Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday (144) Seven Days of You

Tuesday, March 29, 2016 10:12 PM with 6 comments
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.


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Seven Days of You

Author: Cecilia Vinesses
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release Date: March 7, 2017

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Sophia has seven days left in Tokyo before she moves back to the States. Seven days to say good-bye to the electric city, her wild best friend, and the boy she’s harbored a semi-secret crush on for years. Seven perfect days…until Jamie Foster-Collins moves back to Japan and ruins everything.

Jamie and Sophia have a history of heartbreak, and the last thing Sophia wants is for him to steal her leaving thunder with his stupid arriving thunder. Yet as the week counts down, the relationships she thought were stable begin to explode around her. And Jamie is the one who helps her pick up the pieces. Sophia is forced to admit she may have misjudged Jamie, but can their seven short days of Tokyo adventures end in anything but good-bye?

"This dazzling and genuinely romantic story shows just how much your life can change in the course of a single week.”—Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight


Why I'm excited:
I love the use of color in this eye-catching cover. I'm a sucker for a good romance, but am super picky about them...so I hope this one lives up to this fun-sounding synopsis. I love books that take place over-seas, too, so it sounds like a perfect story for me. I'll definitely be on the lookout 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!!!

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Weekly Rewind 3.26.16

Saturday, March 26, 2016 12:54 AM with 13 comments
Image result for natflixandbooks
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: Why do weeks off always fly by? It feels like I just got home, but I'm already preparing to go back down to VA. It's been so nice to be home, but I haven't done anything. I had all these grand plans of reading and blogging and spring cleaning, but I've really just laid around all day doing nothing. My mother-in-law was in town for the first four days of my break, which wasn't a big deal, but made me think more about the meals I was going to cook and things like that. She left on Tuesday night, and I've barely moved since. I seriously needed this break. It's been so nice to just relax. I can't believe I have to go back in two days, though! *Sob*

Blog and reading: Just a WoW this week. I kind of planned on getting more done...but also kind of knew I wasn't going to. During the school year, my blogging really just consists of WoW and these weekend posts, and I'm completely fine with that. I finished rereading The Future of Us and am about halfway through Romancing the Nerd. I haven't started a new audio yet, but snagged a couple from my PA library.

New books: I have a pile of books to share with you this week. So without further ado, I hope you are all having fabulous weekend! Happy Easter, if you celebrate!


For Review

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Romancing the Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
This is a pretty cute he said/she said romance about a popular boy who has a crush on a "nerdy" girl. It obviously has characters from The Summer I Became a Nerd--which I own but haven't read yet--so I'm bummed I didn't read it first. Also, I don't get larping. I'm sorry. I just don't.
Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan
So I've never read A Tale of Two Cities (yes, I know, bad English teacher, I struggle with Dickens), but I'm excited to read this retelling regardless.
Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
A girl trying to make it through life at private school starts getting advice from an anonymous person.
The Haters by Jesse Andrews
I loved Me and Earl. I have high hopes for this.
Charlotte Cuts it Out by K.A. Barson
A girl has grand plans for her friend's and her futures, but her friend starts to have other ideas.
While a girl is swimming in a lake, she runs into the body of a dead woman. Despite owning several
books by this author, I have yet to read anything by her.
Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse
Set during WWII, a girl is hired to find a Jewish girl before the Nazis do.
Surviving High School by LeLe Pons
I don't know this woman at all. I don't really follow "you tube stars" or "vine stars." Has anybody read this one?
Keep Me Posted by Lisa Beazley
Two sister keep in touch through old-fashioned letters.

What I snagged from the library

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Book:
The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters
I'm so excited for this retelling of Hamlet...where Hamlet is an African American girl living in Oregon.
Audio:
Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
I've been meaning to read this for ages, but just haven't gotten to it. Audio to the rescue.
Movie:
The Night Before
This looks silly, but I love JGL.


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!



Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday (143) Scythe

Tuesday, March 22, 2016 11:14 PM with 7 comments
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.


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Scythe

Author: Neal Shusterman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: November 29, 2016

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Two teens are forced to murder—maybe each other—in the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.

In a world where disease has been eliminated, the only way to die is to be randomly killed (“gleaned”) by professional reapers (“scythes”). Citra and Rowan are teenagers who have been selected to be scythe’s apprentices, and—despite wanting nothing to do with the vocation—they must learn the art of killing and come to understand the necessity of what they do.

Only one of them will be chosen as a scythe’s apprentice. And when it becomes clear that the winning apprentice’s first task will be to glean the loser, Citra and Rowan are pitted against one another in a fight for their lives.


Why I'm excited:
That cover is so eye-catching. I'm intrigued by the idea of reaper apprentices. It reminds me of that short-lived TV show Dead Like Me (I loved that show--it was cancelled too soon), and the synopsis reminds me a bit of The Night Circus, too, with the pitting of two apprentices against each other. This sounds amazing (even if I really wish it was a stand-alone at not the start of yet another series), so 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!!!

Friday, March 18, 2016

Weekly Rewind 3.19.16

Friday, March 18, 2016 10:01 PM with 7 comments
Image result for natflixandbooks
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: Like I usually do when I plan on making the trip home, I'm typing this up on Thursday night. Tomorrow I chaperone a field trip for the majority of the day. It's a "day at work" for all the students. My group is going to a plant that makes satellite parts which I'm hoping is as cool as it sounds. I wish it was all day, but I do have to come back to school to teach my last class. I snagged a movie from the library and am going to give them the choice of either watching it or play a game and then have reading time. After that, I'll be on the road to go home for a week for spring break. I'm so, so, so ready for this break. I'm so excited to spend the week with my husband and cats and just relax and read and watch movies and sleep. SO READY!

Also, for those of you who actually read my ramblings, my husband is doing fine. He just had a really nasty strain of the flu, but has mostly recovered (thanks for all the kind words--I was truly nervous because he was so seriously ill). I also managed to avoid the mean girls at work this week. So, yay!

Blog and reading: This week I posted a TTT and a WoW. I've been so flipping beat after school every single day these past couple of weeks, so if you've left a comment and I didn't reciprocate, please know that I will be by this coming week. I think it is because I've been so tired that lately I've been really struggling to get into any arcs that I have (and I feel like I have a ton of 2016 books already). I've only been interested in rereading books lately...so I've been letting myself do a ton of rereading. I finished listening to Girls in White Dresses this week and am currently listening to The Future of Us which is a book I've already read twice. I'm currently rereading 99 Days, but do plan on starting The Tyranny of Petticoats this weekend. Hopefully over break I'll be able to break my new book slump and get through a few of my April and maybe some May books.

New books: Just a handful of books to share today. So without further ado I hope you are all having fabulous weekends!

For Review

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The New Guy by Amy Spalding
I'm excited for this contemporary novel of a girl getting revenge on the new guy who happens to be a former boy-bander. I loved this author's debut so I have high hopes for this one.
The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows
So I haven't read The Orphan Queen yet, but I just bought it from the Scholastic Book Fair when it rolled through my school. I definitely plan on trying to tackle it this coming week so I can dive into the sequel. I've heard great things about this duology.
Stone Field by Christy Lenzi
Retellings of classics can be a hard sell for me sometimes as they just so rarely--or ever--live up to the originally. Regardless, I'm curious about this updated look at Wuthering Heights.
Great American Whatever by Tim Federle
I like the Hollywood aspirations it sounds like the main character has, but I have to admit that I'm completely over YA fiction where the MC is getting over the death of a sibling. Seriously over it.

What I snagged from the library

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Books:
Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina
I'm curious about this book that takes place during the "Summer of Sam." Has anybody read this one?
The Hourglass Factory by Lucy Ribchester
Apparently the movie Suffragette is based on this historical novel that takes place in 1912 London. I'm loving this gorgeous cover.
Audio:
Future of Us by Jay Asher
Like I mentioned above, to prevent myself from sliding further into my new book slump, I've been letting myself reread a lot of older goodies. I've read this--twice--but I'm enjoying the audio.
Movie:
Crimson Peak
So very excited for this one. I love Guillermo del Toro. I wanted to see this one in the theater, but it left before I could get my shit together. Cannot wait.








Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday (142) Every Hidden Thing

Tuesday, March 15, 2016 11:06 PM with 4 comments
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.


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Every Hidden Thing

Author: Kenneth Oppel
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: October 11, 2016

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The hunt for a dinosaur skeleton buried in the Badlands, bitter rivalries, and a forbidden romance come together in this beautifully written new novel that’s Romeo and Juliet meets Indiana Jones.

