Weekly Wishlist (#24)

Because I needed a post in my life that kept me up to date on all things BOOKS!  and it seemed like Wishlist Wednesday was dead, I decided to make my own.

Welcome to Weekly Wishlist!

I’m all about breaking bending the rules to my will, so I’m switching it up!  I’m going to pair books that are already in the wild (except not this one because I ran out of books to include that have already been published–what is this madness?!)…with books soon to be released. Click the covers to be taken to the Amazon page.

DOMINO: A runaway with blood on her hands.

CAIN: A silent boy about to explode.

MADAM KARINA: A woman who demands obedience.

WILSON: The one who will destroy them all.

When Madam Karina discovers Domino in an alleyway, she offers her a position inside her home for entertainers in secluded West Texas. Left with few alternatives and an agenda of her own, Domino accepts. It isn’t long before she is fighting her way up the ranks to gain the madam’s approval. But after suffering weeks of bullying and unearthing the madam’s secrets, Domino decides to leave. It’ll be harder than she thinks, though, because the madam doesn’t like to lose inventory. But then, Madam Karina doesn’t know about the person living inside Domino’s mind.

Madam Karina doesn’t know about Wilson.

Why I want it:

While the cover alone is GOOOOORGEOUS and calls to me like a siren…I wasn’t hooked until the blurb.  Seriously, this book sounds SO SO GOOD, I cannot wait to get my tuna-fish covered flippers on it!

Emilie Day believes in playing it safe: she’s homeschooled, her best friend is her seizure dog, and she’s probably the only girl on the Outer Banks of North Carolina who can’t swim.

Then Emilie’s mom enrolls her in public school, and Emilie goes from studying at home in her pj’s to halls full of strangers. To make matters worse, Emilie is paired with starting point guard Chatham York for a major research project on Emily Dickinson. She should be ecstatic when Chatham shows interest, but she has a problem. She hasn’t told anyone about her epilepsy.

Emilie lives in fear her recently adjusted meds will fail and she’ll seize at school. Eventually, the worst happens, and she must decide whether to withdraw to safety or follow a dead poet’s advice and “dwell in possibility.”

Why I want it:

First of all, LOOK LOOK LOOOOOOK at that cover!  I mean, can we just talk about it for a minute?!  Because it’s drool-worthy and I need it in my life.  Secondly…Well, I mean, Emily Dickinson plays some role in this book, and I adoooooore me her words!  So…win-win!?

From the national bestselling author of Alice comes a familiar story with a dark hook—a tale about Peter Pan and the friend who became his nemesis, a nemesis who may not be the blackhearted villain Peter says he is…

There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy.

Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter’s idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite.

Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever.

Why I want it:

I mean… you all KNOW I’m obsessed with Peter Pan, right?  So…do I really need to explain myself here?  Really?!

Have a book YOU’D like to recommend to me?!  AWESOME!  Either shoot me a comment down below, or send me a recommendation on Goodreads RIGHT HERE!

What do you guys think–have you read any of these…or WANT to?  What did you think of them, if so?  Let me know your thoughts and as always…

Until next time, happy book-ing!

Wishlist Wednesday (#23)

Because I needed a post in my life that kept me up to date on all things BOOKS!  and it seemed like Wishlist Wednesday was dead, I decided to make my own.

Welcome to Weekly Wishlist!

I’m all about breaking bending the rules to my will, so I’m switching it up!  I’m going to pair books that are already in the wild (except not this one because I ran out of books to include that have already been published–what is this madness?!)…with books soon to be released. Click the covers to be taken to the Amazon page.

Can friendship, Star Trek, drama club, and a whole lot of coffee get two nerdy best friends through the beginning of their senior year of high school?

Meg and Linus are best friends bound by a shared love of school, a coffee obsession, and being queer. It’s not always easy to be the nerdy lesbian or gay kid in a suburban town. But they have each other. And a few Star Trek boxed sets. They’re pretty happy.

But then Sophia, Meg’s longtime girlfriend, breaks up with Meg. Linus starts tutoring the totally dreamy new kid, Danny—and Meg thinks setting them up is the perfect project to distract herself from her own heartbreak. But Linus isn’t so sure Danny even likes guys, and maybe Sophia isn’t quite as out of the picture as Meg thought she was. . . .

From crowdsourced young adult imprint Swoon Reads comes Meg & Linus by Hanna Nowinski, a fun friendship story about two quirky teens who must learn to get out of their comfort zones and take risks—even if that means joining the drama club, making new friends, and learning how to stand on your own.

Why I want it:

Diverse characters.  HUGE focus on friendship instead of the romance.  #NerdCulture.  What MORE could I possibly ever need out of a book?!

Perfect for fans of Finding Audrey and Everything, Everything, this is the poignant and uplifting story of Maeve, who is dealing with anxiety while falling in love with a girl who is not afraid of anything.

Think positive.
Don’t worry; be happy.
Keep calm and carry on.

Maeve has heard it all before. She’s been struggling with severe anxiety for a long time, and as much as she wishes it was something she could just talk herself out of, it’s not. She constantly imagines the worst, composes obituaries in her head, and is always ready for things to fall apart. To add to her troubles, her mom—the only one who really gets what Maeve goes through—is leaving for six months, so Maeve will be sent to live with her dad in Vancouver.

Vancouver brings a slew of new worries, but Maeve finds brief moments of calm (as well as even more worries) with Salix, a local girl who doesn’t seem to worry about anything. Between her dad’s wavering sobriety, her very pregnant stepmom insisting on a home birth, and her bumbling courtship with Salix, this summer brings more catastrophes than even Maeve could have foreseen. Will she be able to navigate through all the chaos to be there for the people she loves?

Why I want it:

I mean, must I REALLY explain?  Really?!  Okay, fine.  1.) My family has a long history of addiction/substance abuse, so I can relate to that.  2.) I have my own anxiety demons to contend with, so point two. 3.) This just sounds heart-wrenching and adorable and I need it, okay?  NEED.

