Review: Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith

Title: Wild Awake

Author: Hilary T. Smith

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Publishing Date: May 28, 2013

Pages/Format: 375, ARC

Things you earnestly believe will happen while your parents are away:

1. You will remember to water the azaleas.
2. You will take detailed, accurate messages.
3. You will call your older brother, Denny, if even the slightest thing goes wrong.
4. You and your best friend/bandmate Lukas will win Battle of the Bands.
5. Amid the thrill of victory, Lukas will finally realize you are the girl of his dreams.

Things that actually happen:

1. A stranger calls who says he knew your sister.
2. He says he has her stuff.
3. What stuff? Her stuff.
4. You tell him your parents won’t be able to—
5. Sukey died five years ago; can’t he—
6. You pick up a pen.
7. You scribble down the address.
8. You get on your bike and go.
9. Things . . . get a little crazy after that.*
*also, you fall in love, but not with Lukas.

Both exhilarating and wrenching, Hilary T. Smith’s debut novel captures the messy glory of being alive, as seventeen-year-old Kiri Byrd discovers love, loss, chaos, and murder woven into a summer of music, madness, piercing heartbreak, and intoxicating joy.

Initial Reaction of Book in One Word: WILD

Blog Tour: Motocross Me by Cheyanne Young

Hi, and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Cheyanne Young's Motocross Me, hosted by Itching for Books! I've got all the info on this motocross book and its author for you, as well as an excerpt and giveaway. Be sure to check it out!

ReReadathon: Intro

My friend and blogger extraordinaire Shelver of Bookshelver's Anonymous has come with a fantastic idea that I am absolutely taking part in: a ReReadathon. All the details can be found here, but in short it's a readathon, taking place in all of July, where you can reread books that you've wanted to reread, without feeling guilty because you have new and/or review books that need to be read. It's easy to participate in (you can still read first-time reads, of course!), and you can sign up here. 

Waiting on Wednesday (39)

Waiting on Wednesday

is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine
 that showcases upcoming releases 

that people are very much anticipating.

Of COURSE I'm waiting on this book. How could I NOT be? After finally reading the first book in December (why did I wait so long?) and the second a few months later (again, the wait), I just want the third and final book NOW. The last book ended on a cliffhanger and a shocker, and I don't know what's going to happen--I never know what's going to happen--in this last book. It's going to be one crazy ride. Get ready to pick your side in...

Check It Out: Disneylanders by Kate Abbott

Dear people of all the universes in the entire universe: a book where two young people fall for each other at Disneyland! Does that not sound like the best, most amazing thing ever? And it exists! Kate Abbott wrote it in Disneylanders, and I want to read it--and so should you! So today I've got all the info on the book and author, plus a giveaway, thanks to Book Nerd Tours! Check it out!

Top Ten Tuesday (39)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This Tuesday's theme is...

Top Ten Books I've Read So Far in 2013

Blog Tour: Shutdown by Heather Anastasiu

Hi, and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Shutdown, the third and final book in Heather Anastasiu's Glitch trilogy, hosted by Itching for Books! I've got the info on all three books, as well as the author, plus a giveaway! Enjoy!

Check It Out: Triangles by Kimberly Ann Miller

The Book
Title: Triangles

Author: Kimberly Ann Miller

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Publishing Date: June 18, 2013

Pages: 216
Goodreads│Amazon│
Barnes & Noble

A cruise ship. A beautiful island. Two sexy guys. What could possibly go wrong? 

In the Bermuda Triangle--a lot.

Hoping to leave behind the reminders of her crappy life--her father's death years ago, her mother's medical problems, and the loser who’s practically stalking her--seventeen-year-old Autumn Taylor hops on a ship with her sister for a little distraction. When she wakes up in the Bermuda Triangle, she fears she's gone nuts for more than one reason: that loser’s suddenly claiming they're a happy couple... a hot guy is wrapping his arms around her and saying "Happy Anniversary"... and suddenly, she’s full of bruises, losing her hair, and getting IV medication. Autumn visits the ship's doctor, hoping for a pill or a shot to make the craziness go away. Instead, she's warned that these "alternate realities" could become permanent.

She just has to ask herself one question--how the hell is she going to get out of this mess?

Waiting on Wednesday (38)

Waiting on Wednesday

is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine
 that showcases upcoming releases 

that people are very much anticipating.

The following book just sounds quenchingly awesome. Not only does the synopsis sound interesting, but the cover is gorgeous. Oh, and it's blurbed by Michael. Freaking. Grant. Can I read this now, please? The wait is making me so thirsty...

Top Ten Tuesday (38)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This Tuesday's theme is...

