The Best Books Ever

Thanks to  TLC Book Tours , we're pleased to present a review for  White Out , a new memoir by Michael Clune. Make sure to  check out the rest of the tour stops  to see other reviews! White Out By  Michael W. Clune Published on April 2nd 2013 Published by Hazelden Source: Finished copy for blog tour An In-Depth Look into the Life and Mind of a Heroin Addict "Then I see a white-topped vial. Wow. I stare at it. It's the first time I've ever seen it. I know I've seen it ten thousand times before. I know it only leads to bad things. I know I've had it and touched it and used it and shaken the last particles of white from the thin deep bottom one thousand times. But there it is. And it's the first time I've ever seen it." --Excerpted from White Out How do you describe an addiction in which the drug of choice creates a hole in your memory, a "white out," so that every time you use it is the first time--new, fascinating, and viv...

Chasing Jupiter By  Rachel Coker Published on December 26th 2012 Published by Zondervan Scarlett Blaine's life in 1960s Georgia isn't always easy, especially given her parents' financial struggles and the fights surrounding her sister Juli's hippie lifestyle. Then there's her brother, Cliff. While Scarlett loves him more than anything, there's no denying his unique behavior leaves Cliff misunderstood and left out. So when he wishes for a rocket to Jupiter, Scarlett agrees to make it happen, no matter how crazy the idea might be. Raising the rocket money means baking pies, and the farmer's son, Frank, agrees to provide the peaches if Scarlett will help him talk to Juli. The problem is, Scarlett really enjoys her time with Frank, and finds herself wondering if, someday, they could be more than friends. Just as she thinks everything might be going her way, Cliff suffers an accident that not only affects the rocket plans, but shakes Scarlett's view...

Welcome to the Book'em Danno Book Hop This event is hosted by The Review Wire and is dedicated to book lovers everywhere. Whether it's hardback, paperback, eBooks or gift cards to buy a book each blog participating is offering you some kind of reading adventure! After you enter my giveaway make sure to hop on down the list to see what each blogger has to offer. Also, you can enter The Grand Prize over at The Review Wire. Two prize packs will be offered to two winners that include all children's titles and both valued at over $110 dollars! Sticking with the "Book 'em Danno" theme, I'm offering up some great crime and mystery novels to not one but TWO lucky winners! Our two winners will be able to pick two books each from the following selections: This giveaway is open to US addresses only.  Due to some of the books containing mature themes, please be over 16 years old to enter. a Rafflecopter giveaway Disclaimer: This givea...

While curling up with a new book is plenty fun, sometimes you just want to read something you already know and love.  So this week, I asked our participants to tell me about their favorite  repeat reads  - those books you know backwards and forwards but still make it a point to re-read every so often.  Check out our selections and let us know what you think in the comments. This week's BBE is an easy choice. The only series I have ever gone back to and re-read was The Twilight Saga . I have read each book on the series at least 5 times but Twilight alone, probably over 10 or more times. i lost count really. There is just something about the story that draws me in and I am completely unhooked from real life. I actually haven't re-read them in the last 2 years because of my TBR pile but now that this came up, I might end up throwing them in before end of the year. Other 2 choices that I haven't re-read but I've said I would try to are Divergent and Anna and the ...

The Magician's Tower (Oona Crate Mystery, #2) By  Shawn Thomas Odyssey Published on February 26, 2013 Published by EgmontUSA Source: Publisher ***Sequel to the Agatha and Edgar nominated THE WIZARD OF DARK STREET*** Despite her extraordinary magical abilities and sleuthing skills, Oona Crate’s detective agency has failed to take off. But a new challenge captures her attention—The Magician’s Tower Contest. Held every five years, no one has ever completed the array of dangerous tasks (such as racing on flying carpets or defeating a horde of angry apes). As the competition commences, a case emerges. A rare punchbowl—one with unparalleled magical powers—has disappeared from the carnival surrounding the Magician’s Tower. If Oona can find the culprit, she could use the bowl to answer her question about her mother’s and sister’s tragic deaths so many years ago—was she really at fault? Full of magic, mystery, and fun, THE MAGICIAN’S TOWER continues the wonderful adventures of...

