Hello Bookworms! Another month has come to an end and that means it's time for my wrap up! I read three book this month.
May Wrap-Up
Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke
Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.
Wink is the odd, mysterious neighbor girl, wild red hair and freckles. Poppy is the blond bully and the beautiful, manipulative high school queen bee. Midnight is the sweet, uncertain boy caught between them. Wink. Poppy. Midnight. Two girls. One boy. Three voices that burst onto the page in short, sharp, bewitching chapters, and spiral swiftly and inexorably toward something terrible or tricky or tremendous.
What really happened?
Someone knows.
Someone is lying.
I gave this book 2 out of 5 stars. See full review here.
The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski
Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.
As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction.
Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.
Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.
I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. See full review here.
The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy #2) by Marie Rutkoski
Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.
The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement... if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.
As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.
I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. See full review here.
May Book Haul
So proud of myself, I only bought 6 books this month. (If you don't count the 29 books I got at BEA). See my BEA/BookCon 2016 Book Haul here.
1. The Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz
2. Firewalker by Josephine Angelini
3. Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
4. The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
5. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
6. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
Title / Author: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas
Published August 27th 2013 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Pages: 418
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Young Adult, High Fantasy, Adventure, Paranormal, Action
Source: Bought, Bookoutlet
Rating: 5 stars
Synopsis
"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.
It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."
From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.
Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.
Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.
MY REVIEW/THOUGHTS
My mind couldn't be more blown away! Sarah J. you did it again!
I think by far this book is my favorite of the series thus far! I feel like I say that every time I finish a book but seriously I really liked this one l o l. Ok so I still think Celaena is a softy on the inside but
(I was talking to Tina the other day & we came up with the excuse of...) sometimes I forget she is a young 16yr. old :P Although her badass-ness was shown in this book way more! I'm also surprised with this mysterious castle that has some really cool secrets and I can't wait to unleash them (as if I'm the one in the book revealing all these mysteries lol) At this point I'm a little annoyed at Chaol. (I would like to say the reason why I'm annoyed, but I do not want to spoil it. So go read it! and then come back so we can discuss.hehe) Then there is the prince. Oh Prince Dorian! You have been so patient and kind throughout this book that I hope to see what Sara J. has in store for you! (<ok, letters to fictional characters #sorrynotsorry). Also in this book the saddest thing happens and Celaena does not take it lightly. This is when she becomes a badass!! >:) so I'll stop here....go read the book to reveal the secrets!
Dreamology by Lucy Keating
Published April 12th 2016 by Harper Teen
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Fantasy, Adventure, Young Adult
Page: 230
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Review by: Tina
Synopsis
For as long as Alice can remember, she has dreamed of Max. Together they have traveled the world and fallen deliriously, hopelessly in love. Max is the boy of her dreams—and only her dreams. Because he doesn’t exist.
But when Alice walks into class on her first day at a new school, there he is. It turns out, though, that Real Max is nothing like Dream Max, and getting to know each other in reality isn’t as perfect as Alice always hoped.
Review
Sometimes dreams are sweeter than reality but real life can be just as sweet when you actually live it.
This is such a delightful short read. The story is about a dream girl meeting her dream boy (by happenstance) for the first time in real life. And in reality he isn't the perfect optimistic boy who is always looking for an adventure. He is a serious model student and athlete and won't let any uncertainty get in his way of disturbing his perfect life.
The story not only tugs at my heart strings but their connection and interaction is so sweet. My absolute favorite is reading their dream sequences; they are beautiful, adventurous, and full of imagination. It brings childhood nostalgia and I yearn for those easy lazy smiles again. (Ah now I'm nostalgic for Bridge to Terabithia...
With almost all of my TV shows having their season finale this week. I guess it must mean summer is near. So here are my top anticipated summer releases.
June 2016
Zenith (The Androma Saga #1) by Sasha Alsberg & Lindsay Cummings
Most know her as the Bloody Baroness, the captain of a fearsome glass starship called The Marauder. Androma and her crew strike terror in the hearts of those who cross them amongst the many corners of the Mirabel Galaxy.
Expected publication: June 21st 2016
And I Darken (The Conquerors Saga #1) by Kiersten White
NO ONE EXPECTS A PRINCESS TO BE BRUTAL.
And Lada Dragwlya likes it that way. Ever since she and her gentle younger brother, Radu, were wrenched from their homeland of Wallachia and abandoned by their father to be raised in the Ottoman courts, Lada has known that being ruthless is the key to survival. She and Radu are doomed to act as pawns in a vicious game, an unseen sword hovering over their every move. For the lineage that makes them special also makes them targets.
