Book Haul + Weekly Recap

It was a pretty good week! Expecting some things in the mail and may or may not go book shopping soon! Woot! OMG. I JUST REALIZED. TEENBOOKCON IS THIS WEEK. AND I'm dragging my friend to A.G. Howard's signing on Friday! (Even though I'm seeing her on Saturday. #hardcorefan)

Bought

• While it Lasts by Abbi Glines
• Dark Triumph by R.L. LaFevers
• Nameless by Lili St. Crow

Edelweiss

• Blackout by Robison Wells
• Twinmaker by Sean Williams

Library

• The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
• Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messengers

Given/Traded (Because I don't want to have four columns of one book)

• Arclight by Josin L. McQuein (Traded)
• Taken by Erin Bowman (Won from EpicReads)
• Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett (received for review)
• 17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma (Thank you Shreya!)

Read all the ones I bought! While it Lasts was so typical, but adorable. Dark Triumph was AMAZING AND I LOVED IT SO MUCH. LIKE, SO MUCH. Nameless was horrible. (Review to come)
SO EXCITED to read both of these! Sadly, they release FAR from now, so it'll take a while for me to get to them. But eep! I want to buy Black Out for it's cover ALONE. Not a fan of Twinmaker's cover, but the concept is fascinating! 
My library finally got some recent books! WOOT! I also checked out Just One Day and Splintered for my friends. One of them loved both! But the other is such a sloooowwwww reader. I'm psyched for Keeper of the Lost Cities and I'm sort of in the middle of the Sky is Everywhere, but I got Nightmare Affair, so I kind of put it on hiatus.
Speaking of Nightmare Affair! Read it, liked! Met my expectations (well, maybe missed by a hair) and loved the worldbuilding! Arclight, loved! Which is good, considering most of my friends didn't like it so much. Taken I read, loved, and don't know when I won considering I never got an email. Huh. Shreya is an AMAZING PERSON WHO I LOVE IN ALL HER CHOCOLATY GOODNESS. SHE IS SUCH AN AMAZING PERSON WHO I NEED TO TALK TO MORE.

Weekly Recap
I, my friends, am now sort of scheduling for August. Man, I feel so ahead.
The Loop by Shandy Lawson
Death, Doom, and Detention by Darynda Jones
Waiting on Wednesday
Unremembered by Jessica Brody
That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard

That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard

Goodreads Blurb

Lexi Ryan just ran away to join the circus, but not on purpose.
A music-obsessed, slightly snarky New York City girl, Lexi is on her own. After making a huge mistake--and facing a terrible tragedy--Lexi has no choice but to track down her long-absent mother. Rumor has it that Lexi's mom is somewhere in Florida with a traveling circus.
When Lexi arrives at her new, three-ring reality, her mom isn't there . . . but her destiny might be. Surrounded by tigers, elephants, and trapeze artists, Lexi finds some surprising friends and an even more surprising chance at true love. She even lucks into a spot as the circus's fortune teller, reading tarot cards and making predictions.
But then Lexi's ex-best friend from home shows up, and suddenly it's Lexi's own future that's thrown into question.
With humor, wisdom, and a dazzlingly fresh voice, this debut reminds us of the magic of circus tents, city lights, first kisses, and the importance of an excellent playlist.

While this wasn't the emotional read I'd imagined it to be, That Time I Joined the Circus was still an amazing book that pushes Alexandra (aka Lexi aka Xandra aka X) on her road to self discovery--the kind of contemporary I love to read. 

I loved the story idea. How often do we read about a character who runs and joins the circus? Almost never! But I definitely want to read more now! Seeing the circus through Lexi's eyes was wonderful and I loved reading about the circus and the life behind it! 

That Time I Joined the Circus is more of a light read, though you can tell where the emotional parts were supposed to be. It's not bad, but it wasn't really what I expected! It was an adorable story that honestly made me want to squish the characters to death! It had an airy atmosphere that didn't really give me the "I'm in a hopeless situation" feeling. Where it may have been a deeply emotional book, it came as a sweet book with a happy feel.

And I think part of the reason was maybe because of the unreality of it. Lexi was completely unpopular at her old prep school, but when she stumbles into a circus filled with beautiful, talented people, she's suddenly adored. It was just super fairy tale-ish, not to mention the fact that it's rare when a ringmaster would let you work without, really, any talents. But it was perfect for the story and I honestly didn't dwell on the story!

But I definitely dwelled on the romance. It was a weird little thing. One moment Lexi was making out with Jamie, then Nick, then oh look a blast from the past. Then, still in love with one of them, one of them betrays her, she goes with one of the other guys, then the left out guy dates her friend. What? It was pretty all over the place and I maybe wanted to introduce my face to my palm, though it was rare. Because it was adorable (no matter how awkward the situation was!)

