she finds the body of her biology teacher. When questioned by the police, Erin tells almost the whole truth, but never voices her suspicions that her mother's killer has struck again in order to protect the casework she's secretly doing on her own.

Inspired by her uncle, an FBI agent, Erin has ramped up her forensic hobby into a full-blown cold-case investigation. This new murder makes her certain she's close to the truth, but when all the evidence starts to point the authorities straight to Erin, she turns to her longtime crush (and fellow suspect) Journey Michaels to help her crack the case before it's too late. 

Why I'm Excited:
I'm truly such a sucker for a good murder mystery. This one sounds so intriguing. It's hard not to wonder about the lives of those who break into the national consciousness. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes open for this one. Tor has been putting out some pretty awesome titles lately. 

What are you waiting for on this Wednesday? Link me up!

Hey lovely GFC and new followers, please follow me by Bloglovin. (I like to follow back, so please let me know if you're a new follower--and leave a link!) Thank you!!!

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TTT: Most Anticipated Reads for the Rest of 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme/original feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Click the link to go to their site to see the original list for today, plus links to a whole slew of other blogs...After you read mine, of course.

TTT: Most Anticipated Books for the Rest of 2016

I don't post that many TTT these days, but I love talking about upcoming books. Some of these I have already while some are those I'm waiting not-so-patiently for. (There is no way I'm keeping this at 10)

   
   
   
   

This is Our Story by Ashley Elston

Five guys go hunting, but only four come back. I cannot wait to get my hands on this one. 

How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

A descendant of Cotton Mather moves to Salem and butts head with a group called "The Descendants". This sounds awesome. 

The Killer in Me by Margot Harrison

A girl believes she knows the identity of an infamous serial killer. 

Smash & Grab by Amy Christine Parker

The synopsis calls this a mix of Ocean's Eleven meets West Side Story. 

The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer

Ok so not to be one of those people, but I've been a fan of Amy Schumer's for years. I cannot wait to read this book. I'll definitely go with the audio. 

A Week of Mondays by Jessica Brody

This is basically Groundhog's Day, but it sounds so fun. 

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

The synopsis doesn't say a whole lot, but I'm definitely waiting for this one. 

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Every generation, three powerful sisters are born. There destiny is to fight to the crown, but this time two of them have been born without powers which they are trying to hide. 

Bright Smoke, Cold Fire  by Rosamund Hodge

This is a retelling of Romeo & Juliet. I love this cover. 

Every Hidden Thing by Kenneth Oppel

This one also has allusions to Romeo & Juliet...only this one is mixed with Indiana Jones. How awesome does that sound. 

Replica by Lauren Oliver

I'm not exactly sure what this is about, but I enjoy this author's work. 

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

I cannot wait to read this book about the Queen of Hearts. 

Bad Blood by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I love this series. 

Scythe Neal Shusterman

One of all my all-time favorite shows was Dead Like Me, which this sounds a lot like. 

The Boomerang Effect by Gordon Jack 

I love funny boy (by which I mean a boy is the main character) books (think Winger or Me and Earl and the Dying Girl). This one looks hilarious. 

Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill

This is definitely high on a lot of people's TBRs. It sounds amazing. 

That's it for me. What books are topping your spring TBR? Link me up!

Hey lovely readers. I love meeting and connecting with new bloggers. If you decide to follow, my preferred method is Bloglovin'. Let me know if you are a new follower as I follow back. Thank you!

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Weekly Rewind 6.11.16

Weekly Rewind
The new books on my shelves and my week in a nutshell.

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.

My Life and Blog

Life: I've made it out of the last full week of school alive--barely. I decided to do this Choose Your Own Adventure unit for the last week (I think I might have talked about it last week). Instead of doing books, though, they created Google Slides (Powerpoints), where the choices were links to different slides instead of turning the page to 19 for this choice and 40 for that one, etc. It worked out very well. They had a couple of days to plan, a couple of days to create the slides, and then today they got to go into our Google Classroom and do their classmates "adventures." It kept them busy and engaged. It's definitely going to be my go-to unit for the last week of school from here on out. It's hard to something that they care about when they know that grading and testing are over. Now I just have to get through one more full day with my regular classes and then Tuesday is field day. Then just two in-service days and I'll be done for the summer. So close. So very, very close. 

This weekend will be spent packing up my rental place. I've gotten a decent head start with most of my clothes and books packed up. I still need to do the bathroom and dresser drawers, and my car desperately needs cleaned out. I can't wait to be home for the summer (at least). My husband will be here on Wednesday to help move me back up. Yay!!!

Blog and reading: A WoW this week. I'm reading As I Descended because I just couldn't wait to start it. It is amazing so far. I'm about 60% of the way in and it is so good. I don't get spooked easily. I've never shied away from watching scary movies alone, for instance, and it takes quite a lot to scare me. I woke up in the middle of the night two nights ago after reading until midnight because I could have sworn that somebody/thing was whispering in my ear. I wouldn't call the book straight-out scary, but it is definitely dark. I'm also reading The Long Game which is the sequel to The Fixer. I've only read the first couple of chapters, but it is exactly what I was expecting it to be. Finally, I'm listening to American Girls which is pretty fascinating. I had an arc of the book, but I just couldn't find the time to get to it. I tend to enjoy listening to nonfiction more than fiction, anyway, so it's been perfect. 

New Books: I have a small handful of lovelies to share with you this week. So without further ado, I hope you are all having fabulous weekends!

For Review

   

As I Descended by Robin Talley

This is a YA retelling of Macbeth with two teen lesbians in the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth set at a boarding school. And it is so, so good. 

