Teaser Tuesday (18)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Since I haven't had much time to read over the last week, I'm still reading the same book. So this week's teaser is once again from:

H10N1

by M.R. Cornelius

"She almost got him killed back there. Hell, she nearly shot him herself! He couldn't afford to waste any more time. And he certainly wasn't going to get out of the van again- for any reason." page 52

Vacations, Giveaways, Reviews and Other Ways to Procrastinate

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Well, it's Monday. That means the husband's vacation is over and I a back on a schedule. Or not. Like I said in my post a few days ago, this is the first time the husband has had a vacation from both jobs at the same time since starting his second job over two years ago. Usually on his vacation he is either home during the day or at night, but not both like this time. So that meant I got absolutely nothing done. I think I managed to read about 30 pages of a book, but that's about it. Even though I loved having him home, I was excited to actually get some reading done today. But unfortunately, that didn't happen.

One of the reasons I didn't get anything done last week was because after years of trying, the husband finally sucked me into watching The Office. I'd seen it a few times and yes it is funny, but I honestly don't have the time to dedicate to a new tv show. I am already a million episodes behind on my other shows and don't have time for more. Well thanks to Netflix, we sat and watched the first two seasons of The Office this weekend and I am seriously desperate to watch more. I was up until about 2am last night watching it and had to force myself to sleep. Then I had to get up and get the minions to school (they both made it, and on a Monday!) and then I  decided to take a quick nap. The nap lasted until 2pm (oops!) so I am just now getting online. I still have two books to read and review this week, plus a few hundred giveaways to enter thanks to all the awesome hops.

I am the world's best procrastinator. Really, I deserve a gold medal! Since I am so far behind, there won't be any reviews this week. I'm going to use this time to get caught up and hopefully be back on schedule next week. Don't forget that I have two giveaways going on and one ends tomorrow! The links are at the top of the page. I can't believe how many entries they both have, crazy! 

In My Mailbox (18)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created and hosted by The Story Siren where bloggers share what books they have gathered over the week.

Bought:

I'm on a serious time crunch so no Goodreads links today :( Here's what I bought:

One Of Those Hideous Books Where The Mother Dies by Sonya Sones

Uglies, Pretties and Extras all by Scott Westerfeld

Willow by Julia Hoban

Before I Die by Jenny Downham

The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Testimony by Anita Shreve

Thanks For the Memories by Cecelia Ahern

Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon

Gone to the Dogs by Mary Guterson

On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah

Outer Banks by Anne Rivers Siddons

Walking In Circles Before Lying Down by Merrill Markoe

A Soft Place to Land by Susan Rebecca White 

Up Island by Anne Rivers Siddons

The Season of Second Chances by Diane Meier

Brother & Sister by Joanna Trollope

The Condition by Jennifer Haigh

Won:

Paris In Love by Eloisa James- Thank you Random House!

The Child Inside by Suzanne Bugler - Thank you to Pan Macmillan for another great Twitter giveaway!

Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey - Huge thanks to Canda at the iWriteNetwork!!!

On My Wish List (17)

On My Wish List is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where we list all the books we desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming.

Title: The Space Between Trees
Author: Katie Williams
Publication Date: June 1, 2010


From Goodreads:


This story was supposed to be about Evie how she hasn't made a friend in years, how she tends to stretch the truth (especially about her so-called relationship with college drop-out Jonah Luks), and how she finally comes into her own once she learns to just be herself but it isn't. Because when her classmate Elizabeth "Zabet" McCabe's murdered body is found in the woods, everything changes and Evie's life is never the same again.


I've had this on my wish list for about a year and have been waiting for a trade to go through. No luck yet, but hopefully soon!




What's got your eye this week?

Welcome to the Young Adult Giveaway Hop!!!

Welcome to the Young Adult Giveaway Hop, hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Down The Rabbit Hole. The hop runs from Jan. 27 to the 31st.

For this giveaway, one winner will be able to choose the YA book of their choice from The Book Depository, up to $15US. You are eligible to win as long as The Book Depository ships free to your country (check HERE). Just fill out the handy dandy Rafflecopter below and move on to the next blog on the linky!

Also, don't forget to check out my 300 Followers Giveaway for another chance to win some books of your choice!

When The Husband Is Home, I Get No Time Alone!

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Last week my family and I went to visit with some friends and my husband's upcoming vacation came up for a topic. When asked if I was looking forward to it, I said that I was, but I wasn't expecting to get much done and since I try to keep a schedule, I knew nothing was going to get done on time. The husband was shocked that I would think such a thing, how could him being home possibly affect what I need to do?

