The Best Books Ever

All You Never Wanted By  Adele Griffin Published on October 9, 2012 Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers Source: Netgalley With my eyes closed and Alex's core friends all around me, it was like I'd become my big sister, or something just as good. And so who cared if they were calling it Alex's party? One thing I knew: it would be remembered as mine. Alex has it all—brains, beauty, popularity, and a dangerously hot boyfriend. Her little sister Thea wants it all, and she's stepped up her game to get it. Even if it means spinning the truth to win the attention she deserves. Even if it means uncovering a shocking secret her older sister never wanted to share. Even if it means crying wolf. Told in the alternating voices of Alex and Thea, Adele Griffin's mesmerizing new novel is the story of a sibling rivalry on speed. Ever read a book where you finish it and realize you have absolutely no sympathy for any of the characters? Even if you should?  Tha...

The Calling By  Kelley Armstrong Published on DATE Published by Harper Teen Source: Library Maya Delaney's paw-print birthmark is the mark of what she truly is -a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly everyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it's only a matter of time before she's able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents. Maya Delaney's paw-print birthmark is the mark of what she truly is -a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly everyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it's only a matter of time before she's able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents. The Calling is the ...

Thanks to AToMR Tours , we're spotlighting a new series of YA mystery novellas, Alibi .  Keep reading to see our review, and to enter to win a copy for yourself.  Be sure to check out all of the other stops on the tour for great reviews and more! Alibi By  Annie Miles, John Byrne, Isabel Eckersley, and Sorrel Provola Published on March 1, 2012 Published by Twist Literary Publishing Source: Blog Tour Abigail Shelton is dead. Spring Valley's golden girl is found floating face-down in her boyfriend’s pool, hands bound behind her back, head bleeding, drugs and alcohol in her system. Her friends are the only suspects – and they all have reasons to want her dead. Everyone has an alibi, but no one is innocent. ALIBI is a 4-part young adult e-book series. Each one-hundred page installment reveals the perspective of a different character: the secret love, the nemesis, the boyfriend, the best friend. As their tales unfold, we learn that Abby is not as perfect as ...

  Welcome to our stop on the Second Chance Blog tour!  Today we will be sharing our review for First Comes Love- the first book in this series!  Make sure to check out the bottom of the post for a giveaway! First Comes Love By Katie Kacvinsky Like his name, Gray is dark and stormy. Dylan, a girl always searching for what's next, seemingly unable to settle down, is the exact opposite: full of light and life. On the outside, they seem like an unlikely couple. But looks can be deceiving and besides, opposites attract. What starts as friendship, turns into admiration, respect and caring, until finally these two lone souls find they are truly in love with each other.   But staying in love is not as easy as falling in love. If Dylan and Gray want their love to last, they're going to have to work at it. And learn that sometimes love means having to say you're sorry. This book was pretty awesome!  I wanted to re...

Welcome to Short and Sweet's stop on the Renegade blog tour!  Thanks to Mundie Moms for letting us in on the fun! Renegade By  J.A. Souders Published on November 13, 2012 Published by Tor Teen Source: Publisher for review Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has been trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes, all her life she’s thought that everything was perfect; her world. Her people. The Law. But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie. Her memories have been altered. Her mind and body aren’t under her own control. And the person she knows as Mother is a monster. Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb... and Mother has one last secret that will destr...

After a handful of more serious topics on Best Book Ever, I decided to ask our contributors about something different.  This time, I wanted to hear about the funniest book ever .  Whether it was a book specifically from the comedy genre, or just a book that cracked you up anyway, I wanted to know about it! I don't think I've ever laughed so hard at a book as I did at IS EVERYONE HANGING OUT WITHOUT ME? by Mindy Kaling. I actually listened to this as an audiobook, read by Mindy, and there were multiple times that I seriously thought I was going to fall off the elliptical machine at the gym because I was giggling so hard. (I'm sure everyone around me thought I was a complete maniac. But what else is new, really?) My absolute favorite is the chapter postulating that romantic comedy is basically a sub-genre of science fiction, where a completely different set of rules applies and where there's a slew of archetypal female characters who don't exist in real life: ...

The Gathering By  Kelley Armstrong Published on April 2011 Published by Harper Teen Source: Library Sixteen-year-old Maya is just an ordinary teen in an ordinary town. Sure, she doesn't know much about her background - the only thing she really has to cling to is an odd paw-print birthmark on her hip - but she never really put much thought into who her parents were or how she ended up with her adopted parents in this tiny medical-research community on Vancouver Island. Until now . Strange things have been happening in this claustrophobic town - from the mountain lions that have been approaching Maya to her best friend's hidden talent for "feeling" out people and situations, to the sexy new bad boy who makes Maya feel . . . . different . Combine that with a few unexplained deaths and a mystery involving Maya's biological parents and it's easy to suspect that this town might have more than its share of skeletons in its closet I kn...

