The Best Books Ever

Wrecked By Anna Davies Published by Simon and Schuster Published on May 1, 2012 Source:  ARC from Publisher Summary taken from Goodreads: Ever since the death of her parents, Miranda has lived on Whym Island, taking comfort in the local folklore, which claims a mysterious sea witch controls the fate of all on the island and in its surrounding waters. Sometimes it’s just easier to believe things are out of your control.     But then a terrible boating accident takes the lives of several of her friends, and Miranda is rescued by a mysterious boy who haunts her dreams. Consumed by guilt from the accident, she finds refuge in late-night swims—and meets Christian, a boy who seems eerily familiar, but who is full of mystery: He won’t tell her where he is from, or why they can only meet at the beach. But Miranda falls for him anyway…and discovers that Christian’s secrets, though meant to protect her, may bring her nothing but ...

Burning Emerald (Cambion Chronicles #2) By Jaime Reed Published on May 29, 2012 Published by Kensington Teen Source: ARC from Publisher Summary taken from Goodreads : Coping with loss, keeping secrets from friends, and juggling classes has kept Sam Marshall busy in her senior year. She finds comfort in her unlikely companion, Caleb, as their connection grows to where one cannot survive without the other. But Sam’s biggest problem is a powerful enemy that wants her for himself and to destroy Caleb and his family. Determined to keep Caleb safe, Sam fights a battle where she is both the enemy and the prize, but victory will come at a deadly price The Cover:  What I love most about these covers is that there is no blonde white girl with a flowing dress on.  I have read a few books where the main character is not white and yet they are portrayed as white on the cover, and it is annoying.  I love the simplicity of these covers, but ...

The Pout Pout Fish By Deborah Diesen Published by Macmillian Audio Published on April 24, 2012 Source: From Publisher for review Summary taken from Goodreads : A NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER Deep in the water, Mr. Fish swims about With his fish face stuck In a permanent pout. Can his pals cheer him up? Will his pout ever end? Is there something he can learn From an unexpected friend? Swim along with the pout-pout fish as he discovers that being glum and spreading “dreary wearies” isn’t really his destiny. Bright ocean colors and playful rhyme come together in this fun fish story that’s sure to turn even the poutiest of frowns upside down. The Pout-Pout Fish is a 2009 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year. The Pout Pout fish is an adorable picture book for young readers.  It tells the story of a sad fish who only knows how to pout.  He learns from another underwater friend that there are more choices for him in life than pouti...

City of Lost Souls By Cassandra Clare Published by Margaret K McElderberry (Simon and Schuster) Published on May 8, 2012 Source:  Bought Summary taken from Goodreads : The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees. No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to...

Welcome to Best Book Ever here at Short and Sweet Reviews!  This week, we're talking about books that involve parents.  YA books are sort of notorious for disappearing parents -- our leads take off on their own adventures without a parent to be found.  So we're looking at our favorite books that have parents who act unusual, are noticeably absent, or, best yet, where the parents were actually involved in the story. The best book that includes parents in the action is probably Freaky Friday by Mary Rogers, in which the young protagonist actually becomes her own parent. You've probably seen one of the films based on it already, so you know how this works: A girl, Annabel Andrews, inexplicably switches bodies with her mother, leading the two of them to gain a new appreciation of the other's life. This premise has been revisited many times in various books, films, and television shows, including one of Rogers' sequels, Summer Switch , in which Annabel's br...

Sirenz Back in Fashion By Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman Published by Flux Published on June 8, 2012 Summary taken from Goodreads : It's Hell on heels--again When Shar tries on a ring from Hades, it activates an obscure contractual clause that puts Shar and former-frenemy-now-friend Meg in Hades' service once more. Shar is whisked away to the Underworld to prepare a ball for Persephone, while Meg is sent to retrieve the errant soul of spoiled rich girl Paulina Swanson and send her to the abyss. Just when it appears the girls will be doomed to serve Hades for eternity, Shar meets two possibly helpful demi-gods who also happen to be gorgeous. Can the girls finally ditch the Lord of the Dead once and for all? Coranne's Thoughts: This is the second book in the Sirenz series, but the first book I have read.  I had mixed feelings about reading this book- I wasn't a huge fan of the cover and I wasn't r...

