Tuesday, April 30, 2013

April Top Five

April was definitely one of those months where I had so much to read and I don't feel like I accomplished very much. But here are my top three from this month, and numbers four and five are Jackie's top reads!

1. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
I still haven't really sorted out my feelings from this book and I kind of think I'm unhappy with it in general. I mean, I was never able to pick it up without sobbing. But still, there's something in a book that has the power to rip out your soul that makes it pretty fabulous. 

2. Unraveling and Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris 
Yeah, I'm including both of these as one here, but I read them so close together and they're both incredible. I'm a little mad at myself for waiting so long to read Unraveling, but at the same time it was awesome to be able to jump right into Unbreakable. I'll have reviews for these up this week! 

3. The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett
This book was so much fun and it was a different take on the paranormal world. Plus, its impossible not to love a character like Dusty who's sarcastic, witty, and endearing. Read my full review HERE

4. Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters
Jackie says: This was a great conclusion to the Maggie and Clay love story that I fell desperately for in Find You in the Dark. Getting inside Clay's head was amazing. We all wanted to know what his craziness felt like. Check out my review HERE!

5. The Program by Suzanne Young
Jackie says: This book surprised me in so many good ways. I just loved the originality of the story, and the detail and mystery that made it come alive are STILL bouncing around in my head. Book 2 yet? Please!? Read my full review HERE.

What were your top reads this month? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Buzzwords

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
This week's topic is: Top Ten Words/Topics That Instantly Make Me Buy/Pick Up a Book

------Kingdom------
Usually I see kingdom and it means royalty, fantasy, and hopefully an awesome map.

------Travel------ 
Any book that takes me to another country, I'm so in. I'm thinking Anna and the French Kiss,
Wanderlove, and Just One Day. All are great favorites of mine.  

------Werewolves------ 
My paranormal weakness. I'm a wolf girl. All the way.

------Alternate Universe------
This is something I'm definitely digging lately.

------Troubled/Mysterious/Dark (Boy)------
Can't even help it. I love a good bad boy.

------Country/Small Town------
This is my favorite setting because it's where I grew up.

------Retelling------ 
I love to see stories I love told in new ways. Tiger Lily and For Darkness Shows the Stars are particularly amazing.

---------------------------------------

And three words that will keep me from picking up a book: 

------Addiction------ 
Not even going to lie, tough subjects aren't really my thing.

------Afterlife------ 
I have to hear a lot of awesome things about a book that takes place in the afterlife for me to pick it up.

------Mystery------ 
Ok, this one is a little broad, but I'm just not a fan of whodunnits.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Book Blitz: Of Silver and Beasts by Trisha Wolfe



***Excerpt***
“What’s your rank, baby blue eyes?” the guy asks, pushing off his cot and stalking toward the prince. Everything in me screams to act, but I don’t want to declare alliances this early on. Not without understanding the dynamic of placements and bonds already formed among these people. But I’ll not let this hulk of a man harm the prince. I brace my heel against the wall, ready to push off and lunge. Prince Caben rises to his feet, slowly turning to face him. He straightens his spine, squaring his shoulders. “I don’t have one. And my name is Payne. Not ‘baby blue eyes’, meathead.” Big guy laughs, his husky voice bounces off the rock walls. “I’m Crew”—he beats his chest hard once, like a barbarian—“and I’ve won three fights. I’ll win the next two and be the one awarded the freedom ring.” He leans down toward Prince Caben, leveling their faces. “So don’t even think about you or your princess over there walking out of here. I’m ranked as a Colossal. The strongest Colossal in Bax’s league.” Princess? I nearly scoff. Then I realize what the problem with Crew is: he feels threatened by Prince Caben. That revelation almost makes me laugh out right. What does a big stack of muscles like Crew have to fear from the prince? The other prisons slowly circle around the stand-off in the center of the cell. Tension thickens the musty air. It coils around my spine, tightening my muscles. If I allow the fight to continue without interruption, will the guards stop it? They’d want their fighters in pristine shape, wouldn’t they? Prince Caben doesn’t back away from Crew. Instead, he moves into his space. I roll my eyes. Stupid, conceited man. “Freedom ring?” the prince questions. “As in, there’s a chance to leave?” He rubs his chin, and I notice the dark shadow of facial hair that has darkened his features overnight. “Is there a season that has to be won, or can someone gain five wins during their entire imprisonment?” Crew’s eyebrows pinch together. He’s clearly despondent that he hasn’t succeeded in intimidating the prince. “We’re in a season right now, you weakling. If you don’t win—you’re dead. Which by the looks of you, will happen in your first match.” Prince Caben nods, as if he’s simply piecing together a jigsaw puzzle and not being told of his demise. “What is the cuff for?” He points to the iron clamp around Crew’s wrist. “It’s our biometric monitor.” Crew shoves the cuff up close to the prince’s face. “See those three blue lights? Those are my wins. When the fifth lights up, I’m outta’ here.” “Has anyone ever won the freedom ring before?” Prince Caben asks. Crew’s massive arms tremble. “No,” he grinds out. “But I will.” He cocks his cuffed hand back, then sends a blow to Prince Caben’s chin. Hell. I’m up and racing across the cell before the prince hits the ground. Crew spots me from his peripheral. He turns and swipes the air. I duck, roll, and come up behind him. I jump on the cot and leap onto his back. “You squirrely little ...” he mumbles, trying to reach over his shoulders to get a hold on me. Tightening my arms around his thick neck, I squeeze. He gasps for air, and rams my back into the wall. I wheeze as the air whooshes from my lungs, pain splintering through my already bruised chest. But I hold tight, bearing down harder, and cut off his supply of oxygen. Finally, I feel Crew weaken beneath my hold. He drops to his knees, and I only release him once I’m sure he’s knocked out. Stepping around the now limp Crew, I glance at all the wide eyes studying me, and meet the prince’s. Fury ignites his stormy blue irises. He picks himself off the floor and heads toward one of the side chambers, throwing the tattered material aside as he stalks inside. I follow after him. When I step inside the tiny, dank room, my eyes trail Prince Caben as he paces. He reaches each side of the small chamber with three quick strides. Back and forth. On his third round, I open my mouth and get out a single syllable before he holds up a hand, halting me. He drives his hand through his dark hair. “Thank you for making me look like a spineless jerk.” He shakes his head and faces me. Taken aback, I say, “This is my duty to protect—” “No. In your country it was your duty to guard me. In my world and here”—he opens his arms wide—“a man fights his own battles. He does not depend on a woman to fight them for him. You just disgraced me.” Fire simmers in my core. “I’m still assigned as your protector no matter what realm we inhabit, Your High—” I stop myself before addressing him by title out of habit. “Your pride is polluting your reasoning.” He laughs. “Yes, well. Thanks to your show out there, I no longer have my pride to worry about.”


Buy Of Silver and Beasts for only $2.99: 
 photo B6096376-6C81-4465-8935-CE890C777EB9-1855-000001A1E900B890_zps5affbed6.jpg  photo 111AD205-AA04-4F9E-A0F4-C1264C4E9F30-1855-000001A1E8CEB6D7_zps9b730b94.jpg 

***GIVEAWAY***
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz organized by:

Friday, April 26, 2013

New Adult Discussion: The Other Side of the Story

The New Adult category, itself, is a new trend, but there's something happening within it that I really haven't seen before. More and more authors in this category are beginning to write and release their books in the male point of view.

The most popular set is probably the Beautiful Disaster series.
Beautiful Disaster totally sweeps you up into it's tornado of intensity and then Walking Disaster is the exact same tornado, except it seems to be spinning the other way. In the first, we're all in Abbie's head, trying to figure Travis out. And then in the second we're privy to Travis's thoughts, and suddenly Abbie seems harder to understand (and maybe it's just me, but she's much more of a bitch than I thought she was), even though we've already heard her side. 

Now there are other great New Adult books that bring us into the head of the the dudes we've already fallen so hard for. 

Matt was so quiet through most of Flat-Out Love. Now we get to go into his head and find out what he was thinking and why he made certain decisions. 

The Slammed series played on this concept, but Colleen Hover did something pretty cool with it. She continued the story from Will's POV in Point of Retreat and then went back to the original story that Slammed told, also through Will's POV. In This Girl, Will is basically telling Layken his side of the story of how they met and fell in love. 

Molly McAdams has Stealing Harper coming out in June, which tells the story of Taking Chances through Chase's point of view. Which, if you've read Taking Chances you may know, is an interesting choice, given his role in the story. 

Now even Tammara Webber is talking about writing Lucas's story (as she mentioned on Facebook the other day...). It may not be the story of Easy retold from his POV, but if it were, I would love it. 

It just hit me the other day, how many of these books are surfacing. And really, when you boil it down, they're the same exact story, with slight variations for what may have been happening off the page in the original book, told from a new perspective. How are these authors managing to repackage a story and sell it all over again? For a moment, I actually felt a little duped. I loved reading Walking Disaster and I'm so anxious to read Matt's perspective. And PLEASE, oh please, let Tammara Webber write Easy from Lucas's perspective. But rather than letting myself feel a little taken advantage of for basically buying the same story twice, I actually stopped to think about why I'm so crazy about this new trend. 

