It is Thursday again, so that means I get to share another book trailer with you. This past Friday Simon & Schuster released the highly anticipated book trailer for The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. I saw it and was very excited to be able to share it with you.
Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Author: Michelle Hodkin Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Release Date: September 27, 2011
Book Blurb:
Mara Dryer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She is wrong.
Now it is time to check out this very well done trailer which features the song Black Dog by Kelli Schaefer.
This book was released Tuesday, September 27, 2011. I hope that you have gone out and picked it up or have plans to do so.
It is that time again for Waiting on Wednesday a weekly event started by Breaking The Spine. For those who missed last week or are new to the blog, Waiting on Wednesday highlights an upcoming book that you just cannot wait to get here. This week's book choice is The Future of Us co-written by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. Ever since I read Jay Asher's book Thirteen Reasons Why (My Review Here) I have wanted to read anything else by this author. So, without further ado, I give you The Future of Us.
The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
November 21, 2011
Razorbill
It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet. Emma just got her first computer and an American Online CD-ROM. Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future. Everybody wonders what their destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.
Does this not sound like one fun book. How weird would it be to see Facebook before you even had you bearings with the Internet? This book sounds very interesting to me and seems like it will be packed with funny moments that we all can relate to.
There are a lot of great books coming out today and on Thursday. I thought I would share a few that I knew about because it is not always easy to remember what is coming out. Please feel free to share other new books coming out that you are looking forward to with me. Book suggestions are always welcome.
Mailbox Monday is here again and I have done very well lately limiting my book purchasing. For this reason Mailbox Monday has been skipped because who wants to hear about an empty Mailbox that is just a little depressing. These four I have been very excited about picking up and am so happy that my husband was sweet enough to surprise me with them.
Title: It's Kind Of A Funny Story
Author: Ned Vizzini
Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction
Publisher: Miramax Books/Hyperion
Pages: 444
Ambitious New York City teenager Craig Gilner is determined to succeed at life - which means getting into the right high school to get into the right college to get the right job. But once Craig aces his way into Manhattan's Executive Pre-Professional High School, the pressure becomes unbearable. He stops eating and sleeping until, one night, he nearly kills himself.
Craig's suicidal episode gets him checked into a mental hospital, where his new neighbors include a transsexual sex addict, a girl who has scarred her own face with scissors, and the self-elected President Armelio. There, Craig is finally able to confront the sources of his anxiety.
Ned Vizzini, who himself spent time in a psychiatric hospital, has created a remarkably moving tale about the sometimes unexpected road to happiness.
Title: The Replacement
Author: Brenna Yovanoff
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 343
Mackie is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement - left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, he is slowly dying in the human world.
Mackie would give anything to live a normal life, play his bass, and find out more about an oddly intriguing girl named Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, he is drawn into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the slag heaps and find his rightful place, in our world - or theirs.
Title: Anna Dressed In Blood
Author: Kendare Blake
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
Pages: 316
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead - keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed In Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary; track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping in blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
But she, for whatever reason spares Cas's life.
Title: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children
Author: Ransom Riggs
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy
Publisher: Quirk Publishing
Pages: 348
A mysterious island.
An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear the the children were more than just peculiar. they may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow - impossible though it seems - they may still be alive.
I think I am well stocked in the creepy book department and cannot wait to crack these babies open to read them. Have you read any of these books yet? If you have and have written a review of them I would love to have a guest review post. Just use my contact page to let me know. Otherwise, I look forward to hearing about what books you recently purchased or received.
Welcome to my very first Book Trailer Thursday! I will apologize to whoever thought of this first, but I could not find the originator. So, if you read this and you are the one who started it all, then let me know. I will happily give credit where it is due.
Title: Silence (Hush, Hush #3)
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Release Date: October 4, 2011
Book Blurb
The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty, and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for - and their love - forever.
I have not read this series yet, but Becca Fitzpatrick has the best covers. Has anyone else walked by Hush, Hush or Cresendo and not thought, "Wow! I have no idea what that book is about, but I think I need to read it. Now!" Come on, don't be shy...I bet you have. Well, I hope you enjoyed my first Thursday Trailer post. Have you heard of this book? Are you looking forward to its release on October 4th?
This is my first time trying "Waiting On" Wednesday which was created by Jill at Breaking The Spine. In case you were like me and were wondering what exactly are we waiting on, well upcoming book releases of course. So here is the book I am looking forward to being released.
Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Author: Michelle Hodkin Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Release Date: September 27, 2011
Book Blurb:
Mara Dryer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She is wrong.
