Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?

Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected.

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall....

This book was so good. I read it in a single night, after being stuck in a reading slump for two months. It was simply gorgeous.Speaking of gorgeous, look at the book cover. It is amazing. I have a super fancrush on this cover (and the actual book). Jessica Martinez captured me from the very start.

We’re quickly introduced to the multiple internal and external conflicts that Carmen faces on a daily basis. Though she has quite a bit of reasons to sit around a mope, Carmen doesn’t. Throughout the novel, she remains incredibly strong. Jeremy was an interesting character. I was weary of his personality when he was first introduced, but I eventually grew to like him.

One of my favorite things about Virtuosity, if not my favorite thing, was the many topics it covered. From the stress being put on Carmen surrounding the Guarneri competition to her anxiety medication addiction- this novel really did have it all. I absolutely adored the story, along with the characters.

Virtuosity is an amazing novel that readers are sure to love. I can’t recommend it enough. Jessica Martinez is an author than you should really watch. I’m sure her future novels will be just as amazing as Virtuosity!

FTC- Publisher.

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites;like fire and ice;Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

This book was fabulous. It kind of suffered paranormal-book syndrome, but it eventually morphed out of it. I’m not going to lie- it took me awhile to finish A Beautiful Dark. I found the beginning a little slow. The characters didn’t really interest me right off the bat. Luckily, I started to pick up interest.

Skye was at times a little too moody for my taste, but overall she was a strong main character. There were also times when I wanted to jump into the novel and shake her for being so gullible. Asher and Devin present the oh-so-famous battles between light/dark, heaven/hell, bad/good boy. Me, being the reader who almost always goes in the bad boy direction- was swooning over Asher in no time.

The ending was confusing. I read this book awhile ago, and I’m still stumped on what went on. The ending is probably my main complaint about this book. Maybe that was the goal of the author- to leave the reader questioning what they just read- if it was her goal, then I tip my hat to her. But back to my point, after finishing A Beautiful Dark- I had to go back and reread the last chapter a few times, and even then I didn’t fully understand what was going on. Despite not fully knowing what was going on, A Beautiful Dark still left me wanting more.

I can’t wait for the sequel, and I think Jocelyn Davies did a nice job writing A Beautiful Dark. Despite the few things I disliked about it, this novel was still a really nice read. It’s a perfect novel to read when curled up in bed and trying to keep out of the winter cold.

FTC- Publisher.

Daisy Whitney’s New Book Covers + An Interview About Them

 

Daisy Whitney’s books The Mockingbirds and The Rivals have received a little cover-makeover. I had the opportunity to interview Daisy about these fabulous new covers. I hope you enjoy the interview!

 

1. So lets start with the obvious question, what do you think of the new book covers compared to the old ones?

I am crazily in love with these covers! Personally, as a reader I prefer photographic covers and am most often drawn to covers with strong women or girls on them, so the paperback of The Mockingbirds appeals to me for that reason. But beyond my personal tastes, these covers are definitely in line with the stories. The first book is about a teen girl finding the strength to stand up for herself and speak her mind, but also to reclaim her heart, mind, and body after a traumatic event. That the girl on the cover is looking directly at the reader and not away is exactly what I want for the story! I also love her red lipstick because I think it's a powerful statement that Alex, in a way, is reclaiming her right to wear red lipstick. Even after the trauma of an assault, she can heal and she doesn't have to hide. That's what the new cover says to me. As for The Rivals cover, it's really the mirror, the perfect pair, to the first book. And the story is about the other side, the opposite, of the Mockingbirds. So a teen boy is the perfect complement to the first cover. Plus, he's, you know, easy on the eyes!

2. Is there one new cover you prefer over the other? (The paperback cover of The Mockingbirds vs. the hardcover of The Rivals)

No! I love them both so so so much! I do like those blue eyes on the boy though....

3. I know that most authors are given very little say in what their book covers will look like. Since this is the second go-around of the covers, did you get any say in what went into them?

My publisher and especially my editor Kate Sullivan were fantastic through this whole redo. Kate really wants her authors to be happy with their covers, and she absolutely listened to my opinions on the type of covers I like and took that into account while working with the design team. I think teens respond well to photographic covers so I sent her a list of my favorite book covers as she began the work on the redesign. She took it from there and a few months later came back to me with these beauties. Liz Casal is the designer and I bow down before her. Liz has made this author very very very happy!

