Book to be Excited About – The Renegades

Secret Identities.
Extraordinary Powers.
She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies—humans with extraordinary abilities—who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone…except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice—and in Nova. But Nova’s allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.

Guys!  I am so excited about Marissa Meyer’s announcement that she will have a new book out this Fall!!

I love everything she has written so far and just finished Heartless earlier this month with a review to come soon.  She is definitely a favorite writer and really knows how to put you into the world of her stories.  I get so stoked when I find out that writers I love have books coming soon.  The only part I don’t like is the wait!  I love X-men; I used to read and collect the comics.  I also love the super hero movies, so the fact that she has a super hero novel coming out is really exciting.  Are y’all excited too??

Cover Reveal – Before She Ignites

Hi Guys!  It has been interesting getting back into the swing of things now that I don’t have to worry about any homework and school lectures and due dates.  I still somehow manage to have a full schedule though!  There just isn’t enough time in the day to do everything I want/need to do O.O

So for those of you who haven’t seen this yet, Jodi Meadows has a new book coming and she just reveled the cover on Friday!  It is so beautiful!  I have loved all of her book covers and this one is no exception.  My two favorite parts of the cover are the crown that is glowing and the letter S with its awesome dragon tail.

Not only is the cover really awesome looking, but the book sounds like it is going to be a fun and exciting read.  I mean…DRAGONS!!  Really can’t wait for it!

If you would like to read Jodi’s post about her cover and her excitement about being a bigger part of the design process for it, you can find it here!

Now for the gorgeous cover!!

ISN’T IT BEAUTIFUL!!??

Why must I wait until September???

Free at Last!

Soooo, as of  this week, I have completed my creative writing bachelor’s degree!!!  My graduation date was the 1st and I am FINISHED with all the homework and class work and I get to relax and breathe and READ READ READ!  It has been rough not being able to just sit and read like I want to, having to read only what class tells me too and write only what the assignment is.  I did at least get to listen to books while driving back and forth to work.

Now that I am done with school, I am excited to get back to my own writing.  I have two books that I started and put to the side for school, so I am able to get back to those, and I have a collection of horror stories I want to begin as well.  I still have not decided if I am going to be participating in NaNoWriMo yet this year, though I don’t think I am that way I can just breathe a bit without jumping into something else right away. Good luck to those who do!

I have added so many books to my TBR list and I can’t wait to start so many of these great books I have seen.  Honestly, I am not even 100% sure where to begin now that I get to read again!  I have almost 1400 books on my Goodreads TBR.  HOW DO YOU CHOOSE????  I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things with my blog!

Updates!!

Hey Guys!  I know it has been a LONG WHILE since my last post, but school must come first.  It has been going really well and I am thoroughly enjoying the program!  I have a 4.0 GPA and have been invited into honor societies, so I am pretty stoked about that.  I have always been an overachiever when it comes to school 🙂 I just can’t help myself.  I will be finishing my Bachelor’s in creative writing in October and will probably be continuing on to get my Master’s.

Writing has always been my number one passion, so I am so happy I am finally able to do a program for it.  Since I have gotten through most of the program and really settled into the rhythm of my big change, I am going to start posting reviews again.  I have been so busy with school that I don’t get to read as often as I would like, but I will still do them when I can.  I have two holds I am excited about that I am waiting on at the library.  One is Marissa Meyer’s final book of the Lunar Chronicles series Winter, which has been one of my absolute favorite series ever!  She is brilliant with the way she has done her fairy tale re-imaginings, and if you haven’t started this series, I highly suggest you do!

The other book I am excited about is the first in the Mortal Instruments series, City of Bones, and yeah, I know I should be ashamed of myself for not having started this one yet.  I have been watching the show though, which has been a lot of fun.  I definitely like Dominic Sherwood as Jace better than Jamie Campbell Bower.  There is so much that is different from the movie that came out a couple years ago and I know the TV show will be more accurate since they get to stretch it out.  Have any of y’all been watching the show?  What do y’all think so far?

I will be posting a review soon, so keep an eye out for that.  I hope everybody has been doing well!

*Review* Kiss of Broken Glass – Madeleine Kuderick

 Kiss of Broken Glass

Madeleine Kuderick

224 pages

Read 10-16-14

Source: Library

Add it on Goodreads!

 Madeleine Kuderick’s gripping debut is a darkly beautiful and lyrical novel in verse, perfect for fans of Sonya Sones and Laurie Halse Anderson. Kiss of Broken Glass pulses with emotion and lingers long after the last page.

In the next seventy-two hours, Kenna may lose everything—her friends, her freedom, and maybe even herself. One kiss of the blade was all it took to get her sent to the psych ward for seventy-two hours. There she will face her addiction to cutting, though the outcome is far from certain.

