Waiting on Wednesday #47

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. The goal is to spotlight upcoming books that I am super excited for.

This week I am waiting on A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston.

Expected Publication: October 6, 2015

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

LO-MELKHIIN KILLED THREE HUNDRED GIRLS before he came to her village, looking for a wife. When she sees the dust cloud on the horizon, she knows he has arrived. She knows he will want the loveliest girl: her sister. She vows she will not let her be next. And so she is taken in her sister’s place, and she believes death will soon follow. Lo-Melkhiin’s court is a dangerous palace filled with pretty things: intricate statues with wretched eyes, exquisite threads to weave the most beautiful garments. She sees everything as if for the last time. But the first sun rises and sets, and she is not dead. Night after night, Lo-Melkhiin comes to her and listens to the stories she tells, and day after day she is awoken by the sunrise. Exploring the palace, she begins to unlock years of fear that have tormented and silenced a kingdom. Lo-Melkhiin was not always a cruel ruler. Something went wrong. Far away, in their village, her sister is mourning. Through her pain, she calls upon the desert winds, conjuring a subtle unseen magic, and something besides death stirs the air. Back at the palace, the words she speaks to Lo-Melkhiin every night are given a strange life of their own. Little things, at first: a dress from home, a vision of her sister. With each tale she spins, her power grows. Soon she dreams of bigger, more terrible magic: power enough to save a king, if she can put an end to the rule of a monster.

This book sounds really interesting. And I believe that it is a retelling of A Thousand and One Nights. Not to mention the cover is absolutely gorgeous!

What book are you looking forward to this week???

Dead to Me by Mary McCoy Blog Tour & Giveaway!

Thanks for stopping by my leg of the Dead to Me Blog Tour! Take a look at the review below and to check out the other stops on this tour, click the banner above or the follow me button at the bottom. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway below!

Publication: March 3, 2015
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Publisher on behalf of this tour

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.

The story begins with Alice showing up at the hospital after being notified that her sister Annie is in a coma barely hanging on. It’s there that she meets Jerry,  a private eye who claims to be a friend of Annie’s and who also worked with her on a couple of cases. Alice isn’t sure she can trust him, but at the moment she has very few options. 

Alice takes it upon herself to investigate why her sister was left for dead and what exactly was she doing the four years leading up to that moment. She does a pretty good job for someone who is sixteen. Though she does put herself into some dangerous situations almost from the start. She is smart, gutsy, and can thinking quickly on her feet...qualities which come in handy for her. 

Dead to Me has a vibe that reminded me of those old school radio programs like Philip Marlowe and Box 13. I used to listen to those programs growing up thanks to my dad and I loved them. The mystery part was done really well. I had no clue who was the bad guy or girl and what their motives were. There were one or two things that I guessed, but for the most part everything was a surprise. I liked Mary McCoy’s writing style.  She did a good job with the descriptions and characters, plus the story was easy to follow and ended up being a quick read.

RATING: 3½  out of 5.

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 ABOUT MARY MCCOY

Mary McCoy is a librarian at the Los Angeles Public Library. She has also been a contributor to On Bunker Hill and the 1947project, where she wrote stories about Los Angeles's notorious past. She grew up in western Pennsylvania and studied at Rhodes College and the University of Wisconsin. Mary now lives in Los Angeles with her husband. Her debut novel, Dead To Me, is a YA mystery set in the glamorous, treacherous world of 1940s Hollywood.

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Waiting on Wednesday # 22

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. The goal is to spotlight upcoming books that I am super excited for.

This week I am waiting on Midnight Thief  by Livia Blackburne.

Expected Publication: July 8, 2014

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

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.

Midnight Thief sounds like a great adventure story with a tough heroine. Right up my alley. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I end up liking it and it will live up to my expectations.

So this is what I am currently waiting on for the moment. What book are you looking forward to this week??

Waiting on Wednesday # 19

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine. The goal is to spotlight upcoming books that I am super excited for.

