Friday, April 27, 2018

By A Charm and A Curse by Jaime Questell {review}


By A Charm & A Curse 
by Jaime Questell
♦publisher: Entangled Teen
♦release date: February 6th, 2018
♦hardcover, 300 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review
Le Grand’s Carnival Fantastic isn’t like other traveling circuses. It’s bound by a charm, held together by a centuries-old curse, that protects its members from ever growing older or getting hurt. Emmaline King is drawn to the circus like a moth to a flame…and unwittingly recruited into its folds by a mysterious teen boy whose kiss is as cold as ice.

Forced to travel through Texas as the new Girl in the Box, Emmaline is completely trapped. Breaking the curse seems like her only chance at freedom, but with no curse, there’s no charm, either—dooming everyone who calls the Carnival Fantastic home. Including the boy
she’s afraid she’s falling for. 

Everything—including his life—could end with just one kiss. 


{Amy's Thoughts}


Unique and truly original, By A Charm and A Curse keeps all the wonderment of the circus, but also adds to it a sense of danger and mystique. With a stage of strong characters, and a story that has deep roots, readers will quickly fall for this one.

Told in two alternating voices, you will be able to see the circus from both sides.  One voice, who’s unknowing sacrifice throws her into the harsh life of the circus changing it forever, while the other one calls the circus and all its many secrets home.  This opens the storyline for forbidden romance, secrets, and lies while also setting the scene for betrayal and the choice between family and love.

Jamie Quenstell, portrays circus life in a believable manner, as one large dysfunctional family that ultimately needs each other to survive, unwilling to add an outsider to the mix, making Emma’s forced transition into the circus one filled with angst and uncertainty.   Quenstell’s writing is well rounded, delicately building the tempo as she goes, giving you a multitude of vessels to think about all at the same time, while also not giving you a one-stop solution to a problem.  Jamie Quenstell gets it right, with a fully developed storyline, strong characters, and without any structural flaws.


Like a lone Ferris Wheel spinning at night, this book catches you eerily unaware, taking you within its grasp.  If only it came with a faint smell of cotton candy, and the carnival music playing in the distance.



•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•

 
JAIME QUESTELL grew up in Houston, Texas, where she escaped the heat and humidity by diving into stacks of Baby Sitter’s Club and Sweet Valley High books. She has been a book seller (fair warning: book lovers who become book sellers will give half their paychecks right back to their employers), a professional knitter, a semi-professional baker, and now works as a graphic designer in addition to writing. Currently, she lives in the suburbs with her family, one derpy dog, and one imperious cat. If she had her way, she’d have an army of corgis, like the Queen of England.


WEBSITE  •  TWITTER  •   INSTAGRAM

Purchase the book:  Indiebound  •  BookDepository  •  Amazon

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme created by Jill at Breaking the Spine. A spin-off of the meme called "Can't Wait Wednesday" is now hosted at Wishful Endings. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.
by Amy Wilson

hitting shelves November 6th, 2018  
from Katherine Tegen Books
Taking inspiration from “Beauty and the Beast,” Amy Wilson’s second middle grade novel is a stunning modern fairy tale of magic, friendship, and finding the courage to fight for what matters most.

After the death of her parents, Angel has a lot to get used to: a new home, a new family, a new school. The last thing she’s interested in is making new friends. Until she meets Bavar, a strange boy who slips through the shadows, a boy who might understand her nightmares.

But Bavar doesn’t want to let anyone in. Everyone—and everything—in his enchanted house is already urging him to step up and protect the world from a magical rift and the fearsome monsters traveling through it, a responsibility he wishes he could ignore.

Then Bavar discovers that the monsters are the same ones that killed Angel’s parents. Determined to stop the creatures for good, he reluctantly accepts Angel’s help. Together, Angel and Bavar must find the courage to stand up for each other and themselves to repair the rift between worlds…before it’s too late.

My thoughts:  Cover LOVE. Plus whenever I see Beauty and the Beast inspiration, my hands immediately get grabby. :D This looks amazing. 


What book are you eagerly anticipating this week?

Monday, April 23, 2018

Book Birthdays! {April 2018, week 4}


It's Book Birthday time!!

In this weekly post, I talk about a few of the books I'm excited to read that are hitting shelves this week.  Are you with me on any of these? Are there books coming out you're running to the store or stalking your mailman for that I haven't mentioned here?  Hey, feel free to comment and sell me on them! :D
And don't forget to enter down below for a chance to win ANY April YA book your little heart desires! 🎁



by Becky Albertalli
 Soon, very soon, I am going to read all three books in this series of standalones. It's long overdue. 
{Balzer & Bray}





Sleight
by Jennifer Sommersby
I actually read this one in 2011 when it was a self published title, and it was already amazing! I'm not sure how much it's changed in its new edition, but you can check out my original review here.
{Sky Pony Press}







by Anna Day
What true fan doesn't imagine what it would be like to get sucked into the worlds they love so much!? Such a fun premise and sounds like some interesting adventure strikes once they arrive! :) 
{Chicken House}





 


Ozland
by Wendy Spinale
The final book in the Everland series! I'm reading this now and I'm slowly getting pulled back into this world---there's so much to remember and so many characters, I suggest a reread if it's been awhile since you've read Umberland!
{Scholastic}



 
Trouble Never Sleeps 
by Stephanie Trombly
I've always wanted to dive into this series---I hear such great things about it and it definitely looks hilarious. Now that it's all out, it might be the ideal time!
{Kathy Dawson Books}



Lots of third books this week! Do you usually make it all the way through series? Because, full disclosure, I'm terrible at it LOL. 