The characters were definitely detailed, though I did think a few minor characters were flat. The twins were definitely sweet characters, but I'd definitely hoped to see more of their brother so that we could sympathize with Eleski's situation. I felt a little detached from the characters, but they were often relatable a bit contradicting, but it's hard to explain!

I loved the story itself. It was seriously amazing and I really did just adore it. I would definitely recommend this to any contemporary fans! 

Pages: 272

Genre: Contemporary

Series: Stand alone

Publisher: Point

Release Date: April 1, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

Unremembered by Jessica Brody

Goodreads Blurb

When Freedom Airlines flight 121 went down over the Pacific Ocean, no one ever expected to find survivors. Which is why the sixteen-year-old girl discovered floating among the wreckage—alive—is making headlines across the globe.
Even more strange is that her body is miraculously unharmed and she has no memories of boarding the plane. She has no memories of her life before the crash. She has no memories period. No one knows how she survived. No one knows why she wasn’t on the passenger manifest. And no one can explain why her DNA and fingerprints can’t be found in a single database in the world.
Crippled by a world she doesn’t know, plagued by abilities she doesn’t understand, and haunted by a looming threat she can’t remember, Seraphina struggles to piece together her forgotten past and discover who she really is. But with every clue only comes more questions. And she’s running out of time to answer them.
Her only hope is a strangely alluring boy who claims to know her from before the crash. Who claims they were in love. But can she really trust him? And will he be able to protect her from the people who have been making her forget?

Unremembered was a bit...weird for me. It's one of those books that was so sweet when you read it, but when you start thinking, it loses it's beauty. Which, I guess, is now a natural reaction after reviewing pretty much everything I read. I am now off topic.

So my initial thought after finishing was how amazing Unremembered was! The romance was beyond adorable, first of all! I loved their romance especially since Shakespeare happened to play a rather big role in it and that definitely scored brownie points! 

The plot was skillfully written so that little actually happened (well, compared to other books) through a short period of time, but you never get bored! It was hilarious when our main character didn't know some words, though, and I definitely loved it when we met new characters along the way! It was definitely a fun read that kept me reading! It was a bit typical sometimes, though, and was awfully predictable at times. 

The sci-fi was definitely light on this book, which I appreciated since it usually confuses me, but somehow it still managed to slightly confuse me and leave a ton of plot holes too. There were key pieces missing and most of our questions which I felt should've been answered, weren't. It was pretty disappointing since I really wanted to find out more about all the...stuff going on. 

In case you haven't noticed, this is possibly one of the most vague reviews ever. If I spoil one thing, I spoil everything.

But Unremembered was pretty typical. Evil company, a science project, forbidden, unexpected love, escaping...pretty typical. It sort of saddened me though, since the premise was so exciting and I love Jessica Brody's contemporary works! But even the tag line didn't really fit. "The only thing worse than forgetting her past...is remembering it." We never really got why remembering it was so bad. But that cliffhanger! Literally!

Pages: 320

Genre: Sci-fi

Series: Unremembered #1

Publisher: Farrar, Strauss, and Girroux BYR

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Rating: 2.5--->3

Waiting on Wednesday

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can't outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling's game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

Ummm...is there someone who ISN'T waiting for this? I mean, I LOVED Shadow and Bone (THANK YOU TO EILEEN FOR SENDING ME A FINISHED HARDBACK. I ABUSE YOUR BOOKSHELF TOO MUCH) and honestly, I really just want to see more magic! And apparently, all Darkling fans switch teams...I do NOT BELIEVE THIS. But we'll see! Who knows with this? Leigh Bardugo ALWAYS surprises me.

Death, Doom, and Detention by Darynda Jones

Goodreads Blurb

The normal part of Lorelei MacAlister’s life didn’t just slip away quietly the day Jared Kovach came to town. Nope. The normal part of her life shattered. It exploded. It burst into a gazillion shards of fleeting light.

It went out with a bang.

Goodbye normal.

Hello dark and eerie.

While her best friend, Brooklyn, is focusing all of her energy on helping Lorelei hone her abilities, Lorelei is dealing with the reality that Satan’s second in command has taken up residence inside her body. Oh, and the fact that she has a crush on the Angel of Death. But what a beautiful death it is. If those weren’t bad enough, something sinister has come to town and it wants nothing more than to hear Lorelei’s dying breath as it strangles it out of her. Thank goodness the gang has a supernatural champion. But what happens when the only being who can save them switches sides midstream? How can a group of misfits capture one of the most powerful beings ever created? And will they find out how to bring Jared back to them before it’s too late?

I honestly think I've fallen in love with this series. Seriously! This is one of my favorite angel/demon stories! And that's a hard list to top.

