Waiting On Wednesday (28): AFTER THE END by Amy Plum

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

MY PICK THIS WEEK IS...

After The End (After The End #1)

By Amy Plum

Expected publication: May 6th 2014 by Harper Children's

"She’s searching for answers to her past. They’re hunting her to save their future.          
World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.                                    
At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.                                                        
When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.                                                                                        
Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past." ~ Goodreads

Wowza!! This sounds original and exciting! Why would she be lied to like that? Where did her clan go? What secrets is she hiding? Who is looking for her? Why? Will the dogs or wolves on the cover actually be in the story? Answers I need to know!

What are YOU waiting for this Wednesday? Leave links and I'll visit!

Review for The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

The Future of Us
By Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Published November 21, 2011 by Razorbill
Borrowed from Library
356 pages

"It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future. 

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present." ~ Goodreads

 

With an intriguing premise, The Future of Us can be enjoyed by any age group - although, the older (no offense) you are, the more you may appreciate the references.

I did not connect with Emma at all - actually, she made me want to pull my hair out. She was irresponsible with her actions (do not give her free reign on her future - she'll make a game out of it) and really had no relationship skills. On the other hand, I adored Josh. He, thankfully, had his wits about him and his care for Emma was so sweet. Not to mention their friends: down right hil-ar-ious!It was refreshing to have two authors write about their respective person. Although the writing wasn't noticeably different, each voice had a slight inclination that told me it was written either from a male's/female's perspective. They worked really well together!

Although being born in 1996, I recognized quite a number of references (walkmans, "Walking on Sunshine", dial-up connection, VHS). For the most part, though, it opened up a whole new world for me and I got a glimpse of what my birth year was like. It really did transport me back in time, and the gap from then to now offered some humorous opportunities (aka ridiculous Facebook postings). I loved the uniqueness of the plot, but it lagged at times and was predictable. Yet, it also had an underlying message or theme that I think is really important. I'm not going to tell you what it is (it's probably different for everybody), so keep a look out for it! Having that deeper aspect really grounded the book.

I'd recommend The Future of Us to lovers of time travel (sort of), light romance, Facebook, and a nice contemporary read.

BOOK TRAILER

Review for Endless by Amanda Gray

Endless
By Amanda Gray
Published September 10th 2013 by Month9Books, LLC
Received Ebook from NetGalley
384 pages

"Jenny Kramer knows she isn't normal. After all, not everybody can see the past lives of people around them.                                                                          
When she befriends Ben Daulton, resident new boy, the pair stumble on an old music box with instructions for “mesmerization” and discover they may have more in common than they thought. Like a past life.
Using the instructions in the music box, Ben and Jenny share a dream that transports them to Romanov Russia and leads them to believe they have been there together before. But they weren't alone. Nikolai, the mysterious young man Jenny has been seeing in her own dreams was there, too. When Nikolai appears next door, Jenny is forced to acknowledge that he has travelled through time and space to find her. Doing so means he has defied the laws of time, and the Order, an ominous organization tasked with keeping people in the correct time, is determined to send him back.                        
While Ben, Jenny and Nikolai race against the clock - and the Order - Jenny and Nikolai discover a link that joins them in life - and beyond death." ~ Goodreads

With a stunning cover and a promising synopsis, Endless didn't quite live up to what I had in mind. Yet, it is an intriguing, romance fueled story!

Jenny is a complex main character because she has so many different qualities, but I connected with her I-don't-fit-in-with-the-crowd side the most.I loved her passion for painting because not often do we get a main character who is obsessed with that and come on guys, she worked at a bookstore! How neat-o is that? The fact that she was Maria Romanov in her past life was immensely cool (I did some research about the Romanov's and boy oh boy - horrid and sad, but interesting story). Ben was the typical standoffish, nice guy deep down, jerk on the outside - nothing surprising. Mutual dislike turned into friendship, so on and so forth. As for Nikolai, sigh, there was not enough characterization. All I can tell you about him (literally) is that he cares deeply for Maria - I mean Jenny (why he loves her I do not know and vice versa). Their relationship was based on their past together in Russia and I would have liked glimpses of that development. It definitely felt like insta-love, so no connection for me... blah.  