*       *       *       *       *  

Enter to win any YA book published in April 2018!

(note: this is the same giveaway entry form in all book birthday posts for the month.)
One winner will win a YA April 2018 release of their choice! *see note below
• Contest ends April 30th
, 2018 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 or Fishpond.com up to $20 value.
•Extra entries can be earned by commenting on 
any BOOK BIRTHDAY POSTS or  REVIEWS, and can be done once per post. Come back throughout April whenever you comment on our reviews and get your extra points!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, April 15, 2018

New Shelf Goodies {203}

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) .  My Sunday post is also where I'll share a little recap of my week, the books I've currently got my nose in and such. ;)

Here's what hit my mailbox this week!
{coming April 24th from Delacorte Press}
The description of this one didn't really catch my attention, quite honestly---but the REVIEWS of this one are what makes me want to read it!  I guess it's more than the typical high fantasy, royalty on the bring of war and rebellion story that it seemed! Have you read this one? What did you think? 

{out now from Entangled Teen}
LOL, this one just looks like so much fun. I started it yesterday and I'm enjoying! 

That was all for this week, but be sure to check out my Instgram to see what I recently acquired on my recent visit to TLA in Dallas! ;)

Happy reading to all! 

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme created by Jill at Breaking the Spine. A spin-off of the meme called "Can't Wait Wednesday" is now hosted at Wishful Endings. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.
by Patrick Ness

hitting shelves September 24th, 2018  
from Walker Books
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Monster Calls comes a richly illustrated and lyrical tale, one that asks harrowing questions about power, loyalty, obsession, and the monsters we make of others.

With harpoons strapped to their backs, the proud whales of Bathsheba's pod live for the hunt, fighting in the ongoing war against the world of men. When they attack a ship bobbing on the surface of the Abyss, they expect to find easy prey. Instead, they find the trail of a myth, a monster, perhaps the devil himself...

As their relentless Captain leads the chase, they embark on a final, vengeful hunt, one that will forever change the worlds of both whales and men.

With the lush, atmospheric art of Rovina Cai woven in throughout, this remarkable work by Patrick Ness turns the familiar tale of Moby Dick upside down and tells a story all its own with epic triumph and devastating fate.

My thoughts:  First off...that COVER. So stunning. Secondly, Patrick Ness + hauntingly gorgeous illustrations by Rovina Cai is an automatic winning combo. And lastly, a turned-on-its-head retelling of Moby Dick? Yeah, I'm there for that. Who's with me?


What book are you eagerly anticipating this week?

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Book Birthdays {April 18, week 2}


It's Book Birthday time!!

In this weekly post, I talk about a few of the books I'm excited to read that are hitting shelves this week.  Are you with me on any of these? Are there books coming out you're running to the store or stalking your mailman for that I haven't mentioned here?  Hey, feel free to comment and sell me on them! :D
And don't forget to enter down below for a chance to win ANY April YA book your little heart desires! 🎁




The Lost Kids
by Sara Saedi
 Pretty much anything Peter Pan related, I will reach for. Must seek out the first books of this series. 
{Putnam Juvenile}






Beyond a Darkened Shore
by Jessica Leake
I've been hearing some great reviews of this one. Plus, ancient Irish setting, magical prophecy-whispering crows,...this one appeals to me on many levels!
{HarperTEEN}








by Amanda Foody
A missing mother, casinos, caberets, and a City of Sin. This sounds exciting and twisty!
{Harlequin Teen}





 
by Mindy McGinnis
High fantasy, intrigue, royalty, vengeance...with the second book in this duology releasing, it may be time to binge this one!
{Putnam Juvenile}




 
by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson
This fantasy looks like such a unique twist on twin stories, something that always intrigues me. That stunning cover doesn't hurt, either. :)
{Harlequin Teen}



So, any book birthdays you'll be celebrating this week?

*       *       *       *       *  

Enter to win any YA book published in April 2018!

