tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83512502926666869792024-03-27T19:53:01.965-04:00Becoming BooksBecoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.comBlogger368125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-73251577056283765492017-02-24T00:00:00.000-05:002017-02-25T17:36:40.601-05:00[Review] Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5274604280989138861" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 550px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Title:</b> Things We Know By Heart</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Author:</b> Jessi Kirby [<a href="https://twitter.com/JessiKirby" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://www.jessikirby.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Publisher: </span><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins</span></span></div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Genre:</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Romance</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Release Date:</b> April 21, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source: </b>ARC provided by the publisher via <a href="https://aroundtheworldarctours.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Around The World ARC Tours</a>, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy <a href="http://becomingbooks.blogspot.com/p/review-requestspolicy.html" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here.</a></span></div>
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<b>Whoa, that was heavy...</b></div>
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We open up with Quinn losing her boyfriend Trent in an accident and her attempts to meet in organ donor recipients. She's managed to meet several of them but the recipient of his heart has yet to answer her letter. So she takes matters into her own hands and through some internet research thinks she has found a boy in nearby beach town. </div>
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Quinn goes through a lot after Trent's death that involves more than just grieving but balances the grief with guilt, growth and the big "what's next" question. I really, really love Quinn's family. Her relationship with her dad, sister and grandma are all memorable. It's not often we see great YA parents and these are pretty awesome.</div>
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<b>Hello Colton</b></div>
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In comes Colton who spends his days on the water leading kayaking tours, surfing and through other random adventures. Colton is charismatic and has a deep seeded need to live life to the fullest. You might as well tattoo "Carpe Diem" across his forehead. Basically, he's totally swoon-worthy and I wish I could go on secret kayaking trips with him. </div>
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<b>The Meet Cute and Climax</b></div>
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It doesn't take long after the clumsy girl trope for these two to strike up a friendship and a series of super cute outings take place. Their friendship is not without it's struggles due to both sides keeping secrets and the constant risk of those coming to light. As a reading this kept me on serious edge because I was constantly waiting for the "other shoe to drop". </div>
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<b>How it all ends...</b></div>
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The unveiling that had to happen, happens. However, Jessi Kirby's reveal does not come in the way I suspected and neither is the reaction that came after. I really loved it. It made sense to the story and stayed true to the character's mutual guilt that had bought them together. I could imagine 800 worse ways that this could've turned out but this is by far the best. </div>
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<b>Bonus: </b>This book pulled me out of a terrible reading slump, so yay!</div>
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3.5 Stars – No tears, a few awws, but still totally sweet.</div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-66370309406705607062017-02-23T00:00:00.000-05:002017-02-25T17:35:23.910-05:00[Guest Review] The Remedy by Suzanne Young<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5274604280989138861" itemprop="description articleBody" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; position: relative; width: 550px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Title:</b> The Remedy</span><br />
<b>Series:</b> The Program #0.5</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Author: </b>Suzanne Young [<a href="https://twitter.com/suzanne_young" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://suzanne-young.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Publisher: </span></span>Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster </div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Genre:</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> Young Adult Fiction - Science Fiction, Dystopian</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Release Date:</b> April 21, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source: </b>ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and the reader's own. – review policy <a href="http://becomingbooks.blogspot.com/p/review-requestspolicy.html" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here.</a></span></div>
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A huge thank you to Meghann for sending me this ARC and letting me review it!<br />
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I was a bit nervous to read this because I LOVED The Program but The Treatment let me down a bit. I was wondering which way this book would go. The synopsis immediately intrigued me though. </div>
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<b>Here it is:</b>Quinlan McKee is a closer. Since the age of seven, Quinn has held the responsibility of providing closure to grieving families with a special skill—she can “become” anyone.</div>
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Recommended by grief counselors, Quinn is hired by families to take on the short-term role of a deceased loved one between the ages of fifteen and twenty. She’s not an exact copy, of course, but she wears their clothes and changes her hair, studies them through pictures and videos, and soon, Quinn can act like them, smell like them, and be them for all intents and purposes. But to do her job successfully, she can’t get attached.</div>
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Now seventeen, Quinn is deft at recreating herself, sometimes confusing her own past with those of the people she’s portrayed. When she’s given her longest assignment, playing the role of Catalina Barnes, Quinn begins to bond with the deceased girl’s boyfriend. But that’s only the beginning of the complications, especially when Quinn finds out the truth about Catalina’s death. And the epidemic it could start.<br />
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THIS BOOK. I loved it even more than The Program. I was on an emotional rollercoaster the whole time! I loved the relationship between Quinn and Deacon, her former partner and former boyfriend turned best friend. The humor between them was fun and reminded me of Sloane and James. On the actual "closer" job, I was somewhere in the middle. I can see how this could be a beneficial therapy but I also found the idea SUPER creepy and unhealthy for the grieving families. Quinn was such an interesting character. We essentially follow her tailspin into insanity. It was awful to watch but so addicting. My favorite thing about this book was how psychologically intense it was! There was a point in the book where she stopped investigating some of Catalina's mysteries and that bummed me out. This cooling off period didn't last too long. I won't spoil it, but after her assignment with the Barnes and Isaac, she had a few mysteries of her own to unravel along with getting back to Catalina's. THE END OF THIS BOOK HAD MY HEART RACING. It was still racing after I finished! I couldn't help myself and HAD to ask the author on Twitter if we will get more Quinn and she said yes! *happy dance* My only complaint about this book would have to be some of the character's physical descriptions. I feel like I didn't get enough to form clear pictures of them in my mind. I mostly just made them up myself.</div>
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Otherwise, I loved this book and I am definitely ready for more! Five out of five stars!<br />
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5 Stars from Harlee Rose (<a href="https://twitter.com/Harlee_S" target="_blank">@Harlee_S</a>)</div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-80928913367534170172017-02-20T00:00:00.000-05:002017-02-25T17:35:52.473-05:00[Guest Post] Made You Up by Francesca Zappia<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5274604280989138861" itemprop="description articleBody" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; position: relative; width: 550px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Title:</b> Made You Up</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Author: </b>Francesca Zappia [<a href="https://twitter.com/ChessieZappia" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://francescazappia.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Publisher: </span></span>Greenwillow, an imprint of HarperCollins</div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Genre:</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Social Issues </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Release Date:</b> May 19, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source: </b>ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and the reader's own. – review policy <a href="http://becomingbooks.blogspot.com/p/review-requestspolicy.html" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here.</a></span></div>
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omg I LOVED THIS BOOK! I loved the writing style, the wacky school, Alex's humor and sincerity and MILES! I freaking LOVED Miles! And their whole little group. It was such a colorful cast of characters.<br />
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This is a story about a girl named Alex who has paranoid schizophrenia. She often hallucinates and takes photos with her digital camera to help her understand what's real and fake. The story starts off with her as a child trying to free the lobsters in the lobster tank at the grocery store. She meets a boy who has the bluest eyes she's ever seen... and later learns that the whole thing was a delusion.<br />
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Years later she's in her senior year of high school. Getting her last chance. She didn't do so well in her last school (due to paranoia about communists and a spray paint incident) and you get the feeling that if she doesn't prove herself this time around something bad is going to happen.<br />
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Alex is quirky and not just because of her schizophrenia. She's just a wacky girl with a good sense of humor. I loved her voice and I loved being inside of her head. So often people are scared of schizophrenics and this really helped me to understand what it might be like for people who suffer from schizophrenia. I felt for Alex and she broke my heart more than once. Towards the end of the book we learn a very sad truth that is devastating for Alex and my heart just broke. <br />
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Mile's is an incredibly interesting character. He's a genius, he's a jerk, he's king of the school. He does 'jobs' for people who pay him money to get revenge, get them out of tests, and other odd ball things. He does this because it gives him power. Without that he's just a nerd from a bad home who gets bullied. And he faces off with Alex, pulling pranks on her, and her pulling them back on him. They slowly form a bond thought and he later figures out that she's schizophrenic. But he's very good about it, and takes care of her. There are some of THE sweetest moments between the two of them. And I just loved him. And I also loved how she took care of him when he needed help. <br />
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The school they go to is almost it's own character. There's a lot of weird stuff going on and I just loved how it added to the story as an almost living background. <br />
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Pick this book up guys. It's brilliant and amazing!<br />
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5 Stars from Molly at</div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-89728354650964593232017-02-16T00:00:00.000-05:002017-02-25T17:37:51.247-05:00[Guest Review] Mosquitoland by David Arnold<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5274604280989138861" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 550px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Title:</b> Mosquitoland</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Author:</b> David Arnold [<a href="https://twitter.com/roofbeam" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://davidarnoldbooks.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Publisher: </span><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Viking Children's, an imprint of Penguin</span></span></div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Genre:</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Release Date:</b> March 3, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source: </b>ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy <a href="http://becomingbooks.blogspot.com/p/review-requestspolicy.html" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here.</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.295; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You know those books that just stay with you long after you read them? The kind where you went in not expecting much, and was then blown away by it? This was that kind of book for me. I went into this book as I do most contemporaries, expecting mostly fluff, but this book was so much more than that. In fact, I never tab or sticky books, with a few exceptions, but I tabbed this one </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.295; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">so </span><span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.295; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">much. And then I bought a finished copy. I’m not saying that this is a perfect book. It has its moments. But I still found it an exceptional read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mary Iris Malone, known as Mim, has been uprooted from her mother and childhood home, to move with her father and new stepmother to what she has dubbed “Mosquitoland”. When she finds out her mother is sick, she hops on a Greyhound bus to go back to Ohio. Along the way, she gets into quite a few skirmishes, and meets an eclectic group of people. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Mim isn’t the most likeable character, I think, but I also think that was the point. I actually enjoyed her quite a bit. She was blunt, honest, and clever. She has a different and unique way of looking at things, and she wasn’t afraid to tell it like it is. This book is told in two ways: Mim narrating her current journey, and Mim’s letters to someone that mainly include flashbacks from her life. We get to learn who Mim really is, and she is quite an interesting person. She sees the world differently, and that’s a good thing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love a good road trip story, and this was just that. But along the way, Mim also has to learn to fight her demons. This was a coming of age story, in which Mim learns who she is, and what she wants out of life. Her father has spent most of Mim’s life obsessed that there’s something “wrong” with her, so Mim either covers up how she really feels, or wonders if maybe there really is something wrong with her. Mim isn’t a perfect character. She makes mistakes, does many things wrong. But that’s all part of her learning experience. This book touches on subjects that are so important, says things that really need to be said, that people need to hear.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I loved the supporting cast. Walt, Beck, every person she meets along the way. Mim gets herself into quite the situations, but they were so much fun to read about. This book is so well-written, the pages will seem to fly by. Mim herself says that she is not a fan of predictable endings, and I think Arnold did a great job of tying up loose ends while still keeping them open, and not being predictable.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is definitely one of those books that I wish I could shove on everyone. While I realize this book may not be for everyone, I loved it so much. I thought it had an important message, one we all need to hear. But it wasn’t so serious that it bogged down the story, it was also fun and entertaining. An all-around great story.</span></span></div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-59204828459374276762017-02-13T06:00:00.000-05:002017-02-25T17:38:20.700-05:00[Review] Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5274604280989138861" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 550px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Title:</b> Maybe One Day</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Author:</b> Melissa Kantor [<a href="http://melissakantorauthor.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/darlingsr4ever" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://www.melissakantor.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Publisher: </span><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">HarperTeen an imprint of HarperCollins</span></span></div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Genre:</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Realistic Fiction</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Release Date:</b> February 18, 2014</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source: </b>Audiobook borrowed via library, opinions are honest and my own. – review policy <a href="http://becomingbooks.blogspot.com/p/review-requestspolicy.html" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here.</a></span></div>
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<b>Always read the synopsis for an audio book *doh*</b><br />
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One of my favorite things lately is to choose a weekly audiobook from the Overdrive app. I usually pick things that look interesting and are available immediately. Picky, I know. Anywho.. I had no clue what this what about when I pressed play. I found out quickly it's a story about Olivia and Zoe, and all that happens when Olivia is diagnosed with cancer.<br />
