The Best Books Ever

A Missing Peace By Beth Fred Published on September 1 2013 Published by Escape Publishing Source: Net Galley Angry, seventeen-year-old Iraqi war refugee Mirriam Yohanna hates her new life in Killeen, Texas, where the main attraction is a military base, populated with spoiled army brats like Caleb Miller. Caleb has much to be angry about too, including Mirriam who turns him down flat in front of everyone. Eager for retribution, Caleb agrees to a dare that will see him take Mirriam to the prom and regain his pride. But their relationship soon moves beyond high school antics. Mirriam and Caleb are bound together by more than location, and as they are forced to work closely together on a school assignment, they start to uncover an explosive story that has the potential to ruin lives — and both of their futures. One single truth changes everything and strengthens their bond. When Mirriam's family discovers their relationship, they decide it's time to arrange her marri...

Complete Tour Schedule can be found at  Chapter by Chapter Title: Avian (The Dragonrider Chronicles #2) Publication Date: August 26, 2014 Publisher: Month9Books, LLC Author: Nicole Conway What kind of power is lurking inside him? After a year of training to become a dragonrider, Jaevid Broadfeather has been sent home to rest during a three-month interlude. But when he returns to find the king drake has chosen Beckah Derrick as his new rider, Jaevid realizes something big is about to happen. Every fiber of his being is pushed to the breaking point as Jaevid battles through his avian year, preparing for the final graduation test of the battle scenario. But there is more standing in his way than a few pushups and fancy sword moves. Jaevid must face a new fear as he is tormented by a gruesome nightmare of a mysterious gray elf warrior murdering the royal family of Maldobar. It seems obvious to him that this is some kind of message about how the war started long ...

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Let the Revels There By Catherynne M. Valente Published on October 2, 2012 Published by Fiewel and Friends Source: Publisher September has longed to return to Fairyland after her first adventure there. And when she finally does, she learns that its inhabitants have been losing their shadows—and their magic—to the world of Fairyland Below. This underworld has a new ruler: Halloween, the Hollow Queen, who is September’s shadow. And Halloween does not want to give Fairyland’s shadows back. Fans of Valente’s bestselling, first Fairyland book will revel in the lush setting, characters, and language of September’s journey, all brought to life by fine artist Ana Juan. Readers will also welcome back good friends Ell, the Wyverary, and the boy Saturday. But in Fairyland Below, even the best of friends aren’t always what they seem. . . . The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There did not capture my atten...

Heir of Fire By Sarah J Maas Published on September 2, 2014 Published by Bloomsbury Source: Publisher Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy. While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love? Gah this series!  It is ki...

Deliverance By CJ Redwine Published on August 26, 2014 Published by Balzer + Bray Source: Publisher Everything hangs in the balance, and nothing is certain: Rachel has been kidnapped by enemy forces and is being taken to Rowansmark while Logan, imprisoned and awaiting trial, is unable to leave Lankenshire. Separated from each other and their Baalboden comrades, each must find a way to achieve what they desperately want: to rid their world once and for all of the Commander and the tech that controls the deadly Cursed One. Fighting through her pain and embracing the warrior she’s become, Rachel will do whatever it takes to escape her enemies’ clutches and join Logan in his fight. But when she learns a secret that changes everything, she realizes that escaping Ian and his tracker friends is no longer an option if she wants to save the people she loves. Instead, she’ll have to destroy Rowansmark from the inside out—if she can survive the journey through the Wasteland...

Top Ten Tuesday hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish Oblivion  by Kelly Creagh The Stars Never Rise  by Rachel Vincent Lair of Dreams  by Libba Bray Razorhurst  by Justine Larbalestier The Glass Arrow  by Kristen Simmons Red Queen  by Victoria Aveyard Ensnared  by A.G. Howard The Visitor  by Amanda Stevens The Dead List  by Jennifer L. Armentrout Lion Heart  by A.C. Gaughen Good gravy, this list feels incomplete! It IS incomplete. But I hope you enjoy it. I am still tapping away one-handed, so forgive me for another week of no explanations! I seriously hope next week I am typing like normal, at least a little bit! 

To This Day: For the Bullied and Beautiful By  Shane Koyczan Published on September 2nd 2014 Published by Annick Press Source: Netgalley An authentic rallying cry for anyone who has been affected by bullying. In February 2013, Shane Koyczan's passionate anti-bullying poem "To This Day" electrified the world. An animated video of the lyric narrative went viral, racking up over 12 million hits to date and inspiring an international movement against bullying in schools. Shane later performed the piece to sustained applause on the stage of the 2013 annual TED Conference. Now this extraordinary work has been adapted into an equally moving and visually arresting book. Thirty international artists, as diverse as they are talented, have been inspired to create exceptional art to accompany "To This Day." Each page is a vibrant collage of images, colors and words that will resonate powerfully with anyone who has experienced bullying themselves, whether as a ...

