Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine, to show readers what we are anxiously waiting for! 

Mind Games by Kiersten White

Expected publish date is February 19th, 2013 by HarperTeen

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future. 

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.

I've never read any of Kiersten White's book, though I hear great things about them. There's just something about Mind Games that I think sounds exciting! I can't wait!

Come See About Me by C.K. Kelly Martin

Publisher: Self-Published
Publish Date: June 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4776-0514-1
Pages: 235
Series: None
Source: From author for honest review

From Goodreads:
Twenty-year-old Leah Fischer's been in a state of collapse since the moment police arrived on her Toronto doorstep to inform her that boyfriend Bastien was killed in a car accident. After flunking out of university and cutting herself off from nearly everyone she knows, Leah's saved by Bastien's aunt who offers her a rent-free place to stay in a nearby suburban town.
Initially Leah keeps to herself, with no energy for anyone or anything else, but it's not long before her nurturing neighbours begin to become fixtures in Leah's life and a much needed part-time job forces her to interact with other members of the community. And when Leah is faced with another earth-shattering event, her perspective on life begins to shift again. Soon Leah's falling into a casual sexual relationship with Irish actor Liam Kellehan, who has troubles of his own, even as she continues to yearn for her dead boyfriend. Clearly she's not the person she thought she was—and maybe Liam isn't either.

My Review:

Come See About Me is a book about a young girls struggle after losing her boyfriend, and continuing her life without him. Leah and Bastien were meant to be together and everyone could see it. They were happy, young and they were soul mates. Leah planned on spending her life with him and vice versa. That is until the police knock on their door and inform her that Bastien had been in a terrible car accident and didn't survive  Leah's world and heart crumble in front of her. Her worst nightmares have come true. Leah stops living - staying at their shared house to feel closer to him - hours, days, weeks slip away and there is nothing and nobody who can wake Leah from this oblivion she has fallen into. Even her friends that are slowly drifting away cannot get Leah to confront this tragedy and move past it. It's not until Bastien's aunt makes a suggestion that will get Leah away from their apartment and moving ahead. Once away, things start looking up for Leah. She meets a few acquaintances  starts a new job and even meets Liam - a guy who knows what it's like to have to get away from your past. Life is starting to fall into place once again, though it will never be the same, until Leah get's another phone call. Something else has happened.

Come See About Me was a great book. C.K. Kelly Martin writes what seems to be an effortless book. The characters are so well written and the story is real and honest. I often felt as though I could be Leah's friend and help her through her struggles. The devastation she feels on the loss of her boyfriend is so pure and genuine. And the guilt Leah feels for wanting Liam the way she does is all too much to handle but Martin hit's it all perfectly, creating a perfect pendulum of guilt and desire. Leah is not just another character in a story, she is a real person, someone we can relate to on a personal level (whether through ourselves or a friend, we've watched this happen). There is some romance play out in this book, but nothing that overshadows the importance of the rest of the story.

C.K. Kelly Martin set's this story in parts of Ontario, which is where I'm from, so it's nice to read a book set here. With Toronto and Oakville playing a huge part in Come See About Me, I felt a bit more connected to the overall story. It's not considered a YA book seeing as Leah is 20 which is apparently too old a character for this genre but I would definitely recommend it for all ages - teens and adults alike would appreciate the sincerity of Come See About Me.

This book is a phenomenal story of what could happen in a split second that could change your life forever. It's emotional but heartwarming and can make the reader appreciate every minute spent with the ones we love.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine, to show readers what we are anxiously waiting for! 

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Expected release date is January 29th, 2013 by Balzer + Bray

London, 1894. Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father’s gruesome experiments. But when she learns her father is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations were true. Juliet is accompanied by the doctor’s handsome young assistant and an enigmatic castaway, who both attract Juliet for very different reasons. They travel to the island only to discover the depths of her father’s madness: he has created animals that have been vivisected to resemble, speak, and behave as humans. Worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island’s inhabitants. Juliet knows she must end her father’s dangerous experiments and escape the island, even though her horror is mixed with her own scientific curiosity. As the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father’s genius—and madness—in her own blood.

