Waiting on...

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

The Lonely Ones

by Kelsey Sutton

hitting shelves April 26th, 2016

from Philomel

Fain hasn’t always been lonely. Her family used to be close; she used to have good friends. But as circumstances—and people—changed, Fain was left behind. That's when the monsters appeared.

While her parents argue and her peers and siblings either pick on or simply ignore her, Fain spends time in a world of her own making. During the day, she crafts stories of fantastical adventures, but in the darkness of night, these adventures come to life alongside a legion of imaginary creatures, with Fain as their queen.

In time, Fain begins to see possibilities and friendships emerge in her day-to-day, but when she is let down by the one relationship she thought she could trust, Fain must decide: remain queen of the imaginary creatures, or risk opening herself up to the fragile connections that can only be formed in the real world?

Told in lyrical free verse, The Lonely Ones reminds us of the need for imaginative play and the power of true friendship.

My thoughts: This sounds lovely--heartfelt, a little tearjerking, and very imaginative!  I really enjoyed Kelsey Sutton's lyrical writing in Some Quiet Place so I'm sure a book that is actually in verse will suit her style very well!

The Wanderers by Kate Ormand {review}

The Wanderers
by Kate Ormand
♦publisher: Sky Pony Press
♦release date: September 1st, 2015
♦hardcover, 320 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review

Flo lives an eccentric life—she travels with a popular circus in which the main acts star orphaned children with secret shape-shifting abilities. Once Flo turns sixteen, she must perform, but she’s not ready. While practicing jumping a flaming hurdle in a clearing beside the circus, she spots a dark figure in the trees and fears he saw her shift. The news sends the circus into a panic.

In Flo’s world, shifters are unknown to humans with the exception of a secret organization—the EOS, referred to as “hunters.” Hunters capture and kill. They send some shifters to labs for observation and testing—testing they don’t often survive—and deem others useless, a danger to society, and eliminate them. To avoid discovery, shifters travel in packs, constantly moving and keeping themselves hidden. Up until now, the circus was the perfect disguise. 

Believing she has brought attention to the group, Flo feels dread and anxiety, causing her to make a mistake during her performance in front of the audience—a mistake that triggers a violent attack from the hunters.Flo manages to flee the torched circus grounds with Jett, the bear shifter who loves her; the annoying elephant triplets; and a bratty tiger named Pru. Together they begin a new journey, alone in a world they don’t understand and don’t know how to navigate. On the run, they unravel secrets and lies that surround the circus and their lives—secrets and lies that all point to the unthinkable: Have they been betrayed by the people they trusted most?

Review: While everyone knows not every book can be for every reader, The Wanderers was one I had high hopes for and found myself sorely disappointed . With the promise of a circus setting, a unique cast of shapeshifters, and a merciless powerful enemy, I was hoping to be drawn in, enchanted, and kept on the edge of my seat. Sadly, none of that happened. 

The story did flow along at a good pace.  There were a few moments that were really exciting or horrifying and kept me turning pages, wondering if maybe this would be the moment the story finally clicked for me. However, there were too many other plot twists that felt contrived, anticlimactic, or just not plausible. The storyline as a whole was okay, entertaining enough to get me to see it to the end.

My main issues with this book were with the writing style and the characters. The style felt choppy and disjointed and just wasn't appealing to me.  The story involves a huge cast of characters, most of which are unlikable and just awful towards each other, with the exception of Jett who is so "good" in contrast, he feels like an overly wise and angelic voice among them.  At times the other characters (including Flo, the main character) felt so immature and juvenile for their supposed ages,  it had me wondering if this was originally written as a middle grade. I might have been able to forgive a bit more whining, pouting, and childish behavior if they were suppose to be a bit younger. It almost felt like that was the case, and then the decision was made to up their ages, so a little romance, some graphic violence, and a few awkward swear words were thrown in. There were some good emotional moments that showed the characters caring for each other or their plight to find where they belong in the world, but it wasn't enough to overcome my frustration with all of them.  

The villians turn out to be the most obvious choice and though it tries to then make the reader feel a bit of compassion for them, I just wasn't biting. It may just be me, but when the synopsis of a book asks "have they been betrayed by the people they trusted most?", I kind of don't expect that to be the actual outcome.  The ending wraps up this chapter of the characters lives but leave it a bit open for a possible series. Unfortunately neither the story or the characters appealed to me enough to want to follow them into a second adventure.  

