Waiting on Wednesday - Rooms

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where we post upcoming releases we're highly anticipating. My pre-publication selection for this week's Waiting on Wednesday is Rooms by Lauren Oliver.

Rooms

Lauren Oliver

Series: Standalone

Released: September 23rd, 2014

Publisher: Ecco

Waited on by: Ellis

Wealthy Richard Walker has just died, leaving behind his country house full of rooms packed with the detritus of a lifetime. His estranged family—bitter ex-wife Caroline, troubled teenage son Trenton, and unforgiving daughter Minna—have arrived for their inheritance.

But the Walkers are not alone. Prim Alice and the cynical Sandra, long dead former residents bound to the house, linger within its claustrophobic walls. Jostling for space, memory, and supremacy, they observe the family, trading barbs and reminiscences about their past lives. Though their voices cannot be heard, Alice and Sandra speak through the house itself—in the hiss of the radiator, a creak in the stairs, the dimming of a light bulb.

The living and dead are each haunted by painful truths that will soon surface with explosive force. When a new ghost appears, and Trenton begins to communicate with her, the spirit and human worlds collide—with cataclysmic results.

Elegantly constructed and brilliantly paced, Rooms is an enticing and imaginative ghost story and a searing family drama that is as haunting as it is resonant.

Review: Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

Prisoner of Night and Fog
Anne Blankman
Series: Prisoner of Night and Fog, #1
Released: April 22nd, 2014
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Rating: 4 stars
Word Rating: Pretty much in love
Reviewed by: Mel

In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler.

And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.

Review: Camp Payback by J. K. Rock

Camp Payback
J. K. Rock
Series: Camp Boyfriend, #2
Released: April 29th, 2014
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Rating: 2 stars
Word Rating: Yeah whatever goodbye, book
Reviewed by: Mel

Alex has big plans for camp this year, starting with making it the best summer ever.

Having fun and breaking some rules will get her the payback she wants against her parents and her ex-boyfriend. Because of his disgusting texts, she's headed to a super strict all-girls school in the fall. Then she meets Javier and revenge doesn't seem nearly as important as getting to know the troubled loner determined to keep a low profile at camp. But Alex's trouble-magnet personality and Javier's need to stay in the background don't mix nearly as well as their irresistible chemistry. With her home life eroding under her feet and her last year of summer camp speeding to a close, Alex wants to make her mark on the world and squeeze every bit of fun out of her time with Javier. Too bad her old plans for revenge turn back on her just in time to ruin everything. Will she lose Javier too?

Waiting on Wednesday - The Young Elites

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where we post upcoming releases we're highly anticipating. My pre-publication selection for this week's Waiting on Wednesday is The Young Elites by Marie Lu.

The Young Elites

Marie Lu

Series: The Young Elites, #1

Released: October 7th, 2014

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Waited on by: Ellis

"Some hate us, think us criminals to hang at the gallows. Some fear us, think us demons to burn at the stake. Some worship us, think us divine children of the gods. 

But all know us."

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood plague: marked by a jagged scar, snow-white hair and lashes. Cast out by her family, Adelina has finally found a place to belong within the secret society of Young Elites. 

To some, the Elites are heroes, here to save innocents in desperate situations. But to the Inquisition Axis, the white-robed soldiers of Kenettra, they are monsters with demonic powers who must be brought to justice. 

As Adelina learns more about this perilous world where politics and magic clash, she soon realizes that her own powers may be in danger of bringing on an era of panic such as the world has never seen.

Review: The Summer I Wasn't Me by Jessica Verdi

The Summer I Wasn't Me
Jessica Verdi
Series: Standalone
Released: April 1st, 2014
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Rating: 3.5 stars
Word Rating: Impressive
Reviewed by: Ellis

Lexi has a secret.

She never meant for her mom to find out. And now she's afraid that what's left of her family is going to fall apart for good.

Lexi knows she can fix everything. She can change. She can learn to like boys. New Horizons summer camp has promised to transform her life, and there's nothing she wants more than to start over.

But sometimes love has its own path...

Review: Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly

Deep Blue
Jennifer Donnelly
Series: Waterfire Saga, #1
Released: May 6th, 2014
Publisher: Disney Press
Rating: 4 stars
Word Rating: CURRENSEA
Reviewed by: Blythe

The first in a series of four epic tales set in the depths of the ocean, where six mermaids seek to protect and save their hidden world.

Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe.

When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin's arrow poisons Sera's mother. Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the Mer nations. Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence.

SHE IS NOT INVISIBLE Blog Tour: Guest Post

Today I am excited to be a part of the She Is Not Invisible blog tour, a book which I loved and highly recommend to readers looking for something thought-provoking and unique. Author of She Is Not Invisible, Marcus Segdwick, has written an amazing guest post about the title of the novel, his own life experiences that relate to the novel, and how those who are blind, like Laureth, have nothing but personalities to base others off of; they don't care about a person's appearance, but only who you are, and that was something I really loved about She Is Not Invisible. Below you will find information about the novel, and then after the jump, Marcus' guest post and a chance to win a copy of She Is Not Invisible, which the publisher was generous enough to provide. Enjoy! 

