Waiting on Wednesday (156): ROYAL WEDDING

WOW is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Royal Wedding by Meg Cabot 

The Princess Diaries #11

June 2nd 2015 from William Morrow & Company

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, comes the very first adult installment, which follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding--but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare.

For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity, what with living in New York City, running her new teen community center, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements. Mia's gorgeous longtime boyfriend Michael managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course Mia didn't need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royal oui.

But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: Her grandmother's leaked "fake" wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia's father from the throne, all because of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a monarch. Can Mia prove to everyone--especially herself--that she's not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?

I basically grew up reading a handful of authors, and Meg Cabot was one of the few I would read all the time. The Princess Diaries was probably the book that introduced me to YA lit. So, I'm incredibly excited that Cabot's writing another Princess Diaries novel! Mia as an adult! This should be interesting :)

What are you waiting on?

My Top Ten Beach Reads

Hosted by (and above image from) The Broke and the Bookish

1.   SUMMER trilogy by Jenny Han (A, B, F, G, H, I)
2.   THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER by Sarah Dessen (A, B, E, F**, G, H, I)
3.   TWENTY BOY SUMMER by Sarah Ockler (A, B, E, F, G, H, I)
4.   THE LAST SONG by Nicholas Sparks (A, B, E, F, G, H, I)
5.   MEDIATOR series by Meg Cabot (A, D, E*, F*, G, H, I)
6.   PRIVATE series by Kate Brian (A, B, F, G, H, I*)
7.   FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK by Melina Marchetta (C, D, E, F, H, I*)
8.   SIEGE AND STORM by Leigh Bardugo (B, C, D, E, F*, G, H, I*)
9.   BITTERBLUE by Kristin Cashore (B, D, E, F, G, H, I*)
10.   HARRY POTTER series by JK Rowling (A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I* = PERFECTION)

Lea's Beach Read Requirements
(A) Takes place during summer (in at least one book, if series)
(B) Has light or serious drama
(C) Super epic journey
(D) Magic or supernatural element
(E) Awesome main characters, * if they're sassy
(F) Swoonworthy romance, * if I adore them
(G) Involves water (even if it's only vaguely)
(H) Family / friends are present
(I) Secrets! * if there are many secrets.

Yes, I've got a whole system (in my mind, so it's a bit weird to see it written down) when it comes to what qualifies as a beach read. And yes, I'm a strange, bookish person.

What's your favorite beach read?

Top (slightly more than) Ten Books When You Need a Light & Fun Read

1.  HEIST SOCIETY and UNCOMMON CRIMINALS by Ally Carter
2.  THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER and ALONG FOR THE RIDE and WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE (and really any other book) by Sarah Dessen
3.  CLARITY by Kim Harrington
4.  THE LIAR SOCIETY by Lisa and Laura Roecker
5.  THE MEDIATOR series by Meg Cabot
6.  THE GHOST AND THE GOTH by Stacey Kade
7.  HEX HALL by Rachel Hawkins
8.  DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT by A and E Kirk
9.  OH MY GODS and SWEET VENOM by Tera Lynn Childs
10.  THE PRINCESS DIARIES series by Meg Cabot

Yes, I cheated. My list has way more than ten books, but I couldn't resist! It was too challenging to choose only ten! ;)

What books do you read when you need something light / fun? 

Image from and Hosted by THE BROKE AND THE BOOKISH

Top Ten Bookish Confessions

TTT is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish!

Top Ten Bookish Confessions (...."You dog ear, you hated a book but said you loved it, you have $500 library fines...anything goes!")

1.  My library *may* have discontinued my library card. I have no idea why, but my library card no longer works on my library website. It claims my card number doesn't exist. Maybe they discontinued it because I kept racking up (but paying back!) small but repetitive late-fee fines? I need to see if I can get that fixed soon, I miss checking books out of the library.

2.  I mark up classic books (The Scarlet Letter, Walden, et cetera). I highlight and put asterisks by favorite passages. I don't think I'd ever do this for YA books, but I find it useful for the classics.

