Trailer: Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin

If this book is half as funny as it sounds, it will be AWESOME! And this is the cutest, funniest book trailer I've seen to date!

Freshman Year & Other Unnatural Disasters
by Meredith Zeitlin

Kelsey Finkelstein is fourteen and FRUSTRATED. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled – by her impossible parents, her annoying little sister, and life in general. But with her first day of high school coming up, Kelsey is positive that things are going to change. Enlisting the help of her three best friends — sweet and quiet Em, theatrical Cass, and wild JoJo — Kelsey gets ready to rebrand herself and make the kind of mark she knows is her destiny.

Things start out great - her arch-nemesis has moved across the country, giving Kelsey the perfect opportunity to stand out on the soccer team and finally catch the eye of her long-time crush. But soon enough, an evil junior’s thirst for revenge, a mysterious photographer, and a series of other catastrophes make it clear that just because KELSEY has a plan for greatness… it doesn’t mean the rest of the world is in on it.

Kelsey’s hilarious commentary throughout her disastrous freshman year will have you laughing out loud—while being thankful that you’re not in her shoes, of course...

Review: Want To Go Private by Sarah Darer Littman

Title: Want To Go Private?

Author: Sarah Darer Littman

Publisher:  Scholastic

Publication Date: 8.1.2011

Pages: 336

Genre: Contemporary

Series: No

Source: ARC from swap

Rating: A+

Summary (from Goodreads):

Abby and Luke chat online. They've never met. But they are going to. Soon.

Abby is starting high school—it should be exciting, so why doesn't she care? Everyone tells her to "make an effort," but why can't she just be herself? Abby quickly feels like she's losing a grip on her once-happy life. The only thing she cares about anymore is talking to Luke, a guy she met online, who understands. It feels dangerous and yet good to chat with Luke—he is her secret, and she's his. Then Luke asks her to meet him, and she does. But Luke isn't who he says he is. When Abby goes missing, everyone is left to put together the pieces. If they don't, they'll never see Abby again.

Review:

As soon as I got finished reading this book, I texted a friend and said, “If I could put one book into the hands of every 13 year old, this is that book.”

Want to Go Private? is a powerful, moving, and emotional rollercoaster of a book that is not only horrifically accurate, but gracefully written. Sarah Darer Littman pulls no punches as she describes how easy it really is for a predatory to worm their way into your home.

Abby is the typical American teenager. She feels awkward, out of sorts, and in that horrible transition period between middle school and high school. It’s, quite possibly, the worst time to be a female. Abby finds solace in a boy/man she meets on a teen chat site. Luke listens to her, cares about her, and seems to be genuinely interested. He says and does all the right things to make a 14 year old girl fall hard and fast for him all in the comfort of her own bedroom.

I love the way Littman breaks this novel down into three sections. It starts with Abby, chronicles her first few months in high school and shows how Luke it able to prey on her. How he gets her to do things she wouldn’t usually do because he manipulates her needs to feel accepted and loved. The second part is told after Abby is gone, from three points of view: her younger sister, her best friend, and a classmate. Their alternating perspectives help piece together what went wrong with Abby at home and at school. Finally, the last section deals with the painful aftermath.

I won’t lie: This book had me cringing and grimacing at several points. Littman has a tendency to get a bit graphic, but I really feel like it was needed to drive the point home. Abby does things on her computer, for example sending topless pictures of herself to Luke, that horrified me. I think what scared me the most is that I was Abby growing up.

Did I send naked pictures of myself? No. But I was a 14 year old girl who felt horribly out of place in school because I had just moved and I found solace with internet friends … some who claimed to be boys, but looking back now, I think they may have been adults. The difference is, my computer was angled so the screen faced my door (which I wasn’t allowed to shut while on the computer) so that my parents could see everything I was doing when walking by. At the time I thought they were insanely overprotective and determined to take away my privacy.

I see now how smart they are, and I can’t thank them enough.

Parents need to read this book. Teens need to read this book. I cannot find the words to recommend this book enough.

Buy: Amazon

In My Mailbox (15)

Hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren, this is a great way to share the reads I got this week by purchasing, trading/swapping, or for review.

I honestly think this may be my most epic IMM to date. I only do a montly IMM now, and this one is HUGE.

For Review:
The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting
Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin
Social Suicide by Gemma Halliday
The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Fear by Michael Grant

Traded/Bought:
Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn
If I Tell by Janet GutlerFrost by Marianna Baer
Dead to You by Lisa McMann
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
Want To Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman
Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith
A Million Suns by Beth Revis

*Many thanks to HarperCollins for the review copies*

Review: Tempest by Julie Cross

Title: Tempest

Author: Julie Cross

Publisher:  St. Martin’s Griffin

Publication Date: 1.17.2012

Pages: 352

Genre: Paranormal, Time-Travel, Romance

Series: Yes (Tempest #1)

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: A-

Summary (from Goodreads):

The year is 2009.  Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler.  Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

Review:

I had a feeling I would love this book as soon as I read the synopsis. My only initial hesitation about it was because it was a male POV telling the tale. Let’s face it: Most girls want to read books about, well, girls. It can be difficult to get into the mind of a guy, and most of us would rather avoid thinking like a guy (you know it’s true!).

I can thankfully say that I was completely wrong about this book, and I adored Jackson by the end of chapter one.

