Weekly Rewind 10.17.15

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 Tynga's 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.

Life and Blog

 

Life: I'm staying in VA for the weekend since I just did the drive on Monday and simply don't have the 8 hour round-trip in me this weekend. I have 75 essays to grade anyway, which I wouldn't even look at if I went home (or if my husband came here), so it is fine. While it kind of sucks we won't see each other, going two weeks is nothing after last year when we were going as many as 8 or 9 weeks apart. Perspective.

 

This week was pretty great. It's always nice to have a four-day work week. We started reading our anchor text this week. Each teacher in my department chose what they were going to use to teach plot (exposition, rising action, climax, etc). I chose A Monster Calls and my students are LOVING it. I've been reading part of it to them (I'm, frankly, a better narrator than they are), but have also let them take turns reading aloud. If you've read the book, you know the best parts are the stories the monster tells the main character, so I've been reading those parts. Today was hilarious. I stopped after reading the second story (which ends on a bit of a cliffhanger), and in each one of my classes when I said, "Alright, and we are going to stop there," pretty much every student in every class shouted: NOOO! Cracked me up. I love how much they are loving it. When the students are enjoying your class, it makes the days SO much easier and more enjoyable.

 

Fall is in full force here. Driving back from PA last weekend was unbelievably gorgeous. Both PA and VA are full of gorgeous color right now. I hope the leaves are still on the trees next weekend. I'm hoping my husband is able to come down because I would like to explore the wilderness around my new area. Find a lake or something new we can explore (so I can take some pretty foliage pictures to post on IG. Lol)

 

Blog and reading: Just a WoW this week for a book that sounds like a YA Groundhog's Day. One good thing about staying here this weekend is that I'll hopefully be able to get some posts written up. I have a discussion post I would really like to draft tomorrow. I'm also hoping to get a film or two watched, so hopefully I'll get a movie review up next week. This week I finished reading/listening to Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson. While more serious than Let's Pretend This Never Happened, it is still incredibly funny in parts, and just so real in others. Maybe I'll get a review for it drafted this weekend, too. Right now I'm reading Carry On and Black Widow: Forever Red. When those two books came in for me at the library, everything else I was reading kind of fell by the wayside. I'm currently listening to Rooms by Lauren Oliver. I've seen middling reviews for the book, but I'm enjoying the audio so far. It has different narrators for the different parts, which I like.

 

New books: I have some awesome new books for review, but it is my library haul that I'm most excited about. So without further ado, I hope you are all having fabulous weekends!

 

For Review

 

   

 

These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly

This historical novel follows a girl trying to solve the mystery of her father's murder. I love this cover.

Persuasion by Martina Boone

I've heard great things about the first book, but haven't read it yet.

Underneath Everything by Marcy Beller Paul
I really don't know much about this beyond that it is about a toxic friendship...but I love stories about toxic friendships, so it sounds right up my alley.

Flashes by Tim O'Rourke

This is supposed to be a detective thriller with a supernatural twist. Sounds intriguing.

 

What I snagged from the library

 

   

 

 

Books:

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Like most people who read Fangirl, I was intrigued by the Harry Potter-like world that Cather wrote fan-fic about, so of course I was beyond excited when my hold for this came through immediately. I'm roughly a hundred pages in, and though it is seriously reads like a HP rip-off, I'm still enjoying it.

Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl

I've been excited for this since first hearing about it. I love Marvel, and am so happy that Black Widow is getting singular attention.  

Diary of a Teenage Girl by Phoebe Gloeckner

After learning that Kristen Wiig's latest film was based on a this book, I immediately ordered it. I love that it is a combination of diary entries and comics, but I cannot help but weirded out that it is about a teenage girl who is sleeping with her mom's boyfriend. Because, ew.

Audio:

Rooms by Lauren Oliver

Like I said in my ramblings, I'm enjoying this audio book about a woman, her grown daughter and her daughter, and her teenage son who have gathered at her estranged husband's house after his death. The book is mostly narrated by the ghosts who live in the house--which is different. I like that the audio is narrated by several people.

Movie:
Unfriended

We'll see...It looks pretty bad, but I love me some scary movies.

 

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 (120) A Week of Mondays

 

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.

A Week of Mondays

Author: Jessica Brody
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Release Date: August 2, 2016

Synopsis from Goodreads:

When I made the wish, I just wanted a do-over. Another chance to make things right. I never, in a million years, thought it might actually come true... Sixteen-year-old Ellison Sparks is having a serious case of the Mondays. She gets a ticket for running a red light, she manages to take the world’s worst school picture, she bombs softball try-outs and her class election speech (note to self: never trust a cheerleader when she swears there are no nuts in her bake-sale banana bread), and to top it all off, Tristan, her gorgeous rocker boyfriend suddenly dumps her. For no good reason!