Meg Haston’s romantic and thrilling new YA novel explores a star-crossed high school relationship in a tale rife with deeply buried secrets and shocking revelations.

Bridge and Wil have been entangled in each other’s lives for years. Under the white-hot Florida sun, they went from kids daring each other to swim past the breakers to teenagers stealing kisses between classes. But when Bridge betrayed Wil during their junior year, she shattered his heart and their relationship along with it.

Then Wil’s family suffers a violent loss, and Bridge rushes back to Wil’s side. As they struggle to heal old wounds and start falling for each other all over again, Bridge and Wil discover just how much has changed in the past year. As the fierce current of tragedy threatens to pull them under, they must learn how to swim on their own—or risk drowning together.

Why I want it:

I am a huge believer in soulmates…of pretty much EVERY kind.  Friends can be soulmates; family can be soulmates; pets can be soulmates.  Sometimes in life, we find that ONE person or that ONE thing that keeps cropping up and keeps us going–even if they don’t stick around for long, or wind up hurting you.  I just…this book sounds so so cute and endearing!

From the author of Epic Fail comes the story of Chloe Mitchell, a Los Angeles girl on a quest to find love for her autistic sister, Ivy. Ethan, from Ivy’s class, seems like the perfect match. It’s unfortunate that his older brother, David, is one of Chloe’s least favorite people, but Chloe can deal, especially when she realizes that David is just as devoted to Ethan as she is to Ivy.

Uncommonly honest and refreshingly funny, this is a story about sisterhood, autism, and first love. Chloe, Ivy, David, and Ethan, who form a quirky and lovable circle, will steal readers’ hearts and remind us all that it’s okay to be a different kind of normal.

Why I want it:

This book blurb promises some unique characters and some heavy topics, and I love books that pair those two things together!

Have a book YOU’D like to recommend to me?!  AWESOME!  Either shoot me a comment down below, or send me a recommendation on Goodreads RIGHT HERE!

What do you guys think–have you read any of these…or WANT to?  What did you think of them, if so?  Let me know your thoughts and as always…

Until next time, happy book-ing!

Weekly Wishlist (#22)

Because I needed a post in my life that kept me up to date on all things BOOKS!  and it seemed like Wishlist Wednesday was dead, I decided to make my own.

Welcome to Weekly Wishlist!

I’m all about breaking bending the rules to my will, so I’m switching it up!  I’m going to pair books that are already in the wild (except not in this one because I ran out of books to include that haven’t already been published!)…with books soon to be released. Click the covers to be taken to the Amazon page.

Rumor Mora fears two things: hellhounds too strong for him to kill, and failure. Jude Welton has two dreams: for humans to stop killing monsters, and for his strange abilities to vanish.

But in no reality should a boy raised to love monsters fall for a boy raised to kill them.

Nyx Llorca keeps two secrets: the moon speaks to her, and she’s in love with Dahlia, her best friend. Braeden Tennant wants two things: to get out from his mother’s shadow, and to unlearn Epsilon’s darkest secret.

They’ll both have to commit treason to find the truth.

During one twenty-seven-hour night, if they can’t stop the war between the colonies and the monsters from becoming a war of extinction, the things they wish for will never come true, and the things they fear will be all that’s left.

27 Hours is a sweeping, thrilling story featuring a stellar cast of queer teenagers battling to save their homes and possibly every human on Sahara as the clock ticks down to zero.

Why I want it:

GAAAAAAH, talk about a killer blurb with serious heart-string-pulling powers of AWESOME.  Seriously, the first time I read this blurb, I was awe-struck…and remain so now, reading over it again.  I need this book!

You resent her. You can’t stand her. You might even hate her.

But you don’t know her at all.

Hope knows there’s only one thing coming between her and her longtime crush: his girlfriend, Parker. She has to sit on the sidelines and watch as the perfect girl gets the perfect boy . . . because that’s how the universe works, even though it’s so completely wrong.

Parker doesn’t feel perfect. She knows if everyone knew the truth about her, they’d never be able to get past it. So she keeps quiet. She focuses on making it through the day with her secret safe . . . even as this becomes harder and harder to do. And Hope isn’t making it any easier. . . .

In Just Another Girl, Elizabeth Eulberg astutely and affectingly shows us how battle lines get drawn between girls — and how difficult it then becomes to see or understand the girl standing on the other side of the divide.

You think you have an enemy. But she’s just another girl.

Why I want it:

I will admit, I was THIS GIRL in high school.  The one who crushed on a friend’s boyfriend…and became frenemies with the girl, loathed the girl, wished the girl out of the way at every single turn of day.  I was this girl…and looking back on it now, I’m still not sure WHY.  This book is tackling girl-hate, and I want to see where Elizabeth Eulberg leads us.

A novel of love and monsters.

Sisters Esme, Katy, and Ronnie are smart, talented, and gorgeous, and better yet . . . all three are witches. They have high school wired until the arrival of two new students. The first is Norman, who is almost eight feet tall and appears to be constructed of bolts and mismatched body parts. Despite his intimidating looks, Esme finds herself strangely — almost romantically — drawn to both his oversized brain and oversized heart.

The second new arrival is Zack, an impossibly handsome late transfer from the UK who has the girls at school instantly mesmerized. Soon even sensible Esme has forgotten Norman, and all three sisters are in a flat-out hex war to win Zack. But while the magic is flying, only Norman seems to notice that students who wander off alone with Zack end up with crushed bones and memory loss. Or worse, missing entirely.

Hearts & Other Body Parts is a wickedly addictive novel about love, monsters, and loyalty. And oh yeah, a Japanese corpse-eating demon cat.

