Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Summary (from Goodreads):

She could save the world—or destroy it.

Sixteen-year-old Evangeline "Evie" Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they're still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can't do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it's not always clear who is on which side.

Review:

So, I definitely had a love/hate relationship with this book. I loved it in the sense that I had to keep reading, and had to find out what would happened, an had to order book 2 (I think I’ll be getting it today), but…there were so many things wrong too. There were a couple of moments when I almost put it in my dnf pile. In fact, it’s odd for me to keep reading a book that I had so many possible dnf moments with.

So, I know we are all so done with the Twilight comparisons, but I have to make just one. This book kind of read like Twilight for me. I knew what I was reading, was terrible, but I couldn’t stop. The Edward/Bella relationship was leaps and bounds healthier than the Evie/Jack one. So, if you are a Twilight hater, you will most definitely not like this book.

Before I delve further into the Evie/Jack sham of a relationship, I did find things I loved in this book (hence, why I kept reading). I loved the whole Tarot Card idea. I have never read anything like that. I love a good end of the world (post apocalypse) survival story, and this definitely fits that category. I also love a story where the main girl does or will eventually grow able to kick some serious butt. This book promises some crazy/awesome kick butt moments to come.

I also super enjoyed the way it was setup. I liked getting the perspective of the creep that invites Evie into his home. It was interesting getting Evie’s whole story this way, and I thought the author did a great job of weaving all the plot elements together.  I also loved the side characters. There’s so much more I want to know about all the Arcana.

Pretty much everything I didn’t like about the book can be wrapped up in the romance. I didn’t like Jack in the beginning (before the apocalypse). Between Jack forcing Evie up against a wall, and not letting her go (even though she tells him she’s not interested), Jack stealing her sketchbook, Jack being involved in stealing all her friends’ phones, Jack not caring that she has a boyfriend, etc in the beginning I knew this book would be a rocky ride for me. Also, what kind of terrible best friend tells Evie that she needs to put out for her boyfriend, even though she doesn’t want to?

Then the apocalypse happens. After Evie’s mother is injured, she tries to push Evie on to any available, single man who can protect her…Why not teach Evie how to protect herself? Why not see what powerful things she can clearly do? And of course Jack comes back and Evie is pushed on him. And he protects her through their journey, and he orders her around, he makes constant sexual comments, he won’t let her do anything or teach her how to defend herself, etc.  And I’m not even going into their heated/almost sex scene. Just know that happened.

Evie was a bit naïve, princess-like, and unprepared for the apocalypse, despite her clairvoyant drawings. And it was definitely interesting watching her survive. I wish she didn’t spend so much time thinking about Jack though.

Also, what happened? Why did the world do that? Why did so many people die? I hope I get more explanation for this later. Also, I need more Arcana and more past lives questions answered. And I hope Evie continues to embrace her strength and power in book 2 because I’m so tired of her trying to ignore it or having other characters declare her too weak. I’m somewhere in between loving and hating this book. I give it a 5/10.

Waiting on Wednesday (115)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on The Heir by Kiera Cass (5/5/15):

Description on Goodreads:

Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won Prince Maxon’s heart. Now the time has come for Princess Eadlyn to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn doesn’t expect her Selection to be anything like her parents’ fairy-tale love story. But as the competition begins, she may discover that finding her own happily ever after isn’t as impossible as she always thought.

Why I’m Waiting:

I adored Cass’ series. Just adored. I read them so fast. And I was heartbroken when it was all over. Sometimes authors release the info that there will be more, and I go, “Really? How will that work?” With Cass, I was more like “I don’t care how this works. I want this book now.” I love that it sounds a bit like book 1, but with a slight gender roll reversal. It goes from the Bachelor to the Bachelorette, and I’m excited to see what changes this means. Also, I’m drooling over the cover. I know people say they are tired of the pretty dress covers, and maybe I am too, a little bit. But, I have loved every single one of these pretty dress covers. And if I ever get a book published I hope I will be just as lucky with my covers.

What are you waiting on this week?

Glory O'Brien's History of the Future by A.S. King

Summary (from Goodreads):

Would you try to change the world if you thought it had no future?

Graduating from high school is a time of limitless possibilities — but not for Glory, who has no plan for what's next. Her mother committed suicide when Glory was only four years old, and she’s never stopped wondering if she will eventually go the same way... until a transformative night when she begins to experience an astonishing new power to see a person’s infinite past and future. From ancient ancestors to many generations forward, Glory is bombarded with visions—and what she sees ahead of her is terrifying.

