Friday Follow

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question –

What are your favorite books that have been made into a movie? - Suggested by

Girl of 1000 Wonders
Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite movies.  I'm not sure if it was the cast or just that scene where Matthew Macfadyen is walking in the meadow with the sun rising behind him. Umm....I think it's Mr. Macfadyen.  I also think that the Hunger Games series has translated to film wonderfully!  Not all YA titles make the transition to film as well as this one.- Christinabean

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

Waiting on Wednesday - Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

Stay Tonight. Stay Forever.

When Audrey Casella arrives for an unplanned stay at the grand Hotel Ruby, she’s grateful for the detour. Just months after their mother’s death, Audrey and her brother, Daniel, are on their way to live with their grandmother, dumped on the doorstep of a DNA-matched stranger because their father is drowning in his grief.

Audrey and her family only plan to stay the night, but life in the Ruby can be intoxicating, extending their stay as it provides endless distractions—including handsome guest Elias Lange, who sends Audrey’s pulse racing. However, the hotel proves to be as strange as it is beautiful. Nightly fancy affairs in the ballroom are invitation only, and Audrey seems to be the one guest who doesn't have an invite. Instead, she joins the hotel staff on the rooftop, catching whispers about the hotel’s dark past.

The more Audrey learns about the new people she's met, the more her curiosity grows. She’s torn in different directions—the pull of her past with its overwhelming loss, the promise of a future that holds little joy, and an in-between life in a place that is so much more than it seems…

Welcome to the Ruby.

Doesn't this sound captivatingly creepy??

Stacking the shelves

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received

This week I got: 

Summary (by Goodreads)

Once upon a time, a girl had a father, a prince, a society of friends. Then they betrayed her, and she destroyed them all.

Adelina Amouteru’s heart has suffered at the hands of both family and friends, turning her down the bitter path of revenge. Now known and feared as the White Wolf, she and her sister flee Kenettra to find other Young Elites in the hopes of building her own army of allies. Her goal: to strike down the Inquisition Axis, the white-cloaked soldiers who nearly killed her.

But Adelina is no heroine. Her powers, fed only by fear and hate, have started to grow beyond her control. She does not trust her newfound Elite friends. Teren Santoro, leader of the Inquisition, wants her dead. And her former friends, Raffaele and the Dagger Society, want to stop her thirst for vengeance. Adelina struggles to cling to the good within her. But how can someone be good, when her very existence depends on darkness?

I was so excited when this came out because I REALLY enjoyed The Young Elites.  I am currently reading this title.  Keep your eye out for my review shortly!

Christinabean

Follow Friday

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question –

If you could re write a book which one would it be and what changes would you make? via  Go Book Yourself

There is a reason why I'm a book BLOGGER and not an author...if you haven't noticed, run on sentences are my friend.  I figure that if I use them generously on my own site, then I can say pretty much whatever I want until Curlypow complains.  However, if I absolutely MUST choose...I am currently reading the Rose Society right now and I think I would have made Adelina train more with the Dagger Society and explore her feelings better.  She seems a little off-kilter in Book #2.

- Christinabean

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet's AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it's clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she'd never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

Normally I'm not drawn to sci-fi type series but this sounds incredibly fast-paced and less depressing than some of the other apocalyptic novels I have been reading over the years.  Plus, I like the idea of garnering information from secret sources (like emails and military files...kind of like X-files meets the end of the world)).

- Christinabean

Friday Follow

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question –

If you could have any super power, what would it be? – Suggested by Jess Time to Read.

I think I would time travel.  Maybe be an observer of significant events. Maybe change things in my life.  Maybe being able to slow down time would be cool....especially since my kid is growing up too quickly!!
 - Christinabean 

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

Lord Fenton's Folly by Josi S Kilpack

Published: October 6th, 2016
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Pages: 336
Copy: Edelweiss
Summary: Goodreads

Lord Fenton is a gambler, a dandy, and a flirt—and he must marry or else he will be disinherited, stripped of his wealth and his position. He chooses Alice Stanbridge for two simple reasons: he once knew her as a young girl, and she is the least objectionable option available to him.

