Waiting on Wednesday

I hate waiting...

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series. 

Looking forward to this one! Can't wait to understand the nefarious villainess a bit more!


TITLE: Fairest
AUTHOR: Marissa Meyer
PUBLISHER: Feiwel & Friends
GENRE: Sci-fi/Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE: January 27, 2015

The sequel to the Hansel & Gretel retelling Greta and the Goblin King ups the stakes of danger and romance. As conflict surges across Mylena, the tough Greta struggles to save those she loves.

Against all odds, Greta and the Goblin King miraculously survived the battle against the evil Agramon. Greta should be happy to be alive and ready to claim her place in Mylena by Isaac's side. Yet nothing is the way she thought it would be. The battle against Agramon left a dark magick inside Greta that will eventually kill her. Isaac hasn't been the same since he almost went Lost. And there are whispers of a rebellion brewing throughout Mylena...

Determined to save Mylena from a bitter civil war, they travel to the mysterious Glass Kingdom to form an uneasy alliance with the deadly Faerie race. But when an unexpected disaster tears Greta and Isaac apart, she must make the journey on her own. Along the way, she discovers a conspiracy stretching back to events she never thought she would have to revisit, betrayal from allies whose loyalty she never questioned, and an enemy vying to control all of Mylena.

Follow Greta into unexpected romance, explosive secrets, and shocking betrayals that will leave her and all of Mylena forever changed in the stunning second installment of The Mylena Chronicles.

SOOOOOOOO cannot wait for this one! And it's coming out soonish!!!


TITLE: Greta and the Glass Kingdom
AUTHOR: Chloe Jacobs
PUBLISHER: Entangled Teen
GENRE: Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE: February 2015 

 

Review--Unhinged by A.G. Howard

Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she's always dreamed of.

That would be easier without her mother, freshly released from an asylum, acting overly protective and suspicious. And it would be much simpler if the mysterious Morpheus didn’t show up for school one day to tempt her with another dangerous quest in the dark, challenging Wonderland—where she (partly) belongs.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind.

If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

Unhinged is the second book in A.G. Howard's Splintered trilogy and it was just as enjoyable as the first one! Still a bit of madness in it, but it definitely gives you the Wonderland feeling, especially since in this one, Alyssa never goes to Wonderland!

It's been a year since Alyssa's first adventure to Wonderland with Jeb. A year since she's been back, gotten her mom out of the asylum and a year since she and Jeb have been dating. Things are nice, normal, good even. But Wonderland is still on her mind, if distantly. She still hears the chattering of bugs and butterflies, though she no longer uses them in her artwork. She's finishing up her senior year at school and plans to go to London for college and live with Jeb in a flat somewhere. 

But then the unexpected happens. It's like bits of Wonderland are finding their way into her world. Moreso than the usual oddness she dealt with on a daily basis. And Morpheus is soon to follow. I still can't get on the Morpheus bandwagon it seems, I'm still Team Jeb with this story and feel like I'll remain that way now with just one book left! But Morpheus comes bearing bad news, hidden in a dozen riddles or so. Red is on the loose and wreaking havoc, she wants Alyssa back in Wonderland so she can use her body to rule her kingdom. Alyssa must once again face the enemy, but how do you find your enemy when she doesn't have a body? It's madness I tell you, simply madness!

This was quite the enjoyable read! I liked seeing Alyssa's mother, Alison back in the picture. I got to tell you, it's refreshing to see parents in a YA novel! Especially ones playing such a pivotal role. We know that Alison has a connection to Wonderland and we finally get a bit more background info on that, but I was not expecting the intricate details of her story! Wow! Just wow!

Then there's the ever complicated love situation Alyssa finds herself in. She's dating Jeb, but his newest "employer" is apparently a young woman who wants Jeb to paint a series for her, featuring herself. I had some suspicions regarding this mystery woman, and yet when the reveal came by word of mouth, I couldn't quite follow it. There was a name drop, followed by another name and another name in the whole scheme of chaos! I found myself a bit confused about the reveal and still remain unsure which of the names belongs to said mystery woman. This job basically takes up a lot of Jeb's time, so we don't get to see him too much, which was sad, because I really liked Jeb!

Then there's Morpheus who returns to Alyssa's world in order to get her back into Wonderland. Morpheus is a character I still can't make heads or tails of! He's so...deceptive. And I don't like deceptive characters, yet I don't completely hate this guy. He always seems to have a plan in mind and will manipulate the situations to his liking, despite the grief it might cause for Alyssa and her life.

Choosing between Splintered and Unhinged as far as favorites go, I can't say for certain if I liked one over the other! They were both very good! I liked how Splintered gave us more of Wonderland, but I liked how Unhinged gives us more story fodder and adventure! It was quite the thrilling read! And now I see the reasons why we're all dying for Ensnared, there was quite the cliffhanger at the end of this one and I was just left in shock for a few minutes and then thinking...ugh...next week! And there are soooo many good books coming out that day too! This is where being an avid reader comes with such heartbreaking problems! lol!


Overall Rating 4/5 stars

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Here are the rules:
 
1. Grab your current read      
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc

Prepare to be terrified with this tease involving a CLOWN DOLL!! Eep!

