Waiting on Wednesday: This Side of Salvation

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine which asks what book we're most looking forward to. 

This Side of Salvation by Jeri Smith-Ready
Publication date: April 1, 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse

Everyone mourns differently. When his older brother was killed, David got angry. As in, fist-meets-someone-else’s-face furious. But his parents? They got religious. David’s still figuring out his relationship with a higher power, but there’s one thing he does know for sure: The closer he gets to new-girl Bailey, the better, brighter, happier, more he feels.

Then his parents start cutting all their worldly ties in to prepare for the Rush, the divine moment when the faithful will be whisked off to Heaven…and they want David to do the same. David’s torn. There’s a big difference between living in the moment and giving up his best friend, varsity baseball, and Bailey—especially Bailey—in hope of salvation.

But when he comes home late from prom, and late for the Rush, to find that his parents have vanished, David is in more trouble than he ever could have imagined...

Another Jeri Smith-Ready book! I'm so excited. So very very. Very. Excited. And the cover is amazing. And the synopsis sounds amazing. You are amazing. And everything is amazing.

What are you waiting on this week?

Review: Tarnish

Tarnish by Katherine Longshore
Publication date: June 18, 2013
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
*copy received from publisher through NetGalley for review

Anne Boleyn is the odd girl out. Newly arrived to the court of King Henry VIII, everything about her seems wrong, from her clothes to her manners to her witty but sharp tongue. So when the dashing poet Thomas Wyatt offers to coach her on how to shine at court—and to convince the whole court they’re lovers—she accepts. Before long, Anne’s popularity has soared, and even the charismatic and irresistible king takes notice. More than popularity, Anne wants a voice—but she also wants love. What began as a game becomes high stakes as Anne finds herself forced to make an impossible choice between her heart’s desire and the chance to make history.

I am fiercely fascinated with all things Tudors, especially, Anne Boleyn. It would have been an anomaly for me not to pick up TARNISH. Anne Boleyn is a historical figure that people can make out to be sympathetic or a bad guy. I've yet to meet someone interested in the Tudors who doesn't have an opinion of Ms. Boleyn.

TARNISH follows a young, teenage Anne, fresh from France and new to King Henry's court, trying to find her place among the courtiers and the competitions for attention. A big issue is that Anne lacks a filter between her brain and mouth, and being a person who has always spoken her mind, this is a huge detriment to her character. Needless to say, she's not popular among the men and women of the court. Anne has an intense need to be an individual. She wants to be in her own power, to be able to say what she wants to say, and to be wanted for who she is. There's just one problem-she's a woman. What is expected of her as a woman is not what she yearns for; not what she wants. Longshore's Anne is a sympathetic Anne. She's an Anne that the reader grows to care for and wants nothing more than see her succeed and to be happy.

Due to a lack of records there are some gaps in Anne's history, particularly her life pre-Henry, but Longshore does a wonderful job of filling them in and taking liberties with what is available. Her foreshadowing throughout the book to Anne's later life and death is also brilliantly done. Don't think I didn't catch them.

I adore the author's prose and found it to be a great fit for a beautiful, heartbreaking story about a girl who wants to be accepted and loved for who she is. It's easy for any book to drag, especially for one almost 450 pages, but I never found myself bored and always wanted to read on. The end result? I finished it in one day.

TARNISH is a fantastic story about one of the most famous figures in history. I make a wish for the author to write a sequel to the second half of Anne's life, but then that wouldn't be YA, would it? Speaking of YA, this is a great book for adults. Anne may be a teen, but there is a maturity to the book that would appeal to "grown people," too.

Giveaway: ARC of Just Like Fate

Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young

Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline's been at Gram's bedside since her stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape--both her family and the reality of Gram's failing health. So when Caroline's best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: stay by Gram's side, or go to the party and live her life. The consequence of this one decision will split Caroline's fate into two separate paths--and she's about to live them both.

Friendships are tested and family drama hits an all-new high as Caroline attempts to rebuild old relationships, and even make a few new ones. If she stays, her longtime crush, Joel, might finally notice her, but if she goes, Chris, the charming college boy, might prove to be everything she's ever wanted.

Though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending...

I'm giving away one ARC of Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young. Just enter through Rafflecopter below.