I’m a romance junkie—I live for that magical connection between two characters that just sends sparks flying off the pages, and that is exactly what I got with Jackson and Holly. Julie Cross made me fall in love with these two almost right away. The way she writes them, and their love story, was nothing short of delicious. I loved every second of it.

I was a bit off-put by the fact that nothing Jackson did in the past would change the future. While that was later explained, I still felt somewhat disgruntled by it. Maybe I’ve watched The Butterfly Effect too many times, but I thought that somehow cheapened the story. I wanted Jackson to be able to fix the past so everything would turn out pretty in the present/future.

Cross couldn’t have asked for a better debut; she gave me action, romance, drama, and mystery in one fantastic package. Her writing is breathtaking and I’m sure she’ll be around for a long time to come. I highly recommend you get your own copy ASAP!

Buy: Amazon

Dreaming of Books Hop!

This giveaway hop is hosted by the aweomse people from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Martha's Bookshelf. It will run from Jan. 13 - Jan. 18, 2012. I'll choose the winner on Jan. 19, 2012

This one is INTERNATIONAL! So best of luck and start thinking of which book you'd like to get!

The Prize:

You can win any book of your choice, up to $15 USD from:

if you live in the US,
OR

 

if you live outside the US! That means this giveaway is international as long as The Book Depository ships free to you. Not sure? Check this list HERE.

The Rules:

Must be a public GFC follower - I will be checking! ;) 

*Bonus entries:
+1 - Follow Me on Twitter
+3 - Reply to any of my reviews

I will contact the winner via email and they will have 48 hours to reply to my email before another winner is chosen!

That's all you need! Oh, and fill out the form:

FILL OUT THIS FORM!!!

All done? Awesome! Now, keep on hopping: HOP LIST!

Trailer: Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Tell me that this book does not look incredible. Then watch the trailer and tell me you don't want it.

Glitch is the debut novel by Heather Anastasiu, being released this August 2012, and by the looks of things? It will be huge.

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or "glitch"), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.

Waiting on Wednesday (23)

"Waiting On"  Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking  the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 

This week I'm waiting on....

 

 

The Golden Lily

by: Richelle Mead

 

Goodreads Synonpsis:

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students—children of the wealthy and powerful—carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

 

Why I want it:

I am a hardcore fan of the Vampire Academy series, and I honestly had my doubts about Bloodlines. I wasn't a fan of Adrian (he was a threat to my #1 ship, Rose and Dimitri) and Sydney was a forgettable character, IMO. But when I finally delved into the much-lauded spinoff series, I was deliciously surprised. I think I could easily love this series as much as I did Vampire Academy.

 

*The Golden Lily will be released by Razorbill on 6.19.12*

Teaser Tuesday (12)

Teaser Tuesday is weekly meme hosted by Mizb at Should be Reading 

Grab your current read 

Open to a random page 

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page 

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

This week I'm reading...

 

 

The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

 

"Her feet crunched over broken glass, the sound slicing its way through the calm that had settled over her, blanketing her fears and dulling the rhythm of her heart. She paused, her stomach tightening as her eyes searched the shadows, trying to discern one shape from another, trying to convince herself that she was all alone in here." pg. 2

 

The Last Echo will be available 4.17.12 from HarperCollins

*Quote taken from Advance Reader Copy and may not be the correct page in the finished copy*

Top Ten Tuesday (4)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by 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!

This week is...

 

Top 10 Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book!

 

 

1. Cara Lynn Shultz: Yes, I know that techincally her second book comes out in mere months (March, to be exact), but I am already wanting the third book - there better be a third book - in her series. I love her style and the way she writes her characters. 'Nuff said.

 

2. Stephenie Meyer: I am still waiting on a sequel to The Host. I love that book, and wish she would write a sequel. Or ten. Whatever. I simply need more of Wanda.

 

3. Tahereh Mafi: I think is goes without saying we all know how incredible this lady is. Her debut novel was like crack, and I just can't wait for her next book.

 

4. Tracie Peterson: When I'm not drowning in YA books, I usually am reading one of Tracie Peterson's books. I have nearly 35 of them; they are AMAZING.

 

5. Andrea Cremer: Now that the Nightshade series is over, I cannot wait to see what she had coming out next. I'm sure whatever it is will be incredible and golden and awesome.

 

6. Jennifer L. Armentrout: I have been fortunate enough to read 4 of her books from two different series', and I loved every second of them all. I will read whatever she writes!

 

7. Dee Henderson: Another non-YA author, but one who is a master at weaving a tale chock-full of romance, suspense, and mystery. She hasn't put anything out in years, sadly.

 

8. Aimee Carter: I love her style, I love her vibe, and I love her book. Yes, singular. Which is why I need more from her now.

 

9. Veronica Rossi: I don't care if it's the sequel to Under the Never Sky (although that would be ideal) or something else, but I can't wait to get my hands on her next book. She totally blew me away with her debut novel, and if that's indicitive of her writing abilities, she will be someone I will read for the next decade.

 

10. Simone Elkeles: I credit Simone with bringing me back to the YA genre. I read Perfect Chemistry a few years ago and fell in love with YA. I couldn't get enough. Now that the Perfect Chemistry series is over, I want to see what she does next!

Trailer: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

I cannot wait for Hallowed by Cynthia Hand to be released next week. If you haven't read her debut novel, Unearthly, then you're insane. Run to your nearest book store and snag a copy. Here's what's in store for book #2, Hallowed.