Somewhere in the Badlands, embedded deep in centuries-buried rock and sand, lies the skeleton of a massive dinosaur, larger than anything the late nineteenth century world has ever seen. Some legends call it the Black Beauty, with its bones as black as ebony, but to seventeen-year-old Samuel Bolt it’s the “rex”, the king dinosaur that could put him and his struggling, temperamental archaeologist father in the history books (and conveniently make his father forget he’s been kicked out of school), if they can just quarry it out.

But Samuel and his father aren’t the only ones after the rex. For Rachel Cartland this find could be her ticket to a different life, one where her loves of science and adventure aren’t just relegated to books and sitting rooms. Because if she can’t prove herself on this expedition with her professor father, the only adventures she may have to look forward to are marriage or spinsterhood.

As their paths cross and the rivalry between their fathers becomes more intense, Samuel and Rachel are pushed closer together. And with both eyeing the same prize, their budding romance seems destined to fail. But as danger looms on the other side of the hills, causing everyone’s secrets to come to light, Samuel and Rachel are forced to make a decision. Can they join forces to find their quarry—and with it a new life together—or will old enmities and prejudices keep them from both the rex and each other?


Why I'm excited:
Um, Romeo & Juliet meets Indiana Jones. I just. Doesn't that sound amazing? I really enjoyed Oppel's interpretation of Victor Frankenstein in This Dark Endeavor, so I'm looking forward to reading something else from him. I will definitely be keeping my eyes open 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!!!

Monday, March 14, 2016

TTT: Spring TBR

Monday, March 14, 2016 9:22 PM with 14 comments

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: Spring TBR

I don't post that many TTT these days, but I try to never miss a seasonal TBR. Some of these I have already while some are those I'm waiting not-so-patiently for. (This isn't going to be just 10 books...)

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When We Collided by Emery Lord
I really enjoyed last year's The Start of Me and You (I own Open Road Summer but haven't it read it yet--I know!), so I'm definitely excited for this one.
Love, Lies and Spies by Cindy Anstey
I adore this cover. Adore. The historical story about spies sounds pretty awesome, too.
The Passion of the Dolssa by Julie Berry
This historical novel about a girl accused of being a heretic and the girl who saves her sounds amazing.
The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye
Set in Russia and reminiscent of The Night Circus. I can't wait to dive in.
The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
I keep telling myself I shouldn't start this one yet...but I don't think I'll probably wait much longer before I do. This follows a politician's daughter after a scandal.
Summer Days and Summer Nights by various authors
I'm a huge fan of short stories. I can't wait to read this one.
The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood
This sounds like the perfect summer book. I can't wait to read it (this spring).
Girls on Fire by Robin Wasserman
This book about an obsessive teenage friendship sounds intense. I'm always drawn to books about volatile female friendships because I had some terrible friendships in high school.
My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
I'm going to assume this one made most lists. It just sounds so fun!
The Long Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
I really enjoyed The Fixer and can't wait to read this sequel.
I'm dying to get my hands on this one. I featured it on a WoW months ago. That cover! So cute.
The Cresswell Plot by Eliza Wass
While this is about a single family and not a cult, the synopsis is reminiscent of The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly from last year which I adored.

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!




Friday, March 11, 2016

Weekly Rewind 3.12.16

Friday, March 11, 2016 9:20 PM with 19 comments
Image result for natflixandbooks
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 this was a week. As much as I love my school (and I do), there are a couple of girls in my department that I just don't get along with very well. It isn't a big deal as I'm a professional adult, but they are seriously mean girls (like, straight up Regina George and Gretchen Weiner), and I totally had a run-in with them this week that left me so shaken. I wasn't planning on going home this weekend, but my husband is extremely sick and I need to go take care of him, but also because I just need to be around someone who loves me. I'm worried about him, though, he has been super sick all week and it has been so hard to be away from him when I don't know what it is that he has. He went to the hospital a few days ago and they gave him antibiotics, but he hasn't been eating and said they are making his stomach hurt even worse. Keep him in your prayers, please, if that is something that you do. I'm typing this up on Thursday night and am so happy tomorrow is Friday...and that spring break is only one more week away. I seriously need a break.