First I should tell you that my husband works very, very hard. He works two full time jobs so that I can stay home with the kids. My son has some learning disabilities so it's important that one us is able to go to doctor appointments or school meetings when they come up, which is often. So the hubby works from 8am to 11pm M-F and sometimes he works a shift on Saturday. This is the first time he has had his vacations from both jobs at the same time since starting his second job two years ago. 

What I need to tell you next is that he is also the funniest person I have ever met. He can't go five minutes without doing something completely ridiculous. (If you want to see how ridiculous, check out my videos and photos on my personal Facebook page HERE. You may need to send a friend request first. After, look for the album titled "how to embarrass your husband" for some of the pictures he forces me to take and then look at the videos for more funnies.) So with him singing random songs as Fred from the B52s and having a conversation with the dog in Chewbacca talk, it's hard to concentrate.

So what point am I trying to make here? Well, it is now the middle of his vacation and what have I been able to accomplish? You got it: nothing. I haven't read anything all week! I sit down to do something book related and before I get a chance to do it, something else happens. 

This is the daily conversation, which is actually happening as I type this:

Him: Don't you have blog things you need to do?

Me: Yes, I am very behind.

Him: Well go do it then. Just bring your laptop in here and you can do that and hang out at the same time.

(I bring in the laptop, set it up.) Two minutes later:

Him: So what do you want to do? Do you want to watch a movie? Do you want to watch one of your shows? What do you want to watch?

Me: I don't care, do whatever it is that you want.

This turns into an hour long debate about what movie we are going to watch even though I tell him to just do whatever that I really have things to do and won't be paying attention. 

And to further prove my point, he just asked me again if I had stuff to do, I said yes, he then decided to tell me all about his video game. I don't think I will be getting much reading done for the rest of the week. I did manage to schedule my giveaway post for the Young Adult Giveaway Hop though, which will post at about 10pm so be on the look out for it!

Anyway, I still love that the husband is home to harass me, he is always so tired on the weekends and we never have time to do anything as a family. I can give up my books for a few days if it means laughing so hard that my stomach cramps up. But still, I hope you are all having a far more successful reading week :) 

Waiting On Wednesday (17)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: One Moment
Author: Kristina McBride
Expected Publication Date: June 26, 2012

From Goodreads:


This was supposed to be the best summer of Maggie’s life. Now it's the one she'd do anything to forget. 

Maggie Reynolds remembers hanging out at the gorge with her closest friends after a blowout party the night before. She remembers climbing the trail hand in hand with her perfect boyfriend, Joey. She remembers that last kiss, soft, lingering, and meant to reassure her. So why can’t she remember what happened in the moment before they were supposed to dive? Why was she left cowering at the top of the cliff, while Joey floated in the water below – dead? 

As Maggie’s memories return in snatches, nothing seems to make sense. Why was Joey acting so strangely at the party? Where did he go after taking her home? And if Joey was keeping these secrets, what else was he hiding? 


What are you waiting for?

Teaser Tuesday (17)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This Week's Teaser Is From:

H10N1 

by M. R. Cornelius

"Memories hurt the most, and they were the hardest to contain. It took determination to tuck them deep down, and vigilance to keep them there. Rick's memories had gotten loose, and he was fighting a terrific battle to get them back in their cages." page 70

Review: Cycles by Lois D. Brown

Title: Cycles
Author: Lois D. Brown
Publication Date: December 15, 2011


From Goodreads:

She remembers things that never happened.
She's a stranger in her own home. 
She always knew she was different.
She just didn't know why.
Until now. 

Renee Beaumont is about to die . . . again.


My Thoughts:


 Cycles is the story of Renee, a 13-year-old girl who, after a fall from a horse, discovers that there is something strange about her and everyone around her is keeping secrets. Renee and best friend Sam decide to do some investigating of their own, only they don't realize just how deep the deceptions go.  I hadn't heard of Cycles until I was fortunate enough to receive a review request by the author. As soon as I read the synopsis, I knew I was interested. 

Cycles is told from three character's points of view: Renee, Sam, and someone named Helen that we aren't introduced to right away. The majority of the book alternates chapters between Renee and Sam while only on a few occasions do we have insight to Helen's thoughts through journal entries. I always enjoy books that have more than one character telling the story. I always connect with the characters more if I am able to hear directly from each of them. This also gives us the opportunity to see what is going on in two places at once when Renee and Sam aren't together. 

