Sunday, July 31, 2016

July 2016 Wrap-Up!

A review of the monthly activities on the blog incl. book reviews, memes, 
reading challenge additions, book hauls

Hey Bookies!

This is my Wrap-Up post for July! Lately, I have been at a steady 3 book reviews a month, and July was no different. I read 2 new books, reviewed them as well as a book I read a while back. Take a look:


Books Read:





Books Reviewed:



Over You by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics

Dark of the Moon by Rachel Hawthorne

New Books:



. . . To name a few

For more details check out my In My Mailbox posts for April



Book In Progress:



The Cresswell Plot by Eliza Wass

August TBR:

The Cresswell Plot by Eliza Wass
The Madman's Daughter by Megan Sheperd
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova

If you have any suggestions on improving my Wrap-Ups for the future posts, comment below.


Happy Reading!
Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Wishlist Wednesday #93


*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 Assassin Game by Kirsty McKay


Publisher
Sourcebooks Fire 
Release DateAugust 2, 2016
Pages: 336

The Story:

T.A.G. You're It...
"It is 4 a.m. when they come for me. I am already awake, strung out on the fear that they will come, and fear that they won't. When I finally hear the click of the latch on the dormitory door, I have only a second to brace myself before-"
At Cate's isolated boarding school Killer is more than a game-it's an elite secret society. Members must avoid being "killed" during a series of thrilling pranks-and only the Game Master knows who the "killer" is. When Cate's finally invited to join The Guild of Assassins, she knows it's her ticket to finally feeling like she belongs.
But when the game becomes all too real, the school threatens to shut it down. Cate will do anything to keep playing and save The Guild. But can she find the real assassin-before she's the next target?

-via Amazon




Meet the Author

Kirsty is a former actress, and has written children's plays for commercial theatre. In 2008, she won SCBWI's competition to find new writers. She was born in the UK, but now lives in Boston, USA, with her husband and daughter. Visit kirstymckay.com for more.



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

Happy Reading!

Saturday, July 23, 2016

Review : Over You by Emma McLaughlin & Nichola Kraus


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

Publisher
HarperTeen

Release DateAugust 21, 2012
Pages: 304
Source: Own

The Story:

The authors of the bestselling novel The Nanny Diaries, Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, bring you the story of a girl who gets her heart broken…and figures out a foolproof way to get over her ex.

Over You’s Max Scott had a hard time getting over Hugo, the boy who dumped her. Now it’s Max’s mission to help NYC girls get over their broken hearts fast, and with dignity. Now Max’s life is better than she ever imagined it could be. Her new business, Ex, Inc., is booming. Better still, her friendship with Ben, a truly sweet guy, could turn romantic. But when Hugo reenters the picture, Max realizes that she isn’t over him. At all.
Funny, touching, and romantic, Over You is the kind of book every girl will fall head over heels for.
via Amazon

Rating





One-word Review WITTY


Reading Tune Never Be Like You by Flume


Tag Line:


Have you had your heart ripped out, tossed on the ground, stomped on, and stomped on some more?


Opening Line:


An early fall leaf loosens from a tree and blows into Max's jacket, fluttering down and getting crushed beneath the toe of her platform pump as she strides down the sidewalk purposefully to her next case.


My Review


Plot:

Over You's plot was intriguing and exactly what I needed to read. Max Scott is a 17-year-old heartbreak consultant. After suffering the worse heartbreak ever, she runs back home from her boarding school to help other teen girls get over their exes in no time. Going through a romantic rough-patch myself, Over You was witty, fun and surprisingly insightful and exactly what I needed t read.


"Mornings and evenings are the worst," Max says as she pulls her up to sitting to give her the Day One speech. "But every day there's going to be a little window of time where you feel not just 'barely alive,' not just 'okay,' but positively euphoric. Winning American Idol euphoric. And that window is going to get longer and longer each and every day. Because your body knows that surviving this . . . elephant is going to bring you a level of strength you have not yet known." --page 41

I think the pacing of Over You was right in time with the storyline. The progression of the story was exactly how it should be with key events happening when needed. McLaughlin and Kraus' writing was witty and fun. The world-building was fleshed out and I was submersed in the story.

All in all, Over You is a good, fun, lighthearted read. I definitely recommend it.

Character Breakdown:


Max Scott - Sensible, mature, witty, independent and trying to forget a certain ex. Her character resonated with me because we had a lot in common. 


