Weekly Rewind 9.27.14

Weekly Rewind
The new books on my shelves 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.

My Life and Blog

Life: I'm typing this up kind of last minute and I'm pretty much ready for bed, so I'm going to skip the long update on life tonight. Everything is going fairly well. I'm getting into the rhythm of teaching. Some days are better than others, of course, but I don't feel like ripping my hair out. Well, I do sometimes, but not as often. Lol.

My next trip home will be in three weeks. After that, it will only be a month until Thanksgiving break. I have the whole week off in November so I'm going home the Friday before Thanksgiving and staying until the Sunday after. A whole week at home. In my bed. With my husband...and cats.

I am, however, still going through what has become the biggest slump of my life. I know that it is because my brain just cannot brain after teaching all day. I simply cannot concentrate on anything when I finally get home. This is a bummer on so many levels. I've always been a reader. Always. It is why I became an English teacher to begin with. I hate not being able to just sink into a good book at the end of a long day. I keep hoping I will snap out of it. Honestly, this is a post unto itself, and like I said, I'm ready for bed after another long week.

New books: Despite my slump, I have some exciting titles to share this week. So without further adieu. I hope you are all having fabulous weekends!

For Review

   

   

  

Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios

While I absolutely love the idea of jenni (genies), I have to admit that I'm a bit weary of this 500 page series starter. I've been trying to avoid series if I can help it. I just cannot not reread the first book (or worse, first couple of books) when the next one comes out. My book memory is seriously shit, and I HATE not being able to remember all the details. Bane of my existence. Regardless, I've heard good things and it looks pretty awesome.

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick

I snagged this simply because it takes place in my home state of WY. Woot! (I've not read Hush, Hush.)

This is How it Ends by Jen Nadol

Friends on a camping trip see visions that start coming true. Or something. Sounds original if nothing else.

Kiss Kill Vanish by Jessica Martinez

A girl flees after seeing her boyfriend murder somebody per her own father's orders.

The Fall by Bethany Griffin

This is a re-imagining of Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. That sentence only is its selling point. Plus, that cover is amazing.

The Good Sister by Jamie Kain

Three sisters with hippie parents. I just love books that focus on sisterhood. I'm also totally digging this cover.

The Perfectionists by Sara Shepard

Seriously, I don't know why I keep snagging her books. I rarely read them. The premise sounds interesting, but doesn't it always?

Pennyroyal Academy by M.A. Larson

I'm powerless against covers with dragons. I don't even read a whole lot of fantasy. There's just something about dragons, though.

Sweet Unrest by Lisa Maxwell

A murder mystery + Voodoo. Sold.

What I snagged from the library

 

Zac and Mia by AJ Betts

I'll be honest, I don't know if I can do another two sick teens story. I was approved for the e-book, but I didn't realize it was one that couldn't be sent to a Kindle, and I never read on my computer. I might give it a shot. Anybody read this one? Yay or nay?

Grim by various authors

I snagged this to see if a short story collection could help my slump. I'm hoping that little chunks are the best way to approach it (like it's a hungry lion or something).

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!

 

Waiting on Wednesday (69) All Fall Down

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.

 All Fall Down
 
Authors: Ally Carter
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date: January , 2015

Link to Goodreads:

Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:

1. She is not crazy.
2. Her mother was murdered.
3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her–so there’s no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door who is keeping an eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.

Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can’t control Grace–no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do.

Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn’t stop it, Grace isn’t the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world all stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down

Why I'm Excited:

So I usually try to feature unusual titles, but I cannot hold my excitement for this one. While I never got into the Gallagher series (I don't know why. I finally read the first book, but it took forever for me to get through it and blah, blah), I adore the Heist Society books. I'm so excited for this to come out, and am happy this finally has a cover. Part of me wants to preach about this girl being, like, a size negative two, but I was quite skinny as a teen so it makes me feel like such a hypocrite...Regardless, I do like the pretty colors and that building is bad-ass. Also, after featuring books that come out next summer these past couple of weeks, January actually seems just right around the corner.

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

Hey lovely GFC and new followers, please follow me by Bloglovin as we all know Google Reader has gone/is going by the wayside. (I like to follow back, so please let me know if you're a new follower--and leave a link!) Thank you!!!





Weekly Rewind 9.19.14

Weekly Rewind
The new books on my shelves 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.

My Life and Blog

Life: It was so awesome to be home last weekend. I was sad to go, of course (like bawled my eyes out at the airport), but I already have tickets to go back in October. Six weeks apart was just way too long. We won't go that long between seeing each other again.