And I think it's because I love to re-read books, but I don't have the time to do that anymore. Between my blog and my job, I have so much I need to be reading. So re-reading a book, when my TBR seems to multiply on a daily basis, just isn't plausible. It happens rarely. But with these books, I get to re-read while still reading a book I haven't read yet. It's genius, actually. I get to revisit these stories and get something obviously new out of it. I get to go back to these characters I've grown to love so much and still read something new. I'm loving it. 

This isn't to say every book should do this, and there are still books that pull of the multiple perspectives awesomely (Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters and Fall Guy by Liz Reinhardt for example). But every once in awhile, books come along that are as  intense as Beautiful Disaster, as beautiful as Flat-Out Love or as heartbreaking as Slammed, and they go straight to your heart and the characters leave their imprints on you. These are the books that you want to go back to, not even just for the sake of seeing what the guy was doing while the girl was freaking out, or what he was thinking when he met her, or what he felt first time they did something naughty together. But because you get the chance to go back to this place and get a fuller picture of something you've already come to love. 

So what books would I like to read again from the guy's POV? 

Can we hear from Tucker in Give Me Something? Please! I'd love to know his side of this story, especially since he's pretty tricky himself. 

And I know Cora Carmack is writing companion novels to Losing It, which I'm SO excited about, but I'd still LOVE to hear from Garrick. I especially want to know what's going though his mind during the "Cat!" moment. (And actually, I DID just accidentally - on purpose - re-read Losing It, last week. Which I know, negates the whole, I don't have time to re-read, thing...but still...It was even better the second time around.)

**UPDATE: We ARE getting to read from Garrick's POV (if there are a certain number of pre-orders of Faking It): http://coracarmack.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-one-that-you-guys-are-going-to-love.html!!**

So my questions for you - what do you think of this trend? And what books would you like to re-read from the guy's perspective?

Thursday, April 25, 2013

The Nightmare Affair - Mindee Arnett

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.
Literally.
Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.
Then Eli’s dream comes true.
Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.


I adore this book. I read on Mindee's blog that she'd pitched this book as Hex Hall meets Veronica Mars and I think that's about spot-on. Sarcasm and wit drip from these pages and that just made it so fun to read. Mostly, though, this book is amazing because the world building is perfect. Dusty's world feels so real and it seems so naturally written that this world must exist along side or own.

There are a few books out there where all paranormal creatures come together in a boarding school, but this one still manages to be unique. The concept of a Nightmare being a paranormal creature is so cool and it really gives you an opportunity to see the paranormal world in a different way. Even their "government" is pretty amazing, and I love the way they take historical paranormal legends and twist them to their own advantage.

I think writing sarcastic characters like Dusty is really difficult, but Mindee pulls off her voice so well. She's the perfect character to make this world come to life. I also really love the contrast of her bright personality with the fact that she's a Nightmare. By nature, her powers should be pretty dark, but she always manages to stay on the light side of things. Even with all the murders and liars and people you can't trust...

There's also a bit of a cool twist with Eli's storyline as well. I loved the fact that he's human and winds up at a school full of paranormals. I love that he's the normal one falling for someone a little more than human. I love that he has to adjust to a different world view and a new role in that world. I get a little tired of human (or just found out they're different) heroines who seem helpless to their fate, so this was a nice twist to see a guy in that role. Not that he's helpless, but just that that seems to be flipped around in this book. And Dusty seems to be in complete control of her fate, or at least she'd like to think she is.

If you're a fan of the Hex Hall series, I'd definitely recommend The Nightmare Affair. It has a great heroine, a pretty awesome guy, a boarding school bursting with paranormal activity, and a fascinating mystery to boot. It's a little different and just a really fun read. I'm excited for The Nightmare Dilemma, mostly because I can't wait to see what's next for these amazing characters.

*Also, I was lucky enough to get to interview Mindee. This is one of those amazing times where I love a book and it turns out the author is pretty fabulous as well! You can check out my interview with her HERE.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Book Blast: Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris


Welcome to the Nerd Blast for
UNBREAKABLE by Elizabeth Norris!

 Four months after Ben disappeared through the portal to his home universe, Janelle believes she’ll never see him again. Her world is still devastated, but life is finally starting to resume some kind of normalcy. Until Interverse Agent Taylor Barclay shows up. Somebody from an alternate universe is running a human trafficking ring, kidnapping people and selling them on different Earths—and Ben is the prime suspect. Now his family has been imprisoned and will be executed if Ben doesn’t turn himself over within five days.

And when Janelle learns that someone she cares about—someone from her own world—has become one of the missing, she knows that she has to help Barclay, regardless of the danger. Now Janelle has five days to track down the real culprit. Five days to locate the missing people before they’re lost forever. Five days to reunite with the boy who stole her heart. But as the clues begin to add up, Janelle realizes that she’s in way over her head—and that she may not have known Ben as well as she thought. Can she uncover the truth before everyone she cares about is killed?



Purchase Unbreakable Online: Amazon :: B&N :: Book Depository

Elizabeth Norris briefly taught high school English and history before trading the southern California beaches and sunshine for Manhattan's recent snowpocalyptic winter.

She harbors dangerous addictions to guacamole, red velvet cupcakes, sushi, and Argo Tea, fortunately not all together.



Find Elizabeth Norris Online: 


----------------------------------------------
Giveaway: 
Winner will receive a Signed Copy of Unbreakable & Swag (Bookmark, Sticker, Poster & Magnet) by Elizabeth Norris.
2 Winners will receive a Swag (Bookmark, Sticker, Poster & Magnet) by Elizabeth Norris.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Golden - Jessi Kirby

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she's about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a clue in her lap - one that might be the key to unraveling a town mystery - she decides to take a chance.
Julianna Farnetti and Shane Cruz are remembered as the golden couple of Summit Lakes High - perfect in every way, meant to be together forever. but Julianna's journal tells a different story - one of doubts about Shane and a forbidden romance with an older, artistic guy. These are secrets that were swept away with her the night that Shane's jeep plunged into an icy river, leaving behind a grieving town and no bodies to bury. 
Reading Julianna's journal gives Parker the courage to really live - and it also gives her reasons to question what really happened the night of the accident. Armed with clues from the past, Parker enlists the help of her best friend, Kat, and Trevor, her longtime crush, to track down some leads. The mystery ends up taking Parker places she never could have imagined. And she soon finds that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference. 

After In Honor, I wasn't sure how Jessi Kirby was going to top herself, but I was pretty confident she'd write a pretty awesome novel. I can't imagine her ever writing something I wouldn't like - she's kind of like Sarah Dessen that way. Anyways, Golden definitely lives up to Kirby's first two novels. It's a deeply rich, multi-layered story of a girl who is just trying to face down her future and live in the moment at the same time. Again, Kirby has written characters I came to care deeply for and has come up with another captivating snapshot of a short time in the life of one girl.

I'm impressed with the way poetry was woven through the story line, but it was never really pointed out or made a big deal. It's just really great in showing the way words can influence our lives. And Robert Frost is definitely a favorite of mine. My mother has always been so proud of how she knows "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by heart, so I grew up listening to this poem and, especially since reading Golden, those words are always somewhere in my head. I read this book reciting the lines in my head over and over, and it created a different reading experience for me. I've read a lot of retellings and even books and chapters with epigraphs, but never have I found myself reapeating the words from the original text so much while reading. It just colored everything a little differently.

It was especially cool when you look at the way the past and the present are colliding in Parker's world. While you have a classic poet influencing a contemporary novel, you have Parker and her life being influenced by the journal of a girl who died years ago. Honestly, I'm not a fan of reading journals; however, it was executed wonderfully in this context. I found both Parker and Julianna's stories fascinating and was really happy to read both storylines. Plus, I absolutely loved the idea that they had to keep journals and their teacher would send them back in 10 years. I started thinking about what I would have written down, and what I would think of my words when I hit my own 10 year mark (which is only, holy wow, 3 years away).

I also have to talk briefly about Kat and Trevor. For a contemp, romance wasn't really the main focus and I loved that. However, Trevor is amazing. He's fun and patient, which I give him major props for. And Kat. MCs who have awesome best friends are just some of the best MCs. And Kat certainly makes Parker a great heroine. She pushes her as much as she can, but she's just supportive and fun. It always makes me really happy when books highlight how important friendship is in high school, because I would not have gotten by with out it.

I absolutely adored this book and Jessi Kirby will keep her well earned place on my auto-read list. I don't even have to read the synopsis for her next book, I know I'll pick it up. Golden was incredible and beautiful and I'm really excited to share it. If you haven't read Jessi Kirby yet, please do. She's definitely worth it. I just can't wait to see what she'll do next.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Light in the Shadows - A. Meredith Walters

*Review by Jackie Joyce
Light in the Shadows (Find You in the Dark, #2) Synopsis: How do you keep going when you feel like your life is over? Maggie never thought she’d see Clay again. So, she attempts to put her life back together after her heart has been shattered to pieces. Moving on and moving forward, just as Clay wanted her to.
Clay never stopped thinking of Maggie. Even after ripping their lives apart and leaving her behind to get the help he so desperately needed. He is healing...slowly. But his heart still belongs to the girl who tried to save him.
When a sudden tragedy brings Maggie and Clay face to face again, nothing is the same. Yet some things never change. Can the darkness that threatened to consume them be transformed into something else and finally give them what they always wanted? And can two people who fought so hard to be together, finally find their happiness? Or will their demons and fear drive them apart for good?
The thing about love, is even when it destroys you, it has a way of mending what is broken. And in the shadows, you can still see the light.