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The narrator was really good and the story is written beautifully but I'm not sure I would've chosen such a heavy read in audio format. I think it caused more tears than I wanted to shed. </div>
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<b>Girls rule, boys drool</b></div>
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I loved this book because more than anything it was actually about friendship. Sure there's boys but they're around for comfort, kind of like the opposite of the Bechdel test. This is about two girls who grew up together loving to dance and dance, until they were dismissed. Then it's about them figuring out life after dance and pondering all the things they'll do one day. This is about that friendship you only form once in a lifetime. It's beautiful, delicate and something to envy.<br />
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There is some minor romance but it is just that, minor. So if that's what you're looking for, carry on. If you want to know what it's like to have that impenetrable friendship for life, read this. Love Olivia and Zoe, grown with them. It was pretty awesome.</div>
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<b>ALL. THE. FEELS. </b></div>
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Warning!!! There are feels in this book. Everyone on the highway probably thinks I'm a crazy person who ugly cries on the way home. I was a HOTT mess and then towards the end I just curled up in my reading chair with my headphones in and the lights off. My partner thought I was sick but I said "No, this is so sad." and then he covered me with a blanket as I laid there to heal. So yes, read this!!!!! Just maybe not in public. </div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">4 Stars – This friendship absolutely wrecked me. Excuse me, I need to stitch my heart back together now.</span></span></div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-70070188224967993942017-02-12T00:00:00.000-05:002017-02-25T17:37:25.481-05:00Comic Sunday #15: Lowriders in Space<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Comic Sundays are an American newspaper tradition where new comic strips are published weekly. At Becoming Books this tradition will continue focusing on comic strips, comics and graphic novels appealing to young adult and adult audiences.</i></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20980944-lowriders-in-space?ac=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1409617647l/20980944.jpg" width="251" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #222222;"><b>Story by </b>Cathy Camper<b> Illustrations by</b> Raul The Third (Raul Gonzalez)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">MG Fiction – Graphic Novel | 112 pages</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">November 4, 2014 //</span> Chronicle Books</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">ARC copy provided by the publisher. – Opinions are my own, review policy </span><a href="http://www.becomingbooks.org/p/review-requestspolicy.html" style="color: #888888; font-family: inherit; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></div>
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I picked this up at BEA and I'm hitting myself for not picking it up sooner!<br />
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<b>Illustrations</b><br />
Throwback and nostalgic sum this up for me. Drawing inspiration from school doodles with ballpoint pens. What the frames lack in color they make up for in charm and nostalgia. The ARC is in black and white but you can see some of the colored work in the book trailer below. Raul's art is expressive while playfully integrating Mexican-American culture beyond lowriders.<br />
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<b>Story</b><br />
The story is quiet funny and a great look at lowerider culture. Some things that immediately sparked my interest were having a female mechanic, Lupe, and that Spanish is sprinkled in the dialogue a la Dora the Explorer style. Comics are dominated by superheroes and Asian influences so the subject matter and diversity is a welcome read. Excellent for middle graders and adults alike. I chuckled at the phrases and expressions that felt reflective of home.<br />
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<b>To Pull or Not To Pull? </b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKmYJ8E13Bc" target="_blank">What's a pull list?</a></span></i></div>
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Buy it! This is a graphic novel and it is now on sale. This is a great family read and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.</div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-38445497535510256552016-09-30T09:00:00.000-04:002016-09-30T09:00:13.168-04:00Blog Ahead! October 2016<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.herdingcats-burningsoup.com/2016/08/Blog-Ahead-Sign-Up-2016.html" rel="nofollow" title="Blog Ahead 2016-Oct"><img alt="Blog Ahead 2016-Oct" src="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/44/f1/66/44f16697a648a129f2a65ad60c52beb5.jpg" style="border: none;" /></a><br />
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I'm participating in Blog Ahead this year!! I did not do a good job with this last year but... baby steps.<br />
I finished a book this week so that is already a win :)<br />
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<b>What is Blog Ahead?</b><br />
Blog Ahead is an annual event hosted by Herding Cats and Burning Soup where you schedule 30 posts throughout the month so on October 31 I will have 30 posts schedule. It's an awesome way to prep for the busy holiday season.<br />
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<b>Help me!! </b><br />
Leave a comment below of things you'd like to see on Becoming Books besides reviews. I'm currently in brain storming mode so I will take all the help I can get!<br />
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<b>Check back here on November 1</b><br />
My accomplishments from Blog Ahead will begin rolling out on November 1 so yay!!<br />
Come back and join me then. October will be dedicated to come blog housekeeping and planning.<br />
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<b>How am I (personally) doing?</b><br />
On a personal level a lot better. These last 18ish months have been hard. Lots of adulting took place. Some of it necessary and some I could have done without. I've switch gears a bit professionally. I'm now teaching high school!! This has been unexpected but so rewarding. I am building in time to read which is nice and also rewarding... not a chore. It felt like that for a while. Now lets see if we can make blogging fun again :) </div>
Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-36438115708997860882016-01-07T00:00:00.001-05:002016-01-07T00:00:01.809-05:00[GIVEAWAY] Dissecting Epic Reads/HarperCollins 2016 releases... all 133 books!! <div style="text-align: center;">
A new year means new books!!!! This also means that publishers begin to release their pretties. BRING. IT. ON!</div>
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One of my favorite things about the YA bookish community is Epic Reads. So a few days ago they released an <a href="http://www.epicreads.com/blog/all-the-books-were-publishing-in-2016/" target="_blank">awesome infographic</a> of all their 2016 releases. You can even download the PDF to print off and track your progress. It does however seem that this list is incomplete missing titles for the last quarter of the year. </div>
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Let's break 'em down shall we.... </div>
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<i>(also if you're not much of a reader or just impatient, scroll down for the TL;DR)</i></div>
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;">By Genre</span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*Most of this information is from Goodreads and is subject to change. </span></i></div>
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<b><span style="color: #93c47d; font-size: large;">Historical Fiction</span></b></div>
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18743370-front-lines" target="_blank">Front Lines by Michael Grant</a></u> – YASS!!!! Love Michael Grant, love WWII, and love the premise of the first women in combat occurring in the 30s/40s vs. 2015. This will be book one in the Soldier Girl series. <i>Expected publication: January 26, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23385196-banished" target="_blank">Banished by Kimberley Griffiths Little</a></u> – Book two in the Forbidden series. "After spending months traveling the harsh, unforgiving Mesopotamian desert, Jayden reunites with a broken, injured Kadesh. But their reunion is short-lived, as they learn Horeb is on their trail and determined to take back the girl he has claimed." I didn't read the first in this series but it seems to be well received with over a 4.5 Goodreads rating. <i>Expected publication: February 2, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25862970-traitor-angels" target="_blank">Traitor Angels by Anne Blankman</a></u> – I'm not much of a historical reader but this sounds interesting. Following the life of English poet John Milton's daughter, Elizabeth, who is part poet apprentice and part English ninja goes on an adventure after the King's men arrest her father. She also drags along the Italian scientist houseguest. Lets hope there're smooches. Seems like it'd be fun for those who are fans of DiVinci Code or National Treasure. <i>Expected publication: May 3, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27064385-ivory-and-bone" target="_blank">Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh</a></u> – A debut author! A story about prehistoric clans fighting each other and mother nature. Also appears to be a love triangle in the making, betrayal and other shenanigans. I WILL be picking this up because... mammoths. <i>Expected publication: June 14, 2016.</i><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b>Dystopian</b></span></div>
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20872439-the-isle" target="_blank">The Isle by Jordana Frankle</a></u> – Part two in a duology about a female drag racer trying to save society and, more importantly, her sister from a futuristic flooded Manhattan. "Narrative distractions are overcome by action and character development in this duology closer." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jordana-frankel/the-isle/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a> <i>Expected publication: January 19, 2015.</i><br />
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</u> <u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25439510-the-capture" target="_blank">The Capture by Tom Isbell</a></u> – Book two in The Prey series. I read book one and liked it up until the last pages then I lost my *ish. I will be passing on this one... "Heroics, bravery, and action don’t compensate for serious implausibility issues." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/tom-isbell/the-capture/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a> <i>Expected publication: January 19, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26074181-the-crown" target="_blank">The Crown by Kiera Cass</a> – The Selection series book FIVE. I went to a B&N book event with Kiera Cass a few years ago and she was adamant there would be no more Selection books and then... The Heir came out. Now they are saying this will be the series finale. If you're into it let us know how it goes. I'm passing. <i>Expected publication: May 3, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23566912-spare-and-found-parts" target="_blank">Spare and Found Parts by Sarah Maria Griffin</a></u> – I'm IN! Sign me up now! Honestly, it doesn't sound like the thing I'd usually be into but this synopsis has me convinced. "In this YA debut, which draws inspiration from Frankenstein, the daughter of an inventor of biomechanical limbs finds a prosthetic hand on the shoreline of her ravaged city. It's the first boy's hand she's ever held, and it gives her an idea for her own great invention." <i>Publication date unknown.</i><br />
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</u> <u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22491367-the-black-key" target="_blank">The Black Key by Amy Ewing</a></u> – Book three in the Lone City series following The Jewel and The White Rose. <i>Publication date unknown.</i><br />
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</u> <u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27067085-untitled" target="_blank">Endgame #3 by James Frey</a></u> – Book number three in the Endgame series. Some thoughts on book two, Sky Key, "It feels all too much like a satire of dystopian teen lit crafted with little understanding of the genre beyond its surface conventions; worst of all, it doesn’t seem to care. Opportunistic, paint-by-numbers hackwork." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/james-frey/sky-key/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>. <i>Expected publication set for October 2016.</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Horror</span></b></div>
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22663629-shallow-graves" target="_blank">Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace</a></u> – A debut author! A teenage girl wakes up a year after her death to find that she has supernatural abilities. I'm hoping less zombie and more who's the killer action. Adding to the TBR. "Constantly entertaining, intriguing, and suspenseful." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kali-wallace/shallow-graves-wallace/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>. <i>Expected publication: January 26, 2016. </i><br />
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</u> <u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25116453-relic?" target="_blank">Relic by Gretchen McNeil</a></u> – This will be released on the newer Epic Reads Impulse imprint which is a digital first run. Nope, Nope... too scary for me. A group of high school graduates go to a creepy lake for their last big bash, run into a creepy stranger who warns them about a nearby creepy mine, and they go explore the mine. No thanks, I need to sleep at night. LOL! <i>Expected publication: March 8, 2016.</i><br />
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</u> <u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17735579-a-drop-of-night" target="_blank">A Drop of Night by Stefan Bachmann</a></u> – I don't typically do weird-creepy-unknowns-in-the-depths-of-who-knows-what but I'm in. Mostly because I've actually walked through the catacombs of Paris. There's something about being surrounds by millions of bones that says I can empathize with these characters. A group of gifted teens assist on an excavation of secret safe rooms for royalty. Soon they find themselves in some twisted creepy game. "Bizarre and hugely suspenseful." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/stefan-bachmann/a-drop-of-night/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>. <i>Expected publication: March 15, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25796019-harmony-house" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Harmony House by Nic Sheff</a> – After the death of her mother, Jen and her controlling father move to a new town that is hiding secrets with a haunted house. Sounds like a lighter version of Amityville Horror. I will be passing on<br />
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this. "Sheff writes solid suspense that recalls the classics: both Stephen King’s The Shining and Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, among others. A solid and quite frightening tale of the supernatural." - Kirkus Review. <i>Expected publication: March 22, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27064411-escape-from-asylum" target="_blank">Escape From Asylum by Madeline Roux</a></u> – Prequel to the popular Asylum series. <i>Expected publication: June 14, 2016. </i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27217297-what-the-dead-want" target="_blank">What The Dead Want by Norah Olson</a></u> – Gretchen's mom has gone missing and now she has inherited the family's pre-Civil War mansion located in upstate New York. The mansion holds violent and racist secrets that Gretchen must unravel to understand her mom's disappearance.... wow, that sounds interesting. Loved Norah Olson's <i>Twisted Fate</i> but I think I'm going to have to pass on this one. <i>Expected publication: July 19, 2016.</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">LGBTQIA</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22692740-symptoms-of-being-human" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin</a> – *Debut author! Riley wakes up somedays feeling more boy and others feeling more girl. Suffering from panic attacks and suicidal thoughts, Riley acts out a therapist's recommendation of starting a blog to express their gender fluidness anonymous. However... trolls. This is going in my maybe stack. <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jeff-garvin/symptoms-of-being-human/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>. <i>Expected publication: February 2, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25679389-away-we-go" target="_blank">Away We Go by Emil Ostrovski</a> – A group of young teens with Peter Pan Virus (age reversal) attend a special school to live out their days. Noah, who has a girlfriend, meets a boy he may love and challenges his world. Story includes mixed media like documents, flyers and postcards. "Lovers of self-consciously witty nihilist profundities will be thrilled; alas that the snark is mired in the stale trope of tragic gay romance." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/emil-ostrovski/away-we-go-ostrovski/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>. <i>Expected publication: April 5, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24485772-true-letters-from-a-fictional-life" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">True Letters From A Fictional Life by Kenneth Logan</a> – Popular "straight" athlete who has a girlfriend spends time writing letters he never intends to send revealing his true thoughts. One day the letters go public. Sounds like a take on Jenny Han's <i>To All The Boys I've Loved Before.</i> I'm going to pass. <i>Expected publication: June 7, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28217802-girl-mans-up" target="_blank">Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard</a></u> – *Debut author! "All Pen wants is to be the kind of girl she’s always been. So why does everyone have a problem with it? They think the way she looks and acts means she’s trying to be a boy—that she should quit trying to be something she’s not." I really despise the phrase "man up" but I'm intrigued. Adding it to the maybe pile. <i>Expected publication: September 6, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28003097-georgia-peaches-and-other-forbidden-fruit" style="text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown</a> – No synopsis available. I like the name and I enjoyed Brown's debut, No Place To Fall. Looking forward to more info. <i>Expected publication: November 15, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25164304-of-fire-and-stars" target="_blank">Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst</a> – OOOOhohohohoho... I'm in. Take my money. A fantasy with a magical princess who falls for her fiancé's sister. Let's do this! <i>Expected publication: September 2016.</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Sci-Fi</span></b></div>
