Armchair BEA: Ethics and Non-fiction

Ethics of blogging? Oh my, that's a big one.
As bloggers, we have to understand that these are our opinions first of all. If you liked it, don't ATTACK someone who didn't. I mean, I jokingly say that I hate them but I don't attack them. But have I seen it? YES. Honestly, I didn't think I'd have to address this!

And plagiarism. We work HARD on our reviews. Don't you DARE copy others' hard work and claim it as your own--it isn't. So what if it's hard for you? WE have issues too. WE have personal lives. We don't write reviews so that you can use it and call it your own. We do it to help others find the books they want and help people discover their new favorites. My friends have been plagiarized--as far as I know I haven't. But it's still absolutely horrible.

Don't diss an author or the publisher in your review. Don't say stuff like "The editors must've been BLIND if they couldn't see the horribleness of ___" No. You didn't like the book--so don't blame the authors. The author probably did his or her best. Don't bring them down because of it. If you have negative feelings towards a publisher, don't talk about it publicly unless they actually WRONGED you. Seriously?

While this isn't "Blogger Ethics" I have to address it. Haters. Ignore them. They're beneath you. Haters gonna hate. But we don't need to hate them in return. They're not worth anything if they try to bring people down, and they need a life if they have the TIME to. Our blogs are OURS. It has, quite obviously, OUR opinions. You want to argue over some political nonsense? Go somewhere else. We talk BOOKS.

As for non-fiction, I don't read it. Maybe I should--but which ones? I would love recs.

But not biographies. I don't want to read about someone's accomplishments--I want to make my own and not feel insignificant about them. X)

Armchair BEA: General Fiction--Life Changing Books

SO. Life changing books? LET'S DO THIS.

When I was little, maybe 5 or 6, my teacher read this to the class.

And that was it. I was suddenly loving books. (Strangely, I NEVER read the Magic Tree House Series and the ones I did read? I remember thinking they were too easy and too boring and too short. I was a strange kid. I also researched killer mermaids.) But I never really read anything BUT Boxcar Children until I discovered:

her. Nancy Drew. 

The Nancy Drew books took me 1.5 years to completely read (since I was also into Sailor Moon at the time. Seriously. WEIRD KID.) I read all of them. the yellow books, the comics, the ones with the elementary Nancy Drew, the others--all of them. Every. Single. One.

You know, I used to go to my school library every day before school and for 15 minutes after school. So maybe that's why I became such close friends with my librarian when she urged me to read this.

And...I loved it. It was wonderful, it was real, it made my little 9 year old self think and it was the first time I truly loved a character. So I read more and more of Sharon Creech's books. She was my first favorite author. Even the author of Nancy Drew couldn't compare in my little eyes. 

I read Ruby Holler first of course. 

Then Chasing Redbird. 

Then Hate that Cat. Love That Dog. 

Absolutely Normal Chaos (which absolutely SCANDALIZED me with it's kissing scene at the end. But I may have read that part over and over, glancing over my shoulder guiltily. WHAT. It was an adorable scene!) 

Heartbeat.

Replay

The Wanderer

I never could finish Walk Two Moons though! But I even read her picture book. A Fine, Fine School. 

And I absolutely adored all these books. They were beautiful, wonderful, absolutely stunning. They were heartbreaking. But out of all of these, none touched me like Heartbeat. I forget what it was that made me love it so much--but I do remember reading it over and over, clutching it as I walked to school. It was...hopeful. And I think that was OFFICIALLY when my love for books started.

But that's not where the story ends. I was still hesitant to read any fantasy and my mom told me to read only award winning books. But then again, librarian to the rescue. I visited her and asked her for recommendations. And what did she say? That I already read most of her recommended books. But on her desk, there was a ripped up book, completely torn, half taped up. She was fixing it. But I could still see the cover. And it looked like this.

Yep. The PJO series was my librarian's sidekick.

I was intrigued. Why were they running? Why the fog? Was that an EYE? And I asked to borrow it. She said to come back the next day--so I did. And even though I'd never read the series before, even though this was just the second book, I snatched it and devoured it. And then went back to get books one and three. And read them out of order--but I still understood everything!

