Genre: Young Adult

Cover Reveal: Crave by Tracy Wolff

Cover Reveal: Crave by Tracy Wolff

July 22, 2019 3 Comments Regina

Eeep! Check out this fabulous cover and awesome teaser! It’s sooo reminiscent of Twilight and am sooo ready for vampires to make a comeback! With a cover like this, I have to believe this will be the vampire series we have been craving since the CW’s The Vampire Diaries ended. Will you be adding this to your TBRList?! Keep scrolling to read a brief description and find out when you can own a copy of […]

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough

Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough

June 6, 2019 3 Comments Regina

I cannot put it better than Bookpage’s on-point review of Blood Water Paint, but in the spirit of #MeToo, I will share my experience with this novel as well. Blood Water Paint is a vivid depiction based on facts of Baroque artist Artemesia Gentileschi. The story immerses the reader in Artemesia’s daily life and most intimate thoughts. Visceral descriptions of what it was like to be a woman, a daughter, and a female artist in the16th […]

Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss by Kasie West

Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss by Kasie West

February 7, 2019 3 Comments Regina

There’s just something about Kasie West’s writing-style that makes an otherwise silly plot and shallow romance into something sophisticated and poignant. Her stories are addictive, entertaining, and just plain fun–in the truest sense of the word. The majority of the action unfolds on a zombie-romance movie set and in the on-set trailer of 17 year-old Lacey Barnes (FUN, right!?). Lacey is an ambitious and talented teen on the verge of stardom now that she is […]

ARC REVIEW + GIVEAWAY (US ONLY): We Told Six Lies by Victoria Scott

ARC REVIEW + GIVEAWAY (US ONLY): We Told Six Lies by Victoria Scott

December 28, 2018 2 Comments Regina

Have you ever seen the COMPLETELY ABSORBING AND BRILLIANT film starring Guy Pearce called Memento (2000)? (If not, you should get right on that because you’re a couple of decades behind.) Victoria Scott brings the same kind of mind-boggling magic to her upcoming novel from Entangled Teen. From what I gather via social media buzz in the book world, We Told Six Lies is hands-down one of the most anticipated upcoming releases in young adult […]

Review + GIVEAWAY (US ONLY): The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by  Kiersten White

Review + GIVEAWAY (US ONLY): The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White

December 28, 2018 2 Comments Regina

This past October, in conjunction with Frankenreads.org, I hosted a month of programming centered around Mary Shelley and her Frankenstein at my library. The publisher was kind enough to send us a book club kit of TDDoEF, so we featured the novel as our October Young Adult Fiction for Adults book club pick. Overall, feelings from our book club attendees were lukewarm about Kiersten White’s spin on Mary Shelley’s dark fictional world and characters. The book was […]

Talk to the Paw by Melinda Metz

Talk to the Paw by Melinda Metz

October 17, 2018 3 Comments Regina

I read this book when it first came out, but I am just now getting around to reviewing it on the blog.   First, here’s a little history about the author. Melinda Metz is a librarian and the co-author of the original Roswell High book series that was eventually adapted for television as the CW’s Roswell T.V. show. The Roswell books and television series have a cult following and fans have been campaigning for a […]

Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf: Review + Giveaway!!!

Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf: Review + Giveaway!!!

August 28, 2018 4 Comments Regina

A couple of months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing author Sara Wolf at her Katy Budget Books Bring Me Their Hearts release party. If you live in the Houston area, go and buy yourself a signed copy of BMTH! You can also order a signed copy to be shipped to you from their website.   First, I want to say that I was completely dazzled by author Sara Wolf (her nom […]

The Future Will Be BS Free by William McIntosh

The Future Will Be BS Free by William McIntosh

August 6, 2018 2 Comments Regina

NOTE: I elaborate on some of my issues with this book at the end of my review. It is a little spoiler-ish. I will give a heads-up for when to stop reading/scrolling if you do not wish to know more.  I was ecstatic when I got an ARC of this book because I thought it was going to be full of commentary on the most pressing social and political issues of the past four years. […]

Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl

Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl

July 23, 2018 2 Comments Regina

I know it’s shallow and totally frowned upon to make decisions this way, but I *almost* took a pass on this book because I didn’t like the cover. The synopsis, however, was just vague enough and intriguing enough to pull me in. This book had some I Know What You Did Last Summer vibes, but it is much more sophisticated and way less cheesy. I am not going to spend much time talking about the […]

Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All

Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All

May 1, 2018 2 Comments Regina

          Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, I used to like this punk band named Anne Boleyn. You should definitely do a Spotify search of “Anne Boleyn” to see all of the musical treasures in honor of her.   This book gets five stars because I had a hard time putting it down. Riveting, like it says on the back cover, is an apt description of the novel. I […]

Picture Us In The Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert

Picture Us In The Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert

April 17, 2018 1 Comment Regina

First, I would like to thank Disney Hyperion for the chance to read this story pre-publication. My review is based off an uncorrected ARC. This is definitely one of those books that you HAVE to HAVE because of the brilliant cover. The author’s way with words is brilliant as well. I loved the lyrical prose and syntax that threaded this story together. The characters are vibrant and intense; they were complex and saturated with emotional […]

Murder, Magic, and What We Wore by Kelly Jones

Murder, Magic, and What We Wore by Kelly Jones

January 23, 2018 1 Comment Regina

“To understand the things that are at our door is the best preparation for understanding those that lie beyond.” -Hypatia One of the things I loved best about this book was the use of quotes under the chapter headings. I am such a sucker for this. There can never be too many quotes introducing a chapter or section of a book in my opinion. I also loved that the author’s use of quotes to introduce/capture […]

Haven by Mary Lindsey + Giveaway!!!