Find Kate Ormand online: Website  •  Twitter  •  Instagram

Purchase The Wanderers: Indiebound  •  BookDepository  •  Amazon

New Shelf Goodies & The Weekly Nutshell {142}

For New Shelf Goodies, I'll be showing you what lovely books I acquired this week, whether from publishers, or the library, or from whatever half-crazed book-buying binge I happened to go on. :D (Inspired by Tynga's Stacking the Shelves) The Weekly Nutshell will be just that...my week here at Stories & Sweeties, in a nutshell. (inspired by Ginger @ GReads and her recaps at the end of the TGIF posts)

These lovelies are from the last two weeks:

For review:

Stone Field by Christy Linzi

The Girl in the Tower by Lisa Schroeder

The Inn Between by Marina Cohen

Behind the Canvas by Alexander Vance

The Yearbook by Carol Masciola

Sweet Madness by Trisha Leaver & Lindsay Currie

The Heir and the Spare by Emily Albright

The Midnight Dolls by Kiki Sullivan

Catacomb by Madeleine Roux

Sounds by Alexandra Duncan

This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee

The Tattooed Heart by Michael Grant

Huge thanks to Macmillan, Merit Press, & Harper Collins for these!

From Trades:

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray

Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

Huge tackle hugs to Kelli & Britt for trading with me! :D

The Weekly Nutshell:

So I've been a bit absent these past weeks, aside from my pre-scheduled WoW post.  My family suffered a huge loss---my beautiful, bright-shining, creative, inspiring, and so incredibly loving auntie lost her battle with breast cancer and her passing has left a huge hole in my heart. I honestly haven't been up to doing much of anything, but I'm slowing trying to get myself moving again. I'm not sharing this for sympathy or anything, but to remind everyone out there reading this to hug your loved ones often, never take for granted ever precious day you have with them, and for those of you who are nearing 40, GO GET THOSE MAMMOGRAMS! It's not fun in any way, shape, or form, but a few minutes of an uncomfortable and awkward test can give you a leg up on this horrible disease.

Be safe, be healthy, and happy reading ♥ 

Waiting on...

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

A Fierce and Subtle Poison

by Samantha Mabry

hitting shelves April 12th, 2016

from Algonquin Young Readers

In this stunning debut, legends collide with reality when a boy is swept into the magical, dangerous world of a girl filled with poison.
 
Everyone knows the legends about the cursed girl--Isabel, the one the senoras whisper about. They say she has green skin and grass for hair, and she feeds on the poisonous plants that fill her family’s Caribbean island garden. Some say she can grant wishes; some say her touch can kill.

Seventeen-year-old Lucas lives on the mainland most of the year but spends summers with his hotel-developer father in Puerto Rico. He’s grown up hearing stories about the cursed girl, and he wants to believe in Isabel and her magic. When letters from Isabel begin mysteriously appearing in his room the same day his new girlfriend disappears, Lucas turns to Isabel for answers--and finds himself lured into her strange and enchanted world. But time is running out for the girl filled with poison, and the more entangled Lucas becomes with Isabel, the less certain he is of escaping with his own life.

A Fierce and Subtle Poison beautifully blends magical realism with a page-turning mystery and a dark,  starcrossed romance--all delivered in lush, urgent prose.

My thoughts: Legends and mysteries, magical realism and romance. Yup, sounds like my kind of thing.  Plus after Beastly Bones and The Walls Around Us, I trust Algonquin YR with my precious reading time! They don't put out much YA, but when they do it tends to be awesome!

Blog Tour: Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas {review + giveaway}

Today I'm thrilled to participating the Rockstar Blog Tour for this Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas!  Below you'll find more about the book, my review, and a tour-wide giveaway for an incredible chance at 10 hardcover copies + swag! Be sure to click on the banner above for the full tour info!

Ash & Bramble
by Sarah Prineas
♦publisher: HarperTeen
♦release date: September 15th, 2015
♦hardcover, 424 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: book conference

When the glass slipper just doesn’t fit…

The tale of Cinderella has been retold countless times. But what you know is not the true story.

Pin has no recollection of who she is or how she got to the Godmother’s fortress. She only knows that she is a Seamstress, working day in and out to make ball gowns fit for fairy tales. But she longs to forsake her backbreaking servitude and dares to escape with the brave young Shoemaker.