So yes. Rick Riordan definitely made a humongous change in my life. But what sparked my YA addiction? None other than this series. 

But that's a story for next time. 

Armchair BEA: Development and Genres

Ah. My development as a blogger. Now THAT is something to talk about. I mean, my first post was unbelievably, ridiculously, horrible and cringe worthy. My first review was ranty, had poor grammar, and reused the same word several times. I don't even want to LOOK at them.

Now my reviews still aren't "professional" but they're...better I think. And honestly, sometimes I hate calling them reviews. Can I just call them my opinions? Because that's what they are right?

And my online presence has SO grown lol! Now I'm on twitter and FB 24/7 connecting, stalking, posting about random things...it's actually really scary when you think about how much I looked at social media with contempt. Ugh. I would like to slap past me! Social Media is EVERYTHING now! And I'm a lot more outspoken on the internet actually...so if I said I was the quiet one in class, WOULD YOU BELIEVE ME?

Probably not. It's been almost a year and a half, and the best year ever.

As for genre...
My favorite?
Contemporary, Thriller, and High Fantasy. And Historical Fiction.

Okay. So maybe I should say Favorites. I CAN'T CHOOSE JUST ONE!
Contemporary books usually make me giggle even when I feel depressed, or they make me sob like an absolute baby and rip my heart out. Obviously I'm into self inflicted emotional pain.
Thrillers absolutely kill me and have me clutching a door frame at a twist. Or they have me looking furtively over my shoulder. Because I'm paranoid like that.
High Fantasy takes you to another world and worldbuilding is almost always my favorite part of a book. Poor worldbuilding? Unless the other parts are absolutely amazing, POOR BOOK.
Historical Fiction takes you to another world too--except one that existed. And that, my friends, is always something magical.

AND here's my priority (wrong word, but I hope you know what I mean) list when I read.

1. Worldbuilding
2. Originality 
3. Main Characters
4. Plot
5. Romance/Love Interests
6. Minor Characters

And as for books I absolutely have to recommend?

My Favorites List
My ABSOLUTE Favorites list

Armchair BEA: Icebreaker

Eep! SO excited to participate in Armchair BEA again! Last year was a bit of a fail for me actually lol! But with my BFF off at BEA (well, on Thursday and Saturday) I WILL BE SLOWLY WITHERING HERE. Or not. Since there's Armchair BEA. I also answered one extra question?

1.Where in the world are you blogging from? Tell a random fact or something special about your current location. Feel free to share pictures. 

It is cockroach season. 
Of course, that means this is Texas.

2.What are you currently reading, or what is your favorite book you have read so far in 2013? 

I, MY FRIENDS, am currently reading Book of Broken Hearts, Burning Sky, and Truly Madly Deadly. Favorite book of the year? HOW CAN I PICK BETWEEN SOME QUIET PLACE AND IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS? I can't. 

3. Tell us one non-book-related thing that everyone reading your blog may not know about you. 

Ummm...I started my blog at 11?

4. Which is your favorite post that you have written that you want everyone to read? 

Well, it's an interview I did on my BFF's blog. Okay, well, 2. Apparently I went super crazy

First one: http://eileenlisblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/blogger-interview-fiction-freak.html

Second one: http://eileenlisblog.blogspot.com/2013/01/blogger-follow-up-interview-fiction.html

5. If you could eat dinner with any author or character, who would it be and why? 

Totally A.G. Howard of ze Splintered. Like, seriously? SHE'S THE NICEST PERSON EVER AND she's just amazing! Plus Splintered was my favorite read of 2012. So DUH.

Character? Ash from Iron Fey. Always. Completely. <3

6.What is your favorite part about the book blogging community? 

My favorite part of the blogosphere? Absolutely the people. They're the absolute best, they totally understand the stress of blogging sometimes, they're my partners in fangirling, and they're just amazing. Bookish people are also the craziest--and that always counts for something! 

Link me up to your posts! I promise to stalk comment!