"There's something about the clown. Apart from it looking distantly familiar...apart from it being bigger than the other toys. It almost appears alive. I keep waiting for it to move.

As it stares back at me, the shadows seem to change its expression--from a smile to an evil sneer. Even the cello in its hand can't soften the image." p 58

TITLE: Unhinged
AUTHOR: A.G. Howard
PUBLISHER: Amulet
GENRE: Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE: January 7, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list  that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

 This week's topic is: Top Ten Goals/Resolutions For 2015

*in no particular order

 1. Find a New Job--my current job is nice and all, but I need one where I can make a little more money so I could move out and be an adult and all!

2. Read 150 books--I usually aim low, because if Goal #1 happens then Goal #2 may not happen so well!

3. Publish My Book--most likely the self-published route. What do you think? Would you all be interested in a vampire book?

4. Achieve 2000 GFC Followers--currently at 1706, so need another 294 to go!

5. Meet Some New Authors--I have no idea if A.G. Howard is even touring for Ensnared, but it would be pretty awesome to meet her! Frankly, I'll be happy meeting/seeing any amount of authors this year. I have no planned conventions this year sadly, but hoping a smaller one or some appearance visits pop up as the year moves forward!

And I think that's about all for this year. Not sure what else to think of to achieve! 5 sounds good to me!

COVER COPY REVEAL--Reawakened by Colleen Houck

When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification.

And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe to find his brothers and complete a grand ceremony that will save mankind.

But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world.

From New York Times bestselling author Colleen Houck comes an epic adventure about two star-crossed teens who must battle mythical forces and ancient curses on a journey with more twists and turns than the Nile itself.

This sounds epically awesome!!! Am I the only wishing that it was 2016 coming up instead? That way all these awesome books would be out already and I would likely be that much closer to a trip to the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH!!



Reawakened releases August 25, 2015

Cover Description Reveal--End of Days by Susan Ee

EEP! Feels like I've been waiting forever for this one! We had the title End of Days for awhile, now we have a DESCRIPTION!!!

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy. After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

End of Days releases May 12, 2015


Will post a cover once I see it revealed!

Early Review--The Witches of Echo Park by Amber Benson

From beloved author, director, and actress, Amber Benson…

Unbeknownst to most of humankind, a powerful network of witches thrives within the shadows of society, using their magic to keep the world in balance. But they are being eliminated—and we will all pay if their power falls…

When Lyse MacAllister’s great-aunt Eleanora, the woman who raised her, becomes deathly ill, Lyse puts her comfortable life in Georgia on hold to rush back to Los Angeles. And once she returns to Echo Park, Lyse discovers her great-aunt has been keeping secrets—extraordinary secrets—from her.

Not only is Lyse heir to Eleanora’s Victorian estate; she is also expected to take her great-aunt’s place in the Echo Park coven of witches. But to accept her destiny means to place herself in deadly peril—for the world of magic is under siege, and the battle the witches now fight may be their last…

I received this Early Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, I was in no way compensated for this review.


Like any Buffy fan, I jumped at the chance to read Amber Benson's newest series debut, The Witches of Echo Park, but unfortunately, this read was just not for me. I don't know why really, but the story never really grabbed me. And I first thought that this was a YA read since the cover model looks really young, but nope, totally adult. 

Lyse's life gets turned upside down when her great aunt calls her to come home, for she's dying. Lyse complies since it was Eleanora who raised her and rescued her from a life of foster care, but Lyse is about to learn some well kept family secrets, such as Eleanora is a witch and she wants to pass the "family line" down to her.

I kind of struggled with this one almost from the getgo but kept reading on, granted a few times I skimmed pages because I couldn't quite get into it. And that just kept happening for the course of the novel unfortunately. Lyse gets inducted into the coven rather quickly once she arrives in California and the days move forward pretty fast after that. 

We get many points of view in this one, not just Lyse, but Eleanora and other coven members as well. That's what made it so daunting at times to follow, because unless I was reading wrong, I could never tell if the "negative" thoughts were more sinister ones. And there are some bad guys roaming around town as well. Ones, we learn that are from Eleanora's past.

There is also a sort of hidden prophecy of sorts going on as well and it Lyse may very well be at the center of it...or is she? It's got a nice mystery vibe going for it with the hidden secrets, but alas, I just couldn't immerse myself in the novel like I had so hoped. 

There was also some romance with a guy named Weir. He was pretty mysterious and I never really got a grasp on his character fully. But there were a few intense moments between him and Lyse that made the novel more intriguing, but just not enough to hold me captivated.

To sum up, while an interesting premise, this novel just wasn't for me.


Overall Rating 1.5/5 stars


The Witches of Echo Park releases January 6, 2015

It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout (5 stars)

The Witches of Echo Park by Amber Benson (ARC)--Review to come later today

Splintered by A.G. Howard (4 stars)

The Moth in the Mirror by A.G. Howard (4.5 stars)

Currently Reading:

Unhinged by A.G. Howard

What I Hope to Read This Week:

Willowgrove by Kathleen Peacock (ARC)

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Waiting on Wednesday

Random Thursday

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Follow Friday

Top 5 Sundays

Stacking the Shelves--Xmas Haul

Stacking the Shelves--Xmas Haul

This weekly meme is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!


