Saturday, October 31, 2015

November 2015 : Upcoming Events!


~*~

November 1st: NaNoWriMo begins!

November 3rd: Book BirthsUntil We Meet Again by 

                                                         Need by 

                                                         The Revolution of Ivy by 


November 5th: Thanks-Giving Thursday - Thanksgiving Edition Giveaway!


November 6th: Feature Friday ARC Review - Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick

November 6-7th: Book SaleThe New Rochelle Public Library, New Rochelle, NY - 3,000 books!


November 9th: YA Book Review - The Elite by Kiera Cas
s

November 10th: Book Births - Winter by 

                                                            Soundless by 

                                                          Dangerous Lies by 

                                                           Unforgiven by 

November 14th: Book SaleElwood Public Library, East Northport, NY - 3,000 books!

November 17th: 
Teaser Tuesday #9
                                  Book Births - Once Again: Snow; Beauty Sleep by 
November 20th: Bookish Movie Releases: Mockingjay Part 2
November 23rd: YA Book Review - Until We Meet Again by Renee Collins
November 26th: THANKSGIVING!!!

*Book Sale info courtesy of Book Sale Finder*

Happy Reading!


Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Wishlist Wednesday #54


*Wishlist Wednesday is where you show a book that has been on your wishlist/TBR list for a while, the meme is hosted by Pen to Paper*



The Art of Wishing by Lindsay Ribar

Publisher
Dial Books 
Release DateMarch 21, 2013
Pages: 320

The Story:

"[With] a genie like no other. . . this lighthearted book is a well-rounded combination of humor, romance and paranormal suspense, with likable characters and easy-to-believe dialogue." (Kirkus Reviews)

Margo McKenna has a plan of attack for everything, from landing the lead in her high school musical to dealing with her increasingly absent parents. But when she finds herself in possession of a genie's ring and the opportunity to make three wishes, she doesn't know what to do. Especially since Oliver--not blue-skinned, not bottle-dwelling, but a genie nonetheless--can see more than what she's willing to show him. With one peek into her mind, he can see the wishes that even Margo herself doesn't know she wants.

But Oliver comes with more than just mind-reading abilities, a flair for magic, and the prettiest eyes Margo's ever seen. Someone from his past is hunting him--someone bent on killing him, along with all the other genies in the world, for the sake of honor. And as Margo soon discovers, it will take more than three wishes to save him.

A whole lot more.


-via Amazon




Meet the Author


Lindsay Ribar grew up in New Jersey, where the only logical thing to do after high school was to move to New York. She majored in drama and English literature at NYU, and now works in book publishing, where she reads other people's novels by day and writes her own by night. She owns approximately twelve bazillion CD's, attends far too many concerts, and mainlines nerdy television shows like it's going out of style. She is fond of wine, Ireland, musicals, long walks around Manhattan, and the color blue.




Want to see my entire Wishlist? Check it out on Amazon: Books I Dream About

Happy Reading!

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Teaser Tuesday #8



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just flip through your current read to a random page -- or not -- and share two teaser quotes from somewhere on said page.
This week my Teaser Tuesday quotes will be taken from my current read, Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick.
Teaser #1:


"I bit my lip to hold in a smile. 'I wish you could see your face right now. You look so serious.'

'I was sort of hoping for hot, charming, ravishingly handsome, all of the above.'
'
First you've got to ditch the cowboy hat.'" - page 78
Teaser #2:

"All those nights I'd come home to find him at my house, he'd been waiting for me. I refused to even consider the possibility he'd been there for her. The night Danny Balando beat him with a tire iron, Reed had been at my house waiting for me. He wasn't there to sell my mom OxyContin." - page 323


What teasers are you sharing this week?

Don't forget to tell me in the comments or on twitter; @TheTatteredPage. You can also use #DangerousLies on twitter if you're reading it! 

Happy Reading!
Sunday, October 25, 2015

In My Mailbox #10


In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren which allows bloggers to share what books they bought/received each week.

Hey Bookies! This week will be the tenth time hosting In My Mailbox and I am so excited to share with you what I received in my mailbox recently.

Having said that, here is to another week of book sale finds.  The only complaint I have is the missing dust-jacket for The Young Elites. But once I jump into the story I am sure I will get over it. Take a look below:




Purchased:

*If you're interested in the other books that are on my radar you can check out my Amazon Wishlist: Books I Dream About!

Happy Reading!