Why I want it:

All I can think is, BECAUSE I DOOOOO!  Like…there’s not even really a coherent reason behind it.  I just WANT it.

Emilie Day believes in playing it safe: she’s homeschooled, her best friend is her seizure dog, and she’s probably the only girl on the Outer Banks of North Carolina who can’t swim.

Then Emilie’s mom enrolls her in public school, and Emilie goes from studying at home in her pj’s to halls full of strangers. To make matters worse, Emilie is paired with starting point guard Chatham York for a major research project on Emily Dickinson. She should be ecstatic when Chatham shows interest, but she has a problem. She hasn’t told anyone about her epilepsy.

Emilie lives in fear her recently adjusted meds will fail and she’ll seize at school. Eventually, the worst happens, and she must decide whether to withdraw to safety or follow a dead poet’s advice and “dwell in possibility.”

Why I want it:

“Hope is the thing with feathers/ That perches in the soul”…. Let’s list out the reasons right quick, yes?  1.) Character with epilepsy. 2.) Emily Dickinson. 3.) THAT COVER.  Someone just kindly stick this book in my mailbox, please and thank you?!

Have a book YOU’D like to recommend to me?!  AWESOME!  Either shoot me a comment down below, or send me a recommendation on Goodreads RIGHT HERE!

What do you guys think–have you read any of these…or WANT to?  What did you think of them, if so?  Let me know your thoughts and as always…

Until next time, happy book-ing!

Weekly Wishlist (#21)

Because I needed a post in my life that kept me up to date on all things BOOKS!  and it seemed like Wishlist Wednesday was dead, I decided to make my own.

Welcome to Weekly Wishlist!

I’m all about breaking bending the rules to my will, so I’m switching it up!  I’m going to pair books that are already in the wild…with books soon to be released. Click the covers to be taken to the Amazon page.

Taking a hard look at the societal conventions that constrain teenage girls, William C. Morris Award finalist Carrie Mesrobian tells one girl’s story with bracing honesty and refreshing authenticity.

By her senior year of high school, Rianne has exhausted all the fun there is to have in small town Wereford, Minnesota. Volleyball season is winding down, the parties all feel tired, and now that she’s in a serious relationship with reformed player Luke Pinsky, her wild streak has ended. Not that she ever did anything more than the guys her age did…but she knows what everyone thinks of her.

Including her parents. Divorced but now inexplicably living together again, Rianne wonders why they’re so quick to point out every bad choice she’s making when they can’t even act like adults. With an uncomfortable home life and her once-solid group of friends now dissolving, the reasons for sticking around after high school are few. So why is Rianne in lockstep when it comes to figuring out her future?

That’s not the only question Rianne can’t answer. Lately she’s been wondering why, when she has a perfect-on-paper boyfriend, she wants anything but. Or how it is that Sergei, a broken-English-speaking Russian, understands her better than anyone who’s known her all her life? And why has Rianne gotten stuck with an “easy girl” reputation for doing the same exact things guys do without any judgment? Carrie Mesrobian, acclaimed author of Sex & Violence and Cut Both Ways, sets fire to the unfair stereotypes and contradictions that persist even in the twenty-first century.

Why I want it:

I read Firsts last year and really enjoyed how it flipped the world on its head, in a sense–and made me reconsider everything I thought I knew about things.  This book?  seems to be striving to do the same, and I need more of that in my life right now.

In the vibrant, volatile court of Henry VIII, can even the most willful young woman direct her own fate and follow her heart in a world ruled by powerful men?

Clever, headstrong Elizabeth Rose Camperdowne knows her duty. As the sole heiress to an old but impoverished noble family, Eliza must marry a man of wealth and title — it’s the only fate for a girl of her standing. But when a surprising turn of events lands her in the royal court as a maid of honor to Anne of Cleves, Eliza is drawn into the dizzying, dangerous orbit of Henry the Eighth and struggles to distinguish friend from foe. Is her glamorous flirt of a cousin, Katherine Howard, an ally in this deceptive place, or is she Eliza’s worst enemy? And then there’s Ned Barsby, the king’s handsome page, who is entirely unsuitable for Eliza but impossible to ignore. British historian Lucy Worsley provides a vivid, romantic glimpse of the treachery, tragedy, and thrills of life in the Tudor court.

Why I want it:

Simple answer:  I am OBSESSED with all things Tudor!  Period.

Years ago, Rachel had a crush on Henry Jones. The day before she moved away, she tucked a love letter into his favorite book in his family’s bookshop. She waited. But Henry never came.

Now Rachel has returned to the city—and to the bookshop—to work alongside the boy she’d rather not see, if at all possible, for the rest of her life. But Rachel needs the distraction. Her brother drowned months ago, and she can’t feel anything anymore.

As Henry and Rachel work side by side—surrounded by books, watching love stories unfold, exchanging letters between the pages—they find hope in each other. Because life may be uncontrollable, even unbearable sometimes. But it’s possible that words, and love, and second chances are enough.

Why I want it:

You know I’m ALL about words around here.  And cutesy contemporaries.  And second chances at love.  So….this book has pretty much everything for me!

Samantha Sykes is a beautiful young woman, but her life is ugly. Her wicked stepmother, twisted with jealousy, arranges a marriage for Samantha with a rich, arrogant and cruel man.

It only the actions of her concerned father that save her from this fate worse than death.

Or so it seems, until she discovers that her father’s plan is to send her hundreds of miles away to Lord Callum’s castle in Inverness, as servant and cook to a disfigured beast of a man, hidden from all but those who dare enter his maternal grandfather’s home.

Which is worse? Marriage to a monster, or servant to a beast?

In this original Regency fairytale the classic tale of Beauty and Beast takes a decidedly romantic Regency turn.

Why I want it:

Regency-era Beauty and the Beast retelling?!  I smell a definite YES! coming on, penguins!