When I read Find You in the Dark, I was an emotional wreck. Maggie and Clay dug up some painful memories of high school and what it was like to be in love with someone in the unhealthiest of ways. The raw emotion and the insane passion these two share was just as addicting for me to read about as it was for them in the book. Light in the Shadows was an amazing follow up book.

I love that with Maggie and Clay, A. Meredith Walters doesn't fall into the stereotypes of some popular books out today that describe what is clearly an unhealthy relationship, but romanticize it to make it ok. It's SO not ok. And as much as your heart aches at how much these two love each other, it is obvious that they are spiraling. Instead of dancing around these issues, this book takes them head on. It is so refreshing to read a book that points out when you are losing your independence, your friends, and the respect and trust of your family, you are probably involved in something you shouldn't be.

I have also never read about someone in mental health treatment, and I think Clay really stands out as a hero in Light in the Shadows for getting help. I LOVE that as a reader, I got to experience his therapy with him. It didn't shut the door or give a brief summary about the meeting. The conversations made so much sense, and even someone who doesn't suffer from the extremeties of Clay's emotions could probably learn a thing or two about dealing with life's issues.

My favorite part about this book, though, was that I literally could not decide whether or not I wanted Maggie and Clay to be together. That might sound crazy, but Walters does such an incredible job at describing how toxic they can be to each other. In most other books I read, I know what characters are supposed to be together, and I just read patiently until it happens and it all works out happily ever after. In this book, I started getting scared. I love these two together, but I honestly started wondering whether or not they would end up together (in a healthy way or not), or if I even wanted them to...for their own sakes. 

Again, my heart is still recovering from this book. I wanted to hug both Maggie and Clay the whole time I was reading it. The first book takes you right of the edge of the cliff with them, and this one pulls you back up. I would recommend this book to everyone who likes reading about real issues, and real, passionate, messy-but-amazing relationships. You won't be able to put it down.  

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

In the Best Worlds Has a New Blogger: An Official Introduction

Jackie and Hannah 
My life has changed drastically in the last few months. I got a full-time, grown up job, working in publishing. I also have been splitting my social media time with Riffle where I work as their YA content editor. Plus, there's this pesky social life that has popped up out of no where. Long story short, I've become a very busy person.

ItBW has suffered a little bit because of this. If you've noticed I've been a little light on posting, this is why. I never considered giving up blogging and I really didn't even want to scale back and post less. So....

I have officially taken on a co-blogger! Her name is Jackie and she's pretty much one of the coolest people, ever. She's posted a few times as a guest blogger - you can check out her most recent post - an awesome review of The Program by Suzanne Young.

We're still planning on keeping up with posting 5 days a week, Monday - Friday. Jackie is going to start out posting reviews on Thursday. She's also going to be helping me out with a couple New Adult projects - including organizing a New Adult blogging event which we'll hopefully be able to tell you more about soon. Her role will likely evolve, but this is where we're starting.

I'm just so happy to have someone else on board to lighten the load a little bit and I couldn't have found a better person to share ItBW with.

So give Jackie some love - and find her on Twitter!
--------------------------------------------
A few words from Jackie:

Hi! I'm from Wisconsin and I moved to New York last fall to pursue a career in publishing. I have always loved YA. I read it in high school, I studied and read even more in college, and since becoming close with Hannah, I've found my kindred spirit. We enable each other's YA habit, and it's one I'll never want to kick!

I am so excited to be a part of In the Best Worlds. I hope everyone enjoys my reviews. Hannah has done such an amazing job with this blog, and it's truly a privilege to contribute. Tweet at me if you want to talk books!

Monday, April 15, 2013

Interview with Mindee Arnett

I'm so excited to have Mindee Arnett, author of The Nightmare Affair, on the blog today answering my questions. Mindee Arnett is going to be one of seven amazing authors at the Fall in Love With Teen Fiction event at Powell's this week, so if you're near there, definitely put that on your calendar! This interview was so fun and I'm so happy to share it with you!

-------------------------
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she's a criminal. No, she's a Nightmare. 
Literally.
Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother's infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker's house, things  get a whole lot more complicated. He's hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn't get more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.
Then Eli's dream comes true. 
Now Dusty has to follow the clues - both within Eli's dreams and out of them - to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she's up to and marks her as the next target.  


-------------------------

In the Best Worlds: Since you write for teens, what were you like as a teenager?

Mindee Arnett: Not a very typical one, unfortunately. I’ve always been the “thirteen going on thirty” girl. In high school all I wanted was to get out and be in college. Looking back now, I wish I had been more focused on the present and less on the future. Of course, this is probably why I like writing young adult so much—to recapture my underappreciated youth.

ItBW: You do such a fabulous job building the world of Arkwell Academy. What was the hardest part of world building?

MA: The hardest stuff for me is always the “big picture.” The day to day details of the world Dusty lives in, one with all the various magical kinds and electronic equipment with lively personalities and so on, came at once and without any deep thinking on my part. Bringing in the bigger stuff, the logical context in which these details exist, is always harder. I spent a lot of time asking myself questions about the politics behind the Will and the implications of the racial (for lack of a better term) divisions between the various magickinds. Not a lot of this bigger picture stuff makes it into the story directly, but I have to be aware of it in order for the world to have realistic cohesion.

ItBW: What aspect of Dusty’s fantastic, magical world do you wish existed in real life?

MA: Well, it would be cool if all of it existed, right? But I guess if I had to choose one it might be idea that all of our myths and fairy tales are actually true. That there really is a magical public relations department ought there whose job over the centuries has been to convince human beings that all fantastical stories are fiction.

ItBW: I love the way you work Eli’s dreams into the narrative of this story. What is the weirdest dream you remember? 

MA: Oh I have so many dream stories to share. One of my most distributing—and regularly occurring I might add—are dreams involving my teeth falling out. In one particularly vivid one, I was singing on stage and the entire rim of my top gums and all the teeth attached to it just broke off into my mouth. Gross, right? I think this is what you call an anxiety dream. This dream was so vivid it actually ended up in one of my story horror stories, Vatticut Dead Man, which was published in a little fiction magazine called Trail of Indiscretion.

ItBW: Was there anything – characters, plot twists, scenes, etc - in The Nightmare Affair that surprised you while you were writing?

MA: Pretty much all of them. I’m very much a pantser when it comes to writing. I don’t outline at all, although I do usually have an idea about where the story is going and sometimes about certain scenes. But for the most part, I discover the twists while writing. However, I will say that the motivations and inner turmoil of one particular male character did surprise me quite a lot, and continues to surprise me as I move on with the series. And I think anybody who’s read the book will probably guess who I’m referring to.

ItBW: How has your life changed since becoming a published author?

MA: You know, it really hasn’t. I’m a lot busier than I used to be, of course, and my stress level has gone up 100%, but my day to day is more or less the same. I still get up and go to my day job every morning and spend the evenings with my husband, kids and pets. Really, aside from the times I’m signing or doing a writing workshop I forget I’m a published author at all. So much of being “published” happens out there and well away from me my writing.

ItBW: So excited that Nightmare Affair is the first in a series! Is there anything you can dish about The Nightmare Dilemma?

MA: Dilemma starts a couple of months after the events in The Nightmare Affair. It’s approaching the end of the school year, and once again Dusty is presented with a mystery that she must use her dream-seer skills to solve, this one involving a vicious attack on one of her friends. She’s also dealing with the aftermath of what happened in book 1, especially when it comes to her relationship with Eli.

ItBW: Finish these sentences:

We could be best friends if…you love books and horses. Seriously, I share one of these in common with pretty much all of my friends. Some of them I even share both.

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be...an Archeologist (translation: I wanted to be a female Indiana Jones)

If I were a paranormal creature, I would be…a Nightmare of course. 
-------------------------
Find Mindee Arnett online: Website :: Blog :: Twitter :: Facebook :: Tumblr 

Thanks so much to Mindee for answering my questions! Hopefully some of you will have a chance to meet her in person at Powell's on April 17th! At the event they will be giving away exclusive booklets with never-before-seen content from seven amazing authors. If you can't make it, I have a giveaway for three of these booklets, courtesy of the fabulous New Leaf Literary, going on now! 

Friday, April 12, 2013

The Clockwork Princess - Cassandra Clare


Honestly, there's probably nothing new I can say about this book, and I don't want to spoil anything. I'm not even posting the synopsis, because I think it's a spoiler. So I'm going to be a little unconventional in this post, partially because I don't even have the words and I think this pretty much sums up Clockwork Princess
I cried. A lot.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Blog Tour: If He Had Been With Me :: Review + Giveaway

Synopsis: Throughout their whole childhood, Finn and Autumn were inseparable—they finished each other's sentences, they knew just what to say when the other person was hurting. But one incident in middle school puts them in separate social worlds come high school, and Autumn has been happily dating James for the last 2 years. But she's always wondered what if...
The night she's about to get the answer is also one of terrible tragedy.

I have two confessions to make about this book. The first is that I picked it up because of the pretty, pretty cover. Sourcebooks has been stepping it up lately. My second confession: most of this book I was not feeling it and I was about ready to write it off, and then all of a sudden it got so good. And then after it pulled me in, I went back and thought of the rest of the story and how it all worked so well to lead to it's final moments.

