Review: Willowgrove by Kathleen Peacock

Willowgrove (Hemlock #3) by Kathleen Peacock
384 Pages
Release Date: January 6th, 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Genre: Paranormal (Werewolf)
Rating: 4.5 STARS

Goodreads Summary: 
Willowgrove is Kathleen Peacock's riveting conclusion to the Hemlock trilogy, a dark, romantic, paranormal suspense series that pits friendship against survival, and trust against love.

Ever since Mac's best friend, Amy, was murdered, Hemlock has been a dangerous place. But now that Mac, her boyfriend, Kyle, and Amy's ex, Jason, have investigated a mass breakout from Thornhill, a werewolf "rehabilitation" camp, the danger has only grown. Fear of the infection spreading is now at an all-time high, and anyone with a scar is suspected of being a wolf.

What makes Mac even more afraid, though, are the dark experiments that the warden of Thornhill was performing on wolves in a secret asylum called Willowgrove. Uncovering the truth about what happened may be the only way for Mac to save everyone she loves and end her nightmares for good.

Review: Soulprint by Megan Miranda

Soulprint by Megan Miranda
368 Pages
Release Date: February 3rd, 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Genre: Sci-fi
Rating: 3.5 STARS

Goodreads Summary: 
A new literary, sci-fi thriller from acclaimed author Megan Miranda.

With the science of soul-fingerprinting a reality, Alina Chase has spent her entire life imprisoned for the crimes her past-self committed. In an attempt to clear her name, Alina unintentionally trades one prison for another when she escapes, aided by a group of teens whose intentions and motivations are a mystery to her. As she gets to know one of the boys, sparks fly, and Alina believes she may finally be able to trust someone. But when she uncovers clues left behind from her past life that only she can decipher, secrets begin to unravel. Alina must figure out whether she’s more than the soul she inherited, or if she’s fated to repeat the past. 

This compelling story will leave readers wondering if this fictional world could become a reality.

Waiting on Wednesday (120)

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: A Cold Legacy by Megan Shepherd {Excerpt+Giveaway}

I am so excited that A COLD LEGACY by Megan Shepherd releases today and that I get to share the news, along with an excerpt from the book!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Megan Shepherd, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blast also includes a giveaway for a signed copy of the book and swag courtesy of Megan and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

Title: A COLD LEGACY

Author: Megan Shepherd

Pub. Date: January 27, 2015

Publisher: Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins

Pages: 400

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads

After killing the men who tried to steal her father’s research, Juliet—along with Montgomery, Lucy, Balthazar, and a deathly ill Edward—has escaped to a remote estate on the Scottish moors. Owned by the enigmatic Elizabeth von Stein, the mansion is full of mysteries and unexplained oddities: dead bodies in the basement, secret passages, and fortune-tellers who seem to know Juliet’s secrets. Though it appears to be a safe haven, Juliet fears new dangers may be present within the manor’s own walls.

Then Juliet uncovers the truth about the manor’s long history of scientific experimentation—and her own intended role in it—forcing her to determine where the line falls between right and wrong, life and death, magic and science, and promises and secrets. And she must decide if she’ll follow her father’s dark footsteps or her mother’s tragic ones, or whether she’ll make her own.

With inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, this breathless conclusion to the Madman’s Daughter trilogy is about the things we’ll sacrifice to save those we love—even our own humanity. 

Review: I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios
400 Pages
Release Date: February 3rd, 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 4.5-5 STARS

Goodreads Summary: 
If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

Cover Reveals: Morning Star, The Good Girls, and MORE

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

Morning Star by Pierce Brown

LOOOOOOVE!!!! Great title, Stunning cover :D 

Mini-Review: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
384 Pages
Release Date: January
Publisher: Knopf
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: 3.5-4 STARS

Goodreads Summary:
The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this exhilarating and heart-wrenching love story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Elle Fanning!

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

The Thing About Books: This Shattered World by Meagan Spooner & Amie Kaufman

(New banneeeeeeer!!! Isn't is pretty :D) 

So we haven't done this feature in a while now and just to recap to those who are new to the blog: The Thing About Books is a feature in which Caitlyn and I talk about (usually fangirl) over books we love and need to talk about them. But this also means there will always be spoilers.

Soooo please only continue reading this post if you've already read the book for this post: 

This Shattered World by Meagan Spooner & Amie Kaufman

 Release Date: December 23rd, 2014

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Goodreads Summary:

The second installment in the epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

(But seriously, don't read the rest of this post if you haven't read this book yet because we literally start the rest of the post with a spoiler!!) 

Review: The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes

The Distance Between Lost and Found by Kathryn Holmes
320 Pages
Release Date: February 17th, 2015
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: Contemporary
My Rating: 4.7 STARS

Goodreads Summary:

Ever since the night of the incident with Luke Willis, the preacher’s son, sophomore Hallelujah Calhoun has been silent. When the rumors swirled around school, she was silent. When her parents grounded her, she was silent. When her friends abandoned her … silent.