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20499652-bluescreen" target="_blank">Bluescreen by Dan Wells</a></u> – This is a new series from Wells focusing on Marisa in a sci-fi Los Angeles where everyone is chipped into the internet. Mari is skilled at manipulating the device including illegal shenanigans. Going on my maybe list because I really don't want to start a new series. "Wells’ first in a new science-fiction series is an action-packed, twisty thriller mystery set in an all-too-believable future. Complex, ethnically diverse characters and witty dialogue balance out the (slight) overabundance of tech-blather." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/dan-wells/bluescreen/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>. <i>Expected publication: February 16, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24957629-dark-energy" target="_blank">Dark Energy by Robison Wells</a></u> – Five days ago, a massive UFO crashed in the Midwest. Since then, nothing—or no one—has come out. Alice is right in the middle of the action, but even she isn’t sure what to expect when the aliens finally emerge... Diverse, sci-fi standalone in less than 300 pages. No doubt it's fast paced but I'm concerned about some of the rest of it. Going on the maybe list. <i>Expected publication: March 29, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25816691-mr-fahrenheit" target="_blank">Mr. Fahrenheit by T. Michael Martin</a></u> – Benji and his friends shoot a UFO out of the midwestern sky. I'm gonna pass. <i>Expected publication: April 19, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1425383345l/10222388.jpg" target="_blank">MILA 2.0: Redemption by Debra Driza</a></u> – Book three and series ender for the MILA 2.0 series. I haven't read any of them but I know fans are dying to get their hands on this one! <i>Expected publication: April 26, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26116440-the-countdown" target="_blank">The Countdown by Kimberly Derting</a> – Book three in The Taking series. Not my cup of tea but for those following the series the end sounds tense! <i>Expected publication: May 10, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26198812-the-hunt" target="_blank">The Hunt by Megan Shepard</a> – Book two in The Cage series. "The former inhabitants of the Cage are threatened on all fronts—and maybe worst of all, one of the Hunt’s Kindred safari guests begins to play a twisted game of cat and mouse with Cora." <i>Expected publication: May 24, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27064372-change-places-with-me" target="_blank">Change Places With Me by Lois Metzger</a> – "Rose has changed. She still lives in the same neighborhood with her stepmother and goes to the same high school with the same group of kids, but when she woke up today, something was just a little different than it was before." Synopsis is vague, I'm gonna pass. <i>Expected publication: June 14, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15751616-unplugged" target="_blank">Unplugged by Donna Freitas</a> – The first book in a new series, The Wired. Freitas' novel is compared to <i>Feed</i> and <i>Uglies</i>, where Skylar navigates the App World to return to the Real World in order to reunite with her family. Unfortunately the gates close and Skylar must take a risk to return to a world she thought she knew. <i>Expected publication: June 21, 2015.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23612994-united-as-one" target="_blank">United As One by Pitticus Lore</a></u> – The conclusion to the Lorien Legacies series with book seven. <i>Expected publication: June 28, 2016.</i><br />
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<u>Gamescape: Overworld by Emma Trevayne</u> – Cannot find concrete info but... I think this was originally billed as <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23384431-the-nova-project" target="_blank">The Nova Project</a> on Goodreads. If so, it's pitched as <i>Good Omens</i> meets <i>Ready Player One</i>.<br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28219385-replica" target="_blank">Replica by Lauren Oliver</a></u> – The first book in a duology! "Replica, the first of the two books, tells the story of Lyra, known by the number 24, a replica – human model – who was born, raised, and observed in a clandestine research facility called the Haven Institute. When Lyra escapes from Haven and meets Gemma, a stranger on a quest of her own, earth-shattering secrets are revealed." Sounds familiar but I'm in. <i>Expected publication: September 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17234660-a-million-worlds-with-you" target="_blank">A Million Worlds With You by Claudia Gray</a> – The third book in the amazing and excellent Firebird series. I have the worst cover lust for this series and heart the stories so hard. Book #1, A Thousand Pieces of You was my 2014 book of the year. I pushed it on everyone. :) There's no official release date but my guess will be November 2016 since the previous books released in November.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Retellings</span></b></div>
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24574656-kingdom-of-ashes" target="_blank">Kingdom of Ashes by Rhiannon Thomas</a></u> – Book two in the A Wicked Thing series. "Undemanding medieval-style fantasy entertainment." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/rhiannon-thomas/kingdom-of-ashes/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>. I didn't read book one but it sounds very interesting because... dragons! <i>Expected publication: February 23, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18602406-yellow-brick-war" target="_blank">Yellow Brick War by Danielle Paige</a></u> – Book three in the Dorothy Must Die series. Oz is probably one of my least favorite stories so this whole series has never appealed to me. <i>Expected publication: March 15, 2016. </i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23400951-untitled" target="_blank">Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes</a> – "Wounded by a broken heart, Dinah wages an all-out war to defeat her evil father and reign over Wonderland as sole ruler. But will her humanity survive the fight?" I have not read the series but it is book three in the Queen of Heart series. <i>Expected publication: May 3, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22840421-my-lady-jane" target="_blank">My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows</a></u> – "For fans of The Princess Bride comes the comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey. Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger—and caught up in an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that’s the least of Jane’s problems. She’s about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong." I'm in! You had me at Princess Bride. I love a good laugh. <i>Expected publication: June 7, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28218948-as-i-descended" target="_blank">As I Descended by Robin Talley</a></u> – A lesbian retelling of Macbeth in an all girls boarding school. Do I really need to say more? Let's do this! <i>Expected publication: September 6, 2016. </i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21825774-bright-smoke-cold-fire" target="_blank">Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge</a> – A series pitched as Romeo and Juliet meets Sabriel. Throwing it in the maybe pile. I have enjoyed a previous novel by Hodge. <i>Unknown release date.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23299513-the-shadow-queen" target="_blank">The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine</a></u> – A new retelling series, Ravenspire, loosely based on Snow White. "For the most part, the story is a full-bore fantasy fairy tale with magic slung around with abandon and battles aplenty." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/cj-redwine/the-shadow-queen/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>. <i>Expected publication: February 16, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22428707-the-great-hunt" target="_blank">The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins</a> – Kicking off a duology the great hunt is based on the Grimm Brothers' "The Singing Bone" tale. "An enjoyable-enough fantasy with a healthy sprinkling of romance." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/wendy-higgins/the-great-hunt/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>. I'm not familiar with this tale so I will be looking forward to it. <i>Expected publication: March 8, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20652096-rose-thorn" target="_blank">Rose and Thorn by Sarah Prineas</a> – Companion novel to Ash and Bramble, Cinderella retelling, set 50 years after the first. <i>Expected release September 2016.</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Mystery/Thriller</span></b></div>
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22596955-nothing-bad-is-going-to-happen" target="_blank">Nothing Bad Is Going To Happen by Kathleen Hale</a></u> – I will be passing on this sequel to <i>No One Else Can Have You</i>. "Now that her best friend’s killer, Ralph, is behind bars, Kippy can concentrate on having sex for the first time with Davey. There is much to consider, such as deciding which donut she should eat from around Davey’s penis." - Kirkus Review. <i>Expected publication: January 5, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25773842-shade-me" target="_blank">Shade Me by Jennifer Brown</a> – Nikki Kill is called to the hospital to ID a Jane Doe. Jane turns out to be a classmate who had only one number in her cell phone, Nikki's. Nikki is able to "see" emotions via color in a rare phenomenon called "synesthesia". Seems like an interesting premiss but I'm already confused. First book in the Nikki Kill series. <i>Expected publication: January 19, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22811780-the-mystery-of-hollow-places" target="_blank">The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos</a> – *debut author! Imogene Scott's mom walked out of her life years ago. Now her dad, a successful crime author - like Bones, has gone missing. Imogene is convinced the two are tied together and starts her own search using her dad's books as a guide. Starred review from <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/rebecca-podos/the-mystery-of-hollow-places/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>, "This heartfelt and page-turning debut introduces readers to a whip-smart and wise heroine." <i>Expected publication: January 26, 2016</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15782557-take-the-fall" target="_blank">Take The Fall by Emily Hainsworth</a> – Sonia and Gretchen are attacked in the woods. Only Sonia survives along with the guilt. In the quest to prove Gretchen's ex Marcus is the killer Sonia is riddled with more questions than answers. "The story offers plenty of red herrings but falls short of thrilling." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/emily-hainsworth/take-the-fall/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>. <i>Expected publication: February 16, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25742635-behold-the-bones" target="_blank">Behold The Bones by Natalie C. Parker</a> – Book two in the Beware The Wild series. The southern gothic swamp tale continues. "Shines with spooky Southern charm." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/natalie-c-parker/behold-the-bones/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>. <i>Expected publication: February 23, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23272028-a-study-in-charlotte" target="_blank">A Study In Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro</a> – A take on Sherlock Holmes and series starter. Please don't disappoint me. Pretty please. A starred review on <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/brittany-cavallaro/a-study-in-charlotte/" target="_blank">Kirkus</a>, "These sleuths may still be in school—and working out of a supply closet with smartphones—but Cavallaro’s crackling dialogue, well-drawn characters, and complicated relationships make this feel like a seamless and sharp renewal of Doyle’s series." <i>Expected publication: March 1, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20416065-trust-me" target="_blank">Trust Me by Romily Bernard</a> – Book three in the Find Me series. "For die-hard fans of the first two books." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/romily-bernard/trust-me-find-me/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>. <i>Expected publication: March 22, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26074199-night-speed" target="_blank">Night Speed by Chris Howard</a> – A teenage girl uses sanctioned drugs to catch abusers of the same drugs. While undercover she meets a boy, battles her drug dependency and contemplates her future as time runs out. <i>Expected publication: May 3, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26198831-the-blood-between-us" target="_blank">The Blood Between Us by Zac Brewer</a> – Adoptee Adriene and his sister Grace have lost their parents and as a result lose touch with each other. After years apart they are forced to reunite where questions emerge regarding Grace's knowledge of their parent's death. <i>Expected publication: May 3, 2016. </i><br />
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The Outliers by Kimberly McCrieght – After a fight Wylie hasn't heard from Cassie in a week and then she sends a text for help. The text messages are cryptic and unwanted help has arrived to help Wylie search for Cassie. Now Wylie has to decide if she's going to trust her gut, trust Cassie or will the worry of something wrong continue to grow? First in a series. <i>Expected publication: May 3, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20467286-unrivaled" target="_blank">Unrivaled by Alyson Noël</a> – The first book in the Beautiful Idols series explores a group of Hollywood hopefuls as they get tangled up in the disappearance of Hollywood starlet Madison Brooks. <i>Expected publication: May 10, 2016. </i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26198834-please-don-t-tell" target="_blank">Please Don't Tell by Laura Tims</a></u> – *debut author! A murder mystery highlighting a pair of twin sisters where one has killed to protect the other. Billed for fans of <i>Pretty Little Liars</i>. <i>Expected publication: May 24, 2016. </i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26244485-out-of-my-mind" target="_blank">Out of My Mind by Lauren Sabel</a> – Author of <i>Vivian Devine is Dead</i> brings us a psychic teen, Callie, who works with the government as a spy. Her world starts to get more complicated as a new psychic starts at the office and her visions start to hit closer to home. <i>Expected publication: May 31, 2016.</i><br />
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The Stranger Game by Cylin Busby – I've got nothing! Busby's most notable work appears to be YA memoir, <i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3181454-the-year-we-disappeared/" target="_blank">The Year We Disappeared.</a> </i>Since this is a mystery I'll be on the lookout for more info, I'm intrigued. <i>Release date unknown.</i><br />