A tyrannical new leader raises an army. Women’s rights disappear. A violent second civil war breaks out. And young girls vanish daily, sold off or interned in camps. Glory makes it her mission to record everything she sees, hoping her notes will somehow make a difference. She may not see a future for herself, but she’ll do everything in her power to make sure this one doesn’t come to pass.

In this masterpiece about freedom, feminism, and destiny, Printz Honor author A.S. King tells the epic story of a girl coping with devastating loss at long last—a girl who has no idea that the future needs her, and that the present needs her even more.

Review:

So, I practically read this whole book on one plane ride. And I absolutely need to go find all of King’s books and read them all. This is only my second book of hers (I got the ARC signed at BEA!), and I am again blown away, just blown.

It’s a weird one, and I think because of some initial weirdness it might not be for everyone. The two best friends drink a bat, literally. And because of the bat, they can now see people’s histories and futures. I guess it can sort of be comparable to being bitten by a radioactive spider?

Any way, there are some mixed reviews for this one. The two things I’ve seen mentioned a lot is that the notion of feminism is sort of shoved down your throat in a preachy way, and then there’s also slut-shaming. In regards to the first criticism, I didn’t feel like the book was preachy at all. I felt like it finally addressed some topics that have only barely skimmed the surface of other YA books. I loved having a main character who saw how other women behaved and then decided that she wanted nothing to do with it. She didn’t want her life to revolve around men, and because of this, I found myself wanting to know her and give her a high five.

And in regards to the second criticism, there is some definite slut-shaming in this book. When I first read it, I stepped back and was a little confused by the main character’s word choice. But, as the story continued, I sort of got why the words were chosen. I believe it was more of an example of how lacking in equality our culture is if even feminists feel the need to call other women/friends sluts. I don’t believe that King is at all validating this; I think she’s merely pointing out that anti-women words are a normal part of the average person’s vocabulary. And this added to the story for me. And it kind of made everything that happens, and everything that is supposed to happen in the future, even more powerful.

Any way, I loved Glory. She was not the easiest person to get along with. I get her need to push people away, and I even understood her reaction to people in general because who can grow up like that and not have issues with people? I liked that she didn’t know what she wanted to do. I liked that she didn’t know if she was crazy or not. I loved that she was into photography and it wasn’t just some fake hobby given to the main character to make them seem more interesting. Her photography references, photo journals, and way of thinking just screamed: artist/photographer to me.

I found her best friend and her family life to be super interesting. I like that Glory never thought of it as a cult before. I like that growing knowledge of her mother’s story doesn’t really defect her relationship with her friend. Like with the other book I read by this author, I loved the relationship with the father and how the two grew together to deal with their grief. The terrifying future was also really interesting. I like that Glory only got pieces/explanations for it in small doses (one stranger at a time). I was dying to know more.

I’m not sure how believable this future is for me. I’d like to think it were impossible, but I’m not so sure. It does really make me wish more women were in congress, more women were paid fairly, and more women did things for themselves and not for the attentions of a guy. This is the kind of book that you read on one plane ride. It’s also the kind of book that sticks with you long after you finish it. It would make a great book club book. I just want to talk about it with other readers so bad. It was powerful, interesting, feminist, and a little strange. I loved it. I give it a 10/10.

A Good Week in Books (90)

I’m back from my vacation and my birthday fun. And I had another great week in books. One of my most anticipated books of the year finally came out! I purchased a collection of short stories that I absolutely must read soon. And I received one finished book for review (Thank you, Hachette).

My blogging/reading might slow down a bit this next month. I officially signed up for NaNoWriMo, and I’m going to attempt to write a YA novel in one month. Wish me luck? I’ve already started outlining a brand new story. I’m taking a break from what I was working on earlier, and I need a new project to focus on. We’ll see how this goes.

Anyhow, these are my lovely books from this week:

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater (I’ve already started it…)
Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis
My True Love Gave to Me Edited by Stephanie Perkins

How was your book week?

Waiting on Wednesday (114)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on The Wicked will Rise by Danielle Page (3/31/15):

Description on Goodreads:

In this dark, high-octane sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to kill Dorothy and free Oz.

To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman’s heart, steal the Scarecrow’s brain, take the Lion’s courage, and then Dorothy must die....

But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy’s only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she’s only just scratched the surface of Oz’s past—and that Kansas, the home she couldn't wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust—and who is really Wicked?

Why I’m Waiting:

I’m interested in knowing what happens next! I want to know more about Oz and Ozma. I want to know what made Dorothy and her shoes so evil. I want to know if Amy finds Dorothy. I’m excited for another round of Oz retelling, and I’m also excited to see how Kansas is involved. I think I liked the first cover better than this one, though I do like how they are consistent. This is definitely a series I can’t wait to read more of.

