The Best Books Ever

One Past Midnight By Jessica Shirvington Published on July 22, 2014 Published by Bloomsbury Source: Netgalley Name of overseas edition of Between The Lives. Above all else, though I try not to think about it, I know which life I prefer. And every night when I Cinderella myself from one life to the next a very small, but definite, piece of me dies. The hardest part is that nothing about my situation has ever changed. There is no loophole. Until now, that is... For as long as she can remember, Sabine has lived two lives. Every 24 hours she Shifts to her ′other′ life - a life where she is exactly the same, but absolutely everything else is different: different family, different friends, different social expectations. In one life she has a sister, in the other she does not. In one life she′s a straight-A student with the perfect boyfriend, in the other she′s considered a reckless delinquent. Nothing about her situation has ever changed, until the day when she discover...

Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption By  Katie J. Davis, Beth Clark Published on October 4, 2011 Published by Howard Books Source: The Wonderful Library System What would cause an eighteen-year-old old senior class president and homecoming queen from Nashville, Tennessee, to disobey and disappoint her parents by forgoing college, break her little brother’s heart, lose all but a handful of her friends (because the rest of them think she has gone off the deep end), and break up with the love of her life, all so she could move to Uganda, where she knew only one person but didn’t know any of the language? A passion to make a difference. Katie Davis left over Christmas break her senior year for a short mission trip to Uganda and her life was turned completely inside out. She found herself so moved, so broken by the people and the children of Uganda that she knew her calling was to return and care for them. Her story is like Mother Teresa’s in that she h...

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by  Breaking the Spine  that features upcoming releases that us book loving types are excited for! Ensnared (Splintered #3) By  A.G. Howard Published on January 13, 2015 Published by Amulet Books After surviving a disastrous battle at prom, Alyssa has embraced her madness and gained perspective. She’s determined to rescue her two worlds and the people and netherlings she loves. Even if it means challenging Queen Red to a final battle of wills and wiles... and even if the only way to Wonderland, now that the rabbit hole is closed, is through the looking-glass world—a parallel dimension filled with mutated and sadistic netherling outcasts. In the final installment of the Splintered trilogy, Alyssa and her dad journey into the heart of magic and mayhem in search of her mom and to set right all that’s gone wrong. Together with Jeb and Morpheus, they must salvage Wonderland from the decay and destruction that has ensn...

Ruin and Rising By  Leigh Bardugo Published on June 17th 2014 Published by Henry Holt and Co. Source: Purchased The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne. Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army. Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives. Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—an...

Top Ten Tuesday hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish The Amazing and Super Talented  Richelle Mead From Beautiful Creatures to Icons and Unbreakable,  Margaret Stohl  and  Kami Garcia  definitely take up some serious shelf-estate There is absolutely no story that  Kimberly Derting  cannot kick some serious author butt on, and her characters are incredible and relatable, and some of my faves. Hence the reason every one of her books is, and will continue to be, on my shelf! It's  Stephen King ! Honestly, is there need for an explanation? Between my dad and I, we have every King story ever written, and plenty of doubles!  See that book in  J.K. Rowling 's magical, authory hands? Enough said! Sarra Cannon 's Peachville High Demon's series was one of the first Indie series that I read, and it cemented my love for Indie's. I have just about every one of her books,...

Fragile Destiny (The Aether Chronicles #3) By  Suzanne Lazear Published on August 8th 2014 Published by Flux Source: Publisher Noli and her true love V fear the worst if the Staff of Eris—a potent Otherworld relic—falls into the wrong hands. Broken into pieces and hidden in the mortal realm long ago, the staff bestows vast powers on whoever possesses it. Ciarán, the dark king, is trying to rebuild the staff, intending to use it to install a new queen. In a desperate effort to keep the Otherworld from falling into darkness, Noli and V plot the daring theft of a jewel Ciarán needs to complete the staff. But Ciarán is not so easily defeated. Through his devious machinations, he has set a plan in motion for a final showdown that will decide who rules the Otherworld once and for all. Have you read this series? If you haven't-  you really should.  The Aether Chronicles has some of the best creativity and imagination that I have found in a series.  It is liter...