3.  I use thin, glossy hardcover books as mouse pads. Whenever I need to use a wireless mouse for my laptop, I grab the skinniest book with the glossiest cover I can find (glossy = smoothest surface for mouse), and use it as a mouse pad. I used to use Breaking Dawn (I figured I should get some use out of it since I felt like I'd wasted money buying it), but I've found thinner hardcovers are better. 

4.  It took me almost a year before I read The Hunger Games, because I wasn't a fan of the cover. Weirdly, I love the cover for this book now and think that it suits the story perfectly.

5.  I claim to have read Pride & Prejudice, but I've really never actually finished it. I made it about three/fourths of the way in, and gave up (twice). I've seen the Kiera Knightly movie though, so that counts, right? ;)

(Forgive my terrible art skills when it comes to the above cartoon of YA Book Queen as a kid, but I needed something to fill this space. Me + 15 minutes + Microsoft Paint = a very, very bad idea)

6.  I hated reading when I was younger. Absolutely hated it. It wasn't until fourth or fifth grade that I started to like it, when I was gifted The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. That book made me a fan of reading, so I've always had a soft spot for novels by Meg Cabot. 

7.  I've been reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak since March 14th, 2012. That's like, a little over five months. And I'm still not done. 

8.  I stop reading awesome books after 100 pages, only to have to reread the book  two or three more times before I actually finish it. Sometimes it can take me well over a year to finish a book when this happens. This might be my one bad reading habit. I did this with Jellicoe Road, Finnikin of the Rock, Code Name Verity....and maybe The Book Thief (see #7).

9.  If you ruin or otherwise destroy a book of mine, I might secretly resent you. If you ruin an ARC, that's fine. A finished copy that I purchased and let you borrow, thinking you'd actually take care not to bend the pages / poor water on it / rip the pages out / mark up with a pen or pencil / et cetera? Yeah, I might be mad at you on the inside (especially if you don't offer to replace it or apologize). 

10.  I likely won't let you borrow any of my finished copies (see #9). I always feel bad about this, but I will rarely let anyone borrow finished copies from me. I've had too many bad experiences with people not respecting my books or not paying me back when they do ruin them (it's even worse when the book is autographed, because that's so hard to replace), so I rarely let anyone borrow my finished copies unless I trust them completely. 

What's one of your bookish confessions? 

Leave a link if you wrote a post! 

Top Ten Tuesday (8)

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Books I'd Save if My House Was About to be Abducted by (Mean) Aliens (Who Want My House/Bookshelf)

1.  The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling - I can count this as one book, right? Right??? And if not, then I'll begrudgingly choose book 4. 
2.  Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver - Love, love, love this book. Plus, it's autographed by Lauren and personalized to me. So, naturally, I wouldn't leave this baby behind. 
3.  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - Why? Because it's freaking awesome. That's why.
4.  Molly Fyde and the Parsona Rescue by Hugh Howey - Action, adventure, aliens, and it's autographed. How could I not save it?

5.  The Host by Stephenie Meyer - I may mock Twilight, but The Host is actually a pretty good and fascinating story. I'm hoping SM will write another Host book!
6.  A Million Suns by Beth Revis - Autographed and personalized, plus it's amazing. And it's set on a SPACESHIP, which is beyond cool. 
7.  The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen - It's a comfort read, and I could also never leave Wes behind to be abducted by aliens. He's just too swoonworthy. *swoons*
8.  The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater - Too awesome of a book to let it be abducted by aliens. 

9.  The Mediator series by Meg Cabot - Tough heroine + hot Spanish guy + ghosts. It's a winning combination. I adore these books!
10.  My Kindle - Yes, that's probably cheating, but whatever. At least it's small and easy to transport! 
So, what books would you save?

Top Ten Tuesday (3)

For more information on how to participate in Top Ten Tuesday and this week's topic, visit The Broke and Bookish for details! 