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Ends on 6/21/2013.

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Waiting on Wednesday: The Naturals

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine which asks what book we're most looking forward to. 

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publication date: November 5, 2013
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie. What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides— especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own. 

Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length. Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.

I love psychological thrillers and I'm a fan of Jennifer Lynn Barnes, so I'm really looking forward to this one. But not the cover. No. Not the cover at all.

What are you waiting on this week?

Review: The Caged Graves

The Caged Graves by Dianne K. Salerni

Publication date: May 14, 2013

Publisher: Clarion Books
*copy provided by publisher for review

17-year-old Verity Boone expects a warm homecoming when she returns to Catawissa, Pennsylvania, in 1867, pledged to marry a man she has never met. Instead, she finds a father she barely knows and a future husband with whom she apparently has nothing in common. One truly horrifying surprise awaits her: the graves of her mother and aunt are enclosed in iron cages outside the local cemetery. Nobody in town will explain why, but Verity hears rumors of buried treasure and witchcraft. Perhaps the cages were built to keep grave robbers out . . . or to keep the women in. Determined to understand, Verity finds herself in a life-and-death struggle with people she trusted.

THE CAGED GRAVES is a historical mystery based around two real caged graves the author, Dianne Salerni, came across in Catawissa, Pennsylvania. After some research and still not knowing how these caged graves came to be, the author created her own story around them and formed something great.

Verity is a kind and charming character, as well as, a strong heroine: she stands up for what she believes even when others are against her. She won't let anybody deter her from finding out why these two graves that she has personal connections to are covered in cages and sitting outside the church cemetery on unholy ground. And I mean anybody. Father?* Whatever. The man who will be her husband?* Screw him. The attractive doctor's apprentice? Wait. There's an attractive doctor's apprentice? Yes. His name is Hadley Jones. He creates the third corner of a nice little love triangle that actually works with the story and has a purpose. That purpose being related to Verity's character development. Yes, there is also character development, and not just in Verity, but the other characters. This book spoils me. Now I'm going to expect it in everything I read.

The setting of the story is nice and well developed and the prose isn't flowery or over descriptive like one can find in historical novels, but rather simple with an elegant tone. I love the author's writing style. It really fits the feel of the book. As for the mystery, it had me guessing right along with Verity. Maybe I could have caught on sooner, but I was so engrossed in the story that I didn't ever stop to try and figure it out myself. Usually, I have the clues figured out before the character, but in this case, I was having so much fun reading I forgot to try to solve it.

The Caged Graves is a novel with a strong female protagonist and an interesting, well-mixed cast of supporting characters. If you're looking for your next historical novel or a light mystery then check this one out. I also recommend this to fans of A NORTHERN LIGHT.

*These two characters are very supportive of Verity, actually. But if they weren't, she still would have walked right over them. 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Infinite Moment of Us

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine which asks what book we're most looking forward to.

The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

Publication date: August 20, 2013

Publisher: Amulet Books

For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now . . . not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are? Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be. And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them . . . Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction’s greatest writers.

Look at that cover. *pets it* I love Lauren Myracle so I'll definitely be giving this one a read and look forward to it! August isn't too far away. Right?? Well...

Review: The Originals

The Originals by Cat Patrick
Publishing date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers

17-year-olds Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey Best grew up as identical triplets... until they discovered a shocking family secret. They're actually closer than sisters, they're clones. Hiding from a government agency that would expose them, the Best family appears to consist of a single mother with one daughter named Elizabeth. Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey take turns going to school, attending social engagements, and a group mindset has always been a de facto part of life...

Then Lizzie meets Sean Kelly, a guy who seems to see into her very soul. As their relationship develops, Lizzie realizes that she's not a carbon copy of her sisters; she's an individual with unique dreams and desires, and digging deeper into her background, Lizzie begins to dismantle the delicate balance of an unusual family that only science could have created.

THE ORIGINALS follows three girls, clones, who are in hiding from the government and have no option but to live one life. I was drawn in by the story, but also by Cat Patrick whose past books I have enjoyed. I'm just going to jump right in and say I didn't love this one as much as Cat Patrick's other novels, Forgotten and Revived. Forgotten is a book that just stayed with me after reading it. The Originals...not so much. It wasn't a bad book, but I guess, to me, it just pales in comparison to her other works.

