Review Repost: Zodiac

Title: Zodiac

Series: Zodiac

Author: Romina Russell

Publisher: RazorBill

Publication Date: December 9, 2014

Source: Goodreads First Reads Program

At the dawn of time, there were 13 Houses in the Zodiac Galaxy. Now only 12 remain….

Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancerian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

Embark on a dazzling journey with ZODIAC, the first novel in an epic sci-fi-meets-high-fantasy series set in a galaxy inspired by the astrological signs.

Book Review: Winter

Title: Winter

Series: The Lunar Chronicles

Author: Marissa Meyer

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Publication Date: November 10, 2015

Source: Purchased

Add it to Goodreads

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.
Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.
Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters?

Blog Tour: The Family + GIVEAWAY

Title: The Family

Author: Marissa Kennerson

Publisher: Full Fathom Five Digital

Publication Date: October 8, 2014

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Cult

Add it to Goodreads 

Just like any average seventeen year old, Twig loves her family. She has a caring mother and a controlling father. Her brothers are sisters are committed to her family’s prosperity…

All one hundred and eighty three of them.

Twig lives in the Family, a collective society located in the rainforest of Costa Rica. The Family members coexist with the values of complete openness and honesty, and a shared fear of contagious infection in the outside world.

So when Adam, their Father, prophet, and savior, announces that Twig will be his new bride, she is overjoyed and honored. But when an injury forces her to leave the grounds, Twig finds that the world outside is not necessarily as toxic as she was made to believe. When she meets Leo, an American boy with a killer smile, she begins to question everything about her life within the Family, and the cult to which she belongs.

But when it comes to your Family, you don’t always get a choice.

The Blogger Positivity Campaign: Letter to an Author Who Inspired Me

Hello, everyone! As you may know, I've been participating in The Blogger Positivity Campaign, hosted by Jillian from Jillian's Books. It's a short event meant to bring back the positive feelings that we need in the book blogging community. You can follow along on Jillian's blog, my blog, all the other participating blogs, and on Twitter by using #SpreadTheLove. 

Waiting on Wednesday (51)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bookish feature/meme created and hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Each week, bloggers and readers shine the spotlight on upcoming book titles that they are waiting on.

You might be able to tell that this is one of my favorite bookish memes. I usually post a Waiting on Wednesday every week because I just think it's really fun to explore upcoming titles and authors.


 It's pretty simple to participate in Waiting on Wednesday:

• Create your own Waiting on Wednesday post that features an upcoming title (or titles) - I usually only go with one book a week because seeing all the titles can be a bit overwhelming for me.
• Be sure to credit Jill somewhere in your post (see how I credited her above?)
• Link up to the Linky on Jill's blog so that others can see your post

The Blogger Positivity Campaign: Things That the Book Community Should Be Reminded Of

 

Alright, ladies and gentlemen! It's time for my first official post for The Blogger Positivity Campaign. 

You may recall that I introduced myself and the campaign on Wednesday, but if not, it's a new event brought to you by Jillian from Jillian's Books. It's all about bringing back some of the love that is missing from the book community.

Blogger Positivity Campaign: Introduction

Hey, everyone! I've got some amazing news to share today. I'm one of the bloggers participating in Jillian's new feature, The Blogger Positivity Campaign.

It's a new blogging event, that you'll be seeing all across the blogosphere for the next few weeks, meant to spread positive thoughts feelings to everyone in the book community.

As someone who's been through ups and downs, I'm thrilled to be a part of this movement. I can only hope that I can help other bloggers who are in need of a lift.

Waiting on Wednesday (50)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bookish meme created and hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Each week, bloggers shine the spotlight on upcoming book titles that they are waiting on. This is one of my favorite memes, and you've probably noticed it as a frequent feature on my blog.

It's pretty simple to participate in Waiting on Wednesday:

• Create your own Waiting on Wednesday post that features an upcoming title (or titles) - I usually only go with one book a week because seeing all the titles can be a bit overwhelming for me.
• Be sure to credit Jill somewhere in your post (see how I credited her above?)
• Link up to the Linky on Jill's blog so that others can see your post

Book Review: How to Be Brave

Title: How to Be Brave

Author: E. Katherine Kottaras

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Publication Date: November 3, 2015

Source: Finished Copy from St. Martin's Griffin

Add it to Goodreads 

An emotional contemporary YA novel about love, loss, and having the courage to chase the life you truly want.

Reeling from her mother's death, Georgia has a choice: become lost in her own pain, or enjoy life right now, while she still can. She decides to start really living for the first time and makes a list of fifteen ways to be brave - all the things she's wanted to do but never had the courage to try. As she begins doing the things she's always been afraid to do - including pursuing her secret crush, she discovers that life doesn't always go according to plan. Sometimes friendships fall apart and love breaks your heart. But once in a while, the right person shows up just when you need them most - and you learn that you're stronger and braver than you ever imagined.

Book Review: Happily Ever After (The Selection)

Title: Happily Ever After (Companion to The Selection Series)

Series: The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: October 13, 2015 

Source: Purchased

Add it to Goodreads

Meet Prince Maxon before he fell in love with America, and a girl named Amberly before she became queen. See the Selection through the eyes of a guard who watched his first love drift away and a girl who fell for a boy who wasn't the prince. This gorgeous collection features four novellas from the captivating world of Kiera Cass's #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series, as well as exclusive, never-before-seen bonus content.

This series companion is a must-have for any Selection fan, and includes:

The Prince
The Guard
The Queen
The Favorite
Exclusive new scenes from The Selection, The Elite, and The One
Introductions to each novella from Kiera Cass
A map of Illéa and other illustrations
And more! 