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<u>Avenged by E.E. Cooper</u> – Not on Goodreads yet. My best guess is this is book two in the Vanished series which was released in May 2015.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Realistic Fiction</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18711172-thicker-than-water" target="_blank">Thicker Than Water by Kelly Fiore</a> – CeCe is distraught by her brothers drug addiction and begins selling off his pills which comes with its own set of complications. Now Cecilia Price has been accused of her brother's murder. Adding to the TBR. <i>Expected publication: January 5, 2016. </i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18665259-picture-perfect" target="_blank">Geek Girl: Picture Perfect by Holly Smale</a> – Originally published in 2014 the third book in the Geek Girl series gets a cover makeover for its U.S. release. <i>Expected publication: January 26, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25613939-the-word-for-yes" target="_blank">The Word for Yes by Claire Needell</a> – *debut author! After an incident at a party, three sisters struggle to come together in order to discover the truth and heal. Starred review from <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/claire-needell/the-word-for-yes/" target="_blank">Kirkus</a>, "An engrossing story proving the hard truth that it isn’t always strangers who hurt us the worst of all." I'm in, sign me up. Rings a little close to home so I'm sure I'll need tissues. <i>Expected publication: February 16, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22926200-the-lifeboat-clique" target="_blank">The Lifeboat Clique by Kathy Parks</a></u> – Denver sneaks into a party when a tsunami hit California and she's forced into a lifeboat with her ex-BFF. Billed as Mean Girls meets Life of Pi. <i>Expected publication: March 1, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25647300-down-with-the-shine" target="_blank">Down With The Shine by Kate Karyus Quinn</a> – I need this! Lennie is tasked with carrying on the family legacy of bootlegging... or so she thought. This moonshine grants wishes and after a night of partying things have gone array. <i>Expected publication: April 26, 2016. </i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23266647-ask-me-how-i-got-here" target="_blank">Ask Me How I Got Here by Christine Heppermann</a> – Addie makes the decision to have an abortion and struggles to find her place in the world afterwards. Told in verse the story explores her quest to heal. <i>Expected publication: May 3, 2016. </i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22440677-the-way-back-to-you" target="_blank">The Way Back To You by Michelle Andreani and Mindi Scott</a></u> – *debut author! Cloudy's best friend died in a bike accident six months ago, now she's discovered who has received Ashlyn's organs. Hoping to find closure Cloudy teams up with Kyle, Ashlyn's boyfriend, for a road trip to meet the donor recipients... Adding this to the maybe pile. Don't know if I have enough tissues. <i>Expected publication: May 3, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26115772-the-fall-of-butterflies" target="_blank">The Fall of Butterflies by Andrea Portes</a> – Willa Parker is shipped off to a Bourgeoisie prep school where she doesn't fit in. She meets a new mystical friend, Remy, who maybe the secret to her fitting in. Billed as a cross between <i>We Were Liars </i>and <i>Looking for Alaska. Expected publication: May 10, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26198165-incriminated" target="_blank">Incriminated by M. G. Reyes</a></u> – Book to in the Emancipated series. "Packed with conspiracies, intrigue, and scandalous romance, this gripping sequel told from multiple perspectives will have readers suspecting them all." <i>Expected publication: May 24, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26244502-meet-me-here" target="_blank">Meet Me Here by Bryan Bliss</a></u> – Thomas is scheduled to leave for the Army in the morning to continue the family legacy. Mallory invites him on one last night of shenanigans where he explores the truth about his brother's PTSD, his own fears of going to war, and more. <i>Expected publication: May 31, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23587107-frannie-and-tru" target="_blank">Frannie and Tru by Karen Hattrup</a> – "When Frannie Little eavesdrops on her parents fighting she discovers that her cousin Truman is gay, and his parents are so upset they are sending him to live with her family for the summer. Together, they embark on a magical summer marked by slowly unraveling secrets." <i>Expected publication: May 31, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23603597-how-it-feels-to-fly" target="_blank">How It Feels To Fly by Kathryn Holmes</a></u> – Ballerina Samantha is sent to a treatment facility for emotional and mental obstacles after she feels her body is betraying her and derailing her dreams. Billed for fans of Center Stage and The Breakfast Club. <i>Expected publication: June 14, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27064380-we-were-never-here" target="_blank">We Were Never Here by Jennifer Gilmore</a></u> – Lizzie has suddenly fallen ill with a mysterious disease. While recovering in the hospital she meets volunteer Conner and his dog. They form a bond that helps Lizzie heal but might undo Conner. <i>Expected publication: June 14, 2016. </i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26869849-winning" target="_blank">Winning by Lara Deloza</a></u> – Alexandra is determined to become Homecoming Queen. So much so that she has engineered each interaction she has to make it so until... Erin. Erin moves to town and threatens the crown. No fear, Alexandria has a plan. <i>Expected publication: June 28, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26869838-a-season-for-fireflies" target="_blank">A Season for Fireflies by Rebecca Maizel</a> – From geek to chic, former drama nerd Penny is now on the other side of the fence and her old friends and flame avoid her. Then a record number of fireflies descend on her town and she may be able to right her wrongs. <i>Expected publication: June 28, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27246856-shiny-broken-pieces" target="_blank">Shiny Broken Pieces: A Tiny Pretty Things Novel by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton</a> – Book two in this series. "June, Bette, and Gigi have given their all to dance at Manhattan’s most elite ballet school. Now they are competing one final time for a spot at the prestigious American Ballet Company." <i>Expected publication: July 12, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28218957-the-cat-king-of-havana" target="_blank">The Cat King of Havana by Tom Crosshill</a></u> – No synopsis! <i>Expected publication: September 6, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23594354-i-m-not-your-manic-pixie-dream-girl" target="_blank">I'm Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl by Gretchen McNeil</a></u> – Yep, sign me up!!!!! Bea has life after high school with valedictorian, M.I.T. and her boyfriend all planned out but while she's still there bullying is abound. In order to boost their social status she creates the perfect popularity formula. And it works! Until "Trixie", Bea's alter ego, starts messing stuff up. <i>Expected publication: September 13, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28374027-the-boomerang-effect" target="_blank">The Boomerang Effect by Gordon Jack</a></u> – *debut author "Pitched as a YA Jeeves and Wooster, about a floundering stoner and a Spock-like exchange student who must unmask a mysterious school vandal to clear their names." <i>Expected publication: September 20, 2016.</i><br />
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<u>Saving Red by Sonya Sones</u> – No synopsis available. Author of What My Mother Doesn't Know series written in verse.<br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25812109-the-female-of-the-species" target="_blank">The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis</a></u> – "A really dark contemporary." bought to us by the author of the Not A Drop To Drink series so I believe it. <i>Expected publication: October 2016.</i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UK edition cover</td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25465103-a-perfect-disaster" target="_blank">Perfect Disasters by Amanda Maciel</a> – Rosie Fuller is perceived as being the "easy" girl in town. Then Alex moves to town and is nonjudgy towards Rosie. After a disastrous party night Rosie is confronted with multiple realities about who she is and who she wants to be. <i>Expected publication: May 6, 2016.</i><br />
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<u>Pushing Perfect by Michelle Falkoff</u> – no info available, author of <i>Playlist for the Dead.</i><br />
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<u>The Suicide Pack by Owen Matthews </u>– no info available, author of <i>How To Win at High School.</i><br />
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<u>Girls in the Moon by Janet McNally</u> – no info available.<br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24647805-diplomatic-immunity" target="_blank">Diplomatic Immunity by Brodi Ashton</a></u> – "A standalone novel about a recent scholarship recipient who sets out to expose debauchery at her exclusive private school in Washington, D.C., only to find herself falling in love with the baddest boy of all."<br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Fantasy</span></b></div>
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25439542-burn" target="_blank">Burn by Elissa Sussman</a></u> – Companion novel to <i>Four Sisters</i>. "The thrilling companion to Elissa Sussman’s masterful and original fairy tale, Stray, that will appeal to readers of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and fans of Wicked, Into the Woods, and the Disney princess movies." <i>Expected publication: January 19, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22065067-sword-and-verse" target="_blank">Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan</a> – Raisa, is groomed to be a royal tutor in a land where reading and writing is forbidden for slaves. Approached by the Resistance, Raisa must determine her loyalties and her life. Book one in a series. <i>Expected publication: January 19, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25817407-the-siren" target="_blank">The Siren by Kiera Cass</a></u> – "Standalone" fantasy, we'll see about that. The Ocean saved her, now Kahlen must repay her debt as a Siren slave. With a voice of death she suffers in solitude until she meets Akinli. <i>Expected publication: January 26, 2016. </i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21843165-revenge-and-the-wild" target="_blank">Revenge and the Wild by Michelle Modesto</a></u> – *debut author! Westie lost her arm years ago on the wagon trail when cannibals attacked her and killed her family. Now adopted by a popular inventor, she is determined to track down the killers who look a lot like her adopted dad's new investors. Teamed up with dad's assistant, Alistair, she tries to prove their guilt without getting her current loved ones killed...Adding this to my list! <i>Expected publication: February 2, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21421609-assassin-s-heart" target="_blank">Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers</a></u> – Series starter by debut author. Nine assassin family kill people for a price. Things take a dark turn for teenage clan member Lea when her family is murdered and home torched. The suspects? Her secret boyfriend's assassin family. Billed as Romeo and Juliet meets The Godfather. <i>Expected publication: February 2, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23174274-glass-sword" target="_blank">Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard</a></u> – Book two to the amazing Red Queen series. I've been waiting impatiently for this! Betrayed by her friend, Maven, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors. <i>Expected publication: February 9, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25577715-reign-of-shadows" target="_blank">Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan</a></u> – I'm not a fan of this cover... After her royal parents are murdered, Luna is kept in a tower for 17 years to conceal her livelihood. Outside the tower is a mysterious archer, Fowler, who has caught her eye. Luna wants more than the tower life and flees with Fowler while dodging death along the way. "All the standard tropes and clichés, only ever-so-much more so." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/sophie-jordan/reign-of-shadows/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>. <i>Expected publication: February 9, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21979832-the-girl-from-everywhere" target="_blank">The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig</a></u> – *debut author and the first of a duology. Aboard her father's time-traveling ship Nix sails to lands real and fictional as long as there's a map. Now her dad has discovered the map from before Nix's birth and her mom's death. Nix struggles with reuniting her mom and dad, and preserving her own life... I'm in! Time travel please don't disappoint me. <i>Expected publication: February 16, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18805154-blood-passage" target="_blank">Blood Passage by Heather Demetrios</a></u> – Book two in the Dark Caravan Cycle series. "Here’s hoping the third book arrives faster than a jinni can manifest a glass of spiced Arjinnan wine." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/heather-demetrios/blood-passage/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>... may have to add this to the queue! <i>Expected publication: March 1, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25816519-seven-black-diamonds" target="_blank">Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr</a></u> – A new Melissa Marr series!!!! There are fae involved!! Lilywhite is half-human and half-fae, shielded from her fae side, she is thrown into a whirlwind when she gets caught up in a fae society at school. <i>Expected publication: March 1, 2016</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23677316-burning-glass" target="_blank">Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie</a></u> – *debut author! Series starter with protagonist Sonya who has the power to sense people's feelings physically and emotionally. Captured for her powers she serves the emperor until she can form an alliance for her safety. "Unfortunately, this debut is just another first in an epic fantasy trilogy that relies on a love triangle to bring tension to the story. " - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/kathryn-purdie/burning-glass/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>. <i>Expected publication: March 1, 2016</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22909838-the-mirror-king" target="_blank">The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows</a></u> – Book two in the Orphan Queen series. "In this stunning conclusion to THE ORPHAN QUEEN, Jodi Meadows follows Wilhelmina’s breathtaking and brave journey from orphaned criminal on the streets to magic-wielding queen." <i>Expected publication: April 5, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25174874-forest-of-ruin" target="_blank">Forest of Ruin by Kelley Armstrong</a></u> – Book three in the Age of Legends series. "In this breathtaking final book in her epic trilogy the Age of Legends, #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong blends fantasy, action, and romance to give readers the unforgettable ending they’ve been waiting for." <i>Expected publication: April 5, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23253083-flamecaster" target="_blank">Flamecaster by Cinda Williams Chima</a></u> – Book one in a 4-book series, Shattered Realms. This series will explore the next generation of the Seven Realms. A healer, Ash, is out for revenge against the King and Jenna, born with a mysterious mark, is on the run from the King. Their paths collide throwing life and death into a careful balance. <i>Expected publication: April 5, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26074185-ruined" target="_blank">Ruined by Amy Tintera</a></u> – Book one of an untitled new series. Em has no powers in a ruined village of those with powers, and no family after her parents are murdered and sister kidnapped. On a mission, she disguises herself as the prince's betrothed in hopes of saving her sister and her village. <i>Expected publication: May 3, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26156203-the-crown-s-game" target="_blank">The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye</a></u> – *debut author! Book one of the Crown's Game series. Vika and Nikolai are the last enchanters in Russia but the Tsar needs a protector so they must battle each other. One will win and murder the other.... Sounds like a mix of Hunger Games and illogic. <i>Expected publication: May 17, 2016. </i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26074170-this-savage-song" target="_blank">This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab</a></u> – Book one in the Monsters of Verity series. August Flynn aims for a larger part in a war between the North and South, armed with a secret ability, he volunteers to keep an eye on the North's daughter, Kate. On the run, the two dodge monsters and chaos. <i>Expected publication: July 5, 2016.</i> <br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22429623-the-marked-girl" target="_blank">The Marked Girl by Lindsey Klingele</a></u> – Book one in the Marked Girl series. A magical portal connects a fantasy land, Caelum, and modern day L.A. Prince Cedric and his friends navigate a strange world, running into foster kid Liv and attempting to evade traitor Malquin. <i>Expected publication: June 21, 2016. </i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27246439-the-day-before-forever" target="_blank">The Day Before Forever by Anna Caltabiano</a></u> – Book three in the Seventh Miss Hatfield series, to be released on the digital imprint Epic Reads Impulse.<br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23207027-three-dark-crowns" target="_blank">Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake</a></u> – Book one in an untitled series. "Three Dark Crowns tells the story of triplet sisters on a remote island ruled by powerful magic and ancient family lineages. Separated at birth, one of the sisters will grow up to be queen, but in order to ascend to the throne she must hone her magic for a dark purpose: assassinating her other two sisters before they kill her first." <i>Expected publication: Fall 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18054071-untitled" target="_blank">Like A River Glorious by Rae Carson</a> – Follow up and second book, <i>Walk on Earth a Stranger</i>, in The Gold Seer Trilogy. <i>Expected publication: 2016.</i><br />
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<u>Aerie by Maria Dahvana Headley</u> – No information available.<br />
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<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1444561870l/25493815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1444561870l/25493815.jpg" width="132" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17404297-frost-like-night" target="_blank">Frost Like Night by Sara Raasch</a> – Book three in the Snow Like Ashes Series.<br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23302838-untitled" target="_blank">The Old Kingdom Book #5 by Garth Nix</a></u> – Book five in the Abhorsen series. "According to Nix's author's note at the end of 'Clariel', this novel will be about Nicholas Sayre and Lirael following the events of the short story 'The Creature in the Case'."<br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25493815-the-dark-army" target="_blank">The Dark Army by Joseph Delaney</a></u> – Book two in The Starblade Chronicles. <i>Expected U.S. publication unknown. Released in UK February 2016 with Bodley Head.</i><br />
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<b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Contemporary Romance</span></b></div>