Bewitched in Oz By Laura J Burns Published on August 1, 2014 Published by Capstone Young Readers Source: Publisher When Zerie Greenapple's friend is arrested for using her magic, she knows she must do everything she can to protect her own magic...even if it means traversing the dangerous landscapes of Oz and encountering strange creatures along the way. Zerie and two friends set out to find Glinda the Good, in the hope that she can help them defeat the evil Princess Ozma. But what they experience on their journey might just tear them apart. Will magic be enough to save these three friends? Based on how thin this book was, I had a feeling that this book was middle grade.  I was intrigued by the fact that this is from a new publisher and that it is both a take on the Oz tale and has fantasy elements.  I enjoyed Bewitched in Oz.  It absolutely skews towards a younger middle grade reader (I am thinking elementary school, not middle school.  The langu...

Hi friends! If I were better at graphics, I would make a cutesy little banner for this, since I'm calling it Christmas in July and all.  Instead, have a picture I took of a baby goat, because this post feels naked without some sort of picture. Alright, now that that's out of the way! It's giveaway time! I have a whole stack of books that I would love to give away! Check out all these books, full of words, for your eyes! Before I take them off to my local Goodwill equivalent, though, I want to give you book lovers the first shot.  There will be three winners -- first place gets to pick two books from the pile, and second and third each get to pick one book. This is open to addresses in the US and Canada.  (If you're not in the US or Canada but would be willing to maybe split the cost of shipping, feel free to enter and just note that in a comment on the post so I'll know.) Here's the Rafflecopter! Go and enter and be merry. a Raffleco...

Sous Chef By Michael Gibney Published on March 2014 Published by Ballantine Books Source: Purchased The back must slave to feed the belly. . . . In this urgent and unique book, chef Michael Gibney uses twenty-four hours to animate the intricate camaraderie and culinary choreography in an upscale New York restaurant kitchen. Here readers will find all the details, in rapid-fire succession, of what it takes to deliver an exceptional plate of food—the journey to excellence by way of exhaustion. Told in second-person narrative, Sous Chef is an immersive, adrenaline-fueled run that offers a fly-on-the-wall perspective on the food service industry, allowing readers to briefly inhabit the hidden world behind the kitchen doors, in real time. This exhilarating account provides regular diners and food enthusiasts alike a detailed insider’s perspective, while offering fledgling professional cooks an honest picture of what the future holds, ultimately giving voice to the har...

Thirty Sunsets By Christine Hurley Derisco Published on July 8 2014 Published by Flux Source:Netgalley To Forrest Shephard, getting away to the family's beach house with her parents and her brother, Brian, is the best part of every summer. Until this year, when her mother invites Brian's obnoxious girlfriend, Olivia, to join them. Suddenly, Forrest's relaxing vacation becomes a mission to verify the reality of Olivia's rumored eating disorder. But the truth behind Olivia's finicky eating isn't at all what Forrest expected. And over the next thirty days, Forrest's world is turned upside down as her family's darkest secrets begin to come to light. I requested this book naively thinking it was actually about struggles with an eating disorder. . . but by Chapter 2 I had already figured out the "big plot twist." Maybe it's because I'm older than the "target audience," but I found that aspect to be incredibly predictabl...

I Was The Cat By  Paul Tobin & Benjamin Dewey Published on August 6th 2014 Published by Oni Press Source: Netgalley Allison Breaking is a talented journalist with her own blog and a lot of bills to pay. So when she receives an offer from a mysterious stranger named Burma to write his memoirs, it's an offer she can't refuse, not even with all the red flags popping up. But Burma is quite literally unlike any man Allison's ever known - because he's a cat! And this cat has stories to tell about how he (over the course of a few lifetimes) has shaped the world - and another, darker story that Allison must risk all to uncover... a story of what this particular cat has been doing with the LAST of his nine lives. A story about a talking cat trying to take over the world? I'm in! Actually, I was mostly drawn to this because of the art of Benjamin Dewey, who is responsible for the always awesomely weird Tragedy Series . But also: talking megalomaniacal cat. ...

