Review: Bright Before Sunrise by Tiffany Schmidt

Bright Before Sunrise by Tiffany Schmidt
288 Pages
Release Date: February 18th, 2014
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Genre: Contemporary
Level: YA
Rating: 4.5 STARS

Goodreads Summary:

When Jonah is forced to move from Hamilton to Cross Pointe for the second half of his senior year, "miserable" doesn't even begin to cover it. He feels like the doggy-bag from his mother's first marriage and everything else about her new life—with a new husband, new home and a new baby—is an upgrade. The people at Cross Pointe High School are pretentious and privileged—and worst of all is Brighton Waterford, the embodiment of all things superficial and popular. Jonah’s girlfriend, Carly, is his last tie to what feels real... until she breaks up with him. 

For Brighton, every day is a gauntlet of demands and expectations. Since her father died, she’s relied on one coping method: smile big and pretend to be fine. It may have kept her family together, but she has no clue how to handle how she's really feeling. Today is the anniversary of his death and cracks are beginning to show. The last thing she needs is the new kid telling her how much he dislikes her for no reason she can understand. She's determined to change his mind, and when they're stuck together for the night, she finally gets her chance. 

Jonah hates her at 3p.m., but how will he feel at 3 a.m.? 


One night can change how you see the world. One night can change how you see yourself.

Cover Reveals: The Vanishing Throne & Three Day Summer

*Click on the cover to go to its Goodreads page* 

The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May
Release Date: September 17th 2015
Publisher: Chronicle Books

Ooooh there's a cover!! It seems very like Aileana but what is she holding..? I can't really tell. Can't wait to read what happens to Aileana in this book! 

Review: Remember Me by Romily Bernard

Remember Me by Romily Bernard
355 Pages
Release Date: Sept. 23rd, 2014
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: Thriller/Mystery/Contemporary
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Rating: 4.5 STARS

Goodreads Summary: 
In the sequel to Find Me, Wick Tate, sarcastic teen hacker, is back and once again dealing with criminals and corrupt cops…and a brooding new love interest. Will Wick persevere when some secrets refuse to stay hidden?

Wick had thought her troubles were over.

But she should’ve known better.

Not only is she embroiled in a new murder case, which starts with a body with “Remember Me” carved into it and doesn’t stop there, but she also discovers new evidence surrounding her mother’s suicide…which leads her right back to her imprisoned deadbeat dad. And she has to deal with her flirty new hacker friend, Milo, sniffing around—which her boyfriend, Griff, isn’t too happy about.

The pressure might be too much as secrets—including Wick’s own—climb to the surface.

Remember Me is an edge-of-your-seat thrilling read that’ll have readers turning the pages at lightning speed! The paperback of Find Me is on sale simultaneously, and a digital original novella from Romily, featuring Griff, is on sale just a few weeks before!

Cover Reveal+Giveaway: Rebellion by J.A Souders

Today J.A. Souders and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for REBELLION, book 3 in the Elysium Chronicles releasing in June 5, 2015! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to win the books!

On to the reveal! 

Title: REBELLION

Author: J.A. Souders

Publisher: TOR Teen

Pub. Date: June 9th, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday (103)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where that spotlights the upcoming books I am currently anticipating. 

~Currently Anticipating~

Cover Reveal: One Wish Away by Kelley Lynn

One Wish Away

by Kelley Lynn

Release Date: 11/11/14

Bloomsbury Spark

Book Summary:

Be careful what you wish for…

Lyra has always been ahead of the curve. Top of her class in school, a budding astronomer, and with a best friend like Darren she barely has time to miss the mother who abandoned her family years ago. She's too busy planning to follow in her father's footsteps, and to become the youngest astronomer at Space Exploration and Discovery.

When a star goes missing Lyra is determined to get to the bottom of it only to discover her braniac dad is the mastermind of a top-secret government experiment. They promise to build a perfect world, one galaxy at a time, but with every tweak of the present, a bit more of the future starts to crumble.

Lyra has to go undercover to reveal the truth and let humanity decide if the consequences are worth more than wishing on a star.