Top Ten Authors I'd Love to Have at my Thanksgiving Feast

1. JK Rowling - Not saying I'd be coherent enough to actually speak to her, but she would definitely be the first author I'd invite. 
2. Laini Taylor - She has awesome pink hair, therefore, she is invited. 
3. Lauren Oliver - She's a favorite author of mine, so naturally, I'd love to have her as a Thanksgiving guest. Plus, maybe I could manage to get some insider info on Pandemonium ;)
4. Meg Cabot - I'd mostly want Meg over just to say how I'm thankful for the books she's written. Even in the worst moments of my life, where everything was just terrible, Meg's books were a comfort zone that I'm eternally thankful for. 
5. Sarah Dessen - Same reasoning as above. I am a long-time Dessen fan :)
6. Maggie Stiefvater - She's Maggie freaking Stiefvater. That's reason enough for wanting her over.  

7. Daisy Whitney - Loved her debut, and Daisy always seems so cheerful. Who wouldn't want someone like her at their Thanksgiving feast? The mood in the room would brighten immediately. 
8. Jay Asher - Poor Jay, he's the only guy I picked! Anyway, he's an awesome writer and he always seems so amusing on Facebook & his blog, so he would definitely have a place at my (very small) table. 
9. Maureen Johnson - She's kinda crazy, especially on Twitter, and therefore would make an amusing addition to the guest list. Maureen is practically all the entertainment you'd need during Thanksgiving dinner. 
10. Nancy Holder - Nancy is just so nice online! How could I not invite her? It'd be great to actually meet her in person. 

In My Mailbox 54

***

For Review (Vine Voice + Netgalley)

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Bought  

The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot (Kindle)

Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker

Received from ABC Family

A secret-filled copy of The Lying Game by Sara Shepard 

(click here to see my post)

Received from Penguin Group USA

A Nightshade book jacket to put over the hardcover version

(Now it'll match Wolfsbane!)

Thanks to Netgalley, HarperTeen, ABC Family, and Penguin! :)

What did you get this week?

Shadowland (The Mediator #1) by Meg Cabot

Shadowland by Meg Cabot 

(The Mediator #1)

Release: 2004

Pages: 304

Publisher: HarperTeen

Source: Bought

Summary:

Suze is a mediator -- a liaison between the living and the dead. In other words, she sees dead people. And they won't leave her alone until she helps them resolve their unfinished business with the living. But Jesse, the hot ghost haunting her bedroom, doesn't seem to need her help. Which is a relief, because Suze has just moved to sunny California and plans to start fresh, with trips to the mall instead of the cemetery, and surfing instead of spectral visitations...read more at Goodreads.

Review: By and far some of Cabot's best work, Shadowland (the first installment of the Mediator series) is witty, fun, and full of heart. 

Susannah "Suze" Simon isn't your average teen: she can't drive, she wears a motorcycle jacket, and she's a mediator - a person who can see, speak and (if necessary) give ghosts that extra nudge (or shove) into the beyond. Giving up NYC life to go live in Carmel, California, Suze attempts to make the best of her new stepfather, Andy, and his three sons, Jake (Sleepy), Brad (Dopey) and David (Doc). But the moment she steps foot in her so-not-Suze bedroom, she realizes the move will be more difficult than she anticipated. Mostly because of the Spanish-speaking ghost that refuses move out of her bedroom. But in comparison to a ghostly Queen Bee named Heather waiting for Suze at her new school, he's the least of her problems. Being a mediator, it's up to Suze to deal with Heather, especially before someone gets hurt...or worse.

Every time I reread this book, I'm reminded why I love Cabot's writing (especially her earlier work) so much. Cabot includes intriguing storylines, characters you can't help but to adore, a strong/realistic heroine, and an abundance of amusing moments to keep your spirits up. Suze isn't some weak protagonist - she's not afraid to defend herself and the people she cares about. This is also one of the few paranormal stories that manages to keep family/friendship at the heart of the story, and I love how Cabot writes a light paranormal story where the family is present and cares about our protagonist (instead of killing off the family/making her parents completely suck like other books do). There's enough to keep a reader pleasantly surprised as well.

