Category: New Release

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): Slayer (Slayer #1) by Kiersten White

December 28, 2018 2 Comments Regina

By now everyone knows that a re-imagining/series sequel of the CW hit television show Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Joss Whedon) is in the works. As if that weren’t exciting enough, Kiersten White’s new series set in the Buffy universe is hitting the shelves on January 8th! Buffy’s back (sort of), bitchezzzz! via GIPHY From what I’ve read on Goodreads, Slayer (Slayer #1) closely follows the Buffy comics and picks up shortly after the ending of […]

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

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

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 […]

Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey

August 20, 2018 1 Comment Regina

Wow. If you start this book with looming deadlines or close to bedtime, be prepared to disregard both once you start reading Rea Frey’s immensely absorbing novel, Not Her Daughter. This is, hands down, one of the most compelling and complex books I’ve read so far this year. It is a fast-paced story that alternates between two female narrators, leading up to and during the kidnapping of a five-year-old girl. This book immerses the reader into […]

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

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 […]

Impossible Saints by Clarissa Harwood

June 28, 2018 2 Comments Regina

I love historical fiction novels that focus on women’s history, especially the women’s suffrage movement. If you can believe it, I have met people who had no idea that women were ever prohibited from voting–or how hard women fought to gain that right. Clarissa Harwood’s novel, Impossible Saints, is a passionate portrayal of the internal and external conflicts and ideological forces that women wrestled with in their day-to-day lives during the suffrage movement. Check out […]

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

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

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 […]

The Suffering Tree by Elle Cosimano: The Review, the Controversy

October 15, 2017 2 Comments Regina

“It’s Dark Magic Brings Him Back.” The name and the cover of this book were not appealing to me. I did, however, think that the dark synopsis was original, therefore intriguing. I did not want to be lame and judge a book by its cover, so I started reading it. Long story short, I could not put this book down. This novel was a refreshing departure from the market-driven YA books that I have been […]

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!!!

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 […]

New and Upcoming Releases for the week of August 20th, 2017

August 20, 2017 0 Comments Erin

Hello! I’ve decided to try something new here on the blog. This is the “New and Upcoming Releases for this week..” feature that I will be attempting to put together every week and sharing with you all! Hopefully it will help you discover your next read! If you are an author and you would like to see an upcoming title of yours on our New and Upcoming Releases list in the future, please fill out […]

New and Upcoming Releases for the week of August 13th, 2017

August 13, 2017 0 Comments Erin

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 Forbidden by Jodi Ellen Malpas

August 9, 2017 0 Comments Erin

Erin’s Review Oh MY GOD. JEM is one of those authors that I don’t even bother reading the synopsis for her books, I just dive right in. This book was no exception..though when I got into and discovered what made it “Forbidden” I thought about DNFing the book. But this is JEM and she hasn’t let me down before so I kept at it. She did not disappoint. After awhile I got over the forbidden […]

Blog Tour: The Librarian by Christy Sloat Review + GIVEAWAY!!!

June 15, 2017 1 Comment Regina

This book is for 21st century romantics who still believe in the magic of libraries to change lives and to transport them to different worlds. I recommend that readers who enjoyed Outlander, Lost in Austen, or The Librarians treat themselves to Christy Sloat’s novel the next time they have the pleasure of reading an afternoon away. The Librarian is a fast, absorbing, and atmospheric read that you will want to share with all of your […]

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 […]