It makes me a little nervous that there is so much hype and great ratings for this book, but I will be in the store on release day to find out how good The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer really is.
What book are you waiting to be released? Anyone else wait for this book too? If you already have a copy and want to share I would love you forever.
Welcome to the 1st stop in the Nightshade (Poison Diaries #2) Blog Tour. Thanks to Once Upon a Twilight I was able to read this book before the release date and after the cliffhanger from the first book I could not wait to read it.
A dark, gothic tale of romance... and murder. The lastes book in the grippingly dark series, The Poison Diaries.
Our heroine, Jessamine, has lost her faith in the men she loved, and her innocence as well. She turns to the dark side and plots to kill her father, using his own poisons, before becoming an assassin, a poisoner for hire. Can she recover from her heartache and reunite with her true love, Weed? Find out in this thrilling story where poisons, darkness and horror are a part of everyday life, and love is the only cure. (From Goodreads)
Author: Maryrose Wood & The Duchess of Northumberland
Release Date: October 25, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Now, if you have not read The Poison Diaries then you need to get out there and pick up a copy. I also would like to make it known that I LOVE the cover art. It is what drew me to this series. I started reading The Poison Diaries without even knowing what it was about. I think that makes for a great cover. I liked the first book, but the second book was just packed full of intrigue. Whereas the first book was set all at Jessamine's cottage this one takes you across the English countryside and ends in Italy.
If you have not read the first book I would stop reading now because I cannot promise there will not be a few spoilers to the first book. I will do my best to not give too much away for those that are patiently waiting for October 25th to get here. If you would like to read my review of The Poison Diaries just click here.
The story starts where the other ended. Jessamine is still living with her Father at the cottage, but she no longer has that innocent glow about her. She has been changed by her sickness, the departure of Weed, and has lost all her faith in her father. Weed is sulking far away from Jessamine and seems to have no real purpose now that he has lost Jessamine. The best thing about this book compared to the first is that it is action paced from here on out. I mean it was like overload with all the changes that were taking place. Jessamine makes a deal with Oleander (Prince of Poisons) that if she does what he asks, then Oleander promises to lead her to Weed. But if we learned anything from the first book that is going to come at a steep price.
Jessamine truly becomes a different person as she follows Oleander's instructions. Even changes her name, personality, and physical features (hair, sink color, and dress). It was interested to see how Wood takes Jessamine to these different places and watching her change into what Oleander wants is hard at times. You are cheering for this innocent girl to hang on to all she was, while watching her lose herself.
The book switches between Jessamine and Weed, which was fantastic because I really enjoyed the little bit of narration we received from his perspective in first book. Weed decides to ignore Oleander and return to Jessamine, but as with most romance books it was too late. His decision to stop wallowing in self pity was what made his changes so great. In the first book he was this scared little weed hiding in the cellar and you start to see him change into this complex man. After reading all of Thomas Luxton's book of horrors it leads him to go to the Orto Botanico di Padova at the University of Padua, Italy. Weed believes that he will find the answer to where Jessamine is and how to help her if he just makes it there, Signora Baglioni does not disappoint.
I do not want to give away too much of the amazing details of Nightshade because I truly believe it is best to take the roller coaster ride yourself. This one ends without a true cliffhanger, but more of a "I have no idea where this story is going!" I would not be surprised to see a certain character show up in the final book, but unless you have read both books I cannot tell you who. Just know you heard it here first if that character does show up. I loved the bits of history included in story, especially the use of Mithradates VI Eupator, King of Pontos. Those who are history people will love how Wood does not vary too much from his actual story.
The Poison Diaries: Nightshade was very enjoyable to read and I think I liked it more than the first book because so much was happening in this book. It will be interesting to see how this series ends which is currently expected to be out in April of 2012, so a great birthday idea for me.
Head over to Crystal's blog (My Reading Room) for the 2nd stop on the Book Tour. You won't be disappointed. Brynne (Bookish Delights) is the 3rd stop and her review is up now as well. Check back later for the last two stops on this ARC tour train.
Please check your email because I will need to know where to send these two great books. I would like to give a special thanks to Jaye Wells and Nicole Peeler for helping to spread the word about the giveaway via twitter. I would also like to thank YOU the readers of this lovely blog for stopping by and reading what I have to say.
In the right dose, everything is a poison. Even love . . .
Jessamine Luxton has lived all her sixteen years in an isolated cottage near Alnwick Castle, with little company apart from the plants in her garden. Her father, Thomas, a feared and respected apothecary, has taught her much about the incredible powers of plants: that even the most innocent-looking weed can cure -- or kill.