Blog and reading: Just a WoW this week. Have you seen this one? It's a retelling of the Canterbury Tales which is one of my favorite classics. This week I finished my reread of Rebel Belle. I haven't really started anything else yet (by which I mean I read the first chapter or so of about 10 books, but nothing has stuck yet), but I plan on starting Miss Mayhem, A Tyranny of Petticoats, and The Way I Used to Be next. I ended up taking Blue Lily, Lily Blue out during my commute (I just couldn't anymore. I definitely plan on finishing it before The Raven King comes out, but I needed a break from it). I just snagged Girls in White Dresses--which I've read, like, three times already--but I've never listened to the audio.

New Books: The Scholastic Book Fair rolled through my school last week. I was pretty restrained, but had to snag The Orphan Queen and Black Widow: Forever Red since both were in PB at the fair before they will be released everywhere else. PB is my preferred format, so. I also have a handful of review books to share. So without further ado, I hope you are all having fabulous weekends!

For Review

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I Woke Up Dead in the Mall by Judy Sheehan
The "dead girl needs to figure out how she died" thing has been done to death (I'm so witty), but this looks fun anyway. Plus I love this cover, so...
The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith
This follows a girl recovering from a sexual assault. What makes it sound different is that it is told in four parts over the four years of high school. I'm excited to read this one.
So I just skimmed the beginning of a review for this that stated the synopsis of the book is a gigantic spoiler (why do publishers do that?), so I wouldn't read the synopsis (even though I personally already did) if you are interested in reading this.
Harmony House by Nic Sheff
A haunted house book that is frankly getting very poor reviews so this one probably won't happen.

What I Bought




Two Summers by Aimee Friedman
This is a "Sliding Doors" type story about two different possible summers. I love these split stories.
Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl
I started reading this a couple months ago when I had it from the library. I ended up getting distracted and then had to take it back because it had holds. I'm excited to finish it.
Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
I've been starting to wait until series are out before starting them. I have the second book, so I won't have to wait to read this duology. Yay.

What I snagged from the library

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Books:
This compilation has long been on my most anticipated 2016 reads, so I'm thrilled to have this.
Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
I've been meaning to read this for ages. I've heard it's awesome.
Audio:
Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close
I adore this book and have read it several times, but have never listened to the audio.
Movie:
In the Heart of the Sea
Soooooooooo excited!

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!

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday (141) Sometimes We Tell the Truth

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 7:11 AM with 6 comments
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.


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Sometimes We Tell the Truth

Author: Kim Zarins
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: September 6, 2016

Synopsis from Goodreads:

In this contemporary retelling of The Canterbury Tales, a group of teens on a bus ride to Washington, DC, each tell a story—some fantastical, some realistic, some downright scandalous—in pursuit of the ultimate prize: a perfect score.

Jeff boards the bus for the Civics class trip to Washington, DC, with a few things on his mind:
-Six hours trapped with his classmates sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.
-He somehow ended up sitting next to his ex-best friend, who he hasn’t spoken to in years.
-He still feels guilty for the major part he played in pranking his teacher, and the trip’s chaperone, Mr. Bailey.
-And his best friend Cannon, never one to be trusted and banned from the trip, has something “big” planned for DC.

But Mr. Bailey has an idea to keep everyone in line: each person on the bus is going to have the chance to tell a story. It can be fact or fiction, realistic or fantastical, dark or funny or sad. It doesn’t matter. Each person gets a story, and whoever tells the best one will get an automatic A in the class.

But in the middle of all the storytelling, with secrets and confessions coming out, Jeff only has one thing on his mind—can he live up to the super successful story published in the school newspaper weeks ago that convinced everyone that he was someone smart, someone special, and someone with something to say.

In her debut novel, Kim Zarins breathes new life into Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales in a fresh and contemporary retelling that explores the dark realities of high school, and the subtle moments that bring us all together.


Why I'm excited:
There are a handful of books that you either adore or despise when you major in English. The Canterbury Tales is definitely one of those books. I happen to adore it.  I was overjoyed when I got to teach it to my seniors during my student teaching semester (Oh how I wish there was a way to teach it to 6th graders, but the material is just way too esoteric...and risqué). I'm so very excited for a YA contemporary re-telling. Please don't let me down, book.

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!!!