Waiting on Wednesday (#100)

You know the story. This is a meme created by Breaking the Spine and every week we pick books we're waiting for. Here are our picks for this week.

Our pick #1

A standalone companion book to the internationally bestselling Shiver Trilogy. 
Sinner follows Cole St. Clair, a pivotal character from the #1 New York Times bestselling Shiver Trilogy. Everybody thinks they know Cole's story. Stardom. Addiction. Downfall. Disappearance. But only a few people know Cole's darkest secret -- his ability to shift into a wolf. One of these people is Isabel. At one point, they may have even loved each other. But that feels like a lifetime ago. Now Cole is back. Back in the spotlight. Back in the danger zone. Back in Isabel's life. Can this sinner be saved?

Expected publication: July 1st, 2014

Our pick #2

Whether you were charmed by Celeste in Flat-Out Love or are meeting her for the first time, this book is a joyous celebration of differences, about battling private wars that rage in our heads and in our hearts, and—very much so— this is a story about first love.

For high-school senior Celeste Watkins, every day is a brutal test of bravery. And Celeste is scared. Alienated because she’s too smart, her speech too affected, her social skills too far outside the norm, she seems to have no choice but to retreat into isolation.

But college could set her free, right? If she can make it through this grueling senior year, then maybe. If she can just find that one person to throw her a lifeline, then maybe, just maybe.

Justin Milano, a college sophomore with his own set of quirks, could be that person to pull her from a world of solitude. To rescue her—that is, if she’ll let him.

Together, they may work. Together, they may save each other. And together they may also save another couple—two people Celeste knows are absolutely, positively flat-out in love.

Expected publication: 2014

We'd love to see your picks so feel free to link them up.

Until the next time,

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Buy the book:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Author's:

Website / Twitter / Tumblr 

Book summary:

"A beautiful and distinguished family.
A private island.
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.
A revolution. An accident. A secret.
Lies upon lies.
True love.
The truth."

         Once upon a time there was a family and in that family were four Liars. They grew up in a kingdom of private island surrounded by tormented seas. During the year they spent some time away, taking care of boring things, like school, life and etc, but every summer they went back to their kingdom where life was everything but boring. 

         But once upon a time there was an evil force, strong and powerful which occupied this world. That force ruined families and their bonds. It's a force little kids knew nothing about and it terrified them. It was ruining their childhood and everything they thought was unbreakable. They needed to fight and they needed to find a way. That's what they did. 

        Once upon a time there was a story, a story that was wonderfully written and that captured you from the start. That same story will make you laugh, cry and invite you to its world. But be careful, that story will give you much and you must give it something in return. Piece of your heart, perhaps. But worry not, that same story will keep it and take care of it. That story will also take a day of your time which you'll have to give to it, but in return it'll stay with you forever. It'll give you its eternity. 

        That same story is this story and it's a story you should read. Without thinking much about it and without excuses. Go on, chase it down and thank me later. 

My rating: 5 shining stars!

In case you want to see other opinion and maybe even more logical one, then check out Glass' review for this book. 

Until the next time, 

ARC Review - The Things You Kiss Goodbye by Leslie Connor

Buy the book:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Connect with the author:

Website / Goodreads

Publication date: June 24th, 2014.

My rating: 4 stars

Book summary:

"Bettina Vasilis can hardly believe it when basketball star Brady Cullen asks her out, and she just about faints when her strict father actually approves of him.

But when school starts up again, Brady changes. What happened to the sweet boy she fell in love with? Then she meets a smoldering guy in his twenties, and this “cowboy” is everything Brady is not—gentle, caring, and interested in getting to know the real Bettina.

Bettina knows that breaking up with Brady would mean giving up her freedom—and that it would be inappropriate for anything to happen between her and Cowboy. Still, she can’t help that she longs for the scent of his auto shop whenever she’s anywhere else.

When tragedy strikes, Bettina must tell her family the truth—and kiss goodbye the things she thought she knew about herself and the men in her life."

      I didn't think I would like this book so much. In April I decided that it was finally time to clear out my ARC folder, so I randomly picked my next read. The Things You Kiss Goodbye sounded interesting, I thought the cover was cute and I opened it just to glance at first page. Before I knew it, clock showed two in the morning and I was still reading.