Have a book YOU’D like to recommend to me?!  AWESOME!  Either shoot me a comment down below, or send me a recommendation on Goodreads RIGHT HERE!

What do you guys think–have you read any of these…or WANT to?  What did you think of them, if so?  Let me know your thoughts and as always…

Until next time, happy book-ing!

Weekly Wishlist (#20)

Because I needed a post in my life that kept me up to date on all things BOOKS!  and it seemed like Wishlist Wednesday was dead, I decided to make my own.

Welcome to Weekly Wishlist!

I’m all about breaking bending the rules to my will, so I’m switching it up!  I’m going to pair books that are already in the wild…with books soon to be released. Click the covers to be taken to the Amazon page.

Eva Walker is a seventeen-year-old math genius. And if that doesn’t do wonders for her popularity, there’s another thing that makes it even worse: when she touches another person or anything that belongs to them — from clothes to textbooks to cell phones — she sees a vision of their emotions. She can read a person’s fears and anxieties, their secrets and loves … and what they have yet to learn about calculus. This is helpful for her work as a math tutor, but it means she can never get close to people. Eva avoids touching anyone and everyone. People think it’s because she’s a clean freak — with the emphasis on freak — but it’s all she can do to protect herself from other people’s issues.

Then one day a new student walks into Eva’s life. His jacket gives off so much emotional trauma that she falls to the floor. Eva is instantly drawn to Zenn, a handsome and soulful artist who also has a troubled home life, and her feelings only grow when she realizes that she can touch Zenn’s skin without having visions. But when she discovers the history that links them, the truth threatens to tear the two apart.

Why I want it:

I’m a masochistic reader, penguins.  I will proclaim it to the world from the very tippity top of the tallest mountain if I must:  I LOVE books that burn me.  And this book?  Well, this book promises to do just that.  Also, the premise is SUPER intriguing and I just NEED it, okay?

It’s the start of Jordan Sun’s junior year at the Kensington-Blaine Boarding School for the Performing Arts. Unfortunately, she’s an Alto 2, which—in the musical theatre world—is sort of like being a vulture in the wild: She has a spot in the ecosystem, but nobody’s falling over themselves to express their appreciation. So it’s no surprise when she gets shut out of the fall musical for the third year straight.

Then the school gets a mass email: A spot has opened up in the Sharpshooters, Kensington’s elite a cappella octet. Worshiped … revered … all male. Desperate to prove herself, Jordan auditions in her most convincing drag, and it turns out that Jordan Sun, Tenor 1, is exactly what the Sharps are looking for.

Why I want it:

Little known fact about me:  I took choir for my ENTIRE middle and high school career.  I gave up taking art senior year so I could continue taking choir, in fact–one of the hardest decisions I had to make in regards to my schooling, honestly.  So this book?  WANT.  Also, there’s a bit of a Shakespeare thing happening with Jordan dressing in drag.

Matchmaker, matchmaker find me two matches.

When Maddie’s matchmaker best friend accidentally double books her blind date, it could be a disaster. But Clark and Mitch are a pair of perfect eligible bachelors: funny, smart, and undeniably handsome.

With one look at Maddie, Clark and Mitch know she’s the one. Both big city lawyers, they’re used to getting what they want and neither man will back down. They’ll fight it out in the courtroom of love until one wins or they both lose.

A love triangle is something Maddie never expected, but she’s caught between two men who satisfy all her desires. The more she falls for Clark and Mitch, the harder it is to break away. Can these three find a way to make a threesome work? Or is this match too good to be true?

Twice the Match is book one in the steamy ménage romance series The MFM Dating Agency. Series can be read in any order. No cheating, HEA guaranteed.

Why I want it:

This sounds like exactly the sort of dramatic, steamy YUMness I am consistently (lately) searching for!

From the New York Times bestselling author of Collide and Pulse comes a gritty new novel about a shattered young woman who unexpectedly falls for two best friends as she struggles to overcome the trauma of her tormented childhood.

They were a storm I never saw coming, an unforeseen heartbreak on the edge of a dangerous cliff.

Amber Moretti’s life changes in the span of minutes. An orphaned outsider, she is desperate to start fresh the moment she walks onto campus. In the time it takes to cross the university’s dining hall, she meets two men who bring color, air, and light to her darkened world.

They became my addiction, each a needle to my next hit, my high.

Brock Cunningham’s appeal is dizzying, a potent force Amber can’t deny. A green-eyed smooth talker, he instantly attracts Amber. It doesn’t take long for him to consume her every thought, her every breath.

Ryder Ashcroft, a blue-eyed, tattooed, and pierced bad boy, turns Amber off immediately—that is, until he kisses her, stealing a piece of her heart, her soul.

They were as opposite as fire and ice, yet I ached for them equally.

Never knowing she could be broken down in so many unexpectedly beautiful yet petrifying ways, Amber finds herself falling for both men.

Immoral? Maybe. I say undeniable. Uncontained.

But one event changes everything, shattering each of their lives…and Amber isn’t sure she can come back from it.

Why I want it:

Deanna from A Novel Glimpse recommended this read to me and I trust her taste in romance/steameh unconditionally, so…LET ME TAKE THE PLUNGE, okay!?  Also, she promises this book lives on the dark side…which…is intriguing, to say the least.

Have a book YOU’D like to recommend to me?!  AWESOME!  Either shoot me a comment down below, or send me a recommendation on Goodreads RIGHT HERE!

What do you guys think–have you read any of these…or WANT to?  What did you think of them, if so?  Let me know your thoughts and as always…

Until next time, happy book-ing!

Weekly Wishlist (#19)

Because I needed a post in my life that kept me up to date on all things BOOKS!  and it seemed like Wishlist Wednesday was dead, I decided to make my own.

Welcome to Weekly Wishlist!

I’m all about breaking bending the rules to my will, so I’m switching it up!  I’m going to pair books that are already in the wild…with books soon to be released. Click the covers to be taken to the Amazon page.

