Waiting on Wednesday - Sisters of Salt and Iron by Kady Cross

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)

Wren Noble is dead—she was born that way. Vibrant, unlike other dead things, she craves those rare moments when her twin sister allows her to step inside her body and experience the world of the living. 

Lark Noble is alive but often feels she belongs in the muted Shadow Lands—the realm of the dead. Known as the crazy girl who talks to her dead sister, she doesn’t exactly fit in with the living, though a recent suicide attempt and time in a psych ward have proved to her she’s not ready to join her sister in the afterlife. 

Now the guy who saved Lark’s life needs her to repay the favor. He and his friends have been marked for death by the malevolent spirit of a vicious and long-dead serial killer, and the twins—who should know better than to mess with the dead—may be their only hope of staying alive.

Kady Cross is an author whom I admire. She wrote the Steampunk Chronicles and gives her characters so much spunk and spirit.  This is a bit of a new theme from her previous work.  I'm always curious to see how an author handles a completely different genre.

- Christinabean

Waiting on Wednesday - A Court of Mist and Fury

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)

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court--but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms--and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future--and the future of a world cleaved in two.

I am TOTALLY pumped to read the second book in this series.  Sarah J Maas wound up with a fantastic first book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and I've got high expectations for Book #2. Especially since I feel her Throne of Glass series is fairly epic. Don't fail me now Miss Maas!!

- Christinabean

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 didn't get any new books.  I did start reading Glittering Court, a new title by Richelle Mead though. So far I am REALLY enjoying it.  I decided to try and knock one or two from my TBR list instead.  What's on your shelf this week?

- Christinabean

TGIF

Welcome to TGIF!

We used to do a meme on Fridays called Follow Fridays led by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read but that has changed in 2016.  So now I am initiating a new meme for us called TGIF to tell you about book-related or interesting things that we have come across over the week.

If you have something to add or want to start your own TGIF follow, please include us and link back in your intro.  Feel free to leave your posts in the comments so we too can check out the booky things you have found throughout the week!

Scheduled for release this September

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children



As a Tim Burton film, you can imagine how creative this film will be!



I'm sure many of you already know this but for those of you who didn't, Netflix is going to begin a new teen mini-series based on the book Thirteen Reasons why and it will star Selena Gomez as Hannah.  I LOVED this book and feel that every teen should read it.  Now, at least you can watch it!  Stay tuned to Netflix for details!

Last but not least, this video was released a few weeks ago and it still makes me laugh...Happy Friday!!

Waiting on Wednesday - Strike by Delilah S Dawson

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)

The hit list was just the beginning.

Time to strike back.

After faking her own death to escape her term as an indentured assassin for Valor Savings Bank, Patsy is on the run with her boyfriend, Wyatt. All she wants to do is go home, but that’s never going to happen—not as long as Valor’s out to get her and the people she loves.

Left with no good choices, Patsy’s only option is to meet with a mysterious group that calls itself the Citizens for Freedom.

Led by the charismatic Leon Crane, the CFF seem like just what Patsy has been looking for. Leon promises that if she joins, she’ll finally get revenge on Valor for everything they’ve done to her—and for everything they’ve made her do.

But Patsy knows the CFF has a few secrets of their own. One thing is certain: they’ll do absolutely anything to complete their mission, no matter who’s standing in their way. Even if it’s Patsy herself.

Strike is #2 in The Hit series by Delilah S Dawson. I have read Hit and it was a little crazy.  Imagine being forced to be an assassin to save your own mother?  And you are a teenager...alone...

I like how this author took a chance with an idea that was so ludicrous and made it believable.  I mean, what if a country was so in debt that a bank took it over and started a more brutal way of collecting debts?  Pay up with your money or your life? Strike is a continuation of this series and it seems that Patsy is more involved in her Hit list than she realized.  I'll be putting this book on my TBR list....

- Christinabean

Stacking the Shelves

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

Summary (by Goodreads)

Something freaky's going on with Sunshine's new house . . . there's the chill that wraps itself around her bones, the giggling she can hear in the dead of night, and then the strange shadows that lurk in her photographs. But the more weird stuff that happens, the less her mom believes her. Sunshine's always had a quirky affiliation with the past, but this time, history is getting much too close for comfort . . .

If there is something, or someone, haunting her house, what do they want? And what will they do if Sunshine can't help them?

As things become more frightening and dangerous, and the giggles she hears turn to sobs and screams, Sunshine has no choice but to accept what she is, face the test before her and save her mother from a fate worse than death.

I love scary books.  This one has been on my radar for a long time and I finally decided to give it a try.  Haunted houses...people who can communicate with the dead...nice way to start the week, don't you think?

- Christinabean

Stacking the Shelves

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

Summary (by Goodreads)

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.

Both a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies who appear destined for powerful and wealthy marriages in the New World. Adelaide naturally excels in her training, and even makes a few friends: the fiery former laundress Tamsin and the beautiful Sirminican refugee Mira. She manages to keep her true identity hidden from all but one: the intriguing Cedric Thorn, son of the wealthy proprietor of the Glittering Court.

When Adelaide discovers that Cedric is hiding a dangerous secret of his own, together they hatch a scheme to make the best of Adelaide’s deception. Complications soon arise—first as they cross the treacherous seas from Osfrid to Adoria, and then when Adelaide catches the attention of a powerful governor.