Now, six months later, on a youth group retreat in the Smoky Mountains, Hallie still can’t find a voice to answer the taunting. Shame and embarrassment haunt her, while Luke keeps coming up with new ways to humiliate her. Not even meeting Rachel, an outgoing newcomer who isn’t aware of her past, can pull Hallie out of her shell. Being on the defensive for so long has left her raw, and she doesn’t know who to trust.

On a group hike, the incessant bullying pushes Hallie to her limit. When Hallie, Rachel, and Hallie’s former friend Jonah get separated from the rest of the group, the situation quickly turns dire. Stranded in the wilderness, the three have no choice but to band together.

With past betrayals and harrowing obstacles in their way, Hallie fears they’ll never reach safety. Could speaking up about the night that changed everything close the distance between being lost and found? Or has she traveled too far to come back? 

Waiting on Wednesday (119)

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~

Top Ten Tuesday: Top 10 Books I Never Understood the Hype Over

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish! Each week, a new topic is put into place and bloggers share their top ten.

**Lists aren't in any specific order**

2 Year Blogoversary

As some of you may know this blog officially started on January 5th, 2012 but I barely wrote any posts and those that were written were absolutely terrible. I'm not even sure why I have some of those posts ._. Anyways for some reason (I'm not even sure why), I decided to celebrate my 1 year blogoversary on the 18th of January. BUT I think from next year on I'll just start celebrating it on the 5th because it's just plain logical. So sorry for any confusion. Let me know if you still have any questions on it in case I wasn't clear (because I will admit I'm usually not).

Anyways I know a lot of blogs do giveaways or plan huge events for their blogoversaries.
But I usually end up forgetting and end up doing a last minute post (like this) and I don't really plan anything. But I do want to express my love for the bookish community and everyone in it. Despite all the drama that's been going on, the blogosphere is pretty awesome no matter what. 

But oh god it's already been 2 years of serious blogging :O 

Time flies way too fast! I feel like I'm underaccompished compared to other blogs who are just as old if not younger..Eithey way I'm really happened with how Hopper is doing so far and am quite excited for this year and hopefully new types of post :D 

What to expect for the rest of the year? 

Discussion posts, more reviews(!!), and blog tours! 

There will be times when me or Caitlyn don't post for a few days and 

that's usually because of we're studying for tests or swamped with work. 

Anyways I LOVE YOU ALL for reading and supporting this blog! 

Cover Reveals: The Infinite, Hotel Ruby, and MORE

The Infinite by Lori M. Lee

Sooo pretty! For some reason I expected it to be a different color than the first book

but this works just as well. Love the sparkly and shiny title! 

Review: Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Red Rising by Pierce Brown
382 Pages
Release Date: January 28th, 2014
Publisher: Del Rey (Random House)
Genre: Sci-fi/Dystopian
Rating: 4-4.5 STARS

Goodreads Summary: 
The Earth is dying. Darrow is a Red, a miner in the interior of Mars. His mission is to extract enough precious elements to one day tame the surface of the planet and allow humans to live on it. The Reds are humanity's last hope.

Or so it appears, until the day Darrow discovers it's all a lie. That Mars has been habitable - and inhabited - for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look down on Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought.

Until the day that Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside. But the command school is a battlefield - and Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda.

Waiting on Wednesday (118)

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~

Top 10 Tuesday: Top Ten 2014 Releases I Meant To Read But Didn't Get To

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the lovely ladies at The Broke and the Bookish! Each week, a new topic is put into place and bloggers share their top ten.

**Lists aren't in any specific order**

Topic: Top Ten 2014 Releases I Meant To Read But Didn't Get To

Review: All Fall Down by Ally Carter

All Fall Down by Ally Carter
320 Pages
Release Date: January 27th, 2015
Publisher: Scholastic
Genre: Mystery/Contemporary
Source: Publisher
Rating: 3.5-4 STARS

Goodreads Summary:
Grace can best be described as a daredevil, an Army brat, and a rebel. She is also the only granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world and Grace has spent every summer of her childhood running across the roofs of Embassy Row.

Now, at age sixteen, she's come back to stay - in order to solve the mystery of her mother's death. In the process, she uncovers an international conspiracy of unsettling proportions, and must choose her friends and watch her foes carefully if she and the world are to be saved.

Cover Reveals: Scorched and Hollywood Witch Hunter

Scorched by J. Lynn

JLA has a new NA book releasing! AND LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS COVER!
Love the colors and the lighting :D 

Hollywood Witch Hunter by Valerie Tejeda

Ooooh another witch hunter book! Is 2015 the year for witches to make a comeback?

So there hasn't been many covers being released in the last few weeks so I haven't had 

one of these posts up in a while :o

Anyways do you like these covers?
Planning on reading any of them?

Blog Tour: Perfect Couple by Jennifer Echols {Review+Giveaway}

Perfect Couple (Superlatives #2)
by Jennifer Echols
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: January 13th 2015
Rating: 4 STARS 

Synopsis:

Perfect Couple is #2 in the Superlatives series about seniors at a Florida high school who are selected for their class's superlative categories in the yearbook, and how the labels change the way they view themselves and alter the course of their lives.

Can your heart be put to a popular vote?