This week went pretty well. I feel like I am starting to hit my groove. There are still rough periods, but even veteran teachers have rough periods. It's just part of the territory. I'm typing this up pretty late, and I am beat tired. I had the worst dream last night that woke me up at 5AM and I never really got back to sleep, so I'm going to keep this brief today.

New Books: I cannot even believe the titles I have available to me right now, and yet I'm still struggling to get into anything. Hopefully one of these gorgeous titles will help me snap out of it!

I'll write more next week. I hope you are all having fabulous weekends!

For Review

    

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

I didn't read the Legend series, but I've heard great things about the author and jumped at the chance to read her new book.

Winterspell by Claire Legrand

My GR feed is totally split on this one. Half of my friends loved it, and the other half DNF'd it. I have fond memories of The Nutcracker. When I was in the 6th grade I got to be in the University's production of it (which was a huge deal to pre-teen me), so I'm hoping I'll be in the rave camp.

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

I've read one of Ms. Wolitzer's adult novel's--The Uncoupling--and enjoyed it enough. I have to admit that what really drew me to this book is that awesome cover. I adore it. I'm not sure about this one at this point in my life. With my current stress level, I don't know if I can handle a trying-to-handle-the-death-of-a-boyfriend story, but I do want to read this.

Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks

I'm sure it will not come as a huge surprise that my real dream is to be an author. When I was in high school and college, I wrote all the time. I was constantly writing in journals, writing poetry, writing short stories. I had no doubt that I would someday write a novel. Flash forward a few (ahem) years, and I've not done shit to maintain that dream. Adult life, man, it can get you. I don't call myself a writer because I'm not writing anything, but I would very much like to change that. Hopefully this book will help light a fire.

What I snagged from the library

  

All the Truth That's in Me by Julie Berry

I've been meaning to read this one for forever.

Jessica Darling's It List by Megan McCafferty

If you follow me at all, you know that the Jessica Darling series is one of my all-time favorites. I have the second book in this MG prequel series, but as I was sitting down to read it, I realized I couldn't really remember this one, so I snagged it when I was at the library today.

Paper Towns by John Green

The only John Green book I've read so far is TFiOS, so when I saw this on the shelves I couldn't help but snag it.

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!

Waiting on Wednesday (68) Love Fortunes and Other Disasters

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.

 Love Fortunes and Other Disasters
 
Authors: Kimberly Karalius
Publisher: Swoon Reads
Release Date: June 9, 2015

Link to Goodreads:

Love is real in the town of Grimbaud and Fallon Dupree has dreamed of attending high school there for years. After all, generations of Dupree’s have successfully followed the (100% accurate!) love fortunes from Zita’s famous Love Charms Shop to happily marry their high school sweethearts. It’s a tradition. So she is both stunned and devastated when her fortune states that she will NEVER find love.

Fortunately, Fallon isn’t the only student with a terrible love fortune, and a rebellion is brewing. Fallon is determined to take control of her own fate—even if it means working with a notorious heartbreaker like Sebastian.

Will Fallon and Sebastian be able to overthrow Zita’s tyranny and fall in love?


Why I'm Excited:

That cover! Beyond adorable. I want to crawl inside it. The story sounds pretty cute, too. I love the idea of a fortune teller and the generations of married high school sweethearts. This sounds so cute; perfect for a warm June day. Also, I'm loving the name Fallon for some reason.

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

Hey lovely GFC and new followers, please follow me by Bloglovin as we all know Google Reader has gone/is going by the wayside. (I like to follow back, so please let me know if you're a new follower--and leave a link!) Thank you!!!





Weekly Rewind 9.13.14

Weekly Rewind
The new books on my shelves 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.

 My Life and Blog

Life: I'M HOME!!! This is going to be brief, but my husband is out for a little bit with the groom, so I figured I'd take a minute to write a quick update. It's so nice to be home. Besides my husband and cats, I miss my bed, having cable, and just PA in general. I wish it was for longer than 3 days, but I'll take whatever I can get. Tomorrow is the wedding, which should be pretty fun.

I've been re-reading Gone Girl in preparation of the movie next month. It's actually been a great choice to help break me out of what has been an on-going book slump. It's certainly the longest slump I've ever gone through, so I'm happy that something has helped me snap out of it. Even if you mostly read YA, I cannot recommend this brilliant book enough. I read it when it very first came out--before there was any hype--and spent the next 6 months, at least, telling everyone I know that they should pick it up. 