4. For people who haven't read it, can you quickly describe what The Mockingbirds is about?

The Mockingbirds is about an underground student-run justice system at a prestigious boarding school and the cases they try, including one involving a date rape. The Rivals is a sequel that follows another case, this one involving a cheating ring at the school and how it challenges the Mockingbirds to the core.

5. The hardback cover of The Mockingbirds is very broad- but in a way it pays homage to To Kill a Mockingbird. How do you think the new covers will be perceived by teenagers, and what do you think people can learn about the book from looking at the covers?

There will still be a bit of homage paid to To Kill a Mockingbird on the back of the paperback! (Wait til you see the back!) I certainly hope teenagers like these new covers. I think they have a lot of teen appeal and I think they're exactly the type of covers teens are apt to pick up in a bookstore. I also think the other elements in the covers from the title font to the tagline font to the yearbook photo feel of the pictures underscores the themes of the stories -- students writing on the walls, writing in code, passing around notes and info, tracking other students, etc. I truly could not be happier with a set of covers. 

Waiting on Wednesday (10)

Waiting on Wednesday is an amazing weekly topic that is brought to you by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard

January 19, 2012

A dark and provocative novel from the author of The Secret Year
Ryan spends most of his time alone at the local waterfall because it’s the only thing that makes him feel alive. He’s sixteen, post-suicidal, and trying to figure out what to do with himself after a stint in a mental hospital. Then Nicki barges into his world, brimming with life and energy, and asking questions about Ryan’s depression that no one else has ever been brave enough—or cared enough—to ask. Ryan isn’t sure why he trusts Nicki with his darkest secrets, but that trust turns out to be the catalyst that he desperately needs to start living again.

I Jennifer’s debut novel The Secret Year, so I’m really looking forward to reading Try Not to Breathe. I’m sure it will be lovely!

Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

In this emotionally powerful novel, three women face the age-old midlife question: If I’m halfway to death, is this all I’ve got to show for it? Holly, filled with regret for being a stay-at-home mom, sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex. Andrea, a single mom and avowed celibate, watches her friend Holly’s meltdown with a mixture of concern and contempt. Holly is throwing away what Andrea has spent her whole life searching for—a committed relationship with a decent guy. So what if Andrea picks up Holly’s castaway husband? Then there’s Marissa. She has more than her fair share of challenges—a gay teenage son, a terminally ill daughter, and a husband who buries himself in his work rather than face the facts. As one woman’s marriage unravels, another one’s rekindles. As one woman’s family comes apart at the seams, another’s is reconfigured into something bigger and better. In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman’s up is another one’s down, and all three of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness before it is through.

This novel was… different from Ellen Hopkins’ new books. This is Hopkins’ first adult novel and you can definitely tell by the various subplots (when reading) that she has gone deep into the world of adult literature. Though Triangles is a story told through poems, like Ellen’s YA books, I don’t think that all teenagers should read it. Triangles covers a lot of sexual topics that I know most teens won’t be comfortable with. I’m comfortable with most books that have sexual content in it, but even while reading this, I felt way out of my comfort zone. So fair warning to the kid/teen crowd, you might want to rethink reading Triangles.

That aside, I really liked it. I think that Ellen Hopkins was really brave in trying out a new genre and I hope that this book will have the same amount of success that her YA books have had. This novel explores not only love and sex, but it also dives deeper into the meanings of friendship, codependence, and what it means to be happy.I liked how intertwined the lives of the three middle-aged women were. It helped me piece together the story more to really see what was going on.

Though Ellen Hopkins’ hit an area outside my comfort zone, I did like Triangles. It was written well and the story was genuinely interesting.  I don’t recommend this book if you get uncomfortable easily in novels, or if you have a problem with books that have graphic sexual content.

FTC- Publisher.

Bay Area Book Event’s

Hey everyone!

I’m here to tell you all about two Bay Area book signings that are happening in the upcoming weeks. Here is the information about those events. Clicking the author will bring you to more information about the event (including the store address)-

Tamora Pierce

October 27th

7:00 pm

Copperfields Books in Sebastopol, California

 

Laini Taylor

October 28th

7:00 pm

Copperfields Books in Petaluma, California

 

---------

I’ll most likely be at the Laini Taylor event!

Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe

When high school junior Sara wins a coveted scholarship to study ballet, she must sacrifice everything for her new life as a professional dancer-in-training. Living in a strange city with a host family, she's deeply lonely-until she falls into the arms of Remington, a choreographer in his early twenties. At first, she loves being Rem's muse, but as she discovers a surprising passion for writing, she begins to question whether she's chosen the right path. Is Rem using her, or is it the other way around? And is dancing still her dream, or does she need something more?