But no complication will prove quite as daunting as the potent attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. An attraction that, if acted on, would scandalize the Glittering Court and make them both outcasts in wild, vastly uncharted lands… 

- Sounds like fans of The Selection series will like this one. A bit of a mix between The Selection and The Legacy series perhaps?  Regardless, it is a title I have been waiting for.  Besides, I love Richelle Mead....and I won't hold it against her that she is taking a break from vampires....

- Christinabean

TGIF

Welcome to TGIF!

We used to do a meme on Fridays called Follow Fridays led by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read but that has changed in 2016.  So now I am initiating a new meme for us called TGIF to tell you about book-related or interesting things that we have come across over the week.

If you have something to add or want to start your own TGIF follow, please include us and link back in your intro.  Feel free to leave your posts in the comments so we too can check out the booky things you have found throughout the week!

The DVD for Star Wars - The Force Awakens came out on DVD this week.  If you need more inspiration to watch it, I snagged this little video...



And because Jimmy Fallon made me laugh out loud so much this week, I also snagged this Lip Sync Battle with Melissa McCarthy. Stay til the end of the video...she does a hilarious Pocahontas...

Waiting on Wednesday - Tell the Wind and Fire

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)

In a city divided between opulent luxury in the Light and fierce privations in the Dark, a determined young woman survives by guarding her secrets. 

Lucie Manette was born in the Dark half of the city, but careful manipulations won her a home in the Light, celebrity status, and a rich, loving boyfriend. Now she just wants to keep her head down, but her boyfriend has a dark secret of his own—one involving an apparent stranger who is destitute and despised.

Lucie alone knows of the deadly connection the young men share, and even as the knowledge leads her to make a grave mistake, she can trust no one with the truth.

Blood and secrets alike spill out when revolution erupts. With both halves of the city burning, and mercy nowhere to be found, can Lucie save either boy—or herself?

It has been awhile since I read something by Sarah Rees Brennan.  I loved her Demon's Lexicon series and her Lynburn Legacy series has been on my TBR list for ages but I was thrilled to nab a copy of Tell the Wind and Fire from NetGalley!!  Sorry I missed posting this yesterday!!

- Christinabean

Hotel Ruby by Suzanne Young

Published: November 2015

Publisher: SimonPulse

Pages: 288

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

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…

Review:

First off, I love the cover of this book. It is so beautiful with just a little hint of intrigue as the girl in the red dress peeks through the closing/opening elevator doors.  A great cover for the theme of this book.  Is she staying or is she leaving?   Although it was only 288 pages, it was hard to slog through the first part.  Very slow moving in the first half of the book but it picked up after 2/3.  I had so many questions racing through my head while reading - What's up with the hotel? Why is Kenneth so odd and outwardly friendly but seemingly menacing? Why does time seem to be hard to track?  How are the staff and guests separated?  Why can't the staff go to the party? And why do some people receive an invitation and others do not?

After the history of the Ruby was explained, the book began to slowly gain momentum.  I was making guesses about the characters in the story and most of them were correct but still, I enjoyed the interplay and watching it all unfold.  

The way the novel ended was exactly how I wished it to be but somehow the story was lacking in magic for me. Have you ever baked a cake using all of the ingredients, following directions to a T but yet it just lacks something magical?  I felt that way about this book. I wanted to LOVE it but instead I only LIKED it.  The idea for this novel was fascinating and such a departure from what I normally read.  I like how the storyline was unusual yet there seemed to be so many factors that didn't mesh together quite right.  Would I recommend this read? Definitely. It was enjoyable but it didn't dazzle me like I wanted it to.

TGIF

Welcome to TGIF!

We used to do a meme on Fridays called Follow Fridays led by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read but that has changed in 2016.  So now I am initiating a new meme for us called TGIF to tell you about book-related or interesting things that we have come across over the week.

If you have something to add or want to start your own TGIF follow, please include us and link back in your intro.  Feel free to leave your posts in the comments so we too can check out the booky things you have found throughout the week!



So today I want to talk about something happening in my hometown of Calgary this weekend!  We are hosting the 2016 Juno awards!!  So there are tons of things happening around the city with tons of great bands performing.  If you happen to be in the area, you might want to check it out.

Juno Jam Cup by TD is a fundraiser held at Flames Central where you can hear your favourite artists play for only $25!!  

Glenbow Museum has an exhibit featuring art from award nominees.  The exhibit runs until September 18th.

Dzeko & Torres will be at the Marquee Market & Stage playing at 9pm tonight.

Need a wristband for JunoFest (what a deal for $30)? And the awards app?

Celebrities are also raising money facing off in non-contact hockey for MusiCounts.  Included are Blue Rodeo, The Tenors, Whitehorse and other NHL celebrities. Tickets are $20

Into classical music? You might be more interested in this - Classical Nominees Showcase

Juno Fan Fare Saturday April 2nd - This sounds like it is going to be absolutely amazing...music fans were already given free tickets for this event at Chinook Center (I don't know where they are going to put everyone).  Artists include Alessia Cara, Autumn Hill, Brett Kissel, Dean Brody, Francesco Yates, Marianas Trench, Walk off the Earth and more!  Autographs are from 12:30pm - 1:30pm and 2pm -3pm if you didn't get a ticket and want to mingle with some national celebs.

The Juno Hub at the Core shopping center downtown has more information about what is happening this weekend.




And of course, if you aren't a resident of Calgary....or live in the area, you can watch the Junos on Sunday April 3 (5pm MST) on CTV or follow on Twitter #JUNOS



...going to be an exciting weekend!!
- Christinabean