About the Author
Eventually the day came when the voices in Kelley Lynn’s head were more insistent then her engineering professor’s. So instead of turning to her Thermodynamics book, Kelley brought up a blank page on her computer screen and wrote. Somewhere along the way she became a Young Adult author.

Kelley was born and raised a Midwestern girl. She’s not afraid to sweat and fills her free time with softball, soccer and volleyball. (Though you probably don’t want her on your volleyball team.) She occasionally makes guest appearances as a female vocalist for area bands. Music plays a large role in her writing process as well as the characters and plot lines within her stories.

You can find Kelley hanging out at her blog, titled in her name, as well as the group blog she shares with her fellow critique partners, Falling for Fiction. Kelley is a member of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators.

Author Links:

   

Cover Reveal Organized by:

Book Blitz: Rush by Eve Silver {Excerpt+Giveaway}

Rush (The Game #1)

by Eve Silver

Release Date: June 11, 2013

Publisher: Harper Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

So what’s the game now? This, or the life I used to know?

When Miki Jones is pulled from her life, pulled through time and space into some kind of game—her carefully controlled life spirals into chaos. In the game, she and a team of other teens are sent on missions to eliminate the Drau, terrifying and beautiful alien creatures. 

There are no practice runs, no training, and no way out. Miki has only the guidance of secretive but maddeningly attractive team leader Jackson Tate, who says the game isn’t really a game, that what Miki and her new teammates do now determines their survival, and the survival of every other person on this planet. She laughs. He doesn’t. And then the game takes a deadly and terrifying turn.

Cover Reveals: All Fall Down, Work it Out, and MORE

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

OMGOMGOMG NEW AWESOME ALLY CARTER BOOK WITH A JUST AS 

GREAT COVER AND TITLE!! LOVE THE FADING BACKGROUND!! CAN'T WAIT TO READ IT AND DELVE INTO THE STORY! 

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
338 Pages
Release Date: September 29th, 2014
Publisher: Dutton Books
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 4 STARS

Goodreads Summary:
Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion...she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit--more sparkly, more fun, more wild--the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket--a gifted inventor--steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Waiting on Wednesday (102)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where that spotlights the upcoming books I am currently anticipating. 

~Currently Anticipating~

Book Blitz: Take Me On by Katie McGarry {Excerpt+Giveaway}

Take Me On (Pushing the Limits #4)

by Katie McGarry

Release Date: 05/27/14

Harlequin Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Acclaimed author Katie McGarry returns with the knockout new story of two high school seniors who are about to learn what winning really means.

Champion kickboxer Haley swore she'd never set foot in the ring again after one tragic night. But then the guy she can't stop thinking about accepts a mixed martial arts fight in her honor. Suddenly, Haley has to train West Young. All attitude, West is everything Haley promised herself she'd stay away from. Yet he won't last five seconds in the ring without her help.

West is keeping a big secret from Haley. About who he really is. But helping her-fighting for her-is a shot at redemption. Especially since it's his fault his family is falling apart. He can't change the past, but maybe he can change Haley's future.

Hayley and West have agreed to keep their relationship strictly in the ring. But as an unexpected bond forms between them and attraction mocks their best intentions, they'll face their darkest fears and discover love is worth fighting for.

Bonus novella included: Crossing the Line.

Available from:
    

Cover Reveal: Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Holy cow, y'all! We are so excited to bring you the Cover Reveal for Jennifer L. Armentrout's WICKED! WICKED is a New Adult Paranormal Romance and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Wicked Trilogy. It is being released on December 8^th, 2014. So make sure you pre-order it today!!

Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: February 8th, 2014

 

Cover Reveals: Every Last Word, Chantress Fury, and MORE

**Click on the cover to go to its Goodreads page** 

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

So. Very. Simple. Just beautiful <3

Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker

Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker
336 Pages
Release Date: October 21st, 2014
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre:Paranormal
Level:YA
Rating: 4.3 STARS

Goodreads Summary:

It's an oppressively hot and sticky morning in June when Sterling and her brother, Phin, have an argument that compels him to run into the town swamp -- the one that strikes fear in all the residents of Sticks, Louisiana. Phin doesn't return. Instead, a girl named Lenora May climbs out, and now Sterling is the only person in Sticks who remembers her brother ever existed.

