Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme created 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.

What the Woods Keep
by Katya De Becerra

hitting shelves September 18th, 2018  

from Imprint 

What the Woods Keep is the stunning debut of Katya de Becerra, who combines mystery, science fiction, and dark fantasy in a twisty story that will keep you mesmerized right up to the final page.

On her eighteenth birthday, Hayden inherits her childhood home—on the condition that she uncover its dark secrets.

Hayden tried to put the past behind her, and it worked. She's getting ready for college, living in a Brooklyn apartment, and hanging out with her best friend and roommate Del. But now it's all catching up with her: her mother's mysterious disappearance a decade before, her father's outlandish theories about a lost supernatural race, and Hayden's own dark dreams of strange symbols and rituals in the Colorado woods where she grew up.

As soon as Hayden arrives at her hometown, her friend Del in tow, it begins: Neighbors whisper secrets about Hayden's mother; the boy next door is now all grown-up in a very distracting way; and Hayden feels the trees calling to her. And among them, deep in the woods, Hayden will discover something incredible—something that threatens reality itself.

My thoughts: Ooooh, is it just me or do the Macmillan imprints have the market cornered on all the spooky, woodsy fairy-tale sounding stories? This sounds magical and I CAN'T WAIT. :)

What book are you eagerly anticipating this week?

Book Birthdays! {Feb18, 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 February YA book your little heart desires! 🎁

Don't Forget Me

by Victoria Stevens

A story of heartbreak, friendship, and love set in Eastern Australia.

{Farrar, Strauss, Giroux BYR}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

Honor Among Thieves

by Rachel Caine & Anne Aguirre

These two amazing authors teamed up to bring on a thrilling looking space adventure!!

{Katherine Tegen Books}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

The Traitor Prince

by C.J. Redwine

This is the latest installement in a companion set of fairy tale retellings based on the story of The False Prince and the Prince and the Pauper

{Balzer & Bray}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

The Precious Dreadful

by Steven Parlato

A teen starts to lose her grip on reality as disturbing memories start to surface during a writing group assignment.

{Simon Pulse}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

Sightwitch

by Susan Dennard

While I haven't kept up with the rest of this beloved series, I'm definitely a fan of this author! And I was excited to find this one is a companion rather than part of the series. 

{TorTeen}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

The Prince and the Dressmaker

by Jen Wang

This one is such a charmer, and I'm just excited to see it hit stores so everyone can enjoy it!!

{First Second Books}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

Shatter

by Aprilynne Pike

Another series that I haven't started, but I'm even more eager to especially now that Shatter is out to complete this duology! No torturous wait for the conclusion! :D

(Random House BYR}

Amazon   •   Book Depository

So there's my picks for this week---any of these have you running to your nearest bookstore?

Enter to win any YA book published in February 2018!

(note: this is the same giveaway entry form in all book birthday posts for the month.)

One winner will win a YA February 2018 release of their choice! *see note below
• Contest ends February 28th, 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 February whenever you comment on my reviews and get your extra points!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Shelf Goodies {197}

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. ;)

Just a few new goodies this week, but so excited for both!

Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman

{out now for Simon & Schuster}

I've heard some amazing reviews of this series, so I'm super excited to have them both on hand so I can binge-read through them! 

Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone

{coming June 5th from Disney Hyperion}

I am seeing fantastic reviews of this already so I am steeling my heart for what looks like a real emotional roller coaster of a book. 

This week I finished Daughter of a Siren Queen and I really, really enjoyed it.  Look out for my review this week and then I'll be featuring a few quotes from it for the blog tour stopping here on the 25th.  Now I'm right back to the adventure with Danny and Colton in Chainbreaker---it's getting pretty exciting! I'm still listening to Dire King--not as fast as I have normally been going through audiobooks because I got a little waylaid.  I saw The Greatest Showman this past week and *sigh* I just cannot stop listening to the soundtrack. :D  Have any of you seen it? I heard some mixed reviews but I personally really loved it. I mean, if you need extensive character examination and heavy plot and historical accuracy--it's not gonna be your thing. But it was fun and the musical numbers were spectacular and it was just incredibly entertaining to me.  But of course, I've always been a huge fan of musicals so I'm also just jazzed to see them starting to be made again! 