The Fourteenth Goldfish By Jennifer L. Holm Published on August 26 2014 Published by Random House Books for Young Readers Source: Net Galley  Galileo. Newton. Salk. Oppenheimer. Science can change the world . . . but can it go too far? Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He’s bossy. He’s cranky. And weirdly enough . . . he looks a lot like Ellie’s grandfather, a scientist who’s always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this pimply boy really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth? With a lighthearted touch and plenty of humor, Jennifer Holm celebrates the wonder of science and explores fascinating questions about life and death, family and friendship, immortality . . . and possibility When Ellie's grandfather (a mad scientist-type) discovers the secret to staying young and turns ...

Man, how do I even begin? Well I am sure that the title made you a bit curious about this post, but it is true. This will be one of my last posts for The Best Books Ever. I started this blog over 4 years ago- first on live journal, then on blogger, and finally moving to being self- hosted. It has been my third baby for these years and I am ready to say that it is time to part ways. I originally started this blog when I was pregnant with my first son and then really took off with it when I became a stay at home mom. It has been my source of sanity for many rough days that I have been through. I have always been a big reader. I have read so many stacks of books that libraries simply couldn't keep up with me. As I began blogging I started tracking my books- I would read almost (and sometimes more than) 200 books a year! Can you imagine that?  Blogging is so much work. There were some weeks that between html work, review writing, graphic making, blog commenting, and promo...

Storm Siren By Mary Weber Published on August 19, 2014 Published by Thomas Nelson Source: Publisher “I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don’t want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you.” In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled. As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist. Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed. Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more siniste...

Mercy Mode By Em Garner Published on August 26, 2014 Published by Egmont USA A gripping survival story, the second in a series by a best-selling author, of a strong girl rebuilding her life in a post-apocalyptic society where a contaminated drink makes victims act like zombies; just right for fans of James Dashner, Carrie Ryan, and The Walking Dead. Seventeen-year-old Velvet, her little sister, Opal, their mom, who is recovering from the Contamination, and Velvet's sweet boyfriend, Dillon, are attempting to build a new life amid the rationing and regulations of the post-outbreak nation. But the outbreak isn't over: more people turning into "Connies," more madness erupting, more killings occurring. And what they are being told is not the truth; the truth is far darker and more threatening. a Rafflecopter giveaway  Thank you to Egmont for providing this giveaway!

Jaime had the chance to talk with Noelle August, the penname for writer duo Veronica Rossi and Lorin Oberweger, the masterminds behind Boomerang , a new adult novel out now. Keep reading for the interview, and then go check out the book for yourself! Boomerang By  Noelle August Published on July 8th, 2014 Published by William Morrow The first book in a sensational New Adult trilogy from Noelle August Welcome to Boomerang.com, the dating site for the millennial gen with its no-fuss, no-commitments matchups, and where work is steamier than any random hook-up Mia Galliano is an aspiring filmmaker. Ethan Vance has just played his last game as a collegiate soccer star. They’re sharp, hungry for success, and they share a secret. Last night, Ethan and Mia met at a bar, and, well . . . one thing led to another, which led to them waking up the next morning—together. Things turned awkward in a hurry when they found themselves sharing a post hookup taxi . . . to the same...

Viva Frida By Yuyi Morales Published on September 2 2014 Published by Roaring Brook Press Source: Publisher Frida Kahlo, one of the world's most famous and unusual artists is revered around the world. Her life was filled with laughter, love, and tragedy, all of which influenced what she painted on her canvases. Distinguished author/illustrator Yuyi Morales illuminates Frida's life and work in this elegant and fascinating book. I don't know much about the famous Mexican painter Frida Kahlo,  but I DO know her iconic face, which she captured in her self portraits. I also love when picture books introduce children to real-life people or historical events, so I thought I'd give this one a read. Visually, this book is stunning. I'm not sure what techniques Morales used to create the illustrations, but I would describe them as a combination of doll portraits and collage. The sparse text also beautifully accompanies the illustrations, in both English and Span...

Top Ten Tuesday hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish Archetype  by M.D. Waters Throne of Glass  by Sarah J. Maas The Falconer  by Elizabeth May Pushing the Limits  by Katie McGarry Cinder  by Marissa Meyer A Discovery of Witches  by Deborah Harkness Defiance  by C.J. Redwine The Kiss of Deception  by Mary E. Pearson The Winner's Curse  by Marie Rutkoski On the Fence  by Kasie West Every single one of these titles are on my TBR list, but with the love that they have received and the amount of recommendations I have gotten for them, I believe they should be my next ten reads! Sorry there were no explanations tonight. I broke my wrist last week and had to have surgery (plates and screws, oh my!) so I am typing with one hand, my face screwed up in pain. Next weekend, there will be expl...

