Perfect Lies (Early Book Review)

Perfect Lies (Mind Games #2)

Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Number of Pages: 232
Release Date: February 18, 2014

*Synopsis and Review will continue spoilers for Mind Games.*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.

The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.

But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.

****************************************************************

MY THOUGHTS:

Again, will continue spoilers for Mind Games

I loved Mind Games (my review can be found here), and couldn't wait for this sequel to come out. In fact, once I did have it in my hands, I purposely made myself switch between it and a couple of other books because I knew that I would fly through this slim book if given a chance and I wanted to savor it. This series is still not going to be for everyone. The writing style is one that I know several people couldn't get in to with its dual narration, jumping time line, and pseudo stream-of-conscious writing, but I never struggled with it in either the first book or this one. Perfect Lies was a great sequel/conclusion (it is my understanding that this series was a duology, but I don't know if that is true) to Mind Games. 

Perfect Lies starts off immediately after Mind Games, well Annie's story does at least. The book starts with Annie lying on the ground after Fia "killed" her. She is swept up by the Learner group, including Adam, who are working together to stop the Keane Foundation once and for all. Annie's story takes place "weeks before". The Learner group is working on finding special girls before Keane and the school can get to them.

Fia's story takes place "days and hours before". She is still with James, the heir to the Keane Foundation, and while she loves him, she is starting to wonder if she can trust him. She feels like he is holding something back. She forges an uneasy friendship with a mind-reader of incredible power who she is also completely unsure whether or not she can trust. She is still grappling with the demons that plague her after killing four people (tap, tap, tap, tap). 

I'm going to leave it there. Honestly these are one of the books, and series, that it is best to just go in blind. If this is where the series ends, then I am satisfied, but I would love for there to be one more book. If you enjoyed the first book than I'm sure you will like this one, as well. If you haven't series, than I wish you wouldn't have read this review, and you should definitely pick it up. 

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Weekly Rewind (1) 2.15.14

The Weekly Rewind

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









The Weekly Rewind is my new weekend post. 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, but I don't want my weekend post to just be about the books I've received. I'm trying to make this blog more personal, so 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. 

My Life and Blog

On the job front: So, good news, I had two different meeting this week regarding working as a substitute teacher. The first one was for one of the districts close to me which "hired" me as a sub. There is an app on my phone that alerts me when a job is available. I couldn't take any this week, but my phone has been beeping so I know that next week I'll definitely be able to snag a job or two. The other meeting was with a district consortium that handles six different districts in my city. The woman I had a meeting with said she just needed to review my file, but that everything seemed to be in order, so by next week I should be approved for seven different districts. Yay!

On the blog front: This week I posted three reviews and one discussion post.

• Monday: A book review for the hilarious Hyperbole and a Half. If you are unfamiliar with Allie Brosch and her blog hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com, I highly recommend checking it out. She is hilarious. This book is a compilation of posts from her blog. 
• Tuesday: A discussion post where I did A Blog Reflection. This was one of the more personal posts I've ever written. I talk about guilt and pressure and arcs and memes and comments. It was a lot to get off my chest and I've been feeling so much freer and better about reading and blogging since I've started looking at the two differently.
• Wednesday: I was a slacker. It happens.
• Thursday: I posted an early book review for the YA contemporary Bright Before Sunrise. I enjoyed this cute story that takes place over the course of a single afternoon/night, but I didn't love it like I wanted to.
• Friday: A movie review for the awesomely funny and touching The Way Way Back. I loved this movie and would highly recommend if you are looking for something to watch this weekend.

On the book front: My birthday haul hasn't come in yet because 1. I took to long to decide which books to get and 2. I chose the free shipping for orders over $35 because I'm cheap like that. I did get a lot of review books and a pretty sweet library haul to share with you all, though, and I promise to post my birthday haul next week. 