New Books: As always, I have some new books to share, so without further adieu, I hope you are all having fabulous weekends!

For Review

 

 

 

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper

According to GR this is: "A sweeping historical romance about a witch who foresees her own murder--and the one boy who can help change her future." Despite my lack of being around lately, I haven't escaped the buzz surrounding this one. I'm excited to read it. I'm a bit nervous because I'm always more intrigued by the idea of witches more than I am actually witch stories...

Rooms by Lauren Oliver

I'm so psyched for this adult novel that follow a house occupied by both ghosts and humans.

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld
The premise of this novel within a novel reminds me of The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood which is one of my ALL time favorites. I have to admit that I'm finding the 600 page count a bit daunting, though.
The Bodies We Wear by Jeyn Roberts
Per GR: "A streetwise girl trains to take on a gang of drug dealers and avenge her best friend’s death in this thriller..." Sounds pretty awesome. I love this cover, too. 
Jessica Darling's It List #2 by Megan McCafferty
Jessica Darling is my spirit animal. I would rather be reading about adult Jessica over MG Jessica, but I'll take what I can get.
Messenger of Fear by Michael Grant
I'm actually not exactly sure what this is about, but a couple of trusted friends have given it high star ratings, so I'll definitely give it a try. 
How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran
Endorsed by Lena Dunham and set in the 90s. Sold. 
The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry
This book about the girls at a private school who are both trying to solve and cover up their head mistress's murder so the school doesn't get shut down sounds adorable. 
Unfriended by Rachel Vail
I'm trying to get a little more interested in MG now that I'm teaching 8th grade. I have to admit that I'm definitely still more interested in YA and adult novels, but I think we can all relate to how stressful friendships can be at their crucial age. 

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!

Waiting on Wednesday (67) The Rules

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.

 The Rules
 
Authors: Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
Publisher: Delacorte
Release Date: June 23, 2015

Link to Goodreads:

Narrated by alternating unreliable narrators, this dark thriller will have readers on the edge of their seats. No one is safe and everyone is a suspect. It's Saw meets I Know What You Did Last Summer.

Junior Robin Brisset has no idea what she's in for when she accepts an invitation to one of Callabrese High's most exclusive parties. And when the trademark scavenger hunt begins, Robin must go against every rule she's lived by to survive.

   
Why I'm Excited:

I love a good creeper and seeing the comparison of this to Saw definitely gave me pause. The come out, come out on the cover is seriously creepy, too. Throw in multiple unreliable narrators and a scavenger hunt and I am sold. I don't adore this cover, but the girl is sufficiently terrifying. What is it with young girls with long, dark hair (sorry brunettes, no offense, I think dark hair is gorgeous)? Ever since The Ring, man. Definitely excited to read this one.

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

Hey lovely GFC and new followers, please follow me by Bloglovin as we all know Google Reader has gone/is going by the wayside. (I like to follow back, so please let me know if you're a new follower--and leave a link!) Thank you!!!





Weekly Rewind 9.6.14

Weekly Rewind
The new books on my shelves 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.

My Life and Blog

Life: Chugging along. Fridays are my roughest days teaching wise. My two rowdiest classes are back-to-back at the end of the day (my school has this weird rotating schedule, so they are only together to end my day on Fridays), so they are, of course, all ramped up for the weekend...while I'm completely exhausted and over it by Friday afternoon. Worst combination ever. I seriously just want to pull my hair out by the time that final bell rings. Lol. What do you do? Thursday was an awesome day. I gave all of my classes a timed essay and got ALL of my grading done and entered in total peace. Every single one of my classes was quiet and well-behaved as they wrote all period. I now have 100 essays to grade, but it was so worth it.

I get to go home in 5 days!!! I cannot freaking wait to see my husband and cats. I'm going home for a friend's wedding, but we've already joked that we probably won't last very long at the reception. I'm hoping M-Th fly by. I fly out late Thursday night and get to spend 3 nights at home. So, so beyond excited.

Not a whole lot to report on the blog front. I've still only finished a single book in the past...I don't even know...four weeks probably--not counting books on CD which I am flying through with this killer commute. I just started the third HP book. I've read the series three or four times already, but it just makes an awful commute not quite as bad. Anyway, I have a TON of new books I'm excited to read, so hopefully I'll find something that can hold my interest. It's a shame that I'm going through this slump as I have time in the evenings to read. I'm just so tired every single night after having to act like Professor Umbrage all day. I just want to tell them: This class would be so fun and laid-back if you would stop acting like total hoodlums. Seriously, the minute I relax it's like they can sense it and pandemonium erupts. I know they all think I'm, like, the meanest teacher. They have no idea how laid back I am in real life. Oh, well.