What are you waiting on this week?

A Good Week in Books (89)

So, I was actually not expecting to do one of these posts this week. I’m flying to Texas today! And I normally get books from publishing companies on Monday. And I know I’m getting a much anticipated book that I pre-ordered on Tuesday. Some might call it lucky that one of their most anticipated books of the year comes out on their birthday. I consider it a birthday present (good timing, Scholastic and Maggie Stiefvater!). Any way, these lovely books were also a birthday present (thank you, Mom!)

So you can probably tell these books are not YA. And you might be sensing a theme. My family is going to Paris in the spring. We had a tough year this year with my dad passing away, and we will be remembering my dad in Paris –the place he and my mom first met, just one year after he passed. I haven’t even looked at Paris books yet, but my mom sent me an early birthday present. I’ve already spent quite a lot of time flipping the pages of the Food Lover’s Guide…Also, one book is a picture book involving Mary Cassatt, one of my favorite impressionists. I do own quite a bit of picture books too (I am a Children’s librarian).

Any way, thanks for the early birthday present, Mom! I’m so excited for Paris (and Texas) and books!

City Secrets Paris: The Essential Insider’s Guide by Robert Kahn
The Food Lover’s Guide to Paris by Patricia Wells
Charlotte in Paris by Joan MacPhail Knight and illustrated by Melissa Sweet

How was your week in books?

Waiting on Wednesday (113)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on A School for Unusual Girls by Kathleen Baldwin (5/19/15):

Description (on Goodreads):

The launch of a captivating new YA series set in Regency England that #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot calls “completely original and totally engrossing.”

It’s 1814. Napoleon is exiled on Elba. Europe is in shambles. Britain is at war on four fronts. And Stranje House, a School for Unusual Girls, has become one of Regency England’s dark little secrets. The daughters of the beau monde who don't fit high society’s constrictive mold are banished to Stranje House to be reformed into marriageable young ladies. Or so their parents think. In truth, Headmistress Emma Stranje, the original unusual girl, has plans for the young ladies—plans that entangle the girls in the dangerous world of spies, diplomacy, and war.

After accidentally setting her father’s stables on fire while performing a scientific experiment, Miss Georgiana Fitzwilliam is sent to Stranje House. But Georgie has no intention of being turned into a simpering, pudding-headed, marriageable miss. She plans to escape as soon as possible—until she meets Lord Sebastian Wyatt. Thrust together in a desperate mission to invent a new invisible ink for the English war effort, Georgie and Sebastian must find a way to work together without losing their heads—or their hearts.

Why I’m Waiting:

This sounds wonderful! It sounds like a mixture of The Agency series by YS Lee, the Sally Lockhart series by Phillip Pullman, and The Finishing School series by Gail Carriger, all series’ close to my heart.  History, feminism, spies, and romance –count me in!

What are you waiting on this week?

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

Summary (from Goodreads):

How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

Review:

So, I kind of have a love/hate relationship with this book. For starters, it took me way too long to read. Granted I have become a Netflix fiend this past week (I’m on the last season of Fringe and it’s like a YA dystopia right now. Seriously, what a cool show). Any way, on the one hand this book has all the super great dystopian elements that I love (fast pace, high action, bleak world, kick-butt girl main character, tons of twists and turns, etc), but on the other hand, the point of view switches were so awful, I kept getting pulled out of the story.

If you are someone who likes a colossal plot twist that you most likely will not see coming, you must read this book. I literally put the book down at one moment, and went, “What???” Seriously, that was good. Also, this world is so miserably bleak, I found myself missing happiness. And I only a couple of dystopias, besides this one, really have had that effect on me. The world does not pity children. Anyone can die at any moment. And this level of dark suspense is what kept me going.

Some of my plot concerns with book 1 were addressed. Like why didn’t Cassie ever ask Evan the important questions? And why not just destroy the world all at once? Why go so slowly and even bother with a fifth wave at all? We still don’t know all the answers (there is another book coming), but at least this was addressed somewhat.

The characters were also pretty awesome. I still loved Cassie. I still loved her strange and twisted love triangle. And I loved that all the characters, for the most part, started off together. Watching them try to make survival plans as a team was very Walking Dead. Also like with Walking Dead, there was never a lot of time to just plan. There were constant alien attacks, bombing, or gunshot interruptions.

I’m going to be honest though in saying there were several characters I did not remember at all from the first book. Ringer is a main character in this one. And while I found Ringer to be such an interesting (and rather sad) human being, I still have no idea who she was in book 1…Also, to add to the confusion, Cassie was constantly being called by her last name, which I also didn’t remember. It took me a little too long to realize Sullivan was Cassie.