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25131078-the-distance-from-a-to-z" target="_blank">The Distance From A to Z by Natalie Blitt</a></u> – Abby is learning French to escape her Cubs baseball obsessed family. Her French partner and baseball fan, Zeke, is less than desirable in French but becomes more appealing in English. <i>Expected publication: January 12, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25708587-the-leaving-season" target="_blank">The Leaving Season by Cat Jordan</a></u> – As leaving season comes upon Maddie her perfect boyfriend Nate leaves for his Central American gap year before he comes back to her. Tragedy strikes and Maddie soon finds herself leaning on Nate's best friend, Lee, to heal. <i>Expected publication: March 1, 2016. </i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24039424-this-is-where-the-world-ends" target="_blank">This Is Where The World Ends by Amy Zhang</a> – Two friends with opposite personalities struggle to stay close after one experiences a life-changing incident. "Readers will be left to decide for themselves whether this is a tragic love story or a psychological thriller; regardless, this is most definitely a novel that will have fans talking." - <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/amy-zhang/this-is-where-the-world-ends/" target="_blank">Kirkus Review</a>. <i>Expected publication: March 22, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25817210-the-summer-of-everything?" target="_blank">The Summer of Everything by Catherine Clark</a></u> – "This bind-up features two repackaged fan-favorite novels that are sure to delight readers of Stephanie Perkins, Jennifer Echols, and, of course, Catherine Clark." <i>Expected publication: April 5, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23466626-dreamology" target="_blank">Dreamology by Lucy Keating</a></u> – Alice dreams of a boy named Max. In her dreams they are perfect and have amazing adventures. As far as she knows he's just a dream until... he shows up in her class. Now a real boy, Max and Alice try getting to know each other in reality. <i>Expected publication: April 12, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25816803-eleven-things-i-promised?" target="_blank">Eleven Things I Promised by Catherine Clark</a></u> – "Frances has one week—while she’ll be away from home competing in a high school bike race—to do every single thing on the Fix-It List. Ten crazy, totally out-of-character ideas her best friend, Stella, came up with to make the bike ride unforgettable." <i>Expected publication: April 5, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1445188391l/26074114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1445188391l/26074114.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26074114-lost-in-love" target="_blank">Lost In Love by Susane Colasanti</a></u> – Book two in the City Love series. "In this second book of the City Love trilogy by bestselling author Susane Colasanti, three girls share a Manhattan apartment the summer before college begins. Lost in Love captures the essence of summer love, self-discovery, and sisterhood." <i>Expected publication: May 3, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26074111-unforgivable" target="_blank">Unforgivable by Amy Reed</a></u> – Book two in the Invincible series. "Unforgivable takes off where Invincible left us—with Evie drowning in San Francisco Bay. Marcus finds her just in time, but her survival is not the happy ending he was hoping for. Forbidden from seeing Evie by her parents and unable to reach her, Marcus learns of a pain that might break him completely." <i>Expected publication: May 3, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22453741-wanderlost" target="_blank">Wanderlost by Jen Malone</a></u> – Aubree idolizes her sister's worldly travels until Elizabeth needs her to join in on her adventures. Elizabeth asks Bree to take over her internship as her leading a European seniors tour. <i>Paperback release expected: May 31, 2016. </i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26074209-a-walk-in-the-sun" target="_blank">A Walk In The Sun by Michelle Zink</a></u> – As a Southerner this book screams <i>Strawberry Wine</i> in full length. Hopefully not as sad. Rose returns to her family's farm and meets ranch hand Bohdi who plans to leave at the end of summer. Adding this to my TBR! <i>Expected publication: May 3, 2016. </i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26116514-the-season-of-you-me" target="_blank">The Season of You and Me by Robin Constantine</a></u> – Cassidy is gearing up for an awesome summer with her boyfriend... until he dumps her. Now she's in New Jersey with her estranged father and a job as a camp counselor. Bryan is recovering from a paralyzing accident, excited to return to his position at Camp Manatee. <i>Expected publication: May 10, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26115740-this-is-my-brain-on-boys" target="_blank">This Is My Brain on Boys by Sarah Strohmeyer</a></u> – Addie is on a Harvard bound mission that involves discovering the equation for falling in love. But, her Harvard scholarship hopes might be derailed when a classmate discovers what she's up to. <i>Expected publication: May 10, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26116502-even-if-the-sky-falls" target="_blank">Even If The Sky Falls by Mia Garcia</a></u> – Julie ditches her youth group in New Orleans and heads to Mid-Summer Mardi Gras where she meets a boy. In a 24-hour romance the whirlwind is a hurricane headed their way. <i>Expected publication: May 10, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26116496-the-last-time-we-were-us" target="_blank">The Last Time We Were Us by Leah Konen</a></u> – "A passionate summer love story about a girl, her childhood best friend recently released from juvie, and the small-town lies that have kept them apart. A teen romance debut with a dark edge.".. Adding to my TBR! Sounds like there will be feels involved. <i>Expected publication: May 10, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22297294-girl-against-the-universe" target="_blank">Girl Against The Universe by Paula Stokes</a></u> – "Maguire knows she’s bad luck. Like that time her brother, father, and uncle were all killed in a car crash—and Maguire walked away with barely a scratch. But then she meets Jordy, an aspiring tennis star, who wants to help Maguire break her unlucky streak. Maguire knows that the best thing she can do for Jordy is to stay away, but staying away may be harder than she thought." I shamefully have not read a Paula Stokes book but want to sooo bad! <i>Expected publication: May 17, 2016.</i><br />
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Spark by Holly Schindler – Quin decides to rewrite a real-life tragic love story for her local theater and in doing so discovers the run-down theater is regaining its former glory. It's up to Quin to make sure she can save it all this time around. <i>Expected publication: May 17, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27246877-sing" target="_blank">Sing by Vivi Greene</a></u> – "America’s most famous pop star flees the spotlight to recover from her latest break-up in Maine—only to fall for a local boy and be faced with an impossible choice at the end of the summer: her new guy, or her music." <i>Expected publication: June 7, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26795312-what-happens-now" target="_blank">What Happens Now by Jennifer Castle</a></u> – Ari Logan is fighting her personal war on depression and a past suicide attempt. With summer coming up and everyone in her life preoccupied she meets Camden a sci-fi fanboy who comes with his own baggage. <i>Expected publication: June 7, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27064272-red-velvet-crush" target="_blank">Red Velvet Crush by Christina Meredith</a></u> – Teddy Lee is the dreaded middle child who yearns to be noticed so she starts a band with her younger sister. Will Teddy Lee get the attention she craves or will her sister get it and they boy? This story explores the complex relationship between sisters. <i>Expected publication: June 14, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25263136-autofocus" target="_blank">Autofocus by Lauren Gibaldi</a></u> – Maude explores the meaning of family as she investigates her birth mother's life for a senior photography project. Traveling to visit her BFF at college, Treena, in hope of search assistance she finds a busy girl instead. Partnering with another college student, Bennett, she explores her past and future. <i>Expected publication: June 14, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23253261-the-lost-found" target="_blank">The Lost & Found by Katrina Leno</a></u> – Frannie and Louise both have a tendency to lose things... or have them just disappear. After meeting online when they were younger they are now embarking on a road trip to Austin, Texas to find answers and each other. <i>Expected publication: July 5, 2016.</i><br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27217344-finding-abbey-road" target="_blank">Finding Abbey Road by Kevin Emerson</a> – Book three in the Exile series. "Packed with mystery and music, Kevin Emerson’s final volume in the Exile series is the pitch-perfect ending to Summer’s journey of self-discovery and love, and an ode to music fans everywhere." <i>Expected publication: August 2, 2016.</i><br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28458996-be-good-be-real-be-crazy" target="_blank">Be Good Be Real Be Crazy by Chelsey Philpot</a></u> – no info available, Philpot is also the author of <i>Even In Paradise</i> (2014).<br />
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<u><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25165389-catch-a-falling-heart" target="_blank">Catch a Falling Heart by Stacey Lee</a></u> – Originally titled Touch Me Not, a 16-year-old aromateur with an extraordinary nose, the last in a long line of love witches, scrambles to reverse the effects of a love elixir after giving it to the wrong target – all while trying not to fall for the woman's attractive son. Stacey Lee is a founder of #WeNeedDiverseBooks.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;"><b>TL;DR</b></span></div>
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<b>What I've got on pre-order and am scavenging the earth for ARCs:</b><br />
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<li>Front Lines by Michael Grant *series</li>
<li>Ivory and Bone *series</li>
<li>Shallow Graves</li>
<li>Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst</li>
<li>Replica by Lauren Oliver *duology</li>
<li>A Million Worlds With You by Claudia Gray *series</li>
<li>My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows</li>
<li>As I Descended by Robin Talley</li>
<li>The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins</li>
<li>A Study In Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro</li>
<li>Thicker Than Water by Kelly Fiore</li>
<li>The Word for Yes by Claire Needell</li>
<li>Down With The Shine by Kate Karyus Quinn</li>
<li>I'm Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl by Gretchen McNeil</li>
<li>Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard</li>
<li>The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig</li>
<li>The Distance From A to Z by Natalie Blitt</li>
<li>A Walk In The Sun by Michelle Zink</li>
<li>Wanderlost by Jen Malone</li>
<li>Autofocus by Lauren Gibaldi </li>
</ul>
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<b>What I could be interested in reading if I have time:</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Symptoms of Being Human</li>
<li>Girl Mans Up</li>
<li>Bluescreen by Dan Wells *series</li>
<li>Dark Energy by Robison Wells</li>
<li>Bright Smoke, Cold Fire</li>
<li>The Way Back To You by Michelle Andreani and Mindi Scott</li>
<li>Meet Me Here by Bryan Bliss</li>
<li>Blood Passage by Heather Demetrios</li>
<li>Ruined by Amy Tintera</li>
<li>Girl Against The Universe by Paula Stokes </li>
</ul>
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Your choice of one pre-order mentioned in this post. Prize will be ordered via Amazon or Book Depository once available for pre-order. Open internationally as long as the <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/help/topic/HelpId/3/Which-countries-do-you-deliver-to" target="_blank">Book Depository ships to your country for free</a>. Contest closes January 15, 2016 at 11:59 p.m. eastern time. *This giveaway is not sponsored by HarperCollins or the authors. Just a girl writing for the world asking you to win/read a book.</div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-42927129099353609552016-01-06T12:07:00.003-05:002016-01-06T12:07:56.517-05:00[Blog Swap] Book and a Cuppa Swap!! <div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cgswaps.com/2016/01/book-and-a-cuppa-swap-sign-ups/" target="”_blank”"><img a="" and="" book="" cuppa="" src="http://i2.wp.com/cgswaps.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/2016BOOKANDCUPPAButton.png" goddess="" height="320" swap="" swaps="" title="”Chaotic" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">Important Dates to Remember</span></b></div>
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<a href="http://cgswaps.com/2016/01/book-and-a-cuppa-swap-sign-ups/" target="_blank"><span style="color: red;">Sign-Ups Close on January 11, 2016</span></a></div>
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Partners Assigned on January 13, 2016</div>
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Packages Ship on or before January 23, 2016</div>
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Swap Show-Off Post/Linky goes life on January 27, 2016</div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;">Book Swaps!!!!! </span></div>
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Book swaps have to be one of my absolute favorite things about being in the book community. For this swap we'll be sending a mug, a book and a book related goodie in a package worth $15-30.</div>
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I cannot wait to see what everyone gets... ekkkkkkk!</div>
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Thanks to the ladies at Chaotic Goddess swap for putting this together!</div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-20845695274575541012016-01-05T00:00:00.000-05:002016-01-05T00:00:03.725-05:00[Top Ten Tuesday] Top Ten ANTI - Resolutions I Have For 2016<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;">Top Ten Tuesday</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;"> is an original feature/weekly meme created by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. </span></span></span></i></div>
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So these aren't really resolutions of the typical fashion. Instead of looking for more stuff to fill my AMAZING planner with I'm de-resolving. I had an interesting 2015, it was exciting and scary, loving and sometimes just rough. It was all of these things, I pushed myself to take leaps of faith and, more importantly, stopped doing crap I didn't want to do! </div>
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So without further ado... </div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>10. I resolve to read without the pressure to review.</b></span></div>
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If you still follow Becoming Books then you know that a year ago I was a lot more active with 2-3 reviews per week plus other posts. After attending ALA Mid-Winter 2015 I just stopped. The pressure was too much. Work sucked and now my "hobby" was starting to feel more like work. I didn't know how to tone it down so I just stopped. Every time I would pick up a book I felt pressured to write a review post reading so I wouldn't even read the damn book. That stops now!<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>9. I resolve to read what I want, when I want.</b></span></div>
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I have this crazy theory that if I read what I want, when I want I will actually read more. This is to say... more than when I set my lofty Goodreads challenge goal or participate in other reading type challenges. Reading should be enjoyable and not a chore or even scheduled out. Unless I'm getting paid to read then there will be no excel sheet involved. </div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>8. I resolve to get some review help.</b></span></div>
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So there was a spreadsheet before I decided self-care was more important. Now I still have a load of advanced review copies that need reviews so I need help. I will also be attending BEA in Chicago so there will be more books to come. <b>I'm looking for regular guest review bloggers.</b> If anyone is interested in doing one review per month or more send me a message via email or twitter. </div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>7. I resolve to be the black sheep. (If need be.)</b></span></div>
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Because I don't like confrontation.... ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.</div>
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For this reason if I liked a book but know the majority of book bloggers don't then I will undersell my love for said book. I know, I'm the worst. That ends now. Bahhhhhhhhhhh Bahhhhhhhhh, here comes the black sheep loving all the <i>baaaaaaad</i> books. :)</div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>6. I resolve to DNF when it's time to DNF.</b></span></div>
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I've always had this sense of obligation to finish a book I start but.... my time is worth something too. It's finite, so my tolerance for reading books that don't captivate me is also finite. I think I'll go with the 100 or so page rule. My guilt over not finishing a book will be no more. </div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>5. I resolve to read 1 YA nonfiction book. </b></span></div>
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In 2014 I read We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist and it was a hoot. I need to find a new YA non-fiction to make me laugh or cry. Okay, basically just emote. Any recommendations?<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>4. I resolve to stop requesting/borrowing/buying books I know I am NEVER going to read.</b></span></div>
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This happens to us all. There's an awesome library book sale, Book Outlet blowout, your friend has the hottest new book to movie/tv adaptation and you scoop them all up! ALL. THE. BOOKS. Then you never read them, you had no intention of reading them. Ever. This is the case with two books that have been in my trunk since October. Don't judge me. It happens. I also still have a friends mass market copy of Outlander on my bookshelf... almost three years later she lives in another state and I still have not read this book nor returned it to her. I suck at borrowing books. So until I can be trusted, no more. </div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>3. I resolve to be happy.</b></span></div>
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I know this is vague and sometimes I don't even have control over my emotions but... I do find that when I let some shit roll I'm a lot happier. Passivity has exponentially increased my happiness meter. This especially applies to online interactions. Do I really need to comment on that post? Does this really need to be a status update or maybe a text/phone call? Am I trolling or asking to be trolled? You get the picture. It's also election year so this will apply doubly. Just let. it. go. and read :) </div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>2. I resolve to finish the Harry Potter series.</b></span></div>
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Yes, I know. I have failed all things bookish. I did manage to read book one in 2015 and due to aforementioned reasons never made it through the series. So whether by paper or audio THIS. WILL. GET. DONE. IN. 2016. </div>
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">1. I resolve to plan passionately, with purpose and reflection.</span></b><br />
