Novella Review: The Book of Shhh

Title: The Book of Shhh

Series: Delirium

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: May 17, 2016

A perfect companion to Lauren Oliver’s bestselling Delirium trilogy, The Book of Shhh expands on excerpts included in the original series. Lauren Oliver delves deeper into the world created in the Delirium trilogy and provides fans with an in-depth look at the terrifying society that her characters live in. This free novella includes case studies, exercises, invocations, quotes, proverbs, and detailed information on amor deliria nervosa.

The Book of Shhh, or the Safety, Health, and Happiness Handbook, describes the perils of amor deliria nervosa. In today’s society, thanks to the cure and its enforcement, our citizens are more productive and committed to their jobs, political organizations, and social impact than ever before. The following excerpts are meant to give portability to a small portion of its materials so that elements of its wisdom may be available for reference on the go.

Do not rely on the following excerpts to diagnose, treat, or address evidence of amor deliria nervosa. Should you believe that you or someone in your family might be infected, call the National Health Services hotline immediately, or seek the care of a professional physician at once.

Book Review: Vanishing Girls

Title: Vanishing Girls

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: March 10, 2015

Source: Purchased

Add it to Goodreads

New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping story about two sisters inexorably altered by a terrible accident.

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.

Waiting on Wednesday (65)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly, bookish meme created and hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. You can find out more information on the meme on her blog, Breaking the Spine.

The meme helps book bloggers and readers shine a spotlight om some of the many upcoming releases that we are all patiently (but most likely impatiently) waiting on. Get it?

So you're interested in sharing some of the books you're waiting on with your readers!? That's great! To participate in Jill's meme, all you need to do is:

• Create your own Waiting on Wednesday post that features an upcoming title (or titles)
• Be sure to credit Jill in your post
• Link up to the Linky on Jill's blog

Top Ten Tuesday (18)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by the bloggers at The Broke and the Bookish. They created the meme because they love making and sharing lists. Well that's just one thing that I have in common with them because list making is essential to my life.

Every week, there is a new topic for Top Ten Tuesday, and all you have to do is create your top ten list (or somewhere around ten if you can't think of ten) based on it. Oh, and be sure to link back to The Broke and the Bookish! Then you can add your name to the link up tool that they include in their post!

Please don't hate me... this is my first TTT since January! I've really been meaning to participate more often. I just had so many ARCs to read, and since I post ARC reviews a week before the book is released, I felt like I'd be overloading you with posts.

Now... it's time to list those books!

Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR List:

I used this list to compile my choices for this week's TTT. These are the books that I really want to read this spring, but realistically, I know I will probably only get to half of them. I still have winter releases to get to!
I do have ARCs for a few of these titles (and other June titles), so look out for reviews.

1. The Heir by Kiera Cass
2. Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
3. The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord
4. P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
5. The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver
6. 99 Days by Katie Cotugno
7. Love, Fortunes, and Other Disasters by Kimberly Karalius
8. Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler
9. Things We Know By Heart by Jessi Kirby
10. Devoted by Jennifer Mathieu

Book Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver + GIVEAWAY

Title: Panic

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: March 4, 2014

Synopsis:
Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

Review:

When I first decided to read this book, I saw a lot of people on social media saying that they couldn't understand how it was going to be a stand alone book from the description that was provided, but Panic is definitely a standalone novel. I was probably one of the few people who liked the idea of it being a standalone, and it made me even more excited to read this book from Ms. Oliver.

If you're looking for a complex YA heroine, Heather really isn't it. She's not very complicated, and I liked her for that. I feel like she represents the average teenager of today. She and her sister have a tough life. She's just trying to find her way through life after graduating high school, just like most teens do. She realizes that everything will change when her when her friends, Bishop and Nat, move away and she remains stuck in Carp. Dealing with friends moving away is something that teens, especially economically disadvantaged teens, deal with all the time. On top of feeling sad about losing her friends, she also has to deal with some relationship problems. She's a very realistic YA character.

The pacing of the plot in this novel is great. I never felt like things were being rushed or included just for the sake of trying to get readers. Oliver's descriptions of events in the book are almost perfect; she makes you feel like you're actually watching everything. I like the details that Oliver includes in the challenges of Panic. I could actually tell that she took the time to think of a big game like Panic, but she also put a great deal of time and thought into making the game seem like it's real with the many different challenges and rules. 

