Past. Present. Future. (24)

There are a a lot of these "What're you reading?" features around, so I figured, hey why not start one too? Basically, here's where I highlight the books I've read, the books I'm reading, and the books I'm going to read. Fun, right? Please join in if you want!

PAST:

Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig - This was such an amazing mix of Gossip Girl and Robin Hood; back-stabbing and robberies galore!  Willa is my kind of girl, the thief with a heart of gold!  Of course there was much more going on then meets the eye, and I can't wait to find out what in Pretty Sly, the second book in the series!  Fun, glitzy and dangerous, this was so good!

The Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick Detorie - This is a graphic novel, very much in the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, with inserts of drawings interspersed through the text. The images added additional details to the events being chronicled, and I loved the layer of humor as well. This was a very cute story, with a simple "growing up" tale; good for the younger crowd.

PRESENT:

Natural Born Angel by Scott Speer - I am so excited to dive into this book (due out April 23)! Scott Speer's first novel, Immortal City, was action packed, and left the reader on such a cliff-hanger! This world is definitely an interesting place, filled with Angels as celebrities, the A! network (instead of E!; cute right?), and different Angel "Teams" (ala Jacob & Edward). So far it is as action packed and fast paced as the first book, and I'm loving it!





FUTURE:

The Ultra Violets by Sophie Bell - This looks to be a super cute middle grade!  It reminds me of the Powerpuff Girls cartoon, which I loved.  I'm excited to read this ARC (the book is due out April 9th) because the story sounds really empowering and fun!  Books like this are so great for young girls to read, and the illustrations are awesomely anime in style!

If any of you've read any of these books, let me know what you thought (but NO spoilers) down below in the comments!

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Nearly New Books For You Giveaway

I got the idea for this feature from Kathy @ I Am a Reader, Not a Writer.  I have a lot of books; like A LOT.  Even with the large amount, I keep most of them.  Those few that I don't want, or have duplicates for use to go to my local library.  Now that I have this blog, I figured my awesome readers may appreciate the opportunity to get these books!  This won't be an every week thing, but pretty often.  I hope you enjoy, and DFTBA!

Here are the books I have to give away:

(all of these books are ARCs, so they may differ from the published copy)

CLICK ON THE COVERS FOR MORE INFO

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Visual Inspiration - Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

Pictures/Art/Photographs all help me see the books I'm reading.  Often, while I'm online, I stumble upon images that remind me of the book.  These visuals add layers to the stories, and can be used to offer hints to the plot.  So I've decided to put out "Visual Inspirations" in order to spark readers' interests in those books that I love.  Please feel free to join in; hopefully you'll get some new books to read in the process!

In honor of Kristen Simmons release of her second book, Breaking Point, this week's inspiration is from the first book in the series:

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

(click on the image to go to the Goodreads page)

Check out Article 5, and Breaking Point, both out now at your local bookstore! 

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Waiting on Wednesday (72)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we seriously can’t wait for.

 Here's my pick for the week, that I seriously can't wait for:

Breaking Point

by Kristen Simmons

Publication Date: February 12,  2013

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The second installment in Kristen Simmons's fast-paced, gripping YA dystopian series.

After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.

Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….

Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.

Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.

With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?

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While this book was published last week, the book release party is tomorrow, February 21, at Inkwood Books in Tampa, FL (If you're in the area, you should come.  It starts at 7pm).  This fact makes me ridiculously excited since I live there!  I'm going with two of my friends, and I'm probably going to gush about how much I loved Article 5.  I can't wait to dig into Breaking Point, because, jeez, do I need to find out what happens next!

What book are you waiting for?

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Teaser Tuesday (62)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.
• MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)

Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!

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Article 5
by Kristen Simmons

Publication Date: January 31, 2012

       "Lori Whittman, you are under arrest for violation of the Moral Statutes, Section 2, Article 5, Part A revised, pertaining to children conceived out of wedlock."

(Pg. 17-18)

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I am so excited to share this book with you!  I'm re-reading it in preparation for going to Kristen Simmons book launch for the second book in the series, Breaking Point!  Article 5 is such an amazing dystopia, and I'm so excited to meet Kristen and hear about the next chapter of Ember's journey!  Seriously, the action is non-stop and really great.  Ember's not sure who to trust, but she's going to fight to survive!

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Past. Present. Future. (23)

There are a a lot of these "What're you reading?" features around, so I figured, hey why not start one too? Basically, here's where I highlight the books I've read, the books I'm reading, and the books I'm going to read. Fun, right? Please join in if you want!

PAST:

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge - This was a an amazing graphic novel!  It reminded a lot of Blankets by Craig Thompson.  the art was gorgeous, and really expressive.  the way it told the story without the need for much text was mind-blowing!  As a writer, I'm always jealous of artists, in the way they can make a statement with a drawing.  Really great coming-of-age story, and I think a needed addition to any graphic novel collection!

