Top Ten Books At The Top Of My Summer TBR List

SUMMER TBR – REVIEW BOOKS
1.   STARRY NIGHTS by Daisy Whitney
2.   THE BITTER KINGDOM by Rae Carson
3.   THE BONE SEASON by Samantha Shannon
4.   WHERE THE STARS STILL SHINE by Trish Doller
5.   THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE by Leila Sales

SUMMER TBR – PLEASURE READS
6.   IN HONOR by Jessi Kirby
7.   SLICE OF CHERRY by Dia Reeves
8.   FROI OF THE EXILES by Melina Marchetta
9.   THE BOOK OF BROKEN HEARTS by Sarah Ockler
10.   DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT by Laini Taylor

Now, I just have to decide what to read first. That will be challenging....if you want to participate in this meme, visit The Broke and The Bookish for more information!

What's at the top of your summer TBR list?

The Queen's Library (33)

This week was amazing, and not just because of the books. First, I attended an incredible book signing on Sunday that featured six fantastic authors.  

Then, I found out on Monday that I received four A's for this past college semester - my first ever 4.0 GPA! I could hardly believe it, especially since two of those were from senior-level classes that made me work for those grades. I've been a crazy-happy mess all week!

Finally, I changed the design for YA Book Queen. Changed, as in, I gave it a clean slate. It's not flashy, but I'm happy to see YA Book Queen looking less cluttered. I deleted most of the items in my sidebar, moved a few around, and changed my social media icons (thank you Lori, for the free & fabulous options). I'm attempting to find / make a decent background, but in the meantime, I'll likely keep changing it to different colors. Although, I'm pretty sure I screwed up coding somewhere, because I don't seem to be capable of using bullet points without it looking like a mess...but that's what I get for messing with HTML myself! I'll have to put "professional blog design" on my Christmas list!

Now, onto the books! 

GIFTED FROM FAMILY
IN HONOR by Jessi Kirby (autographed to me)
LET THE SKY FALL by Shannon Messenger (autographed to me)
THE BOOK OF BROKEN HEARTS by Sarah Ockler (autographed to me)

FOR REVIEW
NOT A DROP TO DRINK by Mindy McGinnis (via Edelweiss)
THIS SONG WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE by Leila Sales (via the fabulous Ksenia)

PURCHASED
JANE by April Lindner ($3.60 at Amazon!)

I also got my copies of THE BODY FINDER, THE DESIRES OF THE DEAD, MOONGLASS, and all of Sarah Ockler's books autographed. I still can't believe I got to meet the authors! Many thanks to my family for the books, to Ksenia + Macmillan for TSWSYL, and to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for NaDtD!

What books did you get this week? 

The feature is inspired by Pop Culture Junkie's This Week In Books, The Story Siren's In My Mailbox, and Mailbox Monday. The Queen's Library is a way for me to feature books that I add to my bookshelves and a place to post my weekly recommendations. This is not a new meme, but merely an adjusted feature that is better suited to my blog and needs.

Recap: Summer Lovin' Tour Stop at Copperfield's Books

I managed to find the time to attend the May 19th stop on the Summer Lovin' tour, and I'm so glad that I did! The lovely Zoe from Zoe's Book Review's was moderating, and there's was a nicely sized group readers in attendance (including Nancy of Ravenous Readers, Katie of Twirly Reads, and likely other people I didn't get a chance to talk to since I was in a rush).

I managed to get a few clips of each author speaking. But, my camera is getting a bit old, so there's some extra noise and the image quality is only decent (I'm sorry it isn't better!):

Accidentally cut off Morgan Matson... 

All six authors!

The book signing begins...

Fun Facts I Didn't Catch On Camera

*   Sarah Ockler uses tarot cards quite a lot. Also, she's apparently a total master at using spreadsheets to plan her books.

*   Jessi Kirby was arrested in the middle of class during high school by a police officer (who happened to be her uncle). Her mom put him up to it, though. 

*   Author Stacey Jay stopped by, and she was rocking some killer boots (my battery died, so I couldn't snap a pic)


And honestly, I probably forgot all of the other fun stuff, Sunday was a crazy day for me. If you live near the last two tour stops, you should definitely visit these ladies! I wish I could have stuck around for a bit longer, it was a great event!

Waiting on Wednesday (94)

WoW is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Golden by Jessi Kirby

May 14th, 2013

Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost may be a distant relative of Robert Frost, but she has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she’s about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a mystery in her lap—one that might be the key to uncovering the truth behind a town tragedy, she decides to take a chance.

I absolutely loved Kirby's debut novel, Moonglass (I still need to read In Honor), so I'm very, very curious about this book!

What are you waiting on?