Death, Doom, and Detention was a perfect sequel for me and I loved it (almost) as much as Death and the Girl Next Door! My only complaint was that there were a few crucial things to the plot at Lorelei didn't mention until, oh my, it came back to bit her in the butt. I reall wanted to strangle Lorelei for "forgetting" a few very important details.

Now the absolute best thing was Lorelei and her snark. She made me laugh out loud so many times, I think a few of my classmates may think I'm schizophrenic. (I may be exaggerating. Maybe) She was a hilarious character that definitely didn't seem like our typical (sometimes whiny) heroines. She was a lot more reluctant and a lot more wary than what you usually seein books and I definitely appreciated that!

The relationships between the characters were definitely a thing of fascination! There was definitely a ton of tension present and the way they all reacted to each other was fun to read about. You could just feel the animosity in the book's atmosphere and I definitely had to hand it to Darynda--she managed to write unique characters who both made you sit up straighter in shock and make you laugh out loud!

The plot was predictable in some parts, but was, for the most part, completely unexpected! Jones always manages to throw something right in your face once you think everything's fine and settled--I'm still deciding if I love it or hate it! 

Taking a usually overused paranormal element, Darynda Jones manages to write a completely unique story about a girl who's lost in her own way, an angel who's darker than he seems, and a prophecy that's scaring everyone and anyone. It seems like your typical story, but it's far from it!

Pages: 320

Genre: Paranormal

Series: Darklight #2

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: March 5, 2013

Rating: 4 stars

The Loop by Shandy Lawson

Goodreads Blurb

Ben and Maggie have met, fallen in love, and died together countless times. Over the course of two pivotal days—both the best and worst of their lives—they struggle again and again to resist the pull of fate and the force of time itself. With each failure, they return to the beginning of their end, a wild road trip that brings them to the scene of their own murders and into the hands of the man destined to kill them.
As time circles back on itself, events become more deeply ingrained, more inescapable for the two kids trapped inside the loop. The closer they come to breaking out, the tighter fate’s clutches seem to grip them. They devise a desperate plan to break free and survive the days ahead, but what if Ben and Maggie’s only shot at not dying is surviving apart?

Well, this was a different, interesting, slightly awkward read. Good. But slightly awkward.

So, the beginning. The Loop immediately starts off with the action. Two pages in, you already knows what's going on, four pages he meets the love interest, and six pages in he's running away from a murder. I'd say that was pretty quick, but it definitely fit the story,

Right of the bat, Ben meets Steve who explains to him what a Loop is, a circle of time where something interrupts the "flow of time" as it would be, and he tells Ben that both he and Ben are stuck in two separate loops and that Ben's going to meet a girl named Maggie who's in his Loop...

He meets here just a couple of pages later. And what does she do? Tell him to run, shoots Roy (the guy who's killed them in each Loop), and disguises themselves. Next stop? Shreveport, the place we're fate pushes them, and the place where they die each Loop.

Interesting, right? I thought so too. 

Everything I'd normally complain about, they had pretty good excuses. The romance, while definitely insta-love, couldn't really be labeled that because of the Loop. Ben and Maggie have met hundreds (thousands?) of times and while Ben doesn't remember all of it, he does remember some things, and I don't think feelings go away...So I can't complain on romance, except that it was weird. It was like they were only allies, then snap. They were in love. 

The plot was, without a doubt, action packed. When you're trying to bend Fate, avoid destiny, kill your murderer, and fall in love all in two days, the book is going to have to be pretty rushed. Strangely, it wasn't really. I didn't even realize it was only two days until Maggie mentioned it and I was pretty surprised to remember that. All this stuff happens, and it doesn't seem possible that it only happens in two days--but it does. And honestly? I'm unsure whether that's a good thing, or a bad thing. But it seems like a good thing at the moment!

The only thing I have to complain about is that I sort of wish we could have a prologue or an introduction before we're thrown into the action. It was honestly sudden and REALLY surprising! And character development too, of course. Throughout the book, we don't really get to see the personality of Ben or Maggie. They were like emotionless puppets, I guess, just there to advance the story. I would've liked to see more into Ben and Maggie's past lives and maybe more on world building? Why them? What pulls these certain people into the Loop? How does one get out of a Loop? So many questions, so little answers!

There were a lot of unanswered questions for a standalone, so I was a bit disappointed in that area. the rest? LOVED. The premise was exciting, the plot was action packed, and so much more! Even with my iffiness, I'd still say give it a try! 

Pages: 208

Series: Standalone

Genre: Sci-fi(?)/Romance

Publisher: Hyperion

Release Date: April, 2013 (sorry I reviewed this so early, guys!)

Rating: 2.5---> 3 stars