Sunday Street Team: The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily

Title: The Love Letters of Abelard and Lily

Author: Laura Creedle

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: December 26, 2017

When Lily Michaels-Ryan ditches her ADHD meds and lands in detention with Abelard, who has Asperger’s, she’s intrigued—Abelard seems thirty seconds behind, while she feels thirty seconds ahead. It doesn't hurt that he’s brilliant and beautiful.

When Abelard posts a quote from The Letters of Abelard and Heloise online, their mutual affinity for ancient love letters connects them. The two fall for each other. Hard. But is it enough to bridge their differences in person?

This hilarious, heartbreaking story of human connection between two neurodivergent teens creates characters that will stay with you long after you finish reading.

Hey, Erin! Where Have You Been?

Hi, everyone!

I know I haven't blogged or checked in with you for  a while, but for good reason. In August, I started a long-term teaching assignment. I was extremely busy reading and planning lessons for seventh graders, and boy... what an experience it was!

While I'm out of the classroom now, I'm hoping to find something long-term again. I've gone on three interviews in the past three weeks, and I'm finding a lot more opportunity now that I have that big experience on my resume. Who knows... next year might be the year I finally have my own classroom.

For now, I'm hoping to apply for more jobs, get substitute days in, start subbing at more schools, and just improve my resume. I'm also hoping to start reviewing again soon.

See you all soon!

Blog Tour: The Cresswell Plot + GIVEAWAY

Title: THE CRESSWELL PLOT Paperback

Author: Eliza Wass

Pub. Date: October 10, 2017

Publisher: Disney Press

Pages: 48

Formats: Paperback

Find it: Amazon, B&N, TBD, Goodreads

The woods were insane in the dark, terrifying and magical at the same time. But best of all were the stars, which trumpeted their light into the misty dark.Castella Cresswell and her five siblings-Hannan, Caspar, Mortimer, Delvive, and Jerusalem- know what it's like to be different. For years, their world has been confined to their ramshackle family home deep in the woods of upstate New York. They abide by the strict rule of God, whose messages come directly from their father.

Slowly, Castley and her siblings start to test the boundaries of the laws that bind them. But, at school, they're still the freaks they've always been to the outside world. Marked by their plain clothing. Unexplained bruising. Utter isolation from their classmates. That is, until Castley is forced to partner with the totally irritating, totally normal George Gray, who offers her a glimpse of a life filled with freedom and choice.

Castley's world rapidly expands beyond the woods she knows so well and the beliefs she once thought were the only truths. There is a future waiting for her if she can escape her father's grasp, but Castley refuses to leave her siblings behind. Just as she begins to form a plan, her father makes a chilling announcement: the Cresswells will soon return to their home in heaven. With time running out on all of their lives, Castley must expose the depth of her father's lies. The forest has buried the truth in darkness for far too long. Castley might be their last hope for salvation.

Blog Tour: Everything Must Go

Title: Everything Must Go

Author: Jenny Fran Davis

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Publication Date: October 3, 2017

Source: Wednesday Books

Flora Goldwasser has fallen in love. She won't admit it to anyone, but something about Elijah Huck has pulled her under. When he tells her about the hippie Quaker school he attended in the Hudson Valley called Quare Academy, where he'll be teaching next year, Flora gives up her tony upper east side prep school for a life on a farm, hoping to woo him. A fish out of water, Flora stands out like a sore thumb in her vintage suits among the tattered tunics and ripped jeans of the rest of the student body. When Elijah doesn't show up, Flora must make the most of the situation and will ultimately learn more about herself than she ever thought possible.

Told in a series of letters, emails, journal entries and various ephemera, Flora's dramatic first year is laid out for all to see, embarrassing moments and all. 

ARC Review: Girls Who Code

Title: Girls Who Code: Learn to Code and Change the World

Author: Reshma Saujani

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: August 22, 2017

Source: Viking Books for Young Readers

Part how-to, part girl-empowerment, and all fun, from the leader of the movement championed by Sheryl Sandberg, Malala Yousafzai, and John Legend. 