You know within the first few pages that this is going to be a page turner. Right away we are thrown into the action and wondering just who the enemy is. I had a very hard time putting this down and even when I had to I was still going over it in my head trying to think of what was going to happen next. I thought I had it figured out a few times but I was wrong. There is nothing I love more than being wrong when it comes to books. So many times I can see where a story is going and with Cycles I was happily surprised. 

The writing was solid and the idea completely original and new. Sadly, I think a lot of books are too focused on what is "in" these days and are starting to repeat themselves. I have yet to come across another book like Cycles. I would have liked to see more interaction between Renee and her parents and even Sam and his family, but thankfully this is the beginning of a series and I have high hopes for the next book. While Cycles may not be a very long book , about 200 pages, it is definitely not lacking. I recommend this to all YA fans and to everyone else who is looking for a fresh, new kind of story.

*I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

In My Mailbox (17)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created and hosted by The Story Siren where bloggers share what books they have gathered over the week.

Won:

Thank you to Kensington Books for another fantastic Twitter giveaway!

Thank you to Story Crush for this awesome book. Love the cover and can't wait to get started.

Thank you to JHS at Colloquium. This book looks extremely emotional and it is a subject that means more to me than most. I'm looking forward to reading this one very soon.

Small haul this week but I think that is a good thing for once. I have some review requests to finish and some more NetGalley titles that need reading so I am taking this small book week as a chance to get caught up on as much as possible. However, the husband is on vacation this week and that can only mean one thing: my schedule has gone out the window. Help! 

What came for you this week?

On My Wish List (16)

On My Wish List is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where we list all the books we desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming.

Title: Frost
Author: Marianna Baer
Publication Date: September 13, 2011

From Goodreads: 


Leena Thomas’s senior year at boarding school begins with a shock: Frost House, her cozy dorm of close friends, has been assigned an unexpected roommate: confrontational, eccentric Celeste Lazar. But while Leena’s anxiety about a threat to her sanctuary proves valid, it becomes less and less clear whether the threat lies with her new roommate, within Leena’s own mind, or within the very nature of Frost House itself. Mysterious happenings in the dorm, an intense triangle between Leena, Celeste, and Celeste’s brother, and the reawakening of childhood fears, all push Leena to take increasingly desperate measures to feel safe. Frost is the story of a haunting. As to whether the demons are supernatural or psychological . . . well, which answer would let you sleep at night?


Honestly, with a cover like that who cares what the book is about? You know you are going to read it anyway. Thankfully for us, this sounds like a pretty awesome book too. I'm hoping a trade will come up for it soon because I really need to read it!


What is your heart's desire this week?

Review: Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

Title: Drowning Instinct
Author: Ilsa J. Bick
Publication Date: January 28, 2012

From Goodreads:

There are stories where the girl gets her prince, and they live happily ever after. (This is not one of those stories.) 

Jenna Lord's first sixteen years were not exactly a fairytale. Her father is a controlling psycho and her mother is a drunk. She used to count on her older brother—until he shipped off to Afghanistan. And then, of course, there was the time she almost died in a fire. 

There are stories where the monster gets the girl, and we all shed tears for his innocent victim. (This is not one of those stories either.) 

Mitch Anderson is many things: A dedicated teacher and coach. A caring husband. A man with a certain...magnetism. 

And there are stories where it's hard to be sure who's a prince and who's a monster, who is a victim and who should live happily ever after. (These are the most interesting stories of all.) 

WARNING!!!! THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!!

Jenna Lord is sixteen years old and is a walking disaster. After being severely burned in a fire as a child, having a drunk for a mother and a crazy power-hungry father and a brother that leaves home to join the Marines as soon as he is old enough, Jenna has become a cutter. After a few months locked in a mental ward, she is finally cleared for release and set to start at a new school.

That is where she meets Mr. Anderson, her chemistry teacher and also the school track coach. Jenna is an athlete and Mr. Anderson is looking to recruit her to the team. After a very rocky start at the new school and one girl, Danielle, who for no good reason makes Jenna her target, Mr. Anderson is the only friend she has. What starts innocently enough as a teacher genuinely wanting to help the new girl adjust, the relationship between the two quickly intensifies and spirals out of control.

My Thoughts:

I honestly don't know where to begin this review. I finished Drowning Instinct last night and I haven't been able to think of anything else since then. When I started reading yesterday, I wasn't very far into the book, maybe fifty pages. I sat and read the 250+ remaining pages in one sitting, I just couldn't look away. You know that feeling you get in your stomach when you know something is going to happen but you don't know what or when and your stomach cramps up in anticipation and you are just so nervous? That is how I sat for hours while reading this book, hunched up with this immense pain in my gut thinking "this can only get worse for them". Rarely does a book give me such a reaction.