Gilmore Girls with magical realism! Dear Reader is an original, poignant modern-day take on Wuthering Heights, as a high school senior searches for her teacher and meets a boy who may just be Heathcliff come to life

For seventeen-year-old Flannery Fields, the only respite from the plaid-skirted mean girls at Sacred Heart High School at is her beloved teacher Miss Sweeney’s AP English class. But when Miss Sweeney doesn’t show up to teach Flannery’s favorite book, Wuthering Heights, leaving behind her purse, Flannery knows something is wrong.

The police are called, and Flannery gives them everything—except Miss Sweeney’s copy of Wuthering Heights. This she holds onto. And good thing she does, because when she opens it, it has somehow transformed into Miss Sweeney’s real-time diary. It seems Miss Sweeney is in New York City—and she’s in trouble.

So Flannery does something very unFlannery-like: she skips school and sets out for Manhattan, with the book as her guide. But as soon as she arrives, she meets a boy named Heath. Heath is British, on a gap year, incredibly smart—yet he’s never heard of Albert Einstein or Anne Frank. In fact, Flannery can’t help thinking that he seems to have stepped from the pages of Brontë’s novel. Could it be?

With inimitable wit and heart, Mary O’Connell has crafted a love letter to reading, to the books that make us who we are. Dear Reader, charming and heartbreaking, is a novel about finding your people, on the page in the world.

Why I want it:

If that first line doesn’t tell you enough reasons why I need this book in my life, you obviously haven’t been paying enough attention to meeeee.  Shape up, penguins!  This book is a MUST have!

Sixteen year-old Echo Stone awakens in a cold sweat in a dark room, having no idea where she is or how she got there. But she soon finds out she s in Middle House, an orphanage filled with mysteriously troubled kids.

There s just one problem: she s not an orphan. Her parents are very much alive.

She explains this to everyone, but no one will listen. After befriending a sympathetic (and handsome) boy, Echo is able to escape Middle House and rush home, only to discover it sealed off by crime scene tape and covered in the evidence of a terrible and violent crime. As Echo grapples with this world-shattering information, she spots her parents driving by and rushes to flag them down. Standing in the middle of street, waving her arms to get their attention, her parents car drives right through her.

She was right. Her parents are alive but she s not.

She s a ghost, just like all the other denizens of Middle House. Desperate to somehow get her life back and reconnect with her still-alive boyfriend, Echo embarks on a quest to solve her own murder. As the list of suspects grows, the quest evolves into a journey of self-discovery in which she learns she wasn t quite the girl she thought she was. In a twist of fate, she s presented with one last chance to reclaim her life and must make a decision which will either haunt her or bless her forever.

Why I want it:

I have a major soft spot for books with ghostly characters, even though I only read like…maybe? one a year.  I LOVE the cover for this one, though (side note:  why are the covers of so many books with ghost main characters RED?!) and the blurb is exactly the right amount of intrigue and mystery.  It calls to me, penguins–it calls to me!

Cursed by a Druid millennia ago, Roan lives a bleak existence in the Shadowlands, desperately trying to retain his soul and not succumb to the goblin horde. When a beautiful human summons him to grant a wish, he sees a glimmer of hope. But will she ever agree to be his queen?

Back Cover Synopsis:

Once upon a time…

A man was cursed to the Shadowlands, his heart replaced with a cold lump of gold. In legends he became known as The Goblin King.

For a favored few he will grant a wish. Yet, desperately clinging to his waning human soul, his one own desire remains unfulfilled: A Willing Queen.

But who would consent to move from the modern-day world into the realm of nightmares? No matter how intoxicating his touch, no matter how deep his valor, loving him is dangerous. And the one woman who might dare to try could also destroy him forever.

Why I want it:

Anyone else have a strange obsession with all things GOBLIN KING?!  I mean seeeeeriously, I blame my eternal love on The Labyrinth…and I don’t care if you judge me for it.  So this book?  Definite.  YES.  in my world!

It’s 1967, the world is changing – and so is a quiet misfit named Sally Fiore. After the sudden death of her father, Sally turns to comfort in the small things – her beloved books, her new interest in sewing, and her slight infatuation with the handsome, young custodian at school who always has a novel in his back pocket. But her sheltered life is turned upside down in January of ’68 when she makes an unlikely friend in the new girl at school – a feisty civil rights activist named Sam, who dresses like a boy, prefers to date girls, and is defiantly unapologetic about her differences. As Sally grieves and tries to heal from her loss, she copes with her stoic mother who’s struggling to keep their house, a tenacious would-be boyfriend, mean girls at school, and an older brother dead set on enlisting in the army after graduation. With Sam’s rebellious influence, Sally blooms against the tumultuous backdrop of a small town trying to cling to its idyllic ways in the face of violence, war, and social unrest, and ends up discovering that tragedy can sometimes knit the spirit’s fabric together even stronger than it was before.

Why I want it:

The blurb just does SO MUCH to my tiny little penguin heart, I can’t even handle it!  Seriously…a rebel, a shy girl, and a civil rights activist?  I need this book in my life, okay?  GIVE IT TO MEEEEE!

Have a book YOU’D like to recommend to me?!  AWESOME!  Either shoot me a comment down below, or send me a recommendation on Goodreads RIGHT HERE!

What do you guys think–have you read any of these…or WANT to?  What did you think of them, if so?  Let me know your thoughts and as always…

Until next time, happy book-ing!

Weekly Wishlist (#18)

Because I needed a post in my life that kept me up to date on all things BOOKS!  and it seemed like Wishlist Wednesday was dead, I decided to make my own.

Welcome to Weekly Wishlist!

I’m all about breaking bending the rules to my will, so I’m switching it up!  I’m going to pair books that are already in the wild…with books soon to be released. Click the covers to be taken to the Amazon page.