September Girls by Bennett Madison

Goodreads Blurb

When Sam's dad whisks him and his brother off to a remote beach town for the summer, he's all for it-- at first. Sam soon realizes, though, that this place is anything but ordinary. Time seems to slow down around here, and everywhere he looks, there are beautiful blond girls. Girls who seem inexplicably drawn  to him. 
Then Sam meets DeeDee, one of the Girls, and she's different from the others. Just as he starts to fall for her, she pulls away, leaving him more confused than ever. He knows that if he's going to get her back, he'll have to uncover the secret of this beach and the girls who live here.

Oh, it's case of the deceiving cover again. I mean, the cover was absolutely gorgeous and the synopsis was definitely intriguing! But the actual story was, I found, very different from what I expected. 

So the first thing was the writing. It was a bit awkward sometimes and the cussing was...extreme. Every few sentences and almost every paragraph had a cuss word and it got super old super fast. The way it was written was also a bit awkward and while there was an air of mystery surrounding the story, it was also a bit obvious and a bit boring.

Also, *spoiler* the way to break the curse was also pretty messed up.

The plot also left a lot to be desired for. It didn't have any twists whatsoever and was actually pretty boring most of the time. It was nice to read, I guess. But what really disappointed me was that we never found out exactly what the girls were, and their parents...didn't make a whole lot of sense. We never went in depth with their situation, and since the book really sort of revolved around that, the story lacked. Also, very repetitive and there were a ton of things just suddenly popped out at you that made no sense whatsoever.

I was also a bit confused as to how DeeDee was really that different. The only reason she was "different" was because she'd rather read than party, but for all he knew, she was the only one he stumbled in on. It was coincidence after coincidence and it got super frustrating seeing DeeDee actually act like all the other Girls. 

Sam was also pretty shallow--and oh my gosh the number of times I wanted to punch him are innumerable. 

What I did like? The switching POVs. We got few glimpses into the supernatural world through this other POV which I can't reveal, and those were, by far, my favorite chapters. I did like Kristle though, despite her faults, and found her a strangely refreshing blunt kind of character, even if I did want to strangle her sometimes. (No, all the time)

Characters. Flat, obnoxious, disgusting, sex-crazed, etc.

The book sort of not really redeemed itself in the fact that it had a sort of impact on me and hit me as one of those raw kind of books. Maybe not beautiful, and maybe not gritty, but somewhere in-between. It's one of those books that you can sort of understand, not on a fictional level, but in the message the author was trying to send. But oh, it was so not worth the read. 

But, ermm, if I may offer a sort of snarky version of this review? (I restrained. I'm sorry. But)

Okay, I really wanted to punch all the characters so many times for being idiotic, drug addicts, and so demeaning, especially the guys. It made me want to throw a brick at something, preferably something glass. So the way it was written was sometime pretty, and it did give a raw message, but still. The characters? The plot? Eh. Also, hello? Can we please get some closure? I possibly hate this, and sort of like it because of the rawness. I think. My feelings are mixed. So mixed. But seriously. Lots of drinking, mostly sex, lots of objectifying, and a lot a lot a lot of anti-feminism/females-are-only-good-for-certain-ahem-things.

Pages: 256

Genre: Supernatural

Series: Stand alone

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: May 21, 2013

Rating: Uh. No.

Book Haul + Weekly Recap

SO I DID ANOTHER VLOG. I hope you don't throw tomatoes like it!

Oh wow. Awkward. I know. You should start bringing out the tomatoes now.

RECEIVED
Our Song by Jordana Fraiberg
Hysteria by Megan Miranda
Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann
Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris
Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken
Nantucket Blue by Leila Howard
Gated by Amy Christine Parker
Beautiful and Cursed by Page Morgan
Spirit and Dust by Rosemary-Clement Moore
Opposite of Hallelujah by Anna Jarzab
Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler
Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield
Coda by Emma Treyvane
The Program by Suzanne Young
Golden by Jessi Kirby
Parallel by Lauren Miller
The Ward by Jordana Frankel
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins
Saving June by Hannah Harrington
Ink by Amanda Sun
Truly, Madly, Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Weekly Recap
Chosen at Nightfall by CC Hunter
Reboot by Amy Tintera
Waiting on Wednesday
The Rules by Stacey Kade
The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Goodreads Blurb

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.
Literally.
Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.
Then Eli’s dream comes true.
Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

Haha, remember how excited I was for this? So much that I sent in an ARC request the DAY the cover was released? And then I put Nightmare Affair TWICE without knowing? Yeah.

