Waiting on Wednesday

"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 Study in Charlotte

by Brittany Cavallaro

hitting shelves March 1st, 2016

from Katherine Tegen Books

The last thing sixteen-year-old Jamie Watson–writer and great-great-grandson of the John Watson–wants is a rugby scholarship to Sherringford, a Connecticut prep school just an hour away from his estranged father. But that’s not the only complication: Sherringford is also home to Charlotte Holmes, the famous detective’s enigmatic, fiercely independent great-great-granddaughter, who’s inherited not just his genius but also his vices, volatile temperament, and expertly hidden vulnerability. Charlotte has been the object of his fascination for as long as he can remember–but from the moment they meet, there’s a tense energy between them, and they seem more destined to be rivals than anything else.

Then a Sherringford student dies under suspicious circumstances ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Holmes stories, and Jamie and Charlotte become the prime suspects. Convinced they’re being framed, they must race against the police to conduct their own investigation. As danger mounts, it becomes clear that nowhere is safe and the only people they can trust are each other.

Equal parts tender, thrilling, and hilarious, A Study in Charlotte is the first in a trilogy brimming with wit and edge-of-the-seat suspense.

My thoughts: SO...this book has the great-great grandkids of Holmes & Watson and a clever play-on-words title to boot. My need for this book is a given. :)

Waiting on Wednesday

"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 Madness So Discreet

by Mindy McGinnis

 hitting shelves October 6th, 2015 

from Katherine Tegan Books

Grace Mae knows madness. She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.

My thoughts:  I haven't had the chance to read this author yet, but this story looks amazing. And, yes, the absolutely bizarre and breathtaking cover doesn't hurt. Oh, with that creepy hand grabbing her foot---eeeek! :D So chilling. 

Cover Story

Some gorgeous late-2014 and 2015 covers have been revealed recently! Check them out:

Dreamfire

by Kit Alloway

 St. Martins Griffin, February 24, 2015

Earth & Sky
by Megan Crewe
Skyscape, October 28, 2014

The Rise and Fall of a Theater Geek

by Seth Rudetsky

Random House, June 23, 2015

Stone in the Sky
by Cecil Castellucci
Roaring Brook Press, February 24, 2015

Time's Edge

by Rysa Walker

Skyscape, October 21, 2014

The Way We Bared Our Souls
by Willa Strayhorn
Razorbill, January 22, 2015

Willowgrove

by Kathleen Peacock

Katherine Tegen Books, January 6, 2015

Pretty much all of these would catch my eye on a bookshelf. What do you think? Do these covers make you want to read any of these?

Waiting on Wednesday

"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.

 

Ashes to Ashes 

by Melissa Walker

hitting shelves December 23rd, 2013 from Katherine Tegen books

description:

If I Stay meets the movie Ghost in this first book in a teen duology about a teenage-girl-turned-ghost who must cling to the echoes of her former life to save the people she left behind.

Ashes to Ashes is author Melissa Walker's sweeping, romantic, and emotionally rich story about the things that torment and tempt us, even from the Great Beyond. This book is perfect for fans of Die for Me and Imaginary Girls, and its breathtaking ending will leave readers anxiously awaiting the series conclusion, Dust to Dust.

When Callie's life is cut short by a tragic accident, she expects to find nothingness, or maybe some version of heaven.

Instead, her spirit travels to the Prism, an ethereal plane populated by the ghosts she thought were fictional. Here she meets a striking and mysterious ghost named Thatcher, who is meant to guide her as she learns to haunt and bring peace to the loved ones she left behind.

However, Callie uncovers a dark secret about the spirit world: The angry souls who always populate ghost stories are real, dangerous, and willing to do whatever it takes to stay on Earth, threatening the existence of everyone she ever cared about.

As she fights to save them, Callie will learn that while it may no longer beat, her heart can still love-and break.

 

My thoughts: Love ghost and afterlife, and stories about people in the afterlife bringing peace to those they left behind always make me cry. :)   I'm also intrigued by the "ghosts she thought were fictional" concept! Gorgeous cover, too!

Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop!

It's time for the annual Dreaming of Books Giveaway hop!  This year the hop is being hosted by I Am a Reader, Not a Writer and Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf.

For this event, I'll be giving away an ARC of Mila 2.0!

•US/CAN entries only
•must be 13 or older
•Enter by January 24th, 11:59 PM

a Rafflecopter giveaway Be sure to visit the rest of the blogs participating in the hop!

Guest Review: Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

release date: May 8th, 2012

hardcover, 400 pages

intended audience: Young adult

series: Hemlock, book 1

rating:




source: from publisher for honest review
reviewer: Amy

description:
Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Review:

Hemlock stands tall and makes its presence known, just as a Hemlock tree stands unwavering in any storm brought upon it . This, I think, is also the perfect metaphor for the main character, Mackenzie. A character that can only be described as bad ass. She is one of the strongest female characters I've come across in a long time. Tough, unwavering, head strong and able to tackle any fight or challenge that is thrown at her.

This book takes off right at the start and and keeps you hanging in your seat for the whole ride. Its not often I pick up a 400 page book and read it in a day and half, but this book so beautifully captivated me, I couldn't put it down.

Kathleen Peacock spins a wonderful and believable tale of a normal teenage life shattered by death. Not only the death itself...but the mystery surrounding the death as well. With the question of who murdered Mackenzie's best friend, Amy, and discovering all the secrets that lie in the roots of the small town Hemlock, I found myself thrown into tears one minute and wanting to cheer out loud the next. And crazily enough I found myself also wanting to believe in the possibility of a Lupine syndrome---which had me fighting the urge to glance over my shoulder in the dark of night, wondering if werewolves could really exist.

The author does an impeccable job blending the plot of the characters and the story line to make it feel so believable. All I can say is she left me out on a limb waiting for the next book in this trilogy.

And on a little side note:

Team Jacob fans will be delighted to note that you will not be disappointed. Finally a book that makes you still believe in werewolves, and gives satisfaction to those who were left wanting more!

A definite must-read!

Visit Kathleen Peacock's site: www.kathleenpeacock.com

Purchase Hemlock at: Amazon • BN.com • BookDepository • Indiebound