Pin isn’t free for long before she’s captured again and forced to live the new life the Godmother chooses for her—a fairy tale story, complete with a charming prince—instead of finding her own happily ever after.

Sarah Prineas’s bold fairy tale retelling is a dark and captivating world where swords are more fitting than slippers, young shoemakers are just as striking as princes, and a heroine is more than ready to rescue herself before the clock strikes midnight.

My Review: 

What first drew me in to Ash & Bramble was the writing. It was absolutely gorgeous with a style that perfectly conveyed the mood of the story, especially at the bleak beginning. There’s a certain rhythm to the words that felt almost like a pulse.  The second thing that caught my heart was that this is not just a retelling of Cinderella. It’s a complete and unique reimagining of the entire fairy tale world. I was absolutely enchanted when I started to see glimpses of other familiar stories popping into scenes. 

But for the most part, the story is about a girl named Pin, who first finds herself a seamstress in the cruel Godmother’s fortress. The progression of her characters is fascinating to watch, she starts out a blank, her memories wiped, but with a fierceness that gives her the determination to fight back. Even when she knows nothing else about herself, who she is or where she came from, she knows she has the will and the bravery to escape. Even when she triumphs, only to end up back at square one—her strength shines through. 

The romantic storyline is charming, has a lot of intriguing ups and downs, but fair warning to those who don’t like them: there is a love triangle. While sometimes these irk me, this time it was well-written and sweet. Shoe, who is so taken with her from the beginning and is fixed on making sure she remembers who she really is, and Cornelius who is forced to love her by magic, and then is determined to figure out if there really is anything there worth fighting for.  

The only drawback I found to this story was the alternating perspective from chapter to chapter.  For Pin, the story was told from first person POV.  But for Shoe, the perspective would change to third person, and I found it to be a pretty jarring transition each time, experiencing the story from inside and then suddenly being outside of it, looking in.     

Still, I completely loved this story as a whole, how it unfolded with many twists and surprises, the huge range of characters and where each character’s story went, even the smaller side characters. Even the villain!   Wonderful storytelling and writing style. I highly recommend!

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hi there! I'm Sarah Prineas, author of the Magic Thief series published in the US by HarperCollins and in 17 other languages around the world, and the Winterling trilogy. I live in rural Iowa with my mad scientist husband, two kids, and two cats. My next book is called Ash & Bramble, and it's a YA.

WEBSITE  •  TWITTER  •  PINTEREST

*        *        *        *        *

GIVEAWAY!

10 gorgeous signed copies + buttons are being given away tour-wide!
Enter below for the chance to win one!
(US mailing address only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on...

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

Shadow Magic 

by Joshua Khan

hitting shelves April 12th, 2016

from Disney-Hyperion

Thorn, an outlaw's son, wasn't supposed to be a slave. He never should have run away from home, leaving his mother and siblings to fend for themselves. Now he's been sold to Tyburn, an executioner, and they're headed to Castle Gloom in Gehenna, the land of undead, where Thorn will probably be fed to a vampire.

Lilith Shadow wasn't supposed to be ruler of Gehenna. But on the terrible day her father, mother, and brother were killed, young Lily became the last surviving member of House Shadow, a long line of dark sorcerers. Her country is surrounded by enemies and the only way she can save it is by embracing her heritage and practicing the magic of the undead. But how can she when, as a girl, magic is forbidden to her?

Just when it looks like Lily will have to leave her home forever, Thorn arrives at Castle Gloom. A sudden death brings them together, inspires them to break the rules, and leads them to soar to new heights in this fantasy with all the sparkle and luster of a starry night sky.

My thoughts: This looks...dark...magical...AMAZING.   And that cover. I'm going to need posters and bookmarks of this one.  Gorgeous.

The Curious Tale of the In-Between by Lauren Destefano {review + giveaway}

A Curious Tale of the In-Between
by Lauren Destefano
♦publisher: Bloomsbury USA
♦release date: September 1st, 2015
♦hardcover, 240 pages
♦series: Pram, book 1
♦source: from publisher for honest review

Pram Bellamy is special--she can talk to ghosts. She doesn't have too many friends amongst the living, but that's all right. She has her books, she has her aunts, and she has her best friend, the ghostly Felix.