Top Ten Books at the Top of My Summer TBR List

Review: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

Author: Michelle Hodkin

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Publishing Date: September 27, 2011

Pages/Format: 452, Hardcover

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.
She’s wrong.

Initial Reaction of Book in One Word: Like

Blog Tour: Armored Hearts by Pauline Creeden + Melissa Turner Lee

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Armored Hearts by Pauline Creeden and Melissa Turner Lee, hosted by Itching for Books! I've got an awesome interview with Pauline, plus all the info on the book and authors, and a giveaway! Be sure to enter and check it all out!

YA Crush Tourney: Round 1 - Alex Fuentes is up!

It's Wednesday, June 12, and you know what that means...The 3rd Annual YA Crush Tourney has begun! As you may or may not know, I'm advocating for Perfect Chemistry's super swoon-worthy Alex Fuentes this year! Be sure to vote for him and spread the word--I've got pictures on the sidebar to your left. (Also, more details on the YA Crush Tourney and Alex being in it can be found here.) Also, Simone Elkeles, author of Perfect Chemistry and creator of Alex Fuentes (bless her) has offered up an awesome giveaway since Alex is in the Tourney, so be sure to check that out at the end of the post! And now...Let the 3rd Annual YA Crush Tourney begin! (And may the odds be ever in Alex's favor!)

Waiting on Wednesday (37)

Waiting on Wednesday

is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine
 that showcases upcoming releases 

that people are very much anticipating.

I really liked this author's previous books; they're really something else. Ghosts, romance, awesome characters, and a great voice. Her latest seems quite different, though I've heard it's got some good horror, something I wasn't expecting (but want in more YA novels). Either way, I'm looking forward to reading...

Top Ten Tuesday (37)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This Tuesday's theme is...

Top Ten Beach Reads

Blog Tour: Insomnia by J.R. Johansson

Hello, bookish lovelies and insomniacs! I am very excited to have J.R. Johansson on the blog today, author of the newly released Insomnia. I've got all sorts of goodies to share, from all the info on J.R. and her book to a super fun guest post and an awesome giveaway, so stick around!

Cover Reveal: A French Star in New York by Anna Adams

Today's cover reveal is an awesome one--the second book in Anna Adam's The French Girl series, A French Star in New York. And there's a giveaway, so be sure to check it out! But first, don't miss the first book in the series, A French Girl in New York.

YA Crush Tourney: You, Me, and the Crush

It's that time of year! The YA Crush Tourney is back for the third time, and it's going to be awesome! Some of my favorite crushes are in the tourney this year, from Augustus Waters and Etienne St. Clair to Maxon Schreave and Tobias Eaton. All the crushes and what day their tourney is, plus the bracket, can be found here. 

For those who don't know, the YA Crush Tourney is a tournament hosted by the YA Sisterhood that pits YA crushes up against each other, bracket-style (sorry, no mud pits!) until one comes out on top as the winner. There's lots of swoon, lots of boys, lots of fun, and you should totally participate!

If you remember the YA Crush Tourney last year, I was an advocate for Sam Roth from Maggie Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. As for this year, I get to be an advocate again! I'm so excited about my crush this year--he's one of my favorite fictional crushes! He's a bad boy who's muy caliente...

Waiting on Wednesday (36)

Waiting on Wednesday

is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine
 that showcases upcoming releases 

that people are very much anticipating.

I've only read one book by this author, and it was amazing. So, so good. When I found out about a new book from the Aussie author, I immediately wanted to read it. While it sounds much different than Stolen, I'm still interested. But be careful with this one. You wouldn't want to end up in...

Top Ten Tuesday (36)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This Tuesday's theme is...

Top Ten Books Featuring Travel

Review: In Too Deep by Coert Voorhees

Title: In Too Deep

Author: Coert Voorhees
Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Publishing Date: July 9, 2013

Pages/Format: 322, ARC

Annie Fleet, master scuba diver and history buff, knows she can’t fight her nerd status as a freshman at her Los Angeles private school. And she doesn’t care—except for the fact that her crush, Josh, thinks she’s more adorable than desirable. Annie is determined to set him straight on their school trip to Mexico. But her teacher has other plans: he needs Annie to help him find Cortez’s lost-long treasure.

Suddenly, Annie finds herself scuba diving in pitch-black waters, jetting to Hawaii with Josh, and hunting for the priceless Golden Jaguar. But Annie and Josh aren’t the only ones lured by the possibility of finding the greatest treasure ever lost at sea. Someone else wants the gold—and needs Annie dead. In deeper danger than she ever imagined, can Annie get the boy and find the Jaguar, or is she in over her head?

Critically-acclaimed author Coert Voorhees delivers breathtaking romance and non-stop action in his newest novel, the spirited and captivating In Too Deep.

Initial Reaction of Book in One Word: FUN!