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Review : Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Publisher
Sourcebooks Fire
Release DateDecember 1, 2011
Pages: 288
Source: ARC

The Story:

"Whoever said football and girls don't mix hasn't read Catching Jordan. I couldn't put it down!" ― Simone Elkeles, New York Times bestselling author of the Perfect Chemistry series
ONE OF THE BOYS
What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though–she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university.
But everything she's ever worked for is threatened when Ty Green moves to her school. Not only is he an amazing QB, but he's also amazingly hot. And for the first time, Jordan's feeling vulnerable. Can she keep her head in the game while her heart's on the line?
"A beautiful novel with a real and captivating depiction of high school relationships, Catching Jordan shows the same reverence for the human heart that it does for the game of football." ―Karsten Knight, author of Wildefire.
via Amazon

Rating





My Review

Football and young adult romance. That pretty much sums up Catching Jordan.


Tag Line:

There's no playbook for love.

Opening Line:

I once read that football was invented so people wouldn't notice that summer was ending.

Plot:

The premise of plot had me at "Hello." Jordan is a kickass female quarterback who falls in love for the first time. As a reader who grew up playing sports, I loved the premise of the story. Especially the twist that Jordan must compete against the guy she is falling for, for the same position on their football team. 


Catching Jordan's pacing was ideal for the plot-line. It did not feel out of touch with the progress of the story. The story explored being a tomboy, first love, best friend to love transition, coming of age and so on. Moreover, the writing was not exceptional but it was enjoyable enough.

All in all,  Catching Jordan is a sporty, girl power summer read. I enjoyed it. Catching Jordan is perfect for girls/woman who have never felt like they fit into the mainstream girly girl construct. I may not have loved it but definitely recommend it to any reader who can relate to theme. Moreover, I would also be willing to read more works by Miranda Kenneally.

Character Breakdown:

Jordan Woods - Her character was very relatable for me since sports was a huge part of my identity growing up. I knew what it was like to struggle between wanted to be taken seriously for my skills on the court or on the field while at the same time trying to be feminine enough to attract my crush. Additionally, Jordan is a strong, respectable leader to be admired as well as endearingly human, with the difficulty dealing with emotional situations -- traits I great relate to.

Meet the Author:





Miranda Kenneally enjoys reading and writing young adult literature, and loves Star Trek, music, sports, Mexican food, Twitter, coffee, and her husband. She is from Tennessee but now lives and works in Washington, D.C.

Visit www.mirandakenneally.com and www.dearteenme.com!







***Check out Miranda Kenneally's website for more information about her and Catching JordanHERE

Happy Reading!



Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Wishlist Wednesday #53


*Wishlist Wednesday is where you show a book that has been on your wishlist/TBR list for a while, the meme is hosted by Pen to Paper*

The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski

PublisherFarrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) 
Release DateMarch 1, 2016
Pages: 352

The Story:

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it, with the East as his ally and the empire as his enemy. He's finally managed to dismiss the memory of Kestrel, even if he can't quite forget her. Kestrel turned into someone he could no longer recognize: someone who cared more for the empire than for the lives of innocent people-and certainly more than she cared for him. At least, that's what he thinks.
But far north lies a work camp where Kestrel is a prisoner. Can she manage to escape before she loses herself? As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover unexpected roles in battle, terrible secrets, and a fragile hope. The world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and Kestrel and Arin are caught between. In a game like this, can anybody really win?
-via Amazon








Meet the Author

Marie Rutkoski is the author of The Winner's CurseThe Shadow Society, and the Kronos Chronicles, which includes The Cabinet of Wonders. She is a professor at Brooklyn College and lives in New York City. marierutkoski.com






Want to see my entire Wishlist? Check it out on Amazon: Books I Dream About

Happy Reading!


Friday, October 16, 2015

Feature Friday ARC Review : Signs Point to Yes by Sandy Hall


                                      

*Feature Friday ARC Review is a meme hosted by The Tattered Page to feature YA books that have not yet been released by reviewing them.*


*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.


PublisherSwoon Reads
Publication dateOctober 20, 2015
Pages288
Source: ARC

The Story:

Jane, a superstitious fangirl, takes an anonymous babysitting job to avoid an unpaid internship with her college-obsessed mom. The only problem? She's babysitting the siblings of her childhood friend and new crush, Teo.
Teo doesn't dislike Jane, but his best friend Ravi hates her, and is determined to keep them apart. So Teo's pretty sure his plans for a peaceful summer are shot. His only hope is that his intermittent search for his birth father will finally pan out and he'll find a new, less awkward home. Meanwhile, at Jane's house, her sister Margo wants to come out as bisexual, but she's terrified of how her parents will react.
In a summer filled with secrets and questions, even Jane's Magic 8 ball can't give them clear answers, but Signs Point to Yes.

