Waiting on Wednesday - This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

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)

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.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives. 

I've been following Victoria for years, ever since I saw her band together as a young writer who had yet to be published. She pulled together the writing community to raise funds after a natural disaster.  Texas, I believe. It was quite impressive.  While I did not continue reading The Archived series, I have been keeping an eye out for this young writer.  She has quite the way with words.  This Savage Song was released yesterday.  Look for it at your local bookstore!

- 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)

The world is at peace, said the Utterances. And really, if the odd princess has a hard day, is that too much to ask?

Greta is a duchess and crown princess—and a hostage to peace. This is how the game is played: if you want to rule, you must give one of your children as a hostage. Go to war and your hostage dies.

Greta will be free if she can survive until her eighteenth birthday. Until then she lives in the Precepture school with the daughters and sons of the world’s leaders. Like them, she is taught to obey the machines that control their lives. Like them, she is prepared to die with dignity, if she must. But everything changes when a new hostage arrives. Elián is a boy who refuses to play by the rules, a boy who defies everything Greta has ever been taught. And he opens Greta’s eyes to the brutality of the system they live under—and to her own power.

As Greta and Elián watch their nations tip closer to war, Greta becomes a target in a new kind of game. A game that will end up killing them both—unless she can find a way to break all the rules. 

I recently read that book #2 was coming out and I hadn't even read #1!! Interesting premise but is it really a good thing to hold a member of your enemy hostage for peace? I guess it isn't much different than the Starks raising a Greyjoy, eh? BTW....any comments on Game of Thrones Sunday?? 

- Christinabean

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)

In the second installment of New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes's highly acclaimed Falling Kingdoms spin-off series, danger looms and the mystery deepens as two warring evils vie for possession of one elusive, powerful book.

Modern-day Toronto: Sisters Crystal and Becca Hatcher are reunited after reclaiming the Bronze Codex and narrowly escaping death. They have no one to trust but each other, and the only thing keeping them safe is the book that sent Becca's spirit to Ancient Mytica--the same book that their enemies would kill them for. 

Ancient Mytica: Maddox grapples to keep his newly discovered powers under control, while the ruthless goddess Valoria hunts him down. 

Modern-day Toronto: Farrell embraces his dark side as he unwittingly falls further under the spell of Markus, the mastermind leader of the nefarious Hawkspear Society, who will stop at nothing to find Crys and Becca--and the remarkable book in their possession. 

OOOOHHHH!!! This is so exciting and I'm so embarassed that I have YET to read Spirits and Thieves by Morgan Rhodes!!  I LOVED LOVED LOVED the Falling Kingdoms series.  Seriously, I think it might just make my top 10 series list.  I can't believe that I haven't read this spin-off series....I wonder how many vacation days I have left....

- Christinabean

Waiting on Wednesday - And I Darken

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)

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.

Lada despises the Ottomans and bides her time, planning her vengeance for the day when she can return to Wallachia and claim her birthright. Radu longs only for a place where he feels safe. And when they meet Mehmed, the defiant and lonely son of the sultan, who’s expected to rule a nation, Radu feels that he’s made a true friend—and Lada wonders if she’s finally found someone worthy of her passion.

But Mehmed is heir to the very empire that Lada has sworn to fight against—and that Radu now considers home. Together, Lada, Radu, and Mehmed form a toxic triangle that strains the bonds of love and loyalty to the breaking point.

I loved Kiersten White's Paranormalcy series.  She went on to write a few more titles that I also read- Mind Games series and Chaos of Stars but I never fell in love with any other character than Evie.  And I Darken sounds so much more serious than some of the other titles. But I'm up for it. Bring it Kiersten! I want to see how diverse your writing can be!!

- 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)

Greta is a duchess and crown princess—and a hostage to peace. This is how the game is played: if you want to rule, you must give one of your children as a hostage. Go to war and your hostage dies.

Greta will be free if she can survive until her eighteenth birthday. Until then she lives in the Precepture school with the daughters and sons of the world’s leaders. Like them, she is taught to obey the machines that control their lives. Like them, she is prepared to die with dignity, if she must. But everything changes when a new hostage arrives. Elián is a boy who refuses to play by the rules, a boy who defies everything Greta has ever been taught. And he opens Greta’s eyes to the brutality of the system they live under—and to her own power.

As Greta and Elián watch their nations tip closer to war, Greta becomes a target in a new kind of game. A game that will end up killing them both—unless she can find a way to break all the rules. 

I picked this title up over the weekend.  I know it was released last year but I haven't heard much feedback on it. Have you read it? What is your take on the storyline? I love the cover and the idea of keeping the children of world leaders as hostage to control power is interesting albeit suicidal.  What's YOUR opinion on this one?

- Christinabean 

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)

Whoever said being nice would get you to the top?

Certainly not Alexandra Miles. She isn’t nice, but she’s more than skilled at playing the part. She floats through the halls of Spencer High, effortlessly orchestrating the actions of everyone around her, making people bend to her whim without even noticing they’re doing it. She is the queen of Spencer High—and it’s time to make it official.