If you're looking for a lighter, amusing paranormal story for summer, then Shadowland is the perfect choice. 

Highlights: Suze's witticisms and attitude bring this story to another level. She is without a doubt one of my favorite book characters. Even her stubbornness makes her endearing. Many of the characters - from Father Dominic, Jesse, to the Ackerman family - are enjoyable and amusing because of how realistic and unique they are. I loved the California descriptions because it was a bit interesting to see Suze's reactions to the beach/palm trees/Cali life in comparison to NYC. 

Lowlights: Not quite enough is done with some of the supporting characters (especially Jesse, Ceecee, Father Dominic, and Adam), but it is only the first novel. Besides, I already know that all of these characters get more page-time later on. 

Rating: 


Read an excerpt at Meg Cabot's website

In My Mailbox 49

For Review:

One Hundred Candles by Mara Purnhagen (signed)

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Possession by Elana Johnson

Bought with Buzz Bucks on Random Buzzers:

Rebel Angels by Libba Bray

Bought (printed books):
Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

Bought w/ Amazon Giftcard (Kindle eBooks):

Steel by Carrie Vaughn

The Mediator #1: Shadowland by Meg Cabot

White Cat by Holly Black

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

Storm Born by Richelle Mead

The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

The Mermaid's Mirror by LK Madigan

Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore

The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern's Classic of True Love and High Adventure by William Goldman

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann ($4.99 as an ebook!)

Thanks to Mara, Random Buzzers, the Amazon Vine Program, Elana Johnson and Simon & Schuster!

What did you get this week? 

In My Mailbox 43

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren, inspired by Pop Culture Junkie

Last few weeks of books

For Review: 

The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder

Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair by Elizabeth Laired (netgalley)

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern

Bought (Printed books):

The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard (my review)

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (my review)

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves

Bought and Freebies (Kindle eBooks - not pictured): 

Rosebush by Michele Jaffe

Insatiable by Meg Cabot

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Retro Demonology by Jana Oliver (freebie)

Wish by Alexandra Bullen (freebie)

Remedial Magic by Jenna Black (freebie)

Beasts and BFFs by Shannon Delany (freebie)

The Wild's Call by Jeri Smith-Ready (freebie)

From Pretty Little Liar's "A" 

Flowers and puzzle pieces

Thanks to Amy Holder, Lisa/Laura Roecker & Paul , Arianna, Leah & HarperCollins, Netgalley, and the wonderful publicity people at ABC Family. 

What's in your mailbox?

In My Mailbox 41

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren, inspired by Pop Culture Junkie

Books from November and from December so far, because it's been awhile since I've done an IMM post! 

For Review (accepted for review and randomly showed up):

• Sinful by Sara Dailey and Staci Weber
• Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton (Yay!!)
• Butterfly by Sonya Hartnett (two copies)
• Alien Invasion and Other Inconveniences by Brian Yansky (two copies)
• The 10 p.m. Question by Kate de Goldi (two copies)
• The Anti-Prom by Abby McDonald
• Sister Mischief by Laura Goode (two copies)

Bought: 

• Ruined by Simone Elkeles ("How to Ruin" trilogy - I couldn't resist buying it after sneaking a peak at the first chapter)
• Vanished by Meg Cabot (first two books in the 1-800-Where-R-U series)
• The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray (with Buzz Bucks - loved this book! So glad I finally have my own copy)
• Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead (It is killing me to have to wait until I finish with finals before I can start this one)
• Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen (Kindle for PC version - not pictured)

Won:

• Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales (I've heard this one is hilarious!)

Looks like I'll have some books for a giveaway! Thanks to Lauren from Candlewick, as well as Simon & Schuster, The Book Scout, Kelly Keaton, and Sara Dailey. 

Ah, anyone else have finals coming up in school? Best of luck to those who do!

What did you get this week?