So many people have raved to me about Audition. Frankly, I was a bit disappointed. I think part of my problem with Audition was that I set a high standard when it comes to novels that are written in verse. Most of the authors that have written in verse have done such a good job of it, that I have a hard time opening up to new verse authors. So that was one of my issues with Audition.

I also found the main character pretty unlikable. From the start of the book, she complains about being involved in ballet. If she doesn’t like it, then I am oblivious as to why she keeps learning to be a ballerina. I also felt like once the boy was introduced, she became a little consumed with him. That’s totally ok, that sort of thing happens in real life all the time- I just wasn’t in the mood to read about it.

I’m sure this book is really awesome. It just wasn’t the right time for me to read it.

FC- Publisher.

Waiting on Wednesday (9)

Waiting on Wednesday is an amazing weekly topic that is brought to you by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen

February 28, 2012

In sixteen-year-old Felicita’s world, magic is strictly controlled—or so those in power like to believe. After her dearest friend, Ilven, kills herself to escape an arranged marriage, Felicita chooses freedom over privilege. She fakes her own death and leaves her sheltered life as one of Pelimburg’s magical elite behind. Living in the slums, scrubbing dishes for a living, she falls for charismatic Dash while also becoming fascinated with vampire Jannik. Then something shocking washes up on the beach: Ilven’s death has called out of the sea a dangerous, wild magic. Felicita must decide whether her loyalties lie with the family she abandoned . . . or with those who would twist this dark power to destroy Pelimburg’s caste system, and the whole city along with it.

This sounds so creepy! I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. You can find information about Top Ten Tuesday by going here. So here is my list of Books I Wish I could Read Again for the First Time-

1. Harry Potter

The Harry Potter books are the books that got me into reading. When I was first reading them, everything was so new and magical. I would love to experience that feeling again. (The books are still amazing and I love rereading them, but there’s nothing like the first time you read a book.)

2. Looking for Alaska by John Green

I read this book when I was really young. I think I read it when I was 10, which isn’t horribly young- but Looking for Alaska is a novel geared toward the older side of the teenage spectrum. I wish that, when I read it for the first time, I would have realized just how big of an impact that book made on my life. It’s not my favorite book, but if I hadn’t read Looking for Alaska, I wouldn’t have started reading YA books at such a young age- and I might not have this blog.

3. Every David Levithan Book

They are just so well written! I would love to experience that anticipation of thinking “I wonder what he’ll do next!”.

 

I know this isn’t ten books, but this is all I can think of at the moment. I hope you’re all having a lovely Tuesday.

Sharks and Boys by Kristen Tracey

When 15-year-old Enid Calhoun follows her boyfriend Wick to Maryland for a party, fearful that he might be intending to cheat on her, she finds herself sneaking on board a houseboat where Wick and his friends plan to have a wild night. But before the boys discover their stowaway, a hurricane strikes, and the teenagers are carried miles from the shore and shipwrecked. What follows is a harrowing, yet heartwarming, story of survival, as the teens battle hypothermia, dehydration, man-eating sharks--and along the way, confront their own deepest secrets, including their catalytic roles in the disaster.

So. Scary.

Sharks and Boys isn’t scary in the “Boo!” type of way. It’s scary in the “oh my gosh I’m going to have nightmares about man eating sharks for the rest of my life” sort of way. I know this has been said numerous times before, but I just need to say it again. This cover does not do this book justice. At all. If I were to see this in a bookshop, I honestly wouldn’t have picked it up because of the cover and the happy-go-lucky title. I really don’t want anybody to not pick this up because of the cover.

Sharks and Boys was straight-up badass. Every part of the book was thrilling. My only complaint about the story itself was that amount of characters and the names of the characters. I felt like because there were so many people on the lifeboat, it was hard to keep track of who was who and what their backstory was. The unusual names didn’t help this situation either.

This is one of the most interesting storylines in a young adult novel that I’ve read in a long time. It isn’t completely original, but the story is played out and written really well. Kristen Tracey does a really good job building up suspense to some of the major events in the novel.

I really enjoyed Sharks and Boys and strongly encourage you to pick it up. Kristen Tracey wrote an addicting and fast-paced novel that I loved!

FTC- Publisher.

The Future of Us Giveaway

On November 21st, The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler will be released. Luckily, I have an ARC to give one of you lovely readers. To enter, all you need to do is fill out the form below. Now, without further to do, here is a little bit about The Future of Us-

It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.
Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.
Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.
Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

To enter, please fill out the form below!