Dinner With A Vampire (The Dark Heroine, #1) By  Abigail Gibbs Published on October 11th 2012 Published by Harper Voyager Source: Publisher The sexiest romance you’ll read this year... One moment can change your life forever... For Violet Lee, a chance encounter on a darkened street draws her into a world beyond her wildest imaginings, a timeless place of vast elegance and immeasurable wealth – of beautiful mansions and lavish parties – where a decadent group of friends live for pleasure alone. A place from which there is no escape...no matter how hard Violet tries. Yet all the riches in the world can’t mask the darkness that lies beneath the gilded surface, embodied in the charismatic but dangerous Kaspar Varn. Violet and Kaspar surrender to a passion that transcends their separate worlds – but it’s a passion that comes at a price... I'm going to start off by saying I had a hard time getting into this novel. Honestly, I think it had to do with pre-conceived no...

Shadow of the Mark By  Leigh Fallon Published on July 9th 2013 Published by Harper Teen Source: ARC from publisher Leigh Fallon’s Shadow of the Mark , the sequel to Carrier of the Mark , is a captivating love story set against the lush backdrop of Ireland. Megan knew she was destined to be with Adam from the first moment she saw him and now they are determined to be together. But Megan and Adam are Marked Ones, and a romance between two Marked Ones is strictly forbidden…and could cause worldwide devastation. Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads Ok, so I am going to lay it out there- the good, not so great, and the wonderful.  First of all, let me clear the air.  I know that in the first book in this series, there was a ton of hoopla about this series being a copycat of Twilight.  This series has absolutely no resemblance to the Twilight series-especially now that the plot has been developed further in the second book.  I h...

Forged in Dreams and Magick By Kat Bastion Expected release date: September 23, 2013 Genre: Paranormal Romance / Time Travel Age Group: Adult Cover designed by: Mooney Designs   Isobel MacInnes wakes up in present-day California, lunches in medieval Scotland, and by ten days’ end, falls in love with a man and his country, only to lose them in a heart-wrenching twist of fate . . . Found in the arms of her second soul mate . . . Forced to balance the delicate strands of time between two millennia . . . Shocked by revelations rewriting the very foundations of history . . . of everything . Isobel, a rising-star archeology student, is dropped into two ancient worlds without warning . . . or her permission. Her fiery spirit resists the dependency thrust upon her. Amid frustration at her lack of control, she helplessly falls in love. Twice.   She struggles to adjust to the unimaginable demands of two leaders of men—a laird in the thirteenth-ce...

A Trick of the Light By  Lois Metzger Published on June 18th 2013 Published by Balzer & Bray Source: ARC from publisher Mike Welles had everything under control. But that was before. Now things are rough at home, and they’re getting confusing at school. He’s losing his sense of direction, and he feels like he’s a mess. Then there’s a voice in his head. A friend, who’s trying to help him get control again. More than that—the voice can guide him to become faster and stronger than he was before, to rid his life of everything that’s holding him back. To figure out who he is again. If only Mike will listen. Telling a story of a rarely recognized segment of eating disorder sufferers—young men—A Trick of the Light by Lois Metzger is a book for fans of the complex characters and emotional truths in Laurie Halse Anderson’s Wintergirls and Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why. I didn't entirely know what I was getting into when I started reading this book -- the blurb on th...

Transparent By Natalie Whipple Published on May 21, 2013 Published by Harper Teen Source: ARC from publisher Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is. An invisible girl is a priceless weapon. Fiona’s own father has been forcing her to do his dirty work for years—everything from spying on people to stealing cars to breaking into bank vaults. After sixteen years, Fiona’s had enough. She and her mother flee to a small town, and for the first time in her life, Fiona feels like a normal life is within reach. But Fiona’s father isn’t giving up that easily. Of course, he should know better than anyone: never underestimate an invisible girl. Wow, I loved this book!  I am a sucker for superheroes and this book was totally unexpected for me.  I was hesitant to read this book (because I don't like mafia books... ), but it had superpowers and superpowers always suck me in. I really liked Fiona's character.  She was a mystery to me, and als...