The Nightmare Affair definitely lived up to my expectations!

I loved Dusty! She was such a smart alack and I loved her recklessness! Most of the time! As fiery as her red hair, Dusty was definitely one of those headstrong characters you just had to love--those she does act impulsively often. But she definitely made up for it with her wisecrack jokes that made me LOL (no seriously.)

But, my favorite character by far, was Selene. And no, not just because I ALWAYS wanted to change my name to that. She was a Siren who was against the "objectification of sirens as sex objects" which was so AMAZING. I loved her! Seriously. 

The romance was seriously amazing. It wasn't slow at all and you could just feel it coming! Not to mention, Eli was perfect for a YA love interest! Though he did have his moments. You know when you want to shove two people who you KNOW like each other, but won't admit it, together? Yeah. It definitely made things interesting though! And made for some hilarious moments.

The plot was a bit predictable though, and I desperately wanted to point out the obvious to Dusty. She seemed to have a habit of trusting the wrong people. Although, admittedly, I wasn't even close to discovering who the biggest antagonist was. I was too caught up in...other things.

The first half of Nightmare Affair was a bit slower than I'd expected, but still enjoyable! We learn about the world of the paranormal and it was so much better than typical werewolves and vampires, faeries, and the regular ones. Mindee Arnett manages to mention Sirens, Psychics, Wizards, Hags, Faeries, Mermaids, Demons, and more! I loved the world she created with the world split into 3 different magickinds based on how they get their power--it was fascinating to learn! The author manages to twist the usual typical paranormal school/camp and turn it into something original which, by the way, is super hard to do considering all those books! Not to mention--hello? Nightmares?

Absolutely, I'd recommend this for fans of the Shadow Falls and the Hex Hall Series! The Nightmare Affair is a perfect read for readers who are looking for an original paranormal mystery and it definitely has me waiting for the next one! (I promise that's not just because of Eli and Dusty though.)

Pages: 367

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Arkwell Academy #1

Publisher: Tor Teen

Release Date: MArch 5, 2013

Rating: 3.5--->4 stars

The Rules by Stacey Kade

The Rules was really a great read and, if it'd been a contemporary, would've received a full five stars, but as a sci-fi, it lacked a bit. We never saw much of Ariane's alien side or much of her powers, except for a few occasions. It didn't really play a major role until maybe the last part of the book, though, and that was a bit disappointing. We also never really understood much about her...condition, which was also one of the setbacks. I do think that the book set up the sequel nicely for a hardcore sci-fi novel though! So I'm definitely anxious for book 2!

This book, at first, really sounded like a giant revenge plot going on. It was definitely interesting, but another thing that made it seem more contemporary than sci-fi...so there was that.

Ariane was definitely a great character! She was an easy character to understand and I loved reading from her POV. There's no count for how many times sympathy welled up in me for her. Always having to hide, always having to be careful. And having such a bee (I ban myself from cussing) as a best friend. She was definitely a strong and fiery character who hated standing back. She was stubborn and always believed in doing what she was right, and was so adamant in doing the right thing, even when it just stabbed her back.

Our love interest was also pretty cute! I'm always one for character changes and Zane seemed to have gone through a pretty rough one when his mom left. Suddenly he's not as cruel or ignorant as his friends and he really did see Ariane. Their romance was absolutely adorable and sometimes I just wanted to scream and tell him what Ariane was hiding. He was worried without being completely overbearing which is something I've realized happens a lot in these kind of books! He pried away her slowly built up wall and it was wonderful seeing them fall in love! 