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by  Breaking the Spine , that spotlights upcoming reads we are stoked about! Invisible (The Twixt #2) By  Dawn Metcalf Published on September 30, 2014 Published by Harlequin Teen Some things lie beneath the surface.  Invisible.  With the power to change everything.  Joy Malone wants it all—power, freedom and the boyfriend who loves her. Yet when an unstoppable assassin is hired to kill her, Joy learns that being the girl with the Sight comes with a price that might be too high to pay. Love will be tested, lives will be threatened, and everyone Joy knows and cares about will be affected by her decision to stand by Ink or to leave the Twixt forever.  Her choice is balanced on a scalpel's edge and the consequences will be more life-altering than anyone can guess. Add to Goodreads  

Top Ten Tuesday hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish Since I am a happily married woman, I have a list of awesome chicks that I would want with me if I were on a deserted island! Bear Grylls, you ain't got nothing on these awesome author creations! As usual, no particular order! Anna from  Anna Dressed in Blood  by Kendare Blake The scary stuff on that island would go running from ME (well, Anna), instead of me running from THEM! Unfortunate side effect: I would probably be running away WITH them. Still... Scarlet from  Scarlet  by A.C. Gaughen Like most of these girls, no explanations needed! She is just AWESOME! Scarlet is the reason we would have FOOD! Gretchen, Emma and Penelope from  A Breath of Frost  by Alyxandra Harvey These 3 girls captured my heart, and I want to be an honorary cousin. They would be fun to hang out with on long, lonely nights and an added bonus? Magic, baby! Kami Gla...

Winter Angel by Mia Hoddell Genre: YA Romance Release date: 25th June 2014 Length: Novella Blurb: She was on holiday. He was tricked into returning. Neither of them wanted to be there, but neither could avoid it. Amy wants to be back under the sun in Portugal. However, when her suggestion is overruled in favour of a skiing holiday, even she can't turn it down. What she couldn't have predicted is that the holiday could make her break the one, and only, rule she has: not to get into a serious relationship again. When Amy first sees Luke, she knows something is wrong. He's struggling to cope with everything and her need to help people makes him the perfect distraction from the cold. He hasn't been to the Alps in five years and he swore to never ski again. But as his defences are broken by Amy's persistence, the winter paradise begins to reawaken his desires. However, with constant flashbacks triggering his anxiety, he's torn, battling confli...

The Inventor's Secret By  Andrea Cremer Published on April 22, 2014 Published by Philomel Source: The Amazing Public Library System Sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape from the coastal cities or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks. The Inventor’s Secret is the first book of a YA steampunk series set in an alternate nineteenth-century North America where the Revolutionary War never took place and the British Empire has expanded into a global juggernaut propelled by marvelous and horrible machinery ...

Dollhouse By  Anya Allyn Published on May 20th 2014 Published by The Studio, a Paper Lantern Lit imprint Source: Netgalley Dress-up turns deadly. . . When Cassie’s best friend, Aisha, disappears during a school hike, Cassie sets off with Aisha’s boyfriend Ethan and their best friend Lacey, determined to find her. But the mist-enshrouded mountains hold many secrets, and what the three teens discover is far more disturbing than any of them imagined: beneath a rundown mansion in the woods lies an underground cavern full of life-size toys and kidnapped girls forced to dress as dolls. Even as Cassie desperately tries to escape the Dollhouse, she finds herself torn between her forbidden feelings for Ethan, and her intense, instinctive attraction to The Provider, a man Cassie swears she has known before… Because Cassie’s capture wasn’t accidental, and the Dollhouse is more than just a prison where her deepest fears come true—it’s a portal for the powers of darkness. And Ca...