Review Books

 

Panic by Lauren Oliver

For some reason I thought this book was dystopian, but it's not which is awesome. I'm about 20% in or so (and am reading in conjunction of about 5 other books so I know it will take me the next week or so to get through it), and I am enjoying it so far. It's set in a small town where recent high school graduates compete in a series of challenges for a grand prize. People were comparing it to The Hunger Games, but, no. That's a horrible comparison.

Grim by various authors

This almost 500 page (!) book is a compilation of short stories based on fairy tales. Pretty awesome. 

Let the Storm Break by Shannon Messenger

I still need to read Let the Sky Fall, but I've heard good things and I couldn't resist this cover. Pretty.

Year of Mistaken Discoveries by Eileen Cook

I'm not exactly sure what this one is about. Two girls bonded over being adopted. One purposely overdoses on pills. The other decides to find her birth mom to honor her? I've enjoyed books by the author in the past. We'll see.

Hung Up by Kristen Tracy

This novel about a boy and girl who start talking about one of them dials the other by accident sounds pretty cute, but I read the first 5% or so and it is really young. I don't know if I'm going to continue.

Sitcom: A History in 24 Episodes From I Love Lucy to Community by Saul Austerlitz

That title pretty much says it all. This book looks at the history of the sitcom using 24 episodes from popular sitcoms throughout history. A truth about me: I often find the ideas behind nonfiction to be absolutely fascinating, but I rarely read nonfiction. 

What I snagged from the library

Something Real by Heather Demetrios

This book about a girl in a Jon and Kate Plus 8 type show has been getting raves. I was so excited when it come in for me so quickly.

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messanger

I figured I should probably read the first book. I cannot NOT sing this title in my Adele voice. 

Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts
I was approved for the e-arc of this, but it was on of those ones that you couldn't send to your reader and I can't stand reading on my computer, so I never got around to it. I know that it didn't get great reviews, but the premise sounds interesting and oh, that cover. One of my favorites.

Posts/Links I loved this week

From blogs:

• Over at Bookmunchies they: Mused about romance books and embarrassing covers
• The Day Dreaming, Candy Eating, Red Headed Bookworm discussed: Young Adult Novels and Swearing
• Books Take You Places did a brilliant post looking at: Disney Villains
• Cait over at The Notebook Sisters has a: Guess the Bookish Couple game for you to play in honor of Valentine's Day
• Sheri from YA Escape From Reality posed the question: Why Such Violent Heroines?

From around the web:

• Jezebel had an article about how: Publishers Now Want You to Binge Read 
• So I haven't read the Vampire Academy series, but Joblo is definitely making me even more hesitant to watch the movie after: This review of The Vampire Academy 
• I couldn't believe how many famous genuinely funny people didn't cut in Mental Floss's article: 32 Famous People Rejected by Saturday Night Live

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. I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!

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The Way Way Back (Friday Film Review)

The Way Way Back

Directors:  Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Writers: Nat Faxon, Jim Rash
Starring: Liam James, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison Janney
DVD Release Date: October 22, 2013 
Rated: PG-13 for thematic elements, language, some sexual content and brief drug material

Synopsis from IMDb: 

Shy 14-year-old Duncan goes on summer vacation with his mother, her overbearing boyfriend, and her boyfriend's daughter. Having a rough time fitting in, Duncan finds an unexpected friend in Owen, manager of the Water Wizz water park.  

************************************************************************

MY THOUGHTS:

I honestly wasn't quite sure what to expect from The Way Way Back. I knew the studio that released it was the one responsible for the gems Little Miss Sunshine and Juno and that the writer/directors adapted The Descendants, but this movie really didn't get that much buzz. Honestly, I can't even remember a single trailer for this when it came out last summer. Regardless, I absolutely adore almost every single person in this cast and so snagged it from my local library. I'm so glad I did. The Way Way Back is a perfect blend of summer comedy and a poignant coming-of-age story.