Alexandra has a goal, you see—Homecoming Queen. Her ambitions are far grander than her small town will allow, but homecoming is just the first step to achieving total domination. So when peppy, popular Erin Hewett moves to town and seems to have a real shot at the crown, Alexandra has to take action.

With the help of her trusted friend Sam, she devises her most devious plot yet. She’ll introduce an unexpected third competitor in the mix, one whose meteoric rise—and devastating fall—will destroy Erin’s chances once and for all. Alexandra can run a scheme like this in her sleep. What could possibly go wrong? 

It is almost the beginning of summer. Why WOULDN'T a teen need some angsty, manipulative popular girl to read about before graduating?  Sounds interesting and kind of fun. :) 

- 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)

Resilience shines throughout Michael Gruenbaum’s “riveting memoir” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) about his time in the Terezin concentration camp during the Holocaust, in this National Jewish Book award finalist and Parents Choice Gold medal award winning title, an ideal companion to the bestselling Boy on the Wooden Box.

Michael “Misha” Gruenbaum enjoyed a carefree childhood playing games and taking walks through Prague with his beloved father. All of that changed forever when the Nazis invaded Prague. The Gruenbaum family was forced to move into the Jewish Ghetto in Prague. Then, after a devastating loss, Michael, his mother and sister were deported to the Terezin concentration camp.

At Terezin, Misha roomed with forty other boys who became like brothers to him. Life in Terezin was a bizarre, surreal balance—some days were filled with friendship and soccer matches, while others brought mortal terror as the boys waited to hear the names on each new list of who was being sent “to the East.”

Those trains were going to Auschwitz. When the day came that his family’s name appeared on a transport list, their survival called for a miracle—one that tied Michael’s fate to a carefully sewn teddy bear, and to his mother’s unshakeable determination to keep her children safe.

I had received this from the publishers last year and loaned it to a friend to read.  She recently returned it to me and raved about this title. I'm keen to read it but I think I need to be in the right frame of mind.  On another note, did you know that yesterday was Anne Frank's birthday?  I worry that this generation is not always as aware of the World Wars as I was growing up when we learn about history. As my daughter grows up, I think I will be making the Diary of Anne Frank one of the books we read together.  Perhaps this will be one as well.

- Christinabean

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)

The comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England. 

You had me at Princess Bride....plus the collaboration of 3 kick ass female YA authors? Uh, HULLO??  It's got to be a great read, right?

- 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

Since the movie will be coming out shortly, I thought that I would get myself updated with this series.  Do YOU have a favourite graphic novel series?

- Christinabean

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

Published: December 2012

Publisher: Viking

Pages: 369

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.

What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

Review:

I was originally drawn to this book because I saw a copy at the bookstore and it looked like a movie starring Lily Collins and Ethan Hawke.  And I thought to myself - Lily Collins? I LOVE Lily Collins. So of course I bought the book and started reading. It was only much later that I discovered what the book was about and that Emeilia Clarke was playing the role of Lou.  So let me tell you about this book. I had zero expectations and didn't know what it was going to be like but I found the characters to be incredibly likeable and easy to identify with. It made me emotional but not so much that I was crying or screaming at my book. However, it was a great story with really good life lessons.  As a reader, we see Lou grow and her character blossoms into a girl with direction who leads instead of being led.  I love how Will Traynor learns to inspire Lou to do something with her life rather than just let every day pass her by.  The way these two characters bond throughout the book is beautiful and you really do feel pity for Will and his circumstance.  I enjoyed the story immensely and am making plans to see the movie with some of my girls.  Now for my comments that will be spoilers. 

**Please do not continue reading UNLESS you have read the book yourself and feel free to leave your own opinions in the comments....**

Something that REALLY irked me in this novel was that Lou poured her heart out to Will and he didn't really express his feelings back to her. Yes, he cared about her but do we really know if he was falling for her too? All she gets back after telling him how much she loves him is - You are not enough. REALLY???!!  Even if that were the case, couldn't he have been better at expressing it?  Yes he leaves her some money and it is a nice gesture that he gives her the means to take this "new Lou" with goals out for a spin but even in his note, he doesn't say much except Love, Will.  I say that kind of thing to a relative. I wanted more mushy stuff at the end Miss Moyes. C'mon! Throw me some romance after I have invested all that time in the story!!  I already have Book #2 - After You and I'm REALLY crossing my fingers that Lou has a better, more romantic life now that stuff is happening in her life. Don't fail me now!!

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)

San Francisco, 1906: Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty in Chinatown, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes.

On April 18, a historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school. With martial law in effect, she is forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Though fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, Mercy can’t sit by while they wait for the army to bring help—she still has the “bossy” cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenage girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?

First of all, I LOVE this cover. Isn't it gorgeous? Outrun the Moon sounds like such an interesting book. A little bit of culture, a little bit of history. Plus, I am not familiar with Stacey's previous titles. She was a lawyer who gave up her career to write. Go figure! Anyway, Outrun the Moon is on my TBR list!

- Christinabean