This week I am waiting on Don’t Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Expected Publication: April 15 2014

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Samantha is a stranger in her own life. Until the night she disappeared with her best friend, Cassie, everyone said Sam had it all-popularity, wealth, and a dream boyfriend.  Sam has resurfaced, but she has no recollection of who she was or what happened to her that night. As she tries to piece together her life from before, she realizes it's one she no longer wants any part of. The old Sam took "mean girl" to a whole new level, and it's clear she and Cassie were more like best enemies. Sam is pretty sure that losing her memories is like winning the lottery. She's getting a second chance at being a better daughter, sister, and friend, and she's falling hard for Carson Ortiz, a boy who has always looked out for her-even if the old Sam treated him like trash.  But Cassie is still missing, and the facts about what happened to her that night isn't just buried deep inside of Sam's memory-someone else knows, someone who wants to make sure Sam stays quiet. All Sam wants is the truth, and if she can unlock her clouded memories of that fateful night, she can finally move on. But what if not remembering is the only thing keeping Sam alive?

Surprise, surprise, I have yet another mystery thriller on my TBR. I like the ballerina doll on what I am guessing is a music box on the cover. So pretty… I like stories/movies about people who lost their memory and try to figure out who they are. I hope this is a good one.   

This is what I am anticipating for the moment. What book are you looking forward to this week??

Shadowlands by Kate Brian

 

 

Publication: January 8, 2013

Publisher: Hyperion

Rory Miller had one chance to fight back and she took it. Rory survived and the serial killer who attacked her escaped. Now that the infamous Steven Nell is on the loose, Rory must enter the witness protection program. Entering the program alongside her, is her father and sister Darcy. The trio starts a new life and a new beginning leaving their friends and family behind without a goodbye. Starting over in a new town with only each other is unimaginable for Rory and Darcy. They were inseparable as children but now they can barely stand each other. As the sisters settle in to Juniper Landing, a picturesque vacation island, it seems like their new home may be just the fresh start they need. They fall in with a group of beautiful, carefree teens and spend their days surfing, partying on the beach, and hiking into endless sunsets. Just as they’re starting to feel safe again, one of their new friends goes missing. Is it a coincidence? Or is the nightmare beginning all over again?

I love a good mystery/thriller. The cover of Shadowlands is simply gorgeous. That combined with the synopsis and I was sold. I haven’t read many young adult titles involving serial killers and the Witness Protection Program. So naturally I was read to dive into this bad boy…I think my expectations were set a little too high for this one.

These were some of my issues with Shadowlands:

A.    If the FBI knows right off the bat, the criminal they are dealing with is highly skilled, always manages to evade capture, and always catches his prey, then why would you have the victims’ house crawling with cops in uniform. Knowing that he would try and strike again. And how can anyone explain the fact that even though the house and neighborhood were crawling with those said cops, how the bad guy was able to break into Rory’s house undetected to leave her a note. Seriously?

B.     Because of the danger that Rory and her family are in, they have to go into witness protection. That I can completely understand. But what I don’t quite get is, why after giving them their fake names, and the place they will be going, the FBI just sends them on their way, With GPS instructions. How strange is that? What is to stop the guy from just following them? They didn’t even get a police escort or anything. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me nitpicking, but I thought it was odd.

 

Once I was able to get past those issues, I began to get into the story.  Rory was a pretty good character. Her sister Darcy however was not that much. Her father was so-so to me. Neither one of them seemed to care too much about what Rory was going through.

Being able to see the point of view of the serial killer was a neat concept. It added more to the story and it grabbed my interest at the beginning of the book. The mystery and weird occurrences throughout the story kept me reading. I wanted to see how it would end.

Even though this book wasn’t exactly how I hoped it would be, it does have promise. The ending left me more questions than answers, so I’m interested in checking out the next book, Hereafter to see how everything plays out. Hopefully I will enjoy it a little more than I did this one. 

RATING: 2½ -3 out of 5.

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The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

 

 

 

Publication: November 5, 2013

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie. What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides— especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own. Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length. Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.

The FBI approaches Cassie, wanting her help with some cases. If she decides to help, she just might be able to find out who killed her mom. That’s an opportunity that Cassie doesn’t want to slip pass her. So she accepts.

Once she enters the program, she meets Lia, Sloane, Michael, and Dean. Other teens with different special talents just like herself.

Dean is good with profiling, Sloane’s talent is math and numbers, Michael has the ability to read other peoples emotions in their face and behavior, and Lia can detect if someone is lying and naturally is good at telling a lie. (Her skill sort of reminded me of that guy in the television show Lie to Me).