Since 2012, the organization Girls Who Code has taught computing skills to and inspired over 40,000 girls across America. Now its founder, Reshma Saujani, wants to inspire you to be a girl who codes! Bursting with dynamic artwork, down-to-earth explanations of coding principles, and real-life stories of girls and women working at places like Pixar and NASA, this graphically animated book shows what a huge role computer science plays in our lives and how much fun it can be. No matter your interest--sports, the arts, baking, student government, social justice--coding can help you do what you love and make your dreams come true. Whether you're a girl who's never coded before, a girl who codes, or a parent raising one, this entertaining book, printed in bold two-color and featuring art on every page, will have you itching to create your own apps, games, and robots to make the world a better place.

Release Blitz: Allerleirauh

I am so excited that ALLERLEIRAUH by Chantal Gadoury is available now, and to celebrate, I've got a Release Week Blitz and giveaway for you! 

Many of you know that I, particularly picky about fantasy, but Allerleirauh is one of those books that I just need, and you can be sure that I'll be reading it soon!

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

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a paperback of the book or an eBook courtesy of The Parliament House and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

Title: ALLERLEIRAUH

Author: Chantal Gadoury

Pub. Date: August 22, 2017

Publisher: The Parliament House 

Pages: 236

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Goodreads

Once Upon a Time… 

In the kingdom of Tranen, a king makes a promise to his dying wife that he'll only remarry a woman who possesses her golden hair. In time, the king's eyes are turned by his daughter. Realizing her father’s intentions, Princess Aurelia tries to trick him by requesting impossible gifts: dresses created by the sun, moon and stars, and a coat made of a thousand furs. But when he is successful, Aurelia sacrifices her privileged life and flees her kingdom, disguised by the cloak and a new name, Allerleirauh. 

She enters the safe haven of Saarland der Licht, where the handsome and gentle Prince Klaus takes her under his care. Hoping not to be discovered by her father’s courtiers, Allerleirauh tries to remain hidden under her new identity when she finds unexpected love with Prince Klaus, even though his arranged marriage to the princess of a neighboring kingdom approaches. Risking everything, Allerleirauh must face her troubled past and her fears of the future along her journey to self-acceptance in this triumphant retelling of the classic Grimm Fairy Tale.

ARC Review: The Friendship Code

Title: The Friendship Code

Series: Girls Who Code

Author: Stacia Deutsch

Publisher: Penguin Workshop

Publication Date: August 22, 2017

Source: ARC from Publisher

Perfect for fans of The Babysitters Club and anyone interested in computer science, this series is published in partnership with the organization Girls Who Code!

Loops, variables, input/output - Lucy can't wait to get started with the new coding club at school. Finally, an after school activity that she's really interested in. But Lucy's excitement turns to disappointment when she's put into a work group with girls she barely knows. All she wanted to do was make an app that she believes will help someone very special to her.

Suddenly, Lucy begins to get cryptic coding messages and needs some help translating them. She soon discovers that coding - and friendship - takes time, dedication, and some laughs!

ARC August Update: Week Two

Hey, everyone! I hope you've all had a relaxing weekend! We're moving on to week three of Read.Sleep.Repeat's ARC August, so it's time for me to give you a small recap of Week Two.

Promo Post: The Epic Crush of Genie Lo + GIVEAWAY

Title: THE EPIC CRUSH OF GENIE LO

Author: F.C. Yee

Pub. Date: August 8, 2017

Publisher: Amulet Books

Pages: 336

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Amazon, Barnes&Noble,
iBooks, TBD, Goodreads
Source: Publisher

The struggle to get into a top-tier college consumes sixteen-year-old Genie Lo's every waking thought. But when her sleepy Bay Area town comes under siege from hell-spawn straight out of Chinese folklore, her priorities are suddenly and forcefully rearranged.

Her only guide to the demonic chaos breaking out around her is Quentin Sun, a beguiling, maddening new transfer student from overseas. Quentin assures Genie she is strong enough to fight these monsters, for she unknowingly harbors an inner power that can level the very gates of Heaven.

Genie will have to dig deep within herself to summon the otherworldly strength that Quentin keeps talking about. But as she does, she finds the secret of her true nature is entwined with his, in a way she could never have imagined…

Zodiac Reread Campaign: Black Moon

Title: Black Moon

Series: Zodiac

Author: Romina Russell

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: December 6, 2016

Source: Penguin Teen for Review Consideration

Book Three in the breathtaking sci-fi space saga inspired by astrology that will stun fans of the Illuminae Files and Starbound series.