Drowning Instinct is one big block of awesome. Intense, emotional, rip your gut out kind of awesome. When we first meet Jenna, we don't really know what her issue is. Yes, we know she is a cutter and she was in a fire, but why does she cut? Her father is extremely distant and doesn't seem to care about anything other than himself and her mother is too busy with her bookstore and alcohol to notice her half the time. They treat her like she is five, not sixteen. Matt, her brother, is gone to war and the only thing getting Jenna through are his emails. As the story progresses, we learn more and more about Jenna's life and all the horrible things that happened to her. Cutting starts to make sense.

You know from the blurb that something is going to happen between Jenna and Mr. Anderson, but what? Oh, you know. One hell of a teacher/student romance is starting and whether you are for it or against it you can't help but fly through these pages trying to devour as much of their story as possible. Bick does an absolutely amazing job with this relationship. Who is the predator? The victim? People always blame the adult in these situations, as you should obviously, but nothing is ever black and white. What Bick shows us is that sometimes there are no clear lines of who is right and who is wrong, things happen and more than one person can be at fault. Here is a quote from the author's acknowledgments that I think expresses this story perfectly:

"In my experience, the truly evil are few and good people, with the very best of intentions, often make very bad decisions and get in way over their heads before they know it. People drown, quietly, before our eyes all the time."

Does Mr. Anderson know what he is doing is wrong? Yes. Is he a predator? I don't know. If I am being completely honest here, I have to admit that I wanted their relationship to work. I really, truly did. Mitch (Mr. Anderson) needed someone to be there for him just as much as Jenna did and I think they gave each other something that they both were in desperate need of: to be seen and heard. You know this relationship is wrong as you are reading it but at the same time you can't help think "oh please let this work." But, as we know from the synopsis, this is not a happy ending.

I don't want to give away anything else because you really need to read this one for yourself to get the whole impact. However, I do have to mention the ending. Oh. My. God. I had to go back and read it three times because my heart was just exploding and I was desperate for more information. Is he or isn't he? That's all I can say. You need to read this. Go, right now. Run to your nearest book store and get your hands on this book. Lock yourself in a room and don't come out until you are just as desperate as I am.

Oh, Miss Bick. You got me good.

Waiting On Wednesday (16)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Title: The Raft
Author: S. A. Bodeen
Expected Publication Date: August 21, 2012

From Goodreads:


Robie, 15, lives with her family on the Midway atoll, a group of islands in the middle of the Pacific. Her parents are scientists; it’s an isolated life. Robie enjoys visiting her aunt in Hawaii – she gets back and forth on a cargo plane that brings supplies to Midway. 

During a visit, her aunt is called to the mainland for a work emergency, leaving Robie to get home on her own. On her flight back to Midway the cargo plane hits nasty weather, and goes down. It’s just Robie, the pilot, and Max, a co-pilot she’s never met till this flight, on board. Robie is pulled aboard a raft by Max, who is injured and slipping in and out of consciousness. They have a bag of candy and very little water between them. When they finally reach an island that seems abandoned, Robie hopes they’ll be found quickly. But she’s not sure she was even on the flight manifest. Her parents must be looking for her…aren’t they? 

I saw this for the first time a month or two ago and I knew right away that I needed to read it. I love love LOVE this creepy cover! I hate that we have to wait until August but you know what they say: all good things are worth the wait. I have seen some reviews already for this and I get so jealous. I need to get one of those ARCs!!!

What are you desperate for this week?

Teaser Tuesday (16)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This Week's Teaser is From:

Drowning Instinct

by Ilsa J. Bick

"Until you discover that the well is bottomless. There's always more. A different kind of pain, maybe, but more and much, much worse." page 8

Review: Daphne and The Mysterious Girls Secret Bathroom Society by Robert Shields

Title: Daphne and The Mysterious Girls Secret Bathroom Society
Author: Robert Shields
Publication Date: December 19, 2011

From Goodreads:


Following years of persecution at the hands of Vivica Vance, Daphne Downing levels the playing field wielding her No. 2 Ticonderoga pencil as she belatedly enters the world of witchcraft. Daphne becomes part of the Mysterious Girls’ Secret Bathroom Society and finds out that the politics governing witchcraft are daunting and sometimes deadly. She realizes she is aligned with the Charmers in this political battle with the Spiters led by her nemesis, Vivica. Along the way, she discovers that witches do not perform magic or witchcraft but a differentiated form of physics that only some women have mastered. The story deepens as she learns about the long history of witches’ domination and annihilation of wizards.


