"Waiting On" Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Book: Never Have I Ever (The Lying Game #2)
Author: Sara Shepard
Release Date: August 2


Summary from Goodreads:


My perfect life was a lie.

Now I’d do anything to uncover the truth.

Not long ago, I had everything a girl could wish for: amazing friends, an adorable boyfriend, a loving family. But none of them know that I’m gone—that I’m dead. To solve my murder, my long-lost twin sister, Emma, has taken my place. She sleeps in my room, wears my clothes, and calls my parents Mom and Dad.

And my killer is watching her every move.

I remember little from my life, just flashes and flickers, so all I can do is follow along as Emma tries to solve the mystery of my disappearance. But the deeper she digs, the more suspects she uncovers. It turns out my friends and I played a lot of games—games that ruined people’s lives. Anyone could want revenge . . . anyone could want me—and now Emma—dead.


What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Twisted by Sara Shepard

Book: Twisted (Pretty Little Liars #9)
Author: Sara Shepard
# of Pages: 307 (Hardcover)
Rating: 4.5 stars


Goodreads Summary:
It’s been a year since the torturous notes from A stopped and the mystery of Alison DiLaurentis’s disappearance was finally put to rest. Now seniors in high school, Aria, Spencer, Hanna and Emily are older, but they’re not any wiser. The Pretty Little Liars have more secrets than ever - twisted secrets that could destroy the perfect lives they’ve worked so hard to rebuild. 

Aria’s jealous of her boyfriend’s new exchange student. Spencer’s getting a little too cozy with her soon-to-be-stepbrother. Hanna’s one scandalous photo away from ruining her dad’s Senate campaign. And Emily will do anything to get a swim scholarship.

Worst of all: Last spring break in Jamaica, they did something unforgivable. The girls are desperate to forget that fateful night, but they should know better than anyone that all secrets wash ashore … eventually.




My Thoughts: Like most fans of this series, I was satisfied with the ending of the 8th book , Wanted. When Shepard announced that she was writing 4 more books, I wondered what more could she do with the storyline since all the loose ends were tied . But, I could not resist the urge to find out what happened next.


From the beginning we are presented with the mystery of what "unforgivable" deed the girls took part in in Jamaica. Throughout the book, the girls keep flashing back to the trip, yet  the full story behind the secret is not very clear until the end. But Spencer, Aria, Hanna, and Emily have other things to worry about. Each one has to fight her way through awkward and/or frustrating situations that lead them into more trouble. To make matters worse, there is a new A who claims to know about their Jamaican secret and seems to get great pleasure from tormenting the girls.


New secrets, new lies, new characters, this story was perfectly titled. I absolutely love Shepard's writing style and, like her other books, this was a real page-turner. If you are a PLL fan, you will really enjoy this book. If you haven't yet read the series, I highly recommend it.

In My Mailbox

IMM is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Texas Gothic

by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Sass and Serendipity

by Jennifer Ziegler

The Help
by Kathryn Stockett

The Boo

by Pat Conroy

(This was actually a hard book to find, and now I have all of Conroy's books!)

"Waiting On" Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Book: The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Author: Rae Carson
Release Date: September 20


Goodreads Summary:


Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.


What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton

Title: Tyger Tyger (Goblin Wars #1)
Author: Kersten Hamilton
# of Pages: 205 (ebook)
Rating: 3.5 stars


Goodreads Summary:

Teagan Wylltson's best friend, Abby, dreams that horrifying creatures--goblins, shape-shifters, and beings of unearthly beauty but terrible cruelty--are hunting Teagan. Abby is always coming up with crazy stuff, though, so Teagan isn't worried. Her life isn't in danger. In fact, it's perfect. She's on track for a college scholarship. She has a great job. She's focused on school, work, and her future. No boys, no heartaches, no problems.
     Until Finn Mac Cumhaill arrives. Finn's a bit on the unearthly beautiful side himself. He has a killer accent and a knee-weakening smile. And either he's crazy or he's been haunting Abby's dreams, because he's talking about goblins, too . . . and about being The Mac Cumhaill, born to fight all goblin-kind. Finn knows a thing or two about fighting. Which is a very good thing, because this time, Abby's right. The goblins are coming.

My Thoughts: So, this is the first book I have read that deals with goblins. I thought it had a Wrinkle in Time-ish quality to it. I thought the characters were interesting, especially Aiden. He seems like the coolest little brother ever. I did get confused with all the different stories  that were told though. It was hard to keep track of which person/persons did what. And I wish that there had been more scenes with Abby. She is the one who had the dream afterall. Maybe she will get to play a bigger role in the next book In the Forests of the Night.