The plot was definitely unpredictable. I was surprised time and time again and, while it didn't help with the sci-fi, I do love a good revenge plot! The ending chapters were some of my favorite though! For reasons I can not say. But they were super good and I loved the plot! It definitely kept me on my toes! 

The Rules was an amazing book and one I wouldn't mind recommending over and over! There's definitely a great set up for the sequel and I can't wait to get my hands on it! 

Pages: 416

Genre: Sci-fi

Series: Project Paper Doll #1

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Release Date: April 23, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

Winterspell by Claire Legrand

To find her abducted father and keep her sister safe from the lecherous politicians of 1899 New York City, 17-year-old Clara Stole must journey to the wintry kingdom of Cane. There, Anise, queen of the faeries, has ousted the royal family in favor of her own totalitarian, anti-human regime. Clara's only companion is 18-year-old Nicholas, Cane's rightful prince, whom she freed from a curse that left him trapped in disfiguring faery magic -- but time is running out, for both Nicholas and Clara's family. A deadly secret threatens to destroy Clara and Nicholas even as it binds them irrevocably together. And the land of Cane is anything but sweet.

Full of seductive faeries, dangerous magic, bloody swordfights, and forbidden romance, WINTERSPELL is a retelling of the classic ballet The Nutcracker, as you've never seen it before.

 I've heard a LOT about how awesome Claire Legrand's debut MG, Cavendish Home For Boys and Girls, but I'm honestly not a big MG fan...BUT NOW THERE'S A YA BY HER AND IT HAS FAERIES AND MAGIC AND ROMANCE AND *GASPS* SWORD FIGHTS. This will be epic. We all know I'm a giant fan of faeries and, oh my, I see there's an evil Queen. THIS IS A DREAM COME TRUE. (Did you catch that?!)

Reboot by Amy Tintera

Goodreads Blurb

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).
Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.
The perfect soldier is done taking orders.

I've been absolutely aching over this title and I was beyond excited to get this from Edelweiss! Kickass assassin heroines and a dystopian society? Oh my gosh, yes. And Reboot didn't really disappoint!

The world first line immediately grabs your attention and the first chapter just hooks you right in. It was impressive and I loved seeing how the society worked and what it was like for Reboots. It was strange though, that they were supposed to be less human which I take to mean more emotionless, but they definitely felt annoyance and hatred and all. Though if we're just calling them monsters, then that was definitely a sort of accurate description. I sort of wish we'd learned more about the virus though!

I loved Wren's character. She was so kickbutt and independent and I loved that! I enjoyed seeing her character evolve and have her gain some more emotion along the way, though it was a bit annoying having this amazing, strong character become a lovesick one within pages. Thankfully, she got back on her feet after a few chapters!

Callum was an interesting character who, at first irritated me. I get that killing humans didn't seem right to him, but he had to have understood that it was either his (and Wren's) life or the criminal's. I did eventually warm up to him, but it definitely took a while. Though it was definitely amusing reading his little quips!

For a book like this, it's no surprise that the action was completely unbelievable. It was quick paced and left you absolutely breathless! There weren't many twists, but for a book like this, it honestly didn't need any! I loved seeing their *spoiler* escape and how resourceful they could be. The action scenes were vivid and absolutely grasping!

The only thing I didn't like at all, was the romance. Like I said, Wren was such a strong character, but fell so quickly. It was pretty much insta love. She couldn't get him out of her mind, and he was suddenly everywhere. Then she breaks her routine and trains him instead of her usual higher numbers. It was irritating and it may have something to do with why Callum annoyed me at first. 

This was definitely a thrilling read that captured my attention immediately. It was fun and definitely one I'd recommend! The ending leaves you aching for more, though it doesn't immediately cut you off. It shows us what humanity is and that we can believe any lies if given just a small amount of proof. It has a faint underlying sense of emotion and, mixing that with the thrill and the anticipation of the plot, this book is definitely a great debut that dystopian fans should prepare themselves for! 