There is a little bit of romance going on and also a love triangle involving Cassie, Dean, and Michael. For me it was so-so. I could have done without it.

I liked seeing how everyone used their skill in order to piece together a case; especially when it came to profiling.  I would have liked it explained how the teens in the program got their particular talent.

The Naturals reminded me of the young adult version of the television show, Criminal Minds.  It was an interesting and enjoyable YA mystery/thriller. It was a very easy read to get into. Within no time, I found myself flipping page after page to see what would happen next. 

 

RATING: 3½ out of 5.

** I received this book on behalf of the publisher in exchange for only my honest opinion. Thank you. **

 

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Book Review: Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society #2) by Ally Carter



Synopsis:

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life. Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long, and in Kat’s world, history almost always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous and that is simply… the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all she has her best friend—the gorgeous Hale—and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses, realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

******************************************************************

After enjoying Heist Society so much, I was eager to begin the second book in the series. Uncommon Criminals is just as much fun as the first book. I was happy to discover that because sometimes the second book is not as good as the first.

This time Kat finds herself as a Robin Hood of sorts. Stealing precious artifacts and returning them to their rightful owners. She is contacted by an older woman named Constance Miller, who requests the assistance of Kat and hew crew in retrieving a supposedly cursed Emerald that several thieves have tried and failed to steal. All the characters are back this time around. Though this time they have a smaller, but just as valuable role in the book.

If you are looking for a fun and light contemporary read then I would recommend Uncommon Criminals. It isn’t completely necessary to read Heist Society first, but you would definitely understand Uncommon Criminals more if you did.  This story had a couple of surprises and twists that made the story more enjoyable. It was easy to get sucked into Kat’s world and I loved every second of it.

Rating: 4½ out of 5.

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Blog Tour: The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

Title: The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

Release date: May 14, 2013

Publisher: Disney Hyperion 

Purchase: Amazon

 

Today I am participating in “The Rules for Disappearing Blog Tour hosted by Shane at Itching for Books!

Synopsis:

She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky . . . But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.

But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.

***********************************************************************

I had been hearing a lot of good things regarding this book from other readers, so I was excited to finally be able to read it. I have always been interested in what it might be like for people who have to leave the things they cherish, like home, family, friends, tangible items, and move somewhere unknown. It sounds completely frustrating and scary.

The Rules for Disappearing revolves around a family who are currently in the Witness Protection Program. Now under the new names of Meagan who is 17 years old and Mary who is 11 years old, the two sisters along with their parents leave once again their old identity and set out for Louisiana.

At this point Meg is beyond angry and frustrated with how things are unfolding. Her sister, Mary is speaking less and less, with each new identity and move, and their mom only makes matters worse by her drinking. She begins to question her father about why they are in the WPP. Her father is unwilling to give her the answers she needs, so she decides to take matters into her own hands.  And she does this with the aid of a cute local boy named Ethan.

I thought that The Rules for Disappearing was a fun summer type read. It kept me entertained the entire time I was reading it. One of my favorite parts in the book was the rules she listed at the beginning of the chapters.

Here is one of my favorites:

“Live on the fringe of society. You don’t want to be in a nice neighborhood because those people are all in your business and want to know everything about you. And you don’t want to be in a bad one, well…because it’s bad. If you go to all this trouble to hide from bad guys, it’d suck to get shot just because you live in a crappy area.”
-Ashley Elston, The Rules for Disappearing

All in all, I enjoyed this story. Meg and Mary grabbed my heart from the first chapter. Readers who enjoy a light mystery and a little bit of romance involving teens should consider this book.

Rating: 3 ½ out of 5.

**I received this book on behalf Disney-Hyperion in exchange for nothing, but my honest opinion. Thank you.**

About the Author

Ashley Elston lives in North Louisiana with her husband, three sons and two cats. She worked as a wedding and portrait photographer for ten years until she decided to pursue writing full time. Ashley is also a licensed Landscape Horticulturist and helps her husband run a commercial lawn and landscaping business. They also custom harvest pecans and have cows. Yes, cows.

ashleyelston.com | twitter.com/ashley_elston