Sterling needs to figure out what the swamp's done with her beloved brother and how Lenora May is connected to his disappearance -- and loner boy Heath Durham might be the only one who can help her. 

This debut novel is full of atmosphere, twists and turns, and a swoon-worthy romance.

The Thing About Books: Storm Siren by Mary Weber

Whoa! It's been a long while since Caitlyn and I have done this. I wasn't exactly sure if we should continue doing this but we decided we would just do it if we had time or at least once a month. Anyway for any new readers, The Thing About Books is a book discussion feature where Caitlyn and I just discuss/fangirl over books. This week we talked about STORM SIREN by Mary Weber! 

BUT THERE ARE SPOILERS FROM THE BOOK. Please please please note this! Don't read this until you've read the book and want to know our thoughts on the book!! 

Storm Siren by Mary Weber

Release Date: August 19th, 2014
Publisher: Thomas Nelson / HarperCollins

Goodreads Summary:

“I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don’t want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you.”

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for?

Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win

Waiting on Wednesday (101)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where that spotlights the upcoming books I am currently anticipating.

~Currently Anticipating~

Book Blitz: Vision by Lisa Amowitz {Excerpt+Giveaway}

Vision

by Lisa Amowitz 

Release Date: 09/09/14

Spencer Hill Press

Summary from Goodreads:

The light is darker than you think… 

High school student Bobby Pendell already has his hands full—he works almost every night to support his disabled-vet father and gifted little brother. Then he meets the beautiful new girl in town, who just happens to be his boss’s daughter. Bobby has rules about that kind of thing. Nothing matters more than keeping his job.

When Bobby starts to get blinding migraines that come with scary, violent hallucinations, his livelihood is on the line. Soon, he must face the stunning possibility that the visions of murder are actually real. With his world going dark, Bobby is set on the trail of the serial killer terrorizing his small town. With everyone else convinced he’s the prime suspect, Bobby realizes that he, or the girl he loves, might be killer's next victim.

Available from:
Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo Books * The Book Depository

Cover Reveal: Miss Mayhem, Hold Me Like a Breath, and MORE

*Click on the cover to go to its Goodreads page* 

Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins

I have mixed feelings about this cover. I think it represents Harper's character pretty well but it also seems a bit weird because it's a statue/trophy thing.

Giveaway: ORANGE PSI PRIZE PACK (MIND CONTROL)

I have the awesome opportunity to be part of this campaign/giveaway tour. 

So there will be a total of 50 Psi-group giveaways across the book blogosphere throughout September & October leading up to the release of In the Afterlight. Since I'm hosting the Orange Prize Pack, it would be awesome if you guys could seek out the other 4 PSI Prize Packs. If you haven't read The Darkest Minds series yet, be sure to check it out soon before the final book releases :)

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken 

Released Dec. 12th, 2012      REVIEW

Goodreads Summary:

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken 

Released Oct. 15th, 2013     THE TRUTH ABOUT BOOKS 

Goodreads Summary:

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster. 

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her. 

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

IN THE AFTERLIGHT 

by Alexandra Bracken

In stores October 28^th  

ABOUT IN THE AFTERLIGHT Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. Only Ruby can keep their highly dangerous prisoner in check. But with Clancy Gray, there's no guarantee you're fully in control, and everything comes with a price.

When the Children's League disbands, Ruby rises up as a leader and forms an unlikely allegiance with Liam's brother, Cole, who has a volatile secret of his own. There are still thousands of other Psi kids suffering in government "rehabilitation camps" all over the country. Freeing them--revealing the governments unspeakable abuses in the process--is the mission Ruby has claimed since her own escape from Thurmond, the worst camp in the country.

But not everyone is supportive of the plan Ruby and Cole craft to free the camps. As tensions rise, competing ideals threaten the mission to uncover the cause of IANN, the disease that killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others with powers the government will kill to keep contained. With the fate of a generation in their hands, there is no room for error. One wrong move could be the spark that sets the world on fire.