Pages: 352
Genre: Dystopian/Sci-fi
Series: Reboot #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Rating: 4 stars

Chosen at Nightfall by C.C. Hunter

Goodreads Blurb

Kylie Galen's life hasn't been the same since her world was turned upside-down in Born at Midnight, Shadow Falls #1, and now an epic conclusion to her journey—not to mention a tough choice between two guys!—is brewing in Chosen at Nightfall:
When Kylie Galen left Shadow Falls, she thought it was the hardest decision of her life. Heartbroken and separated from everyone she loves, she has to embrace her abilities and what it means to be a chameleon. But as Kylie's journey comes to a close, she must return to the camp that started it all...and she must finally chose between the two boys who love her. The werewolf who broke her heart when he chose his pack over her, and the half-fae who ran from their intense attraction before they ever really had a chance. For Kylie, everything will finally be revealed and nothing will ever be the same.

For one of my well-liked series, this was a rather disappointing conclusion. 

We still have all of our gloriously hilarious and fun characters who I absolutely love to read about (Perry? My favorite character, ever.) and we meet a few (not many) new characters who I loved meeting! C.C. Hunter is wonderful with her characters and they're usually my favorite part of the books! Especially Kylie's fellow campmates and supernaturals!

Our love triangle was definitely done well in my opinion! I was so worried that Kylie would immediately forgive him once he showed his face, and I am unbelievably relieved that she didn't! If you've read my other reviews, I'm pretty sure you know how hard it was for me to choose a team on this, and I'll just say I was definitely happy with the outcome! (But seriously. Boy next door personality wise or bad boy turned sweet?)

Kylie's still talking to the ghosts and this time, we meet one who plays a rather...significant role in our final conclusion. I really love how C.C. Hunter always focused most of the plot on the new ghost, but this time, it was a bit of a bad point. 

As a final ending book, I expected most of our story to focus on stopping Mario and discovering more about Kylie's chameleon heritage, but we never really see him until maybe the last 50-100 pages or so. There wasn't as much tension as I'd expect considering, and I was definitely disappointed by that. 

Another thing was how *SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER* the entire thing ended in a HEA (Happily Ever After) where literally everyone ended up happy and didn't lose. It was basically a win/win/win/win/win/win situation. Everyone ended paired up and I was beyond frustrated by that. Not to mention the cheesy sayings which definitely had me groaning a bit. 

While Chosen at Nightfall wasn't completely horrible, it wasn't as amazing as I'd hoped and expected! I definitely recommend the series as a whole though! 

Pages:400

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Shadow Falls #5

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: April 23, 2013

Rating: 3.5--->3 stars

Weekly Recap

Ah, so. I asked a question: Would you rather have me do a book haul today or do a VIDEO next week with my books? The second one won. So...ermm...yeah.

BUT I DO HAVE SOMETHING AMAZING FOR YOU
I have the synopsis of AFTERPARTY by Ann Redisch Stampler! I absolutely adored Where it Began which released last year and CAN NOT wait for Afterparty!

I am proudly the first blogger to post this. AND IT SOUNDS SO AWESOME.

Emma is tired of being good. Always the dutiful daughter to an overprotective father, she is the antithesis of her mother--whose name her dad won't even say out loud. That's why meeting Siobhan is the best thing that ever happened to her. . . and the most dangerous. Because Siobhan is fun and alluring and experienced and lives on the edge. In other words, she's everything Emma is not. 

And it may be more than Emma can handle.

Because as intoxicating as her secret life may be, when Emma begins to make her own decisions, Siobhan starts to unravel. It's more than just Dylan, the boy who comes between them. Their high-stakes pacts are spinning out of control. Elaborate lies become second nature. Loyalties and boundaries are blurred. And it all comes to a head at the infamous Afterparty, where debauchery rages and an intense, inescapable confrontation ends in a plummet from the rooftop...

Weekly Recap 

Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Interview with Ashley Elston

Waiting on Wednesday

Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

Goodreads Blurb

In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?
Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.

I went into this having absolutely no idea how amazing it would be! Also, blackbirds? They're now terrifying.