Toast Says It All (2)

In Toast Says It All, I spotlight some of my favorite reviews, interviews, twitter accounts, and other various things from the past week. The name Toast is a nickname that some people call me.

Current Favorite Books-

I just realized that I haven’t read any *spectacular* books in the past few days. So this list of books is from last month.

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies- I read A Beautiful Dark in one night. I’m not going to say it’s one of the most well written books I’ve read. But it does have a really amazing storyline, which is why I’m putting it on this list.

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay- Ahhh, so good! I haven’t ever read Romeo and Juliet and I’m not the biggest Shakespeare fan, but Juliet Immortal made me want to read Romeo and Juliet just because it inspired the book. I loved it!

Every You, Every Me by David Levithan- You guys. It’s David Levithan. I mean, come on. Not only is he my favorite author, but this book was downright creepy! He really outdid himself in the imagination-factor. With every book he writes, David’s writing gets stronger and his stories get even more imaginative.

Interviews-

The Compulsive Reader did an awesome interview with Laini Taylor.

YA Book Queen hosted an interview and giveaway with Anna Carey, the author of Eve.

Reviews-

Lenore from Presenting Lenore wrote an amazing review of Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Khy of Frenetic Reader reviewed The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Random-

Pam of Bookalicious wrote an amazing piece on YA being a lifestyle.

This website makes me happy. It’s called HelloGiggles and it’s girly and an overall super amazing website. I seriously spent an hour and a half looking at it this morning when I should have been studying.

Blowout (Hello, Gorgeous! #1) by Taylor Morris

Now that she's had her thirteenth birthday, Mickey's finally old enough to work at her mother's super glam hair salon-Hello, Gorgeous! And true to the old cliche about people confiding in their hair stylists, Mickey starts getting an earful right off the bat. Customers love talking to her because she's so empathetic, but what happens when she starts getting overly involved in their dramas?

This book is adorable. To start off, I don’t know if this book is considered middle grade or lower young adult, but I’m going to call in middle grade.

Taylor Morris is one of the most talented middle grade authors I’ve ever read. The first book in the Hello, Gorgeous! series was not only adorable, but it was also surprisingly deep. It’s a bit like middle grade chick-lit, but it also follows Mickey around as we learn about her struggling to grow up.

Mickey is caught in one of the great adolescent phases where you want to grow up so bad, but nobody wants to take you seriously. Though Mickey was sometimes a little light-headed and phased by the glamour of her mothers shop, she was a really cool character and I enjoyed reading about her.

Reading Blowout, I wanted to hop in and join Mickey and the gang. Everything seemed so magical and… fun. Blowout was the perfect first book in a series. I can’t wait to read the second book and see what other kind of shenanigans the Hello, Gorgeous! gang will be able to get into.

I highly recommend Blowout. It was cute, well balanced, and fun to read. Taylor Morris may have just turned me into a middle grade fan. Blowout perfectly balances the glamour of working at a high-end salon with the struggles of becoming a teenager. You won’t regret reading it.

FTC- Received for review from author.

Three Years Ago Today…

I started this blog. That’s right my lovely reader-folk. Today, Zoe’s Book Reviews turns three.

In celebration of this milestone, I’m doing homework! Yay!

Even though I am doing homework, I want you all to have fun on this joyous occasion. This week I’ve had a few giveaways, one of which has yet to post (it will be posted later in the week). So if you want to go enter them, here are the links-

The first two books in the Firelight series by Sophie Jordan

The first two books in the Bright Young Things series by Anna Godbersen

Also, I would love it all if you took my blog survey. You can find my blog survey HERE.

I don’t want to sound like I’m accepting an Academy Award or anything, but I would like to thank you all so much. Honestly, without you all I would have probably stopped blogging a few months after I started.

As always (because I think this in my head all the time) thank you to publishers and authors.

Thank you to everyone who’s emailed me (I LOVE getting emails, fyi. Just like… if you want to talk, email me. If you want to vent, email me. If you want to tell me that you hate my blog, email me. I just love emails. They make my day happy.)

~Academy Award music starts playing~

Hey! Don’t cut me off. I have more to say!

Even though I’ve seriously considered it a few times over this past year, I’m not done book blogging yet. So here’s to another year!

Firelight/Vanish Giveaway

Today is my blog-o-versary! In honor of being on here for three years, I’m going to give away-

(1) Hardback copy of Firelight by Sophie Jordan

(1) Hardback copy of Vanish by Sophie Jordan (the sequel to Firelight)

Swag!