New books: I have so many books to share this week that I am super excited about. Again, I have about a hundred essays I need to grade over the weekend, and a test to design, but I'm hoping to get in at least a couple of quality reading hours in there somewhere. I hope you are all having fantastic weekends!

For Review

   

   

  

Wildlife by Fiona Wood

I'm so excited for this Aussie book about two girls spending a semester in the wilderness. I have to say, though, that I didn't realize the book was about two girls. I have an e-arc of this, and the formatting in no way has shown that there are two different perspectives. I've only read the first few pages, but after just reading the synopsis, I realize that what I thought was one POV is apparently two...so I may wait for this to come out and snag it from the library so I'm not confused.

Jackaby by William Ritter

Being billed as Sherlock meets Doctor Who--two shows I don't watch, but I'm intrigued none-the-less. I love this cover, and have heard pretty good early buzz.

Get Even by Gretchen McNeil

I was so excited when I first snagged this. I love a good revenge book, so this one that follows four girls from different groups who work together to right their private school's wrongs sounded right up my alley. I have to admit that after reading the first couple of chapters that it isn't grabbing me the way I had hoped, but nothing is at the moment, so...

Vault of Dreamers by Caragh M. O'Brien

I'm honestly not sure what this is about. I know that it is a futuristic novel about teens at a school who are filmed for a reality show and who get 12 hours of induced sleep a day. It sounds weird, but cool.

Falls the Shadow by Stefanie Gaither

This is also a futuristic society story. This time about a girl whose sister is replaced by her clone 2 hours after her sister's death.

Sway by Kat Spears

This Cyrano de Bergerac like story sounds adorable.

Made for You by Melissa Marr

I love stories where the main character can foresee deaths, so I'm excited for this one.

Blackbird by Anna Carey

Books told in the second person are a hard sell, and I've already seen some fairly dismal reviews for this, so I'm not getting my hopes up too high. On a positive note, Blackbird is one of my all-time favorite songs, and I cannot read this title without singing it...Blackbird singing in the dead of night...

Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood

All hail Queen Margaret. If you've never read anything by this prolific author, you are beyond missing out.

What I snagged from the library

 

The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin

I've been dying to read this unusual book. I got approved on NG, but the file was the wrong one. Even after I notified the publisher and it was "fixed", it was still the wrong book. So excited to read this.

Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero

I actually got the e-arc for this, too, but when I saw it was unusually written--with letters and the like, I knew I wanted to read the physical copy.



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!

 





Waiting on Wednesday (66) Charlie, Presumed Dead

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.

 Charlie, Presumed Dead
 
Author: Anne Heltzel
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Release Date: June 2, 2015

Link to Goodreads:

In this thrilling tale of suspense and deception, two girls are shocked to discover they've both been dating the same boy when they show up at his funeral. What else don't they know about Charlie Price? As they travel from Paris, to London, to Mumbai to Bangkok, the girls try to figure out Charlie's secrets but soon discover they are harboring secrets of their own. This page-turning psychological mystery will engulf teen fans of Gillian Flynn and Gossip Girl.

In Paris, family and friends gather to mourn the tragic passing of Charlie Price-young, handsome, charming, a world-traveler-who is presumed dead after an explosion. Authorities find only a bloodied, ID'd as Charlie's. At the funeral, two teens who are perfect strangers, Lena Whitney and Aubrey Boroughs, make another shocking discovery: they have both been dating Charlie, both think Charlie loved them and them alone, and there is a lot they didn't know about their boyfriend. Over the next week, a mind-bending trip unfolds: first in London, then in Mumbai, Kerala, and Bangkok, the girls go in search of Charlie. Is he still alive? What did their love for him even mean? The truth is out there, but soon it becomes clear that the girls are harboring secrets of their own.

No one know who to trust in this thrilling tale of suspense and deception.

 

Why I'm Excited:

Oh, man. This sounds amazing! I'm an enormous fan of Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects), and the idea of a YA written in her dark, demented vein sounds right up my alley. I absolutely love anything that can be described as twisty and suspenseful. Love. I cannot freaking wait to get my hands on this one. June sounds a million years away--I'll be done with my first year of teaching the week this comes out!

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

Hey lovely GFC and new followers, please follow me by Bloglovin as we all know Google Reader has gone/is going by the wayside. (I like to follow back, so please let me know if you're a new follower--and leave a link!) Thank you!!!