So, oh gosh, I love how amazingly (and creepily) real this world was. When they say a book is a time machine...they weren't kidding. I was automatically transported to 1918 and I could see the hopelessness everywhere, smothering everyone in America. The fear of dying everywhere, the paranoia, and the unease when anyone so much as sniffled. It was heartbreaking to read this sometimes, but it had a great atmosphere that haunted you with it's hopelessness.

Mary Shelley, despite being a skeptic at first, didn't annoy me. And you guys, when our character is a skeptic at first, that usually really annoys me. But our main character was so independent and so compassionate towards everyone! She understood what was wrong and did what she could to make the world just a little less bleak. She had such a distinct personality too and she was just someone you admired for still being (sort of) sane after all that's happened to her.
Stephen was our love interest and even though we only get a few glimpses of him, it was enough to make me fall in love. He was such an understanding character and, like Mary, seemed so compassionate. He was pretty much the opposite of his brother, Julian, who I really wanted to strangle. Really.

The romance was so bittersweet like most of the novel. Childhood sweethearts--except one's already died. It was really heartbreaking and I really (I'M SORRY!) sort of wanted Mary to die and be with him. Romeo and Juliet FTW! Except, not really! Well, actually...

The mystery in this was also pretty unpredictable! I. Had. No. Suspicions. Whatsoever. The ending nearly killed me! I had no idea what was going to happen and I'm pretty sure I teared up a bit at a certain part.
The paranormal aspect of this was definitely something to love too since it was done so well and so wonderfully creepy! It still fit the 1918's fashion though with seances and spirit photographers that really never got old!

Haunting and breathtaking, In the Shadow of Blackbirds is one I'd definitely recommend, especially if you've read Born of Illusion early! This book was so beautiful and so raw sometimes, which I loved especially since it was a historical fiction! And while it does have that sense of hopelessness, it also has that one spark of hope in it that I just loved.

Pages: 400

Genre: Historical Fiction/Paranormal

Series: Stand alone

Publisher: Amulet Books

Release Date: April 2, 2013

Rating: 7 stars

Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

Goodreads Blurb

Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:

1. You will remember to water the azaleas.

2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.

3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.

4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.

5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.

Things that actually happen:

1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.

2. He says he has her stuff.

3. What stuff? Her stuff.

4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—

5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—

6. You pick up a pen.

7. You scribble down the address.

8. You get on your bike and go.

9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*

*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy.

Wild Awake was a...memorable book. It was interesting and I'm not quite sure how to write this review! I had a ton of mixed feelings about it and this book was like a roller coaster--wait. Isn't that how you describe a relationship? But it's an apt description. I would adore it one moment, hate it another, find it disgusting, go back to loving it, then starting to cry. It was weird, and I don't think I've ever felt this many emotions in a book before!

This story deals with a lot of issues and has that gritty feel to it. Kiri is all but abandoned, her sister dead, her dream boyfriend not interested, her brother estranged, and her parents leaving her alone for six whole weeks. There's a sense of loneliness around our character and she was far from perfect--she was flawed and had scars all over (in the metaphorical sense), but she was real and she was hurt. While I enjoyed her sarcasm and her own way of understanding heartbreaking and sorrowful things, she did get annoying whenever she gave up and drank, or did drugs, or anything like that. She was horrible as a person and I hated what she did a lot of times. She was pathetic at times, but other times, she was so...understanding and almost sweet.

I loved the romance in the book. In a lot of ways it reminded me of What Happens Next--so perfectly imperfect and so bittersweet. Kiri and Skunk both had their issues and they were both in desperate need of one another. And I found it so perfect how it was Kiri's dead sister who brought them together in a way. Almost like she was looking after Kiri even then, which is really just me being all Happy-Ever-After, but I'll stick with it.

But as much as it was great and amazing, it was horrible too. What couple, who lost one of their daughters, would let their only other daughter stay home alone for 6 weeks? What girl would visit a virtual stranger at near midnight? There were so many stupid decisions in this, but it was riveting at the same time. There was a lot of drinking and drugs and partying going on that made me want to smack my head--a lot of times, Kiri ended up being stoned in important scenes. The ending was just so awkward and I honestly didn't get it and I felt like there were a ton of questions left unanswered and there were so many abrupt scenes that just ended.