The movie follows the story of Duncan, a shy 14 year-old who is extremely unhappy with his summer plans. His mother, Pam (Collette), is dating a man he cannot stand, Trent (Carell), and Duncan is being forced to spend his summer in Trent's summer home along with Trent's pretty teenage daughter--who is also a complete jerk. Duncan ends up befriending man-child, Owen (Sam Rockwell), and spending most of his time at the town's small water park where Owen works and lives. Also employed at the water park are characters played by Maya Rudolph and our writers/directors Rash and Faxon. 

There were so many aspects of this movie that I absolutely loved. The first was the location of the film which was an unnamed idyllic east coast beach town. I live in the Northeast--where it is currently snowmageddon--and this film made me seriously yearn for summer. The town is one of those small towns that you know completely clears out in the fall/winter where families go to spend their summers (who gets summers off? I never understood how families were able to do this. Oh right, teachers, I so made the best career decision ever. Now if I could only find a job). The setting immediately gives you that nostalgic summer feeling and I wanted to be there. 

Also, the cast is so funny and amazing. Carell, who I'm so used to seeing as the clueless, but affable character in things like The Office and Anchorman, was extremely convincing as a, well, as an asshat. I really disliked his character and hated the way he treats Duncan throughout the film. Toni Collette does a great job as a woman who is trying to make it work with a man she probably sees as her last chance of happiness while still trying to be a good mother to her adolescent son. Allison Janney plays the hilarious drunk neighbor who is there with her teenage daughter, played by AnnaSophia Robb of The Carrie Diaries, and her young son. Duncan starts crushing on AnnaSophia's character even though she is older, and she latches on to him a bit, too, instead of hanging out with Trent's bossy teen daughter who is the queen bee of the summer crew. Liam James, who plays our star, was perfect in the role. He is awkward and bitter and funny. This was the first role I've seen him in, and I will definitely be on the lookout for more from the young actor.

My favorite characters were the employees at the water park. Sam Rockwell's Owen was both hilarious and exasperating. He has a kind of romance going on with Maya Rudolph's character, but you can tell that she is getting feed up with his man-child ways. Jim Rash's character stole the show. He is absolutely hilarious as the man who works in the park's rental shop who keeps telling everyone that he is quitting and moving away. I was surprised at how many times this movie made me laugh out loud. 

 

Overall, I loved this movie. The drama experienced by Duncan due to his home situation is nicely tempered by life at the waterpark. This is one of those perfect coming-of-age stories that make you laugh, gives you the feels, and makes you long for summer. Highly recommend.

 

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Bright Before Sunrise (Early Book Review)

Bright Before Sunrise

Author: Tiffany Schmidt
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Number of Pages: 288
Release Date: February 18, 2014

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Jonah and Brighton are about to have the most awkwardly awful night of their lives. For Jonah, every aspect of his new life reminds him of what he has had to give up. All he wants is to be left alone. Brighton is popular, pretty, and always there to help anyone . . . but has no idea of what she wants for herself. Her seemingly perfect life is marred only by Jonah, the one person who won't give her the time of day, but also makes her feel, well, something. So when they are repeatedly thrown together over the course of one night, anything can—and does—happen. Told in alternating chapters, this poignant, beautiful novel's energy and tension, amidst the humor and romance, builds to a new beginning of self-acceptance and hope.

*******************************************************************

MY THOUGHTS:
 

I wanted to read Bright Before Sunrise as soon as I saw that cover. Look at that moon! Isn't it so pretty? When I read the synopsis and found out that it was a YA contemporary that took place in a single 24 hour period I was sold, sold, sold. While I enjoyed this quick and cute story, I do have to admit that I didn't love it quite as much as I wanted to.

Bright Before Sunrise follows two teens. Brighton (Bright-get it?) and Jonah. Brighton is the quintessential good girl. Smart, popular, and beautiful, Brighton could easily rule the school as the queen bee/mean girl, but she doesn't. Instead, Brighton rules with kindness and is beloved by everyone...well, almost everyone. There are two main things going on in Brighton's life when we meet her.  