PRESENT:

Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig - Robin Hood mixed with Gossip Girl? Count me in! I want something that's really fun, and this sounds like just the ticket! I love the story of Robin Hood, and to find it in a modern setting with a female at the helm makes me so happy. This is also one of the books on my 2013 TBR Pile reading Challenge, so it gives me extra motivation to dig in, and so far I'm not disappointed!

The Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick Detorie - This is a graphic novel/actual novel, very much in the style of Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, with inserts of drawings interspersed through the text.  The images add additional details to the events being chronicled, and I love the layer of humor as well.  This is a very cute story.  It is a simple coming-of-age, figuring out my place, growing up tale; good for the younger crowd.

FUTURE:

Natural Born Angel by Scott Speer - I am so excited to dive into this book! Scott Speer's first novel, Immortal City, was action packed, and left the reader on such a cliff-hanger! This world is definitely an interesting place, filled with Angels as celebrities, the A! network (instead of E!; cute right?), and different Angel "Teams" (ala Jacob & Edward).  I was so lucky to get an ARC of this, and I need to know what happens ASAP!

If any of you've read any of these books, let me know what you thought (but NO spoilers) down below in the comments!

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Visual Inspiration - Pretty Crooked

Pictures/Art/Photographs all help me see the books I'm reading.  Often, while I'm online, I stumble upon images that remind me of the book.  These visuals add layers to the stories, and can be used to offer hints to the plot.  So I've decided to put out "Visual Inspirations" in order to spark readers' interests in those books that I love.  Please feel free to join in; hopefully you'll get some new books to read in the process!

This week's inspiration is from:

Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig

(click on the image to go to the Goodreads page)

If you were intrigued by this Visual Inspiration, you'll have to read the book to find out more!

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Books to Fall in Love With

To get ready for that romantic of holidays, Valentine's Day, I thought it would be appropriate to list some of my favorite romance books.  This will include classics, some contemporaries, young adult, and even some poetry.  A bit of everything for you and your loved one on this special day (and something for those of us who have just a fictional character to snuggle with).  Let me know what romantic books you'd recommend, and I hope you have a lovely Valentine's Day!

CLASSICS:
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

MODERN:
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern
A Walk to Remember by Nicolas Sparks

POETRY:
Bright Star by John Keats

Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair by Pablo Neruda

Sonnets from the Portuguese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

YOUNG ADULT:
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Falling in Love with English Boys by Melissa Jensen
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Delirium by Lauren Oliver

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Waiting on Wednesday (71)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we seriously can’t wait for.

 Here's my pick for the week, that I seriously can't wait for:

Third Lie's the Charm 

by Lisa & Laura Roecker

Publication Date: December  2013

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New friend into old, the bond of the Sisterhood will never grow cold.

Life at Pemberly Brown is a whirlwind for Kate Lowry. Determined to finally destroy the secret society responsible for her best friend Grace’s death, Kate joins the Sisterhood hoping to go all Trojan Horse on their asses. But the night of her initiation another student at Pemberly Brown dies in what looks like tragic accident.

Kate knows better.

Kate and her faithful ginger, Seth Allen, immediately uncover a connection to the boy’s death and the secret societies that rule Pemberly Brown. But it’s not until Kate begins receiving pages from Grace’s old journal that she begins to piece together what really happened the night she died and how it connects to Pemberly Brown’s most recent tragedy.

Meanwhile, Kate’s ex-boyfriend Liam is following her around like an angry guard dog and she’s falling hard for the mysterious Bradley Farrow. Both boys are tied up in the mystery that surrounds Pemberly Brown, but only one of them can truly be trusted.

In this chilling conclusion to The Liar Society series Kate will fight to save her school from the evil that lurks beneath its hallowed halls. But will her quest destroy her or finally lead her to true love? She can only hope her third lie’s the charm.

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I CAN'T WAIT!!!  I know the publication date is a while off, but holy cow do I want it now!  This series is super fun and dangerous   I love the secret society aspect, and that real danger exists for these characters.  The writing is witty and the characters are well-developed.  One of my favorite series for sure.  If you haven't read the first two books, The Liar Society and The Lies that Bind, GO GET THEM!!!

What book are you waiting for?

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Teaser Tuesday (61)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!

• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
• Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.
• MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)

Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!

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Pretty Crooked
by Elisa Ludwig

Publication Date: March 13, 2012

        Still, I kept moving, breathing hard, and leaning forward to urge my old bike on. The wind whipped against my hoodie, taunting me with its ease. Coyotes called to each other in the distance, their high-pitched whimpering like balloons loosing air. Or was that the sound of fate catching up to me?
        I am so completely dead, I thought.

(Pg. 1)

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I got this books last year in a giveaway, and it's been sitting on my shelf ever since.  so in light of my 2013 TBR Pile Reading Challenge, I've decided to pick it up.  And it was a very good decision because this book is filled with humor and awesome pop culture references.  Willa is such a fun protagonist to follow, and I can't wait to learn more about her "robin hood" escapades.  Valley Prep is just like those schools you hear about from TV, rich and discriminating, but Willa is working to change all that!  Fun and quick, I think you should all check out Pretty Crooked!

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