Then Pram meets Clarence, a boy from school who has also lost a parent and is looking for answers. Together they arrive at the door of the mysterious Lady Savant, who promises to help. But this spiritualist knows the true nature of Pram's power, and what she has planned is more terrifying than any ghost.

Review: With a story spun as charmingly and as darkly as any by Grimm, Lauren Destefano gives us her first tale for middle grade readers. A Curious Tale of the In-Between, however, will no doubt be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

This, I would say, is definitely one for the older end of the MG spectrum (maybe ages 11-12) as even I was pretty shocked and haunted by the opening scene---a grim visual of Pram's mother being found hanging from a tree, unborn Pram already dead inside her belly. Destefano's writing shines as it always does, though, each eerie image and curiosity and emotion coming to life on the page. Her storytelling is just as spot on as ever and though there were one or two moments that seemed a bit dry, I felt wrapped up in all of these complex characters and their adventure for most of the book.

Pram is a serious child, resourceful, and independent, as a result of being raised by two strange aunts in a house for the elderly. She's also long since come to terms with the fact that she can see and talk to the dead.  She's been homeschooled her whole life, so her best friend is the only child near the house, a ghost named Felix who loves to charm her with ghostly illusions.  They talk and play and fight like any best friends, but her aunts are constantly worried about how strange it makes her to outsiders. When a schoolmarm's visit lands her in public school, she meets Clarence and they almost immediately become friends.  The story turns dangerous when the wrong person finds out about Pram's ability and wants to use it in completely unimaginable and sinister ways.

This story was exciting and enchanting but also very emotional as you're following two young characters that are dealing with loss and trust and a very sweet and innocent first taste of deeper feelings. I absolutely can't wait to have another ghostly adventure with Pram, Clarence, Felix, and the funny, fussy aunts! I very much enjoyed this one.

Find Lauren DeStefano online:  Website  •  Twitter  •  Instagram 

Purchase the book: Indiebound  •  BookDepository  •  Amazon

*GIVEAWAY!*
I'm giving away an ARC of A Curious Tale of the In-Between!
•US mailing addresses only please
•Ends 9/29/15

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Shelf Goodies & The Weekly Nutshell {141}

For New Shelf Goodies, I'll be showing you what lovely books I acquired this week, whether from publishers, or the library, or from whatever half-crazed book-buying binge I happened to go on. :D (Inspired by Tynga's Stacking the Shelves) The Weekly Nutshell will be just that...my week here at Stories & Sweeties, in a nutshell. (inspired by Ginger @ GReads and her recaps at the end of the TGIF posts)

OH the bookish goodness...

For review:

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox

The Radiant Road by Katherine Catmull

Sweet Temptation by Wendy Higgins

Mirrored by Alex Flinn

One by Sarah Crossan

The Unquiet by Mikaela Everett

Pretty much all of these required happy dancing, and if I hadn't been so exhausted and sore this week, I would have. :D

From trades:

Newt's Emerald by Garth Nix

Deviate by Tracy Clark

Newt's looks awesome and I loved the first book in the Light Key series by Tracy Clark!

Gifted: 

Of Dreams and Rust by Sarah Fine

Eee! Now that I have both books, I'm looking forward to devouring this duology retelling of Phantom! :D

Many thanks to Penguin & Harper Collins for the lovely review books, and to those who traded me this week!

I'm a bit of a sucker for fancy finishes on ARCs :) So I wanted to share with everyone just how GORGEOUS the embossing on The Dark Days Club is:

Not only did Penguin greatly improve on the Aussie cover for this book, they knocked it out of the park!! :D  Hurray for pettable covers!

The Weekly Nutshell:
Well it was pretty silent around here this week.  This mini kitchen remodel I mentioned last week turned into a bit of a bigger and more time consuming project than expected. It was still fun though, although I am still a bit sore from ripping up a floor and relaying tile. Still, Hubs and I love doing that kind of DIY home improvement stuff, and it's always worth it in the end :) 
 I got zippo reviewing done this week because of all that, but I did finish reading Ash & Bramble (oooh, it's a good one!) and now I'm about 100 pages into The Wanderers (good story so far but having a little trouble getting into the writing style). Next up is Drift & Dagger, I read the first few pages today and am already drawn in. 

Oh, and the one post I did manage to get up this week was my WoW pick: The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden. This looks gorgeous. 