I am torn about the structure of the story. It's told over Autumn's entire high school career, so the reader is brought through all four years. I really loved this, because a lot of the time authors will hint that characters have a past, or they'll show you flashbacks, but they never really walk you through it. It was unique in that aspect and I really appreciated the risk that Nowlin took with that choice. I'm torn, because at times I felt like I wasn't given enough information, I didn't have a chance to really get to know the secondary characters and there were some moments that felt really shallow. Although, once I got to the point where I was really excited about the story, it all kind of makes sense.

Best friends falling in love is one of my favorite story lines and Nowlin is definitely good at keeping Autumn and Finn on each other's hooks, even when they aren't really speaking. Their mothers are best friends and they live next door to one another, so seeing one another is inevitable and their conversations are always completely loaded. I'm really happy with the way their relationship played out over the course of the novel - despite the tragic ending that you know is coming from the very beginning.

Nowlin just captures the thoughts and essence of being a teenager so well, and I think that actually may have been what bothered me at the beginning. Autumn starts out sounding so immature and naive, so it was hard to get behind her. Then, I didn't even notice it, but she does grow up and I came to really care about her. But if I were being honest and looked back in my own history, I'd have to admit that my thoughts were probably similar to hers and I probably would have made the same choices.

I am just really glad I stuck with her through her angsty early years, because seriously it was worth reading until the end. Even now, the more I talk about it, the reasons I wanted to give up on this book in the first place seem to fit into this piece of a whole that make the whole story so great and so emotional. In the end, I just have to saw that Nowlin is amazing at capturing a period in a girl's life and staying true to her age, her personality and her story.

--------------------------
And now, thanks to Sourcebooks, I have an ARC of If He Had Been With Me to give away to one lucky winner! Must be 13 or older. US only. Contest ends at midnight on April 19, 2013. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form to enter! 

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Fall in Love With Teen Fiction: Exclusive Booklet Giveaway!

Hey, friends on the West coast, GO TO THIS EVENT! I'm so jealous of you who are in proximity to Powell's, because you have some amazing authors coming your way. Fortunately, if you're like me and not exactly within reasonable traveling distance to this event, I have something to cheer you up. For those who get to go, there are these awesome little booklets of exclusive content available. AND thanks to the amazing New Leaf Literary you can win one of these booklets! 

The booklets contain exclusive never-before-seen content from Mindee Arnett, Leigh Bardugo, Lisa Desrochers, Sarah Fine, Kristin Halbrook, Kody Keplinger, and Ingrid Paulson. They will be signed by all seven authors and will include deleted scenes, alternate POVs, and annotated passages!

Awesome right? Giveaway will end on April 17th. There with be three lucky winners! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below! *Update: Contest is US only.
(P.S. Check back on April 15th to check out my interview with Mindee Arnett!)

Monday, April 8, 2013

The Program - Suzanne Young

::Review by Jackie Lindert::

Synopsis: In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.
Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.
Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.


This was the first book I've read by Suzanne Young, but it will not be the last! I had no idea what to expect when I started this book, but it totally blew my mind. Maybe it was just perfect timing. I had just finished reading a book that had been hyped up and completely let me down. This book made up for that big time. By page 5, I was already hooked, forty pages later I was completely invested in this book and every character in it. By the time I hit triple digits, I was doing my best to hold back the flood of emotions I was experiencing. Trying not to let people see you cry on an airplane is not an easy task, people. Seriously.

Who ever thought that a teen suicide epidemic could be so enthralling? Well this book made it happen. I think my favorite thing about The Program right off the bat was that it didn't start with a girl pining for a guy or a guy who likes a girl. Sloane already has a boyfriend, but right away, you just know something is wrong. These kids fear for their lives and their freedom, and every memory they've ever had. This book shook me to my core. I could literally feel their fear and horror as, sometimes, their own parents report them to the governement so the program can "save" them. My parents would totally do that!

I cannot even express how much of a stand-out this book is amongst dystopic books. If you are thinking this is just another *instert pre-jeudged common genre*, you are wrong. This book snaked its way into my mind and threw me for so many loops. Suzanne Young does an amazing job making this book real. I still can't decide how I feel about the program and everything brought up in this book. Both sides are well-intended at times, and horrible (purposefully or not) at others. I like books that confuse my brain by making me argue both sides with myself.

Now that I've gushed about the plot, I can't not mention how much I adore James and Sloane's relationship. There is just the perfect amount of balance/realisticness between them being in love and that love having to take a backseat to the crumbling world around them. It's terrifying how easily the love of your life can become a stranger, not to mention your friends and family. That is what they have to fear...other than suicide, that is.

As soon as I finished this book I scrambled my way to the computer to find out if it was a series, and I am relieved to know it is. It could go so many different ways from here. I am usually good at predicting what is going to happen in the end, but this book's ending FREAKED me out. I've never been so blind-sided or felt so anxious after finishing a book. I can't wait to see what happens, and I'm going crazy that I can't even guess! I loved it. I loved this book.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Give Me Something - Elizabeth Lee

Synopsis: Here's the deal... I learned a long time ago that sometimes you have to use what you've got to make things happen. What I happen to have is a pretty smile, long legs and the ability to make men believe anything I say. Before you get on your high horse and start judging me, can you honestly say you've never batted your lashes at some guy for a free drink at the bar? That's what I thought. 
Keep that in mind as I tell you my story of how I took it one step further. My story of lies, deceit, manipulation and love. Yeah, love. Believe me, it fits. Especially, when you factor in Nick and Tucker – one had my heart and the other one wanted it all for himself. Which one? Well, I can't tell you that. It would defeat the purpose of the story. If I'm going to fill you in about me, Lila Garrison, and my life as a con artist you're going to need to know all the facts, including the ones about the two guys who made me want to give up the life of fancy clothes, expensive jewelry, fast cars and easy money. Because sometimes, one person can give you something that's more valuable than all of that.
If you're still interested, stick around. Just remember, I'm pretty good at convincing people to do what I want, so if by the end of this whole thing you feel worked over, don't say I didn't warn you.



I pretty much fell in love with Elizabeth Lee when I read Shattered, because the woman knows how to write a good country boy. I'm from the Midwest, and I've been a little homesick for it lately, so this book came at the perfect time. Even though this book isn't as country as Shattered, I still love it. This story felt like something different, too, because you don't really expect con artists in the friendly Midwest. Although, Lila definitely has a heart of gold. Then, of course, there's Tucker who is is so swoon-worthy. This book is the perfect blend of fun, hot country boys, bad choices, and high emotions.

Lila is good at convincing people to love her and you'd have to be heartless to not fall in love with her by the end of the book. She's a con artist, but I kind of forgot that every now and then, because for some reason her personality doesn't fit what I'd normally imagine when I think of con artists. She has too big of a heart, but then again she does have these moments where she's really great at cutting people out. Really, she's just a fun person. She has some issues, she makes some bad choices, and no matter how much inner turmoil she has, she always seems to be having a good time. I just want to be friends with her, please.

Now those boys. Goodness gracious. I don't even know what's happening, because this is a little backwards for me, but I hated Nick from the very beginning. I know he's supposed to be all like-able because he was there for Lila from the beginning, but good lord I don't remember the last time I wanted to smack a character so badly. He's just so misguided, and quite frankly, he's a douche silo. Now, Tucker, is the exact opposite. He's so freaking perfect I want to cry. He's got the country and the sensitivity, but he's also a little bit cocky and...you know, not too perfect in the way that makes him perfect. Pretty much the second I found out his family sold tractors, I was sold on him. Is that weird of me?

There's a lot of tension in this book and a lot of things I didn't see coming. You think you know how it's going to go and it totally surprises you. But as I kept watching Lila get in deeper, I just got more nervous for her. It's a book that you start and know you're going to sit there until you've reached the end because you just have to know everything is going to be okay. This is another awesome contribution to the New Adult field and I can't wait to read more from Elizabeth Lee.

*P.S. I interviewed Elizabeth Lee and you should probably check that out, even if it's just to see who she'd choose to play Lila, Tucker and Nick - because, hello hotness. You can find that here.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

March Top 5

Wow, guys, I totally missed the end of the month AND the first of April. Time definitely goes way too fast, especially when you're busy and/or not paying attention. But I definitely fell in love a few times this month and these five books were the best of those loves.

1. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
I still can't believe it took me so long to read this book. It completely passed all my expectations and I just fell in so deeply with these characters. Read my full review here.

2. 17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma
I can't praise Nova Ren Suma enough. She's a brilliant writer and this story is beautiful and haunting. I attempted to put into words how I feel about this book, and you can read that here.

3. My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi
I totally devoured this book and came away feeling deeply depressed and uplifted at the same time. It's a weird emotion, but I think I like it. It was just an impressive novel that I think everyone could learn something from. Check out my review here.

4. A Touch Menacing by Leah Clifford
Ahhhh, the end of the Touch series. SO bittersweet, but ultimately a great ending. Looking forward to the dark, twisties that Leah will come up with next. Read my review here.

5. Golden by Jessi Kirby
I love Jessi Kirby and Robert Frost is definitely one of my favorite poets, so this was definitely a win. I'll have a review up soon!

What were your top reads in March?  

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

April Top Five

April was definitely one of those months where I had so much to read and I don't feel like I accomplished very much. But here are my top three from this month, and numbers four and five are Jackie's top reads!

1. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
I still haven't really sorted out my feelings from this book and I kind of think I'm unhappy with it in general. I mean, I was never able to pick it up without sobbing. But still, there's something in a book that has the power to rip out your soul that makes it pretty fabulous. 

2. Unraveling and Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris 
Yeah, I'm including both of these as one here, but I read them so close together and they're both incredible. I'm a little mad at myself for waiting so long to read Unraveling, but at the same time it was awesome to be able to jump right into Unbreakable. I'll have reviews for these up this week! 

3. The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett
This book was so much fun and it was a different take on the paranormal world. Plus, its impossible not to love a character like Dusty who's sarcastic, witty, and endearing. Read my full review HERE

4. Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters
Jackie says: This was a great conclusion to the Maggie and Clay love story that I fell desperately for in Find You in the Dark. Getting inside Clay's head was amazing. We all wanted to know what his craziness felt like. Check out my review HERE!

5. The Program by Suzanne Young
Jackie says: This book surprised me in so many good ways. I just loved the originality of the story, and the detail and mystery that made it come alive are STILL bouncing around in my head. Book 2 yet? Please!? Read my full review HERE.

What were your top reads this month? 

Top Ten Tuesday: Buzzwords

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
This week's topic is: Top Ten Words/Topics That Instantly Make Me Buy/Pick Up a Book

------Kingdom------
Usually I see kingdom and it means royalty, fantasy, and hopefully an awesome map.

------Travel------ 
Any book that takes me to another country, I'm so in. I'm thinking Anna and the French Kiss,
Wanderlove, and Just One Day. All are great favorites of mine.  

------Werewolves------ 
My paranormal weakness. I'm a wolf girl. All the way.

------Alternate Universe------
This is something I'm definitely digging lately.

------Troubled/Mysterious/Dark (Boy)------
Can't even help it. I love a good bad boy.

------Country/Small Town------
This is my favorite setting because it's where I grew up.

------Retelling------ 
I love to see stories I love told in new ways. Tiger Lily and For Darkness Shows the Stars are particularly amazing.

---------------------------------------

And three words that will keep me from picking up a book: 

------Addiction------ 
Not even going to lie, tough subjects aren't really my thing.

------Afterlife------ 
I have to hear a lot of awesome things about a book that takes place in the afterlife for me to pick it up.

------Mystery------ 
Ok, this one is a little broad, but I'm just not a fan of whodunnits.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Book Blitz: Of Silver and Beasts by Trisha Wolfe



***Excerpt***
“What’s your rank, baby blue eyes?” the guy asks, pushing off his cot and stalking toward the prince. Everything in me screams to act, but I don’t want to declare alliances this early on. Not without understanding the dynamic of placements and bonds already formed among these people. But I’ll not let this hulk of a man harm the prince. I brace my heel against the wall, ready to push off and lunge. Prince Caben rises to his feet, slowly turning to face him. He straightens his spine, squaring his shoulders. “I don’t have one. And my name is Payne. Not ‘baby blue eyes’, meathead.” Big guy laughs, his husky voice bounces off the rock walls. “I’m Crew”—he beats his chest hard once, like a barbarian—“and I’ve won three fights. I’ll win the next two and be the one awarded the freedom ring.” He leans down toward Prince Caben, leveling their faces. “So don’t even think about you or your princess over there walking out of here. I’m ranked as a Colossal. The strongest Colossal in Bax’s league.” Princess? I nearly scoff. Then I realize what the problem with Crew is: he feels threatened by Prince Caben. That revelation almost makes me laugh out right. What does a big stack of muscles like Crew have to fear from the prince? The other prisons slowly circle around the stand-off in the center of the cell. Tension thickens the musty air. It coils around my spine, tightening my muscles. If I allow the fight to continue without interruption, will the guards stop it? They’d want their fighters in pristine shape, wouldn’t they? Prince Caben doesn’t back away from Crew. Instead, he moves into his space. I roll my eyes. Stupid, conceited man. “Freedom ring?” the prince questions. “As in, there’s a chance to leave?” He rubs his chin, and I notice the dark shadow of facial hair that has darkened his features overnight. “Is there a season that has to be won, or can someone gain five wins during their entire imprisonment?” Crew’s eyebrows pinch together. He’s clearly despondent that he hasn’t succeeded in intimidating the prince. “We’re in a season right now, you weakling. If you don’t win—you’re dead. Which by the looks of you, will happen in your first match.” Prince Caben nods, as if he’s simply piecing together a jigsaw puzzle and not being told of his demise. “What is the cuff for?” He points to the iron clamp around Crew’s wrist. “It’s our biometric monitor.” Crew shoves the cuff up close to the prince’s face. “See those three blue lights? Those are my wins. When the fifth lights up, I’m outta’ here.” “Has anyone ever won the freedom ring before?” Prince Caben asks. Crew’s massive arms tremble. “No,” he grinds out. “But I will.” He cocks his cuffed hand back, then sends a blow to Prince Caben’s chin. Hell. I’m up and racing across the cell before the prince hits the ground. Crew spots me from his peripheral. He turns and swipes the air. I duck, roll, and come up behind him. I jump on the cot and leap onto his back. “You squirrely little ...” he mumbles, trying to reach over his shoulders to get a hold on me. Tightening my arms around his thick neck, I squeeze. He gasps for air, and rams my back into the wall. I wheeze as the air whooshes from my lungs, pain splintering through my already bruised chest. But I hold tight, bearing down harder, and cut off his supply of oxygen. Finally, I feel Crew weaken beneath my hold. He drops to his knees, and I only release him once I’m sure he’s knocked out. Stepping around the now limp Crew, I glance at all the wide eyes studying me, and meet the prince’s. Fury ignites his stormy blue irises. He picks himself off the floor and heads toward one of the side chambers, throwing the tattered material aside as he stalks inside. I follow after him. When I step inside the tiny, dank room, my eyes trail Prince Caben as he paces. He reaches each side of the small chamber with three quick strides. Back and forth. On his third round, I open my mouth and get out a single syllable before he holds up a hand, halting me. He drives his hand through his dark hair. “Thank you for making me look like a spineless jerk.” He shakes his head and faces me. Taken aback, I say, “This is my duty to protect—” “No. In your country it was your duty to guard me. In my world and here”—he opens his arms wide—“a man fights his own battles. He does not depend on a woman to fight them for him. You just disgraced me.” Fire simmers in my core. “I’m still assigned as your protector no matter what realm we inhabit, Your High—” I stop myself before addressing him by title out of habit. “Your pride is polluting your reasoning.” He laughs. “Yes, well. Thanks to your show out there, I no longer have my pride to worry about.”


Buy Of Silver and Beasts for only $2.99: 
 photo B6096376-6C81-4465-8935-CE890C777EB9-1855-000001A1E900B890_zps5affbed6.jpg  photo 111AD205-AA04-4F9E-A0F4-C1264C4E9F30-1855-000001A1E8CEB6D7_zps9b730b94.jpg 

***GIVEAWAY***
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz organized by:

Friday, April 26, 2013

New Adult Discussion: The Other Side of the Story

The New Adult category, itself, is a new trend, but there's something happening within it that I really haven't seen before. More and more authors in this category are beginning to write and release their books in the male point of view.

The most popular set is probably the Beautiful Disaster series.
Beautiful Disaster totally sweeps you up into it's tornado of intensity and then Walking Disaster is the exact same tornado, except it seems to be spinning the other way. In the first, we're all in Abbie's head, trying to figure Travis out. And then in the second we're privy to Travis's thoughts, and suddenly Abbie seems harder to understand (and maybe it's just me, but she's much more of a bitch than I thought she was), even though we've already heard her side. 

Now there are other great New Adult books that bring us into the head of the the dudes we've already fallen so hard for. 

Matt was so quiet through most of Flat-Out Love. Now we get to go into his head and find out what he was thinking and why he made certain decisions. 

The Slammed series played on this concept, but Colleen Hover did something pretty cool with it. She continued the story from Will's POV in Point of Retreat and then went back to the original story that Slammed told, also through Will's POV. In This Girl, Will is basically telling Layken his side of the story of how they met and fell in love. 

Molly McAdams has Stealing Harper coming out in June, which tells the story of Taking Chances through Chase's point of view. Which, if you've read Taking Chances you may know, is an interesting choice, given his role in the story. 

Now even Tammara Webber is talking about writing Lucas's story (as she mentioned on Facebook the other day...). It may not be the story of Easy retold from his POV, but if it were, I would love it. 

It just hit me the other day, how many of these books are surfacing. And really, when you boil it down, they're the same exact story, with slight variations for what may have been happening off the page in the original book, told from a new perspective. How are these authors managing to repackage a story and sell it all over again? For a moment, I actually felt a little duped. I loved reading Walking Disaster and I'm so anxious to read Matt's perspective. And PLEASE, oh please, let Tammara Webber write Easy from Lucas's perspective. But rather than letting myself feel a little taken advantage of for basically buying the same story twice, I actually stopped to think about why I'm so crazy about this new trend. 

And I think it's because I love to re-read books, but I don't have the time to do that anymore. Between my blog and my job, I have so much I need to be reading. So re-reading a book, when my TBR seems to multiply on a daily basis, just isn't plausible. It happens rarely. But with these books, I get to re-read while still reading a book I haven't read yet. It's genius, actually. I get to revisit these stories and get something obviously new out of it. I get to go back to these characters I've grown to love so much and still read something new. I'm loving it. 