Haven by Mary Lindsey + Giveaway!!!

January 5, 2018 6 Comments Regina

For all of us who have been going through paranormal/fantasy withdrawal ever since superheros took over our television sets and movie screens, Haven is the perfect paranormal fix. In case you haven’t figured it out from the synopsis (or from other reviews), Haven is a story about werewolves, and I am so ready for supernatural creatures to be back in the YA book-world spotlight. This is the super sexy paranormal YA story that we’ve all been waiting […]

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

Tash Hearts Tolstoy by Kathryn Ormsbee

December 29, 2017 2 Comments Regina

Why did I read this book? Well, I was drawn to the contrast of the hot-pink hearts and grayscale image of Tolstoy’s face on the cover, in addition to the idea of young adult fiction intersecting with high-culture literary fiction. I checked out this book because I liked the packaging, so I want to give props to all of the people who had a hand in creating the finished version of this product. Sometimes being […]

Slammed (Slammed, #1) by Colleen Hoover

Slammed (Slammed, #1) by Colleen Hoover

November 20, 2017 1 Comment Regina

If you enjoyed Colleen Hoover’s Slammed series, you will obsess over Georgina Guthrie’s Words series. From Power Poetry (dot) com: Slam Poetry is a type of competition where people read their poems without props, costumes, or music. After performing, they receive scores (0-10) from 5 randomly selected judges. … Scores are awarded based on how much each judge likes a poem. I never thought that I would end up reading a Colleen Hoover book. I am not sure why, […]

Haunting the Deep (How to Hang A Witch #2) by Adriana Mather

Haunting the Deep (How to Hang A Witch #2) by Adriana Mather

November 15, 2017 0 Comments Regina

You can check out my review of Adriana Mather’s fantastic debut novel, How to Hang a Witch HERE. Here is the super awesome book trailer for Haunting the Deep: Sam and The Descendents are back in another spine-tingling, atmospheric adventure. Adriana Mather’s stories appeal to the side of me that wants to suspend reality and languish in a world of magic, ghosts, romance, high-school, and haunted histories. Haunting the Deep was every bit as fun […]

New Release Review: A Map for Wrecked Girls by Jessica Taylor

New Release Review: A Map for Wrecked Girls by Jessica Taylor

August 26, 2017 0 Comments Regina

I thought a setting like this was going to be boring. Beautiful, yes, but ultimately dull. I was sooo wrong. I’ll be blunt. I do not have a sister and reading about drama between sisters is the LAST THING I want to do with my precious reading time. But throwing in the male character tipped the boat in favor of reading this novel for me. I know this is an unpopular position, but I am […]

The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel + GIVEAWAY!!!

The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel + GIVEAWAY!!!

August 21, 2017 2 Comments Regina

The One That Got Away by Melissa Pimentel is the perfect read to bridge your summer book binges over into your more selective fall reading schedule. This witty and poignant novel taps into the same vein of magic as Bridget Jones’s Diary, and any gal or guy who has loved and/or lost will enjoy the personal and romantic journeys of the two leading characters. I absolutely love modern retellings of romantic literary classics, and this […]

Little Monsters by Kara Thomas

Little Monsters by Kara Thomas

August 10, 2017 0 Comments Regina

PLEASE DO NOT GO INTO THIS BOOK THINKING IT IS COMPARABLE TO PRETTY LITTLE LIARS LIKE THE BLURB SUGGESTS. IT IS SOOOO NOT. I had a love/hate relationship with PLL, mostly after things started to get old and predictable, after the fourth season. But I still watched it, and I was still highly entertained until the last episode. I read The Darkest Corners by Kara Thomas, and I liked it. I was intrigued by it, […]

Blog Tour: The Takedown by Corrie Wang + GIVEAWAY!!!

Blog Tour: The Takedown by Corrie Wang + GIVEAWAY!!!

April 19, 2017 1 Comment Regina

THE TAKEDOWN, Blog Tour Digital Assets Title: THE TAKEDOWN Author: Corrie Wang Pub. Date: April 11, 2017 Publisher: Freeform Pages: 384 Formats: Hardcover, eBook Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads   Kyla Cheng doesn’t expect you to like her. For the record, she doesn’t need you to. On track to be valedictorian, she’s president of her community club, a debate team champ, plus the yummy Mackenzie Rodriguez has firmly attached himself to her hip. She and her three high-powered best friends don’t just […]

BLOG TOUR+GIVEAWAY: Hear the Wolves by Victoria Scott

BLOG TOUR+GIVEAWAY: Hear the Wolves by Victoria Scott

March 23, 2017 1 Comment Regina

About the Book: Title: HEAR THE WOLVES Author: Victoria Scott Pub. Date: March 28, 2017 Publisher: Scholastic Press Pages: 240 Formats: Hardcover, eBook Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads   It’ s survival of the strongest in a contemporary, girl-versus-wild middle-grade début from Fire & Flood author Victoria Scott! Sloan is a hunter. So she shouldn’ t be afraid of anything. But ever since her mom left the family and she lost hearing in one ear in a blizzard, it’ s been hard […]