Have a wonderful week, everyone!

Waiting on...

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

The Casquette Girls 

by Alys Arden

hitting shelves November 17th,  2015

from Skyscape

Seven girls tied by time.
Five powers that bind.
One curse to lock the horror away.
One attic to keep the monsters at bay.

After the storm of the century rips apart New Orleans, sixteen-year-old Adele Le Moyne wants nothing more than her now silent city to return to normal. But with home resembling a war zone, a parish-wide curfew, and mysterious new faces lurking in the abandoned French Quarter, normal needs a new definition. 

As the city murder rate soars, Adele finds herself tangled in a web of magic that weaves back to her own ancestors. Caught in a hurricane of myths and monsters, who can she trust when everyone has a secret and keeping them can mean life or death? Unless . . . you’re immortal.

My thoughts: A southern gothic horror story with myths and monsters and magic in the French Quarter...Yes, please. :)  

New Shelf Goodies & The Weekly Nutshell {140}

For New Shelf Goodies, I'll be showing you what lovely books I acquired this week, whether from publishers, or the library, or from whatever half-crazed book-buying binge I happened to go on. :D (Inspired by Tynga's Stacking the Shelves) The Weekly Nutshell will be just that...my week here at Stories & Sweeties, in a nutshell. (inspired by Ginger @ GReads and her recaps at the end of the TGIF posts)

Here's what graced by doorstep this week!

For Review:
Drift & Dagger by Kendal Kulper
A lovely finished copy! :D

From trades:
Never Never by Brianna R. Shrum
I've been dying for this Peter Pan retelling!
The Thickety: The Whispering Trees by J.A. White
Trying to collect this series because Hubby wants to read it ;)
The Infinite by Lori Lee
Really enjoyed book one, so I'm excited to see where book 2 goes!
Under the Lights by Dahlia Adler
This looks really light and cute. Hopefully a fun read!
Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond
Feuding circus families with dark secrets!! I love the sound of this one!

Many thanks to the fabulous Britt & Kelly for trading with me! 


The Weekly Nutshell:
{Tuesday} What's New: September YA Releases & Giveaway
{Wednesday} Waiting on...The Charmed Children on Rookskill Castle
{Friday} Review: The Uninvited by Cat Winters

This past week was a pretty good week all around.  Good things happening with family, a nice quiet work week, and we decided to jump into a little impromtu mini kitchen remodel.  Nothing major, just opening up a wall, rearranging and redoing the floors, but I think it's really going to be a nice change to the look and layout. And it's a fun way to spend the  3-day weekend! :D
This week I finished reading Curious Tale of the In-Between and I'll be reviewing that this week.  Right now I'm about 70 pages into Ash & Bramble and loving the writing and the main character so far. I'm hoping to find time to do a First Impression review for it this week, and then the full review will be up when the blog tour rolls through here on the 17th! I also finished listening to the audiobook of Nightmares! which was such a fun story to listen to, read by the author Jason Segel---he did a fantastic job! Hoping to start the second book soon.  

Hope you're all having a fantastic week, and three day weekend for those of you in the US! :D

The Uninvited by Cat Winters {review}

The Uninvited
by Cat Winters
♦publisher: William Morrow
♦release date: August 11, 2015
♦paperback, 343 pages
♦intended audience: Adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review

Twenty-five year old Ivy Rowan rises from her bed after being struck by the flu, only to discover the world has been torn apart in just a few short days.

But Ivy’s life-long gift—or curse—remains.  For she sees the uninvited ones—ghosts of loved ones who appear to her, unasked, unwelcomed, for they always herald impending death. On that October evening in 1918 she sees the spirit of her grandmother, rocking in her mother’s chair. An hour later, she learns her younger brother and father have killed a young German out of retaliation for the death of Ivy’s older brother Billy in the Great War.

Horrified, she leaves home, to discover the flu has caused utter panic and the rules governing society have broken down. Ivy is drawn into this new world of jazz, passion, and freedom, where people live for the day, because they could be stricken by nightfall. But as her ‘uninvited guests’ begin to appear to her more often, she knows her life will be torn apart once more, but Ivy has no inkling of the other-worldly revelations about to unfold.