*Anyhow* xD

Have a lovely week, all. Happy reading! :)

Oh and HEY don't forget to enter to win a February book of choice  in my weekly book birthday posts!

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme created 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 Boneless Mercies
by April Genevieve Tucholke

hitting shelves October 2nd 2018  

from Farrar, Straus & Giroux BYR

Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are the Boneless Mercies—girls hired to kill quickly, quietly, and mercifully. But Frey is weary of the death trade and, having been raised on the heroic sagas of her people, dreams of a bigger life. 

When she hears of an unstoppable monster ravaging a nearby town, Frey decides this is the Mercies' one chance out. The fame and fortune of bringing down such a beast would ensure a new future for all the Mercies. In fact, her actions may change the story arc of women everywhere.

Full of fierce girls, bloodlust, tenuous alliances, and unapologetic quests for glory, this elegantly spun tale challenges the power of storytelling—and who gets to be the storyteller. Perfect for fans of Maggie Stiefvater, V.E. Schwab, and Heidi Heilig.

My thoughts: A new April Tucholke book!!! This is really all I need to know, but  it doesn't hurt that the description sounds absolutely awesome. Her storytelling always floors me, and her eerie and sometimes bizarre way with words and atmosphere may not be everyone's cup of tea---but man is it ever mine! Couldn't be more excited!!

What book are you eagerly anticipating this week?

Book Birthdays!

So this is a new post that I'd like to start weekly (on Tuesday, better known to book lovers as The Day the Books Drop!!). Its a little revamped version of my "What's New" post & giveaway that I've done for years on this blog. Rather than posting every single book coming out each month, each Tuesday I'm going to highlight the books coming out that I'm really excited for! There will still be a giveaway :D Each week I'll post the entry form, but it will be the same one all month so you can remember to get all your extra points for each post, and you will be able to choose from any YA book releasing that month--not just books I feature here! Sound good? Let's do this! :D

Book Birthdays!

{week of Feb 6th}

(pics link to Goodreads)

The Belles

by Dhonielle Clayton
A world where beauty is the highest commodity and The Belles control it all. 
{Freeform}
Amazon  •   BookDepository

By A Charm & A Curse
by Jaime Questell

A girl drawn into a cursed traveling circus, a boy with a mysterious sercret and a kiss that could end it all. 

{EntangledTEEN}

Amazon   •   BookDepository 

The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza
by Shaun David Huthinson
A girl who seems to be able to perform miracles discovers the end of the world may be coming and she's may be the only one who can stop it. 
{Simon Pulse}
Amazon   •    BookDepository

The Dragon's Curse

by Bethany Wiggins

After the shocking ending in Dragon's Price, I'm eager to see what happens next for Princess Sorrowlynn and Prince Golamarr. 

{Crown Books for Young Readers}

Amazon   •   BookDepository 

American Panda
by Gloria Chao
A germaphobic Taiwanese-American teen secretly struggling against the future her parents have completely mapped out for her. 
{Simon Pulse}
Amazon   •   BookDepository

The Queen's Rising

by Rebecca Ross

Brienna is taken under the wing of a mysterious patron, only to find out she's being used as a pawn in a war between two lands.

{HarperTeen}

Amazon    •   BookDepository

 

Shadowsong

by S. Jae-Jones

In this follow-up to Winterson, Leisl returns to the Underground to unravel the mysteries of the Goblin King and find a way to break the old laws.

{Wednesday Books}

Amazon   •   BookDepository

Are you looking forward to picking up any of these this week?? Any of this week's releases not mentioned here that you're dying to run out and get??

Enter to win any YA book published in February 2018!

(note: this is the same giveaway entry form in all book birthday posts for the month.)

One winner will win a YA February 2018 release of their choice! *see note below
• Contest ends February 28th, 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 February whenever you comment on my reviews and get your extra points!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Shelf Goodies {196}

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. ;)

A few fun things came through my mailbox this week! 

Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson

{out now from Katherine Tegen Books}

Very excited for this one! I actually wasn't expecting this arc, and purchased a book box that I *think* is featuring this book for February. If I'm right, be on the lookout for a giveaway for this copy!

The Opposite of Here by Tara Altebrando

{coming June 5th from Bloomsbury}

Really looking forward to this one! It sounds like a touching story of grief, but also a great mystery.

Whisper of the Tide by Sarah Tolcser

{coming June 5th from Bloomsbury}

I have some catching up to do with this series, but I've heard some great things about the first books so I'm excited to have book 2 at the ready! 

Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton

{uk version out now--US version out March 6th, 2018 from PenguinTeen}

Gahhhh, this thing is so shimmery and gorgeous. I love the US covers of this series, but the stunning UK designs are the ones I actually buy for my collection. SO pretty. I'm thrilled to finally have this in my hands. ♥

So my reading habits are kind of all over the place this week. I ended up putting Chainreaker aside (not that I'm not loving it, I AM!) so that I could tackle Daughter of a Siren Queen as I have the blog tour rolling through here in few weeks. And admittedly I am the slowest reader on the face of the earth. So I wanted to be sure I got it done in case I ran into some unavoidable distractions.  I'm also listening to The Dire King on audiobook right now. I adore this series and I'm not looking forward to finishing this one and have no more Jackaby stories to devour. 😭 Don't you just hate when a great series ends?? This, I think, is a the core of my habit of not reading the last books of series. xD

Have a great week, everyone! 

The Forgotten Book by Mechthild Glaser {review}

The Forgotten Book
by  Mechthild Gläser
♦publisher: Feiwel & Friends
♦release date: January 2, 2018
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review

Emma is used to things going her way. Her father is headmaster of her prestigious boarding school, her friends take her advice as gospel, and she's convinced that a relationship with her long-time crush is on the horizon.

As it turns out, Emma hasn't seen anything yet. When she finds an old book in an abandoned library, things really start going Emma's way: anything she writes in the book comes true.

But the power of the book is not without consequences, and Emma soon realizes that she isn't the only one who knows about it. Someone is determined to take it from her—and they'll stop at nothing to succeed.

A new boy in school—the arrogant, aloof, and irritatingly handsome Darcy de Winter—becomes Emma's unlikely ally as secrets are revealed and danger creeps ever closer.  

~My Thoughts~

I'm happy to say I really enjoyed this one! I went in with a little bit of trepidation because of a few issues I had with the writing (or more the translation)  in The Book Jumper, but none of the few things that bothered me in her debut were present in The Forgotten Book.  The storytelling does still read a little young, but not to the point where the characters come across as immature.  I actually liked Emma immediately, she seemed kind of easy-going, a good friend, sharp head on her shoulders, and after going between a torturous summer with her mom and heading back to school with an overprotective dad as her headmaster, she's determined to take a little more control of her own life.

There are a few fun mysteries driving the plot along. After Emma finds the hidden book and realizes what it can do, it was amusing to see her cautiously work its magic in small ways and get bolder and bolder as she went along---until she discovers just how many dark consequences come with it.  I loved all the parallels to both Pride and Prejudice and Emma and a spin on the old adage of "be careful what you wish for". The fairy tale that is woven into the plot is enchanting and a little dark so we got some good creepy moments, too. As with any good mystery, the guilty finger points at each character in turn and keeps the reader guessing the outcome, and even when it seems the culprit has been revealed, it still manages to throw some great twists in. There is more than one instance of villainous monologuing (you can take that criticism with a grain of salt, though---its just a pet peeve of mine haha) but I'm willing to forgive that, as this was just such a light and entertaining read!

•ABOUT THE AUTHOR•

Mechthild Gläser was born in the summer of 1986 in Essen. Even today, she lives and works in the Ruhr area, where she devotes herself to her studies and now and then dances ballet badly - but only when no one is looking. She started writing early, and her laptop still stands on the pink desk under which her first stories arose. She finds inspiration everywhere, but best with a cup of peppermint tea.
(translated from Goodreads author info, originally in German)

WEBSITE   •   FACEBOOK

Purchase the book:   Indiebound   •   BookDepository   •   Amazon