However, Alice has harbored feelings for Fenton since their first meeting ten years ago, and she believes his proposal is real. When she discovers it is not, she is embarrassed and hurt. However, a match with the most-eligible bachelor in London would secure not only her future but that of her family as well.

Determined to protect herself from making a fool of herself a second time, Alice matches Lord Fenton wit for wit and insult for insult as they move toward a marriage of convenience that is anything but a happy union. Only when faced with family secrets that have shaped Fenton’s life does he let down his guard enough to find room in his heart for Alice. But can Alice risk her heart a second time?

A quick review:

Lord Fenton's Folly is a quick sweet read, that had me at times laughing and gritting my teeth.  I loved the characters, but at the same time I couldn't believe how naive they were.  But then, we are talking marriage of convenience in Regency England, aren't we.  Kudos to Alice for not sitting back and taking everything that Lord Fenton dishes out to her.  She has a quick wit and an ascerbic tongue and she gives as good as she gets, better even in some cases.

The reader knows right from the beginning what the eventual outcome of the story is going to be, but the journey is fun.  Both laugh out loud funny and sad enough to have you wiping away a stray tear or two, Lord Fenton's Folly is a very clean read that is suitable even for younger teens, with the bonus of a guaranteed happy ending.  Lots of fun.

Follow Friday

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question –

Name a book you hated. – Bookish Findings

Now hate is a pretty strong word....I wouldn't say I HATED this book but I didn't like it as much as I had anticipated....and I almost hate to tell most of you...because I really do like this author...but....
Fathomless by Jackson Pierce
I just couldn't get through it....I think it is still sitting on my DNF list on Goodreads....
augh! are the book police going to hunt me down now??
 - Christinabean

We are giving away 3 copies of Anne and Henry on our blog! Check it out!  

Few people have entered so your chances are high!!

This really is a great read!

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

Anne & Henry Blog Tour

The Paperback Princesses welcomes you to our leg of the Anne and Henry Blog Tour!!

In this wonderfully creative retelling of the infamous—and torrid—love affair between Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, history collides with the present when a sizzling romance ignites in a modern-day high school.

Henry Tudor’s life has been mapped out since the day he was born: student body president, valedictorian, Harvard Law School, and a stunning political career just like his father’s. But ever since the death of his brother, the pressure for Henry to be perfect has doubled. And now he’s trapped: forbidden from pursuing a life as an artist or dating any girl who isn’t Tudor-approved.

Then Anne Boleyn crashes into his life.

Wild, brash, and outspoken, Anne is everything Henry isn’t allowed to be—or want. But soon Anne is all he can think about. His mother, his friends, and even his girlfriend warn him away, but his desire for Anne consumes him.

Henry is willing to do anything to be with her, but once they’re together, will their romance destroy them both?

Inspired by the true story of Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, Anne & Henry beautifully reimagines the intensity, love, and betrayal between one of the most infamous couples of all time.

Firstly, let me give a great big THANK YOU shoutout to Simon & Schuster Canada for including us on your blog tour!  

Have you heard? Dawn Ius has re-vamped this historical romance into a kick-ass YA novel.  Anne and Henry as a young couple who fall into a reckless romance is fresh, smart and captures all of the high intensity emotions of young lovers.  Ius creates so much sexual tension with these characters that I felt like my book was on fire and smoking in my hot little hands!  

I certainly wouldn't recommend this title to a younger reading audience because of the language and sexual innuendo but it was PERFECT for high school and us older adults who LOVE the YA genre!

One of my favourite aspects of Anne and Henry was how the author set up her characters.  Each character was well-defined and you either loved or hated them.  Each also played a role in creating the drama and fire in this building crescendo of a relationship only to be the strings that tore it down.  And together, the upper echelon of the school tore down this relationship.  Ms. Ius touched on all of my emotions in this book.  I felt the full gamut of young fierce, fiery love being built up and then broken to pieces.  

There are subtle references to history throughout the book. For instance, they dine at The Tower of London restaurant, Henry meets Jane Seymour in a coffee shop, and of course the last scene where...wait a minute...you didn't really think I would tell you, did you??