- via Amazon
Rating




My Review

I did not really know what to think about 
Signs Point to Yes so I did not go in with much expectations. With that, it saved the story from being a two-star rating.

Opening Line:


Jane Connelly needed a job, and she needed it fast.

Plot:

The premise of 
Signs Point to Yes, was not anything special. The most interesting in the blurb was Jane's dependency on her Magic 8 Ball which I thought was adorable because I have one as well.

The pacing was spot-on. I did not feel bogged down by the pacing of the story. Hall's writing is light, airy and summery which helped keep the pacing on track. The best aspect of the writing was the quirky sense of humor which helped me keep reading the story. 

All in all, Signs Point to Yes is a decent, quick read if you need a filler book between anticipated and/or heavier reads. This was my first read by Sandy Hall, and while it wasn't terrible it wasn't enough to make me want to read any of her other works. But, by all means, give Signs Point to Yes a try if you have a preference for summery, lighthearted contemporaries.

Character Breakdown:


Jane Connelly - Plain Jane. That was the first notion to immediately come to mind when I thought of Jane. Ordinary, unremarkable, normal Jane. While I appreciate the realism of her character, I like the characters of the stories I read to have at least one remarkable trait to admire. However, her quirky self, and sense of humor made me not hate Jane. 

"'Thanks. I obviously can't handle the sight of boy nipples,' Jane said, blushing even more deeply and slapping her hand over her mouth. I shouldn't even be allowed to speak, she thought. - pages 32

Teo Garcia - First off, I absolutely loved that the story included diversity theme. Teo was Puerto Rican! Being half-Puerto Rican and reading stories with characters with similar cultural backgrounds was refreshing and something to connect to in the story. Moving on, while Teo was not as take-charge and swoony as I like my YA guys, he was a low-key, ordinary, boy-next-door type which, in itself, sweet.

Meet the Author:






Sandy Hall is a teen librarian from New Jersey where she was born and raised. She has a BA in Communication and a Master of Library and Information Science from Rutgers University. When she isn't writing, or teen librarian-ing, she enjoys reading, marathoning TV shows, and long scrolls through Tumblr.

***Check out Sandy Hall's website for more information about her and Signs Point to YesHERE



Happy Reading!



Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Wishlist Wednesday #52


*Wishlist Wednesday is where you show a book that has been on your wishlist/TBR list for a while, the meme is hosted by Pen to Paper*



The Leveller by Julia Durango

Publisher
HarperTeen
Release DateJune 23, 2015
Pages: 256

The Story:

Gamers and action fans of all types will dive straight into the MEEP, a virtual-reality gaming world, thanks to Julia Durango's cinematic storytelling. A touch of romance, constant twists, and a vivid, multidimensional journey through a tricked-out virtual city will keep readers flying through to the breathtaking end.
Nixy Bauer is used to her classmates being very, very unhappy to see her. After all, she's a bounty hunter in a virtual-reality gaming world—and she's frequently hired by irritated parents to pull kids out of the mazelike MEEP universe.
But when the game's billionaire developer loses track of his own son in the MEEP, Nixy is in for the biggest challenge of her bounty-hunting career. Wyn Salvador isn't some lazy kid looking to escape his homework: Wyn does not want to be found. And he's left behind a suicide note. Nixy takes the job but quickly discovers that Wyn's not hiding—he's being held inside the game against his will. But who is holding him captive, and why?
Nixy and Wyn attempt to fight their way out of a mind game unlike any they've encountered, and the battle brings them closer than either could have imagined. But when the whole world is virtual, how can Nixy possibly know if her feelings are real?

-via Amazon








Meet the Author

Julia Durango writes books for kids of all ages, including The Second Guard (Disney Hyperion 2015) and The Leveller (HarperTeen 2015). She lives with her family in Ottawa, Illinois. Read more about her at JuliaDurango.com.









Want to see my entire Wishlist? Check it out on Amazon: Books I Dream About

Happy Reading!

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Teaser Tuesday #7



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just flip through your current read to a random page -- or not -- and share two teaser quotes from somewhere on said page.
This week my Teaser Tuesday quotes will be taken from my current read, Signs Point to Yes by Sandy Hall. 