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In early 2015 I discovered the <a href="http://www.passionplanner.com/" target="_blank">Passion Planner</a> Kickstarter. My friend was like "do it!", I have never been so thankful for peer pressure. LOL. It's a great planner with some not-so-average features included. I've been using my planner faithfully but have not been using the unique features as much. Sooooo... this year I would like to resolve to use the mind maps, long-term planning and reflection features.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xpf1/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/12357305_150443718654430_614442541_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xpf1/t51.2885-15/s640x640/sh0.08/e35/12357305_150443718654430_614442541_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new awesome 2016 Passion Planner #GOALDigger<br />You can always print and use the Passion Planner for FREE on their website.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;"><b>What are your resolutions, goals, etc. for 2016? Or have you said pafooey to it all! Tell me about it. </b></span><br />
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-51830454582256739252015-11-10T00:00:00.000-05:002015-11-10T00:00:00.926-05:00[Top Ten Tuesday] Top Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I'm Looking Forward To or Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I Still Need To Watch <div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;">Top Ten Tuesday</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;"> is an original feature/weekly meme created by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. </span></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Top Ten Book To Movie Adaptations I Want To See/</span></span></h2>
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<span style="line-height: 20.7999992370605px;"><span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Need To Watch!</span></span></h2>
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There are many movies based on books that I'm anxiously awaiting, however I've decided to only feature those with established casts/release dates in the near future.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Me and Earl and The Dying Girl</b></span></div>
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<i>by Jesse Andrews, out on DVD</i><br />
Own the book, haven't read it... will likely watch this movie first. At some point. There will be tears. *sniffles*<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Goosebumps</b></span></div>
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<i>by R.L. Stein, released October 16, 2015</i><br />
Soooo... I don't get to the movies much. Hopefully I can catch this one on DVD or streaming. R.L. Stein is responsible for 90% of my nightmares.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Mockingjay, Part 2</b></span></div>
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<i>by Suzanne Collins, coming to theaters November 20, 2015</i></div>
Because one has to say goodbye. </div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>The Fifth Wave</b></span></div>
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<i>by Rick Yancey, in theaters January 15, 2016</i></div>
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I've read the first two book in this series so I'm pumped and ready to see the movie! Not crazy about Chloe Moretz playing the lead but she's tough so I'll buy it... </div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>The Choice </b></span></div>
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<i>by Nicholas Sparks, coming to theaters February 5, 2016</i></div>
Because it wouldn't be Valentine's Day without Nicholas Sparks and Tom Welling. I'm hoping to look passed all that is flawed in Sparks' storytelling and re-live my Smallville days while crying in my ice cream. </div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Deadpool</b></span></div>
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<i>based on Deadpool by Fabian Nicieza, Rob Liefeld, coming to theaters February 12, 2016</i></div>
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YASSSSSS!!! The Deadpool books are amazing and this will be nothing short of it. CANNOT. WAIT.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Divergent Series: Allegiant</b></span></div>
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<i>by Veronica Roth, coming to theaters March 18, 2016</i><br />
This movie adaptation has gone wayyy off course from the novels for me and that's okay. It's okay because I read the books a while back, I've forgotten a lot of details and I want to be entertained. Just no re-reading of the books, haha.<br />
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<img border="0" src="http://www.moviepilot.de/files/images/0964/0682/me_before_you.jpg" height="200" width="130" /> <img border="0" src="https://sp.yimg.com/xj/th?id=OIP.M0bc75956322871114f726e95eb54433fo0&pid=15.1&P=0&w=250&h=181" /></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Me Before You</b></span></div>
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<i>by JoJo Moyes, coming to theaters June 3, 2016</i></div>
Grabbing my tissues now + Sam Claflin, can't lose.</div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Knights of the Round Table: King Arthur</b></span></div>
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<i>based on the stories by Sir Thomas Malory, coming to theaters July 22, 2016</i></div>
Guy Ritchie is probably one of my favorite modern directors with a cult-like following. Can't wait to see his spin on this literary classic with Charlie Hunnam as King Arthur. Be still my heart... + it's slated for a SIX FILM franchise!!! You can get a sneak peek <a href="http://www.vman.com/site/content/4790/vman-34-fall-2015#!/1" target="_blank">here</a>.</div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Before I Fall</b></span></div>
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<i>by Lauren Oliver, filming began in October 2015 scheduled for 2016 release</i></div>
Love Lauren's writing so I'll be curious to see how she and Paper Lantern Lit package this for success. </div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;"><b>What big book-to-movie adaptation have I missed?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;"><b>Let me know in the comments below!</b></span><br />
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-47568719460502926282015-11-03T00:00:00.000-05:002015-11-03T00:00:00.530-05:00[Top Ten Tuesday] Top Ten Debut Authors Who Have Me Looking Forward To Their Sophomore Novel <div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;">Top Ten Tuesday</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;"> is an original feature/weekly meme created by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. </span></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="color: #a64d79;">Top Ten Debut Authors Who Have Me Looking Forward To Their Sophomore Novel </span></span></h2>
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In no particular order and some have already been released ;)</div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Martina Boone</b></span></div>
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<i>with Persuasion (The Heirs of Watson Island #2) released October 27, 2015</i></div>
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Anyone who knows my reading habits I usually don't do sleepy southern/historical really well. However I loved Martina's debut! If you didn't already grab this one last week you should. :)</div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Victoria Aveyard</b></span></div>
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<i>with Glass Sword (Red Queen #2) out February 9, 2016</i><br />
This girl is wicked, not like evil wicked like wicked cool. Bring on the terror there are silver bloods to slay and red bloods to save!<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Courtney C. Stevens</b></span></div>
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<i>with The Lies About Truth out November 3, 2015 <today></today></i><br />
Courtney's first book slayed my feels. I expect nothing less of this. Got my tissues in hand.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Sandy Hall</b></span></div>
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<i>with Signs Point To Yes released October 20, 2015</i></div>
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Sandy Hall's debut was super quirky and this one promises to be adorkable which I fully believe it will be. An easy read mixing humor and light issues.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Emery Lord</b></span></div>
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<i>with The Start of Me and You released March 31, 2015</i><br />
This came out in the spring during my reading slump. I hearted Emery's debut mixing music, friendship, and, of course, boys to churn out a feel good read. I expect nothing less out of this one. Don't spoil it for me! ;)<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Michael Barakiva</b></span></div>
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<i>with Hold My Hand out in 2017</i></div>
So I read One Man Guy in half a day, it was a refreshing take on a teen gay relationship vs. the usual coming out story. Now Michael is planning the release of a standalone companion novel, Hold My Hand, that explores what happens when one cheats. O_o<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Katie Coyle</b></span></div>
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<i>with Vivian Apple Needs a Miracle (Vivian Apple #2) released September 1, 2015</i></div>
Oh Vivian, sweet Vivian... what fresh hell are you still in. The world is still in shambles, resources are questionable and that ending... must read more.</div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Wendy Mills</b></span></div>
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<i>with All We Have Left out August 9, 2016</i></div>
Wendy Mills gave me some feels in Positively Beautiful even is it was a bit scrambled... but then I read the synopsis for this. HEART. BREAKER. I just know it. Using both the past and present we'll explore the post-9/11 world of two teen girls. I'm gonna need more tissues.</div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Alexis Bass</b></span></div>
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<i>with What's Broken Between Us out December 29, 2015</i></div>
While I wasn't crazy about Alexis' debut there is enough there to see through her sophomore effort. After reading the synopsis all I can think of is that Future and Adam Lavine song, "Would You Still Love Me the Same." </div>
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<b>And the last one is a stretch if not cheating haha... but it's my blog so... a book that has been out for years but I have yet to read....</b><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Laini Taylor</b></span></div>
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<i>with Days of Blood and Starlight (Smoke and Bone #2)</i></div>
This is really cheating because it's not even her sophomore album haha, it's just the second book in this series but I MUST read it. I have had this on the shelf entirely too long!</div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;"><b>What am I missing? Tell me what sophomore efforts I'm missing and should put on my TBR! </b></span><br />
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-16907729658897679892015-07-02T00:00:00.000-04:002015-07-02T00:00:08.884-04:00[Guest Review] Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5274604280989138861" itemprop="description articleBody" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; position: relative; width: 550px;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23361244-lying-out-loud?ac=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxLmTs4sp6m-0R8Drcmk4x-dSCWnQUVXeIyfpLTNDraevX9P5OacAzUmqSSgFzfIAxavGiZbii075sZE8r-wQ3UfGP5SPG1QiIko6hH8xK46PhHHATuUy2Y0kWJpiQTHJQhyu6pkDfb_C/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Title:</b> Lying Out Loud</span><br />
<b>Series:</b> companion novel to The Duff</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Author: </b>Kody Keplinger [<a href="https://twitter.com/Kody_Keplinger" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://kodykeplinger.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Publisher: </span></span>Scholastic Books</div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Genre:</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Romance</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Release Date:</b> April 28, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source: </b>ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and the reader's own. – review policy <a href="http://becomingbooks.blogspot.com/p/review-requestspolicy.html" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here.</a></span></div>
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<br />The main character, Sonny, is a compulsive liar. She tells lies about everything; about how her mom kicked her out, how her dad is in jail, and how she is secretly living at her best friend Amy’s house because she has nowhere else to go. Sonny has always told lies, but Amy is the only one that she has never lied to. <br /><br />Ryder Cross is their nemesis, and they both have a strange hatred towards him. Ryder is the new kid at school and he is an annoying prep school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. She is the only person in Hamilton that he seems to be interested in, and she is too nice to tell Ryder that she doesn’t like him. However, Sonny isn’t. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the best friends see it as a prank opportunity that is too good to pass up. When Sonny unintentionally stays up until the crack of dawn talking to Ryder, she has a shocking realization that might actually like him. But, Ryder thinks he has been talking to Amy, so that kind of puts a damper on things. In order to try and fix it, Sonny comes up with a plan that might end up costing her both Ryder and Amy. <br /><br />I normally don’t like contemporary books, but for this one I can make an exception. I loved everything about this book: the characters, the plot, the writing, and pretty much everything else. The characters were so relatable, and down to earth. The struggles that they went through were so inspiring, and they make you look at your life and reflect and appreciate the things that you have. Sonny is a character that draws you in and makes you want to keep reading. She is witty, and funny, and she is into Grunge music, which is definitely a plus! Amy is another character that I absolutely adored. She is so adorable and quiet and she reminds me of another side of myself. Another character that I found myself liking was Ryder. I loved how trusting, and real he was as a character. In most books, they try to make the male lead the stereotypical guy, and try to make it seem like he doesn’t have any flaws. That is not the case with Ryder and, in fact, Sonny actually points out some of his flaws in the book. I guess that is another reason that this is an amazing novel to me. <br /><br />The main thing that attracted me to this companion novel was the plot. I really liked how original and fun it was. I personally like books that tear at your heart a little, and I knew that this book was going to do just that. I was definitely right, because it pulled at my heart strings so hard. The plot flowed very well, and the pace was good and almost soothing. I finished it very fast, and the rhythm was so well that it made me want to flip to the following page just so that I could find out what happened next. <br /><br /> With all of the things that I loved about this book, there were still some aspects that I didn’t particularly care about. For example, I didn’t like how Sonny was very persistent about keeping her secrets, and telling so many lies. She was keeping herself from telling the truth, and it kind of got frustrating at times because I knew that she would be much better off if she would just tell the truth. Another thing that irked me a little was the ending. I’m not going to give anything away, but the ending did not leave me feeling satisfied. I felt like there should have been more closure, but I would be fine if Kody finished it like that just so that she could do another book in Amy’s point of view! *crosses fingers* <br /><br /> Well, that’s about it. I recommend this to anyone that loves contemporaries and I also recommend this to anyone that is in a reading slump. It is a fun, quick read and it will most definitely get you out of a reading slump!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
Thanks for reading!! </div>
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I will leave you, my lovelies, saying:</div>
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“Boys are whatever, Friends are forever”</div>
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-Someone on google :)</div>
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">Sarah from YA Headquarters</span></b></div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-35498333782244900882015-06-22T00:00:00.000-04:002017-02-25T17:36:05.932-05:00[Guest Review] Don't Ever Change by M. Beth Bloom<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5274604280989138861" itemprop="description articleBody" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; position: relative; width: 550px;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23361053-don-t-ever-change?ac=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxLmTs4sp6m-0R8Drcmk4x-dSCWnQUVXeIyfpLTNDraevX9P5OacAzUmqSSgFzfIAxavGiZbii075sZE8r-wQ3UfGP5SPG1QiIko6hH8xK46PhHHATuUy2Y0kWJpiQTHJQhyu6pkDfb_C/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Title:</b> Don't Ever Change</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Author: </b>M. Beth Bloom [<a href="https://www.facebook.com/mbethbloom/timeline" target="_blank">Facebook</a>]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Publisher: </span></span>HarperTeen</div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Genre:</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Release Date:</b> July 7, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source: </b>ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and the reader's own. – review policy <a href="http://becomingbooks.blogspot.com/p/review-requestspolicy.html" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here.</a></span></div>
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I'm a writer. I love to read books about writers because it's like reading the story of a kindred spirit. But when that writer is Eva Kramer, well...the book isn't quite so enjoyable.<br />