As yearbook photographer, Harper is responsible for capturing those candid moments that make high school memorable. But her own life is anything but picture perfect. Her parents' bitter divorce has left her wondering what a loving relationship would look like. And ever since the senior class voted her and star quarterback Brody the “Perfect Couple That Never Was,” her friends have been on her case to ask Brody out.

Brody doesn’t lack in female admirers, but Harper can't see herself with him. He seems confused about why they were matched together, too. They’re total opposites—the last people in the world who would ever be compatible, let alone the “perfect couple.” Yet ever since the class paired the two of them, they've found themselves drawn together--first by curiosity, then by an undeniable bond.

The trouble is, though they're very attracted to each other and both of them admit this, they have a hard time getting along or even communicating clearly. If they’re the perfect couple, this shouldn’t be so difficult! Soon it becomes clear their class was wrong, and they throw in the towel. But after they walk away, both of them feel so changed from making the effort that they can’t forget each other. What if that means this match made in hell is the perfect couple after all?

Waiting on Wednesday (117)

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~

January Releases

Jan. 6th:

End of Year Survey 2014

This is the first time we're participating in Broke and the Bookish's
End of the Year Survey and I'm so excited to share our responses!

Note: The survey is for books you read throughout the year, no matter when they were published, and is not limited to just books that came out in 2014!!

 Reading Stats of 2014

Number Of Books You Read: 144 and counting
Number of Re-Reads: 5-10 (I don't count them)
Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy

Best YA Books 2014 

1. Best Book You Read In 2014?
   (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist)

   Paranormal (2013): Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter

   Dystopian: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

   Contemporary (2013): Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

   Contemporary (2014): To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

   Sci-Fi/Thriller: The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

   Fantasy (2014): Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch

   Fantasy (2015): A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Discussion Post: Love Triangles

The ever feared or embraced and popular aspect of some YA books,

 LOVE TRIANGLES 

This is a random and last minute post that I just thought of doing. Anyways, so there are some very anti-love triangle readers in the world. And while I may not wholly understand their hate for them, I do get the general gist of how it could get annoying. 

In my opinion, a love triangle shouldn't: 

(I'm just going to use the girl as the A in picture)

1. Get in the way of the plot or be underscored unless it's legit the plot of a story. There needs to at least be a balance. There are some books where a character can rant or just keep having thoughts about the guys (or girls) and it's like GIRL PUH-LEASE. Just stop. No. *shhh* We don't care about your repeating thoughts and please go on with the story (OMG ESPECIALLY WHEN THE GIRL KNOWS WHICH GUY SHE LIKES BUT SHE'S LIKE NOOOOO OTHER GUY FOR WHATEVER REASON) 

2. Devalue (may not be the best word to describe what I'm saying) the main guy or girl that's at the center of it all. It honestly shouldn't define said character and his/her role in life. I really hate when girls feel like they need the other person and that just makes them choosing between two guy all the difference in their lives.  

3. Stay a love triangle (In a sense). There should be a choice. Authors need to make that move and not leave it open ended. It annoys me when I see that :/ 

But other than that I'm usually okay with love triangles. Some actually show what happens when you're torn between and old or new love and some are just plain entertaining. Most of the time you can tell who the girl is going to end up with and the other guy is her best friend/her love interests' best friend/new guy who gets intertwined with her life. It usually ends up with some flirting that's funny to read about and sometimes adorable on a guy especially when you know it doesn't mean anything (even though it's shown as a love triangle). 

Some love triangles are also necessary for character development (as sad as that kinda sounds). For all of you Shatter Me fans *spreads arms out* it all worked out in the end and making that choice can make a difference. 

Then there are also those ones where you begin believing that the author is truly evil BECAUSE BOTH GUYS ARE JUST BEAUTIFUL AND YOU'RE JUST STUCK IN SWITZERLAND SWITCHING BACK AND FORTH DURING DIFFERENT MOMENTS. And as long as this is well written and is balanced with the story, it can make a YA book pretty amazing and influential (fan base wise). 

What do you guys think about love triangles? 

Love them? Hate them? Meh?

And let us know if you think we should add something that we forgot :)  

Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
2014 went by fast. Too fast. It caught me off guard and now it's 2015. 

.__. I'm still trying to get over 2012. Just what even. 

BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT YEAR FOR BOOKS.

ESPECIALLY CONTEMPS AND FANTASIES!!! 

I will have to admit that 2014 was a bit of a disappointment book wise D: 

It didn't help that I was also in a Twitter slump for the majority of the year, blogging slump for a couple of months, and had an on and off book slump through out the year. 

The last 2 weeks have helped to get me back in the groove of everything and I'm

SO SO excited for 2015 and all it has to bring. (I mean YALLWEST and LA Times Festival of Books. Nothing can beat that :D) 

But just as well, Caitlyn and I are juniors so we have lots of tests especially w/the AP classes

we're taking. And then when fall comes, we're seniors dealing with college apps and classes as well keeping up with reading and blogging. So it'll be a hard and interesting year. 

Anyways, Happy New Years again! I wish you an amazing book filled year :)