One, she is preparing for her father's memorial five years after his death which is to take place the day after our book's time period--which is a Friday. While she wants to both mourn and celebrate her father, she knows that she will have to be a rock for her fragile mother and flighty older sister. Throughout the novel, we get glimpses of her relationship with her father, and my heart broke for her while she steeled herself for the memorial the following morning.  

Two, she is trying to convince Jonah, the relatively new student to come to the book drive she has set up for Sunday. At her school in the affluent neighborhood of Cross Pointe, all of the students but one--Jonah--have done community service hours. If she can get him to participate in one small act of community service, then she will be able to order the key club plaque to put in the school hallway of 100% participation. This plaque that is important to her for reasons we find out as we follow her story. I really liked Brighton and understood her "perfect" persona. Her characterization reminded me of the high school girls nonfiction books like Alexandra Robbin's The Overachievers follow. Today's girls are supposed to be everything: smart and pretty and athletic and kind. It's so much pressure and you could see Brighton's perfect mask cracking under all the weight.

Jonah, however, doesn't want anything to do with Brighton and her stupid community service. Forced to move during his senior year from the nearby town of Hamilton with his mother and her new husband, Jonah doesn't want anything to do with the "snobs" at Cross Pointe. Jonah was a hard character for me to connect with at first. I understood he was angry, and, frankly, in his shoes I would have been too. His mother cheated on his father with her new husband and the two have a newborn together. Jonah's stepfather is a total dick to him, but living with his real father isn't an option. Jonah's girlfriend is back in Hamilton and all of the students at Cross Pointe still treat him as the new kid even though he has lived there for a few months. You can't blame them though as he throws off "don't mess with me vibes" whenever any of them try to reach out. My biggest problem with Jonah was how he treats Brighton in the beginning. Yes, she is the most popular girl of a school he hates, but she has never done anything to him and tries to be as friendly and welcoming as possible. 

Circumstances lead the two to spend a crazy night together in both Cross Pointe and Hamilton and, of course, their feelings towards each other slowly start to change. There were several things about this novel that I did enjoy. I'm a huge fan of multiple or dual narration and Bright Before Sunrise alternates between Brighton and Jonah so we get to see both sides of the story. The writing is easy and fast paced and I enjoyed the author's stylization and thought both voices were distinctive. I also thought the author did a great job of showing how much can change in a single night and loved that the story was told in such a small amount of time. 

Overall, I did enjoy Bright Before Sunrise, with the exception of Jonah's character in the beginning, and would recommend it if you are looking for a quick and easy YA contemporary. 

*I received an advanced reader's copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.*

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Discussion Post: A Blog Reflection

Discussion Post: A Blog Reflection


I've been giving this blog a lot of thought lately--what I do and do not want it to be, and I think I'm finally ready to share my thoughts. I know I'm not the only person who has been reflecting on the topic lately. Kara from Great Imagination posted a discussion on Regaining Her Passion for blogging. Jen from YA Romantics wrote about Blogging From the Heart. I've seen countless other posts and comments that all seem to share the same sentiment that I'm feeling right now: I want my blog to be a fun hobby. I don't want ever want for reading--the thing I love to do more than anything else in this world--to ever feel like it is a job. So what am I going to do about it? That's the question.

Reading, Stress, and Guilt

So here's the thing: I'm not going to feel guilty or stressed out about reading anymore. Those days are over. Yes, I will try to get to my ARCs in a timely manner, but if I feel like rereading a book or reading the ARC that doesn't come out for six months: I'm going to do it. Last week I talked about My DNF Habits, and this certainly falls in line with that. If I'm not enjoying the book I'm reading, then I'm going to move on to the next one. Period.

