Review Catch Up: June




I only have one book that released in July to talk about, but it's a good one so that's okay!

The Murder Complex by Lindsay Cummings
Release date: June 10th, 2014
Received from Greenwillow Books at TLA 2014

An action-packed, blood-soaked, futuristic debut thriller set in a world where the murder rate is higher than the birthrate. For fans of Moira Young’s Dust Lands series, La Femme Nikita, and the movie Hanna.Meadow Woodson, a fifteen-year-old girl who has been trained by her father to fight, to kill, and to survive in any situation, lives with her family on a houseboat in Florida. The state is controlled by The Murder Complex, an organization that tracks the population with precision.The plot starts to thicken when Meadow meets Zephyr James, who is—although he doesn’t know it—one of the MC’s programmed assassins. Is their meeting a coincidence? Destiny? Or part of a terrifying strategy? And will Zephyr keep Meadow from discovering the haunting truth about her family?

Action-packed, blood-soaked, and chilling, this is a dark and compelling debut novel by Lindsay Cummings.  

Once upon a time at a time at a TLA conference we met someone. She had cool hair, Divergent pins, and a book coming from Harper in 2014. Flash forward about 2 years to another conference, I finally got a copy of that book. That someone was Lindsay Cummings and that book was worth the wait.

With dystopian books being so popular it gets hard to find one that stands out. But this one certainly does. You expect your dystopian worlds to be dark and complicated with maybe a little blood. This was all that and more. Definitely more blood. It was interesting to read about the setting and how it shaped the characters.

These characters lived in such a dark world and really became a product of their environment. They had to adapt to survive and just to get by. This caused them to do things they didn't really want to and even things they weren't aware they were doing. It caused them to hold on tight to the people they loved and really fight for them. Everyone in this book had an interesting dynamic, especially Meadow and Zephyr, and I enjoyed reading about all of them.

This book was near impossible to put down. Full of twists and suspense and action. It had dynamic characters and a dark world. If your looking for a different dystopian you need to pick this up. And I need to know when I can pick up the sequel.

That's my review for July! I'll hopefully have the one for July up soon.

Meridian by Josin L. McQuien Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Source: Conference
Second book in the Arclight series
Marina thought that she had solved all of the Arclight’s mysteries. She had found her own history—that she was one of the Fade, that she never should have been human. She knows that the Fade who surround the Arclight don’t want to be the humans' enemies at all. She knows that the leader of those inside the Arc, Honoria Whit, never told the whole truth. But there is so much more that Marina is just discovering. There are more survivors out there. Only Marina—and her friends, all of whom have connections to the Fade they'd never known about—can lead her people to them. But there are also darker dangers, things that even the Fade fear. And Marina slowly realizes she may never have been “cured,” after all. The sequel to Arclight, Meridian is an intense, action-packed page-turner about the lines we draw between right and wrong, light and dark . . . and the way nothing is ever that black and white.

Review
I thought this was a fabulous sequel. I love this series because it's crazy unique and complex. It never stops surprising me. 

This continues Mariana's story. She thinks she has it all figured out. But she is warned of another type of Fade. These darker Fade have taken notice of the Arclight. It's up to the good Fade to protect what's theirs. 

Mariana has really grown into herself. I loved that she kinda plays the peacemaker. I loved how much faith she had in the Fade. I really love that about her character. She has so much faith in others and the world around her. I loved getting to see so much of Tobin and Rue. They made such a good team. They worked so well together. Mariana was important to both of them so they put their differences aside for her. 

I loved that this storyline had all the things I loved about the first book. But it twisted them into something new and exciting. I loved how dark this story was. It was super fast paced and suspenseful. I adore the Fade. They are such a fun addition to the story. This one was pretty hard to put down. It left me dying for more. Overall I thought this was a great sequel. It fit the series well! 

Waiting on Wednesday: Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

****"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at the Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.****

My pick this week is:

Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Expected publication: September 22nd 2015 by Greenwillow Books

The first book in a new trilogy from acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Rae Carson. A young woman with the magical ability to sense the presence of gold must flee her home, taking her on a sweeping and dangerous journey across Gold Rush–era America.

Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety? Rae Carson, author of the acclaimed Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy, dazzles with this new fantasy that subverts both our own history and familiar fantasy tropes.

Walk on Earth a Stranger, the first book in this new trilogy, introduces—as only Rae Carson can—a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance. Includes a map and author’s note on historical research.

I could probably go on forever about this book. Like I've been anxiously awaiting news on this pretty. I'm a huge fan of this author. One of the main reasons I'm excited to read this is the concept. I feel like I'll learn so much about the Gold Rush. But also look at how amazing that cover is! I literally cannot wait to get my hands on this pretty. 

Top Ten Tuesday (82)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists

This weeks topic is Top Ten Books From My Childhood. I didn't read much as a kid but I did read a lot in my preteen years. I feel like these will be kind of obvious but you never know.

1. The Secret Garden. I was a classics freak for a little while. Kinda wishing I had stuck with it now. 
2. A Little Princess. Another classic :).
3. Harry Potter. Duh!
4. Twilight. This was what started me reading so of course it had to be featured. 
5. Percy Jackson. Another Duh! 
6. The Warrior Cats. Okay I literally grew up reading these books. Like I read them from like 13 on and would probably read them all over again.
7. The Series of Unfortunate Events. I never finished this one but I did read most of them. 

That's about all I've got! Let me know in the comments what you guys grew up reading :)

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Source: Conference
First book in the Arclight series
No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be. 
The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.
When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

Review
I didn't really know what to expect from this story. It was really complex. It was a little darker than my normal reads. But, I think that's one of the reasons I enjoyed it. It was very unique. 

Marina is known as the girl who survived. She doesn't remember who she is or where she came from. The Fade want Mariana. One Fade infiltrates the Arclight and everything changes. 

I really liked Mariana. She has an interesting backstory. I loved how accepting she was. She was also very strong and determined. She wanted answers and would stop at nothing to get them. I loved the way she stood up for herself and for those around her. I really enjoyed Tobin and Anne-Marie. I loved the way they stuck by Mariana. 

This is one complex story bright of the bat there's a lot going on. It takes a little bit to figure things out. I did get a little confused at times. I loved the strict setting of the Arclight. I loved all the darker aspects. The Fade made an exciting addition to the story. I loved how complex they were. At first you think their really scary, but once you get to know them you realize they aren't. Overall I enjoyed this story. It never stopped surprising me. I cannot wait to continue it. 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas

****"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at the Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.****

My pick this week is:



The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas
Expected release date: October 13th, 2015
from Balzer + Bray
In a pursuit that has spanned continents, Iolanthe, Titus, and their friends have always managed to remain one step ahead of the forces of Atlantis. But now the Bane, the monstrous tyrant who bestrides the entire mage world, has issued his ultimatum: Titus must hand over Iolanthe, or watch as his entire realm is destroyed in a deadly rampage. Running out of time and options, Iolanthe and Titus must act decisively to deliver a final blow to the Bane, ending his reign of terror for good.

However, getting to the Bane means accomplishing the impossible—finding a way to infiltrate his crypt in the deepest recesses of the most ferociously guarded fortress in Atlantis. And everything is only made more difficult when new prophecies come to light, foretelling a doomed effort....

Iolanthe and Titus will put their love and their lives on the line. But will it be enough?

With The Immortal Heights, Sherry Thomas brings the acclaimed Elemental Trilogy to its breathtaking conclusion.

Do I even need to say anything? In my opinion, The Elemental Trilogy is one of the best YA series out there right now. This cover is one of the most gorgeous I've seen in a while. And this is one of my most anticipated releases of this year. Actually, I could probably say a lot more, but I'll stop. For now.

That's what I'm very impatiently waiting on this Wednesday. What about you?

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Tor Teen
Source: Conference
First book in the Arkwell Academy series
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.

Review
I was really impressed with this story. It sucked me in right off the bad. The characters were fabulous and the storyline was super exciting. 

This tells the story of Dusty. She's the only nightmare in her school for magicalkind. Things go awry in one of Eli's dreams. Together Eli and Dusty can save the world. But only if they don't get killed first. 

Dusty has my favorite type of personality. She's incredibly strong with just enough snark. She's determined and powerful. But, she still cares about the world around her. I loved see her grow into her powers. Eli didn't have as big of a role in the story as I'd hoped. I know we will see more of him in the future. But I wished we'd gotten to know him better!

I love boarding school settings. This story had a great concept to it. It was super unique. I loved all the magic! I loved the darker parts to it. I loved how mysterious it was. I loved the good vs bad vibe.  Once you get into this story, there's no going back. Overall I thought this was a great read. I cannot wait to continue this story! 

North Texas Teen Book Fest Wrap Up!

The North Texas Teen Book Fest was sponsored by the Irving Public Library. Let me just take a second to tell you how fabulous this library and its staff is. We probably wouldn't have been to half the events we've been to without this library. It holds the most amazing events on a regular basis. The staff is absolutely amazing. You can tell that they really love what their doing. Anyways, we've known this event was coming for a long time now and we were really excited about it. You don't see festivals like this very often. They had an amazing line up of middle grade and young adult authors. They had books for sale and you could bring some from home. The turnout was probably much bigger than they expected. It did get a little crazy at times but that's okay! So below you will find pictures of us with all the authors we met. We had an absolutely amazing time at this event and we cannot wait till next year! 

Leigh Bardugo.

The fabulous Julie Murphy. 

Sherry Thomas.

Julie Kagawa. 

The fabulous Lindsay Cummings.

Sarah Rees Brennan. 

Shannon Messenger.

Selfie Style with Adi Alsaid.

Selfie style with Natalie C. Parker.