Laureth Peak's father has taught her to look for recurring events, patterns, and numbers--a skill at which she's remarkably talented. Her secret: She is blind. But when her father goes missing, Laureth and her 7-year-old brother Benjamin are thrust into a mystery that takes them to New York City where surviving will take all her skill at spotting the amazing, shocking, and sometimes dangerous connections in a world full of darkness. She Is Not Invisible is an intricate puzzle of a novel that sheds a light on the delicate ties that bind people to each other. 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

Review: Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

Looking for Alibrandi
Melina Marchetta
Series: Standalone
Released: October 5th, 1992
Publisher: Knopf Books
Rating: 4 stars
Word Rating: Hilaripain
Reviewed by: Ellis

For as long as Josephine Alibrandi can remember, it's just been her, her mom, and her grandmother. Now it's her final year at a wealthy Catholic high school. The nuns couldn't be any stricter—but that doesn't seem to stop all kinds of men from coming into her life.

Caught between the old-world values of her Italian grandmother, the no-nonsense wisdom of her mom, and the boys who continue to mystify her, Josephine is on the ride of her life. This will be the year she falls in love, the year she discovers the secrets of her family's past—and the year she sets herself free.

Told with unmatched depth and humor, this novel—which swept the pool of Australian literary awards and became a major motion picture—is one to laugh through and cry with, to cherish and remember.

Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Fangirl
Rainbow Rowell
Series: None
Released: September 10th, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Rating: 4.5 stars
Word Rating: FANGIRLed my way through this
Reviewed by: Mel

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love.

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Review: V is for Villain by Peter Moore

V is for Villain
Peter Moore
Series: None
Released: May 20th, 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Rating: 3.5 stars
Word Rating: the cheesy goodness
Reviewed by: Blythe

Brad Baron is used to looking lame compared to his older brother, Blake. Though Brad's basically a genius, Blake is a superhero in the elite Justice Force. And Brad doesn't measure up at his high school, either, where powers like super-strength and flying are the norm. So when Brad makes friends who are more into political action than weight lifting, he's happy to join a new crew-especially since it means spending more time with Layla, a girl who may or may not have a totally illegal, totally secret super-power. And with her help, Brad begins to hone a dangerous new power of his own.

But when they're pulled into a web of nefarious criminals, high-stakes battles, and startling family secrets, Brad must choose which side he's on. And once he does, there's no turning back.

Perfect for fans of The Avengers, Ironman, and classic comic books, V is for Villain reveals that it's good to be bad.

Waiting on Wednesday - Falls the Shadow

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where we post upcoming releases we're highly anticipating. My pre-publication selection for this week's Waiting on Wednesday is Falls the Shadow by Stefanie Gaither.

Falls the Shadow

Stefanie Gaither

Series: None

Released: September 16th, 2014

Publisher: Simon and Schuster BFYR

Waited on by: Mel

When Cate Benson was twelve, her sister died.

Two hours after the funeral, they picked up Violet’s replacement, and it was like nothing had ever happened. Because Cate’s parents are among those who decided to grant their children a sort of immortality—by cloning them at birth. So this new Violet has the same smile. The same laugh. That same perfect face. Thanks to advancements in mind-uploading technology, she even has all the same memories as the girl she replaced.

She also might have murdered the most popular girl in school.

Or at least, that’s what the paparazzi and crazy anti-cloning protesters want everyone to think: that clones are violent, unpredictable monsters. Cate is used to hearing all that, though. She’s used to standing up for her sister too, and she’s determined to prove her innocence now—at whatever the cost. But the deeper she digs for the truth, the further Cate's carefully-constructed life begins to unravel, unveiling a world filled with copies and lies, where nothing and no one—not even her sister— is completely what they seem.

In a pulse pounding debut, Stefanie Gaither takes readers on a nail-biting ride through a future that looks frighteningly similar to our own time and asks: how far are you willing to go to keep your family together?

Finding Bliss in Vlogs: The Disney Princess Tag

A face a face a moving face on Finding Bliss in Books. It's a miracle! The Disney Princess Tag is a Booktube thing, created by this person. Gillian - my fave Writer of Wrongs - tagged the entire universe internet in her video, and I am listening to my baking overlady. Also, it's her birthday today, so go wish her a happy birthday!

Christina, Meg,

Questions/prompts

Princesses

1. Anna and Elsa (NOT A PRINCESS, CREATOR PERSON): a book involving siblings

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

2. Rapunzel: a book that made you emotional

Rogue by Gina Damico

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

3. Merida: a book featuring a female warrior

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

4. Tiana: a book featuring realistic struggles

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta (review here)

5. Belle: a literary book or a classic

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

6. Pocahontas: a nature book

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

7. Jasmine: a book about the desire to be free

A Mad, Wicked Folly by Sharon Biggs Waller (guest post here)

8. Mulan: a book featuring war/battle

Tomorrow, When the War Began by John Marsden

9. Ariel: a book featuring curiosity or learning

Molly Moon's Incredible Book of Hypnotism by Georgia Byng

10. Cinderella: a book featuring manual labour

Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson

11. Sleeping Beauty: a book featuring sleep

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta (Yes. Melina is a goddess. The Disney Princess tag was created for her, okay?)

12. Snow White: a book featuring one of the deadly sins

Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers (envy)

Bonus princesses

1. Megara: a book featuring Greek mythology

Antigoddess by Kendare Blake (review here) (interview here)

2. Alice: a book featuring nonsense/unusual other worlds

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison (the ultimate guide to all things Georgia here)

3. Maid Marian: a book with a canine

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

4. Nala: a book with a feline

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor