Announcement: Guest Post on Another Blog

In case you all don't know, there's a great feature called College Blogging 101 that Lili from Lili's Reflections does on her blog every Sunday. Every other Sunday, another blogger does a guest post on a different topic pertaining to—you guessed it—college blogging. A while back, Lili asked me if I could be a guest on there.

She asked me if I could write from the high school perspective, and I also included tips on how I've been dealing with the juggle so far. TODAY is when it's being posted.

You can click HERE to see the post on her blog. You know you want to. 

A DNF and a Mini Review

Title: The Edge of Falling
Author: Rebecca Serle
Publication date: March 18, 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: an e-galley provided by the publisher for an honest review

Growing up in privileged, Manhattan social circles, Caggie’s life should be perfect, and it almost was until the day that her younger sister drowned when Caggie was supposed to be watching her. Stricken by grief, Caggie pulls away from her friends and family, only to have everyone misinterpret a crucial moment when she supposedly saves a fellow classmate from suicide. Now she’s famous for something she didn’t do and everyone lauds her as a hero. But inside she still blames herself for the death of her sister and continues to pull away from everything in her life, best friend and perfect boyfriend included. Then Caggie meets Astor, the new boy at school, about whom rumours are swirling and known facts are few. In Astor she finds someone who just might understand her pain, because he has an inner pain of his own. But the more Caggie pulls away from her former life to be with Astor, the more she realises that his pain might be darker, and deeper, than anything she’s ever felt. His pain might be enough to end his life…and Caggie’s as well.

First line: Most great works of literature have a hero at their core, but this story is an exception.

In the beginning of this year, I constantly won in my winning. I rated my book choices usually around four stars and it actually grew to the point where I was nervous to start a book because I didn't want my winning streak to be over. Fast forward a month or two and you can see that I'm now completely the opposite. They haven't all been too bad, but I don't feel like any of the books I've read recently would appear on the End of the Year Book Survey, that's for sure.

All in all, this book was disappointing. I kept wondering if I would have liked it better if I read it after I read a really good book. Maybe...no. I reminded myself (I talk to myself a lot, if you can't tell) that a book shouldn't depend on another to keep me going, especially an unrelated book. If I like it, I like it.

The prominent problem I had was the boredom. The character, the plot, the writing...it all produced boredom for me. I'm sure Ms. Serle is a great writer and I might pick up one of her other books someday, but this? Yeah, this was boring for me. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood for it, but the effect it had on me was still enough that I didn't want to keep trying. So I DNF'd it.

Verdict: Hopefully you all will have the opposite experience, but I couldn't care less about anything in this.

Title: The Treatment (The Program #2)
Author: Suzanne Young
Publication date: April 29, 2014
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Source: an e-galley provided by the publisher for an honest review

Can Sloane and James survive the lies and secrets surrounding them, or will The Program claim them in the end? Find out in this sequel to The Program, which Publishers Weekly called “chilling and suspenseful.”

How do you stop an epidemic?

Sloane and James are on the run after barely surviving the suicide epidemic and The Program. But they’re not out of danger. Huge pieces of their memories are still missing, and although Sloane and James have found their way back to each other, The Program isn’t ready to let them go.

Escaping with a group of troubled rebels, Sloane and James will have to figure out who they can trust, and how to take down The Program. But for as far as they’ve come, there’s still a lot Sloane and James can’t remember. The key to unlocking their past lies with the Treatment—a pill that can bring back forgotten memories, but at a high cost. And there’s only one dose.

Ultimately when the stakes are at their highest, can Sloane and James survive the many lies and secrets surrounding them, or will The Program claim them in the end?

First line: James stares straight ahead, with no immediate reaction to what I've just told him.

I'm going to channel my inner Augustus and Hazel (if you haven't read The Fault in Our Stars, I suggest you do so NOW) and say that this was okay. What kind of adjective is okay? 

Okay is meant for books that you don't have much to say on (hence the mini review) because it stayed on the middle road for the entire book. There were no scenes that had me on the edge of my seat like the first book, scenes that pulled the emotion out of me, or actually any moment that made me feel as connected with Sloane as I did in the first book. But all of those things don't mean that I viewed this book in a negative way. It was okay. 

We interrupt this review with random, but The Fault in Our Stars-related sobbing.

I still appreciated the thought-provoking questions of mental disorders and suicides and how our society could become. I give Ms. Young a thumbs-up for trying to make me feel urgency as they were on the run from The Program. However, it didn't stick. I didn't feel anything in particular or get that captivated feeling I had while reading the first book in this duology. Thankfully, my feelings for this were much more positive than The Edge of Falling because despite the words above, I wasn't bored. It felt dragging in parts, yes, but I still cared about what happened to them in this messed-up society. 

But to all of you who hate love shapes (triangle, square, etc.), here's your warning: for a time, there was this weird love square or quadrilateral-kind-of shape hey, look at the sucky math girl using geometry terms! happening. While it wasn't a huge deal for me, it also wasn't okay. 

Verdict: An okay sequel to a book I loved greatly. Le sigh.

Top Ten Tuesday: Things on My Bookish Bucket List

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This list was actually surprisingly hard for me. Since I make challenges and daydreams for myself all the time, I assumed it would be easy. Oh boy, I barely made it to 10.

BEA
Obviously. I think every time there's a post about bucket lists or what I want to do this year, BEA will be on it. So keep scrolling. Nothing new on this point.

Meet more bloggers in person.

I WANT TO MEET ALL OF YOU. And squish you.

Actually read all books on Top Ten Tuesday TBR post.
I mentioned this in the last Top Ten post I did, where I listed books I wanted to read this spring, but I probably wouldn't complete it. Every season this happens. One day...

Read on the lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower.
Hey, it's bookish. I'd prefer it to be a nice, cool day in Paris and I'd be sipping on my freshly made coffee with a book in my hand. It'd be even better if it was set in Europe.

Meet a publicist in person.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to meet more authors, but I'd also love to meet publicists. So far, I haven't talked to one online that wasn't nice. Who doesn't love nice people? I want to squish all of you too.

Have my own reading room.

I thought putting library on there was too ambitious so I stuck with a "reading room." Basically, big comfy chairs, wall-to-wall shelves, and preferably a fireplace with a rolling library ladder. Also preferable: a window overlooking the city.

Read 150 books in one year
I've actually never counted how many books I've read in a year, but I am this year. Here's hoping.

Finish all the series I started
Graceling, Just One Day, Under the Never Sky, Everneath, the list goes embarrassingly long.

Read Harry Potter

I know.

Have coffee with YA authors
It doesn't have to be more than one, but I think it would be way more fun to sit down and drink/eat something with an author than quickly meet them at a convention. Girl time, if you will.

EDIT: Bonus: Right after I published this, I thought of one more and it was really big in my mind: Learn how to computer design/work with code. I'm always in awe of people who can make buttons or whatnot and I'd love to be able to do that.

What's on your bookish bucket list? 

Rewind & Review: March 10 - March 23

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room

I wish it wouldn't be awkward to just start this feature off without any introduction sometimes. I guess I could, but I'm already the Queen of Awkward anyways, I didn't want to let too much awkwardness show. Would it be awkward to just show you the goods—okay, that was awkward, I meant BOOKS. Never mind, just...here it is.

Books I Received:

• Alienated by Melissa Landers (SIGNED copy from my best friend)
• Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg (also signed, thanks Emma!)
• The Hunt by Stacey Kade (Thanks, Disney-Hyperion!)

Number of Books I've Read: 2

What I'm Reading Now/Next: 

• We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (going back to it...)

Previous Blog Posts: 

• Waiting on Wednesday: Disney-Hyperion
• Readerly Shame
• Review: Something Real by Heather Demetrios
• Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Spring TBR
• Mini Reviews: Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anna Blankman

Upcoming Blog Posts:*

• Top Ten Tuesday: Things on My Bookish Bucket List
• Wishlist Wednesday: HarperTeen Part 1
• Mini Reviews
• Review: The Last Best Kiss by Claire LaZebnik
• Top Ten Tuesday: "Gateway" Authors/Books on My Reading Journey
• Wishlist Wednesday: HarperTeen Part 2
• PSA: Guest Post on Another Blog

*Subject to change

Nothing really happening over here, except for major school projects coming up and the fact that I applied to about 10 jobs. Oy vey. Happy reading!

Review: PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG by Anna Blankman

Title: Prisoner of Night and Fog
Author: Anne Blankman
Publication date: April 22, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: an e-galley provided by the publisher for an honest review.

In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler.

And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.

Review: 

First line: Gretchen Müller peered through the car's rain-spotted windshield. 

I wish that the only response needed for this book is a standing ovation because that's easy. Sometimes you get a book that you enjoy to the point that you don't really have anything to say. You really liked it...now what? I'm sure there was a flaw somewhere throughout the book, but honestly, I can't remember and I'm glad I don't.

What I do remember is how great the antagonists were. Surprisingly, Hitler wasn't the only big, bad antagonist. No, it was her brother. That's right. HER BROTHER. I have no words to express how terrifying and despicable Reinhard was. "Uncle Dolf" was too, we all know that, but we had an even closer look in this book of how Gretchen's older brother was, who was implied to be a mini version of Hitler. Reinhard was a spectacular antagonist because he he wasn't coldhearted—he was no-hearted. He didn't care for a single thing, lacked emotion, and tortured for fun. SPOILER I couldn't take it when her kitten died. I was ready to just stop reading.END OF SPOILER.

Then Hitler is told in a new perspective, as Uncle Dolf. He's shown as seemingly sweet and caring and in a fatherly way. Even if I didn't know he was Adolf Hitler, I would've thought him as a bad guy and definitely skeevy. 

New perspective on a historical figure? Check. Twisted antagonists? Check. Oh, did I forget to mention that we also have a great main character, a realistic portrayal of the historical setting, and an ever-present feeling of dread over our heads? Well, we do. It's sometimes hard to read historical fictions in third person, but Blankman did a superb job in still connecting me to Gretchen, sympathizing with her, and really knowing her. I felt her confusion and despair, which is necessary. I never actually felt safe in the story. The dread loomed over me, threatening to take away my characters or rain more hardships on them. In this story, that was even refreshing because I wanted to be apprehensive. And like all books, I wanted to be sucked in and to keep reading so I can find out at the end if everyone comes out alright. 

Really, what else is there to say? 

Verdict: If you love historical fictions, READ THIS. If you don't love historical fictions, STILL READ THIS.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Spring TBR List

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

It's always so fun to make Top Ten TBR lists, but I realize how depressing it is once the next season rolls around and you realized that you never did complete that TBR list. But we won't think about that. We'll just take the next couple of minutes and thank the publishers and authors out there for producing these upcoming books.

Going Over by Beth Kephart

Publication date: April 4th

Lovers on the opposite side of the Berlin wall. THIS IS MY BOOK.

The Hunt by Stacey Kade 

Publication date: April 22nd

I've liked everything the lovely Stacey Kade has written and this is the sequel to a Disney-Hyperion book I read last year, which I really enjoyed. 

EDIT: I just got this in the mail yesterday, which is perfect timing for my beach trip in a couple days.

To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han

Publication date: April 15th

The great Ashleigh (who actually lives in the same area) is sending me this ARC. Despite some hesitation, I still feel like twirling. 

Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

Publication date: April 1st

I'm not a fan of the cover, but the synopsis has so many great things that I can't even compute. Plus, my sister raved about it. 

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson 

Publication date: May 6th

I'm a fan of Morgan Matson's books for life which I hope I don't regret saying.

The Ring and the Crown by Melissa de la Cruz 

Publication date: April 1

*hugs Disney-Hyperion*

Summer State of Mind by Jen Calonita 

Publication date: April 22nd

I'll be honest, I'm terrified that this will be a disaster since it's a spin-off-sequel. But it's Jen Calonita. 

Salvage by Alexandra Duncan 

Publication date: April 1st

Feminist sci-fi? Count me in.

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira 

Publication date: April 1st

I don't know why, but if a book includes letters, I'm instantly attracted.

Plus One by Elizabeth Fama 

Publication date: April 8th

An alternate reality, star-crossed lovers (although I hate that term, I love the concept), and civil rights. Please and thank you.

Split Second by Kasie West

Publication date: February 11th, 2014

Considering that Kasie West is somewhat of bookish royalty for me, I don't know why I haven't gotten my hands on this sequel yet. I'm failing in life, obviously.

Palace of Spies by Sarah Zettel

Publication date: November 5th, 2013

Another book my sister loved. Another book I think I would binge on.

Lady Thief by A.C. Gaughen

Publication date: February 11th, 2014

Confession: I'm terrified.

What are books you can't wait to read this spring? 

Review: SOMETHING REAL by Heather Demetrios

Title: Something Real
Author: Heather Demetrios
Publication date: February 4, 2014
Publisher: Henry Holt BYR (Macmillan)
Source: YA Book Exchange

There’s nothing real about reality TV.

Seventeen-year-old Bonnie™ Baker has grown up on TV—she and her twelve siblings are the stars of one-time hit reality show Baker’s Dozen. Since the show’s cancellation and the scandal surrounding it, Bonnie™ has tried to live a normal life, under the radar and out of the spotlight. But it’s about to fall apart…because Baker’s Dozen is going back on the air. Bonnie™’s mom and the show’s producers won’t let her quit and soon the life she has so carefully built for herself, with real friends (and maybe even a real boyfriend), is in danger of being destroyed by the show. Bonnie™ needs to do something drastic if her life is ever going to be her own—even if it means being more exposed than ever before.

Review: 

First line: It took me four years, seven shrinks, three different hair colors, one Zen meditation retreat, and over six hundred mochas to get to his moment.

Reality TV. It's a horrible, but captivating thing. I admit it, I watch it and fully understand that it actually isn't realistic. I've heard before that they twist your words around and can do an impeccable editing job so it makes you look like a completely different person. And I still watch. Of course, some reality tv "stars" need to get OFF since they're being famous for being stupid, unlike actors who have talent. Anywho, this book? It was...what was it? Enthralling turned annoying? Yummy ice cream turned brain freeze? Yep, I'll go with that analogy. Reading this book was like indulging into ice cream and then midway through your carton, you get a brain freeze, which leads to a headache of course, then during all of this, you reflect back to how you got there and your stomach turns and you feel the need to counteract yourself with something productive...like squats. 

Something Real started off great. My sister can vouch for me because I think I told her several times how good this book was. I was captivated. Bonnie Chloe? had a fresh narrative and we really hit it off. We're introduced to Bonnie as Chloe. After the Baker family had been on TV for thirteen years, Bonnie changed her name along with other things to cleanse herself from the past. To not make things too confusing, I'll just reference her as Bonnie. 

Before I discuss the negatives, I have to reiterate that this book had me hooked for most of the story. I loved getting to know Bonnie and her family, I loved the relationship she had with her brother Benny, and I even liked seeing the reality TV aspects. For the first time in a while, I stayed up late reading chapter after chapter. 

Here's the not-so-fun part: somewhere after halfway through, I became increasingly annoyed. I want a mix of emotions, but after halfway, the only emotions I felt were rage and annoyance. We all know that Bonnie's family and situation were going to be bad. And it was really bad. Her mother was someone I wanted to like at first, but I slowly—then quickly—figured out that she was simply horrible. In the same way, I wanted to like Bonnie's stepfather and he turned into a dud. Her whole family was basically the Jon & Kate Plus 8 situation and sadly, only a little bit felt more dramatized. Really, I could see Demetrios following the Gosselin family around and just switching a few facts in this book. But while I was expecting that negativity, I wasn't expecting how my feelings for Bonnie swiftly took a nosedive. 

THOSE PARENTS. 

I sympathized with her for the most part because the poor girl just got over her traumatic childhood and now she was forced into this again. Then she kept making excuses. She would complain and whine about her life, her mother, and her family, but then wouldn't do anything to fix it. She was constantly given opportunities that she would turn away and then a couple chapters later, she went back to take those opportunities. Bonnie seemed to go back and forth with her mindset on her family constantly and by doing so, whenever she was faced with another frustration in her life, I didn't feel it was that horrible. The word "two-face" crept up on me a couple times while reading Bonnie's narrative. 

Unfortunately, while I was hooked and couldn't stop reading chapter after chapter, the aftertaste wasn't pleasant. What I read was actually a bit disturbing since the parents were awful, I really wanted to know more about the younger siblings, I thought Bonnie's love interest was just okay (see, I don't even remember his name), and everything felt too dragged-out for my taste. I thought of a TV show that had one season too many. Something Real just wasn't the something for me. 

Verdict: An interesting plot turned into a headache at the end with a "I ate too much candy" aftertaste.

Readerly Shame

I think the sentiment "be true to yourself" is the most stressed value in fiction, especially in YA books. Leading double lives, hiding a passion/desire, lying to a loved one, or trying to figure out the future. As readers, we cheer on the main characters to follow their heart (but don't be stupid) and be true to themselves.

So isn't it ironic that we readers are shamed of various aspects in our reading? For me, embarrassment is one of the worst feelings. I'm doubly impacted because I blush very easily (think insta-tomato) and my awkwardness skyrockets. Sometimes this readerly shame comes from non-readers, mostly from other readers, but then there are moments where we stir the shame ourselves.

A few areas in our reading lives where we feel ashamed: 

Covers. Sometimes I have a great opportunity to read and I don't. Why? Because I'm in public and the cover makes me so uncomfortable that I can't bring myself to bring it out in the open. I don't read scandalous books, the only book that comes close is the cover for Just One Year where they're kissing on the front (and actually, I still haven't read that book). But certain things on the cover will make me feel too embarrassed to read it in front of people. It's ugly, too girly, too juvenile, too adult-like, too kissy, too whatever. At one point, I wouldn't even read The Princess Diaries in public because it had too much pink. I automatically assumed that everyone around me was judging me.

Genres. "I like contemporary." Oh, you like "issue" books/all sex/[insert another contemporary stereotype] books? "I like sci-fi." Like Star Trek? "I like fantasy." How do you even follow along? And on it goes.

Book verdicts. Reviewing a book can be scary. Usually, I don't really care and will say my thoughts regardless (of course, I always try to not be rude if it's a negative review). But when I know other people have disliked, or liked, a book, it's sometimes hard to say what you thought of a book when other people thought differently. Being a black sheep can be embarrassing. 

On the other side of things, I hope I've never shamed someone. Many people reading the examples above might think "oh, you're just insecure," and while I don't disagree that I may be sometimes, other readers, bloggers, and non-readers have definitely provided some shame. When they see a certain book cover and title, there's a nose-scrunch and disdaining remark. There's been non-joking outrage after saying how I felt about a book. I'll joke about how shameful something is or wig out be surprised if someone didn't read a book I loved or didn't like a book I've fangirled over. But I never want to actually, purposefully shame someone. I don't want to cast a judging look at someone reading a provocative adult romance novel in public or wonder why an adult is reading a middle grader's sci-fi book.

Why do we let people make us feel ashamed? My dad always says that we're in control of our own feelings, no one can make us feel something. Really, the problem is us me worrying that people are judging me. Judgement leads to embarrassment and embarrassment leads to the notorious red face.

But why should there be even judging? Why should people feel ashamed? Why do we hide our true feelings on something or hide the cover of the book we're reading in the doctor's waiting room? I think readers shouldn't feel ashamed at their preferences...but others shouldn't give the baffled look.

Have people shamed you for things while reading? Do you feel embarrassed for reading books with certain covers or for the things I've listed? 

Waiting on Wednesday: Disney-Hyperion

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

I briefly mentioned on my Rewind & Review this past Sunday that Disney-Hyperion put out their latest catalogue. You know, the one that absolutely taunted me. The books were beautiful. If anyone has talked to me about books and publishers, you'd know that Disney-Hyperion is at the tippy-top on my favorites because they have a fabulous winning streak with me (and they're super nice). Instead of only picking one, I'm giving you several books to drool over.

Title: Killer Instinct
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publication date: November 4, 2014
Series: Book 2

Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother’s murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance.

But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father—a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?

With her trademark wit, brilliant plotting, and twists that no one will see coming, Jennifer Lynn Barnes will keep readers on the edge of their seats (and looking over their shoulders) as they race through the pages of this thrilling novel.

Title: Stitching Snow
Author: R.C. Lewis
Publication date: October 14, 2014
Series: Standalone? 