Second Chance By  Katie Kacvinsky Published on DATE Source: Blog Tour Can two drastically different, imperfect people be perfect for each other? It’s been four months since Gray and Dylan have seen each other. Dylan’s been traveling in Europe, while Gray has college, baseball, and a life rooted in one place. Gray’s determined to forget Dylan, the girl he fell in love with in First Comes Love . Besides, how do you make a relationship work with an independent loner? Just when he decides he’s over her, Dylan makes an unexpected entrance back into his life, hoping their steamy romance can start right where it left off. Gray realizes you can tell your mind to do one thing, but you can’t always convince your heart to follow. Dylan realizes she finally has to make a choice between freedom and her relationship with Gray.  And now for our teaser: Maybe I’ve watched movies like The Cutting Edge and When Harry Met Sally and A lot Like Love an...

Breathe By Sarah Crossan Published on October 2, 2012 Published by Green Willow Source: ARC from Publisher Alina has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful. Quinn should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her. Bea wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl. And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to? I wasn't sure what to expect with this book...

Thanks to AToMR Tours, we're spotlighting a new YA paranormal novel, Reaping Me Softly, by Kate Evangelista!  Keep scrolling for a chance to win a copy for yourself, and be sure to check out all of the other stops on the tour for great reviews and more! Reaping Me Softly By  Kate Evangelista Published on October 30, 2012 Published by Omnific Publishing Ever since a near-death-experience on the operating table, seventeen-year-old Arianne Wilson can see dead people. Just as she’s learned to accept her new-found talents, she discovers that the boy she’s had a crush on since freshman year, Niko Clark, is a Reaper. At last they have something in common, but that doesn’t mean life is getting any easier. All while facing merciless bullying from the most powerful girl in school, Arianne’s world is turned upside down after Niko accidentally reaps the soul of someone she loves. This sends them both into a spiral that threatens to end Arianne’s life. But will Niko break ...

I picked an unexpectedly timely topic this week for Best Book Ever.  The mind works in mysterious ways, and I guess all the Hurricane Sandy coverage made me think about water?  Maybe?  I don't know.  Anyway, this week, I asked our contributors to share with us their favorite mermaid stories!   I haven't actually read any mermaid books, but now I've got a few on my list!  Check out their picks below, and add yours in the comments. I have only read three mermaids/siren/meman books lately: Of Poseidon, Wake , and The Vicious Deep . But my favorite out of the three was Of Poseidon . The book was just a breath of fresh sea breeze. ;) It incorporated humor, romance and mystery. I promise that you will burst out laughing on the very first page, and the action soon follows. The romance was sweet (and not only between the two main characters but it was also sweet between the secondary characters). The mystery and myth of the merfolks just ...

Halloween is here and to celebrate we have a host of stories from Harper's Middle Grade line of books!  Our friend Deanna is here to give you a whole stack of mini reviews! Coraline by Neil Gaiman Coraline's often wondered what's behind the locked door in the drawing room. It reveals only a brick wall when she finally opens it, but when she tries again later, a passageway mysteriously appears. Coraline is surprised to find a flat decorated exactly like her own, but strangely different. And when she finds her "other" parents in this alternate world, they are much more interesting despite their creepy black button eyes. When they make it clear, however, that they want to make her theirs forever, Coraline begins a nightmarish game to rescue her real parents and three children imprisoned in a mirror. With only a bored-through stone and an aloof cat to help, Coraline confronts this harrowing task of escaping these monstrous creatures. Wow! ...

The Evolution of Mara Dyer By  Michelle Hodkin Published on October 23, 2012 Published by Simon & Schuster Source: ARC from publisher Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past. She can’t. She used to think her problems were all in her head. They aren’t. She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets. She’s wrong. In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next? So, I already admitted to being less than pleased with The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer . That was kind of a plus because I went in to reading its sequel, The Evolution of Mara Dyer , with much lower expectations.  Already knowing the characters and knowing what annoyed me, I was better prepared to be in a zen place while reading this one.  It mostly worked. Once again, I didn't love this book, either, but it was still interesting...

No Man's Land By  S.T. Underdahl Published on November 8, 2012 Published by Flux Source: Netgalley If life were a movie, Dov Howard's role would be Emo Kid/Family Loser. His brother Brian would star as Master of the Universe. But that's okay. Dov's got great friends-and possibly a new one named Scarlett. Like everyone else, Dov loves his brother and is thrilled when Brian, a National Guard soldier, is sent home in one piece. Then things get weird. Talking to his jumpy brother is like juggling grenades, and Dov can't help but notice Brian's new best friends: Jack Daniels and the pistol he sleeps with. What will it take for his family to wake up and see the ugly truth? I don’t often read contemporary YA novels, as I often  prefer my fiction to be a bit more escapist in nature.  Sometimes, real life can be enough of a downer that I don’t need my fiction to be full of kids experiencing huge problems or weird relationships or whatever.  If I’m going to ...