The Hedgewitch Queen By Lilith Saintcrow Published December 1, 2011 Published by Orbit Source: Netgalley Summary from Goodreads :  Vianne di Rocancheil is a lady waiting at the Court of Arquitaine, where she studies her books, watches for intrigue, and shepherds her foolhardy Princesse through the glittering whirl. Court is a sometimes-unpleasant waltz, especially for the unwary, but Vianne treads its measured steps well. Unfortunately, the dance has changed. Treachery is afoot in gilded and velvet halls. A sorcerous conspiracy is unleashed, with blood, death, and warfare close behind. Vianne must flee, carrying the Great Seal of Arquitaine with her. This is the one thing the conspirators need to rule, and they won’t rest until they have it. A life of dances, intrigues, and fashion has not prepared Vianne for this. Nor has it prepared her for Tristan d’Arcenne, Captain of the King’s Guard and player in the most dangerous games conspiracy can devise. Yet to save...

I have been astounded by 2012 so far- there have been TONS of books that I have read and loved!  Here are a sampling of my favorites so far (in no particular order):                                    These are only a few that I have loved! GIVEAWAY!! I am giving away 3 of the books listed above: Underworld by Meg Cabot Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo Embrace by Jessica Shirvington And some awesome swag to 1 winner! Please US/ CA only (these are ARCs so I will be mailing them myself). Fill out the Rafflecopter below to win!   a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Welcome to Best Book Ever here at Short and Sweet Reviews!  This week, we're talking about our favorite trilogies!  I am a big fan of series when they're done right -- and there are some epic trilogies out there that do it very well!  Some of these stories can't be contained just to one book.  Here are our picks: My favourite ever trilogy has to be MEETING DESTINY , DESTINY'S REVENGE & DESTINY'S WRATH - these make up The Destiny Series by Nancy Straight. I first read Meeting Destiny when I was approached by Nancy asking if I would like to review it. Let me tell you, I am so glad I did. I read it in a day it was just so gods damn amazing!! I reached the end and felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest, stamped on and put back into my chest. I was so emotionally raw. I have never been touched by a book in that way in my entire life. I couldn't read anything for the next couple of days because each time I tried to start something new, I foun...

The Treachery of Beautiful Things By Ruth Long To be Published on August 16, 2012 Published by Dial Books Summary taken from Goodreads : A darkly compelling mix of romance, fairy tale, and suspense from a new voice in teen fiction The trees swallowed her brother whole, and Jenny was there to see it. Now seventeen, she revisits the woods where Tom was taken, resolving to say good-bye at last. Instead, she's lured into the trees, where she finds strange and dangerous creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with secrets of his own. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack's help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where stunning beauty masks some of the most treacherous evils, and she's faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice--and not just her own.  The Cover:  If you didn't know this already- The Treachery of Beautiful Things has a very similar ...

The Last Princess By Galaxy Craze Published by Poppy Published on May 1, 2012 Source: Finished Copy from Publisher Summary taken from Goodreads : Happily ever after is a thing of the past. A series of natural disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are growing restless. When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only sixteen-year-old Princess Eliza manages to escape. Determined to kill the man who destroyed her family, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. She has nothing left to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember how to hope—and to love—once more. Now she must risk everything to ensure that she not become... The Last Princess. The  Co...

Her Majesty's Will By David Blixt Published on April 23, 2012 Published by Sordelet Ink Source: Netgalley Summary from Goodreads : Before he was famous, he was a fugitive.  Before he wrote of humanity, he lived it.  Before he was the Bard of Avon, he was a spy. A very poor spy. England, 1586. Swept up in the skirts of a mysterious stranger, Will Shakespeare becomes entangled in a deadly and hilarious misadventure as he accidentally uncovers the Babington Plot, an attempt to murder Queen Elizabeth herself. Aided by the mercurial wit of Kit Marlowe, Will enters London for the first time, chased by rebels, spies, his own government, his past, and a bear.  Through it all he demonstrates his loyalty and genius, proving himself to be - HER MAJESTY'S WILL. My thoughts... Her Majesty's Will  takes what's generally considered a "lost" period in William Shakespeare's life and spins a wild tale of what, exactly, he could have been ...

Welcome to Best Book Ever here at Short and Sweet Reviews!  This week, we're talking about our favorite books that feature witches!  I'll be honest, I'm pretty stumped on this one... the only one I could think of was Harry Potter!  Fortunately, the rest of our wise, well-read BBE participants had plenty of choices -- and plenty of books for me to look up! The best book ever featuring witches for me is BEASTLY . While the story itself is a modern retelling of 'Beauty and the Beast,' the witch - Kendra - plays a pivotal role. Not only does she cast the spell on pretty boy Kyle Kingsbury, turning him into a beast, but she is actually involved in the process. I liked that she was developed more in this version than in others I've read (and though I haven't read it, now there's a novel just about Kendra!) Rebecca @ A Word's Worth My pick this week is... The Witches by Roald Dahl. Easy, right? This is one of my favorite childhood books, and on...