Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine! And this week i am waiting 
on: 

What if the ordinary things in life suddenly…disappeared?

Aila Quinn’s mother, Juliet, has always been a mystery: vibrant yet guarded, she keeps her secrets beyond Aila’s reach. When Juliet dies, Aila and her younger brother Miles are sent to live in Sterling, a rural town far from home--and the place where Juliet grew up.

Sterling is a place with mysteries of its own. A place where the experiences that weave life together--scents of flowers and food, reflections from mirrors and lakes, even the ability to dream--vanish every seven years.

No one knows what caused these “Disappearances,” or what will slip away next. But Sterling always suspected that Juliet Quinn was somehow responsible--and Aila must bear the brunt of their blame while she follows the chain of literary clues her mother left behind. 

As the next Disappearance nears, Aila begins to unravel the dual mystery of why the Disappearances happen and who her mother truly was. One thing is clear: Sterling isn’t going to hold on to anyone's secrets for long before it starts giving them up.

DOES THIS NOT JUST SOUND SO FREAKIN' AWESOME?? Can't wait for this one, and that cover?! Gorge!! 

What are you waiting on this week?

Music Monday ♫

Tunes I can't stop listening to! 

On repeat. 

Awesome girl anthem with a catchy beat!

I have NO idea what she's saying, but I love it. 

Hit me with some jams, yo! What are you listening to? Sound off in the comments! 

The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon ARC Review

The Sun is Also a Star ARC Review

Author: Nicola Yoon

Publisher: Delcorate Press

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true? ~Goodreads

I love, love, LOVED Nicola’s first novel, EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING so I had VERY high expectations for The Sun is Also a Star; I did happened to enjoy the it, however, it left me feeling just a tad bit underwhelmed.

Natasha is an illegal immigrant from Jamaica trying to stop the deportation of herself and her family. Daniel is a want-to-be poet trying to figure out how to be his own person. A very unlikely pair and by chance, or fate, they meet and the rest is history.

Natasha is a sassy, matter-of-fact, incredibly driven, spunky girl. She’s strong as EFF! Her entire situation is less than ideal, but she keeps pushing and trying and fighting for a solution. I admired her for that. Daniel is a sweet, overly romantic, insanely smart, adorable boy. Since the book takes place over the course of, like, 12hours there was a dash of insta-love…especially on Daniel’s part. Nevertheless, they were super cute together! Also, ehem…can you say sexy make out scene? Thank you Nicola ;)

Oh! And talk about some unique narration! I’ve never read a book quite like it, you get snippets into multiple character’s points of view. Not just main characters either, I’m talking anywhere from Nat’s dad all the way to a security guard, to a random guy driving his car. It was kind of awesome!

Yoon’s writing, as always, flows seamlessly, keeps you intrigued, and of course, wanting more. The Sun is Also a Star is a fairly quick read about family, love and loss. You should definitely give it a shot!

Now, when’s Nicola’s next book come out!?

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine! And this week i am waiting on:

When 19-year-old Luc Argent’s body begins to reject his new heart, he knows he doesn't have a lot of time left. Which means he’s pushing everyone away more than he usually does in order to minimize the collateral damage when he finally kicks the bucket.

Then Evelyn comes back to town.

Evelyn left California—and her best friend Luc—three years ago. When she returns and he shows up at her doorstep with an insane idea for an impromptu road trip, she doesn't know what to think. Running away with a guy is something her mother does. Not her. 

But even after all this time she doesn’t known how to tell Luc no. Just like Luc hasn’t learned how to tell Evelyn about his illness and how serious it really is. He has a destination in mind, he has a plan, and it all revolves around him and Evelyn and what little time he has left.~Goodreads

Um!?! Does this not sound just absolutely amazing? Cute and sad and just everything?! Yes please, wants, wants, WANTS! 

What are YOU waiting on this week? 

Girls Like Me by Lola St. Vil

Girls Like Me ARC

Author: Lola St. Vil

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Fifteen-year-old Shay Summers is trying to cope with the death of her father, being overweight, and threats from a girl bully in school.  When she falls in love with Blake, a mysterious boy online, insecure Shay doesn't want to tell him who she is.   But with the help of her two best friends, as well as an assist by Kermit and Miss Piggy, ultimately Shay and Blake’s love prevails. 