So, add this initial name confusion to some of the worst ever character point of view shifts, and this became a bit of a challenge for me to read. I kind of got why the author didn’t list the character names at the top of each chapter in the first book (kind of…). But, here, there just didn’t appear to be a point to it. There were too many chapters making me go, “who’s saying this?” and each time this happened, I’d be pulled out of the story. Each time I was pulled out of the story, the suspense wasn’t able to hook me. I really think the book would have been a million times better if it was harder for me to put down and the suspense was constant. And all this would take is character ownership/titles of each chapter.

The sad thing is that I truly believe that Yancey is a skilled writer. Some of his metaphors and flashbacks were written so beautifully, they were practically poetic. But, considering how much of his poetic YA language was already rater stream of consciousness oriented, the point of view switching was even more terribly confusing.

I loved the idea of this book. I loved the storyline, the suspense, and the characters. I particularly loved the twist. I loved getting to know other side characters. But, I truly believe I would have loved all these things more (maybe twice as much) if the chapters/points of view switches weren’t so confusing. I give it a 7/10.

A Good Week in Books (88)

I had another nice, light book week. I received two new finished copies for review. Thank you, Macmillan!  I have a busy week ahead. I’m going to Texas for the first time! And my birthday is coming up (10/21)! I love October. Happy fall everyone!

Lailah by Nikki Kelly
Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

How was your book week?

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Summary (from Goodreads):

Sixteen year-old Anya becomes the head of a mafia family after her parents are both murdered by rival gangs. Although Anya is embroiled in the criminal world, she is determined to keep her brother and sister out of the mafia family, but her father’s relatives aren’t so keen to let them go. When Anya’s violent ex-boyfriend is poisoned with contaminated chocolate – chocolate that is produced illegally by Anya’s mafia family – she is arrested for attempted murder and sent to the notorious jail on Manhattan Island.

Eventually she is freed by the new D.A. in town, who believes she has been framed. But this D.A. is the father of Win, a boy at school to whom Anya feels irresistibly drawn, and her freedom comes with conditions. Win’s father wants to be mayor, and he can’t risk having his ambition jeopardized by rumors spreading that his son is seeing a member of a notorious crime family. Anya knows she risks the safety of her family by seeing Win again, but the feeling between them may be too strong to resist...

Review:

I was expecting a little bit more dystopia and a little bit less teen mafia story…Am I complaining? Absolutely not. The Godfather is one of my favorite movies (and it’s a decent book too). I love a good mob story. I find that world both terrifying and fascinating. And not only did this book have similarities to some of the best mob movies out there, but it even quoted the Godfather.

I loved Anya. She’s an orphan middle child who has to take care of her two siblings. Her older brother is developmentally delayed (after an accident involving the murder of their mother). And technically, the guardian of the family is their sickly grandmother. However, she’s practically on her deathbed for the whole thing. Anya runs the show. And I love her for it. She puts her siblings to bed, goes to them when they have night terrors, makes dinners, etc. She also goes to Catholic school and has a strong sense of faith.

On top of that she also navigates the crime world that her father kind of left for her. She deals with the godfather, with guns, with illegal substances (in this case, chocolate), and she genuinely follows the crime-world protocol in regards to behavior and what she learned from her father about family and respect. While she doesn’t really want a part of this world that involved the killing of both her parents at a relatively young age, she also can’t ignore it completely.  I was so holed up in this story, I was sad when it ended.

The side characters are great too. Between her sassy best friend, her terrible ex, her family friend from Japan, her siblings, her decaying grandmother, and her overbearing teachers there wasn’t a single person who didn’t feel real to me. Zevin knows how write complicated characters. I liked the love interest. I found him to be real too. I liked that he presented challenges for Anya that she never had before. When you love someone, all your past (non-loved) boyfriends seem so ridiculous. What I love the most about the romance is that I never felt like it trumped everything else. Anya even says at one point that she loves Win, but she loves her brother and sister more. Her family always comes first.

The one thing I wish this book had more of was world building. It takes place in a future where coffee and chocolate are illegal. Water appears to be running low (people are only allowed to use so much water each week). Paper doesn’t exist any more (so all books are antiques). But, there’s no explanation for why things are the way they are. How did the world get to be this way? And why is chocolate a crime??? I wanted to see more of what people looked like and were wearing. I wanted to see the pool. I wanted to see more of the world in general.