When fifteen-year-old Kenna is found cutting herself in the school bathroom, she is sent to a facility for mandatory psychiatric watch. There, Kenna meets other kids like her—her roommate, Donya, who’s there for her fifth time; the birdlike Skylar; and Jag, a boy cute enough to make her forget her problems . . . for a moment.

I have read only two other books written in verse, but I have found I do enjoy the ones  have read and look forward to reading more.

Kiss of Broken Glass deals with a hard topic – cutting – and what could drive a person to do it.  I found Kenna to be very realistic and tortured, even if she didn’t want to admit it to herself.  Through Kenna we learn about the drive and ache of her addiction to self harm and the author does a great job of making us feel that need right along with Kenna.  The book spans only 72 hours, but in that short period, things become very eye opening.  The book was an incredibly fast read, but it was also powerful.

The few characters we meet during the commitment weren’t around very long, but they each had their own special impact on Kenna.  I especially liked Skylar and her honesty.  She was very open about everything and I think that helped Kenna be more honest with herself.  Donia was ok, but she was also someone who wanted to help Kenna keep cutting and didn’t seem like someone much into quitting self harm.  I didn’t get to know Jag too well, but the little bit I did see of him I did like him.

I definitely enjoyed this book and look forward to more work from this author!

Well written, powerful, fast read, really puts you in the main character’s shoes.

Updates and Such

Hey guys!  Long time no posting, sorry about that.  As I mentioned before in one of my last posts, I started school back, which is very exciting (I’m one of those dorks who love school!) and I’ve had to do some adjusting with being so busy in life, work and now back to school.  All I have been able to read for the past couple of months is Shakespeare since that was my first class and it has been fun and I should finish with a 98!!  My next two classes are going to be Humanities and World Mythology (which I’m super excited about) and I have definitely been enjoying the online classes so far and it works great with my schedule.  I am going to try to start posting reviews again and though I won’t be able to post as much stuff as before I started school back, I still will be doing some!  I’ve also taken on a lot at the house, and by a lot I mean people.  Due to some bad circumstances, I have 4 extra bodies at my house, my mother in law, her mother, my brother in law and his cousin.  So needless to say, it is a bit cramped (we already had 4 bodies to begin with so now it is up to 8)!!  Thanks to those of you who have still been checking my blog and being patient while I got settled into my new routine.  I look forward to discussing more bookish things with you all!

 

P.S. Are any of you going to be attending YALLFEST?  I will be there for my 3rd straight year and CAN’T WAIT!!!

Cover Crush (68)

 Cover Crush is my meme here at On The Shelf where beautiful and eye-catching covers are spotlighted!  Any cover can be showcased whether it be old or new, read or still sitting in your TBR stack.  Please join in, link up and enjoy some beautiful covers!

My Cover:

Mirror, mirror, on the wall,

Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story—a story that has never been told … until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from WINTER, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

Why I’m Crushing:

How awesome is this cover??!!  I love love love animated covers!  I already thought it was pretty great when I first saw it, but the animation really puts it over the top.  The way she moves slightly is pretty creepy, especially with that skeletal looking crown.  I also really like the beautiful burning frame and how it says “Queen” like it is showing the destruction to come.  At first, I wanted the cover to match the first 3 with the red and blue, but then I thought about the fact that it is Levana and she is pure evil, so she really doesn’t deserve the same kind of covers as our heroines.  I am so very excited about another Lunar Chronicles book and I can’t wait to read it!  What do you guys think of this cover and the new addition to the Lunar Chronicles?

Cover Crush (67)

 Cover Crush is my meme here at On The Shelf where beautiful and eye-catching covers are spotlighted!  Any cover can be showcased whether it be old or new, read or still sitting in your TBR stack.  Please join in, link up and enjoy some beautiful covers!

My Cover:

Divided by day and night and on the run from authorities, star-crossed young lovers unearth a sinister conspiracy in this compelling romantic thriller.

Seventeen-year-old Soleil Le Coeur is a Smudge—a night dweller prohibited by law from going out during the day. When she fakes an injury in order to get access to and kidnap her newborn niece—a day dweller, or Ray—she sets in motion a fast-paced adventure that will bring her into conflict with the powerful lawmakers who order her world, and draw her together with the boy she was destined to fall in love with, but who is also a Ray.

Set in a vivid alternate reality and peopled with complex, deeply human characters on both sides of the day-night divide, Plus One is a brilliantly imagined drama of individual liberty and civil rights, and a fast-paced romantic adventure story.