     Girls Like Me is a fun and fresh poetic take on teen angst, social media and online anonymity, and high school romance.~Goodreads

How freakin’ adorable is this cover?! When I saw it I was like, “OMG! That is so me! When did they take that picture of me with my phone?” :P

Girls Like Me is a quick, yet satisfying read. From the very first verse to the last I was hooked!

I absolutely LOVED Shay. She was both a smart-ass and just plain smart, a reader, an eater, just plain real and raw. This girl has to deal with so much during the course of this novel. She has to learn to cope and move on from a major loss, she has to figure out how to connect (and not murder) her step-mom, she has to not let a bully at school get the best of her, all while struggling with her appearance. But what I loved about Shay is that she doesn’t back down from a challenge. She doesn’t conform. And she stays her sassy self throughout the book.

Shay ends up connecting to a random stranger, or so she thinks, online and the rest is history. Godot (said stranger) is flirty and funny and Shay can’t help falling for him. Turns out, he’s also the most popular guy at Shay’s school. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “how cliché” but oh my goodness gracious, their interactions are so FREAKIN’ adorable! They basically fall for each other over emails and texts. I just! GAH! I can’t even describe to you how sexy, funny and sweet Shay and Godot’s cyber conversations were! ALL THE HEARTS!

Of course, I can NOT forget get to mention how freakin’ awesome her friends are! I want to join the group. Dash and Boots are freakin’ amazing friends. Also, I completely loved how Lola gave them a story. They were just as detailed and emotionally complex as Shay. The snippets we get of them? Omg, they both need their own book!

Girls Like Me is a heartwarming read about a girl finding love, learning life lessons and letting go of things she can’t control. I would ABSOLUTELY recommend this one.

I can’t wait to read more from Lola!

Want to win an ARC of Girls Like Me? 

To enter: ~Follow Brooke-Reports (either GFC or Bloglovin') ~Leave your name/way to contact you in the comments below! ~BONUS: How many times did I say "freakin'" in this review?
US ONLY ENDS 9/28

Good luck!

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gordall

Under Rose-Tainted Skies

Author: Louise Gordall

Publisher: Clarion Books

Norah has agoraphobia and OCD. When groceries are left on the porch, she can’t step out to get them. Struggling to snag the bags with a stick, she meets Luke. He’s sweet and funny, and he just caught her fishing for groceries. Because of course he did.

Norah can’t leave the house, but can she let someone in? As their friendship grows deeper, Norah realizes Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can lie on the front lawn and look up at the stars. One who isn’t so screwed up. ~Goodreads

Okay. That tagline alone completely hooked me with this book. Like how freaking amazing does that sound? And then the synopsis? Like YES. PLEASE. This sounds SUPER freaking good.

I really enjoyed reading from Norah’s point of view. Not only is she quirky and sweet, she is honest and real about the everyday struggles that she faces. The way Louise touched on what it’s like to live with anxiety, OCD, and agoraphobia was spot on; I felt frustrated, confused, and anxious—right alongside Nora.

Nora’s mom was also just a doll. I’d totally read an adult spin-off about her! She's supportive and understanding and funny. I like when YA features good parents. A++ job!

As for Luke, I wanted to love him. I really did. If you know me, you know, I’m a fictional boy whore and I’ll jump on almost any fictional boy train and I will ride basically any YA ship into any YA shit storm or YA sunset. But for some reason, Luke was just different to me. I liked him, he was interesting….he was, there….but I feel like I never truly connected with him.

Overall, the plot was unique and fairly strong, lots of adorable and important moments sprinkled throughout! I do have to say that about ¾ of the way through the story started to drag a bit for me. I felt as though there was a lot of repetition and no more story line enhancements.

With all of that being said, I think that Under Rose-Tainted Skies was a cute little debut and I definitely look forward to reading more from Louise in the future!

Music Monday ♫

Hello lovlies! This is what i've been jammin' out to the past couple of weeks! 

Anything Hayley sings on is gold!

NICK. JONAS. 'nuff said.

Catchy as heck!

What are YOU listening to this week? Hit me with some song recs!! 

Life is Better with Sprinkles

You know what TODAY is don't you?!