Teaser #1:


"A week had passed since his blowup with Jane, and Teo finally had to acknowledge that he missed her. He didn't know what to do about missing her, but at least he could admit to himself that he did. That was a big step, considering that forty-eight hours earlier, he'd still sort of hated her." - page 153
Teaser #2:

"'And now,' Jane said, tapping on her laptop with a pencil to mimic a drumroll, 'the real reason I'm terrified of college is that I think I'll fail'." - page 128

What teasers are you sharing this week?

Don't forget to tell me in the comments or on twitter; @TheTatteredPage. You can also use #SignsPointToYes on twitter if you're reading it! 

Happy Reading!
Monday, October 12, 2015

Review : Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler

*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

PublisherViking Books for Young Readers 

Release DateMay 26, 2015
Pages: 464
Source: Own

The Story:

Mina is seventeen. A virgin. And pregnant.
Mina is top of her class, girlfriend to the most ambitious guy in school, able to reason and study her way through anything. But when she suddenly finds herself pregnant—despite having never had sex—her orderly world collapses. Almost nobody believes Mina’s claims of virginity. Her father assumes that her boyfriend is responsible; her boyfriend believes she must have cheated on him. As news of Mina’s story spreads, there are those who brand her a liar. There are those who brand her a heretic. And there are those who believe that miracles are possible—and that Mina’s unborn child could be the greatest miracle of all.
via Amazon

Rating





My Review

I am not going to lie but after I finished reading Immaculate I swore it was a 4-star rating. That is until I sat down to write this review.

Tag Line:


She didn't ask for a miracle.

Opening Line:

Whenever I think back to the night at the restaurant, that night changed everything -- and I do mean absolutely everything -- I wonder if I could have done or said anything different, somehow convinced the old woman that she had the wrong girl.

Plot:

I love the premise of the story so I wasted no time before ordering 
Immaculate on Amazon. One virgin. One baby. One miracle. 

The pacing of the story was just right. Not once while reading did I feel bogged down or rushed. I zoned right through even though it is a mammoth book -- which, let's face it, all bookies love! 

Given the sensitive material, I also appreciated the way Detweiler handled the religious theme. While immaculate conception is a big deal in relation to religion in Immaculate it did not feel overdone -- I did not feel overwhelmed. 

Overall, writing was nicely done and the interesting. However, if there is not a sequel I would be highly disappointed. I would feel cheated by the story because it is so clearly not over. I want to know why Mina's baby is so important, what was the purpose of Mina's story. Having said that, I would definitely read the sequel if there was one.

Character Breakdown:

Mina Deitrich - Mina was a feminine, teenage good girl without being a drag, and annoying. I found myself able to relate to her because she reminded me of myself in high school. Hardworking, life planned out, goal-oriented, always trying to be good and do the right thing.

Jesse Spero - was a adorable, kind and dependable. While I enjoyed meeting his character, I do wish he had a stronger presence -- however, I do understand the was essential Mina's story. 

Gracie Deitrich - Gracie was Mina's little sister ... and by far my favorite character in the story. She was innocent, caring and likable.

"Okay?" I asked, still waiting to take my next breath.
She stepped in closer to me, so close that I could see one small tear slowly rolling down her cheek.
"You're my big sister, Mina, and for you, I'll believe in miracles." - page 126

Here is one of my favorite quotes from 
Immaculate:

Mina's mother to Mina: ..."I trust in you. I believe in you. You're my Mina, my baby girl, and I can see right through those amazing blue eyes of yours. I can see exactly what's inside, and I know like only a mother could know for sure that you;re not hiding a thing from me, not a thing. So if you're crazy, then I'm crazy, and we're just going to have to be crazy together, all right?" - page 84

Meet the Author:

Katelyn Detweiler was born and raised in a small town in eastern Pennsylvania, living in a centuries-old farmhouse surrounded by fields and woods. She spent the vast majority of childhood with her nose in a book or creating make-believe worlds with friends, daydreaming about how she could turn those interests into an actual paying career. After graduating from Penn State University with a B.A. in English Literature, emphasis in Creative Writing and Women’s Studies, she packed her bags and made the move to New York City, determined to break into the world of publishing. She worked for two years in the marketing department of Macmillan Children’s Group before moving in 2010 to the agency side of the business at Jill Grinberg Literary, where she is currently a literary agent representing books for all ages and across all genres.

Katelyn lives, works, and writes in Brooklyn, playing with words all day, every day, her dream come true. When she’s not reading or writing, Katelyn enjoys yoga, fancy cocktails, and road trips. She frequently treks back to her hometown in Pennsylvania, a lovely green escape from life in the city, and her favorite place to write.
***Check out Katelyn Detweiler's website for more information about her and ImmaculateHERE

Happy Reading!