      What happens when... your family has Greek origins, you start dating basketball player, your best friend moves away and you meet an older guy? All hell breaks loose. Honestly, I don't know what will other people think about Leslie Conor's debut, but I'm guessing that most of them will have a lot of high and mighty opinions about how weak Bettina is, why doesn't she act differently, how can she let her father treat her that way, why doesn't she break up with Brady... And I'm afraid that a lot of readers won't get her family dynamics. Why? Because this book deals with a lot of cultural issues. Think in the terms of Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta.

      All of the Balkans families are similar no matter the religion or nationality - even the most modern communities still have traditional values and rules. Some of families are more traditional and more patriarchal than the others. If you are a child growing up in any of those, there are certain rules you always respect - if your parents tell you to do something, you do it. You might not like it, but you do it. Because they are your parents. You respect older members of your family. If your sick aunt tells you to come and help her out, you go. There are still a lot of people who treat their daughters and their sons differently. But we are not closed off community and in the end everyone makes decisions for themselves. Your father might be overbearing while you are 16 year old girl, but later he doesn't breath down your neck on every corner. You realize that he was right in most of the situations he said no to you (but you won't admit that out loud).

      I could relate... with main character when it comes to her family interaction. Sneaking out to go places they won't approve, going out of the house in respectable clothes and changing in bathroom of your school, arguing pros and cons of owning mobile phone.

      We should talk more about topics like abuse. I'd really like that more books like this are translated on my native language. Abuse comes in various ways and there are a lot of factors that let something like verbal abuse slip under radar because of the cultural differences. It's one thing to respect your father and do as he says and it's completely different matter when  your own father doesn't notice how bad for you is guy you're dating. Or that being a girl means that you don't have your own aspirations and your only purpose in life is to stand by your man. Leslie Connor approaches to the subject from so many angles and she offers to readers personal and cultural insight.

    Who should read this book? Fans of Melina Marchetta, Laura Buzo and Courtney Summers. 

 Happy reading,

Copy of this book was provided by publisher, Katherine Tegen Books, via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Sunday Post (#11)

Hello all. Well, as some of you know Sundays are always reserved for Sunday Post which is a meme created by lovely Kim @Caffeinated Book Reviews!

Hello darlings. It's another Sunday so it's time to share some news. Like we told you list week, this week Glass was away and as I'm writing this she is at the wedding. I'm hoping she is having a great time. I'm sure she will tell you more about it next week. For me, I'm studying this week. Also on Friday my computer broke down so I had to take it to repair, but good thing is that now I'm actually ahead with my studying. You see how that goes. 
In other news, this week the World Cup started! Our country's first game is tonight against Argentina! So go BOSNIA!

• Quote of the Week: Lovely, Dark and Deep
• Fan Art by Sarah Tregay (ARC review)
• Waiting on Wednesday (#99)
• Bookish Problems : New Adult Cliches
• The Perilous Journey of Not-So-Innocuous Girl by Leigh Statham (Cover Reveal)
• Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira (review)

• Things You Kiss Goodbye by Leslie Connor (ARC review)
• We Were Liars by E. Lockhart (review)
• Waiting on Wednesday (#100)
• Red at Night by Katie McGarry (review)
• Cover Reveal (don't know the details yet)
• Quote of the Week: Unravel

We actually haven't got any new books this week. It's nice to have a relaxing week from time to time!

Until the next time, 

Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira

Buy the book at 

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Author's 

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Book summary:

 It begins as an assignment for English class: Write a letter to a dead person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain because her sister, May, loved him. And he died young, just like May did. Soon, Laurel has a notebook full of letters to people like Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Amelia Earhart, Heath Ledger, and more; though she never gives a single one of them to her teacher. She writes about starting high school, navigating new friendships, falling in love for the first time, learning to live with her splintering family. And, finally, about the abuse she suffered while May was supposed to be looking out for her. Only then, once Laurel has written down the truth about what happened to herself, can she truly begin to accept what happened to May. And only when Laurel has begun to see her sister as the person she was; lovely and amazing and deeply flawed; can she begin to discover her own path.

          This is one of those books that I've expected so much from. Not only the pretty cover and the fact I love epistolary novels, but Glass has got to read the ARC of it and she loved it. I couldn't wait. Now I think that I put my expectations too high, as this book was good but didn't blow me away.