You don’t have to follow my blog to enter, but I would still love it if you followed.

The giveaway is open to US addresses only, sorry for everyone who lives outside of the US.

Here’s a summary of the first book in the series, Firelight-

A hidden truth.
Mortal enemies.
Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

To enter the giveaway, fill out the form below-

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

Waiting on Wednesday is an amazing weekly topic that is brought to you by Jill @ Breaking the Spine.

Slide by Jill Hathaway

March 27, 2012

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.
Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.
Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.
Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

I love the name Vee. But besides that, this storyline sounds really awesome. Also (because I’m a total book cover snob), I love this book cover so much! I love all the effects on the picture and wording.

Does Knowing an Author Affect My Reviews?

A few months ago, I briefly answered a formspring question (you should totally ask me formspring questions, by the way- find me here) about whether or not my decision of a book is changed if I know the author. After the question was answered, CJ Omololu tweeted to me and asked me to expand on my answer. So, here is my expanded answer-

When a question like that comes up, my initial reaction is something along the lines of…

With a little of this mixed in…

Ok, but in all seriousness- I’ve never really thought about it. So when CJ asked me to expand on the topic, I was so confused that I didn’t write the post until now, months after the initial question happened.

After a few months of thinking, I think I’ve finally formed my answer.

No, my personal relationship with an author doesn't affect my opinion/review of a book. However, knowing an author does affect whether or not I read their book. Normally,  if I know an author I try my hardest to read their book- I want to support them after all. There is the occasional exception to that.

This happens when an author I know well (either in person or online) publishes a book in a genre that I know I don’t like. This has (sadly) actually happened before, though I won’t name the author. One of the nicest authors I’ve ever spoken to had a debut novel coming out, and it was a fantasy/historical novel. Because I knew I generally don’t like either of those genre’s, I didn’t read the novel. At the time, I didn’t read it because I knew there were very slim chances of me liking it. In all honesty, if I didn’t know the author- I still wouldn’t have picked it up. However, looking back on it (a few years later), there was probably a part of me that worried about giving the book a bad review.

It has happened where I read a book by an author I knew (either online or in person) and I didn’t like it. I still gave the book a review with my honest opinion. Even though I know book bloggers aren’t really taken seriously in the book blogging world, I still like to keep a certain level of professionalism. I believe that it’s my duty as the owner of this blog to tell you all my honest opinion about the books I read. Therefor, even if I know an author and don’t like their book- I’m still going to give the book a negative review.

This hasn’t happened yet (thank gosh). But even if my favorite author of all time* wrote a book that I really didn’t like, I would tell you all. Giving an unhonest review defeats the purpose of having a place where I share my opinions of books.I know it sounds kind of cheesy and predictable, but I’m telling the truth. 

*David Levithan, if you didn’t already know.

Bright Young Things/Beautiful Days Giveaway

Hey everyone!

My three-year blog-o-versary is Thursday, so I thought I would host a giveaway for all of you lovely followers. I’ll be giving away-

(1) Paperback copy of Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

(1) Hardback copy of Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen (the sequel to Bright Young Things)

A bunch of swag

The giveaway is open to US only, sorry for everyone who lives internationally.

You don’t have to follow my blog to enter, but I would still love it if you followed.

Here’s a summary of Bright Young Things-

The year is 1929. New York is ruled by the Bright Young Things: flappers and socialites seeking thrills and chasing dreams in the anything-goes era of the Roaring Twenties.

Letty Larkspur and Cordelia Grey escaped their small Midwestern town for New York's glittering metropolis. All Letty wants is to see her name in lights, but she quickly discovers Manhattan is filled with pretty girls who will do anything to be a star…

Cordelia is searching for the father she's never known, a man as infamous for his wild parties as he is for his shadowy schemes. Overnight, she enters a world more thrilling and glamorous than she ever could have imagined—and more dangerous. It's a life anyone would kill for . . . and someone will.

The only person Cordelia can trust is Astrid Donal, a flapper who seems to have it all: money, looks, and the love of Cordelia's brother, Charlie. But Astrid's perfect veneer hides a score of family secrets.

Across the vast lawns of Long Island, in the illicit speakeasies of Manhattan, and on the blindingly lit stages of Broadway, the three girls' fortunes will rise and fall—together and apart.

To enter, fill out the form below.

A Blog Survey

Hey, everyone! I’m here with a request. Every few months I like to have an anonymous blog survey for you all to answer- so I know what to work on, what you like, etc. It’s that time of the year again! I would love it if you would all fill out my blog survey below.