When Jessamine begins to fall in love with a mysterious boy who claims to communicate with plants, she is drawn into the dangerous world of the poison garden in a way she never could have imagined . . .
I wanted to start something a little different with this review because there were a few lines that really stood out to me and screamed they needed to be used as teasers. So here are a few lines that I really loved in the book.
Teasers:
"Remember, Jessamine," Father warned, "you will be raising a litter of assassins." - pg. 8 "The formulae all burned, the wisdom of centuries in ashes. . . . To kill such knowledge is itself murder -- it is worse than murder --" - pg. 24 "They are dark, spherical, shining, deadly. Beautiful. Like staring into the pupils of a murderess, I think." - pg. 102 "Nonsense; you are the embodiment of grace and charm, and as full of beauty as a rosebud at dawn."
My Review:
The Poison Diaries is a look into the life of a sixteen year old girl, Jessamine, who has grown up so sheltered and alone that the only company she has is her diary. Many girls are like this as they grow up, they need an outlet for their thoughts so they keep a journal or a diary. For Jessamine the only other person in her life is her father who works as an apothecary and he tends to stay immersed in his work. The book starts out a little depressing, but she lends a dreary life that is until the arrival of Weed, a mysterious boy with an odd name. He is the friend she has always wanted, but never knew to hope for. Weed adds a new dimension to her life. She treats him like her plants, giving him time to get used to his new surroundings, nurturing him until he feels able to intertwine with Jessamine and her father's life. Unexpected things come from their relationship and if you want to know more you will have to read the book.
Things I Liked:
My favorite thing about this book was that it felt like I was reading a fairy tale, with the medieval feel to Jessamine's world. They depend on their gardens to feed them, protect them from ailments, and to survive. It was a magical setting that you always wish you could live in, but I would be lost without my internet abilities. I also really liked getting to know about plants in a different and unique way. Ask anyone and they will tell you that I have a hard time keeping anything plant-like alive. The longest plant I kept alive was an orchid that lasted for a full two months and that one came already grown from the store. This book is set up with the actual diary entries of Jessamine's daily life as a daughter to an apothecary then moves to tell the story as if written in the diary. You see how much time and love is put into keeping each plant alive. Another thing I really liked and was a bit unexpected was that in chapter fifteen (15) it switches from Jessamine's point of view and voice to Weed's. This was really important because of the relationship between Weed and the plants. He connects with the plants in such an unique way that to end the book without seeing the world from his point of view would have made question the book immensely.
My Complaints:
I do not have many complaints about this book. My main problem was that I am not a fan of cliffhangers. This book can stand alone, but you are left with all these questions of how will things turn out. Luckily, this book is part of a series and there will be a continuation, I just do not like having to wait. A problem for some readers of this book is that it is written in a very old English style and a lot of YA readers are looking for modern writing. While, I was happy with the way it was written I could see this being a down fall for others.
My Ratings:
For more information about Maryrose Wood, The Duchess of Northumberland, and The Poison Diaries Series visit their website www.poisondiaries.com
Happy Labor Day Everyone! I hope that most of you are spending time with your family, cooking out, and enjoying your long weekend. My mom and the little monster (aka my niece) came to visit and yesterday we took an adventure to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas. I was attacked by a zebra, a giant buck tried to put his head into my Jeep, and my niece was almost speared by one of the animals with horns. It was a blast!
I did not receive any mail or books for review this week, so there are only two books this week that I purchased.
Harvest by Tess Gerritsen
Boston's Bayside Hospital is a long way from Dr. Abby DiMatteo's humble roots, and she's elated when their elite cardiac transplant team taps her as a potential recruit. But an anguished, life-and-death decision soon jeopardizes her entire career. She and chief resident Vivian Chao boldly direct a crash victim's harvested heart to a dying seventeen-year-old boy-instead of the wealthy forty-six-year-old woman to whom the hospital had cross-matched it. The repercussions cost Dr. Chao her job, and leave Abby shaken. Then a new heart suddenly appears, the woman's transplant is completed, and Abby makes a terrible discovery. Learn more about Tess Gerritsen atwww.tessgerritsen.com.
Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead
Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina's boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can't just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she's being forced to transfer operations...to Las Vegas. The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina's allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle--and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell's most valuable assets, but if there's any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it--no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won't include the one man she's risking everything for... Learn more about Richelle Mead at www.richellemead.com.
So, happy holiday to all those that are celebrating Labor Day! Enjoy your time off from work and I hope that you finding time to read. (Note: All Blurbs were pulled from the author's websites.)
Book Blurb: 