 

In addition, like I discussed last week, I need to stop requesting so many damn books. With very few exceptions, I have really only been interested in contemporary fiction lately. I like a good horror story every once in a while that may have some paranormal aspect, and I still enjoy the occasional fairy tale retelling that has fantastical elements, but in 2014 I'm going to be way more selective about what I'm requesting.

Along the same lines, I'm also going to make a concentrated effort to read older books. Just because a book is brand new (or not out yet) and has a sparkly cover, doesn't make it better than the book that has been sitting on my shelf for the past 2 years or the library book I have checked out. I know that I've made a commitment to read an ARC if I request it, and I really am trying to read them when I should--and I want to read the books I request--but I'm not going to only read ARCs. There are so many books I didn't get to when they first came out that I'm going to concentrate on as well. 

I've loved to read since I was little. When I was in elementary school, my punishment for not cleaning my room was that I couldn't go to the library. In jr. high and high school, I dropped off the face of the planet every summer because I just wanted to be alone and read. It's a part of who I am and I just refuse, absolutely refuse, to let it become a chore.

Memes:

I didn't really know a whole lot about blogging when I first started this one last April. I had been reviewing books on Goodreads, and had already started getting some ARCs  through NG, so decided to go ahead and make myself a blog. Memes were kind of a saving grace for me at the time. Not only did they give me something to post pretty much everyday (not that I was only posting memes), they also gave me a way to connect with other bloggers.

Furthermore, memes gave me a way of keeping up with this blog last semester when I was so busy I could barely even think straight. For those of you who don't know: last semester was MY last semester as a grad student. I was student teaching seniors in high school (who were writing some pretty major essays), preparing lesson plans, working a part time office job, working part time at my local library (where I've worked for the past eight years), taking 2 graduate school classes, and trying to occasionally see my awesome husband. It was insanity. Looking back, I honestly don't even know how I got through it. During those 4 months, I could barely put together a couple of posts a week, and they were almost all meme posts. If I hadn't been posting Waiting on Wednesday posts and Stacking the Shelves posts, I probably wouldn't have posted at all. Memes allowed me to stay in touch with some of my blogging friends and allowed me to stay an (somewhat) active blogger.

Now that I've graduated, however, and am back to a fairly quiet and normal life (I'm trying to get work as a substitute teacher and am still working part time at the office and at the library), I've found myself not really that interested in keeping up with memes. I will definitely continue posting WoW posts because I love scouring for new books and looking to see what my friends chose, and I will also continue to post a "What I Got" type post on Saturdays, but I'm going to be tweaking the format of my weekend post to be more about my life and the things I enjoyed over the week (blog posts I enjoyed, other articles I found, etc). I'm still working on the format, but I should have it worked out by the weekend. Frankly, I'm tired of trying to keep up with all the comments from the randoms who drop by and say: nice haul, now come to my blog and see what I got.



 

I know that seems kind of bitchy, but I'm over fake interactions. I really do try to make it a point to return comments, but it's hard to muster up the energy when it's obvious that the person who left a comment doesn't give a shit about you or your blog. Now if somebody new drops by, and leaves a genuine comment about a book I got, or especially if they leave a comment on a discussion/review post, than I'm always up for making a new friend. I really only want to interact with bloggers who care about the people they are talking to. I'm not at all interested in the bloggers whose sole purpose is to get me to their blog. There are some awesome bloggers and blogs out there, and they are the ones who I want to interact with. I'm ok with the fact that my blog is probably going to remain one of the smaller ones. In no way am I blogging for "numbers". Frankly, I don't know how the bigger blogs keep up with all their comments. It's another way that blogging can feel more like chore than a hobby.

To clarify this: I love comments. I do. Please don't get me wrong. AND I love visiting other blogs. I'm just over the super fake comments left on memes which is why I'm probably not going to participate in them as often (again, with the exception of WoW and some type of weekend post...which I may or may not link to a meme. I haven't decided).