One final secret stands between Rho and the enemy. But will the devastating truth be enough to destroy her first?
Rho, the courageous visionary from House Cancer, lost nearly everything when she exposed and fought against the Marad, a mysterious terrorist group bent on destroying balance in the Zodiac Galaxy. Now, the Marad has disappeared without a trace, and an uneasy peace has been declared.

But Rho is suspicious. She believes the Master is still out there in some other form. And looming over all are the eerie visions of her mother, who died many years ago, but is now appearing to Rho in the stars.

When news of a stylish new political party supported by her best friend, Nishi, sends Rho on another journey across the galaxy, she uses it as an opportunity to hunt the hidden master and seek out information about her mother. And what she uncovers sheds light on the truth–but casts darkness upon the entire Zodiac world.

ARC Review: Emma in the Night

Title: Emma in the Night

Author: Wendy Walker

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: August 8, 2017

Source: Giveaway Win from Publisher

From the bestselling author of All Is Not Forgotten comes a thriller about two missing sisters, a twisted family, and what happens when one girl comes back...

One night three years ago, the Tanner sisters disappeared: fifteen-year-old Cass and seventeen-year-old Emma. Three years later, Cass returns, without her sister Emma. Her story is one of kidnapping and betrayal, of a mysterious island where the two were held. But to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Abby Winter, something doesn't add up. Looking deep within this dysfunctional family Dr. Winter uncovers a life where boundaries were violated and a narcissistic parent held sway. And where one sister's return might just be the beginning of the crime.

Blog Tour: The Punch Escrow

Title: The Punch Escrow
Author: Tal M. Klein
Publisher: Geek & Sundry
Publication Date: July 25, 2017

It's the year 2147. Advancements in nanotechnology have enabled us to control aging. We've genetically engineered mosquitoes to feast on carbon fumes instead of blood, ending air pollution. And teleportation has become the ideal mode of transportation, offered exclusively by International Transport—a secretive firm headquartered in New York City. Their slogan: Departure... Arrival... Delight!

Joel Byram, our smartass protagonist, is an everyday twenty-fifth-century guy. He spends his days training artificial intelligence engines to act more human, jamming out to 1980's new wave—an extremely obscure genre, and trying to salvage his deteriorating marriage. Joel is pretty much an everyday guy with everyday problems—until he's accidentally duplicated while teleporting.

Now Joel must outsmart the shadowy organization that controls teleportation, outrun the religious sect out to destroy it, and find a way to get back to the woman he loves in a world that now has two of him.

ARC August Update: Week One

Hey, everyone! We're just under a week into the Fifth Annual ARC August, hosted by Read.Sleep.Repeat.

I don't know about you, but this is my favorite reading event of the year... well this and ARC April... because I can just motivate myself to read ALL THE ARCS. And if they don't work for me, I move on. 

Today, I'm here to bring you my first of five ARC August Updates. For the most part, you'll be seeing these updates on Sundays, except for the last one, which will be posted on August 31. In these posts, I'll just give you little updates on what ARCs I've been reading, how I've been feeling about the challenge, and how I'm staying on task. Alright... let's get to it, shall we?

ARC Review: What Goes Up

Title: What Goes Up

Author: Katie Kennedy

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Publication Date: July 18, 2017

Source: Bloomsbury for Review Consideration

Action-packed and wildly funny, this near-future sci-fi features three teens on an inter-dimensional mission to save the world.

Rosa and Eddie are among hundreds of teens applying to NASA’s mysterious Multi-World Agency. After rounds of crazy-competitive testing they are appointed to Team 3, along with an alternate, just in case Eddie screws up (as everyone expects he will). What they don’t expect is that aliens will arrive from another dimension, and look just like us. And no one could even imagine that Team 3 would be the only hope of saving our world from their Earth-destroying plans. The teens steal the spacecraft (it would be great if they knew how to fly it) and head to Earth2, where the aliens’ world and people are just like ours. With a few notable exceptions.

There, the teens will find more than their alternate selves: they'll face existential questions and high-stakes adventure, with comedy that's out of this world.