As far as Mondays go, it doesn’t get much worse than this. And Ellie is positive that if she could just do it all over again, she would get it right. So when she wakes up the next morning to find she’s reliving the exact same day, she knows what she has to do: stop her boyfriend from breaking up with her. But it seems no matter how many do-overs she gets or how hard Ellie tries to repair her relationship, Tristan always seems bent set on ending it. Will Ellie ever figure out how to fix this broken day? Or will she be stuck in this nightmare of a Monday forever?

From the author 52 Reasons to Hate My Father and The Unremembered trilogy comes a hilarious and heartwarming story about second (and third and fourth and fifth) chances. Because sometimes it takes a whole week of Mondays to figure out what you really want.

Why I'm excited:
So this is basically Groundhog's Day for YA...which sounds awesome. This seriously sounds adorable, and sometimes I just want a light fluffy book. I'm definitely keeping my eye 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!!!

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Weekly Rewind 10.10.15

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 Tynga's 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: Last weekend ended up being awesome. My husband and his mom got into town on Friday night, and Saturday ended up being mostly dry. Chilly, but dry. So we ended up doing the whole touristy thing after all. We got to see the White House, the Washington Monument, the Vietnam Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. It was all so amazing and cool. I was seriously in awe of how gorgeous everything was. If you ever get the chance to explore our nation's capital: Do it! It was so cool and humbling and just plain awesome. We had lunch at a pretty upscale restaurant about 3 blocks from the White House where I had the coolest brunch plate I've ever seen. (I was kicking myself for not taking a picture before digging in. I'm not a food photo taker, but I should have made an exception in this case).

I'm making the drive this weekend for a three-day weekend. Is it too early in the school year to really need a three-day weekend? If you're a teacher, you know the answer to that is: fuck, no. I love my job, but teaching 11 year-olds is exhausting. Beyond exhausting. I had to buy a toaster this week because my roommate didn't have one (and mine is back home), and cooking for me after a long day is seriously throwing a bagel into a toaster. Maybe, maybe, I'll heat up some soup in the microwave (or go though a drive-through). I can barely think after 4pm. 

Blog and reading: Just a WoW this week. I'm in LOVE with this cover. I did finish two books this week, though. Yay! I finished Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling which was funny and charming, but frankly kind of forgettable. I also finished listening to The Silkworm which I enjoyed (I would never get through this series big-ass books if I wasn't listening to them), but I liked The Cuckoo's Calling better. I was, however, more surprised by The Silkworm's whodunit. I'm currently reading Velvet Undercover, Wolf by Wolf and The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray.  I'm listening to The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farmboy which is the Star Wars: New Hope retelling by Alexandra Bracken.

New Books: I have some awesome titles to show you this week. So without further ado, I hope you are having fabulous weekends! 

For Review

  

  

 

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

This book that takes place in a world where the Axis Powers won the war and is also about a motorcycle race! has been on the top of my TBR list for ages. The protagonist has entered the race with the intention of killing Hitler. I seriously hope this is as awesome as it sounds. I finally started it last night...but only got a few pages before passing out (not because it wasn't interesting, I promise. I was just tired).

Velvet Undercover by Teri Brown

I also recently started this book about a girl who has been offered the job of a spy during the first World War. Pretty interesting so far.

Signs Point to Yes by Sandy Hall

The synopsis calls this an adorkable romance. To that I say: sold. I don't need to know anything else.

The Many Lives of John Stone by Linda Buckley-Archer

A teen finds set of journals all in the same hand that stretches over centuries. Sound intriguing.

Red Girl, Blue Girl by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Kids of opposing politicians (or script writers, maybe) fall for each other. I've not read any of the books in this "If Only" series, but they always sound pretty cute.

What I bought

  

 

Rook by Sharon Cameron

I've been wanting to read this book about two teens in the Sunken City that was once Paris--neither of whom are who the other believes them to be.

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

I probably got 30-40% of the way through the e-arc of this last winter, and then just never finished it. I can already say that this series will not in any way surpass my love of the Heist Society series, but I'm hoping that it was simply a case of last year being brutal and not the book. We'll see. 

What I snagged from the library

  

Book:

Love Fortunes and Other Disasters by Kimberly Karalius

This cover is just so flipping charming. For real.

Audio:

Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

I listened to this author's debut Let's Pretend This Never Happened and loved it. I had to go the audio route for this one, too, and plan to start it this weekend after finishing the Star Wars book.

Movie:

Hot Pursuit starring Reese Witherspoon and Sophia Vergara

While I found the two star's love feast on social media pretty charming while they were filming this, I have to admit that my hopes aren't too high. A cop has to find and drag back a fugitive, and the two become friends. Yawn. I love Reese Witherspoon, though, and have followed her entire career, so of course I'm going to give it a try!