Review:  Once again, I am thrown back into the past with Cat Winters' gorgeous storytelling.  This author has such an expert touch with historical writing...you turn the pages and you literally feel like you are walking down the streets of 1918 Illinois right alongside Ivy, seeing the horrors of the rampant influenza and the suspicions, ugly prejudices, and family losses caused by The Great War.  As much as it's a world  I would never want to live in, being sucked into it's wretchedness from the comfort and safety of my couch is endlessly fascinating. 

When we meet Ivy, she is an illness-weakened homebody, but when she finds out about her father and brother's crimes, she leaves her family home behind. She strikeds out on her own,  finds a place to stay with a school friend's widow, and seeks out the brother of the man her family murdered, hoping to relieve some of her guilt by helping him. Through a few unexpected encounters, Ivy finds herself caught up in a nightly mission to save the sick, being eyed as a german conspirator, and in a love affair where she never could have expected it. I loved this characters compassion, bravery, the flaw of her irrational guilt, and her tendency to give in easily to curiosity. There are lots of interesting characters floating in and out of Ivy's life, but none as much as Daniel, with his pain and his secrets and his love and passion for jazz music. 

The story is just completely haunting, and not just because Ivy can see the dead and know that it means someone else is going do die. Each revelation was unexpected to me and spine-chilling, but in the end I just found the whole story beautiful. It's a story about finding comfort in the ugliness of the world and about love and how it can make us see things clearly (and sometimes not so clearly). The inclusion of fantastic playlist of music is one of my favorite things about this story. And as someone who has always loved the incredible jazz music of the 40s,  its the most unique and entirely wonderful depiction of heaven and the afterlife Cat Winters could have given me. I want to reread this someday with the music ready to play alongside each scene! 

Another incredible read from this author. 

Find Cat Winters online:  Website  •  Twitter  •  Facebook

Purchase the book:  BookDepository  •  Indiebound  • Amazon

Also check out the playlist of music mentioned in the story:

The Univited Playlist on Spotify

Waiting on...

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.

The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle

by Janet Fox

hitting shelves March 15th,  2016

from Viking Juvenile

Something is not right at Rookskill Castle, a rundown Scottish manor shrouded in mystery. The castle is a temporary boarding school for children escaping the Blitz, but soon it’s clear there is something terribly wrong. There are clues hinting that a spy is in the house, and there are undeniable signs of a sinister magic. When the children in the castle’s temporary boarding school begin disappearing one by one, it’s a race against the clock for twelve-year-old Kat Bateson, her two younger siblings, and their new best friend.

From author's website: "In THE CHARMED CHILDREN OF ROOKSKILL CASTLE you’ll find ghosts, spies, a steampunk witch, an immortal wizard, new-found friends, a creepy castle, an enigma machine, teachers-who-are-not-what-they-seem (aren’t they all?), missing children, the Scottish Highlands…and tons of fun."

My thoughts: Set in the 40s, magic and spies, creepy castle in Scotland..and a steampunk witch?? This sounds like an incredibly fun and dark MG,..just how I like them! :D

What's New: September YA Release List & Giveaway

September ALREADY!! Yikes, guys. On one hand, YAY we're only a month away from Halloween! (and the other holidays are coming, too lol. Can you tell which one's my favorite?)  On the other hand--where the heck did this year go??  So, about this month's list, it's not exceptionally long--- but it is CHOCK FULL of bookish goodness, people.  Look at all my crazy hearts down there! Quick question for you all: would it help for me to add which publisher each book is from to this list?  I want this list to be as helpful and comprehensive as possible to everyone. Let me know what you think?

So if you're new to Stories & Sweeties, here's a little run-down of this feature: at the start of each month, I do a little thing called the "What's New List & Giveaway" where you'll find a full list of the new releases in YA for the month, and entry to the international giveaway. At the end of each month, one lucky winner will get to choose any new release as their prize!

First things first! The winner of August's giveaway is Sandra! Congrats! 

September 2015 Releases:
Just like previous months, I've put a little l♥ve by those books that I am really anticipating!