Never Ever by Sara Saedi

Another Peter Pan retelling. Anybody read this one yet?

Unplugged by Donna Freitas

Per GR is book is about a: "Humanity is split into the App World and the Real World—an extravagant virtual world for the wealthy and a dying physical world for the poor..." which sound intriguing. 

The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May

When I snagged this a while back I had every intention of reading The Falconer before its release date. That hasn't happened, but I do plan on reading it, and this, this summer. So obsessed with the cover model's hair. It makes me miss my red so much. 

What I snagged from the library

  

Book:

The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I really enjoyed The Fixer last summer and am excited for this sequel.

Audio:
American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers by Nancy Jo Sales

This book is fascinating. It makes me so happy to have grown up in a time (way) before social media. It also makes me so sad when they are talking about girls as young as middle school getting messages from boys to: send nudes. I teach middle school and the fact that my students are dealing are will have to deal with this shit in just a couple of short years depresses me so, so much. 

Movie:

Deadpool

Even though I have an extremely busy weekend of packing ahead of me, I will definitely be making time for this one. 

Well that's it for me this week. Feel free to leave a link to whatever weekend post you do (Stacking the Shelves, In My Mailbox, etc). I love to see what books people have recently snagged and especially enjoy hearing about my fellow bloggers' weeks. I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!

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Waiting on Wednesday (154) Queens of Geek

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. Click the link to see the original post plus a whole slew of links to other blogs. After you read this one, of course.

Queens of Geek

Author: Jen Wilde
Publisher: Swoon
Release Date: March 14, 2017

Goodreads:

When BFFs Charlie, Taylor and Jamie go to SupaCon, they know it’s going to be a blast. What they don’t expect is for it to change their lives forever.

Charlie likes to stand out. SupaCon is her chance to show fans she’s over her public breakup with co-star, Jason Ryan. When Alyssa Huntington arrives as a surprise guest, it seems Charlie’s long-time crush on her isn’t as one-sided as she thought.

While Charlie dodges questions about her personal life, Taylor starts asking questions about her own.

Taylor likes to blend in. Her brain is wired differently, making her fear change. And there’s one thing in her life she knows will never change: her friendship with Jamie—no matter how much she may secretly want it to. But when she hears about the Queen Firestone SupaFan Contest, she starts to rethink her rules on playing it safe.

Why I'm Excited:
Oh, that hair. It's just so lovely. That cover alone caught my interest, but with a setting at a ComicCon-like convention. Sold! I'll definitely be keeping my eyes out for this one.

What are you waiting for on this Wednesday? Link me up!

Hey lovely GFC and new followers, please follow me by Bloglovin. (I like to follow back, so please let me know if you're a new follower--and leave a link!) Thank you!!!

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Weekly Rewind 6.4.16

Weekly Rewind
The new books on my shelves and my week in a nutshell.

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.

My Life and Blog

Life: I'm so jealous of those 1st day/last day posts I've been seeing on IG/FB. I still have a week and a half to go in school. 7 more days with students and then 2 in-service days for us teachers and then it's summertime! Not to sound like a broken record, but I'm very much ready to be home for the summer. I cannot wait to sleep in and read and watch bad TV and just be with my honey. Ready, ready, ready. I've done a lot of debating on what to do with my students for the last week. They have taken their state tests and my department really just gives control to individual teachers to plan their last unit. I've decided to do a Choose Your Own Adventure unit where students are going to write their own CYOA stories and then create a Google Slide presentation (instead of a book). I think they'll enjoy it. 

Blog and reading: A WoW this week. Hopefully over the summer I'll start to get back in the groove of writing some book and movie reviews, but since becoming a teacher a couple of years ago, I decided that this blog was going to be a completely stress-free zone for me. I love doing these weekend posts, and I love doing WoWs, so I know those will continue. I'm currently reading My Lady Jane which is a lot of fun. I'm about 35% of the way through it now and very much hope to finish it this weekend (and maybe even write a review before it releases Tuesday). I'm also reading and enjoying With Malice and My Best Friend's Exorcism (which is a weird one). 

New Books: I have a handful of pretties to show you this week. So without further ado, I hope you are all having fabulous weekends. 

For Review

    

   

Look Both Ways by Alison Cherry

Set at a summer theater program. That's really all I needed to hear to be interested in this one. 

Cure for the Common Universe by Christian McKay Heidicker

Oh, that cover. I love it so. 

The Girls by Emma Cline

This is about a girl who gets mixed up with the Manson Girls. It sounds fascinating. 

How to Disappear by Ann Redisch Stampler

A girl is on the run after she either witnessed or committed a murder. Intriguing!

The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash

A boy tries to get his best friend to fall in love with him. 

Change Places With Me by Lois Metzger

I'm not exactly sure what this is about, but what I can gather is that a girl wakes up feeling different because somebody has taken over her body? 

How it Feels to Fly by Kathryn Holmes

I'll pretty much always pick up a book if it features a ballerina. 

Life Moves Pretty Fast  by Hadley Freeman

A nonfiction look at 80s movies. So sold. 

What I snagged from the library

 

Book:

My Best's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix

I'm about a third of the way through this. It's pretty weird, but different and quickly-paced. 

Movie: 

Carol

I'm honestly a little bit in love with both of these actresses, myself, so I'm excited to watch this one. 

Well that's it for me this week. Feel free to leave a link to whatever weekend post you do (Stacking the Shelves, In My Mailbox, etc). I love to see what books people have recently snagged and especially enjoy hearing about my fellow bloggers' weeks. I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!

Read More