Although I was able to correctly predict a lot of events and plot details in this book, I'd definitely recommend it to fans of contemporary YA fiction. I'd also recommend it to readers who like mysteries and thrillers. I think it would appeal to readers of those genres and even introduce them to the others if they haven't read them yet because it is a perfect blend of thriller and contemporary. 

Want More Lauren Oliver? Enter to Win a Paperback Copy of Before I Fall (U.S. ONLY):

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*Please be sure to check the Giveaway Rules here.*

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly book meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. Each week, participants write a post about a book that they cannot wait to get their hands on. It could be one that is being released soon or a book that is still months away from publication - as long as it's not published and you're waiting on it, you're good!

For my WOW post this week, I'm visiting another author who has been previously featured in my Waiting on Wednesday posts. Actually, her last book was the first book that I featured on my blog for Waiting on Wednesday. Can you guess? Or did you cheat?

Title: Vanishing Girls

Author: Lauren Oliver

Expected Publication: March 10, 2015

Synopsis:
New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping story about two sisters inexorably altered by a terrible accident.

Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before the accident that left Dara's beautiful face scarred and the two sisters totally estranged. When Dara vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl, nine-year-old Madeline Snow, has vanished, too, and Nick becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances are linked. Now Nick has to find her sister, before it's too late.

In this edgy and compelling novel, Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.

What are you waiting on this week? As always, feel free to let me know what you think of my pick in the comments, and be sure to let me know what you're waiting on. I'd love to see your posts!

Top Ten Tuesday (11)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly list-making meme that is hosted by the ladies over at the blog, The Broke and Bookish. For more information on the meme, feel free to visit their page about it.

This week's list is all about re-reading books. For me... I try to read as many new books as I can in a year. I don't re-read much, even though I'd love to re-read so many books. I try to take the time to re-read a few books a year, and I am going to dedicate more time to it in the future.

I'm cheating on this list by including some series and books that I've already re-read. I'm also including some plays.

Top Ten Books I'd Like to Re-Read:

1. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
2. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
3. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
4. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
5. The Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth
6. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
7. The Crucible by Arthur Miller
8. A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks
9. The Selection series by Kiera Cass
10. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Top Ten Tuesday (5)

Top Ten Tuesday (TTT) is a weekly meme hosted by the ladies over at The Broke and Bookish.

Each week, there is a different topic, and all you need to do is give your answers in the form of a top ten list. They love making lists. I love making lists. It's a win for them, and it's a win for me. And it's a win for you because there is always the chance that you'll discover a new book that you want to read. And who doesn't love discovering new books?

Top Ten Books I Really Want To Read But Don't Own Yet

• The Summer of Chasing Mermaids by Sarah Ockler - It won't be released until next year, but I want it now. The book is based on "The Little Mermaid." I love a good fairytale, and a retelling of one is always something that interests me. And I really love Sarah Ockler's writing style. It is fun, even when she writes about very realistic and serious subjects.
  
• The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey - This is another book that's not yet released, although it's due out next month. There was a lot of hype about The 5th Wave, and rightfully so. The book was amazing, so I am excited for the rest of the series. I think I can wait until release day for this one because it's so close, but I will probably drive to Target right after work to buy it.
  
• The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige - The cover was just recently released, and I am in love with it! I loved Dorothy Must Die almost as much as the odd looks I got from older folks while reading it in public, so I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of it. I need to find out what happens next.
  
• Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick - I've been wanting to read this for a while, but I always put it back on the store's shelf because of the price tag. One of these days I'll get around to purchasing a copy of it, but for now, it remains on my TBR list of books I don't own.
  
• Flawless by Sara Shepard - I read the first Pretty Little Liars book, and I really want to read the rest of them. But I own a hardcover of the first one, so I want a hardcover of this one so they look good on my shelves together. And of course, the TV show makes me more curious to see how they adapted these books. I know people have said the show and the books are very similar, but I want to see for myself.
  
• The List by Siobhan Vivian - The Young Adult literature class the year after mine got to read this book because Ms. Vivian was supposed to come in and speak with them. From what I heard, she never did, but the book seemed interesting, so I want to read it. I'll probably grab a paperback from Target soon.
  
• Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry by Billy Collins - This is set up to give students a new poem each day during the school year, so as a teacher, I want to see if it's worth using one day in my classroom.
  
• The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot - I still haven't read The Princess Diaries, and I feel like I should have in elementary school. These books have been around for a while now, but I just never bought them. To be honest, I didn't know the existed until right before the movie was released. 
  
• Rooms by Lauren Oliver - It's not out yet, but it's her adult debut and I really think it'll be a great read. I do try to read as much adult fiction as I can because I'm twenty-five, and the synopsis of this book had me sold. I am probably going to pre-order it in the very near future.
  
• Hard Choices by Hillary Rodham Clinton - I've always been interested in politics, and I've admired Hillary since I was twelve years old. This book appeals to me because I love to learn about the more recent things in the United States, and she witnessed quite a lot first hand.
  
  
  

Book Tag: Most Owned Authors on my Auto-Buy List

Yay! It's time for another book tag! These things can be so much fun, but I was kind of scared when I was tagged to do this one. Rachel over at A Perfection Called Books tagged me to participate in this one, and it's all about the number of books I own from authors on my auto-buy list.

Now some of you might be wondering why this book tag scared me. Well... the answer is kind of simple. I really don't have many auto-buy authors. I'm a taste test kind of reader. I read whatever looks interesting to me at the moment. If you ever see a picture of my shelves, you'll probably notice it.

I'll try my best to complete this tag, but it might seem a bit odd to you. Just hang in there. This should really be called Auto-Acquire Authors for me because a lot of these books were given to me. Oh well. I hope it makes sense.

• J.K. Rowling (12 books) - Okay. This one might be a bit of a stretch because my grandma bought all my Harry Potter books for me when I finally decided to read them. Now I can say that I have bought a few of her books with my own money. I own all seven Harry Potter books and the Hogwarts library box set. I even own an extra copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard because I bought it for myself before finally deciding that I wanted the pretty box set. I also own The Casual Vacancy, and when I find her other books for a cheap enough price, they will have a spot on my shelves. 
• Lauren Oliver (6 books) - Lauren Oliver is an author that I wouldn't have heard about if it weren't for winning a Goodreads giveaway. I was lucky enough to win Before I Fall, and then I quickly purchased the first two books in her Delirium trilogy. Her new adult book is coming out soon, and I'm going to get it. I'm also impatiently waiting for her new YA book, Vanishing Girls.
• Rainbow Rowell (4 books) - The first Rainbow Rowell book I read was Eleanor & Park, and I quickly bought Fangirl and Attachments. I waited patiently to get Landline, so now I have one copy of all of her books. I know I'll be buying anything she releases in the future.
• Veronica Roth (4 books) - I was a little late to hop on the Divergent train, but after I bought it, I ordered both Insurgent and Allegiant and binge read them. I pre-ordered an autographed copy of Four, and I really can't wait to see what she writes next. It'll be on my shelves.
• Sarah Ockler (3 books) - Twenty Boy Summer started it all for me, but I don't even own a copy of it. Don't worry... I'm looking for a decent looking hardcover. Sarah writes beautiful YA books, and I really wish more people would read her books. I still haven't gotten my hands on #scandal, but only because I haven't seen it anywhere. Her new book, The Summer of Chasing Mermaids is one I am going to run out the door for on release day.
• Kiera Cass (4 books) - I own all the books in her Selection trilogy plus the paperback companion short stories. I probably won't buy The Siren, but I'm sure I'll give her next book a chance.
• Nicholas Sparks (19+ books) I own at least one hardcover of every book he's released, and quite a few dupes because my grandma buys them every time she goes to a thrift store. I swear that I could start my own bookstore and just sell his books.  I haven't really liked many of his newer releases, so I don't know if he is still an auto-buy author for me. 
• Marissa Meyer (3 books) - I only just recently read Cinder for a Goodreads read-a-long, but I bought all three books in The Lunar Chronicles series. I can't wait to get a copy of Fairest in my hands, and I really want to get Winter.

So now I get to tag some people! Okay, I'm going to go with my two co-mods at All About YA, Angie and Robin.

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. Each week, you get to shine the spotlight on an upcoming release that you really want to read.