Selfie style with Jessica Brody.

The fabulous Victoria Scott.

Selfie style with Bex and Tori <3 font="">

The Queen of Contemporary, Stephanie Perkins. 

We were so blessed to take part in this amazing event. We want to say a big thank you to all the authors that came and to the Irving Public Library!

Series Love 31: The Fire and Flood series

Series Love is a meme we came up with. There are so many amazing book series out there. We love to share the love and help spread the word. If you want to play along all you have to do is pick a series. It doesn’t matter if it only has one book or a million, as long as you include the authors name and the covers of the books

Series Love is a meme we came up with. There are so many amazing book series out there. We love to share the love and help spread the word. If you want to play along all you have to do is pick a series. It doesn’t matter if it only has one book or a million, as long as you include the authors name and the covers of the books

Okay so I partially picked this series because I just love Tori and Salt and Stone just came out! But mostly  I picked this because if there isn't a third book I'll cry and I haven't even read the second one yet! Guys, this series is amazing! It's crazy unique and the characters are amazing! I am literally dying to read Salt and Stone. I might just have to pick it up after I finish this post! So if you haven't started this series you should really get on that! And then we can eagerly wait for the third book together :) 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige

****"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at the Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.****

My pick this week is:

The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige

Expected publication: March 31st 2015 by Harper Collins

In this dark, high-octane sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to kill Dorothy and free Oz.

To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman’s heart, steal the Scarecrow’s brain, take the Lion’s courage, and then Dorothy must die....

But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy’s only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she’s only just scratched the surface of Oz’s past—and that Kansas, the home she couldn't wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust—and who is really Wicked?

Okay so the first book in this series was amazing. Like I really don't think I've ever read something quite like it. It was insanely unique and I cannot wait to continue the story!

Top Ten Tuesday (81)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists

This weeks topic is Top Ten Books for Readers who like... Okay so I was going to pick contemporary because I love contemporary but instead I'm going to do stand alones. I'll of course include a few contemporaries! 

1. Sinner by Maggie Stiefvator. Literally this book has my whole heart! 
2. All Our Yestersdays by Cristin Terril. I don't think this was originally planned as a stand alone and that makes me sad. I would love to continue this story but it was amazing on its own too! 
3. Fateful by Claudia Gray. Who doesn't love a Titanic story?!
4. Tigerlily by Jodi Lynn Anderson. This book is still one of my most favorite stand alones. 
5. Golden by Jessi Kirby. We all know Jessi Kirby is amazing! 
6. Every Day by David Levithan. Okay this is kinda cheating because this book is supposed to have a sequel but I just love it so much! 
7. Anything by John Green. This one doesn't even need explaining.

I know I didn't quite make it to 10 but that's okay. Let me know what you guys would pick in the comments!

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Harper Collins
Source: Bought
Stand Alone
What if you'd been living your life as if you were dying—only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?
When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting wrongs—however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, who she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that's as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her archnemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger). But just when Alice's scores are settled, she goes into remission.
Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she's said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she caused irreparable damage to the people around her—and to the one person who matters most?
Julie Murphy's Side Effects May Vary is a fearless and moving tour de force about love, life, and facing your own mortality.

Review
I've been waiting for this book to come out for over a year. I had very high expectations. But I didn't doubt for one second that this story wouldn't meet my expectations. I knew it would be amazing and it was exactly that! 

This tells the story of Alice. She's been diagnosed with Leukemia. She makes a pact to live the next year to the fullest. Even if it means getting revenge on everyone who's ever hurt her. When she goes into remission, things get a little crazy. She now has to live with all the things she's done. 

I read a few reviews before reading this. I know quite a few people didn't like Alice. I hoped that I would enjoy her and I did! Yes she isn't the best person in the world. But everyone has a bad side. I loved her snarky personality. I loved getting to see her grow. I found her very easy to relate too. She makes you think about your bad side and some of the things you could do differently. She's just one of those characters that make you think! I absolutely adored Harvey. He was amazing! I loved how sweet he was. I loved how much he cared for Alice. She was honestly the most important thing to him. I was so glad we got to see him stand up to her. He was willing to do anything for her but that doesn't mean he always agreed with it. I really liked that Harvey and Alice's relationship wasn't easy. It was like perfectly flawed. It was always growing and changing. 

This book has an amazing storyline. I loved the Now and the Then. It had its serious moments and it's funny moments. I loved all the family aspects. I thought the character growth was perfect. This story pull your heart in like a million directions. It's impossible to put down! You have no idea what's coming next. I feel like this is just one of those books everyone need to read. It has so much you can take from it. I'm sorry guys but I just have so much love for this book! If you haven't read it just go read it! 

February Monthly Wrap Up

Hey guys! We hope your year has started off great! We've been having kinda slow reading months so our videos are a little boring. They should get more exciting soon!

Marissa's Wrap Up

Jasmine's Wrap Up