I hope everyone celebrating had an amazing Christmas! Mine was incredible!

So pre-Christmas, I gifted myself with a few DVDs because Amazon had a sale that I couldn't pass up! And one is even book related!

 The 100 Season 1 DVD--didn't watch it when it aired, but been hearing lots of good things so I jumped at the $15 price when I could!

BITTEN Season 1 DVD--really liked this show despite the incredible differences from the book it made, but loved it all the same! Can't wait for season 2!!

Then I also bought for myself:

 The Ryu Morgue by Nicole Peeler

The Moth in the Mirror by A.G. Howard--already read and reviewed!

Then I won from Kathleen Peacock via the publisher:

 Willowgrove by Kathleen Peacock (ARC)

Then I also bought a while back and it finally shipped this week, this awesome tote bag from Shirt.Woot: 

For Xmas from my Mom, I got:

Opposition by Jennifer L. Armentrout--SIGNED by Jennifer & PEPE!! And it's a hardcover!!

Book-related from my Mom I got:

a pile of Books ornament

a small Gargoyle reading a book statue!

Non-bookish items I got:

Supernatural Season 9 DVD

Psych Season 8 DVD

Once Upon a Time Season 3 DVD

True Blood Season 6 & 7 DVDs

*lots of TV shows because I love rewatching them! Watch them a lot when I work out on the treadclimber! Makes the workout go by sooo much faster!

Veronica Mars the Movie DVD--yes! Now I just need to finish watching season 3 to be caught up for this one!

the traditional socks we do in our family

a Vera Bradley notepad and luggage tag

the Disney 2015 Desk Calendar--going to be verrrrry helpful with those Random Thursday posts!

and the creme de la creme: a Haunted Mansion wallpaper infinity scarf!

this CUTE Peter Pan picture frame from Hallmark; it says: Grow wise. Grow strong. But, never grow up.

Book my bestie gave me for Christmas:

 Fairest of All by Serena Valentino

She also said she had ordered more books but Amazon was being wonky and not delivering them. Might have to wait until March. Luckily I have plenty to read until then!

And then I also got quite the variety of gift cards to B&N and Amazon. I'd say I got enough to get me through June! LOL!

So I'd say I was very, very good this year! LOL! And I cannot wait to spend these gift cards! My credit card will get a nice break for a good while now! What did you all get?!

Top 5 Sundays

Top 5 Sundays is a weekly blog meme created by Larissa at Larissa and Friends' Bookish Life.

Every Sunday I will post a TOP 5 list on the blog. It can be about anything and every week I'll have a new theme {You can vote on next week’s theme on my left sidebar!} and I will ad the Mr.Linky bellow the post so you can do a list with the theme and add you link to it.

Rules:
1 - Write a post listing your TOP 5 choices within the theme I chose (or was chosen on a poll) for the week.
2 - Mention this Blog on the post and link back to it.
3 - Feel free to use the Feature's image (there is a smaller size version of it bellow)
4 - After you've finished your post, add you link (of the post, not your blog's main page) to the Mr.Linky at the end of that week's post.
5 – If you don’t have a blog to post, just leave your list in the comments =)

This week's topic is: Favorite New to You Authors Read in 2014 + Books You Can't Wait For Coming Out in 2015

*in no particular order

FAVORITE NEW TO ME AUTHORS READ IN 2014

MORGAN RHODES

Falling Kingdoms Series

I had the first two in this series in my pile for awhile and finally read the first one this year and LOVED it!!

MARY E. PEARSON

Remanent Chronicles

Another AMAZING read!! LOVED this one from beginning to end and soooo can't wait fr the next one!

KRESLEY COLE

Arcana Chronicles

This one took a bit of getting used to, but OMG I fell in love by book 2!!! It was just soooo amazing!!

GRETCHEN McNEIL

Multiple Titles

I picked up Gretchen's books this year and while I really enjoyed them all, I love a good mystery and Ten was soooo uber creepy!! I LOVED it!!

DANIELLE PAIGE

Dorothy Must Die Series

LOVED this one! One of my most favorite debuts this year!! Loved the twist to Wizard of Oz!!

BOOKS YOU CAN'T WAIT FOR COMING OUT IN 2015

DEAD OF WINTER

by Kresley Cole

Started this last year and fell in love with the series!! Sooooo can't wait to get back to it!!

SOULBOUND

by Kristen Callihan

Looooooove this series, so I pretty much look forward to every new title!

LION'S SHARE

by Rachel Vincent

I didn't even realize how much I've been waiting for this one!!! LOVED the Shifters series and soooooooooooooo cannot wait to read a spinoff!!

EVERY LAST BREATH

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Not a complete lost without a JLA book! Soooooooo cannot wait for this one either!!

A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES

by Sarah J. Maas

SOOOOOOO can't wait for this one either!! Anxious for the Beauty and the Beast twist!!! Love a good fairy tale twist!