Spotlight on Simon and Schuster (4)

This is a series of posts (over the course of weeks, months, etc.) in which I spotlight books coming out that I can’t wait for. These posts will go by publisher. If you click on the book title, you will get linked to the books page on Goodreads. This series of posts are inspired by Absconditas weekly meme “Spotlight On”.

Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson

May 8, 2012

Taylor's family might not be the closest-knit – everyone is a little too busy and overscheduled – but for the most part, they get along fine. Then they get news that changes everything: Her father has pancreatic cancer, and it's stage four – meaning that there is basically nothing to be done. Her parents decide that the family will spend his last months together at their old summerhouse in the Pocono Mountains.
Crammed into a place much smaller and more rustic than they are used to, they begin to get to know each other again. And Taylor discovers that the people she thought she had left behind haven't actually gone anywhere. Her former summer best friend is suddenly around, as is her first boyfriend. . . and he's much cuter at seventeen than he was at twelve.
As the summer progresses, the Edwards become more of a family, and closer than they've ever been before. But all of them very aware that they're battling a ticking clock. Sometimes, though, there is just enough time to get a second chance – with family, with friends, and with love.

* * * * *

In Honor by Jessi Kirby

May 8, 2012

Honor receives her brother's last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn's celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her.
Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn's last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn's best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn't seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn. . . and ruggedly good looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn't. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn--but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?

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The Story of Us by Deb Caletti

April 24,2012

Cricket's on a self-imposed break from her longtime boyfriend, trying to figure out whether she's in it for the right reasons. But this is a bad week to try to figure it all out. After ditching two previous husbands-to-be at the airport, Cricket's mother Daisy is finally getting married, to Dan Jax. Cricket loves Dan, but as the families and friends start to arrive for Wedding Week at the beautiful guest house on Bishop Rock, run by old hippies Ted and Rebecca Rose and their sweet, sexy son Ash, things start getting complicated.
There’s no airport on Bishop Rock, as far as anyone knows, but Cricket fears that Dan is in danger of becoming ditched husband-to-be number three, and Cricket’s own desires have chosen now to have a mind of their own. Because even though her boyfriend looms large in her mind, Ash is right in front of her....

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Someone Else’s Life by Katie Dale

April 2, 2012

When seventeen-year-old Rosie’s mother, Trudie, dies from Huntington’s Disease, her pain is intensified by the knowledge that she has a fifty-per-cent chance of inheriting the crippling disease herself. Only when she tells her mum’s best friend, ‘Aunt Sarah’ that she is going to test for the disease does Sarah, a midwife, reveal that Trudie was not her biological mother after all... Devastated, Rosie decides to trace her real mother, hitching along on her ex-boyfriend’s GAP year to follow her to Los Angeles. But all does not go to plan, and as Rosie discovers yet more of her family's deeply-buried secrets and lies, she is left with an agonising decision of her own - one which will be the most heart-breaking and far-reaching of all...

You Wish by Mandy Hubbard

Kayla McHenry'’s sweet sixteen sucks! Her dad left, her grades dropped, and her BFF is dating the boy Kayla'’s secretly loved for years. Blowing out her candles, Kayla thinks: I wish my birthday wishes actually came true. Because they never freakin’ do.

Kayla wakes the next day to a life-sized, bright pink My Little Pony outside her window. Then a year'’s supply of gumballs arrives. A boy named Ken with a disturbing resemblance to the doll of the same name stalks her. As the ghosts of Kayla'’s wishes-past appear, they take her on a wild ride . . . but they MUST STOP. Because when she was fifteen? She wished Ben Mackenzie would kiss her. And Ben is her best friend'’s boyfriend.

Starting this book, I didn’t know what I was getting into. You Wish was such a hilarious, adorable, and addicting book. The cover, for one, is just completely amazing- it features some of the best things: Pink, Unicorns (though I’m a zombie person), and cupcakes.

Kayla is a fun and loveable main character. The drama in this novel is so terrifically complicated and amusing. I’m not a girly person, but You Wish made me want cupcakes, everything the color pink, unicorns, and everything girly. All of the wishes and the characters were perfect. There was never a dull moment, I loved it! It was really interesting to see how Kayla handled her past birthday wishes.

I can’t recommend You Wish enough! It is the perfect girly read. It has an unforgettable premise and amazing writing. I can’t wait to read Mandy Hubbard’s next novel!

FTC- Bought