To clarify this further: I understand that this is the purpose of memes. The whole point is to get people to come to your blogs. I'm not looking for some glorious comment when I post a meme. I am, however, looking for more than: nice pick (haul, list), now here's mine. It took time to put this shit together. If you really want people to come to your blog at least pick out one significant aspect of their post (oh, I love YA mysteries. Oh, I've heard good things about x book. Oh, you put x book on your list, I didn't think about that). Just be genuine.

Holy moly, that went on for way longer than I meant it to. Sorry for the rant. Again.

Posts:

I'm going to make a loose schedule, but I'm not going to feel bad if I don't follow it. Again, I'm just not putting any pressure on myself in regards to this blog anymore. If I get a post done: great. If I don't: oh, well. Over the past month or so, I've been trying to post one or two reviews a week, plus a discussion post (along with the couple of memes), and I like what I've got going on quite a bit. I'm especially enjoying both writing discussion posts and reading the responses I get from them.

Going forward:

So what you can expect from me going forward: a more honest look at me--what I'm reading, what's on my mind, etc. Occasional unexplained absences because I just couldn't muster up the energy creating a post can sometimes take--I'm just not going to be putting pressure on myself to post something every day, and, frankly, not putting pressure on myself to read this certain book, or to get this post written has made me want to read and write more. A mix of reviews from ARCs to older books to movie reviews (so, yeah, not a whole lot is changing there). More discussion posts because, frankly, they are what are most fun for me to write, and they are what I find most interesting to read on other blogs.

Whew. That was kind of a lot. I'm feeling better about my little corner of the web already.

 



Like always, I'd love to hear from you. Have you found yourself feeling pressured to post every day? Do you feel guilty when you don't get to an ARC on time? I'd love to hear your thoughts on these and any other related topics.



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Hyperbole and a Half (Book Review)

Hyperbole and a Half

Author: Allie Brosh
Publisher: Touchstone
Number of Pages: 371
Release Date: October 29, 2013

Synopsis from Goodreads:

This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative--like maybe someone who isn’t me wrote it--but I soon discovered that I’m not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly. So I decided to just make a list of things that are in the book:

Pictures
Words
Stories about things that happened to me
Stories about things that happened to other people because of me
Eight billion dollars*
Stories about dogs
The secret to eternal happiness*

*These are lies. Perhaps I have underestimated my sneakiness!

*****************************************************************

MY THOUGHTS:

Hyperbole and a Half is a collection of graphic stories as drawn and told by blogger Allie Brosh (hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com). As I wasn't familiar and never read her blog before picking up this book, I don't know how much of it is original material and how much had previously appeared on her blog. Regardless, I absolutely loved this book and would definitely recommend it to those who like graphic work and humor, as well as those who have, or who know somebody who has, suffered from depression.

Ms. Brosh's fairly substantial collection looks at all different aspects of her life. She talks about her childhood--like the time when she became fixated on her grandfather's birthday cake and did everything in her power to eat it all, or the time her mom decided to take her and her sister for a walk in the woods and the three got lost. She talks about her struggles with depression and her lack of motivation. She talks about her two crazy dogs. The drawings are pretty crude, but it is obviously her style. I loved that this book wasn't just one thing. Parts of it are hilarious while other parts are quite thought-provoking. 

Overall, I highly recommend this collection--or, at the very least, checking out her awesome blog. I'm definitely a fan.

Favorite quotes: 

• Most people can motivate themselves to do things simply by knowing that those things need to be done. But not me. For me, motivation is this horrible, scary game where I try to make myself do something while actively avoid doing it. If I win, I have to do thing I don't want to do. If I lose, I'm one step closer to ruining my entire life. And I never know whether I'm going to win or lose until the last second. 