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Don't Ever Change was such a YA cliche, that I'm still not even sure if it was serious or satirical. Now don't get me wrong - certain YA tropes can work quite well...but not all together and not like this. Eva seemed like she was supposed to be unlikable. She was snobby, pretentious, and judgmental. Now, if a character can mature and grow out of those bad behaviors realistically than I'll accept them. But Eva becomes downright detestable. She takes a job as a day camp counselor as a life experience for her writing. Consequently, she abandons her campers way too often and doesn't actually seem to engage with them much. It was almost like the job was a joke to her. She treated her friends like they existed only for her convenience, calling them up when she wanted something and not really caring about their lives. Eva strung guys along and her relationships with all of them were weird. Foster, the guy she knew from high school and who got her the job at the camp, summed it up pretty well when he said she just wanted experiences to write in a book.<br />
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And then, overall, not much happened in Don't Ever Change. Eva was mostly just gathering life experiences (and ones that I think wouldn't make a great book at that) and making bad choices. Don't Ever Change is honestly a miss. (Also, as a side note, I'm pretty sure most teenagers don't text like that anymore. The ones I text don't use excessive abbreviations.)<br />
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1 Star from Emma at <a href="http://bookworm716.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Awkwordly Emma</a></div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-7025827720169842752015-06-20T00:00:00.000-04:002015-06-20T00:00:01.094-04:00Stacking the Shelves #39 + Books Up For Review!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><a href="http://www.tyngasreviews.com/2012/05/staking-shelves-official-launch.html" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews</a></i></div>
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Hi there strangers!! I've been kind of hit and miss on the blog this past spring but school is out!!! I'm not in school but I work at a university so it gets a bit chaotic. :/<br />
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Anywho... last month I kicked off book for review under the #booksfortrade tag on Twitter. So far so good! So after attending BEA and doing some spring ARC cleaning I'm hosting a round 2. The deal is simple, you receive an ARC and have three weeks to submit your review to becomingbooksblog [AT] gmail.com. I'm not super strict or anything but communication is key. Those that have been guest reviewers in the past will get priority. Scroll to the bottom of this post to see the books up for review.<br />
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<b style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">In the Mail</b></div>
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Dear <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OTSPSecretSister?src=hash">#OTSPSecretSister</a> thank you soooooooo much!! I love TX so much 😁 I hope you're dry and safe! <a href="http://t.co/iySSd7FPNK">pic.twitter.com/iySSd7FPNK</a></div>
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— Meghann (@BecomingBooks) <a href="https://twitter.com/BecomingBooks/status/603382633335300097">May 27, 2015</a></div>
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<b style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">eARCs</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23450710-persuasion?ac=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423146561l/23450710.jpg" width="132" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24980610-light-of-day?ac=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424457196l/24980610.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25005209-hollowgirl?ac=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1434723673l/25005209.jpg" width="131" /></a> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13455099-mechanica?ac=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1417957485l/13455099.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
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<b style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">From BEA 2015</b></div>
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I tried really hard to limit the books I picked up at BEA after having way too many last year. I did get lucky and picked up a number of finished copies. :) Thanks to all the awesome publishers and authors!</div>
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://scontent.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xfa1/t51.2885-15/e15/11377421_1455041784796431_1484563210_n.jpg" width="320" /> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBUcIc6ndA-UaOIwkqJyusOhyphenhyphenqpdZDUIiZC5FWW-C7JytsDNTcZuE0hJvakshV8P7v7DWnjenrGZAmzExcfadLWwkQgM4tEuwJD27bVqQPWWe_AOPBqKXmgSbCYC9By-tm4MTn30X24cmw/s320/IMG_3058.JPG" width="320" /></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23395098-fangirl" target="_blank">Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell</a>, special edition and signed!</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22798836-dangerous-deception?ac=1" target="_blank">Dangerous Deception by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17182499-illusive?ac=1" target="_blank">Illusive by Emily Lloyd-Jones </a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11300302-alice-in-zombieland?ac=1" target="_blank">Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22875507-watch-the-sky?ac=1" target="_blank">Watch The Sky by Kirsten Hubbard</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18478083-kissing-in-america?ac=1" target="_blank">Kissing in America by Margo Rabb</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10838787-pawn?ac=1" target="_blank">Pawn by Aimee Carter</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22698568-the-invasion-of-the-tearling?ac=1" target="_blank">The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17399160-snow-like-ashes?from_search=true&search_version=service_impr" target="_blank">Snow Like Ashes by Sarah Raasch</a></div>
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<b style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Available For Guest Review</b></div>
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Please email your requests to becomingbooksblog[AT]gmail.com if you're interested in reviewing any of the following titles. Reviews should be at least three paragraphs long. *More ARCs may become available as I evaluate my reading schedule. So check in on future StS posts.</div>
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Early 2015 ARCs</div>
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2014 ARCs</div>
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June/July 2015 </div>
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August 2015</div>
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September 2015</div>
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October 2015</div>
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<b style="color: #a64d79; font-size: x-large; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">What have you added to the shelves lately?</b></div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-81560217707386399002015-06-18T00:00:00.000-04:002015-06-18T00:00:07.724-04:00[Guest Review] Proof of Forever by Lexa Hillyer<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5274604280989138861" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 550px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Title:</b> Proof of Forever</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Author: </b>Lexa Hillyer [<a href="https://twitter.com/Lexa_Hillyer" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://lexahillyer.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Publisher: </span></span>HarperCollins</div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Genre:</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> Young Adult Fiction - Contemporary, Science Fiction</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Release Date:</b> June 2, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source: </b>ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and the reader's own. – review policy <a href="http://becomingbooks.blogspot.com/p/review-requestspolicy.html" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here.</a></span></div>
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Proof of Forever follows four former best friends---Joy, Tali, Luce, and Zoe--that end up reuniting in a very bizarre way. At their camp reunion, they step into a photo-booth that transports them back in time. To be specific, they travel back to the summer they were fifteen. Pretty out there, right? <br />
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This just screams summer read. Camp, friendships, drama...what else could you ask for? I've been campaigning for more stories about friendship so I was very excited to read this book. I think I can say this is a pretty solid friendship story. Well, kind of.<br />
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This story is very captivating. I was drawn to the plot from the very beginning. You're not sure why the main characters are not friends anymore so the mystery kept me reading. The time travel element was unique and I really enjoyed reading the craziness that ensued. I have to get technical for a second and say that this novel is beautifully written. Every description is vivid, the four points of views are very unique, and the prose is so lyrical. I can't say enough nice things about this. Just gorgeous. <br />
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To be honest, I did find the story boring at times. I had a hard time at the beginning but it does improve (quite a lot actually) so stick with it if you feel like you want to stop. Also, I have a hard time connecting with characters when the narrative is written in third person. I wasn't as invested in the story because of it but this is more of a personal issue than anything else. The way the story is written works well since the author is juggling four points of view. I just prefer books that are not in third person. <br />
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Overall, I enjoyed this book enough to recommend it. If you're looking for a well-written summer read, definitely picked this one up! <br />
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3 Stars from Paola at</div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-27132861092342750142015-06-15T09:52:00.004-04:002015-06-15T09:52:52.961-04:00[Mini Guest Review] The Cage by Megan Shepherd<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5274604280989138861" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 550px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Title:</b> The Cage</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Series: </b>The Cage #1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Author: </b>Megan Shepherd [<a href="https://twitter.com/megan_shepherd" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://meganshepherd.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Publisher: </span></span>Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins</div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Genre:</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> Young Adult Fiction - Science Fiction, Dystopia</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Release Date:</b> May 26, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source: </b>ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and the reader's own. – review policy <a href="http://becomingbooks.blogspot.com/p/review-requestspolicy.html" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here.</a></span></div>
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This book reminded of few other books that i read recently that are along the same lines kids are kidnapped, some rules are set in place, you got the leaders, those that want to escape, those that want stay extra. Don't get me wrong that not a bad or a good thing it just a standard format i seen in a few books the Maze Runner, Alive, and Hunger Games. It a format that works it keeps you guessing you never quite sure what going to happen. The Cage kept me guessing on who the bad guys where and the fact that it aliens and your not sure if Earth is gone or not is a pretty interesting concept. I like all the twists and turns in the story and excited to see what happens in book two, also liked the ending as it was not cliff hanger but makes me want to read the rest of the series. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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4 Stars from Jan at <a href="https://jrsbookreviews.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">J.R.'s Book Reviews</a></div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-47233403529903867652015-05-26T09:54:00.002-04:002015-05-26T09:54:56.497-04:00#IHeartDessen - That Summer Giveaway!!! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey Hey!!!<br />
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Penguin Teen asked me to be a part of their #IHeartDessen month and I happily joined in! I first saw Sarah Dessen when she was on tour with Gayle Forman during the fall in Chapel Hill, NC. Since she is a local North Carolinian I gathered up my books and headed over there. I was immediately drawn to her and became super stoked about reading more Sarah. :) </div>
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/ydzrsEuk1M/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">Me all post work frumpiness 😂 but these two totally made my day! @gayleforman @sdessen</a></div>
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A photo posted by Bookish Diva (@becomingbooks) on <time datetime="2015-01-30T05:06:19+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jan 29, 2015 at 9:06pm PST</time></div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>I was super lucky when I saw her again a couple weeks ago as she was on tour for Saint Anything. Great conversation about how her books are not really all that romantic (I agree!) but deal with deep issues.<br />
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This is so true for That Summer. I immediately connected with Haven as she deals with the aftermath of her parent's divorce: her dad's remarriage, mom's new life, and her sister getting married and leaving home as well. In fact, it seems like everyone has moved on except for 15-year-old Haven. As a way of coping Haven finds her last "happy" family memory which was a vacation in Virginia Beach along with her sister's ex-boyfriend, Sumner, years earlier.<br />
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What results is a heartfelt story about family and sibling friendship creating a solid debut novel from Dessen about 17 years ago! Dessen is now on her 12th novel and stated at the reading that if she didn't write anymore she'd be happy with her new novel being her last. However, this is probably not her last novel! *fingers crossed*<br />
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So now it's giveaway time!! :) Penguin Teen was nice enough to send me an extra paperback of That Summer so I'm passing it on to my readers and it's even signed by Sarah Dessen!<br />
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Giveaway is available in the U.S. only and open until June 8. Entries will be verified. </div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-16934637682387008582015-05-18T00:00:00.000-04:002015-05-18T00:00:02.803-04:00[Guest Review] Tangled Web by Lee Bross<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5274604280989138861" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 550px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Title:</b> Tangled Webs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Series: </b>Tangles Webs #1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Author:</b> Lee Bross [<a href="https://twitter.com/rahdieh" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://reneeahdieh.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Publisher: </span></span>Disney Hyperion</div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Genre:</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> Young Adult Fiction - Historical Fiction, Romance</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Release Date:</b> June 23, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source: </b>ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and the reader's own. – review policy <a href="http://becomingbooks.blogspot.com/p/review-requestspolicy.html" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here.</a></span></div>
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This is literally the first non-fantasy YA novel I've read in months! I actually can't remember the last time I read a book without any fantasy elements, so I was curious to see whether I'd like Tangled Webs, which is sort of a historical fiction. The book is set in 18th century London, where an orphan girl named Arista navigates the London social scene as a notorious blackmailer. The premise is interesting and certainly unique, but it was a bit slow at first and actually took me several days to finish it. It got really good in the last quarter of the novel, which is probably a little too late but nevertheless boosted the rating. I actually started tearing up the last two chapters because of a certain someone, which I absolutely did not expect with this novel. That just goes to show that Lee Bross does an excellent job making readers fall in love with the characters.<br /><br />I was under the impression that there would be a love triangle, but Arista and the reader both knew that there was only one guy for her from the very start and that was great. I don't mind love triangles too much, but it was consistent with her character; Arista isn't one to dilly dally. I didn't care for the romance as much as I did the story since I didn't find it too believable. Since this is set in the early 18th century, the fast paced nature of Arista and Grae's relationship is probably normal, but to me, it just went way too fast and I would have liked to see more development.<br /><br />As for the characters, Lee did a wonderful job developing all of them and it was nice to see a strong supporting cast. Although some of the decisions Arista made were frustrating, I didn't hold it against her. Grae is an absolutely sweetheart and is someone you just want to protect and hug all the time. Nic is also very well developed and multi-dimensional and by the end, he probably became one of my favorite characters in this story. However, I thought that Lee could have done a better job with Bones, the villain. The best villain is one that readers can almost sympathize with, but this guy is downright hateful with absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever; I hated him right until the end. Wild was much more interesting and multi-dimensional, though.<br /><br />Overall, this was a good book for me to get off the fantasy track (though the next book I read will still probably be fantasy haha), and reminded me of why I enjoy reading YA historical fiction. It appears to be a series, but I thought it ended nicely the way it did and I would have been satisfied had this been a standalone.<br />