ARC Review: Kid Athletes

Title: Kid Athletes: True Tales of Childhood from Sports Legends

Stories by David Stabler

Illustrations by Doogie Horner

Publisher: Quirk Books

Publication Date: November 17, 2015
Source: ARC from Quirk Books

Add it to Goodreads 

The author and illustrator of Kid Presidents have teamed up again to share twenty true tales from the childhoods of famous athletes.

From Babe Ruth (so incorrigible that his parents put him in reform school at age seven) to Muhammad Ali (who learned to fight at age twelve after a thief stole his bicycle), Kid Athletes is packed with inspirational stories from the world of sports. Billie Jean King rose from modest circumstances to win thirty-nine Grand Slam championships; race car champion Danica Patrick fended of bullies who told her "girls can't drive"; and martial arts legend Bruce Lee credited his success, in part, to childhood dance lessons.

Every goal, touchdown, and championship comes to life in these kid-friendly and relatable stories, all with Doogie Horner’s whimsical full-color illustrations. Kid Athletes is a slam dunk for young sports fans everywhere.

Waiting on Wednesday (49)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bookish feature created and hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Each week, bloggers and readers shine the spotlight on upcoming book titles that they are waiting on.

You might be able to tell that this is one of my favorite bookish memes. I usually post a Waiting on Wednesday every week because I just think it's really fun to explore upcoming titles and authors.


 It's pretty simple to participate in Waiting on Wednesday:

• Create your own Waiting on Wednesday post that features an upcoming title (or titles) - I usually only go with one book a week because seeing all the titles can be a bit overwhelming for me.
• Be sure to credit Jill somewhere in your post (see how I credited her above?)
• Link up to the Linky on Jill's blog so that others can see your post

Blog Tour: Kiss Kill Love Him Still (Scavenger Hunt)

Title: Kiss Kill Love Him Still

Authors: Jamie Blair and Dawn Rae Miller

Publication Date: November 10, 2015

Genre: Contemporary

Add it to Goodreads 

Jackson Landis kept secrets. It's how he got girls into bed, the grades he wanted, and a reputation for being the life of the party.

But now he's dead, and no one knows how or why. Especially not the four girls whose secrets he protected. Secrets so scandalous they could cause each girl to lose something valuable. Secrets so dark, someone may have killed for them.

The four girls - a campus drug dealer, an overweight bookworm, a closeted lesbian, and a spoiled princess have one thing in common – they’re terrified the things Jackson knew may not have died with him. As Reggie, Haddie, Val, and Livie try to piece together her own role in Jackson’s death, each girl realizes Jackson had some not-so-pretty skeletons of his own.

Which makes a girl wonder, who really wanted Jackson Landis dead?

ARC Review: Everything But the Truth

Title: Everything But the Truth (If Only . . . #6)

Series: If Only . . . 

Author: Mandy Hubbard

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

 Publication Date: November 17, 2015

Source: ARC from Bloomsbury

Add it to Goodreads 

If Only . . . she wasn't pretending to be someone else! The If Only romance line continues in this fun rags-to-riches romance.Holly Mathews' mom is the new manager of a ritzy retirement home, and they just moved in. But having super-rich retirees as her only neighbors isn't a total bust, because the gorgeous, notorious Malik Buchannan is the grandson of a resident. Just one problem: when they meet, Malik assumes Holly is there to visit her own rich relative. She doesn't correct him, and it probably doesn't matter, because their flirtation could never turn into more than a superficial fling . . . right? But the longer she lives in his privileged world, the deeper Holly falls for Malik, and the harder it is to tell the truth . . . because coming clean might mean losing him.

For anyone who has dreamed of their own Cinderella story, this romance shows that when it comes to true love, the best person to be is yourself!

Movie Review: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Title: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

Based on the Novel by Jesse Andrews

Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon

Screenplay: Jesse Andrews

Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Cast: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, and Olivia Cooke

High schooler Greg Gaines, who spends most of his time making parodies of classic movies with his co-worker Earl, finds his outlook forever altered after befriending a classmate who has just been diagnosed with cancer.

Waiting on Wednesday (48)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bookish meme created and hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

Each week, bloggers shine the spotlight on upcoming book titles that they are waiting on. This is one of my favorite memes, and you've probably noticed it as a frequent feature on my blog.

It's pretty simple to participate in Waiting on Wednesday:

• Create your own Waiting on Wednesday post that features an upcoming title (or titles) - I usually only go with one book a week because seeing all the titles can be a bit overwhelming for me.
• Be sure to credit Jill somewhere in your post (see how I credited her above?)
• Link up to the Linky on Jill's blog so that others can see your post

Book Review: Thug Notes

Title: Thug Notes: A Street Smart Guide to Classic Literature

Author: Sparky Sweets, PH. D.

Publisher: Vintage

Publication Date: August 18, 2015

Source: Goodreads First Reads Program

Add it to Goodreads

Sparky Sweets, PhD, and Wisecrack proudly present this outrageously funny, ultra-sharp guide to literature based on the hit online series, Thug Notes. Inside, you'll find hilarious plot breakdowns and masterful analyses of sixteen of literature's most beloved classics, including: Things Fall Apart, To Kill a Mockingbird, Hamlet, The Catcher in the Rye, Lord of the Flies, Pride and Prejudice, and more!

The series Thug Notes has been featured on BET, PBS, and NPR and has been used in hundreds of classrooms around the world. Whether you’re a student, teacher, or straight-up literary gangster like Dr. Sweets, Thug Notes has got you covered. You'll certainly never look at literature the same way again.