In My Mailbox

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren.

Sisterhood Everlasting

by Ann Brashares

Once a Witch

by Carolyn McCullough

ebook

HARRY POTTER

In honor of the release of the 8th and final installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, I have decided to make an HP post.

So, first up, my top 7 favorite HP characters:

1. Neville Longbottom: Though he is not part of the main trio, I love how Neville goes from an accident-prone jinx to a fearless leader.
2. Minerva McGonagall: Though she is stern, Minerva is a strong, respectable woman who never lets anything or anyone stand in her way. 
3. The Weasley Family: Yes, I know this is 9 characters instead of 1, but this family is awesome! They are funny, strong-willed, and stand up for each other.
4. Hagrid: Who doesn't love Hagrid? Though he does have a love of dangerous creatures, Hagrid is a loving compassionate person who almost always has a smile on his face.
5. Luna Lovegood: Yes, Luna is a bit different, but she is a good friend and always keeps things interesting.
6. Nymphadora Tonks: Not only is Tonks an Auror, but she is also a Metamorphmagus. I'd love to be able to change my appearance sometimes.
7. Dobby: Dobby is a brave and loyal friend. He would do anything for Harry. And though things don't turn out perfectly, we will always remember Dobby as a free elf.

My top 7 HP character portrayals:

Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley

Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood

Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy

Alan Rickman as Severus Snape

Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestr

Dame Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall

Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid

I could not have picked 7 better actors/actresses to play these roles. Their portrayal of the characters was, for lack of a better word, brilliant.

The 8th and final movie is finally out and I highly recommend seeing it. I thought it was amazing and will definitely be going to see it again.


Long live Harry Potter

"Waiting On" Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. This is my first "Waiting On" Wednesday.

My selection for this week:
The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
Publish Date: October 4

From Goodreads:

In The Lost Hero, three demigods named Jason, Piper, and Leo made their first visit to Camp Half-Blood, where they inherited a quest:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Who are the other four mentioned in the prophecy? The answer may lie in another camp miles away, where a new camper has shown up and appears to be the son of Neptune, god of the sea...

I just finished The Lost Hero and I loved it. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

In My Mailbox

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren.

Twisted 

by Sara Shepard

Hardcover

Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn't Have)
by Lauren Mlynowski
Hardcover

Tyger Tyger
by Kersten Hamilton
ebook

The Dust of 100 Dogs by A. S. King

Book: The Dust of 100 Dogs

Author: A. S. King

# of Pages: 229 (ebook)
Rating: 4.5 stars

When I first read the title of this book, my first thought was, is this book going to be about some weird dog massacre? Then I read the description and knew that I just had to read it.

Emer is an Irish girl from the 1600s who has had more than her share of hardships. As her story progresses she transforms from a timid virgin to a badass pirate captain. In the end, she is cursed to living as a hundred dogs.

Saffron is a very intelligent teenager from the 20th century. She is part of a dysfunctional family, and her mother is leaning upon her brillance to help bring pride to the family. But, Saffron has other plans. Instead of going to college, she wants to find her (Emer's) buried treasure.

The story goes back and forth from Saffron to Emer interspersed with "Dog Facts." This is a historical love story that leaves you rooting for the underdog (no pun intended).

My Thoughts: I LOVED this book! I am surprised that there are not more books about pirates considering how popular Pirates of the Caribbean is. I thought the characters were interesting and the plot was different (in a good way). And, most important of all, it had a great ending.

So, since this book was about dogs, here are my 2 German Shepherds:

Charlie

Dixie

What's Your Status?

This was started on Butterfly Feet Walking on Life. The objective is to write your reading status of the week, what you have read, what you are currently reading, what you plan to read next.

WHAT I READ THIS WEEK:

10th Anniversary by James Patterson

WHAT I"M READING NOW:

The Dust of 100 Dogs by A. S. King (page 109)

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan (page 95)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (page 401)

WHAT I PLAN TO BUY THIS WEEK:
Twisted by Sara Shepard

What's your status?

In My Mailbox

This meme is hosted by The Story Siren.

Nevermore

by Kelly Creagh

Published 2010

Bright Young Things
by Anna Godbersen
Published 2010

The Visibles
by Sara Shepard
Published 2009

Unwind
by Neal Shusterman
Published 2007

What's in your mailbox?