Cat Jordan's Newest Novel: Eight Days on Planet Earth

Hey, little Hardcover Lovers! Today, I wanted to let you know about an upcoming book that I'm so excited for!

Some of you may recall that I read and reviewed Cat Jordan's The Leaving Season last year, and that I loved it! Well today, I wanted to let you know that you'll be able to get your hands in Cat's sophomore novel, Eight Days on Planet Earth, in November.

Title: Eight Days on Planet Earth

Author: Cat Jordan

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication Date: November 7, 2017

How long does it take to travel 13 light-years to Earth?
How long does it take to fall in love? 

To the universe, eight days is a mere blip—but to Matty Jones, it may be just enough time to change his life. 

On the hot summer day Matty’s dad leaves for good, a strange girl suddenly appears in the empty field next to the Jones farm—the very field in rural Pennsylvania where a spaceship supposedly landed fifty years ago. She is uniquely beautiful, sweet, and smart, and she tells Matty she’s waiting for her spaceship to return to pick her up.
Of course she is.

Matty has heard all the impossible UFO stories for all of his seventeen years: the conspiracy theories, the wild rumors, the crazy belief in life beyond the stars. As a kid, he searched the skies with his dad and studied the constellations. But all that is behind him now. Dad’s gone and Matty’s stuck.
But now there is Priya. The self-proclaimed alien girl. She must be crazy or high, right?

As Matty unravels the mystery of Priya, he realizes there is far more to her than he first imagined.
And if he can learn to believe in what he can’t see: the universe, aliens…love…then maybe the impossible is possible, after all.

Blog Tour: The Inevitiable Collision of Birdie & Bash

Title: The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash

Author: Candace Ganger

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Publication Date: July 25, 2017

Source: E-ARC Provided by Publisher

Birdie never meant to be at the party. Bash should have been long gone. But when they meet, a collision course is set off they may never recover from.

Sebastian Alvaréz is just trying to hold the pieces together: to not flunk out, to keep his sort-of-best friend Wild Kyle from doing something really bad, and to see his beloved Ma through chemo. But when he meets Birdie Paxton, a near-Valedictorian who doesn’t realize she’s smoking hot in her science pun T-shirt, at a party, an undeniable attraction sparks. And suddenly he’s not worried about anything. But before they are able to exchange numbers, they are pulled apart. A horrifying tragedy soon links Birdie and Bash together—but neither knows it. When they finally reconnect, and are starting to fall—hard—the events of the tragedy unfold, changing both their lives in ways they can never undo. Told in alternating perspectives, The Inevitable Collision of Birdie & Bash by Candace Ganger is a beautiful, complex, and ultimately hopeful teen novel that will move you to the very last page.

ARC August 2017: Sign Up and Books I Want to Read

It's that time of the year again... no, I don't mean the end of summer! I mean it's time for ARC August!

Zodiac Reread Campaign: Wandering Star Review and Disney Princess Sorting

Title: Wandering Star (Zodiac #2)

Series: Zodiac

Author: Romina Russell

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: December 8, 2015
Source: ARC from Penguin Teen

A breathtaking sci-fi space saga inspired by astrology that will stun fans of the Illuminae Files and Starbound series.

Orphaned, disgraced, and stripped of her title, Rho is ready to live life quietly, as an aid worker in the Cancrian refugee camp on House Capricorn.

But news has spread that the Marad--an unbalanced terrorist group determined to overturn harmony in the Galaxy--could strike any House at any moment.

Then, unwelcome nightmare that he is, Ochus appears to Rho, bearing a cryptic message that leaves her with no choice but to fight.

Now Rho must embark on a high-stakes journey through an all-new set of Houses, where she discovers that there's much more to her Galaxy--and to herself--than she could have ever imagined.

Hardcover Lover Confessions: How Many Books Until it's Considered Hoarding?

Hey there all you little Hardcover Lovers! Welcome to the latest edition of Hardcover Lover Confessions. 

If you aren't familiar with Hardcover Lover Confessions, they're basically discussion posts. I don't have a set schedule for them - they just come as I think of different kinds of bookish posts. Basically, they're just really informal discussion posts wherein I write (or sometimes rant) about certain things going on in the book community or things affecting me as a reader. The posts are fun, and you, my readers, are always encouraged to confess your own thoughts in the comments!