• (On misconceptions her dogs have) Misconception #4: I should eat bees. I didn't think this would need to be explained. EAting bees is sort of its own consequence. But you keep doing it. Haven't you noticed that every time you try to eat bees, you get stung on the face? No matter how many times you eat bees, the outcome is always going to be the same. The outcome will never be different. It really won't be different ever. The only proper way to react to bees is to leave them alone. In case the distinction isn't clear, leaving bees alone does not include eating them. 

• I like to believe that I would behave heroically in a disaster situation. I like to think this because it makes me feel good about myself. Conveniently, it is very unlikely that I will ever actually have to do anything to prove it. As long as I never encounter a disaster situation, I can keep believing I'm a hero indefinitely.

Don't you love her writing style? I found her so funny and familiar. For real, the motivation thing is my life. 

 

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Stacking the Shelves (41) 2.7.14

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature hosted by Tyngas Reviews. This meme allows us to share the books we've recently added to our shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! *Clicking the link of a book's title will take you to Goodreads.

So Thursday was my birthday--which is why there was no post on Friday. Lol. My awesome husband just told me to order whatever books I wanted on Amazon (he knows me so well), so I'll have my birthday haul to show you all next week.

On the work front: I have appointments set up with two different offices next week. One office controls the sub list for 5 different districts. As all the districts have both a middle and a high school, by the end of the week I should be on the sub list for 12 different schools. So hopefully I'll start getting jobs soon.

On the blog front: this week I posted reviews for two books: Real Prom Queens of Westfield High (which I found to be too over-the-top and unrealistic on a couple of different levels) and Better Off Friends (which I loved). I also posted a discussion post which looks at My DNF Habits.

Also, on the blog front, I've been giving what I want this blog to be a lot of thought over the past couple of weeks and plan to make some small changes going forward. I plan on posting my thoughts next week sometime...as soon as I finish putting it together. 

On the book front: I got all kinds of goodies to show you from review books to what I bought to what I snagged from the library. I'm especially excited for the review books. I'm truly excited for all four of these. This week was an awesome book week. So without further adieu...I hope you are all having a splendid weekend!

For Review

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

I'm so excited for this one. I loved Mind Games and cannot wait to find out what happens next. I've started this, but have been reading it slowly.

Bright Before Sunrise by Tiffany Schmidt

I've already finished this cute story that takes place over the course of an evening. Like Better Off Friends, you see both POVs of the boy and the girl throughout the story which I enjoyed. A review will be up sometime next week.

Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor

Like almost all books, I've seen some pretty polarizing star ratings for this book about a girl dealing with her best friend's cancer. I read the first chapter just to see and I like the writing style so far. There are a couple of other books I need to finish before I completely dive in, but this one is definitely next.

The Fifty-Seven Lives of Alex Wayfare by MG Buehrlen

I'm intrigued by this story about a girl that has 57 past lives and the ability to go back in time to access them. If you read my DNF post you'll remember that I stated I'm trying to only request contemporary books that I know I'll enjoy, but I'm definitely making the exception for original and intriguing books like this one. 

What I bought

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

I've been meaning to read this one for forever. I found it for a dollar at HPB yesterday. A dollar!

Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green

This mystery has been compared to Pretty Little Liars. I gave up on the series after the 6th book (or 5th, I can't remember), but this one was in the clearance section for two dollars, so I thought I'd give it a try.

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman

I know it will be awhile before I get to this one, but it was also only two dollars in the clearance section, and totally brand new. 

What I snagged from the library

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

I've checked this one out a couple of times, but never seem to get to it. It sounds interesting and I've enjoyed the couple of Libba Bray books I have read.

In Honor by Jessi Kirby

I really enjoyed Golden by Ms. Kirby when I read it last year and wanted to give her early work a look. 

Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally

I have the e-arc on my Kindle for this one, but haven't been able to get to it yet. I found the PB at the library which is my preferred book form. I love those boots! I want them.

So that's it for me this week. I'm pretty excited about what I added to my shelves. What did you add to your shelves? Link me up!

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