Well, I must say...Anne might be HEAD over heels for Henry but at least the ending is happier than the real life story....sort of.  (You didn't really think that I would leave without some kind of joke, do you?)  Bravo to Ms. Ius for creating a novel with the wit and intensity of Anne and Henry.  I would HIGHLY recommend this title and it could certainly be used as an ISU.  I would love to see more novels like this one for the YA audience to become interested in historical fiction!  So the real question is....will there be another? Cause I know I'll be in line to buy my copy...

So, for all of your lucky followers, Simon & Schuster Canada has graciously offered to give THREE finished copies of Anne and Henry away on our blog!!  The contest is open to Canadians only (sorry international peeps!) and you must fill out an entry to qualify. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first. 

This is a FANTASTIC WEEK for new releases....I've been waiting for Six of Crows ever since the Grisha Trilogy ended....does anyone else need a special door hanger saying "Do Not Disturb. Mommy is reading. There is milk and cereal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Help yourself."

- Christinabean

p.s.
We are giving away 3 copies of Anne & Henry on our blog tour today!  If you are a lucky Canadian, please fill in our rafflecopter entry form for your chance to win!!

A Madness so Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

Published: October 6th, 2016
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Pages: 384
Copy: Edelweiss
Summary: Goodreads

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. 

Review:

Well, I have to say that 'beautifully twisted' is really a very apt description of this book.  When I started reading AMSD I wasn't entirely sure what to expect and the beginning is a little odd - a wealthy, pregnant Victorian teenager locked away in an insane asylum.  Definitely different.  However, slowly but surely you come to know Grace and to feel her pain.  I'm certain that historically the scenes in the asylum are probably pretty accurate, and as such, are even more horrific.

Enter the doctor and the beginnings of a Victorian Criminal Minds' episode.  Personally, as a CM fan, I found this fascinating, and the total disregard of the possibilities by the police made me wonder how we ever developed the sophisticated procedures we have now.  

It's easy to get attached to Grace, Nell and Lizzie and to feel a certain admiration for Doctor Thornhollow, how is trying so hard to learn more.  A Madness so Discreet was an illuminating look into the darker side of Victorian England and I found it engrossing and enjoyable.  I'll be recommending this one.

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received

This week I got: 

Summary (By Goodreads)

In this wonderfully creative retelling of the infamous—and torrid—love affair between Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII, history collides with the present when a sizzling romance ignites in a modern-day high school.

Henry Tudor’s life has been mapped out since the day he was born: student body president, valedictorian, Harvard Law School, and a stunning political career just like his father’s. But ever since the death of his brother, the pressure for Henry to be perfect has doubled. And now he’s trapped: forbidden from pursuing a life as an artist or dating any girl who isn’t Tudor-approved.

Then Anne Boleyn crashes into his life.

Wild, brash, and outspoken, Anne is everything Henry isn’t allowed to be—or want. But soon Anne is all he can think about. His mother, his friends, and even his girlfriend warn him away, but his desire for Anne consumes him.

Henry is willing to do anything to be with her, but once they’re together, will their romance destroy them both?

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me a copy for review!  Please look for my review on October 7th!  We will also be giving away 3 finished copies of this book to 3 lucky Canadians. Please see the blog post for details or look in our giveaways box for the link!

The Lure of the Moonflower by Lauren Willig

Published: August 4th, 2015
Publisher: NAL
Pages: 528
Copy: Library
Summary: Goodreads


In the final Pink Carnation novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla, Napoleon has occupied Lisbon, and Jane Wooliston, aka the Pink Carnation, teams up with a rogue agent to protect the escaped Queen of Portugal.
 
Portugal, December 1807. Jack Reid, the British agent known as the Moonflower (formerly the French agent known as the Moonflower), has been stationed in Portugal and is awaiting his new contact. He does not expect to be paired with a woman—especially not the legendary Pink Carnation.
 
All of Portugal believes that the royal family departed for Brazil just before the French troops marched into Lisbon. Only the English government knows that mad seventy-three-year-old Queen Maria was spirited away by a group of loyalists determined to rally a resistance. But as the French garrison scours the countryside, it’s only a matter of time before she’s found and taken.
 