         So as I have said, this is an epistolary novel, meaning it's written in forms of letter. Our main character here Laurel is a teenage girl, who has been going through some hard period. She has lost her sister, person who has been her support and best friend. Now Laurel doesn't know how to deal with everything and has to find a way to express her pain. The solution comes in letters, actually her assignment to write a letter to dead person. So the story goes and we find many layers to Laurel that might not be visible at first.

         Despite the fact that little piece of me died every time Laurel didn't know who some of the greatest rock or movie stars were, it sadly portrays the knowledge of young people about Rock and Roll. The biggest problem with reviewing this book is just the fact that I have no idea how to express my feelings. This book was great in terms that is deals with some issues in a different way. I really enjoyed letters and the way Laurel wrote them. It was really poetic and beautiful.

        However, Laurel and I had some issues. I liked her most of the time, but from time to time she behaved like brat and then like an adult. I do understand why it was like that. Just the fact that she is in 9th grade means that she is in transition from one period of life to another. But at times it really bothered me. Luckily it wasn't often.

       Also if you want to read a second opinion, go and check out Sarika's review at The Readdicts! 

Rating: 4 stars.

Until the next time,

Cover Reveal: The Perilous Journey of Not-So-Innocuous Girl by Leigh Statham

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous
Girl by Leigh Statham

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Lady Marguerite lives a life most 17th century French girls can only dream of: Money, designer dresses, suitors and a secure future. Except, she suspects her heart may be falling for her best friend Claude, a common smithie in the family's steam forge. When Claude leaves for New France in search of a better life, Marguerite decides to follow him and test her suspicions of love. Only the trip proves to be more harrowing than she anticipated. Love, adventure and restitution await her, if she can survive the voyage.

Title: THE PERILOUS JOURNEY OF
THE NOT-SO-INNOCUOUS GIRL
Publication date: 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Leigh Statham

Leigh Statham was raised in the wilds of rural Idaho, but found her heart in New York City. She worked as a waitress, maid, artist, math teacher, nurse, web designer, art director, thirty-foot inflatable pig and mule wrangler before she settled down in the semi-quiet role of wife, mother and writer. She resides in North Carolina with her husband, four children, five chickens and two suspected serial killer cats. If the air is cool and the sun is just coming up over the horizon, you can find her running the streets of her small town, plotting her next novel with the sort of intensity that will one day get her hit by a car.

Connect with the Author: Website |Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

(Winners will receive their book on release day)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bookish Problems #5 - New Adult Cliches

Hi folks. Usually my girl Glass is here with you to post about Bookish Problems but this time you're stuck with me.
Some of you may know that NA is one of the genres that is a big no-no for me and I decided to tell you why. As you can see from the title it's all about cliches and here are some of them.

1. Angel and devil (in disguise)

So you know how the story goes. We have an innocent, nerd and perfect girl aka angel and a player and bad-boy aka devil type of characters here. Out of all NA books I have read maybe two were different, but that's it. This wouldn't be such a problem if it didn't happen so often. Basically girl is in need of saving and look she manages to ruin guy's devil disguise and of course he is an angel too.

2. Dark and disturbing past

Another ingredient for a perfect NA story, many might think. I usually really love books that deal with some issues and traumatic things but it's not like you don't guess what's going on before it happens. It sometimes is really serious and tough issue but the problem is that they always make it perfect and not nearly hard to deal with. You know a guy can always fix everything.

3. Rich guys 

Oh yes! Somehow all guys in these stories are extremely rich and drive such amazing cars. It's not that I have something against rich people, but it's rather stereotypical. Girls, put on your big girls pants, find a job and take care of yourselves. Sure all couples should be in this together, but it ain't one way street.

4. DRAMA! 

Adding drama to the story is not such a bad thing, especially when it's unpredictable as it really moves the plot in different directions. But adding more and more drama for no reason at all is just another reason to annoy the hell out of me. Like everything there should be a balance.

5. Insta-love 

The last thing I'll put on my list is another thing that almost always appear in NA stories. Old good insta-love. When you start reading a NA story chances that the first two characters (male and female) will end up being in love. You don't have to read the blurb. Well, it's not predictable. Not at all.

What do you think? Do you find some other cliches that annoy you? If yes, please share! Also if by any chance you know of a NA book that hasn't got these things, I'd love to hear about them!

Happy reading,

Waiting on Wednesday (#99)

You know the story. This is a meme created by Breaking the Spine and every week we pick books we're waiting for. Here are our picks for this week.

Glass' pick

Lies. Betrayal. A double life.