Lizzie, Ella, and Betsey's characters are so different from each other. The way each handles their situation is very distinct and I could see why their mother would be able to tell them apart. Lizzie is a girl who is able to handle herself. She's argumentative (in a good way) and able to stand up for what she believes and wants and I love that.

For me, the romance was kind of lackluster. I didn't feel the chemistry between Lizzie and Sean like I did with the couples in Forgotten and Revived. Those were some hot romances. That's not to say I didn't like either Lizzie or Sean, I think they're nice characters, but together they didn't do anything for me.

My main complaint of the book is that everything is solved too easily, there are almost no struggles for anybody. I find Cat Patrick's books to be more about character studies, so the included mysteries don't usually take center stage. But if they're going to be included, they should become just as important as the characters and this one fails for me.

It's the the story and the characters that captured my attention and kept me reading. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's a bad book, but to me, it became just an okay book.

Review: The Fourth Stall

The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander

Publication date: February 8, 2011

Publisher: Walden Pond Press

Do you need something? Mac can get it for you. It's what he does—he and his best friend and business manager, Vince. Their methods might sometimes run afoul of the law, or at least the school code of conduct, but if you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can pay him, Mac is on your side. His office is located in the East Wing boys' bathroom, fourth stall from the high window. And business is booming.

Or at least it was, until one particular Monday. It starts with a third grader in need of protection. And before this ordeal is over, it's going to involve a legendary high school crime boss named Staples, an intramural gambling ring, a graffiti ninja, the nine most dangerous bullies in school, and the first Chicago Cubs World Series game in almost seventy years. And that's just the beginning. Mac and Vince soon realize that the trouble with solving everyone else's problems is that there's no one left to solve yours.

THE FOURTH STALL: a noir for middle graders! It's definitely different from other books I've read, and I didn't think it was a needed genre until I finished it. More noir for the young'uns please!

Mac's office resides in the fourth stall in the East Wing boys' bathroom. He isn't there to do his business, but to do business. Mac sits in his office and hears the problems of his fellow classmates. If it's a problem he can solve, and he can solve any problem, he'll take it on. For a fee, of course.

There's a lot of great humor in the book and a lot of times I couldn't help laughing. Especially at the descriptions and escapades of Mac's team of bullies. The first time they're all introduced is quite brilliant really, and it's a part that stayed with me after I flipped the last page. I love the fact that there are really no good guys in the book. Even Mac, who always tries to do things for good, can screw up at times. And the nemesis? Truly and mysteriously evil throughout. But, this leads me to my next thought:

The book is violent, yes, but I particularly found the gang of high school upperclassmen who seem to have no qualms about going after elementary and middle schoolers to be quite unnerving. It's hard to read middle-grade books as an adult sometimes (one rule seems to be that parents can't exist). I'd be curious to get feedback from someone whose in the age group it's intended for to see how they felt (haven't met one who has read it yet). But then, maybe I'm just being ignorant and teens are beating up younger kids nowadays! It has been a while since I've been to middle school. Apparently, we are not keeping these children and teens busy enough. More homework, I say! More chores! More ballet recitals! And if they're not in ballet, then make them go to one!

Overall, will I be picking up the second one in the series? For sure.

Waiting on Wednesday: Reality Boy

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine which asks what book we're most looking forward to.

Reality Boy by A.S. King

Publication date: October 22, 2013

Publisher: Little, Brown for Young Readers

Gerald Faust knows exactly when he started feeling angry: the day his mother invited a reality television crew into his five-year-old life. Twelve years later, he’s still haunted by his rage-filled youth—which the entire world got to watch from every imaginable angle—and his anger issues have resulted in violent outbursts, zero friends, and clueless adults dumping him in the special education room at school. 

Nothing is ever going to change. No one cares that he’s tried to learn to control himself, and the girl he likes has no idea who he really is. Everyone’s just waiting for him to snap…and he’s starting to feel dangerously close to doing just that. 

In this fearless portrayal of a boy on the edge, highly acclaimed Printz Honor author A.S. King explores the desperate reality of a former child “star” who finally breaks free of his anger by creating possibilities he never knew he deserved.