It’s up to Jane to find her first and ensure her safety. But she has no knowledge of Portugal or the language. Though she is loath to admit it, she needs the Moonflower. Operating alone has taught her to respect her own limitations. But she knows better than to show weakness around the Moonflower—an agent with a reputation for brilliance, a tendency toward insubordination, and a history of going rogue.

Review:

Well this is the last book in the series and I am very sad about that.  However, I'm also glad that Ms Willig has ended the series before most of her readers got fed up with it.  I'll be honest, I listened to a lot of them, and that made them all the more enjoyable for me.  I couldn't wait for the audio of this one, but I'll probably listen to it anyway when it comes out, because I love the narrator (Kate Reading) so much.

To be honest, if you haven't already started the series, I would absolutely say DON'T read this one.  Go back to the beginning and learn about all the different characters who just keep popping up in various guises.  I was kind of sad not to see Miss Gwen in this one, but since she had her own story in the last book, it was understandable that she was too busy for this one. 

A regency romp full of fun and danger, laughter and sadness and a nice neat ending to a series that has long been one of my favourites.  I hope that if you are not yet aware of this Pink Carnation series that you'll seek it out and try it.  If you enjoy historical fun and spy frolics I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Follow Friday

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question –

Pick three book characters… Kiss? Marry? Kill? via Watcha Reading

Oh! Oh! We played this game at the book signing with Cassandra Clare and Holly Black

Kiss
 Daniel (Fallen Series by Lauren Kate)...because not only do I picture a hunky gorgeous guy....duh....who doesn't want their own personal hunky FALLEN ANGEL??!!
Marry
In keeping with supernatural blessed beings...I'm going to have to say that Jem from the Infernal Devices seems to be quite the keeper. Not only is he a "stand up" kinda guy...but man, does he have everlasting-romance skills!!
Kill
(I can't remember his name) The boy who started it all in the Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes.  He is a spoiled pompous brat who decided to kill someone over a petty argument and his actions were the catalyst to a war that was waiting to happen.

- Christinabean

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

An Inheritance of Ashes by Leah Bobet

Published: October 6, 2015

Publisher: Clarion Books

Pages: 400

Copy: Edelweiss

Summary: Goodreads

The strange war down south—with its rumors of gods and monsters—is over. And while sixteen-year-old Hallie and her sister wait to see who will return from the distant battlefield, they struggle to maintain their family farm.

When Hallie hires a veteran to help them, the war comes home in ways no one could have imagined, and soon Hallie is taking dangerous risks—and keeping desperate secrets. But even as she slowly learns more about the war and the men who fought it, ugly truths about Hallie’s own family are emerging. And while monsters and armies are converging on the small farm, the greatest threat to her home may be Hallie herself. 

Review:

This book is very, very hard to pigeonhole.  It's a little bit dystopian, a little bit historical and a little bit fantasy, and it all mushes up together into something that took me quite some time to get in to the swing of, but in the end I absolutely loved it.  At first I was sure I was reading about the US Civil War - there's the historical part.  Then you discover that there are old ruined cities and bridges from 'long ago' - there's the dystopian.  Then there are strange things falling from the sky, burning everything they touch - fantasy anyone.  At one point I was so close to giving up on it, but I changed my mind, and I'm really glad I did.

Hallie is a mixed up 16 yr old who is fighting old ghosts and trying to make the best of a bad situation.  Sometimes I wanted to hug her and other times I wanted to smack her upside the head.  She is so distrustful of everyone and everything.  Heron is a major enigma.  The reader knows something is a little strange there, but we don't find out what until much later.  I did have my suspicions about him, and I turned out to be right, for a change.  My favourite character though is Tyler.  He is damaged, both physically and mentally from the war down South, but he is such a sweet young man.  I just adored his interaction with Hallie and the hesitation between the two of them

In the end though, I completely fell in love with the story and I sat with tears in my eyes as the story neared its finish, which completely surprised me.  Ultimately, it's a story about survival, family and hope. and I urge you to push past the slightly odd beginning and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.