 I loved the concept of mixing together reincarnation, time travel, and historical romance. There was always something going on or something that you felt was coming -I admit it was predictable, but all the different ideas worked well together. I found the dreams the most intriguing because of their quality and prominence to the story. I have a major grievance though: is this or is this not a stand alone? I have no idea. My guess would be a series because well, nothing is really resolved. All the loose ends are hanging out there, blowing in the wind. So, I am seriously hoping this is going to be a series.

I would suggest Endless to readers who like time travel elements, romance (sort of), action, history, and beautiful covers. 

Excerpt

"What... who..." She stumbled over her words. "Who are you?"

He tipped his head, his smile a little sad. "I think you know."

She stared at him at he came toward her. He didn't take his eyes, a deep green, off her. 

"I don't," she finally managed to croak. "How would I?"

She said it because that's what a normal person would say. Because a normal person wouldn't say, "You're the guy from my dream." 

Trailer

Stacking the Shelves (8)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme created/hosted by the lovely Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews! (All credit goes to her for this meme.) If you want to participate click on the link! The more the merrier! It's a chance to showcase titles that arrived in the mail or for review... any book goodies over the past week (or weeks for me)

Borrowed from Library

    

(click on covers to see their Goodread's synopsis)

I've read many positive reviews for Just One Day, and I know from experience that Gayle Forman is one heck of a writer. In other words: It's pretty much a guaranteed good read, so I am excited! Anastasia's Secret was recommend to me by a friend a long time ago and I just recently thought of it (thank you Endless by Amanda Gray for jogging my memory). Ah I can't wait to read it!! Plus, I am in love with the cover... and jealous of the girl: why are some born with so much beauty?

'Nuff about me. What did YOU lovelies get? Leave LINKS to your post and I'll visit. Thanks for reading...

Review for The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

The Fault In Our Stars
By John Green
Published January 10th 2012 by Dutton Books
Borrowed from Library
313 pages

"Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten." ~ Goodreads

The Fault In Our Stars has acquired quite a reputation for itself as an intelligent, eloquent, and refined masterpiece. It does not fail to live up to that promise, I assure you.

Fact one: This is not your typical cancer book. Please, do not even go there. It is not depressing or preachy. It is full of life, love, death and laughter; it is realistic. If you can picture the essence of John Green transferred to a book, (I have had the great honor of getting to know him via YouTube), you can easily understand how profound that book would be... so, meet TFIOS everyone. He has a gift, plain and simple. Thank you John Green for sharing that gift with us mere mortals.

Fact two: TFIOS brings its characters to life in way that evokes emotion in the reader - real, powerful emotions. You will laugh out loud at their witty remarks, cry at the unfairness of it all, but more important you will wonder at their brilliancy. Hazel and Augustus are two exceptional people whose personalities charm their way into our hearts.

Fact three: It will morph your thoughts, actions, and outlook on life. Maybe not that day or the next, but TFIOS is a literary work that will stick with you for the rest of your existence. You may see an out of breath child at the park and think, "Hazel wouldn't be able to do that." Or perhaps you are drinking champagne and a comment slips out about "tasting the stars". No, maybe you are having a really bad day and, well, you convince yourself that you just need to suck it up because "the world is not a wish-granting factory". TFIOS packs a punch to the gut, but before it does, it feeds our mind with words worthy of meditation.

I highly recommend... no, I insist that if you have not allowed yourself the favor, honor, and "simple pleasure" of reading The Fault In Our Stars, please do. You will not regret it. My review just barely scratches the surface of it all; it is a once in a lifetime read that cannot be described by my sorry excuse of a review.

Excerpt

"I'm in love with you," he said quietly.

"Augustus," I said.

"I am," he said.  He was staring at me, and I could see the corners of his eyes crinkling. "I'm in love with you, and I'm not in the business of denying myself the simple pleasure of saying true things. I'm in love with you, and I know that love is just a shout into the void, and that oblivion is inevitable, and that we're all doomed and that there will come a day when all our labor has been returned to dust, and I know the sun will swallow the only earth we'll ever have, and I am in love with you."

Book Trailer

Waiting On Wednesday (27)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

My Pick This Week is...