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

Title: This Shattered World 
Author: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Publication date: November 11, 2014
Series: Book 2

The second installment in our epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

The stunning second novel in the Starbound trilogy is an unforgettable story of love and forgiveness in a world torn apart by war.

Title: Invaded
Author: Melissa Landers
Publication date: February 3, 2015
Series: Book 2

The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe...until a threat to both their worlds reunites them. 

Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.

Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life.

The Way clearly needs humans’ help...but with what? And what will they ask for in return?

Title: Dead to Me
Author: Mary McCoy
Publication date: March 3, 2015
Series: Standalone?

LA Confidential for the YA audience. This alluring noir YA mystery with a Golden Age Hollywood backdrop will keep you guessing until the last page.

"Don't believe anything they say."

Those were the last words that Annie spoke to Alice before turning her back on their family and vanishing without a trace. Alice spent four years waiting and wondering when the impossibly glamorous sister she idolized would return to her--and what their Hollywood-insider parents had done to drive her away.

When Annie does turn up, the blond, broken stranger lying in a coma has no answers for her. But Alice isn't a kid anymore, and this time she won't let anything stand between her and the truth, no matter how ugly. The search for those who beat Annie and left her for dead leads Alice into a treacherous world of tough-talking private eyes, psychopathic movie stars, and troubled starlets--and onto the trail of a young runaway who is the sole witness to an unspeakable crime. What this girl knows could shut down a criminal syndicate and put Annie's attacker behind bars--if Alice can find her first. And she isn't the only one looking

Evoking classic film noir, debut novelist Mary McCoy brings the dangerous glamour of Hollywood's Golden Age to life, where the most decadent parties can be the deadliest, and no drive into the sunset can erase the crimes of past.

Title: Midnight Thief
Author: Livia Blackburne
Publication date: July 8, 2014
Series: Book 1

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs. 
But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull.

Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.

When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

In her arresting debut novel, Livia Blackburne creates a captivating world where intrigue prowls around every corner—and danger is a way of life.

So now my question is....WHY ARE ALL OF THESE SO FAR AWAY? 

What are you waiting for? Do you like Disney-Hyperion as much as I do?

Rewind & Review: February 24 - March 9

Hosted by Shae Has Left the Room

I feel like every month brings on new craziness. Well, my personal life has been pretty hectic, but the bookish side has stayed a little quiet in the receiving ends. However, I'm waiting for a couple books to come in so hopefully the next R&R will be a little more exciting.

Books I Received:

• Something Real by Heather Demetrios (YA Book Exchange)

Number of Books I've Completed: 2 (seems to be my number)

What I'm Reading Now/Next: 

• Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt
• Fire by Kristin Cashore (still)
• The Treatment by Suzanne Young

Previous Blog Posts:

• Top Ten Tuesday Rewind: Posts That Reflect Me
• Review: Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg
• The Likability of Characters
• Top Ten Tuesday: Popular Authors I Haven't Read
• Review: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Upcoming Blog Posts:* 

• Waiting on Wednesday: Disney-Hyperion books
• Mini Reviews
• Readerly Shame
• Review: Something Real by Heather Demetrios
• Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR
• Review: Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

*Subject to change

Bookish (and not-so-bookish) Happenings: 

• Won 2nd place at basketball championships! 
• The 2014 fall/winter catalogue for Disney-Hyperion is up for viewing on Edelweiss. So many pretties.
• Spring break happened. However, there was no break for me. 
• Disney publicist Cassie is great and deserves all the peanut butter.
• My best friend is getting me a signed copy of Alienated by Melissa Landers!
• Since so many people on blogs said they wanted to be more fit in 2014 (who doesn't?) I thought about adding a feature including fitness. But...I don't know. *shrugs* 
• HEY LOOK! Remember when I talked about the non-blogging bookish friend who was going to join the blogosphere? Well, she has! Click here to visit Emily's blog and give her a big welcome! 

Why does my body feel like it's being pulled so many ways, but it's not getting ANYTHING done? I blame daylight savings even though it's only been in effect for today. Anyways, I hope you all had a great start to March!

To buy any of the books mentioned in this post, click this button: 


Warning: I will, yet again, be gone for a few days. This time, I'll be at my grandparents house where I don't have access to a computer, just my phone, so I'll play catch-up with commenting when I get back later this week!