I love Everybody Sees the Ants and am about to start Ask the Passengers soon, so I'm really looking forward to Reality Boy. Her books are so powerful and I can't wait for this one! Contemporary usually isn't my thing, but A.S. King is one of the few contemporary authors that I know I'll keep going back to no matter what.

What are you waiting on?

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Book Covers of Books I've Read

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week: My Top Ten Favorite Book Covers of Books I've Read

In no particular order:

           

 What's on your Top Ten Tuesday?

Review: A Corner of White

A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty
Publication date: April 1, 2013
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books

This is a tale of missing persons. Madeleine and her mother have run away from their former life, under mysterious circumstances, and settled in a rainy corner of Cambridge (in our world).

Elliot, on the other hand, is in search of his father, who disappeared on the night his uncle was found dead. The talk in the town of Bonfire (in the Kingdom of Cello) is that Elliot's dad may have killed his brother and run away with the Physics teacher. But Elliot refuses to believe it. And he is determined to find both his dad and the truth.

As Madeleine and Elliot move closer to unraveling their mysteries, they begin to exchange messages across worlds -- through an accidental gap that hasn't appeared in centuries. But even greater mysteries are unfolding on both sides of the gap: dangerous weather phenomena called "color storms;" a strange fascination with Isaac Newton; the myth of the "Butterfly Child," whose appearance could end the droughts of Cello; and some unexpected kisses...

I'm going to say that A CORNER OF WHITE is one of the most creative YA novels to be released this year. I might even already call it the most creative. GASP! Yeah, I went there.

Moriarty's fairytale world where Elliot lives is one I've never read about before. It's almost like the modern world in which we live, but with lots of magic and fairytale elements. It's not like urban fantasy, so maybe it's rural fantasy. Get it? Because Elliot lives in farming country? What I think I found the most interesting was the idea of color storms. In Cello, they have various color storms (i.e. red, yellow, purple) where each is more dangerous than the others. It's a new and creative idea. Or at least it is to me from all that I've read, because I haven't read everything. #Angiefact

As for Madeleine's world, which would be our own modern one, it's...well...our own modern one.

A CORNER OF WHITE contains Moriarty's witty dialogue and fantastic characters. The dual main characters Elliot and Madeleine are easy to sympathize and laugh along with. As for the secondary characters, I love when I can grow to adore them just as much as the protagonists, and the author didn't disappoint me here.

I like how Madeleine and Elliot connect with each other from two different worlds, and how their stories are intertwined. Speaking of stories, my main fault with the book is that I found the story to drag at parts which, unfortunately, didn't keep me reading sometimes. Unlike Moriarty's past books which I've loved (Feeling Sorry For Celia, anyone?) and couldn't put down. I give lots of Angie Points (I just created these) to the author for starting a series that I found to be completely different from what she's written before. I think the final product is a success, minus a few parts of the book I found to be slow.

Review: Paper Valentine

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff
Publication date: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill

The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.

For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.

With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.

I had a little romance with Yovanoff's second novel THE SPACE BETWEEN and was so excited about reading PAPER VALENTINE. Now, I didn't connect with it the way I connected with Space Between, but I still enjoyed this uber creepy read.

I've decided that Yovanoff must be one of those rare authors that is still able to find ideas that no one has thought of before. Or else, she's just really good at masking overdone plots and making them her own. PAPER VALENTINE is a serial killer mystery that could have bordered on the cliche, but Yovanoff makes what I'm going to now coin a "Yovanoff."

A Yovanoff: when an author adds new elements to an old plot

She writes characters with heart and flaws, and the characters in this story are no exception. Hannah has a nice arc and her relationships with the other characters are complex and natural. I also liked that the romance took a background role and wasn't at the forefront, as it's not what the book is about. It was also super sweet!

Now on to the mystery, it isn't the most unpredictable mystery EVAR, but there are some nice twists in there to throw the reader off. You think you've got it all figured out and then something new is added to the mix. The whole thing had me on the edge of my seat from the beginning all the way through.

Once again, Brenna Yovanoff has yet to disappoint me! Though I do still need to read THE REPLACEMENT...