Lola Anders isn't who she seems. Two years ago she ran away from a dangerous life she'd been living since she way born in order to stay alive. She changed her name and reinvented herself into a good girl... at least part of the time anyway.

A secretary by day and an escort by night, Lola lives a double life in order to maintain balance and survive. And things are going well, until a ghost from her past shows up out of nowhere.

Sexy and dangerous Layton Everett enters Lola's life again without warning. Not only does Layton know who Lola really is but he also used to work for her family's sworn enemy . Lola worries he's showed up to finish the hit put on her two years ago, so she tries to stay away from him, but it's difficult when he seems to be everywhere. Plus, she's attracted to him more than she likes to admit. 

Expected publication: June 27th, 2014

Tanja's pick

Mary Howard has always lived in the shadow of her powerful family. But when she’s married off to Henry Fitzroy, King Henry VIII’s illegitimate son, she rockets into the Tudor court’s inner circle. Mary and “Fitz” join a tight clique of rebels who test the boundaries of court’s strict rules with their games, dares, and flirtations. The more Mary gets to know Fitz, the harder she falls for him, but is forbidden from seeing him alone. The rules of court were made to be pushed…but pushing them too far means certain death. Is true love worth dying for?

Expected publication: July 12th, 2014

We'd love to see your picks so feel free to link them up.

Until the next time,

ARC Review - Fan Art by Sarah Tregay

Buy the book:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Author's:

Website / Pinterest / Facebook / Goodreads

Publication date: June 17th, 2014

My rating:  5 stars

Book summary:

"Senior year is almost over, and Jamie Peterson has a big problem. Not college—that’s all set. Not prom—he’ll find a date somehow. No, it’s the worst problem of all: he’s fallen for his best friend.

As much as Jamie tries to keep it under wraps, everyone seems to know where his affections lie, and the giggling girls in art class are determined to help Jamie get together with Mason. But Jamie isn’t sure if that’s what he wants—because as much as Jamie would like to come clean to Mason, what if the truth ruins everything? What if there are no more road trips, taco dinners, or movie nights? Does he dare risk a childhood friendship for romance?

This book is about what happens when a picture reveals what we can’t say, when art is truer than life, and how falling in love is easy, except when it’s not. Fan Art explores the joys and pains of friendship, of pressing boundaries, and how facing our worst fears can sometimes lead us to what we want most."

      It's so fluffy, I'm gonna die. Little Agnes from Despicable Me told the best words ever and they can be used to describe the cuteness of new book by Sarah Tregay. I think I melted several times while I had been reading Fan Art.

Why is this book awesome? 

• Because of the topic. Being in high school is tough as it is, but being a gay in high school can be even worse, especially when your classmates don't approve (to say it nicely) who and what you are.
• Because it is sweet love story and not another social study packed in YA book trying to sound oh-so-serious. LGBT teens need something cute and fluffy and romantic too. They know all about how hard it is to be them in everyday life. The want to read romantic and fairy taleish love story too. The one that will make them believe that there is nothing wrong with being different and that he or she can get a guy or a girl too. 
• Family interaction. Jamie has the best parents ever. 
• It made me laugh and cry happy tears.
• Because this is how the real life should look like. How LGBT kids should be treated. How parents should act. How your friends should react when they see you kissing your best friend.

Who should read this book?

      Absolutely everyone!

 Happy reading,

***Copy of this book was provided by publisher, Katherine Tegen Books, via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.***

Quote of the Week: Lovely, Dark and Deep

           I won't write a classic review for this book as my girl Glass has already done it perfectly few months ago. That's not the only reason as I can talk about book regardless of the thousands and thousands of its reviews. But the other reason is that I always run away from poetry, considering it as something superficial and profound, without the possibility that my poor brain will ever understand it. Well, until I started college and my lit classes which tough me exact opposite.

        When I started reading this book I understood that it's not the coincidence that it has this title. So I'll share a poem, which is extremely dear to me and from which, I assume, this title is taken from:

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know.   

His house is in the village though;   

He will not see me stopping here   

To watch his woods fill up with snow.    

My little horse must think it queer   

To stop without a farmhouse near   

Between the woods and frozen lake   

The darkest evening of the year.    

He gives his harness bells a shake   

To ask if there is some mistake.   

The only other sound’s the sweep   

Of easy wind and downy flake.    

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

Until the next time,