This isn't to say every book should do this, and there are still books that pull of the multiple perspectives awesomely (Light in the Shadows by A. Meredith Walters and Fall Guy by Liz Reinhardt for example). But every once in awhile, books come along that are as  intense as Beautiful Disaster, as beautiful as Flat-Out Love or as heartbreaking as Slammed, and they go straight to your heart and the characters leave their imprints on you. These are the books that you want to go back to, not even just for the sake of seeing what the guy was doing while the girl was freaking out, or what he was thinking when he met her, or what he felt first time they did something naughty together. But because you get the chance to go back to this place and get a fuller picture of something you've already come to love. 

So what books would I like to read again from the guy's POV? 

Can we hear from Tucker in Give Me Something? Please! I'd love to know his side of this story, especially since he's pretty tricky himself. 

And I know Cora Carmack is writing companion novels to Losing It, which I'm SO excited about, but I'd still LOVE to hear from Garrick. I especially want to know what's going though his mind during the "Cat!" moment. (And actually, I DID just accidentally - on purpose - re-read Losing It, last week. Which I know, negates the whole, I don't have time to re-read, thing...but still...It was even better the second time around.)

**UPDATE: We ARE getting to read from Garrick's POV (if there are a certain number of pre-orders of Faking It): http://coracarmack.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-one-that-you-guys-are-going-to-love.html!!**

So my questions for you - what do you think of this trend? And what books would you like to re-read from the guy's perspective?

Thursday, April 25, 2013

The Nightmare Affair - Mindee Arnett

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.
Literally.
Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.
Then Eli’s dream comes true.
Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.


I adore this book. I read on Mindee's blog that she'd pitched this book as Hex Hall meets Veronica Mars and I think that's about spot-on. Sarcasm and wit drip from these pages and that just made it so fun to read. Mostly, though, this book is amazing because the world building is perfect. Dusty's world feels so real and it seems so naturally written that this world must exist along side or own.

There are a few books out there where all paranormal creatures come together in a boarding school, but this one still manages to be unique. The concept of a Nightmare being a paranormal creature is so cool and it really gives you an opportunity to see the paranormal world in a different way. Even their "government" is pretty amazing, and I love the way they take historical paranormal legends and twist them to their own advantage.

I think writing sarcastic characters like Dusty is really difficult, but Mindee pulls off her voice so well. She's the perfect character to make this world come to life. I also really love the contrast of her bright personality with the fact that she's a Nightmare. By nature, her powers should be pretty dark, but she always manages to stay on the light side of things. Even with all the murders and liars and people you can't trust...

There's also a bit of a cool twist with Eli's storyline as well. I loved the fact that he's human and winds up at a school full of paranormals. I love that he's the normal one falling for someone a little more than human. I love that he has to adjust to a different world view and a new role in that world. I get a little tired of human (or just found out they're different) heroines who seem helpless to their fate, so this was a nice twist to see a guy in that role. Not that he's helpless, but just that that seems to be flipped around in this book. And Dusty seems to be in complete control of her fate, or at least she'd like to think she is.

If you're a fan of the Hex Hall series, I'd definitely recommend The Nightmare Affair. It has a great heroine, a pretty awesome guy, a boarding school bursting with paranormal activity, and a fascinating mystery to boot. It's a little different and just a really fun read. I'm excited for The Nightmare Dilemma, mostly because I can't wait to see what's next for these amazing characters.

*Also, I was lucky enough to get to interview Mindee. This is one of those amazing times where I love a book and it turns out the author is pretty fabulous as well! You can check out my interview with her HERE.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Book Blast: Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris


Welcome to the Nerd Blast for
UNBREAKABLE by Elizabeth Norris!

 Four months after Ben disappeared through the portal to his home universe, Janelle believes she’ll never see him again. Her world is still devastated, but life is finally starting to resume some kind of normalcy. Until Interverse Agent Taylor Barclay shows up. Somebody from an alternate universe is running a human trafficking ring, kidnapping people and selling them on different Earths—and Ben is the prime suspect. Now his family has been imprisoned and will be executed if Ben doesn’t turn himself over within five days.

And when Janelle learns that someone she cares about—someone from her own world—has become one of the missing, she knows that she has to help Barclay, regardless of the danger. Now Janelle has five days to track down the real culprit. Five days to locate the missing people before they’re lost forever. Five days to reunite with the boy who stole her heart. But as the clues begin to add up, Janelle realizes that she’s in way over her head—and that she may not have known Ben as well as she thought. Can she uncover the truth before everyone she cares about is killed?



Purchase Unbreakable Online: Amazon :: B&N :: Book Depository

Elizabeth Norris briefly taught high school English and history before trading the southern California beaches and sunshine for Manhattan's recent snowpocalyptic winter.

She harbors dangerous addictions to guacamole, red velvet cupcakes, sushi, and Argo Tea, fortunately not all together.



Find Elizabeth Norris Online: 


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Giveaway: 
Winner will receive a Signed Copy of Unbreakable & Swag (Bookmark, Sticker, Poster & Magnet) by Elizabeth Norris.
2 Winners will receive a Swag (Bookmark, Sticker, Poster & Magnet) by Elizabeth Norris.

Friday, April 19, 2013

Golden - Jessi Kirby

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Parker Frost has never taken the road less traveled. Valedictorian and quintessential good girl, she's about to graduate high school without ever having kissed her crush or broken the rules. So when fate drops a clue in her lap - one that might be the key to unraveling a town mystery - she decides to take a chance.
Julianna Farnetti and Shane Cruz are remembered as the golden couple of Summit Lakes High - perfect in every way, meant to be together forever. but Julianna's journal tells a different story - one of doubts about Shane and a forbidden romance with an older, artistic guy. These are secrets that were swept away with her the night that Shane's jeep plunged into an icy river, leaving behind a grieving town and no bodies to bury. 
Reading Julianna's journal gives Parker the courage to really live - and it also gives her reasons to question what really happened the night of the accident. Armed with clues from the past, Parker enlists the help of her best friend, Kat, and Trevor, her longtime crush, to track down some leads. The mystery ends up taking Parker places she never could have imagined. And she soon finds that taking the road less traveled makes all the difference. 

After In Honor, I wasn't sure how Jessi Kirby was going to top herself, but I was pretty confident she'd write a pretty awesome novel. I can't imagine her ever writing something I wouldn't like - she's kind of like Sarah Dessen that way. Anyways, Golden definitely lives up to Kirby's first two novels. It's a deeply rich, multi-layered story of a girl who is just trying to face down her future and live in the moment at the same time. Again, Kirby has written characters I came to care deeply for and has come up with another captivating snapshot of a short time in the life of one girl.

I'm impressed with the way poetry was woven through the story line, but it was never really pointed out or made a big deal. It's just really great in showing the way words can influence our lives. And Robert Frost is definitely a favorite of mine. My mother has always been so proud of how she knows "Nothing Gold Can Stay" by heart, so I grew up listening to this poem and, especially since reading Golden, those words are always somewhere in my head. I read this book reciting the lines in my head over and over, and it created a different reading experience for me. I've read a lot of retellings and even books and chapters with epigraphs, but never have I found myself reapeating the words from the original text so much while reading. It just colored everything a little differently.

It was especially cool when you look at the way the past and the present are colliding in Parker's world. While you have a classic poet influencing a contemporary novel, you have Parker and her life being influenced by the journal of a girl who died years ago. Honestly, I'm not a fan of reading journals; however, it was executed wonderfully in this context. I found both Parker and Julianna's stories fascinating and was really happy to read both storylines. Plus, I absolutely loved the idea that they had to keep journals and their teacher would send them back in 10 years. I started thinking about what I would have written down, and what I would think of my words when I hit my own 10 year mark (which is only, holy wow, 3 years away).

I also have to talk briefly about Kat and Trevor. For a contemp, romance wasn't really the main focus and I loved that. However, Trevor is amazing. He's fun and patient, which I give him major props for. And Kat. MCs who have awesome best friends are just some of the best MCs. And Kat certainly makes Parker a great heroine. She pushes her as much as she can, but she's just supportive and fun. It always makes me really happy when books highlight how important friendship is in high school, because I would not have gotten by with out it.

I absolutely adored this book and Jessi Kirby will keep her well earned place on my auto-read list. I don't even have to read the synopsis for her next book, I know I'll pick it up. Golden was incredible and beautiful and I'm really excited to share it. If you haven't read Jessi Kirby yet, please do. She's definitely worth it. I just can't wait to see what she'll do next.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Light in the Shadows - A. Meredith Walters

*Review by Jackie Joyce
Light in the Shadows (Find You in the Dark, #2) Synopsis: How do you keep going when you feel like your life is over? Maggie never thought she’d see Clay again. So, she attempts to put her life back together after her heart has been shattered to pieces. Moving on and moving forward, just as Clay wanted her to.
Clay never stopped thinking of Maggie. Even after ripping their lives apart and leaving her behind to get the help he so desperately needed. He is healing...slowly. But his heart still belongs to the girl who tried to save him.
When a sudden tragedy brings Maggie and Clay face to face again, nothing is the same. Yet some things never change. Can the darkness that threatened to consume them be transformed into something else and finally give them what they always wanted? And can two people who fought so hard to be together, finally find their happiness? Or will their demons and fear drive them apart for good?
The thing about love, is even when it destroys you, it has a way of mending what is broken. And in the shadows, you can still see the light.