Wild Awake is a gritty book that made my heart race and mouth drop open in shock. But it was also one that made me want to hit something and just shake my head in pity. Wild Awake was unbelievable, in one word. Good or bad, I can't say. Though I'm almost 75% sure it's good.

Pages: 400
Genre: Mature/Contemporary
Series: Stand alone
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Rating: UNKOWN

Waiting on Wednesday

Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

EDIT: Hahaha...so I read this after this was scheduled. Review goes up tomorrow. :P

Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:

1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.
5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.

Things that actually happen:

1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
2. He says he has her stuff.
3. What stuff? Her stuff.
4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—
5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—
6. You pick up a pen.
7. You scribble down the address.
8. You get on your bike and go.
9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*
*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy.

Ooooohhhh hell yes. This sounds absolutely amazing and I love the artsy cover! Plus, I like the synopsis format. ;) Plus I like the sound of What Happens #9 and the little asterisk note. ;D

Blog Tour: The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

I am SO excited to be on this blog tour! I absolutely loved The Rules for Disappearing and I'm pretty sure everyone should read it!

Interview

Fiction Freak: Why did you decide to write a book about the Witness Protection Program?

Ashley Elston: I was fascinated by the idea of it. There is so much mystery surrounding this program obviously because the people in it can’t talk about it. And then I started thinking about what it would do to a family – would they get stronger or fall apart? And that’s how THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING was born.

FF:What research did you do while writing The Rules for Disappearing?

AE: Mostly Internet research. Again, not many people out there are talking about what it’s like to be in the program. I guess it’s good they won’t be able to correct me if I got it wrong, either.

FF:Have you ever suspected anyone of being in the WPP?

AE: Sadly, no. I’m from a small Louisiana town similar to the one in the book and everyone knows everyone. Nothing that exciting ever happens around here.

FF:What's one of your most embarrassing moments? (That you experienced or witnessed!)

AE: Probably the most embarrassing moments I’ve witnessed come from my days as a wedding photographer. By the end of most receptions, there are many people that later regret I was just off the dance floor with my camera ready.

FF:If you could change your name, what would it be and why?

AE: Having all sons, I never got to use the name I had picked for a girl – Adeline. If I had to change my name, I would choose that.

FF:What's one of your favorite crime shows?

AE: I love The Mentalist. I think that show is so clever. Another favorite of mine is Castle.

FF:Would you have handled things like Meg did in the book?

AE: That’s a hard one. I’d like to say I’m tough, and strong and ready for any challenge but I’m also a chicken that can’t get through a scary movie. So probably not.

FF:What's something you think would've told Meg at the beginning of the book? (without spoilers of course!)

AE: Listen to your gut.

FF:The ending was...shocking, to say the least. Did you plan that? Or did it just happen?

AE: I intended, in the beginning, for it to be a stand-alone but I felt like there was more to this story, especially with some of the characters. 

FF:What's your favorite recent read?

AE: I’ve been reading a lot of ARCs from fellow Lucky 13ers and they are all fabulous. I just finished ALL  OUR YESTERDAYS by Cristin Terrill and it was amazing.

FF:Favorite Hyperion book?

AE: Cristin’s book I just mentioned makes the list as well as TIME BETWEEN US by Tamara Ireland Stone, NANTUCKET BLUE by Leila Howland and THE NEPTUNE PROJECT by Polly Holyoke. Also, I’m a huge Ally Carter fan and a Rick Riordan fan. And I loved reading Mo Willems’ Pigeon books to my boys.

FF:And finally...Country boy or city boy?

AE: Definitely country boy! I married one and am raising three more.  

The Rules for Disappearing Synopsis

She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.
Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.
But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.

Author Bio

Ashley Elston lives is North Louisiana with her husband, three sons and two cats. She worked as a wedding and portrait photographer for ten years until she decided to pursue writing full time. Ashley is also a licensed Landscape Horticulturist and helps her husband run a commercial lawn and landscaping business. They also custom harvest pecans and have cows. Yes, cows.

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