Expected publication: June 28th 2016
July 2016
Paper and Fire (The Great Library #2) by Rachel Caine
In Ink and Bone, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine introduced a world where knowledge is power, and power corrupts absolutely. Now, she continues the story of those who dare to defy the Great Library—and rewrite history…
Expected publication: July 5th 2016
This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1) by Victoria Schwab
There’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.
Expected publication: July 5th 2016
August 2016
The Beauty of Darkness (The Remnant Chronicles #3) by Mary E. Pearson
Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda and the path before them is winding and dangerous - what will happen now? This third and final book in The Remnant Chronicles is not to be missed.
Bestselling author Mary E. Pearson's combination of intrigue, suspense, romance and action make this a riveting page turner for teens.
Expected publication: August 2nd 2016
Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi
There are only three things that matter to twelve-year-old Alice Alexis Queensmeadow: Mother, who wouldn’t miss her; magic and color, which seem to elude her; and Father, who always loved her. The day Father disappears from Ferenwood he takes nothing but a ruler with him. But it’s been almost three years since then, and Alice is determined to find him. She loves her father even more than she loves adventure, and she’s about to embark on one to find the other.
Expected publication: August 30th 2016
What books are you excited to read this summer? Let us know in the comments!
Title / Author: The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy #2) by Marie Rutkoski
Published March 3rd 2015 by Farrar Straus Giroux
Page: 416
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Dystopia, Historical Fiction
Source: Bought - Amzaon
Rating: 5 stars
Synopsis
Book two of the dazzling Winner's Trilogy is a fight to the death as Kestrel risks betrayal of country for love.
The engagement of Lady Kestrel to Valoria’s crown prince means one celebration after another. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement... if she could only trust him. Yet can she even trust herself? For—unknown to Arin—Kestrel is becoming a skilled practitioner of deceit: an anonymous spy passing information to Herran, and close to uncovering a shocking secret.
As Arin enlists dangerous allies in the struggle to keep his country’s freedom, he can’t fight the suspicion that Kestrel knows more than she shows. In the end, it might not be a dagger in the dark that cuts him open, but the truth. And when that happens, Kestrel and Arin learn just how much their crimes will cost them.
My Thoughts...
5 STARS!!!!
I LOVE THIS BOOK!!!
Master storyteller Marie Rutkoski, write another elegantly book in this brilliant sequel to The Winner's Curse. Just like the first book, the cover to this follow-up is beautiful.
OMG!!! This book was better then the first. The story line and plot in this book were beautifully and elegantly written. Unlike the first book, there is romance. This book focus more politics of the empire. Which kept you on the edge of your seat, till the very end.
THAT ENDING!!! Had me yelling, I did not see that coming. Oh, the feeling.
If you want a book that filled with tension, lies, secrets, loyalty, love, betrayal and heartbreak, then I highly recommend The Winner's Crime!
Hello Bookworms!
This year we attended BookExpo America (BEA) and BookCon for the first time.
For those of you who do not know, BookExpo America (BEA) is the leading book and author event for the North American publishing industry. It’s the best place to discover new titles and authors, conduct business and network, and learn the latest trends. BEA is the largest gathering of booksellers, librarians, retailers, publishers, rights, licensing, and book industry professionals in North America.
BookCon is the event where storytelling and pop culture collide. BookCon is an immersive experience that features interactive, forward thinking content including Q&As with the hottest talent, autographing sessions, storytelling podcasts, special screenings, literary quiz shows and so much more. BookCon is the ultimate celebration of books, where your favorite stories come to life.
While at BEA/BookCon I picked up a total of 29 (23 ARCs [Advanced Reviewer's Copy or Advanced Reader's Copy] & 6 finished) books.
I was very happy that I was able to get one of the most anticipated releases of the year and that was Heartless by Marissa Meyer.
So without further ado, let's just jump into this book haul.
The Crypt Thief (Hugo Marston #2) by Mark Pryor
It’s summer in Paris and two tourists have been murdered in Père Lachaise cemetery in front of Jim Morrison’s grave. The cemetery is locked down and put under surveillance, but the killer returns, flitting in and out like a ghost, and breaks into the crypt of a long-dead Moulin Rouge dancer. In a bizarre twist, he disappears under the cover of night with part of her skeleton.
Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica
New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl, Mary Kubica returns with an electrifying and addictive tale of deceit and obsession
In downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she's the person Quinn thought she knew.
The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North
Listen.
All the world forgets me. First my face, then my voice, then the consequences of my deeds.
So listen. Remember me.
Baker's Magic by Diane Zahler
Bee is an orphan, alone in a poor, crumbling kingdom. In desperation, she steals a bun from a bakery, and to her surprise, the baker offers her a place at his shop. As she learns to bake, Bee discovers that she has a magical power. When a new friend desperately needs her help against an evil mage, Bee wonders what an orphan girl with only a small bit of magic can do. Bee's journey to help her friend becomes a journey to save the kingdom, and a discovery of the meaning of family.
Passenger (Passenger #1) by Alexandra Bracken
In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.
The Glittering Court (The Glittering Court #1) by Richelle Mead
Big and sweeping, spanning from the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court.
Return to the Isle of the Lost (Descendants #2) by Melissa de la Cruz
There’s no place like home. Especially if home is the infamous Isle of the Lost. Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay haven’t exactly turned their villainous noses up at the comforts of Auradon after spending their childhoods banished on the Isle. After all, meeting princes and starring on the Tourney team aren’t nearly as terrible as Mal and her friends once thought they would be.
Invincible Summer by Alice Adams - Expected publication: June 28, 2016
Four friends. Twenty years. One unexpected journey.
A dazzling depiction of the highs and lows of adulthood, Invincible Summer is a story about finding the courage to carry on in the wake of disappointment, and a powerful testament to love and friendship as the constants in an ever-changing world.
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch - Expected publication: August 2, 2016
“Are you happy with your life?” Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious. Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits. Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy: Castaways by David McDonald - Expected publication: August 30, 2016
Guardians of the Galaxy: Castaways is the thrilling new adventure featuring Marvel's swashbuckling heroes Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, and the ever-charming Star-Lord himself, Peter Quill.
Furthermore by Tahereh Mafi - Expected publication: August 30, 2016
There are only three things that matter to twelve-year-old Alice Alexis Queensmeadow: Mother, who wouldn’t missher;magic and color, whichseem to elude her; and Father, who always loved her.The day Father disappears fromFerenwood hetakes nothing but a ruler with him. But it’sbeen almost three years sincethen, and Alice is determinedto find him.
The Littlest Bigfoot by Jennifer Weiner - Expected publication: September 13, 2016
From New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner comes a laugh-out-loud funny and painstakingly real tale of friendship, furry creatures, and finding the place where you belong.
Alice Mayfair, twelve years old, slips through the world unseen and unnoticed. Ignored by her family and shipped off to her eighth boarding school, Alice would like a friend. And when she rescues Millie Maximus from drowning in a lake one day, she finds one.
Murder at the House of Rooster Happiness (Ethical Chiang Mai Detective Agency #1) by David Casarett - Expected publication: September 13, 2016
A fascinating mystery set in Thailand in the vein of Alexander McCall Smith, where a nurse ethicist turns detective.
Ladarat Patalung, for one, would have been happier without a serial murderer in her life. Then again, she never meant to be a detective in the first place.
The Secrets of Wishtide (A Laetitia Rodd Mystery #1) by Kate Saunders - Expected publication: September 13, 2016
The first in a clever and charming new crime series that will immediately delight all fans of Agatha Christie and M.C. Beaton.
Mrs. Laetitia Rodd, aged fifty-two, is the widow of an archdeacon. Living in Hampstead with her confidante and landlady, Mrs. Benson, who once let rooms to John Keats, Laetitia makes her living as a highly discreet private investigator.
Stealing Snow (Stealing Snow #1) by Danielle Paige - Expected publication: September 20, 2016
Seventeen-year-old Snow has spent the majority of her life within the walls of the Whittaker Institute, a high security mental hospital in upstate New York. Deep down, she knows she's not crazy and doesn't belong there. When she meets a mysterious, handsome new orderly and dreams about a strange twisted tree she realizes she must escape and figure out who she really is.
The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart - Expected publication: September 27, 2016
Eleven-year-old Reuben spends his days exploring, hiding, and practicing parkour among the abandoned buildings of the Lower Downs as a way to escape the rough times that have befallen him and his mom--but his discovery of an extraordinary antique pocket watch changes everything. When Reuben finds that the watch has the power to turn him invisible, he's propelled on the adventure of a lifetime.
Gilt Hollow by Lorie Langdon - Expected publication: September 27, 2016
Willow Lamott’s best friend is a murderer, and no one in the small town of Gilt Hollow will let her forget it. For four long years, she’s tried to fade into the background—but none of that matters when Ashton Keller comes striding into school, fresh out of juvie and fueled by revenge. The moment their eyes meet, Willow no longer feels invisible. Drawn to the vulnerability behind Ashton’s mask of rage, she sinks deeper into his sinister world and begins to question whether he’s a villain, a savior, or both.
IQ by Joe Ide - Expected publication: October 18, 2016
A resident of one of LA's toughest neighborhoods uses his blistering intellect to solve the crimes the LAPD ignores.
East Long Beach. The LAPD is barely keeping up with the neighborhood's high crime rate. Murders go unsolved, lost children unrecovered. But someone from the neighborhood has taken it upon himself to help solve the cases the police can't or won't touch.
Iron Man: The Gauntlet by Eoin Colfer - Expected publication: October 25, 2016
Tony Stark is known throughout the world as many things: billionaire, inventor, Avenger. But mainly for being the Invincible Iron Man.
Just when Tony is about to add his pizzazz to aninternational eco-summit in Ireland, someone close to him forces him toquestion his role in making the world a more dangerous place with his high-techweaponry. But Stark doesn't have much time to reflect before an old enemypresents him with an even greater challenge: the assassination of all theeco-ministers, and Iron Man himself. Just how invincible Iron Man is when he isstripped of everything remains to be seen in this breathless adventure by thebestselling author of Artemis Fowl.
The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon - Expected publication: November 1st 2016
Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.
Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.
The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?
The Amateurs (The Amateurs) by Sara Shepard - Expected publication: November 1, 2016
As soon as Seneca Frazier sees the post on the Case Not Closed website about Helena Kelly, she’s hooked. Helena’s high-profile disappearance five years earlier is the one that originally got Seneca addicted to true crime. It’s the reason she’s a member of the site in the first place.
The Diabolic by S.J. Kincaid - Expected publication: November 1, 2016
Red Queen meets The Hunger Games in this epic novel about what happens when the galaxy’s most deadly weapon masquerades as a senator’s daughter and a hostage of the galactic court.
A Diabolic is ruthless. A Diabolic is powerful. A Diabolic has a single task: Kill in order to protect the person you’ve been created for.
Heartless by Marissa Meyer - Expected publication: November 8, 2016
Long before she was the terror of Wonderland — the infamous Queen of Hearts — she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love.
Word of Mouse by James Patterson - Expected publication: December 12, 2016
James Patterson's newest illustrated middle grade story follows the illuminating journey of a very special mouse, and the unexpected friendships that he makes along the way.
The Edge of Everything by Jeff Gile - Expected publication: January 2017
The debut YA novel by Jeff Giles, a former top editor at Entertainment Weekly.
Still reeling from her dad’s shocking death, seventeen year old Zoe races to save her little brother from a blizzard—only to meet a handsome, mysterious stranger they call X who suddenly shows up at a cabin in the woods. X is a bounty hunter from Hell, here to claim his next victim. Hopelessness, punishment, and pain are all he’s ever known…until Zoe shows him what his heart is really for. But escaping his duty and the ties that bind him might mean the ultimate sacrifice for both of them in this star-crossed fantasy romance.
Two Days Gone by Randall Silvis - Expected publication: January 1, 2017
A literary page-turner about a beloved college professor accused of murdering his entire family, and one small-town cop's dangerous search for answers.
The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti - Expected publication: January 3, 2017
A teenage misfit named Hawthorn Creely inserts herself in the investigation of missing person Lizzie Lovett, who disappeared mysteriously while camping with her boyfriend. Hawthorn doesn't mean to interfere, but she has a pretty crazy theory about what happened to Lizzie. In order to prove it, she decides to immerse herself in Lizzie's life.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber - Expected publication: January 10, 2017
Before you enter the world of Caraval, you must remember that it’s all a game . . .
Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their ruthless father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the legendary, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.
Seven Days of You by Cecilia Vinesse - Expected publication: March 7, 2017
Sophia has seven days left in Tokyo before she moves back to the States. Seven days to say good-bye to the electric city, her wild best friend, and the boy she’s harbored a semi-secret crush on for years. Seven perfect days…until Jamie Foster-Collins moves back to Japan and ruins everything.