When I read Find You in the Dark, I was an emotional wreck. Maggie and Clay dug up some painful memories of high school and what it was like to be in love with someone in the unhealthiest of ways. The raw emotion and the insane passion these two share was just as addicting for me to read about as it was for them in the book. Light in the Shadows was an amazing follow up book.

I love that with Maggie and Clay, A. Meredith Walters doesn't fall into the stereotypes of some popular books out today that describe what is clearly an unhealthy relationship, but romanticize it to make it ok. It's SO not ok. And as much as your heart aches at how much these two love each other, it is obvious that they are spiraling. Instead of dancing around these issues, this book takes them head on. It is so refreshing to read a book that points out when you are losing your independence, your friends, and the respect and trust of your family, you are probably involved in something you shouldn't be.

I have also never read about someone in mental health treatment, and I think Clay really stands out as a hero in Light in the Shadows for getting help. I LOVE that as a reader, I got to experience his therapy with him. It didn't shut the door or give a brief summary about the meeting. The conversations made so much sense, and even someone who doesn't suffer from the extremeties of Clay's emotions could probably learn a thing or two about dealing with life's issues.

My favorite part about this book, though, was that I literally could not decide whether or not I wanted Maggie and Clay to be together. That might sound crazy, but Walters does such an incredible job at describing how toxic they can be to each other. In most other books I read, I know what characters are supposed to be together, and I just read patiently until it happens and it all works out happily ever after. In this book, I started getting scared. I love these two together, but I honestly started wondering whether or not they would end up together (in a healthy way or not), or if I even wanted them to...for their own sakes. 

Again, my heart is still recovering from this book. I wanted to hug both Maggie and Clay the whole time I was reading it. The first book takes you right of the edge of the cliff with them, and this one pulls you back up. I would recommend this book to everyone who likes reading about real issues, and real, passionate, messy-but-amazing relationships. You won't be able to put it down.  

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

In the Best Worlds Has a New Blogger: An Official Introduction

Jackie and Hannah 
My life has changed drastically in the last few months. I got a full-time, grown up job, working in publishing. I also have been splitting my social media time with Riffle where I work as their YA content editor. Plus, there's this pesky social life that has popped up out of no where. Long story short, I've become a very busy person.

ItBW has suffered a little bit because of this. If you've noticed I've been a little light on posting, this is why. I never considered giving up blogging and I really didn't even want to scale back and post less. So....

I have officially taken on a co-blogger! Her name is Jackie and she's pretty much one of the coolest people, ever. She's posted a few times as a guest blogger - you can check out her most recent post - an awesome review of The Program by Suzanne Young.

We're still planning on keeping up with posting 5 days a week, Monday - Friday. Jackie is going to start out posting reviews on Thursday. She's also going to be helping me out with a couple New Adult projects - including organizing a New Adult blogging event which we'll hopefully be able to tell you more about soon. Her role will likely evolve, but this is where we're starting.

I'm just so happy to have someone else on board to lighten the load a little bit and I couldn't have found a better person to share ItBW with.

So give Jackie some love - and find her on Twitter!
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A few words from Jackie:

Hi! I'm from Wisconsin and I moved to New York last fall to pursue a career in publishing. I have always loved YA. I read it in high school, I studied and read even more in college, and since becoming close with Hannah, I've found my kindred spirit. We enable each other's YA habit, and it's one I'll never want to kick!

I am so excited to be a part of In the Best Worlds. I hope everyone enjoys my reviews. Hannah has done such an amazing job with this blog, and it's truly a privilege to contribute. Tweet at me if you want to talk books!

Monday, April 15, 2013

Interview with Mindee Arnett

I'm so excited to have Mindee Arnett, author of The Nightmare Affair, on the blog today answering my questions. Mindee Arnett is going to be one of seven amazing authors at the Fall in Love With Teen Fiction event at Powell's this week, so if you're near there, definitely put that on your calendar! This interview was so fun and I'm so happy to share it with you!

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Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she's a criminal. No, she's a Nightmare. 
Literally.
Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother's infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker's house, things  get a whole lot more complicated. He's hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn't get more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.
Then Eli's dream comes true. 
Now Dusty has to follow the clues - both within Eli's dreams and out of them - to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she's up to and marks her as the next target.  


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In the Best Worlds: Since you write for teens, what were you like as a teenager?

Mindee Arnett: Not a very typical one, unfortunately. I’ve always been the “thirteen going on thirty” girl. In high school all I wanted was to get out and be in college. Looking back now, I wish I had been more focused on the present and less on the future. Of course, this is probably why I like writing young adult so much—to recapture my underappreciated youth.

ItBW: You do such a fabulous job building the world of Arkwell Academy. What was the hardest part of world building?

MA: The hardest stuff for me is always the “big picture.” The day to day details of the world Dusty lives in, one with all the various magical kinds and electronic equipment with lively personalities and so on, came at once and without any deep thinking on my part. Bringing in the bigger stuff, the logical context in which these details exist, is always harder. I spent a lot of time asking myself questions about the politics behind the Will and the implications of the racial (for lack of a better term) divisions between the various magickinds. Not a lot of this bigger picture stuff makes it into the story directly, but I have to be aware of it in order for the world to have realistic cohesion.

ItBW: What aspect of Dusty’s fantastic, magical world do you wish existed in real life?

MA: Well, it would be cool if all of it existed, right? But I guess if I had to choose one it might be idea that all of our myths and fairy tales are actually true. That there really is a magical public relations department ought there whose job over the centuries has been to convince human beings that all fantastical stories are fiction.

ItBW: I love the way you work Eli’s dreams into the narrative of this story. What is the weirdest dream you remember? 

MA: Oh I have so many dream stories to share. One of my most distributing—and regularly occurring I might add—are dreams involving my teeth falling out. In one particularly vivid one, I was singing on stage and the entire rim of my top gums and all the teeth attached to it just broke off into my mouth. Gross, right? I think this is what you call an anxiety dream. This dream was so vivid it actually ended up in one of my story horror stories, Vatticut Dead Man, which was published in a little fiction magazine called Trail of Indiscretion.

ItBW: Was there anything – characters, plot twists, scenes, etc - in The Nightmare Affair that surprised you while you were writing?

MA: Pretty much all of them. I’m very much a pantser when it comes to writing. I don’t outline at all, although I do usually have an idea about where the story is going and sometimes about certain scenes. But for the most part, I discover the twists while writing. However, I will say that the motivations and inner turmoil of one particular male character did surprise me quite a lot, and continues to surprise me as I move on with the series. And I think anybody who’s read the book will probably guess who I’m referring to.

ItBW: How has your life changed since becoming a published author?

MA: You know, it really hasn’t. I’m a lot busier than I used to be, of course, and my stress level has gone up 100%, but my day to day is more or less the same. I still get up and go to my day job every morning and spend the evenings with my husband, kids and pets. Really, aside from the times I’m signing or doing a writing workshop I forget I’m a published author at all. So much of being “published” happens out there and well away from me my writing.

ItBW: So excited that Nightmare Affair is the first in a series! Is there anything you can dish about The Nightmare Dilemma?

MA: Dilemma starts a couple of months after the events in The Nightmare Affair. It’s approaching the end of the school year, and once again Dusty is presented with a mystery that she must use her dream-seer skills to solve, this one involving a vicious attack on one of her friends. She’s also dealing with the aftermath of what happened in book 1, especially when it comes to her relationship with Eli.

ItBW: Finish these sentences:

We could be best friends if…you love books and horses. Seriously, I share one of these in common with pretty much all of my friends. Some of them I even share both.

When I was a kid, I wanted to grow up to be...an Archeologist (translation: I wanted to be a female Indiana Jones)

If I were a paranormal creature, I would be…a Nightmare of course. 
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Find Mindee Arnett online: Website :: Blog :: Twitter :: Facebook :: Tumblr 

Thanks so much to Mindee for answering my questions! Hopefully some of you will have a chance to meet her in person at Powell's on April 17th! At the event they will be giving away exclusive booklets with never-before-seen content from seven amazing authors. If you can't make it, I have a giveaway for three of these booklets, courtesy of the fabulous New Leaf Literary, going on now! 

Friday, April 12, 2013

The Clockwork Princess - Cassandra Clare


Honestly, there's probably nothing new I can say about this book, and I don't want to spoil anything. I'm not even posting the synopsis, because I think it's a spoiler. So I'm going to be a little unconventional in this post, partially because I don't even have the words and I think this pretty much sums up Clockwork Princess
I cried. A lot.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Blog Tour: If He Had Been With Me :: Review + Giveaway

Synopsis: Throughout their whole childhood, Finn and Autumn were inseparable—they finished each other's sentences, they knew just what to say when the other person was hurting. But one incident in middle school puts them in separate social worlds come high school, and Autumn has been happily dating James for the last 2 years. But she's always wondered what if...
The night she's about to get the answer is also one of terrible tragedy.

I have two confessions to make about this book. The first is that I picked it up because of the pretty, pretty cover. Sourcebooks has been stepping it up lately. My second confession: most of this book I was not feeling it and I was about ready to write it off, and then all of a sudden it got so good. And then after it pulled me in, I went back and thought of the rest of the story and how it all worked so well to lead to it's final moments.