{1}

Anne & Henry by Dawn Ius ♥

The Body Institute by Carol Riggs

Burn Girl by Mandy Mikulencak

Catacomb by Madeleine Roux

Cut Both Ways by Carrie Mesrobian

The Dogs by Allan Stratton

Don’t Fail Me Now by Una LaMarche

Dream Things True by Marie Marquardt

Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon ♥

The Fate of Ten by Pittacus Lore

Firewalker by Josephine Angelini ♥

The Fix by Natasha Sinel

The Foxglove Killings by Tara Kelly ♥

Has To Be Love by Jolene Perry

Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between by Jennifer E. Smith ♥

Hunter by Mercedes Lackey

Infinite in Between by Carolyn Mackler

Last Night at the Circle Cinema by Emily Franklin

Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman

Midnight Dolls by Kiki Sullivan

Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez

Paper Hearts by Meg Wiviott

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas ♥

Shades of Doon by Carey Corp & Lorie Langdon

The Shadow Behind the Stars by Rebecca Hahn ♥

Smoked by Mari Mancusi

State of Grace by Hilary Badger

Truest by Jackie Lea Sommers

Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman ♥

Violent Ends (by several authors)

The Wanderers by Kate Ormand ♥

Whippoorwillby Joseph Monninger

A Whole New World by Liz Braswell

Your Voice is All I Hear by Leah Scheier

{8}

The Boy Meets Girl Massacre by Ainslie Hogarth

Dark Shimmer by Donna Jo Napoli ♥

Drift & Dagger by Kendall Kulper ♥

Drowning is Inevitable by Shalanda Stanley ♥

Edgewater by Courtney Sheinmel

Every Word by Ellie Marney ♥

Evolution by Stephanie Diaz

Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa

The Firebug of Balrog County by David Oppegaard

Goose by Dawn O’Porter

The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz ♥

Lessons in Falling by Diana Gallagher

Mary: Unleashed by Hillary Monahan

The OneThing by Marci Lyn Curtis ♥

Rogue by Mark Frost

Stand-Off by Andrew Smith and Sam Bosma

The Suffering by Rin Chupeco

Sweet Temptation by Wendy Higgins 

True Dark by Gary Meehan

Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak

{15}

The Appearance of Annie van Sinderen by Katherine Howe ♥

Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas ♥

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich ♥

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy ♥

Imposter by Antony John

Lock & Mori by Heather W. Petty

Lumiere by Jacqueline E. Garlick ♥

Maid of Wonder by Jennifer McGowan

Mirrored by Alex Finn

One by Sarah Crossan

Shattered Blue by Lauren Bird Horowitz ♥

Sweet Madness by Trisha Leaver & Lindsay Currie ♥

Tonight the Streets are Ours by Leila Sales

The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore ♥

{22}

Beastly Bones by William Ritter ♥

Bits  & Pieces by Jonathan Maberry

Blood & Salt by Kim Liggett ♥

Dreamland by Robert  L. Anderson ♥

I Crawl Through It by A.S. King ♥

Juniors by Kaui Hart Hemmings

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs ♥

Never Never by Brianna Shrum ♥

Nightfall by Jake Halpern & Peter Kujawinski

Noir by Jacqueline E. Garlick ♥

Once Upon a Time: Red’s Untold Tale by Wendy Tolliver

Silver Eve by Sandra Waugh

The Summer Marked by Rebekah L. Purdy

The Tattooed Heart by Michael Grant

This Monstrous Thing by Mackenzi Lee ♥

Ungodly by Kendare Blake

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson ♥

What We Saw by Aaron Kartzler

{29}

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely

Brazen by Christina Farley

Daughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics ♥

Faceless by Alyssa Sheinmel

The Lost Girl by R.L. Stine

A Mad Zombie Party by Gena Showalter

Madly by Amy Alward ♥

Sanctuary by Jennifer McKissack ♥

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo ♥

The Unquiet Pastby Kelley Armstrong ♥

Until Bethby Lisa Amowitz

Untwine by Edwidge Danticat ♥

Very in Pieces by Megan Frazer Blakemore

Young Man with a Camera by Emil Sher & David Wyman

Zeroes by Scott Westerfield

(All links go to Goodreads)
Please feel free to email me if you notice any YA titles missing! :)

Giveaway Details: 
One winner will win a YA September release of their choice! *see note below
• Contest ends September 30th, 2015 at 11:59 PM
• Must be 13 or older.
• Open internationally. *International winners will be required to choose a book that is available through BookDepository.com up to $20 value.
•Extra entries can be earned by commenting on August or September reviews, and can be done once per review. Come back throughout September whenever you comment on my reviews and get your extra points!    

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