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4 Stars</div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-63092568890161798092015-05-01T04:14:00.003-04:002015-05-01T04:14:34.121-04:00Blog Ahead Mini-Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.herdingcats-burningsoup.com/2015/04/blog-ahead-mini.html" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqNDFSYi6Td6FBQCvOFamQFQxja0l7861oBgvsof-8JdR3VxgabEyHyl8XymAPMa5DIogFki80-siNTeCz16mOi-n-t0DWQZJbmDTlNBcDQDROn6cytTALu_9PIOK7mWMf43uww3w8XMn/s1600/mini+blogahead+400.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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I did blog ahead back in November and rocked that sucker! I had posts scheduled through January and then as some of you may know I ran out of steam, esteem, and all the goodness. While I'm still trying to get back into reading, I really miss blogging. So here goes anything! </div>
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My goal is to schedule 30 posts, 15 here at Becoming Books and 15 for my new lifestyle blog launch, Beauty Not Broke. </div>
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<b>Types of posts I'll be working on: </b></div>
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<li>MORE discussions... this is a must! </li>
<li>Different review styles - I've really come to dislike writing traditional reviews. </li>
<li>I want to vlog... we'll see how this goes. :p</li>
<li>Reactions to stuff... </li>
<li>Top Ten Tuesday meme</li>
<li>Recruiting more guest reviewers! > I just cannot keep up with ALL THE READS! <b>If you're interested in being a guest reviewer let me know ;)</b> There are free ARCs in it for you. </li>
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<b><span style="color: #a64d79; font-size: large;">So tell me... What are your favorite types of posts to read and/or write?</span></b></div>
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Wish me luck!</div>
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<br />Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-46481793406411043612015-04-30T10:21:00.001-04:002015-04-30T10:21:15.051-04:00Books 'n' Blogger Swap Reveal! <div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cgswaps.blogspot.com/2015/03/books-n-bloggers-swap-signups.html"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVPOyns2SmosYFE2zCsloBJB_lAshQEBncsu4flKnRXMYLQBKGWyHr0JerkH6bu8eLSbBGfuiEmQ99kZaT2oxBGGlPU8HRLNc_skzU80foCr1am0sv1T9xcpU1VN8bPM4UlC_U-y57v0P/s1600/2015BnBbutton.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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So this package came in on the same day as my #OTSPSecretSister. Let's just say I was overwhelmed by all the goodies!!!<br />
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My swap partner was booktuber <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdIj2DwiU-UtuS2Ef-MIIHA" target="_blank">Stephanie from Time To Read</a>! Be sure to show her some click love.<br />
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On to the goodies...<br />
Here's my fangirl face for when I saw Mindy was chilling in my swap package. :)<br />
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<a href="https://instagram.com/p/1w3ZVPukwo/" style="color: black; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_top">My fangirling face when my book swap partner Stephanie gives me @mindykaling!!!!! 😁😁😁 @cgswaps</a></div>
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A photo posted by Meghann (@becomingbooks) on <time datetime="2015-04-22T04:18:31+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Apr 21, 2015 at 9:18pm PDT</time></div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>Here's my entire swap... super excited about all of these reads!! Thanks so much Stephanie!!!<br />
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13586707-my-brilliant-friend?from_search=true&search_version=service" target="_blank">My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante</a> (translated from it's original Italian..swoons!) – Book Stephanie loved!</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18081809-landline?ac=1" target="_blank">Landline by Rainbow Rowell</a> – Book Stephanie is interested in :)</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10335308-is-everyone-hanging-out-without-me?ac=1" target="_blank">Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling</a> – Book from my wishlist </div>
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I'm so excited about all my new pretties and can't wait to get reading!!!</div>
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If you enjoy doing swaps be sure to check out <a href="http://cgswaps.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">CG Swaps</a>!</div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-29354575247900056692015-04-27T00:00:00.000-04:002015-04-27T00:00:02.638-04:00[Guest Review] The Wrath and The Dawn by Renee Ahdieh<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5274604280989138861" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 550px;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Title:</b> The Wrath and The Dawn</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Author:</b> Renee Ahdieh [<a href="https://twitter.com/rahdieh" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://reneeahdieh.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Publisher: </span></span>G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, a imprint of Penguin</div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Genre:</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> Young Adult Fiction - Fairy Tale Retellings, Fantasy</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Release Date:</b> May 12, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source: </b>ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and the reader's own. – review policy <a href="http://becomingbooks.blogspot.com/p/review-requestspolicy.html" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here.</a></span></div>
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The Wrath and the Dawn was inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, but I wouldn't say it's a retelling. The motives, back story, and characters are different, although some are inspired by the original characters. Although I have heard of some of the stories, I haven't actually read A Thousand and One Nights but became so fascinated with it after reading this book that I actually watched the 2000 TV mini series Arabian Nights, which is essentially a retelling of the original tale... so yes, I loved this book!<br />
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For some reason, I didn't pay much attention to the prologue but turned back to the beginning after I had finished it, re-read the prologue, and was like whoa. I guess that's a good thing though, since it became all the more mysterious and suspenseful as the book went on. I found myself wanting answers as much as Shazi did. Renee is an excellent storyteller; there was rarely a dull moment and I found myself flipping through the pages much faster than I thought I would. <br />
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I also like how the book is written in third person; most of the YA novels I've read are in first person and sometimes it's frustrating to see only from the main character's point of view. I loved seeing things from Khalid's perspective and it gave the characters much more depth and we see their multiple dimensions so much more easily. Additionally, Renee does an excellent job with all of the characters' story arcs and intertwining them together later on (such as Shazi's dad, Tariq, and the main plot with Shazi and Khalid). In fact, reading this has made me realize that I like the third person perspective so much more than first person.<br />
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In terms of characters, Khalid is my favorite and his character development throughout is pretty great. I went from hating him, to pitying him, and then finally to just adoring him. I found most of the characters to be pretty interesting and I love how there are so many important supporting characters! <br />
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Overall, The Wrath and the Dawn is a beautiful story and Renee is one talented (and cruel - that ending!) writer; it's going right up to my list of "Favorites". :)<br />
And that ending will make you want the second book, The Rose and the Dagger, ASAP. Trust me. <br />
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5 Stars</div>
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<a href="http://wonderlandnovels.blogspot.com/" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;" target="_blank">http://wonderlandnovels.blogspot.com</a></div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-84152253852096021992015-04-22T00:00:00.000-04:002015-04-22T00:00:09.404-04:00[Guest Review] The Alex Crow by Andrew Smith<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-5274604280989138861" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 550px;">
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22466277-the-alex-crow?ac=1" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVxLmTs4sp6m-0R8Drcmk4x-dSCWnQUVXeIyfpLTNDraevX9P5OacAzUmqSSgFzfIAxavGiZbii075sZE8r-wQ3UfGP5SPG1QiIko6hH8xK46PhHHATuUy2Y0kWJpiQTHJQhyu6pkDfb_C/s1600/goodreads-badge-add-plus-d700d4d3e3c0b346066731ac07b7fe47.png" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; border: 1px solid transparent; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Title:</b> The Alex Crow</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Author:</b> Andrew Smith [<a href="https://twitter.com/marburyjack" target="_blank">Twitter</a> | <a href="http://authorandrewsmith.com/" target="_blank">Website</a>]</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: bold; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Publisher: </span><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Dutton Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Books</span></span></div>
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Genre:</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"> Young Adult Fiction - Science Fiction</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Release Date:</b> March 10, 2015</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Source: </b>ARC provided by the publisher, opinions are honest and the reader's own. – review policy <a href="http://becomingbooks.blogspot.com/p/review-requestspolicy.html" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">here.</a></span></div>
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This was my first Andrew Smith novel. I have heard all sorts of things about his work, mainly that it’s amazing, so I was excited to find out for myself. And it did not let me down. It was definitely a strange experience, but one I still enjoyed.<br /><br />So what’s this book about, then? Well, that’s the question, isn’t it. A refugee, a bionic crow, a failed Arctic exploration team, a melting man. ...yep. This is one of those stories that’s told in parts, in different narratives, all seemingly different things that have nothing to do with each other…until they do. There’s 1) Ariel and his present-day narration of the boys’ camp he is sent to; 2) Ariel telling his brother the story of him becoming a refugee in flashback; 3) Journal articles from one of the Arctic explorers hundreds of years ago; and 4) the schizophrenic bomber. It seems a little confusing, but it wasn’t really. <br /><br />Smith’s writing is like magic. He has such a way with words that just draws you in and hooks you from the beginning. Yes, he has all these different narratives, but each had their own distinct and unique voice. They didn’t sound the same, and it wasn’t confusing. And then you get to the part where you start to see how all these separate stories start to tie in to each other. I was flying through the pages just to see if things were what I thought they were. <br /><br />Smith also touches on a whole slew of different subjects. This book is filled with so many WTF moments, like did I really just read that? Or what in the world is going on? Serious and horrifying moments from Ariel’s time in the refugee camp, kinda gross moments with the burning man, and teenage boy humor from Max and his euphemisms. But it all worked together to create a deep and complex story.<br /><br />I realize I probably haven’t been clear on what the book is about, but it’s one of those things that just cannot be explained. But it was one of those books that I fell in love with, and highly recommend. Smith is an incredible writer, and one that I will definitely be reading more from.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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5 Stars</div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-53867640949437423582015-04-07T00:00:00.000-04:002015-05-14T22:14:41.751-04:00[Top Ten Tuesday] YA Characters I'd Like To Check-In With<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.4799995422363px; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;">Top Ten Tuesday</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 20.7999992370605px; text-align: justify;"> is an original feature/weekly meme created by <a href="http://www.brokeandbookish.com/" style="color: #989898; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">The Broke and the Bookish</a>. </span></span></span></i></div>
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This is a really cool prompt. Hmm... people I need to check-in with and want to know what's up. They will mostly be male, maybe it's wishful thinking that they'll be single. ;)<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Adam Wilde</b></span></div>
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<i>from If I Stay/Where She Went by Gayle Forman</i></div>
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Mostly because I want to know if he returned the iPod. The author says he has. I also want to see how he's doing and if everything worked out with Mia. I imagine us meeting in some obscure coffee shop where he plays acoustic on Tuesday nights.</div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Cath and Levi</b></span></div>
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<i>from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell</i><br />
This is one of my favorite YA couples. I hope they're still together and making it work. I also want to know how Cath's dad is. I imagine us meeting up in a reddit thread about fan fiction.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Tobias Eaton/Four</b></span></div>
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<i>from The Divergent Series by Veronica Roth</i><br />
Sooo... how you doin'? *bats eyes* I hope he's doing well in a post-faction world.<br />
I imagine us meeting up at the local outdoors store in the doomsday prep section.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Ponyboy Curtis</b></span></div>
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<i>from The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton</i></div>
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I always imagined that he'd go on to be some great author. After losing so much I'd love to know that he got to grow old. I imagine us meeting up at the old gas station, he has a pen and pad, and still really shy.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Macallan and Levi</b></span></div>
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<i>from Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg</i><br />
I hope they're super happy and still super funny together. This was an amazing friendship to relationship to watch. I imagine seeing them on the local improv stage.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Zoe</b></span></div>
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<i>from Maybe One Day by Melissa Kantor</i></div>
This book left me in the fetal position hiding under a blanket unable to face the world. HOTT. MESS. I want to bring Zoe flowers, hug her and tell her it gets better. There could not have been a more beautiful friendship. I imagine meeting up at a nice NYC brunch spot.<br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>George Weasley</b></span></div>
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<i>from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling</i></div>
For reasons... *sniffles* </div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Darcy Patel</b></span></div>
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<i>from Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld</i></div>
Darcy signs a two-book deal. I need to know what happens... are her sales good enough for a book two? Does she get dropped and is broke in NYC? Is there a new girl in her life or is Imogen still around. So many questions to be answered over a bowl of ramen.</div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Gale Hawthorne</b></span></div>
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<i>from The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins</i></div>
So at the conclusion of the series Gale kind of goes his own way for much needed reasons. I'm curious as to what he's up to in the new society, etc. I imagine running into him while on the hunt.</div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;"><b>Jacob Black</b></span></div>
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<i>from Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer</i></div>
Oh hate on Twilight all you want but I adored Jacob Black. Did he get his happily ever after? Is he leading the pack now? I imagine meeting up with him at the cliffs.</div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8351250292666686979.post-73559042897667323342015-04-06T11:05:00.004-04:002015-04-06T11:05:52.533-04:00[Blog Swap] Books & Bloggers, Take 3!<div style="text-align: center;">
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Hey Hey There! I'm so excited about the upcoming Books & Bloggers swap. This will be my third time participating and I'm super stoked. </div>
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Check out some of my previous goodies :)</div>
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Becoming Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03004483143855476110noreply@blogger.com1