Waiting on Wednesday (14)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine which asks what book we're most looking forward to.

Blackout by Robison Wells
Publication date: October 1, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen

Laura and Alec are trained terrorists. 

 Jack and Aubrey are high school students. 

 There was no reason for them to ever meet. But now, a mysterious virus is spreading throughout America, infecting teenagers with impossible powers. And these four are about to find their lives intertwined in a complex web of deception, loyalty, and catastrophic danger—where one wrong choice could trigger an explosion that ends it all.

Soooooo, I am kind of over the whole "kids get super powers" plot, but this is Robison Wells and I am a fan of his Variant series. It was super intense and I'm looking forward to what he can do with this one. It sounds like there are some new elements added so it could be different! *crosses fingers*

What are you waiting on?

Top Ten Tuesday: Words/Topics That Will Make Me Pick Up a Book

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish Every week focuses on a different topic and you make a top ten list from it. This week: My Top Ten Words/Topics That Will Make Me Pick Up a Book

This list was harder than I thought it would be...it's not something I really think about. Probably because it's not the words that provoke me to pick up a book, but a feeling.

1. Ancient Rome
I used to want to be a historian for Roman history, but went in another direction. Doesn't mean I'm not still obsessed with ancient Rome.

2. Swords
I love them (Yes, that's me).

The best way to clean up after a party.
"Die, streamers!"

3. Zombies!
Editors and agents may be tiring of zombies, but I don't think I will. So they should still publish them.

4. London
I'll take any place in the UK, really. I'm a huge anglophile.


5. Secrets
I love people with secrets, but I love towns with secrets even more.

6. Magic

7. Quarantine

8. Elite/Rich
I'm always interested in that kind of world and where it can lead someone. I especially enjoy when a person who is poor gets mixed up with a wealthy group. Cliche idea? Yes, it sure is.

What's your top ten?

Review: Code Name Verity

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Publication date: February 6, 2012
Publisher: Egmont

I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again. He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team.

Immediately after finishing CODE NAME VERITY it was added to my list of favorite books (and that list is not long). This novel is stunning. The writing is stunning, the characters are stunning, and the story is touching and raw (I didn't say stunning! Tricked you!). CODE NAME VERITY grabbed me from the beginning and had me until the end. I'm usually not one for historical fiction unless it's a period of history that interests me. Even then, I may not read it sometimes, but I'm glad I didn't let this one pass by.

Elizabeth Wein writes this story with so much detail and gorgeous prose. It's clear that a lot of research was done for the novel, so kudos for making everything feel as real as possible. I'm usually not one for World War Two history, but Wein made me want to pick up non-fiction books about how females were used during the war. I knew to some extent and the basics, but had no idea that girls were used as spys. Ignorant much, Angie? Maybe...Okay, yes...

Seriously, there are so many twists and turns (so good) to keep the reader invested, but in the end, this book is about an amazing friendship and the solid connection two girls from two different backgrounds make as they try to survive through the war.

Where I've Been...

I've returned from the dark depths called life. I know I don't need to, but I want to explain where I've been:

I had a big move, so that was tough to start with. Especially since I had to start completely over in a big new city. Stressful much? I may have lived here before, but after five years of being away a lot can change. I got an internship at a literary agency in the children's department which I fell in love with. This is a great thing, but the majority of what I did all day was read submissions (think eight hours a day of reading), so when I got home I didn't really want to read anymore. I will admit it was hard to find a balance between reading for work and pleasure, but I eventually did it. Anyway, with the internship added to my work schedule, I was working seven days a week which also makes it difficult to find reading time. Well, now the internship is done and I've found more time to begin blogging again! Yay! I've been missing my readers all day every day. I know it will take me a while to build up the readership I had previously, so please be patient with me as I return to form. But I am back.

On a side note, I mention the lit internship to explain my situation. Please don't email me with submissions of anything because I will delete them and not pass them on. I also will not tell you which agency. It's the internet where all information is available, but I'd still like to keep as much privacy as possible. ;)

EDITED TO ADD: I think I will begin reviewing middle grade books on this blog along with YA. I read a lot of it and my reviews may be helpful to some people! I'll just need to change my graphic at the top...