Waiting on Wednesday (69)

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Through to YouEmily HainsworthOctober 2nd, 2012

A romantic sci-fi thriller about love and second chances. 
Camden Pike has been grief-stricken since his girlfriend, Viv, died. Viv was the last good thing in his life: helping him rebuild his identity after a career-ending football injury, picking up the pieces when his home life shattered, and healing his pain long after the pain meds wore off. And now, he’d give anything for one more glimpse of her. But when Cam makes a visit to the site of Viv’s deadly car accident, he sees some kind of apparition. And it isn’t Viv. 
The apparition’s name is Nina, and she’s not a ghost. She’s a girl from a parallel world, and in this world, Viv is still alive. Cam can’t believe his wildest dreams have come true. All he can focus on is getting his girlfriend back, no matter the cost. But things are different in this other world: Viv and Cam have both made very different choices, things between them have changed in unexpected ways, and Viv isn’t the same girl he remembers. Nina is keeping some dangerous secrets, too, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day. As Cam comes to terms with who this Viv has become, and the part Nina played in his parallel story, he’s forced to choose—stay with Viv or let her go—before the window closes between them once and for all.

Intriguing storyline + amazing cover = ???
Hopefully, it will be great! :) 
What are you waiting on?  
Image & Summary from Goodreads

Top 10 Books I'd Give A Theme Song To

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

***

1.  Delirium + "Open Your Eyes" + "Terrified" + "The Resistance (Muse cover)" = I got a little over-ambitious with three songs, but each work in different ways with the story.  
2.  Anna Dressed in Blood + "The Freddy Kruegar Theme Song" = Okay, so maybe only for when Anna's all scary and killing people. It only works well at those times (you think those scenes were scary? Try reading them to this music). Or maybe I should have just chose "Ghostbusters" ;)
3.  Before I Fall + "It's Not My Time" = Okay, so this is a little too obvious of a choice, but it's been awhile since I read the book, so it's the best I've got. 
4.  Between Shades of Gray + "Kenji" = This one is more of a "feeling" pairing because of the emotions song elicits. Slightly different yet similar situations, and the same heartbreaking emotion.  5.  Where She Went + "Over and Over" = For some reason, I just kept thinking of this song when reading Where She Went. I think "Set the Fire to the Third Bar" might work nicely too. 
6.  Tempest + "Fall For You" = Yet anther song that kept jumping into my mind while reading.... 

7.  Matched + "Window" = I just love the gorgeousness of this music, and think it goes nicely with the lyrical mood of Matched. 
8.  The Lord of the Rings + "Frodo, Don't Wear the Ring" = Okay, this one is a little ridiculous, but amusing. And yes, I was running out of song ideas at this point. 

That's all I've got! It was much harder to give a book a theme song than I originally thought it would be ;)
What book + song pairing would you make?

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium
Lauren Oliver
Released: February 1st, 2011
Pages: 448 (hardcover)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publicist & Bought

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn't understand that once love--the deliria--blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold.

Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Haloway has always looked forward to the day when she'll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy. 

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: she falls in love. 

"Everyone is asleep. They've been asleep for years. 

You seemed...awake."¹

Lena cannot wait to be cured when she turns eighteen. She doesn't want to be affected by amor deliria nervousa, to become infected by love. But when her best friend, Hana, sparks something inside of her with a few words, Lena becomes more questioning and aware of her life. And once she begins associating with Alex, a young man she shouldn't be befriending, everything changes. The day she once counted down to is fast approaching, only Lena isn't so sure she wants to be cured anymore. 

In Delirium, Lauren Oliver introduces Lena and her society in such a way that you can't help but to feel as though you're looking in on a very different yet realistic life. I liked this novel the first time, but fell in love with the story even more after rereading it - this novel really is more stunning than I can convey. The beginning is slowly paced, yes, but it sets the groundwork and helps show the changes Lena goes through more clearly. With a heart-aching romance at the core of Delirium, Oliver delivers an astounding story filled with love, loss, and more than you can even dream of.

Highlights: Love is a disease? Genius. The ending left me in complete shock². Alex and Lena's romance was sweet and endearing. Side characters, like Hana, were nicely written. Lena's character growth was amazing, too. The epigraphs for each chapter gave a more complete view of Lena's society. Oliver's writing is as stunning as ever in Delirium, and this is simply a story that must be read.  

Lowlights: Slow pacing took a bit of time to adjust to, but it's worth it. And the ending! Such torture. 

Rating: 

1 spoken by the oh so gorgeous Alex on pg. 230
2 I'm rarely shocked, yet this ending rendered me speechless.

 

Cover & Summary from Goodreads

In My Mailbox (72)

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Only one book this week!

Purchased (Kindle)The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa
I'm still finishing up reading The Iron Queen, but I can't wait to see what happens next! 
What books did you get this week?