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

Waiting on Wednesday (119) Cure for the Common Universe

 

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.

Cure for the Common Universe

Author: Christian McKay Heidicher
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: June 2016

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Sixteen-year-old Jaxon is being committed to video game rehab . . .

ten minutes after he met a girl. A living, breathing girl named
Serena, who not only laughed at his jokes but actually kinda sorta
seemed excited when she agreed to go out with him.

Jaxon's first date. Ever.

In rehab, he can't blast his way through galaxies to reach her. He
can't slash through armies to kiss her sweet lips. Instead, he has
just four days to earn one million points by learning real-life
skills. And he'll do whatever it takes—lie, cheat, steal, even learn
how to cross-stitch—in order to make it to his date.

If all else fails, Jaxon will have to bare his soul to the other teens
in treatment, confront his mother's absence, and maybe admit that it's
more than video games that stand in the way of a real connection.

Prepare to be cured.

Why I'm excited:
How awesome is that cover? I cannot stopping looking at its bright, colorful nerdiness. This sounds fun and funny, albeit with some serious undertones. I love a witty, male protagonist, and something tells me Jaxon and I are going to be friends. WANT!
 

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 10.3.15

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 Tynga's 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: Once again I'm typing my weekend post up on Thursday night (I think this will probably become the trend this year). My honey is coming down tomorrow with his mom. Hopefully they'll arrive about an hour after I get off work (I still need to vacuum out my car after driving with my two cats--there is cat hair all over--and my car looks like I've been living out of it...so I hope they don't get here right when I get off because my husband will yell at me if he sees the state my car is in. Lol). Have you ever seen the Jenna Marbles video of the stuff she doesn't have time for? That's how I feel about my car. I'm going to attach it. It's hilarious if you haven't ever watched it.

 

 

 

I'm a bit disappointed because our plan was to do the super touristy stuff in Washington DC that I haven't been able to do yet, like see the White House and the different memorials, but with the hurricane threatening the East Coast, it's supposed to be super crappy out. I think our plan now is to go to the Air and Space Museum or maybe the Smithsonian. Both would be awesome, but I was hoping for a nice weekend where we could walk around and see the sights. Oh, well. I'm just excited to see my husband...and to not have to do the 8 hour-round-trip this weekend.

 

School's swimming along. My students finished the poetry and figurative language unit yesterday. They are starting a "Slice of Life" unit now where they have to write a memoir essay about one specific moment in their life that changed their lives in some way or taught them a lesson. I read them the prologue to I am Malala, which was a great way to introduce the topic. I'm excited to read what they write. I have 75 tests and 75 poetry projects to grade over the next couple of days...which is going to translate into Sunday afternoon/night after my family leaves.

 

Blog and reading: This week was busy and tiring, so I didn't do much of either. I posted a WoW this week about a YA psychological thriller that looks awesome...and that's about it. I'm currently reading A Madness so Discreet, The Rest of Us Just Live Here, Crown of Midnight, Why Not Me?, and am listening to The Silkworm. I'm enjoying all of them, but again, didn't get a whole lot of reading done. That's one reason I love audiobooks. My commute is about a half an hour each way, so I get in an hour of reading, at least.

 

New Books: I have some new books to show you. So without further ado, I hope you are all having fabulous weekends! For my fellow East Coasters: stay dry and safe!

 

For Review

 

  

 

The Rose Society by Marie Lu

So I haven't read The Young Elites yet, but I ordered it (weeks ago) from Amazon and am just waiting for it to come. I've heard nothing but good things, and am glad I can jump right into the sequel after I read the first book.

The Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow

I'm not exactly sure what this is supposed to be about. I know that it has illustrations which is a huge selling point for me...and that it might have something to do with the devil literally which is...interesting. The blurb on the cover says: one of the most terrifying books of the year. I like being terrified, so.

Persephone Rising by Carol S. Pearson

The piece I've been working on for years focuses on Goddess archetypes, so I'm always happy when a new text comes out that I can study. I'm really excited for this one.

 

What I bought

 

 

The Martian by Andy Weir

I'm excited for this movie, but have to read the book first (of course!). There are so many holds for this at the library, so I just decided to buy it. I've heard it's amazing.  



 

 





What I snagged from the library

 

  

 

Foxglove Killings by Tara Kelly

This is a mystery about a girl whose best friend/love interest disappears after being accused of a girl's murder. I read the first couple of chapters in the bath tonight and it is interesting so far.

Edgewater by Courtney Shienmel

A former rich girl tries to keep her family together years after her mom skipped town. I've heard this is really good, and I love the cover.

Movie

While We're Young with Ben Stiller and Adam Driver

An older couple starts hanging out with a hipster younger couple and begin to question their lives. This will definitely either be hit or miss. Ben Stiller often drives me crazy, and Adam Driver seems super type-cast. We'll see.

 

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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