Sixteen-year-old Sana Kiyohara has too many secrets. Some are small, like how it bothers her when her friends don’t invite her to parties. Some are big, like that fact that her father may be having an affair. And then there’s the one that she can barely even admit to herself—the one about how she might have a crush on her best friend.

When Sana and her family move to California she begins to wonder if it’s finally time for some honesty, especially after she meets Jamie Ramirez. Jamie is beautiful and smart and unlike anyone Sana’s ever known. There are just a few problems: Sana’s new friends don’t trust Jamie’s crowd; Jamie’s friends clearly don’t want her around anyway; and a sweet guy named Caleb seems to have more-than-friendly feelings for her. Meanwhile, her dad’s affair is becoming too obvious to ignore anymore.

Sana always figured that the hardest thing would be to tell people that she wants to date a girl, but as she quickly learns, telling the truth is easy… what comes after it, though, is a whole lot more complicated.

Why I want it:

There’s SO MUCH DRAMA in the blurb, I just can’t help myself–my poor penguin heart is going pitter-patter just reading it!  Seriously, this is just the sort of angsty, awesome-sounding read I like to pick up every now and again.

Junior Nattie McCullough is totally OK with her place in life: Latin whiz. Member of the school’s gay-straight alliance. Joni Mitchell superfan. Seventeen-year-old who has never been kissed. So when last summer’s crush and her former classmate—Young Lungs lead singer Sebastian Delacroix—comes back to town with his new hit single “Natalie,” she can’t bring herself to believe it could possibly be about her…could it?

As Nattie sorts through the evidence (the lyrics, Sebastian’s elusive text messages, and their brief romantic encounter last year), the song’s popularity skyrockets, and everyone starts speculating about “Natalie’s” identity. If that wasn’t mortifying enough, Nattie runs into another problem: her confusing, flirtation-packed feelings for her good friend Zach. With her once-average life upended, Nattie is determined to figure out once and for all if her short-lived past with Sebastian was something love songs are made of—or just a one-hit wonder.

Why I want it:

So…first off, HELLO new boy band romance to be added to my shelves ASAP!  I mean really, what other reason could I possibly ever need to pick this up?!  Aside from the gooooorgeousness that is that cover, because oh my goodness, it’s so so so pretty I just want to pet it.

For fifteen-year-old Lason Davies,
it all started with a text.

HIDING PLACE

The last words of her murdered grandmother haunt Lason as
she travels to England with her sheltering mother for the
funeral. The crime is a sensation, but the clamoring reporters
and news photographers aren’t the only ones interested in
their arrival.

As her mother’s behavior borders on erratic (on a good day),
Lason encounters a stranger from Weariland, a dreary world
once known as Wonderland. He petitions Lason’s help in
finding a secret family heirloom, a key to saving his land—
and to Lason’s past. Lason is swept in an adventure through
Weariland’s unpredictable realm, encountering colorful,
fantastical characters and discovering her family’s elusive
history. But if she isn’t careful, she may never return…

Why I want it:

If you know anything about me…you know Wonderland is one of my passions, and this?!  This sounds sort of like a darker Wonderland retelling, which I can DEFINITELY get down for!  Someone give it to meeeeeeee!

On October 10, 2145, eighteen-year-old Charity Northquest’s whole future is ahead of her–and the future sucks.

On October 11, 2145, she unexpectedly has a chance to fix it. When her best friend is reported killed, but then re-appears the next day as an old woman, everything Charity has been taught is called into question. Even if she does not believe in time travel, she has little choice. So the ill-prepared Charity travels back to the mysterious and captivating 21st century where her single purpose of changing the future fades with the increasingly more urgent question of whether she can survive the past.

Why I want it:

I just… Time travel?!  The chance to fix things?!  This book plays with all sorts of “what if” scenarios, from the sounds of it, and I LOOOOOOOVE books that do that!

Have a book YOU’D like to recommend to me?!  AWESOME!  Either shoot me a comment down below, or send me a recommendation on Goodreads RIGHT HERE!

What do you guys think–have you read any of these…or WANT to?  What did you think of them, if so?  Let me know your thoughts and as always…

Until next time, happy book-ing!

Weekly Wishlist (#17)

Because I needed a post in my life that kept me up to date on all things BOOKS!  and it seemed like Wishlist Wednesday was dead, I decided to make my own.

Welcome to Weekly Wishlist!

I’m all about breaking bending the rules to my will, so I’m switching it up!  I’m going to pair books that are already in the wild…with books soon to be released. Click the covers to be taken to the Amazon page.

Malcolm Davenport is serving time.

On a remote island in Alaska, Malcolm is part of Project Isolation, where he must reflect on the crime that cost him the only thing he ever loved. He spends his days and nights alone, with his thoughts and his art—drawing the woman he lost.

But his isolation comes to a strange and abrupt halt when a miniature winged woman with pink hair and striking blue eyes comes literally crashing through his cell and his life.

Is Verity Nine a fairy? A sophisticated spy drone? She’s says she’s a human, and she just might be the answer to the pardon he’s so desperately wanted. But at what cost? The closer Malcolm gets to Verity, the less he sees a fantastical creature or a robot—what he sees is a woman for whom he might be willing to sacrifice it all.

Why I want it:

I.  AM.  SHRIEKING.  Penguins, I cannot even tell you how much I NEED this book in my life.  I mean, I LOVE C.E. Wilson just on general principle–she always twists my brain into such itty bitty pretzels and then makes me reconsider everything I ever thought I know about ANYTHING, so…yeah.  And I loved?!?!?! The first book in this series, and I just… I need.  I need so hard.

A laugh-out-loud, heartfelt YA romantic comedy, told in alternating perspectives, about two Indian-American teens whose parents have arranged for them to be married.

Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?

Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.

The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not?

Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

Why I want it:

I don’t remember whose blog I stumbled upon this book from…but I immediately knew, after reading their thoughts/opinions on it, that I was bound to pick this book up.  First off–YAY diverse reads!  Second, this sounds like such a thought-provoking, brain-challenging, entertaining? read.  I mean, that cover?  Not exactly what I usually go for…but the blurb is delish, and I can’t wait to pick this one up!

Some secrets are worth killing to protect.

Victoria Zell doesn’t fit in, not that she cares what anyone thinks. She and her homeschooled boyfriend, Andrew, are inseparable. All they need is each other. That is, until Zachary Zimmerman joins her homeroom. Within an hour of meeting, he convinces good-girl Vic to cut class. And she can’t get enough of that rush.

Despite Vic’s loyalty to Andrew, she finds her life slowly entwining with Z’s. Soon she’s lying to everyone she knows and breaking all the rules to be with Z. She can’t get enough of him—or unraveling the stories of the family he’s determined to keep hidden.

Except Z’s not the only one with a past. Straight-laced Vic is hiding her own secrets…secrets that are about to destroy everything in her path.

Why I want it:

This is another book I found while browsing someone else’s blog, though I don’t rightly recall whose blog it was at this point (sorry, penguins, my brain is a bit mush lately–all I can think about is work!)  I have ALWAYS been a lover of good girl falls for bad boy (or vice versa, though the opposite are much more difficult to find in the world these days) and this sounds exactly like my kind of dramatic, mysterious read!

Libby Carmichael has just met her Soulmate. It’s just too bad he’s behind bars.

When you only see the world in black and white until you meet yours, it’s pretty simple to figure out when you’ve found your Soulmate. What Libby can’t figure out is why fate/destiny/the powers-that-be have decided that Andrew McCormack is her one, true match. Libby is smart, organized, and always has a plan for what’s coming next. So when she sees Andrew for the first time and her world is instantly filled with color, she’s thrown for a loop.

Namely because he’s in a dingy grey jumpsuit.

And handcuffs.

And being booked into a juvenile detention facility.

Surely a boy who’s been convicted of a headline-making, violent crime isn’t the person she’s meant to be with. There’s no way she belongs with someone like that… Right?

Why I want it:

Once again…thought-provoking, brain-challenging read for the win?!?!?  Seriously, the blurb for this book just sounds so intriguing and right up my alley.  And that COVER!  JUST LOOK at the gorgeousness that is that cover, penguins, and tell me you wouldn’t want to crack open the spine yourself!

Have a book YOU’D like to recommend to me?!  AWESOME!  Either shoot me a comment down below, or send me a recommendation on Goodreads RIGHT HERE!

What do you guys think–have you read any of these…or WANT to?  What did you think of them, if so?  Let me know your thoughts and as always…

Until next time, happy book-ing!

Weekly Wishlist (#16)

Because I needed a post in my life that kept me up to date on all things BOOKS!  and it seemed like Wishlist Wednesday was dead, I decided to make my own.

Welcome to Weekly Wishlist!

I’m all about breaking bending the rules to my will, so I’m switching it up!  I’m going to pair books that are already in the wild…with books soon to be released. Click the covers to be taken to the Amazon page.

THIS WEEK, I’m changing things up and instead focusing on graphic novels I want to read!  Because YAY, graphic novels!

Graphic novel star Kazu Kibuishi creates a world of terrible, man-eating demons, a mechanical rabbit, a giant robot—and two ordinary children on a life-or-death mission.

After the tragic death of their father, Emily and Navin move with their mother to the home of her deceased great-grandfather, but the strange house proves to be dangerous. Before long, a sinister creature lures the kids’ mom through a door in the basement. Em and Navin, desperate not to lose her, follow her into an underground world inhabited by demons, robots, and talking animals.

Eventually, they enlist the help of a small mechanical rabbit named Miskit. Together with Miskit, they face the most terrifying monster of all, and Em finally has the chance to save someone she loves.

Why I want it:

For one, it looks like a ton of fun.  I mean really, who could say no to demons, robots, and talking animals?!  I know I can’t!  For two, I’ve heard awesome things about this read, and that makes me suuuuper excited about it.  For three…LOOK?!  at the artwork?!?!?!  on the cover?!?!?!?!?!  I’m sure the insides are JUST as gorgeous!

After being run out of Boneville, the three Bone cousins, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone, are separated and lost in a vast uncharted desert.

One by one, they find their way into a deep, forested valley filled with wonderful and terrifying creatures…

Humor, mystery, and adventure are spun together in this action-packed, side-splitting saga. Everyone who has ever left home for the first time only to find that the world outside is strange and overwhelming will love Bone.

Why I want it:

I picked up a physical copy of this book at a Barnes & Noble in Colorado while on vacation there over Christmas, and was SUPER intrigued by the blurb and the artwork.  I didn’t buy it at the time, but I am BOUND and DETERMINED to own a copy for my shelves in the future!

Katie’s got it pretty good. She’s a talented young chef, she runs a successful restaurant, and she has big plans to open an even better one. Then, all at once, progress on the new location bogs down, her charming ex-boyfriend pops up, her fling with another chef goes sour, and her best waitress gets badly hurt. And just like that, Katie’s life goes from pretty good to not so much. What she needs is a second chance. Everybody deserves one, after all—but they don’t come easy. Luckily for Katie, a mysterious girl appears in the middle of the night with simple instructions for a do-it-yourself do-over:

1. Write your mistake
2. Ingest one mushroom
3. Go to sleep
4. Wake anew

And just like that, all the bad stuff never happened, and Katie is given another chance to get things right. She’s also got a dresser drawer full of magical mushrooms—and an irresistible urge to make her life not just good, but perfect. Too bad it’s against the rules. But Katie doesn’t care about the rules—and she’s about to discover the unintended consequences of the best intentions.