Here is one of my favorite quotes from 
Over You:


Bridget to Max: "Like that elephant isn't just standing on my chest, it's taking a crap." --page 88 

Meet the Author:








Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus met at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where they both graduated with concentrations in Arts in Education. Before teaming up to write The Nanny Diaries, Kraus had continued in the arts and McLaughlin worked as a business consultant within the private and public sectors.






***Check out Emma & Nichola's website for more information about her and 
Over YouHERE

Happy Reading!
Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Wishlist Wednesday #92


*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 Museum of Heartbreak by Meg Leder

Publisher
 Simon Pulse
Release DateJune 7, 2016
Pages: 288

The Story:

In this ode to all the things we gain and lose and gain again, seventeen-year-old Penelope Marx curates her own mini-museum to deal with all the heartbreaks of love, friendship, and growing up.

Welcome to the Museum of Heartbreak.

Well, actually, to Penelope Marx’s personal museum. The one she creates after coming face to face with the devastating, lonely-making butt-kicking phenomenon known as heartbreak.

Heartbreak comes in all forms: There’s Keats, the charmingly handsome new guy who couldn’t be more perfect for her. There’s possibly the worst person in the world, Cherisse, whose mission in life is to make Penelope miserable. There’s Penelope’s increasingly distant best friend Audrey. And then there’s Penelope’s other best friend, the equal-parts-infuriating-and-yet-somehow-amazing Eph, who has been all kinds of confusing lately.

But sometimes the biggest heartbreak of all is learning to let go of that wondrous time before you ever knew things could be broken…

-via Amazon



Meet the Author

A former bookseller and teacher, Meg Leder currently works as a book editor in New York City. Her role models are Harriet the Spy and Anne Shirley. She is the coauthor of The Happy Book, and spends her free time reading, looking for street art, and people watching. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit her on Twitter at @MegLeder.



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

Happy Reading!

Monday, July 18, 2016

New YA Releases: Week of July 18th


Here are some upcoming releases this week. Release dates sources: 
Barnes & Noble, Amazon, etc.



Smash and Grab by Amy Christopher Parker
The Revival by Chris Weitz
The Way Back Home by Aleeia Whitaker
The Undoer by Melissa J. Cuuningham
A World Without You by Beth Revis
Signs of You by Emily France
What She Wanted by Julie Anne Lindsey


Happy Reading!
Friday, July 15, 2016

Feature Friday ARC Review : The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics



*Feature Friday 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.

Publisher
Harlequin Teen 

Release DateSeptember 27, 2016
Pages: 288
Source: ARC

The Story:

Lucy Acosta's mother died when she was three. Growing up in a Victorian mansion in the middle of the woods with her cold, distant father, she explored the dark hallways of the estate with her cousin, Margaret. They're inseparable—a family.  
When her aunt Penelope, the only mother she's ever known, tragically disappears while walking in the woods surrounding their estate, Lucy finds herself devastated and alone. Margaret has been spending a lot of time in the attic. She claims she can hear her dead mother's voice whispering from the walls. Emotionally shut out by her father, Lucy watches helplessly as her cousin's sanity slowly unravels. But when she begins hearing voices herself, Lucy finds herself confronting an ancient and deadly legacy that has marked the women in her family for generations.
via Amazon

Rating




My Review

When I found out Amy Lukavics had another YA horror being released I lost my shit. I was obsessed with Daughters Unto Devils and recommended it to anyone who would listen.


Tag Line:


Free us or join us.


Opening Line:


Walter the cook killed himself in his little bedroom downstairs, just a few hours after saying goodnight.


Plot:


To be honest, I was a little disappointed with 
The Women in the Walls. Lukavics' Daughters Unto Devils was so fantastic it set the bar high. The Women in the Walls was not in the least boring but not up to par with Lukavics' debut horror novel.
plot was intriguing. Lucy is home-schooled with her cousin, Margaret, in the huge mansion estate which has been in their family for generations. Motherless since an early age and an emotional cutter, death and blood was not a new phenomena for Lucy. But when her aunt, who has raised her as her own, mysteriously disappears leaving Lucy to deal with her neglectful father, her own emotional issues and her cousin's ailing mental health, by herself, shit gets real. Too real. 

Then comes the voices in the walls . . .