Image from Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday (68)

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Cross My HeartSasha GouldMarch 13th, 2012

Venice, 1585.
When 16-year-old Laura della Scala learns that her older sister, Beatrice, has drowned, she is given no time to grieve. Instead, Laura's father removes her from the convent where he forcibly sent her years earlier and orders her to marry Beatrice's fiancé, a repulsive old merchant named Vincenzo. Panicked, Laura betrays a powerful man to earn her way into the Segreta, a shadowy society of women who deal in only one currency—secrets. The Segreta seems like the answer to Laura's prayers. The day after she joins their ranks, Vincenzo is publicly humiliated and conveniently exiled. Soon, however, Laura begins to suspect that her sister's death was not a tragic accident but a cold-blooded murder—one that might involve the Segreta and the women she has come to trust.

So intriguing! Secrets, a shadowy society, murder...I'm sold.
What are you waiting on?

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?

Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Wanderlove 
Kirsten Hubbard
Release: March 13th, 2012
Pages: 335 (hardcover)Publisher: Delacorte BooksSource: Netgalley

It all begins with a stupid question: Are you a Global Vagabond? 
No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path. 
Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves...read more at Goodreads.  

Sometimes you have to lose yourself in order to discover who you are and exactly what you're capable of. For Bria Sandoval, she hopes to find the newer, better version of herself in Central America. Only, her original plans go astray when she decides to follow Starling and Rowan through the more interesting (and so not in a tour brochure) parts of Central America. Along the way, Bria finds that there's more to discover than she originally realized....

I liked Kirsten Hubbard's debut, Like Mandarin, and I expected something similar for her sophomore novel...and it blew me away. Like petals from a dandelion floating in the wind, I was simply along for the ride when reading this lively story. Wanderlove is the story Hubbard was meant to write, and it's easy to see that she put heart and soul into this story. The narrator, Bria, is likable from the start, and her growth throughout her journeys only adds to that. The locations are wonderfully depicted, and my imagination ran wild with them. Simply put, Wanderlove has easily become one of my favorite novels. 
Highlights: The artwork gives Bria and Wanderlove more depth and uniqueness¹. Every aspect rings true - every single character, each exotic location, and even the story itself. Rowan and Starling revealed themselves to be more layered than I originally gave them credit for. An inspiring story, lovely writing, endearing characters - everything is a highlight in Wanderlove.
Lowlights: Predictable moments? Nearly every contemporary novel has predictable moments, so I can't fault this story for that.   
Rating: 
1 I wish there had been more drawings, because I loved them so much. Why can't all novels have drawings?


Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes and Nobles / The Book Depository

In My Mailbox (71)

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***
After weeks of computer issues (and no computer for month),
YA Book Queen is finally back in action!

Only a couple books this week...

Purchased (Kindle)

Ten Cents a Dance by Christine FletcherRaised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
I keep hearing great things about RbW, so I'm excited to start it!
What did you get this week?

Waiting on Wednesday (67)

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The Raven Boys Maggie Stiefvater September 18th, 2012

Filled with mystery, romance, and the supernatural, The Raven Boys introduces readers to Richard “Dick” Campbell Gansey, III and Blue Sargent. Gansey has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on the hunt to find Glendower, a vanished Welsh king. Legend has it that the first person to find him will be granted a wish—either by seeing him open his eyes, or by cutting out his heart.

Blue Sargent, the daughter of the town psychic in Henrietta, Virginia, has been told for as long as she can remember that if she ever kisses her true love, he will die. But she is too practical to believe in things like true love. Her policy is to stay away from the rich boys at the prestigious Aglionby Academy. The boys there—known as Raven Boys—can only mean trouble. When Gansey and his Raven Boy friends come into her life, Blue realizes how true this is. She never thought her fortune would be a problem. But she was wrong.

A new Maggie Stiefvater book/series! It sounds so intriguing, too.
This one is definitely going to be on my wishlist!
What are you waiting on?

Giveaway: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

Winner #1 will receive a finished copy of A Million Suns

Winner #2 will receive an ARC of A Million Suns

International

Ends February 24th, 2012

Contest Policy

Please fill out the form below

Blog Tour Interview and Giveaway with A & E Kirk

Today is the fourth stop on the Demons at Deadnight Blog Tour, and I have two lovely ladies, A & E Kirk, here to answer some questions!

Quick! Describe Demons at Deadnight in 7 words or less! 

Seven words or less? Already we have to edit. *sigh* Okay: Hunks, heroine, hellions, humor, thriller, action, romance!

 

Darn it! We were trying to do it completely with alliteration. Can anyone come up with “h” words for thriller, action, and romance? If so, you officially earn Bomb-Shiggity status!

 

What was the experience like writing Demons at Deadnight together?