The Geography of You and Me

By Jennifer E. Smith

Expected publication: April 15th 2014 by Little, Brown for Young Readers

"Lucy and Owen meet somewhere between the tenth and eleventh floors of a New York City apartment building, on an elevator rendered useless by a citywide blackout. After they're rescued, they spend a single night together, wandering the darkened streets and marveling at the rare appearance of stars above Manhattan. But once the power is restored, so is reality. Lucy soon moves to Edinburgh with her parents, while Owen heads out west with his father. Lucy and Owen's relationship plays out across the globe as they stay in touch through postcards, occasional e-mails, and -- finally -- a reunion in the city where they first met." ~ Goodreads

The Geography of You and Me sounds like a cute, fluff ball of a read - just my type :) Plus, I thoroughly enjoy Jennifer Smith's books, and with the promise of postcards and emails, I think it will be a fun read (hopefully it will contain a surplus of witty conversation)!

 What are YOU lovely people waiting for this Wednesday? Leave links and I'll be sure to visit! 

Stacking the Shelves (7)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme created/hosted by the lovely Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews! (All credit goes to her for this meme.) If you want to participate click on the link! The more the merrier! It's a chance to showcase titles that arrived in the mail or for review... any book goodies over the past week (or weeks for me)!

Received from NetGalley (Ebooks)

        

(Click on covers to see their Goodread's synopsis)

Currently I am reading Endless, which I have not heard too much about (the cover was the main reason I chose it *coughs*), and it seems to be quite interesting. I'm not really sure what to expect from it, but so far so good. I'm really excited to read Pawn (I was ecstatic that I was accepted even), so I cannot wait to start it!! Eek!

                       What did YOU guys get? Leave LINKS to YOUR posts!!! Thanks for reading...

Review for This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

This Is What Happy Looks Like
By Jennifer E. Smith
Published April 2nd 2013 by Poppy
Borrowed from Library
416 Pages

If fate sent you an email, would you answer? When teenage movie star Graham Larkin accidentally sends small town girl Ellie O'Neill an email about his pet pig, the two seventeen-year-olds strike up a witty and unforgettable correspondence, discussing everything under the sun, except for their names or backgrounds. Then Graham finds out that Ellie's Maine hometown is the perfect location for his latest film, and he decides to take their relationship from online to in-person. But can a star as famous as Graham really start a relationship with an ordinary girl like Ellie? And why does Ellie want to avoid the media's spotlight at all costs? ~ Goodreads

This Is What Happy Looks Like is a fantastic contemporary that allows us all to live out our fantasy (I'm assuming here) of falling in love with a down-to-earth celebrity! If it does not enchant you with its charm, it will surely put a smile on your face.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out TIWHLL is written from both perspectives, with the added touch of emails (such a fun idea). Ellie is no one special, I don't even know how I would describe her because she has a little bit of everything in her personality: she is stubborn, cautious, shy (but then adventurous), secretive... which makes her seem more realistic. People are usually not pegged to one trait. Graham too, was like this. He was sweet, witty, passionate, determined... and yet had emotional worries, which made him relatable. I didn't connect deeply with them, but I definitely became swept up in their lives! However, their relationship would have been better if we could have seen how it developed through the emails. With that being said, the emails that were included were clever and had me laughing! I have one question though: WHY did we not meet Wilbur?? Seriously, by the end I desperately wanted to meet that pig!! Humph!

Although not a new or original idea, Smith managed to keep me flipping those pages. She adds a little bit of family drama or issues in there, but thankfully it does not overwhelm the book at all. It remains a light, enjoyable, breezy read. I think my favourite part of the whole book was the atmosphere created by the setting of a small town. There was a closeness, sense of community, and quirkiness to it that made me what to pick up my stuff and move there!

I highly recommend This is What Happy Looks Like to lovers of light contemporary, romance, and of course, pigs (not really). It will reveal to you just what happy looks like, providing that extra skip in your step for the day!

EXCERPT

 "There are different kinds of happy," she said. "Some kinds don't need any proof." 

"Like sunrises?"

"Exactly," she said. "I know enough to know that they're happy things. There's just nothing sad about a sunrise."

"As opposed to a sunset."

"I don't think they're particularly sad either."

"I do," Graham told her. "They're endings, and endings are always sad."

"They're the beginnings of the night," she said. "That's something."

"Yeah, but everyone knows that nights are scarier than days."

Ellie laughed. "Maybe we should turn around then."

"How come?"