My Thoughts:

Daphne Downing has been picked on for years by Vivica Vance, her school rival. She doesn't know why this started, but for years she has been Vi's target and she has just about had enough. During freshman year, Vi makes a slip and Daphne discovers that she is a witch. But not only is Vi a witch, so is her best friend, Lyla. Daphne realizes that she too may be a witch and begins reading and studying up on it to learn for herself. We follow the  girls as they discover more about themselves and what being a witch truly means.

I went into this book not really knowing much about it. I had only read the synopsis and hadn't come across any reviews. While this is not my typical choice of read, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Instead of focusing on "magic", the author focuses more on physics as a way to do witchcraft. I found this to be a very original idea and enjoyed learning more about it as I read. A lot of times we, the readers, are expected to just go along with a story and take magic just as that, magic. No explanation needed. While that is still great and don't get me wrong, I love those stories, it is nice to come across a new theory once in a while and gain a new perspective. 

I do have to admit that it did take me a few pages to really get involved with the story. I didn't feel any connection with Daphne while she was first learning her craft. I felt more like I was being told what was happening instead of experiencing it through her. We also gain a lot of information fast and I got lost a few times. Physics is not a light subject for me so I did have to go at it slow and steady in a few areas and really pay attention to work things out in my head as they were intended to be told. Taking on new subjects is sometimes hard for me because I have a very bad habit of "if I have no interest in it, I don't care to know about it" lol. (This really drives the husband, a major science buff, crazy). So learning something new like this took me a little while to gain interest.

But once I got past the learning stage and gaining the background on the history of witches, it started to pick up and I found myself reading faster and really interested in where the story was going.  As the story progressed, so did the characters. Unlike at the beginning, Daphne, Lyla and even Vi started to grow into their own and become more believable as real people. The most important part of reading, at least for me, is believing in what you are reading. Can you see yourself meeting these people in real life? I do believe that once the author got past the physics aspect and concentrated more on the characters and story that it really started to come together. I am curious to see if there will be more books to follow, which I think would enjoy a little more since we are now past the "introduction" stage. 

If you are looking for a fun, fast MG/YA story, I recommend Daphne and the Mysterious Girls Secret Bathroom Society. If you like to read about science and/or witches, I think you will really enjoy this book. It is also perfect for a quiet night at home. Perhaps you are snowed in like me? Give this one a go!

*I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange of an honest review. All opinions and views expressed are 100% my own and were not influenced in any way.

In My Mailbox (16)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme created and hosted by The Story Siren where bloggers share what books they have gathered over the week.

Bought:

Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic

Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala

Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

Thanks to some gift cards I received for Christmas and Barnes & Noble's awesome sale on all things Teen, I was able to pick up these four amazing books for pretty cheap! 

Gifted:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Illuminated by Erica Orloff

Went shopping with my mom the other day and purposely stayed away from the book section because I knew I couldn't afford one this week and that I would never get out of there empty handed. Well, she insisted on looking so look what she ended up buying me :) Oh yea, The Fault in Our Stars is a signed copy!!!!

Won:

Helpless by Daniel Palmer

Big thanks to Kensington Books for their awesome Twitter giveaways! I won this last week and then a few days later won another book which hasn't arrived yet, but awesome!

The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

Received this from a Random House giveaway, yay! I've been trying to get my hands on this for about a year now. So excited I can finally read it. Thank you, Random House!

Still Waters by Emma Carlson Berne

I am so thrilled to have  my hands on a fresh new copy of Still Waters. I love this cover and the synopsis sounds super freaky. Thank you so much to Tristan at Reads With Wreckless Abandon for your kickass giveaway!

Past Continuous by K. Ryer Breese

I hadn't heard of this book until I saw it in a giveaway. It looks so good! I can't wait to get started on it. Huge thanks to Adventures in YA & Children's Publishing for this great book!

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Finally. I finally have a beautiful new, shiny hardcover of Hourglass to devour. There is so much positive talk surrounding this book and I just need to read it. Plus, check out that gorgeous cover! Definitely one of my favorites from last year. Thank you, Kristin from Better Read Then Dead, for such an awesome giveaway prize! 

Delirium by Lauren Oliver (SE)

Last, but definitely not least, is this amazing gift from Peggy at Pawing Through Books and to Lauren Oliver herself who sent out this beyond awesome special edition of one of my favorite books! I can't wait to see this and Pandemonium next to each other on my shelf :) Thank you!!!

What goodies did you get this week?