". . . I started to hear things. I'm trying desperately to believe that what I heard in that closet had to have been similar to what sometimes happens when you're sleeping at night and wake up to see a shadowy figure in your bedroom, or a tarantula lowering from the ceiling. You're awake but your mind doesn't care; it shows the thing to you anyway, trickery of the mind, a waking nightmare. That doesn't mean it's really there, though." --page 28

The pacing of The Women in the Walls was a little slow, I think. Definitely understand wanting to build tension but there is a thin line between building tension and slowing the story down too much. Amy Lukavics' writing was average, not as authentic as in Daughters Unto Devils but interesting enough. The Women in the Wallsworld-building was decent as well. I was able to get into the story and get caught up with the characters and the storyline. I was just severely disappointed with the ending. Not only did the story end on a cliffhanger -- which I despised -- but it was boring considering what I know Lukavics is capable of in her writing. Still, the story was not bad and earned a solid 3 out of 5 Enchanted Roses, rating wise.

All in all, I did enjoy The Women in the Walls. My only regret is it could have been better given what I know of Lukavics' debut, Daughters Unto Devils. Nevertheless, The Women in the Walls is worth reading if you have a thing for YA horror.

Character Breakdown:


Lucy Acosta - She was kind of a stuck up bitch, not going to lie. Definitely, not as mean as her cousin but not very nice.


Margaret Acosta - Mean. Secretive. Jealous. Nutzo.



"The tiny tapping sounds suddenly turn into violent scratching noises, loud and hard enough that I fear Margaret's nails will rip and snap away from her fingertips." --page 28

Here is one of my favorite quotes from The Women in the Walls:


Penelope to Lucy: "People can be happy and sad at the same time," my aunt says. "Sometimes the sad parts just spiral out of control." --page 9 

Lucy"Margaret is standing at the head of my bed, her face shockingly blank, her eyes wide and her mouth slacked open as she leans over me. Her hair hangs down like a curtain, casting a shadow over one side of her face. I realize that I'm trapped between her and the wall that my bed rests against. The air is stale with my cousin's morning breath.

Enclosed in her fist is a pair of silver scissors, the elongated blades pointing at my throat." --page 44

Meet the Author:



Amy Lukavics lurks within the pine-topped mountains of Arizona, along with her husband and two precious squidlings. When she isn't reading or writing creepy stories, she enjoys cooking, crafting, and playing video games. Daughters Unto Devils is her debut novel.


***Check out Amy Lukavics' website for more information about her and The Women in the WallsHERE



Happy Reading!


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Wishlist Wednesday #91


*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 Light Fantastic by Sarah Combs

Publisher
Candlewick
Release DateSeptember 13, 2016
Pages: 420

The Story:

Seven tightly interwoven narratives. Three harrowing hours. One fateful day that changes everything. 

Delaware, the morning of April 19. Senior Skip Day, and April Donovan’s eighteenth birthday. Four days after the Boston Marathon bombing, the country is still reeling, and April’s rare memory condition has her recounting all the tragedies that have cursed her birth month. And just what was that mysterious gathering under the bleachers about? Meanwhile, in Nebraska, Lincoln Evans struggles to pay attention in Honors English, distracted by the enigmatic presence of Laura Echols, capturer of his heart. His teacher tries to hold her class’s interest, but she can’t keep her mind off what Adrian George told her earlier. Over in Idaho, Phoebe is having second thoughts about the Plan mere hours before the start of a cross-country ploy led by an Internet savant known as the Mastermind. Is all her heartache worth the cost of the Assassins’ machinations? The Light Fantastic is a tense, shocking, and beautifully wrought exploration of the pain and pathos of a generation of teenagers on the brink—and the hope of moving from shame and isolation into the light of redemption.

-via Amazon





Meet the Author

Sarah Combs is the author of Breakfast Served Anytime, her debut novel. She lives in Lexington, Kentucky.



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


Happy Reading!

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Teaser Tuesday #21



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, The Women in the Walls by Amy Lukavics.


Teaser #1:

"No more counting scars or you are going to lose your mind, if you haven't already.

But I'm sure that I already have. For the first time since I found the jar of teeth in Margaret's closet, I recall the memory of what happened all those years ago in the attic."
 - page 112
Teaser #2:

"Something is causing Margaret's soul to be trapped in the walls of the house. She was telling the truth about hearing Penelope. Is there a way to help? Or is it just a dead end spiral to an early grave?" - page 146

What teasers are you sharing this week?

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

Happy Reading!
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