Why I’m Crushing:

This is just such a perfect and beautiful representation of this story!  Both sides are incredibly gorgeous and I love the soft color scheme.  There is a lot of detail that went into this cover and I love love love the night side with the lovely stars.  I also like how the title is the reverse of the night and day.  This story sounds incredible and I really want to read it and I’m glad this gorgeous cover drew me to it!  What do you guys think?  Feel free to share any covers you might be crushing on!

My Last Kiss Review and Giveaway Blog Tour

 

My Last Kiss

Bethany Neal

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Release Date: June 10th 2014

Read 5-29-14

Format: E-book

Source: Blog Tour with The Fantastic Flying Book Club

Add it on Goodreads!

What if your last kiss was with the wrong boy? 

Cassidy Haines remembers her first kiss vividly. It was on the old covered bridge the summer before her freshman year with her boyfriend of three years, Ethan Keys. But her last kiss–the one she shared with someone at her seventeenth birthday party the night she died–is a blur. Cassidy is trapped in the living world, not only mourning the loss of her human body, but left with the grim suspicion that her untimely death wasn’t a suicide as everyone assumes. She can’t remember anything from the weeks leading up to her birthday and she’s worried that she may have betrayed her boyfriend. 

If Cassidy is to uncover the truth about that fateful night and make amends with the only boy she’ll ever love, she must face her past and all the decisions she made–good and bad–that led to her last kiss.

I like mystery stories and this book sounded like it could be really good.  Cassidy we only see alive for the very first chapter and for the rest of the book she is following others around trying to solve the questions behind her own death and falling into memories as she recovers them.  One part I did enjoy was seeing how people reacted to her death, like her family and closest friends.   Aimee and Ethan were the characters I liked the most.  They were very devoted to Cassidy and great people to her.  Madison I never really liked from the beginning because she was so back and forth.

There were a bunch of time jumps since there are so many flashbacks as Cassidy gains memories and we fall into them with her.  At several points it confused me when we went into the past because there wasn’t a clear transition all the time, but it becomes easier the more you read.  For me, there weren’t any characters that were super amazing, but most of them were likeable.  Others could be hard to keep up with because we didn’t really see them enough to care to really remember their names.

Several points of the book were predictable, aside from one that I can think of.  And though there was a lot of predictability, I still enjoyed following Cassidy’s story as she unraveled what happened to her and what happens between her and Ethan.  Though this book isn’t amazing, it is still an enjoyable read and I recommend it to those who enjoy mysteries and ghost type stories.

Follow the FFBC Played blog tour and don’t miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Bethany Neal writes young-adult novels with a little dark side and a lot of kissing! She is obsessed with (but not limited to): nail polish, ginormous rings, pigs, pickles, and dessert.

You can find her locked in her Writertorium for insane amounts of time. But, hey, insanity is fun! My Last Kiss is her first novel.

Giveaway is open to US & Canada | Must be 13 or older to enter 

Win (1) signed hardback of My Last Kiss + a Swag Pack ( MLK Button, MLK Notebook, & Cassidy’s watermelon lip gloss)

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour co-hosted by Bethany Neal and The Fantastic Flying Book Club

 

News & Updates

So, some of you may have noticed I’ve been missing for a bit.  Well, it isn’t without good reason.  It has been hard to keep up with everything lately with how busy I have been and how crazy everything was for the past little bit.  I had three of my family end up in the hospital and I have also been dealing with my own health issues.  I almost lost my nanny to a stroke, which I posted about earlier and thankfully she is doing much better, but sometimes it can still be hard for her.

As for my own health issues, I have a couple different things going on, luckily none are life threatening, but can be tough to deal with and depressing, so I haven’t felt like doing a whole lot lately, including reading, so it has been hard recently to feel up to some things.  I even debated on ending the blog, which I genuinely do not want to do, but it is getting so so hard to keep up with it lately with everything that is going on and life in general.  But I REALLY REALLY do not want to end it because I do love it and the people that are in the blogosphere.

I also made a really important decision two weeks ago, and that was to apply to go back to school to get a bachelor’s in creative writing.  I know it isn’t necessary to have a degree to become a writer, but I feel like it is something I need to do for myself because I love school and I love writing and I really want to embed myself in it.  This will make me busier as well, along with work since some big things may be changing for me at work, though nothing is finalized yet so I can’t say with certainty right now.

With all of this stuff keeping me busy, it is going to make it hard to keep up with updating regularly on here, but for now, I am not going to stop blogging, but I will post when I can, which probably is not going to be near as often as I’d like.  And thank you so much to those who kept posting for my meme Cover Crush, even when I couldn’t get myself going to do it.  So that is what has been going on in my life and I hope everybody is doing well!