(A) Fun! We break the book up into scenes and each take sequential sections.  The best part for me was that I got to be surprised by Aurora’s story. Mom got an idea for a scene in her head, would giggle, run with it, and I got to be the reader instead of the writer.

 

(E) I wasn’t alone! With Alyssa I have someone who knows my imaginary world and characters as well I, someone with the same passion and excitement about them. It’s a blast brainstorming together! 

 

Fill in the blank: "I could not have written Demons at Deadnight without ___________"

(A) My brothers. (Jake is making me type this and he now demands I say “loving and supportive brothers,” and adds that I need to throw “strippers” into an answer. Why? I don’t know.)

 

Truthfully, they consulted. Told us when the boys were acting like guys and when the boys were acting like girls masquerading as guys. They helped inspire the humor throughout the book. A lot of the jokes or funny stunts the Hex Boys pull are derived from actual things my brothers have done. Scary, I know.

 

(E) Sleepless nights and strippers. (Had to get that in for Jake.) And Alyssa, of course!

 

Any favorite quotes from Demons at Deadnight that you can share? 

Oh boy, there are a lot of those. But so many only make sense in the context of the scene. However, here are a couple you might enjoy.

 

Eileen’s Fave:

 BLAKE: “While I was in the shower, my clothes mysteriously disappeared from my locker. Know anything about that Ayden?”

 

AYDEN: “The less I know about you in the shower, the better.”

 

Alyssa’s Fave Quote:

Aurora’s talking first: “…Do you always go around knocking strange girls off their feet and then hammering them with a barrage of personal questions?” I finished with a cocky smirk.

 

Mr. Exotic leveled me a steady stare, a sly smile gaining momentum. “Do you always end up straddling the guys who do?”

 

What one item – that's usually considered normal and a non-weapon – would you want to have if you were about to engage in a fight with a demon? 

Since there are two of us, we each get one thing, right? (That can’t cheating.) Alyssa chooses a salt shaker, Eileen chooses a folding lawn chair. Wonder twins unite! (points if you get this old superhero reference)

 

Scenario time: The two of you are out for a walk one lovely evening when a demon stumbles across your path (what are the odds, right?). Luckily, you both happen to have your one item from the previous question, so you’re both completely prepared for whatever comes next (well, hopefully). The demon turns his gaze to the two of you, and he slowly begins to draw closer. This demon is out for blood....What do you do next?

 

Yummy! This one’s fun! Alyssa’s cat Van Helsing (yes, he’s real, not Alyssa’s imaginary friend) always stalks us on our walks, so he’s there too. Aaaaand, ACTION!

 

Eileen flips open lawn chair. Alyssa rips off top of shaker. We dump salt all over Helsing. Chair becomes catapult and we launch Helsing into the demons gaping mouth of menace. *Gasp!*

 

But fear not! The salt acts as Helsing’s cloak of safety. It eats away like acid on the hellion from the inside out. Helsing claws and bites with his own vicious internal attack. Moments later—Kaboom! Demon explodes back to Hell. Helsing lands on his feet—a little slobbery and peeved with Alyssa—gives us a haughty hiss, and saunters back home to his favorite chair. (See before and after photos)

Lea, thank you so much for allowing us to visit YA Book Queen, where there are never any lowlights because you are always the highlight of our day! And thank you both for the wonderful interview, even when I threw you both to the demons :)_____________________________________________

International Swag Giveaway!One winner will receive Bubbles (an adorable stuffed Platypus), a Celtic Cross, and a Hex Boy Heaven poster!

______________________________________________And, You Could Win A Kindle Fire!! 

To enter to win the Kindle Fire you need to know the secret phrase given out one word at a time by each blog tour host. Put the words together in sequential order and you'll eventually have the secret phrase! Right now you can Tweet and Follow on the AE KIRK Blog Tour Page to get points but starting March 9 (at the end of the tour) you can enter the complete phrase on the AE KIRK Blog Tour Page and earn BIG entry points! Your Kindle Fire will also include your choice of a DEMONS AT DEADNIGHT Skin. Either from the cover, or a Hex Boy group shot or individual "Team" skin of your favorite Hex Hunk!

The word you need from my blog is: "AND"  Check out A & E Kirk's website to see the other stops on the tour!
 

Waiting on Wednesday (66)

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Rebel Heart (Dust Lands #2)

Moira Young

October 30th, 2012

The Tonton have been defeated. Lugh has been rescued.
The heartstone has brought Saba and Jack together.
Now, Saba and her family head west to meet him and start a new life.
All should be well.
 But shadows of the dead are stalking Saba.
And another kind of shadow is creeping over the dustlands.
Then a messenger shows up.
With news of Jack.

Loved the first book, Blood Red Road, so I'm very excited for this one!

What are you waiting on?