*throws confetti* *twirls* *throws more confetti*

How lucky are WE that birthdays come EVERY year! Like oh my goodness what a wonderful treat. Thanks life! Please feel free to send all of the lovely, swoony, cute, and funny fictional boys my way!

Now on to the best part of a birthday...well, maybe the second best part after cake of course...the PARTY FAVOR! Whoop whoop! 

ONE follower with get:

Pictured above:

~ARC of The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

~ARC of Ever the Hunted by Erin Summerill

~"Shipping It" scented 2oz candle from Novelly Yours 

~"Currently Reading" scented 2 oz candle from Novelly Yours

~"Life is Better with Sprinkles" journal

~ Ice Cream cone pens

~"YA fiction is my addiction" sticker

~ Class of 2k16 "Books are Yummy" pin

Not Pictured: SHWAG Birthday Cake gum!  (US ONLY!) (EXTRA entry if you follow the blog!) a Rafflecopter giveaway Good luck!
Now, make a wish!

Gemini by Sonya Mukherjee

Gemini

Author: Sonya Mukherjee

Publisher: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers

In a powerful and daring debut novel, Sonya Mukherjee shares the story of sisters Clara and Hailey, conjoined twins who are learning what it means to be truly extraordinary.

Seventeen-year-old conjoined twins Clara and Hailey have lived in the same small town their entire lives—no one stares at them anymore. But there are cracks in their quiet existence, and they’re slowly becoming more apparent. Clara and Hailey are at a crossroads. Clara wants to stay close to home, avoid all attention, and study the night sky. Hailey wants to travel the world, learn from great artists, and dance with mysterious boys. As high school graduation approaches, each twin must untangle her dreams from her sister’s, and figure out what it means to be her own person.

Told in alternating perspectives, this unconventional coming-of-age tale shows how dreams can break your heart—but the love between sisters can mend it.~Goodreads

Gemini took me by total surprise—I’d seen the cover floating around but had never stopped to actually read and see what it was about. I was lucky enough to receive a copy at ALA and holy snap you guys, WOW. If you’re looking for an incredibly fresh and thought-provoking novel, Gemini is for you!

The whole concept of Gemini was so freaking fantastic (also that cover!? so gorgeous!) This book is about two girls dealing with friends, boys, college, over protective parents, and oh yeah—being conjoined! HOW FREAKING INSANE IS THAT?! Alternating POVs are my favorite and Hailey and Clara both had such strong voices—I adored reading their story!

I loved how the crazy, somewhat improbable, idea of dating and being conjoined was brought up. Where does the other twin fit into that? Is the person dating one of the twins a weirdo or perv? I absolutely adored Hailey’s interactions with Alek—um?! Sequel with more of them please!?!

I don’t want to give anything away but ultimately I’m glad that Clara and Hailey made the decision they did—even if the ending was a bit cheesy. Cute…but cheesy. 

Overall, Gemini was completely fascinating. I honestly could not read this book fast enough! I HIGHLY recommend you read it ASAP!

Enter to win an ARC!

a Rafflecopter giveaway US ONLY! 

Where does the time go?

Where does the time go?! Seriously?! I told myself, "Self, you can take a small blogging/reading break. No more than 2 weeks i'd say." Myself then responded, "Okay! Great idea!!"

IT'S BEEN ALMOST 2 MONTHS! What the HECK, Self?! Rude. Just plain rude.

Anywho! So sorry for the short hiatus. My birthday is in July so be on the look out for some giveaways later in the month!


LOVE YOU ALL! thanks for sticking with me! 

Would You Rather Wednesday #2

Wanna play!? All YOU have to do is either answer the question below in the comments -OR- you can grab the banner above, along with the weekly WYR and post the answer on your blog! Let's get started!

WOULD YOU RATHER:

Read a book, fall in love with it, but never be able to read the rest of the series...

OR 

Be able to read every single book in a series EXCEPT for the first installment?

My Answer:

EEP! Never be able to read the rest of an awesome series!? Never really quite know how the story started?! AHH! Both of these sound awful. BUT. I have been known to start a series and not continue forward with it. So, I'll say that I'd Rather: Read a book, fall in love with it, but never be ablt to read the rest of the series.

What would YOU rather do?