Debut Author Bash 2014: Liz Czukas {Top 10 Favorite Quotes+Giveaway}

I'm happy to be part of the 2014 Debut Authors Bash and am so excited to host LIZ CZUKAS, 

author of ASK AGAIN LATER and soon to release TOP TEN CLUES YOU'RE CLUELESS.

And in honor of her so to be released novel, she shares her Top 10 Favorite Quotes! 

Ask Again Later by Liz Czukas 

Release Date: May 11th, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen 

Goodreads Summary:

Despite what her name might suggest, Heart has zero interest in complicated romance. So when her brilliant plan to go to prom with a group of friends is disrupted by two surprise invites, Heart knows there's only one drama-free solution: flip a coin.

Heads: The jock. He might spend all night staring at his ex or throw up in the limo, but how bad can her brother's best friend really be?

Tails: The theater geek...with a secret. What could be better than a guy who shares all Heart's interests--even if he wants to share all his feelings?

Heart's simple coin flip has somehow given her the chance to live out both dates. But where her prom night ends up might be the most surprising thing of all...

AVAILABLE NOW 

Review | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository 

Waiting on Wednesday (100)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where that spotlights the upcoming books I am currently anticipating.

~Currently Anticipating~

September Releases

Sept. 2nd:

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini

The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Revealed by Margaret Haddix

Anatomy of a Misfit by Andrea Portes 

Shattered by Mari Mancusi

Don't Touch by Rachel M. Wilson

The Dolls by Kiki Sullivan 

Sealed With a Lie by Kat Carlton 

Fall of Night by Jonathan Maberry

Maplecroft by Cherie Priest 

MARY: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan

Sept. 8th:

Words and Their Meanings by Kate Bassett

No One Needs to Know by Amanda Grace and Mandy Hubbard

Descent by Tara Fuller 

Sept. 9th:

The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black

Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang 

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett

The Fires of Calderon by Lindsay Cummings

Rites of Passage by Joy N. Hensley

Kiss of Broken Glass by Madeleine Kuderick

Visitors by Orson Scott Card 

Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday

Paper Airplanes by Dawn O'Porter

Winterkill by Kate A. Boorman

Sept. 16th:

The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Day 21 by Kass Morgan

Blackbird by Anna Carey

Made for You by Melissa Marr

Get Even by Gretchen McNeil 

Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Evidence of Things Not Seen by Lindsey Lane 

Being Audrey Hepburn: A Novel by Mitchell Kriegman 

Sway by Kat Spears

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson  

Echoes of Us by Kat Zhang 

Jackaby by William Ritter

The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud 

Sept. 23rd:

Lark Rising by Sandra Waugh

Salt and Storm by Kendall Kulper 

Tabula Rasa by Kristen Lippert-Martin

The Faerie Queen by Kiki Hamilton 

Remember Me by Romily Bernard 

The Bodies We Wear by Jeyn Roberts

In a Handful of Dust by Mindi McGinnis

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Emissary by Kristal Shaff 

Messenger of Fear by Michael Grant 

Firebug by Lish McBride

Endsinger by Jay Kristoff 

Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty by Christine Heppermann 

Sept. 30th:

The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter

Winterspell by Claire Legrand

Sacrifice by Brigid Kemmerer

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

Invisible by Dawn Metcalf
The Fine Art of Pretending by Rachel Harris

Famous Last Words by Katie Alender

Demon Child by Kylie Chan 

Dead Zone by Robison Wells

Yes why don't all these awesome books be published in September...when school starts...and there's little time to read. *grumbles* Just ignore my pathetic whining which has accompanied my journey into junior year *le sigh* BUT ON THE BRIGHT SIDE MORE BOOKS TO READ!!!
Gotta mention Trial by Fire, Heir of Fire, The Fine Art of Pretending, Winterspell, The Queen of Zombie Hearts, Unmade, and Get Even!

What books are you looking forward to reading this month?