The Year of the Great Seventh By Teresa Orts Published on July 6th, 2013 Published by Drayton Press Sophie has always felt out of step—an outsider, even amongst friends in her high school with all the hype about celebrity culture. Her life in L.A. seems to have been already written for her, but when her junior year starts, it all takes a drastic turn. When she crosses paths with the school's heartthrob, Nate Werner, they fall for each other in a way neither can understand. What they don’t know is that by giving in to their desires, they are unlocking an ancient Egyptian prophecy that threatens to return Earth to the dark ages. To undo the curse, Nate and Sophie embark on an adventure that takes them across the country. But their quest is not only to save the world as they know it. It is also a fight for their very survival. Behind the scenes, there are those that are counting on them to fail. Oh dear. It is unfortunate that I have quite a few negatives ...

Avenger By Heather Burch Published on March 26, 2013 Published by Zonderkidz Source: ARC from publisher Sometimes the Truth Comes with a Price Nikki knew Damon Vessler would not let his prized creation go easily---she simply never imagined the lengths he'd go to get her back into his clutches, and turn Nikki's heart toward darkness. A Seeker at her heels, trained on her blood, Nikki flees with Raven alongside her for protection, while Mace and the other Halflings fight the battle that has erupted on earth. But even as the two boys she loves fight for her, she knows the battle will be hers to win. Determined to uncover the secrets of her past, and exactly how she fits into Vessler's twisted plans, Nikki sets off on her own, and soon discovers facing hellacious beasts is nothing compared to the decision she will need to make. One that could change not only the war, and her relationship with Mace and Raven, but her future with the Throne. Avenger i...

Arclight By Josin L McQuein Published on April 23, 2013 Published by Greenwillow Books Source: ARC from publisher No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be. The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it...

A Midsummer Night's Scream By  R.L. Stine Published on July 2nd 2013 Published by Feiwel & Friends Source: ARC from publisher The master of horror takes on the master of theater! Get ready for laughter to turn into screams in R.L. Stine's re-imagining of Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream. Everyone knows that Mayhem Manor is cursed. After production on the horror film was stopped due to a series of mysterious deaths, it became a Hollywood legend--which makes it perfect for Claire and her family. If they can successfully finish the film, it should be enough to save their ailing movie studio. Sure, the old haunted house is creepy, and strange stuff has been happening, but this is Claire's chance. Her chance to become the movie star she's always dreamed and her chance to finally convince her friend Jake that she is girlfriend material. Of course, the fact that Jake thinks he's in love with her best friend, Delia,...

  A humorous, debut novel about a Korean-American teenager who accidentally lands her own column in her high school newspaper, and proceeds to rant her way through the school year while struggling to reconcile the traditional Korean values of her parents with contemporary American culture .       About the author... Maurene Goo was born and raised in Los Angeles, California, where she navigated her childhood by practicing extreme bossy Lord-dom over her many cousins. She studied communication at the University of California, San Diego, and received a master's degree in publishing and writing at Emerson College. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a very old cat. You can visit her online at www.maurenegoo.com. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Earthbound By  Aprilynne Pike Published on July 30, 2013 Published by Razorbill Source: Publisher for Review Love, fate, and power collide in this new series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Aprilynne Pike! Tavia Michaels is the sole survivor of the plane crash that killed her parents. When she starts to see strange visions of a boy she’s never spoken with in real life, she begins to suspect that there’s much about her past that she isn’t being told. Tavia will soon discover that she’s an Earthbound—someone with the ability to create matter out of nothing—and that she alone holds the key to stopping the Reduciata, an evil society that manipulates global events for its own shadowy purposes. Tavia will ultimately have to make a choice: to come into her powers and save the world from the evil Reduciata or to choose free will and a love of her own. Earthbound was nothing at all what I expected.  I am not sure why, but between the cover and title I r...

This week, I asked about favorite friendships in books. They can be platonic friends (Harry, Hermione, and Ron!) or they can be BFFs who are also a couple (Alina and Mal, perhaps?) or anything in between. I just wanted to hear about awesome friends doing awesome things for each other. Check out our selections and let us know what you think in the comments. One of the things I love best about middle grade fiction is the focus on close friendships. Usually you'll see a boy-girl pairing, which allows some suggestion of romance that might develop when they're a little older, but I really like the idea of a platonic love that develops from shared experience, mutual respect, and admiration. I can think of many great friendships in fiction, but one that I think of often — and the first that came to mind — is between Aluna and Hoku from Jenn Reese's science fiction adventure Above World . When you read it, you'll see why: They accept each other's flaws and inspire...