Blog Tour: QUEEN OF HEARTS by Colleen Oakes: TOP TEN Quotes + GIVEAWAY

ABOUT QUEEN OF HEARTS:

As Princess of Wonderland Palace and the future Queen of Hearts, Dinah’s days are an endless monotony of tea, tarts, and a stream of vicious humiliations at the hands of her father, the King of Hearts. The only highlight of her days is visiting Wardley, her childhood best friend, the future Knave of Hearts — and the love of her life.

When an enchanting stranger arrives at the Palace, Dinah watches as everything she’s ever wanted threatens to crumble. As her coronation date approaches, a series of suspicious and bloody events suggests that something sinister stirs in the whimsical halls of Wonderland. It’s up to Dinah to unravel the mysteries that lurk both inside and under the Palace before she loses her own head to a clever and faceless foe.

Part epic fantasy, part twisted fairy tale, this dazzling saga will have readers shivering as Dinahs furious nature sweeps Wonderland up in the maelstrom of her wrath. 

Familiar characters such as Cheshire, the White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter make their appearance, enchanting readers with this new, dark take on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository

1. “Oh my future Queen, you’re late!”

2. Dinah hated this dress. Dinah hated all dresses.

3. Someday this will be my great hall, she told herself.  All these Cards will bow before me when I rule beside my Father.

4. “Listen to me Dinah” he hissed. “Things are going to change for you, child, and you had better be made of stronger stuff than the whiny brat you seem to be now. You may be almost of age to be Queen, but you are not ready.”

5. With a smile, Dinah took in the view of the palace one last time. Her castle was a beauty, a fierce and formidable fortress, lovely and dangerous all at once. One day, Dinah thought, this will all be mine.

6. Dinah sniffed the frosty air again as she made her way through the maze of stalls. Men, hay, and horses – her favorite smells, because they reminded her of him.

7. The Hornhooves scared her; they scared everyone. 

8. “Snow on the hat, snow on the hat, black like your Cheshire Cat!”

9. “Dinah listen to me. Criminals go to the Black Towers. Criminals and liars and murderers and people that your father needs to disappear. It is not a place for a princess.” He kissed her knuckles chastely. “My dear friend and future queen, please abandon this.” 

10. Her black eyes opened wide as she looked at her own reflection. She was the darkness.


GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ABOUT COLLEEN OAKES:

Colleen Oakes is the author of books for both teens and adults, including The Elly in Bloom Series, The Queen of Hearts Saga (Harper Collins 2016) and The Wendy Darling Saga. She lives in North Denver with her husband and son and surrounds herself with the most lovely family and friends imaginable. When not writing or plotting new books, Colleen can be found swimming, traveling and totally immersing herself in nerdy pop culture. She currently at work on another YA fantasy series and a stand-alone YA novel. 

You can visit her webpage at: www.colleenoakes.net

LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Thank you for stopping by and for following the Queen of Hearts Tour! Be sure to check out the other tour stops if you missed 'em!

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

5/2: Supernatural Snark - Review

5/3: No BS Book Reviews - Q&A

5/4: The Irish Banana Review - Review

5/5: A Backwards Story - A Twist in Our Tale

5/6: In Wonderland - Review

Week 2:

5/9: Two Chicks on Books - Guest Post

5/10: Bookish Antics - Review

5/11: Adventures of a Book Junkie - Q&A

5/12: Chapter by Chapter - Review

5/13: Brooke Reports - Top 10

Would You Rather?!

I've only seen a few of these around, and none of them are really a weekly thing. 'Would You Rather' is a game I absolutely love to play so, I thought i'd give a shot at introducing, 'Would You Rather Wednesday!' The question of the week will be bookishly related! All YOU have to do is either answer the question below in the comments -OR- you can grab the banner above, along with the weekly WYR and post the answer on your blog! Let's get started!

WOULD YOU RATHER:

Kill your favorite fictional character...

OR

Kill everyone they love and care about? 

My Answer: 

GAH! Such a toughy! If you kill your favorite character then they are gone forever...UNLESS, they can come back as a ghost (i.e. Logan Keeley *swoons*) BUT that's still not they same as having them here :(

BUT!? Killing everyone they love and care about?! No, no, no they would spend the rest of their days miserable and suffering and sad. Or, ya know, at least have a big long grieving period. 

SO. I think....I would rather....Kill my favorite fictional character. *HORRIFIED GASP*

What WOULD YOU RATHER DO?