From the mind and pen behind the acclaimed Scott Pilgrim series comes a madcap new tale of existential angst, everyday obstacles, young love, and ancient spirits that’s sharp-witted and tenderhearted, whimsical and wise.

Why I want it:

This one comes down entirely to word of mouth.  I’ve heard AWESOME things about this read, and I’m dyyyyyying to pick it up!  I mean, the blurb sounds super interesting too, but…word of mouth, penguins.

Every summer, Rose goes with her mom and dad to a lake house in Awago Beach. It’s their getaway, their refuge. Rosie’s friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had. But this summer is different. Rose’s mom and dad won’t stop fighting, and when Rose and Windy seek a distraction from the drama, they find themselves with a whole new set of problems. It’s a summer of secrets and sorrow and growing up, and it’s a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.

In This One Summer two stellar creators redefine the teen graphic novel. Cousins Mariko and Jillian Tamaki, the team behind Skim, have collaborated on this gorgeous, heartbreaking, and ultimately hopeful story about a girl on the cusp of her teen age — a story of renewal and revelation.

Why I want it:

I have to admit, I’m mostly intrigued by this one for ONE reason:  “two stellar creators redefine the teen graphic novel.”  I want to know HOW.  I want to see what they’ve done to redefine what has become a popular form of story telling.  Also, this sounds like a super adorable read, and I need more of that in my world right now.

Have a book YOU’D like to recommend to me?!  AWESOME!  Either shoot me a comment down below, or send me a recommendation on Goodreads RIGHT HERE!

What do you guys think–have you read any of these…or WANT to?  What did you think of them, if so?  Let me know your thoughts and as always…

Until next time, happy book-ing!

 

Weekly Wishlist (#15)

Because I needed a post in my life that kept me up to date on all things BOOKS!  and it seemed like Wishlist Wednesday was dead, I decided to make my own.

Welcome to Weekly Wishlist!

I’m all about breaking bending the rules to my will, so I’m switching it up!  I’m going to pair books that are already in the wild…with books soon to be released. Click the covers to be taken to the Amazon page.

The Breakfast Club meets Pretty Little Liars, One of Us Is Lying is the story of what happens when five strangers walk into detention and only four walk out alive. Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has something to hide.

Pay close attention and you might solve this.
On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?

Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.

Why I want it:

Pretty Little Liars meets The Breakfast Club?!?!?! COUNT.  ME.  IN!  Seriously, do I need to say anything more?

Seventeen-year-old Flora Banks has no short-term memory. Her mind resets itself several times a day, and has since the age of ten, when the tumor that was removed from Flora’s brain took with it her ability to make new memories. That is, until she kisses Drake, her best friend’s boyfriend, the night before he leaves town. Miraculously, this one memory breaks through Flora’s fractured mind, and sticks. Flora is convinced that Drake is responsible for restoring her memory and making her whole again. So when an encouraging email from Drake suggests she meet him on the other side of the world, Flora knows with certainty that this is the first step toward reclaiming her life.

With little more than the words “be brave” inked into her skin, and written reminders of who she is and why her memory is so limited, Flora sets off on an impossible journey to Svalbard, Norway, the land of the midnight sun, determined to find Drake. But from the moment she arrives in the arctic, nothing is quite as it seems, and Flora must “be brave” if she is ever to learn the truth about herself, and to make it safely home.

Why I want it:

I discovered this book on a booktube channel I frequent just earlier today, and am SO super stoked about it.  I’ve always loved books that play around with memories and the mind, so that’s one notch on my headboard slotted out.  I’m interested in seeing how all the pieces of her life come together…and how it changes things, once they do.

Welcome to Blythewood.

At seventeen, Avaline Hall has already buried her mother, survived a horrific factory fire, and escaped from an insane asylum. Now she’s on her way to Blythewood Academy, the elite boarding school in New York’s mist-shrouded Hudson Valley that her mother attended—and was expelled from. Though she’s afraid her high society classmates won’t accept a factory girl in their midst, Ava is desperate to unravel her family’s murky past, discover the identity of the father she’s never known, and perhaps finally understand her mother’s abrupt suicide. She’s also on the hunt for the identity of the mysterious boy who rescued her from the fire. And she suspects the answers she seeks lie at Blythewood.

But nothing could have prepared her for the dark secret of what Blythewood is, and what its students are being trained to do. Haunted by dreams of a winged boy and pursued by visions of a sinister man who breathes smoke, Ava isn’t sure if she’s losing her mind or getting closer to the truth. And the more rigorously Ava digs into the past, the more dangerous her present becomes.

Vivid and atmospheric, full of mystery and magic, this romantic page-turner by bestselling author Carol Goodman tells the story of a world on the brink of change and the girl who is the catalyst for it all.

Why I want it:

First off, the covers for this entire series are absolutely stunning.  Secondly, this sounds like exactly the type of fantastical paranormal read I’ve always kept my eyes out for.  Thirdly…I’ve been wanting to read this for AGES now, so I might as well make sure it gets done eventually, right?!

On her twelfth birthday, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to her own Pegasus, Ebon. For a thousand years humans and pegasi have lived in peace, relying on human magicians and pegasi shamans to converse. But close friends Sylvi and Ebon can talk. As their bond strengthens, can their friendship threaten to destroy the peace between their nations?

Why I want it:

I don’t recall right now if I’ve featured this book in this series before or not, but I’ve had my eyes on it for literally YEARS now and my desire to read it hasn’t waned any.  Pegasus in Hercules was always my favorite character/sidekick growing up; I’m interested in seeing where Robin McKinley takes her readers with this book.

Have a book YOU’D like to recommend to me?!  AWESOME!  Either shoot me a comment down below, or send me a recommendation on Goodreads RIGHT HERE!

What do you guys think–have you read any of these…or WANT to?  What did you think of them, if so?  Let me know your thoughts and as always…

Until next time, happy book-ing!