This is the first time that I've participated in Waiting on Wednesday, and I'm sure it won't be the last. It seems like a fun opportunity to share some of the books that I am dying to read, and believe me, there are plenty of them.



Today, my focus will be on an upcoming release by the lovely Lauren Oliver. As you keep reading my blog, you'll come to learn that I am a huge Lauren Oliver fan. I have been since I won Before I Fall on Goodreads. I really just love her writing style.

I was ecstatic when I found out that she was releasing an adult novel. Yes, I'm a YA fan, but I do like to read books aimed at adults, too. After all, I am an adult.

So why do I need to get my hands on this? Well, it's Lauren Oliver. First of all, I haven't read anything by her that I haven't liked.  Secondly, it's adult fiction and fantasy. I've noticed that I've been liking fantasy, so it's definitely worth a try. And lastly, it seems like the perfect book to read as the seasons begin to change and Halloween approaches.

Without further ado, here's this week's Waiting on Wednesday.


Expected Publication: September 23, 2014

Genre: Adult Fantasy

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
The New York Times bestselling author of Before I Fall and the Delirium trilogy makes her brilliant adult debut with this mesmerizing story in the tradition of The Lovely Bones, Her Fearful Symmetry, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane—a tale of family, ghosts, secrets, and mystery, in which the lives of the living and the dead intersect in shocking, surprising, and moving ways

Wealthy Richard Walker has just died, leaving behind his country house full of rooms packed with the detritus of a lifetime. His estranged family—bitter ex-wife Caroline, troubled teenage son Trenton, and unforgiving daughter Minna—have arrived for their inheritance.

But the Walkers are not alone. Prim Alice and the cynical Sandra, long dead former residents bound to the house, linger within its claustrophobic walls. Jostling for space, memory, and supremacy, they observe the family, trading barbs and reminiscences about their past lives. Though their voices cannot be heard, Alice and Sandra speak through the house itself—in the hiss of the radiator, a creak in the stairs, the dimming of a light bulb.

The living and dead are each haunted by painful truths that will soon surface with explosive force. When a new ghost appears, and Trenton begins to communicate with her, the spirit and human worlds collide—with cataclysmic results.

Elegantly constructed and brilliantly paced, Rooms is an enticing and imaginative ghost story and a searing family drama that is as haunting as it is resonant.

 I'd like to know what you're waiting on. Leave a comment here with a link to your "Waiting on Wednesday." I'll be sure to check it out. I can always add more books to my library.

If you participate, be sure to visit Breaking the Spine, and let them know you're participating by adding your name and blog URL to the Linky.

Series Review: Delirium

Sometimes, we read a series, and it sticks with us. One of those series for me was Lauren Oliver's dystopic trilogy, Delirium. Below, you'll find my reviews for all three novels.

Book Review: Before I Fall

Title: Before I Fall

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: Harper

Publication Date: October 25, 2010 (Originally Published on March 2, 2010)

Format: Paperback

Source: Goodreads First Reads Program

With this stunning debut novel, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver emerged as one of today's foremost authors of young adult fiction. Like Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why and Gayle Forman's If I Stay, Before I Fall raises thought-provoking questions about love, death, and how one person's life can affect so many others.

For popular high school senior Samantha Kingston, February 12—"Cupid Day"—should be one big party, a day of valentines and roses and the privileges that come with being at the top of the social pyramid. And it is…until she dies in a terrible accident that night.

However, she still wakes up the next morning. In fact, Sam lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she ever imagined.

My Review

If I'm being completely honest, I would have never even noticed this book if it weren't for the giveaways on Goodreads, but I am glad that I entered to win this book and actually won because it's a beautiful book. It isn't like anything that I've read before. I wouldn't call it paranormal or fantasy, but it is a nice blend of those genres with realistic fiction thrown into the mix.

Oliver's writing is addictive, and I could not get enough of Samantha's story. I literally only put the book down to get six hours of sleep and go to some classes. It's seriously that good, and many people will want to finish this book in one sitting. It is captivating. The chapters are lenghthy, but I didn't even notice that because I kept wanting to find out more about what was happening with Samantha and her repeated days. 

For those readers who have not read this, I would really hope that you take the time to read it. This book introduced me to Lauren Oliver, and I went on to read her Delirium trilogy shortly after finishing this book. Also, I would recommend this book to fans of Gayle Forman's If I Stay.