When Mr. Dog Bites  By Brian Conaghan Published on June 10 2014 Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens Source: Net Galley Dylan Mint has Tourette’s. For Dylan, life is a constant battle to keep the bad stuff in – the swearing, the tics, the howling dog that escapes whenever he gets stressed. And, as a sixteen-year-old virgin and pupil at Drumhill Special School, getting stressed is something of an occupational hazard. But then a routine visit to the hospital changes everything. Overhearing a hushed conversation between the doctor and his mother, Dylan discovers that he's going to die next March. So he grants himself three parting wishes: three ‘Cool Things To Do Before I Cack It’. It isn’t a long list, but it is ambitious, and he doesn't have much time. But as Dylan sets out to make his wishes come true, he discovers that nothing – and no-one – is quite as he had previously supposed. A story about life, death, love, sex and swearing, When Mr Dog Bites will take ...

Leroy Ninker Saddles Up By Kate DiCamillo and Chris Van Dusen (illustrations) Published on August 26 2014 Published by Candlewick Press Source: Net Galley Yippie-i-oh! Saddle up for the first in a spin-off series starring favorite characters from Kate DiCamillo’s New York Times best-selling Mercy Watson books. Leroy Ninker has a hat, a lasso, and boots. What he doesn’t have is a horse — until he meets Maybelline, that is, and then it’s love at first sight. Maybelline loves spaghetti and sweet nothings, and she loves Leroy, too. But when Leroy forgets the third and final rule of caring for Maybelline, disaster ensues. Can Leroy wrestle fate to the ground, rescue the horse of his heart, and lasso loneliness for good? Join Leroy, Maybelline, and a cast of familiar characters — Stella, Frank, Mrs. Watson, and everyone’s favorite porcine wonder, Mercy — for some hilarious and heartfelt horsing around on Deckawoo Drive "What you have to do here is take fate in your hands ...

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making By Catherynne Valente Published on May 10, 2011 Published by Feiwel and Friends Source: Publisher Twelve-year-old September lives in Omaha, and used to have an ordinary life, until her father went to war and her mother went to work. One day, September is met at her kitchen window by a Green Wind (taking the form of a gentleman in a green jacket), who invites her on an adventure, implying that her help is needed in Fairyland. The new Marquess is unpredictable and fickle, and also not much older than September. Only September can retrieve a talisman the Marquess wants from the enchanted woods, and if she doesn’t . . . then the Marquess will make life impossible for the inhabitants of Fairyland. September is already making new friends, including a book-loving Wyvern and a mysterious boy named Saturday.   With exquisite illustrations by acclaimed artist Ana Juan, Fairyland lives up to the sensati...

A Broken Kind of Beautiful By Katie Ganshert Published on Waterbrook Press Published by April 15, 2014 Source: Publisher Fashion is a fickle industry, a frightening fact for twenty-four-year-old model Ivy Clark. Ten years in and she's learned a sacred truth -- appearance is everything. Nobody cares about her broken past as long as she looks beautiful for the camera. This is the only life Ivy knows -- so when it starts to unravel, she'll do anything to hold on. Even if that means moving to the quaint island town of Greenbrier, South Carolina, to be the new face of her stepmother's bridal wear line -- an irony too rich for words, since Ivy is far from the pure bride in white. Christians who have come to terms with the fact that they have "stuff" in their past will appreciate this story.   Overcoming the perceived expectations of others is Liz's biggest challenge...especially since Davis Knight holds the keys to her modeling success in hi...

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands By Chris Bohjalian Published on July 8 2014 Published by Doubleday Source: Net Galley Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands is the story of Emily Shepard, a homeless girl living in an igloo made of garbage bags in Burlington. Nearly a year ago, a power plant in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont had a meltdown, and both of Emily's parents were killed. Devastatingly, her father was in charge of the plant, and the meltdown may have been his fault—was he drunk when it happened? Thousands of people are forced to leave their homes in the Kingdom; rivers and forests are destroyed; and Emily feels certain that as the daughter of the most hated man in America, she is in danger. So instead of following the social workers and her classmates after the meltdown, Emily takes off on her own for Burlington, where she survives by stealing, sleeping on the floor of a drug dealer's house, inventing a new identity for herself, and befriending a young homeless kid named C...