I am torn about the structure of the story. It's told over Autumn's entire high school career, so the reader is brought through all four years. I really loved this, because a lot of the time authors will hint that characters have a past, or they'll show you flashbacks, but they never really walk you through it. It was unique in that aspect and I really appreciated the risk that Nowlin took with that choice. I'm torn, because at times I felt like I wasn't given enough information, I didn't have a chance to really get to know the secondary characters and there were some moments that felt really shallow. Although, once I got to the point where I was really excited about the story, it all kind of makes sense.

Best friends falling in love is one of my favorite story lines and Nowlin is definitely good at keeping Autumn and Finn on each other's hooks, even when they aren't really speaking. Their mothers are best friends and they live next door to one another, so seeing one another is inevitable and their conversations are always completely loaded. I'm really happy with the way their relationship played out over the course of the novel - despite the tragic ending that you know is coming from the very beginning.

Nowlin just captures the thoughts and essence of being a teenager so well, and I think that actually may have been what bothered me at the beginning. Autumn starts out sounding so immature and naive, so it was hard to get behind her. Then, I didn't even notice it, but she does grow up and I came to really care about her. But if I were being honest and looked back in my own history, I'd have to admit that my thoughts were probably similar to hers and I probably would have made the same choices.

I am just really glad I stuck with her through her angsty early years, because seriously it was worth reading until the end. Even now, the more I talk about it, the reasons I wanted to give up on this book in the first place seem to fit into this piece of a whole that make the whole story so great and so emotional. In the end, I just have to saw that Nowlin is amazing at capturing a period in a girl's life and staying true to her age, her personality and her story.

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And now, thanks to Sourcebooks, I have an ARC of If He Had Been With Me to give away to one lucky winner! Must be 13 or older. US only. Contest ends at midnight on April 19, 2013. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form to enter! 

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Fall in Love With Teen Fiction: Exclusive Booklet Giveaway!

Hey, friends on the West coast, GO TO THIS EVENT! I'm so jealous of you who are in proximity to Powell's, because you have some amazing authors coming your way. Fortunately, if you're like me and not exactly within reasonable traveling distance to this event, I have something to cheer you up. For those who get to go, there are these awesome little booklets of exclusive content available. AND thanks to the amazing New Leaf Literary you can win one of these booklets! 

The booklets contain exclusive never-before-seen content from Mindee Arnett, Leigh Bardugo, Lisa Desrochers, Sarah Fine, Kristin Halbrook, Kody Keplinger, and Ingrid Paulson. They will be signed by all seven authors and will include deleted scenes, alternate POVs, and annotated passages!

Awesome right? Giveaway will end on April 17th. There with be three lucky winners! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below! *Update: Contest is US only.
(P.S. Check back on April 15th to check out my interview with Mindee Arnett!)

Monday, April 8, 2013

The Program - Suzanne Young

::Review by Jackie Lindert::

Synopsis: In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.
Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.
Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.


This was the first book I've read by Suzanne Young, but it will not be the last! I had no idea what to expect when I started this book, but it totally blew my mind. Maybe it was just perfect timing. I had just finished reading a book that had been hyped up and completely let me down. This book made up for that big time. By page 5, I was already hooked, forty pages later I was completely invested in this book and every character in it. By the time I hit triple digits, I was doing my best to hold back the flood of emotions I was experiencing. Trying not to let people see you cry on an airplane is not an easy task, people. Seriously.

Who ever thought that a teen suicide epidemic could be so enthralling? Well this book made it happen. I think my favorite thing about The Program right off the bat was that it didn't start with a girl pining for a guy or a guy who likes a girl. Sloane already has a boyfriend, but right away, you just know something is wrong. These kids fear for their lives and their freedom, and every memory they've ever had. This book shook me to my core. I could literally feel their fear and horror as, sometimes, their own parents report them to the governement so the program can "save" them. My parents would totally do that!

I cannot even express how much of a stand-out this book is amongst dystopic books. If you are thinking this is just another *instert pre-jeudged common genre*, you are wrong. This book snaked its way into my mind and threw me for so many loops. Suzanne Young does an amazing job making this book real. I still can't decide how I feel about the program and everything brought up in this book. Both sides are well-intended at times, and horrible (purposefully or not) at others. I like books that confuse my brain by making me argue both sides with myself.

Now that I've gushed about the plot, I can't not mention how much I adore James and Sloane's relationship. There is just the perfect amount of balance/realisticness between them being in love and that love having to take a backseat to the crumbling world around them. It's terrifying how easily the love of your life can become a stranger, not to mention your friends and family. That is what they have to fear...other than suicide, that is.

As soon as I finished this book I scrambled my way to the computer to find out if it was a series, and I am relieved to know it is. It could go so many different ways from here. I am usually good at predicting what is going to happen in the end, but this book's ending FREAKED me out. I've never been so blind-sided or felt so anxious after finishing a book. I can't wait to see what happens, and I'm going crazy that I can't even guess! I loved it. I loved this book.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Give Me Something - Elizabeth Lee

Synopsis: Here's the deal... I learned a long time ago that sometimes you have to use what you've got to make things happen. What I happen to have is a pretty smile, long legs and the ability to make men believe anything I say. Before you get on your high horse and start judging me, can you honestly say you've never batted your lashes at some guy for a free drink at the bar? That's what I thought. 
Keep that in mind as I tell you my story of how I took it one step further. My story of lies, deceit, manipulation and love. Yeah, love. Believe me, it fits. Especially, when you factor in Nick and Tucker – one had my heart and the other one wanted it all for himself. Which one? Well, I can't tell you that. It would defeat the purpose of the story. If I'm going to fill you in about me, Lila Garrison, and my life as a con artist you're going to need to know all the facts, including the ones about the two guys who made me want to give up the life of fancy clothes, expensive jewelry, fast cars and easy money. Because sometimes, one person can give you something that's more valuable than all of that.
If you're still interested, stick around. Just remember, I'm pretty good at convincing people to do what I want, so if by the end of this whole thing you feel worked over, don't say I didn't warn you.



I pretty much fell in love with Elizabeth Lee when I read Shattered, because the woman knows how to write a good country boy. I'm from the Midwest, and I've been a little homesick for it lately, so this book came at the perfect time. Even though this book isn't as country as Shattered, I still love it. This story felt like something different, too, because you don't really expect con artists in the friendly Midwest. Although, Lila definitely has a heart of gold. Then, of course, there's Tucker who is is so swoon-worthy. This book is the perfect blend of fun, hot country boys, bad choices, and high emotions.

Lila is good at convincing people to love her and you'd have to be heartless to not fall in love with her by the end of the book. She's a con artist, but I kind of forgot that every now and then, because for some reason her personality doesn't fit what I'd normally imagine when I think of con artists. She has too big of a heart, but then again she does have these moments where she's really great at cutting people out. Really, she's just a fun person. She has some issues, she makes some bad choices, and no matter how much inner turmoil she has, she always seems to be having a good time. I just want to be friends with her, please.

Now those boys. Goodness gracious. I don't even know what's happening, because this is a little backwards for me, but I hated Nick from the very beginning. I know he's supposed to be all like-able because he was there for Lila from the beginning, but good lord I don't remember the last time I wanted to smack a character so badly. He's just so misguided, and quite frankly, he's a douche silo. Now, Tucker, is the exact opposite. He's so freaking perfect I want to cry. He's got the country and the sensitivity, but he's also a little bit cocky and...you know, not too perfect in the way that makes him perfect. Pretty much the second I found out his family sold tractors, I was sold on him. Is that weird of me?

There's a lot of tension in this book and a lot of things I didn't see coming. You think you know how it's going to go and it totally surprises you. But as I kept watching Lila get in deeper, I just got more nervous for her. It's a book that you start and know you're going to sit there until you've reached the end because you just have to know everything is going to be okay. This is another awesome contribution to the New Adult field and I can't wait to read more from Elizabeth Lee.

*P.S. I interviewed Elizabeth Lee and you should probably check that out, even if it's just to see who she'd choose to play Lila, Tucker and Nick - because, hello hotness. You can find that here.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

March Top 5

Wow, guys, I totally missed the end of the month AND the first of April. Time definitely goes way too fast, especially when you're busy and/or not paying attention. But I definitely fell in love a few times this month and these five books were the best of those loves.

1. For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
I still can't believe it took me so long to read this book. It completely passed all my expectations and I just fell in so deeply with these characters. Read my full review here.

2. 17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma
I can't praise Nova Ren Suma enough. She's a brilliant writer and this story is beautiful and haunting. I attempted to put into words how I feel about this book, and you can read that here.

3. My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi
I totally devoured this book and came away feeling deeply depressed and uplifted at the same time. It's a weird emotion, but I think I like it. It was just an impressive novel that I think everyone could learn something from. Check out my review here.

4. A Touch Menacing by Leah Clifford
Ahhhh, the end of the Touch series. SO bittersweet, but ultimately a great ending. Looking forward to the dark, twisties that Leah will come up with next. Read my review here.

5. Golden by Jessi Kirby
I love Jessi Kirby and Robert Frost is definitely one of my favorite poets, so this was definitely a win. I'll have a review up soon!

What were your top reads in March?