"Nothing's all that scary if you can see it coming."

Waiting On Wednesday (26)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

My Pick This Week is...

Pawn
By Aimee Carter
Published by Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: November 26, 2013                                 

"YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING.                                                              
For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.                                                                
If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.                                                    
There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed…and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand."

Dystopian? Rebellion? Twisted game? Well I'm hooked... I actually requested this one on NetGalley, but I have a feeling they won't accept my request (assumption based on past experiences with Harlequin). So, I'm pretty sure I will be waiting for it with the rest of the public! However, I cannot promise that I will be waiting patiently. 

What are YOU lovely people waiting for this Wednesday? Leave links and I'll be sure to visit! 

Stacking the Shelves #6

Stacking the Shelves is a meme created/hosted by the lovely Tynga @ Tynga's Reviews! (All credit goes to her for this meme.) If you want to participate click on the link! The more the merrier! It's a chance to showcase titles that arrived in the mail or for review... any book goodies over the past week (or weeks for me)!

Borrowed From Library

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith

How excited do you think I was when I saw that my library had these books - go on, guess? Nope, times that by ten! I seriously just sat there and stared (*cough* stroked TFIOS *cough*) at them. I cannot wait to read them!!

I just want to thank those who have welcomed me back, it feels great - really and truly thank you!!

What did YOU guys get? Leave LINKS to YOUR posts!!! Thanks for reading...

Review for Onyx (Lux #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Onyx (Lux #2)
By Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published August 14, 2012 by Entangled Teen
Borrowed from Library
366 pages

"Being connected to Daemon Black sucks.
Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon's determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I've sworn him off, even though he's running more hot than cold these days. But we've got bigger problems.
Something worse than the Arum has come to town.
The Department of Defense are here. If they ever out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I'm a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who's got a secret of his own. He knows what's happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.
But then everything changes. I've seen someone who shouldn't be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he's never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them - from me?
No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lie." ~ Goodreads

 

Obsidian was a fall-hard book that left me breathless and wanting more. Could the series' next book Onyx fill the big shoes left behind? You bet it could. Although there was room to spare as I wouldn't go as far to say it was better.

Ms. Armentrout's way of writing is simplistic; it didn't hammer me over the head with long sentences and confusing phrases. Instead, her words effectively carried me along clearly throughout the scenes. It takes little effort to become sucked into Katy's world. Speaking of Katy, she is a character that I find relatible and easy to imagine myself being friends with (it helps that she is a book addict AND blogger). However, her denial towards Daemon's affections got on my nerves - accept it girl, I would! With that being said, if you are a fan rooting for Katy and Daemon I can assure you not to worry about them relationship wise, They have that same sizzling connection and Daemon holds many surprises for us. Daemon reveals more of himself, but stays true to what we know of him - the ever sarcastic and jerkface he is (don't be fooled, he's lovable). The fact that he gave the new "love interest" nicknames was hilarious!

The plot took me on its highs and lows - I felt every bump along the way. It was definetly relationship focused, but personally I found it engaging. More information regarding the DOD and some other 'mysteries' are revealed in their due time, yet are quickly replaced with more! And that ending... beware. Ms. Armentrout has skill.  She left me gripping the pages.

I highly recommend Onyx to lovers of the first book, romance, sexy aliens, and a series of events that will leave you wondering, "what's next". I warn you, this series will chain you to it and not let you go!

BOOK TRAILER

Desperately Wanting Wednesday (6): Opal

Parajunkee's meme called "Desperately Wanting Wednesday" is like "Waiting on Wednesday" but instead of just being able to do books that are not released yet, you pick a book you really want! Released or not released! Go to Parajunkee to see the details and her DWW posts! 

This week I desperately want to get my hands on:

Opal (Lux #3)
By Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published December 11th 2012 by Entangled Teen

"No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.


Together we’re stronger... and they know it. ~ Goodreads

 I have become fully invested in this series - like head on oh-my-gosh-I-want-to-devour-you. I am so happy that it is out, but I waiting impatiently for it to show up on my library's shelf! I hope it hurries up! I  need more Katy and Daemon action please!

What are you waiting for? Something unreleased? Released? Leave links... I'll drop by and see! Thanks for reading and in the words of the Green brothers: don't forget to be awesome!