(note: this is the same giveaway entry form in all book birthday posts for the month.)
One winner will win a YA April 2018 release of their choice! *see note below
• Contest ends April 30th
, 2018 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 or Fishpond.com up to $20 value.
•Extra entries can be earned by commenting on 
any BOOK BIRTHDAY POSTS or  REVIEWS, and can be done once per post. Come back throughout April whenever you comment on our reviews and get your extra points!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert {review}

The Hazel Wood
by Melissa Albert
♦publisher: Flatiron Books
♦released: January 30th, 2018
♦hardcover, 368 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: The Hazel Wood, book 1
♦source: from publisher for honest review
Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.



{Amy's Thoughts}

A story that reads like lost pages from Grimm’s Fairy Tales, The Hazel Wood mixes dark fairy tales with fantasy, and mystique. With its own suspenseful tempo that builds as the story grows, its unpredictable settings, and complex characters make a beautiful and captivating read.  Melissa Albert gets right into the heart of her characters, making them not predictable, or even likable at times, but keeps them strong and unique, which is a refreshing change of tempo.

For fans of Netflix’s Stranger Things, this dark, beautiful read dances between two worlds, one of fairy tales and one of the current world, where only a thin veil divides. Dark and gripping, The Hazel Wood gets under your skin in a good way, winding its tale like ice in your veins, and then thaws you like a warm fire.

Debut author, Melissa Albert captivates her reading audience within the very first line, teasing and taunting you to delve deeper into the story.  With tidbits from the book within the book, you will be left begging for a copy of Tales from the Hinderland with all of its creepy and delightfully, disturbing tales. Hopefully, Tales From The Hinderland is in the works to be added to this series, which would add to the overall experience. Not to give away too much of the story, or ruin any of the many twists and turns, I am still not sure how I feel about how the overall love interest ( or what I thought might be a love interest) turned out, but I will say I loved the charactes and the strong-willed determination of Alice. 


•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•

 
Melissa Albert is the founding editor of the Barnes & Noble Teen Blog and the managing editor of BN.com. She has written for McSweeney’sTime Out Chicago, MTV, and more. Melissa is from Illinois and lives in Brooklyn. The Hazel Wood is her first novel.
 





WEBSITE  •  TWITTER  •   INSTAGRAM
Purchase the book:  Indiebound  •  BookDepository  •  Amazon


Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme created by Jill at Breaking the Spine. A spin-off of the meme called "Can't Wait Wednesday" is now hosted at Wishful Endings. It lets us all gush about what soon-to-be released books we are jumping-up-and-down excited for.
by Tara Sim

hitting shelves January 9th, 2019  
from Skypony Press
The crew of the Prometheus is intent on taking down the world’s clock towers so that time can run freely. Now captives, Colton, Daphne, and the others have a stark choice: join the Prometheus’s cause, or fight back in any small way they can and face the consequences. But Zavier, leader of the terrorists, has a bigger plan—to bring back the lost god of time.

As new threats emerge, loyalties must shift. No matter where the Prometheus goes—Prague, Austria, India—nowhere is safe, and every second ticks closer toward the eleventh hour. Walking the line between villainy and heroism, each will have to choose what's most important: saving those you love at the expense of the many, or making impossible sacrifices for the sake of a better world.

My thoughts:  After every amazing thing that went down in Chainbreaker, the wait for this finale will be torturous!! 


What book are you eagerly anticipating this week?

Monday, April 2, 2018

Book Birthdays {April18, week 1}


It's Book Birthday time!!

In this weekly post, I talk about a few of the books I'm excited to read that are hitting shelves this week.  Are you with me on any of these? Are there books coming out you're running to the store or stalking your mailman for that I haven't mentioned here?  Hey, feel free to comment and sell me on them! :D
And don't forget to enter down below for a chance to win ANY April YA book your little heart desires! 🎁

Congrats to my March winner, Alessandra!


Zombie Abbey
by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
This one looks so fun! Suppose to be very tongue-in-cheek mash of regency era mystery and zombie thriller! 
{Entangled Teen}





Stolen Enchantress
by Amber Argyle
Loooook at this cover. Plus sister stories and creepy forests---can't resist that.   
{Starling Press}







Starry Eyes
by Jenn Bennett
This sounds like a sweet contemp spin on Romeo & Juliet. Best friends-turned-enemies stuck in the wilderness together, plus set in Northern California. That's my home turf. :)
{Simon & Schuster}





 

Defy the Worlds
by Claudia Gray
Heard great things about the first book, so I'm excited to get my hands on both and read right through!  Plus Claudia Gray, I've alway enjoyed her books. 
{Entangled Teen}



So, what are you looking forward to this week?

*       *       *       *       *  

Enter to win any YA book published in April 2018!

(note: this is the same giveaway entry form in all book birthday posts for the month.)
One winner will win a YA April 2018 release of their choice! *see note below
• Contest ends April 31st
, 2018 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 or Fishpond.com up to $20 value.
•Extra entries can be earned by commenting on 
any BOOK BIRTHDAY POSTS or  REVIEWS, and can be done once per post. Come back throughout April whenever you comment on our reviews and get your extra points!


a Rafflecopter giveaway