It's my Blogiversary!

Wow! It's so hard to believe that I'm celebrating another Blogiversary! Today, The Hardcover Lover turns three today! It honestly seems like time has just flown by so quickly, especially when it comes to the time that I've been blogging.

I know it's been a slow blogging and reading year for me, but I thought it would be fun to walk through of some my favorite posts from the past year.

Book Review: The Handmaid's Tale

Title: The Handmaid's Tale

Edition: First American Edition

Author: Margaret Atwood

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company

Publication Date: January 1, 1986

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...

Netflix and Books Reading Challenge Update

Hey, everyone! It's time for a reading challenge update!

Way, way back in March, I decided to join Lauren and Erica's Netflix and Books Challenge. Yes, I realize that it's now mid-July, and I'm only just offering up my first update. Oops. I've really failed you, my readers, lately. But I'm hoping to change all of that starting now. So let's get to the update, shall we?

The Story Behind Walking with Miss Millie

Hey, everyone! I hope your day is off to a wonderful start!

I have a wonderful post for you today, and it's a special one because Tamara Bundy is on The Hardcover Lover today to share a little bit of information with you about her debut novel, Walking with Miss Millie, which was released on July 4!

Title: Walking with Miss Millie

Author: Tamara Bundy

Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books

Publication Date: July 4, 2017

Source: Finished Copy from Publisher

A poignant middle grade debut about the friendship between a white girl and an elderly black woman in the 1960s South.

Alice is angry at having to move to Rainbow, Georgia—a too small, too hot, dried-up place she’s sure will never feel like home. Then she gets put in charge of walking her elderly neighbor’s dog. But Clarence won’t budge without Miss Millie, so Alice and Miss Millie walk him together. Strolling with Miss Millie quickly becomes the highlight of Alice’s day, as she learns about the town’s past and meets a mix of its catty and kind residents. As the two become confidantes, Alice is finally able to express her heartache over her father’s desertion; and when Miss Millie tells her family story, Alice begins to understand the shameful history of Segregation, and recognize the racism they need to fight against. Navigating the neighborhood with Miss Millie gives Alice new perspective, the wisdom to move on from her anger, and even enables her to laugh again.

Tamara Bundy’s beautifully written story reminds readers that there is nothing like friendship to lighten one’s load, and make anyplace a home.

Zodiac Reread Campaign: Zodiac Review and Adding Stardust to Your Life

Title: Zodiac

Series:  Zodiac

Author: Romina Russell

Publisher: Razorbill

Publication Date: December 9, 2014

Source: Goodreads First Reads Giveaway Program and Purchased Final Copy

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.

Stacking the Shelves (19)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly feature/bookish meme hosted by Tynga on her blog, Tynga's Reviews, although I'm guilty of not posting every week! You know how life gets in the way, right?

The meme is all about sharing the books that you have added to your shelves and e-readers. This means that you can include any physical books that you buy in stores or online, but you can also include all of those e-books and eARCs for your digital reading device.

For more information on Stacking the Shelves, feel free to visit its official launch page on Tynga's Reviews.

 

Blog Tour: The Fashion Committee + GIVEAWAY

Title: The Fashion Committee

Author: Susan Juby

Publisher: Penguin Teen

Publication Date: May 23, 2017

Copy Provided by Penguin Random House

Charlie Dean is a style-obsessed girl who eats, sleeps, and breathes fashion. John Thomas-Smith is a boy who forges metal sculptures in his garage and couldn't care less about clothes. Both are gunning for a scholarship to the private art high school that could make all their dreams come true. Whoever wins the fashion competition will win the scholarship--and only one can win. 

Told in the alternating voices of Charlie's and John's journals, this hilarious and poignant YA novel perfectly captures what it's like to have an artistic drive so fierce that nothing--not your dad's girlfriend's drug-addicted ex-boyfriend, a soul-crushing job at Salad Stop, or being charged with a teensy bit of kidnapping--can stand in your way.
 

With black and white art custom-created by fashion and beauty illustrator Soleil Ignacio, the book is a collector's item, perfect for anyone with a passion for fashion.