This just sounds like an interesting and different kind of read! I'm looking forward to it.

Book Review: Red Heart Tattoo by Lurlene McDaniel

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publish Date: July 24th, 2012
ISBN: 9780385734622
Pages: 224
Series: None
Source: From online book club for review

Goodreads Synopsis:
At 7:45 a.m. on the day before Thanksgiving break, a bomb goes off at Edison High. Nine people die instantly. Fifteen are critically injured. Twenty-two suffer less severe injuries. And one is blinded. Those who survive, struggle to cope with the loss and destruction. All must find new meaning for their lives as a result of something they may never understand.
Lurlene McDaniel's signature expertise and finesse in dealing with issues of violence, death, and physical as well as emotional trauma in the lives of teens is immediate and heartrending.

My Review:
I received this book from my book club without having read the synopsis, and based on the cover alone, Red Heart Tattoo is not a book that I would have chosen to read myself. But Red Heart Tattoo is nothing like the cover would make us think it is about. It follows the lives of everyday high-school students - the popular crowd, the jocks, the ones who are known as the 'losers' - with the narrative changing between 5 main characters. Then one day, something happens that will change the lives of each character forever. This book is such an emotional book to read because the characters are so well written that I couldn't help but feel for the people who were affected by the school bombings. 
The cover is what I'm still confused about. It screams romance, and honestly there isn't a whole lot (or any) real romance throughout the book. As someone who judges books by their covers (and I know I'm not the only one), this is a book that I'm sure a lot of people have passed over, unless you're a Lurlene McDaniel fan. But I think that this is a book that should be read by many. It's such a powerful novel and McDaniel gets the drama, the struggles and raw emotion right. I liked the simplicity of the book. To me, McDaniel didn't spend a great deal of time with a lot of character development. There was enough there for us to get a glimpse into their lives without giving unrelated facts. She kept it simple and focused on other parts of the story.
Overall, Red Heart Tattoo was quick and easy but a very intense and emotional book.

Only 3 more days....

Until this hit's shelves




The Evolution of Mara Dyer.

I've been dying for this book and cannot wait to read it! I've just re-read The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer just because I loved it so much, and am so eager to read Evolution.

Michelle Hodkin has an amazing giveaway happening on her blog right now, only until Monday night though! And if you're lucky enough to be in the areas where she will be, I'd suggest going to see her. She's definitely someone worth seeing I bet. (She's even made it on my list of people, dead or alive, that I want to have dinner with before dying!)

Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking The Spine, to show readers what we are anxiously waiting for!

Splintered by A.G. Howard
Expected release date January 1st, 2013 by Amulet Books

From Goodreads:
This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own.

What I've Been Up To

I haven't been gone far - well actually, I went to New York, but that's beside the point. I've been around, reading, exploring new books but just haven't posted anything lately. No real reason, I just found myself finishing up my review copies and getting my reviews posted for them. Then all of a sudden I didn't have deadlines, and books to read before they came out, so I just read. I read 3 books back to back (to back) and didn't feel the need to write their review right after. They will come soon though!

I've gotten some books here and there but haven't done any posts about them. No IMM (for reasons many of you chose to go another way of showing off your books), I haven't decided how to show off my books, whose meme to use, or anything like that. I did get some goodies that are worth mentioning here though:

-hubby went and met Kelley Armstrong and got a personalized signed copy of No Humans for me

-I met Erin Bow, author of Plain Kate and got a personalized signed copy of it

-The Perks of Being a Wallflower was a book I purchased and devoured - EVERYONE should read it

and so much more.

I can't wait to get back into blogging and reading some really great books!

Stay Tuned....

Oh, and seriously, October 23rd is going to be one HELL of a day....

and....

That's right, The Evolution of Mara Dyer AND Magic Mike - all in one lovely day, wrapped up with a pretty little bow!
Happy Reading (and watching)!