Best of 2011

My 11 Best Books of 2011(in no particular order)
1.  Delirium by Lauren Oliver2.  Clarity by Kim Harrington3.  Divergent by Veronica Roth
4.  Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
5.  Blood Red Road by Moira Young
6.  The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton7.  Across the Universe by Beth Revis8.  Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
9.  The Liar Society by Lisa & Laura Roecker
10.  Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
11. What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Best Female Main CharacterKarou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Best Male Main CharacterCas from Anna Dressed in Blood
Funniest Main CharacterSophie from Demonglass
Most Realistic Main CharacterTiki from The Faerie Ring

Best Supporting Male CharacterFour from Divergent
Best Supporting Female CharacterAnna from Anna Dressed in Blood
Most SwoonworthyFour from DivergentRieker from The Faerie Ring
Best HorrorAnna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Best Villain (Orion) from Across the Universe
Best Sci-fi & MysteryAcross the Universe by Beth Revis
Best FantasyDaughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Best DystopianDivergent by Veronica Roth

Best Romance & WritingDelirium by Lauren Oliver
Best HistoricalBetween Shades of Gray by Ruta SepetysThe Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
Best ContemporaryRival by Sara Bennett WealerMoonglass by Jessi Kirby

Best Verse NovelThe Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Best Ending to a Series/TrilogyThe Forgotten Locket by Lisa Mangum
Best SequelUncommon Criminals by Ally CarterDemonglass by Rachel Hawkins
Most UniqueBlood Red Road by Moira Young

Most SurprisingAnna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

 

Best Cover of 2011Possession by Elana JohnsonAcross the Universe by Beth Revis

The Must-Read Book of 2011Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Considering the amount of ties I gave (seriously, it was so hard to narrow it down!), I'd say 2011 was an epic book year. 
What was one of the best books you read in 2011?

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Release: May 3rd, 2011

Pages: 224 (Hardcover)

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Source: Amazon Vine

Summary:

"I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both." 

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface. 

While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.

Review: Moonglass is a lot more than a summer book - it's a spectacular and heartfelt story. 

From the first page in, Anna's voice grabbed me. As the chapters went by, it was easy to see that Anna's not like other YA heroines, but she was still relatable and likable. The ocean has always been a part of Anna's life, and it was also what led to her mother's death. Moving to Crystal Cove, the place where her parents met years ago, she starts uncovering secrets about her parents - and especially her mother - that she never could have believed... 

Set in Crystal Cove (and yes, Kirby's descriptions of it do make it sound like a gorgeous, stunning place to live), Moonglass is flush with wonderful descriptions of the beach, cottages and summer life...It makes this book the perfect summer read. Kirby's prose is reminiscent of Sarah Dessen's work, with easy to enjoy characters and a nice flow to the writing. In the end, I felt it was worthwhile to read this story. Filled with  a dash of humor and touching, heartwarming moments, Moonglass is worthy of being put on your To-Be-Read list.

Highlights: Kirby introduces a more confident protagonist with Anna, which is a bit of a rarity in YA lit. Despite her extra-flirtatious attitude, she was still human and had flaws and doubts. I enjoyed how her other supporting characters were flawed as well - no one in this story was perfect. While there is a romantic element, it never felt too important to story (which I loved. This book was about Anna and her family, plain and simple).

Lowlights: It was far, far too short and not enough for me to give it a full rating. I was honestly surprised by how quickly it ended, because the story didn't feel complete to me. I need more of these characters(like Tyler, Ashley, and my favorite character - the Crystal Crawler), and more development with them. *fingers crossed Kirby writes a sequel*

Rating:   

In My Mailbox 51

******

For Review (From Amazon Vine/Publisher/Publicists):

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

All You Desire by Kirsten Miller

Legend by Marie Lu (two copies)

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Bought:

Siren by Tricia Rayburn (Review)

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Divergent by Veronica Roth (Review)

It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

From Tera Lynn Childs:

Splash Team kit for Fins Are Forever

(bookmarks/tattoos/pin)

From ABC Family:

Game Box to play Nine Paths to Chloe King

Bastet Charm for the Third Path

Thanks to Lauren, Amazon Vine, Penguin Group USA, Ksenia, Tera, and ABC Family :)

What did you get this week? 

Waiting on Wednesday (Times Two!)

WOW is hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Release: May 3rd, 2011

Summary:

"I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both."  

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.  

While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.

I am so glad this comes out next week, because I have been dying to read this one! The review's I've seen have been amazing - and I love the cover :)

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

Release: October 1st, 2011

Summary: 

We meet Liesl the night after the day her young father has died. That same day she is visited by a ghost, Po, an eight year old boy who lives on the other side, the territory between life and death that runs parallel to the living world. Po has come to tell her that her father is stuck on the other side, and that she is the only one who can help him cross over. A couple of wooden boxes. Some ashes. Some magic dust. A ghost, its pet, and a boy who forgot to wear a hat in the cold. From these seemingly odd, random characters Oliver weaves the enchanting story of how, with the aid of Liesl, these elements come together over the course of one week to restore love and luster to a world gone grey and heartless.

I am absolutely and positively waiting on this book because (A) It's written by Lauren Oliver and (B) Lauren Oliver can do no wrong when it comes to writing books (in my opinion - I adore her writing style). It's bound to be fantastically amazing (and how cute is that cover?).

What are you waiting on this week?