I’m interested in seeing how things end up. How far into the crime-world does Anya go? Does she follow her mom or her dad’s footsteps? And what will happen with Win and Win’s father? I need to know these things. Thankfully, for the second time this week, I’ve read a book that I believe has the whole series complete already, so I can go find the sequel soon. I give this a 9/10.

Waiting on Wednesday (112)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on All Fall Down by Ally Carter (1/27/15):

 
Description on Goodreads:

Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:

1. She is not crazy.
2. Her mother was murdered.
3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her–so there’s no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door who is keeping an eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.

Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can’t control Grace–no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do.

Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn’t stop it, Grace isn’t the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world all stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.

Why I’m Waiting:

This book sounds awesome. Also, I will read anything Ally Carter writes. I love how suspenseful and action-packed her books are. I devoured her Heist Society books like my favorite kind of chocolate. This one sounds like it will be a little political too. I’m not sure how I feel about the cover…but I know I’ll like this one. Is it January yet?

What are you waiting on?

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Summary (from Goodreads):

Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths

Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret--behind the mirage of the "death farm" there is instead a place called Artime.

In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it's a wondrous transformation.

But it's a rare, unique occurence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.

Review:

I have owned this book for such a significant amount of time that it’s embarrassing I haven’t read it yet. I’m not certain, but I think the whole series is already completed. Sometimes books I know I’ll enjoy just get buried by the masses. Between the ARC’s, books sent by publishing companies, and the library books with due dates, this sometimes happens. I’m so glad I included this book in my 2014 reading challenge because who knows when I would have read it otherwise.  And I adored it.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. With a blurb that reads, “The Hunger Games Meets Harry Potter,” I was a little afraid. No book can really be compared to either of those series, and I’m rather tired of everything being compared to them (granted, this is from 2011 so maybe books didn’t have these blurbs yet).

I ended up reading the whole book in one day. I loved it. I loved the story. I loved the flawed characters. I loved the magic. I loved the dystopian elements. And I loved the message. The idea that children would be killed for being creative was at first shocking, and then sadly reminiscent of a lot of today’s local news stories where schools continue to get rid of art, drama clubs, school libraries, extra-curriuclars that are not athletic, etc. And while comparing the disintegration of our school system to the act of murdering children who ever draw a sing picture is a bit harsh, I can’t help but think this author had this on her mind.

McMann created a world where not only is creativity and art not as important as science and strength, but she created a world that eliminated creativity completely. And then when you realize what really happens to the unwanteds and it becomes clear that a war is looming, I never found myself questioning who would win. For me, creativity always wins.

This book also just threw together some of my all time favorite tropes: twins, alternate worlds, and magic lessons! I liked that the main character wasn’t the typical hero too. He was a bit naïve, ignorant, and childish. I liked seeing him grow. I also liked that he never quite looses his childishness, even after so much happens.

There’s still so much I want to know. I want to know more about the adults in this world. Do none of the parents really ever think of the unwanteds? Also, what’s the story behind all the mythological characters? What’s the rest of the world like? And how did the people in charge get to be where they are? There’s more I want to know about the bad twin and about the changes being made. I will definitely need to get my hands on book 2. I give this one a 9/10.

A Good Week in Books (87)

So, I normally don’t make posts about adult books, but I haven’t done one of these in a while –and I wanted to share. I keep getting library books lately. I do work in a library, so why not? I bought two books this week (both were adult books)… And I had to pick up the latest National Geographic (October issue) because my brother was involved in the photo-shoot for the Cover and the cover story! I’m so proud of my big brother, Aaron! If you happen to ever read/pick up the magazine, he was involved with the photos of the new kind of dinosaur that was discovered!

Purchased this week:

The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
The Cuckoos’s Calling by Robert Galbraith (aka: JK Rowling)
National Geographic October Issue (congrats, Aaron!)

How was your week in books?

Waiting on Wednesday (111)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that allows bloggers to share which books we are most anticipating.

This week I am waiting on The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall (1/13/15):

Description on Goodreads:

To fight her destiny as the missing heir to a powerful and dangerous secret society, sixteen-year-old Avery West must solve an ancient puzzle in a deadly race across Europe. Forbidden love and code-breaking, masked balls and explosions, destiny and dark secrets collide in this romantic thriller, in the vein of a YA DaVinci Code.

Avery West's newfound family can shut down Prada at the Champs-Elysees when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war.

They are part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Circle of Twelve, and Avery is their missing heir. If they discover who she is, some of them will want to use her as a pawn. Some will want her dead.

To thwart their plans, Avery must follow a trail of clues from the landmarks of Paris to the back alleys of Istanbul and through a web of ancient legends and lies. And unless she can stay one step ahead of beautiful, volatile Stellan, who knows she’s more than she seems, and can decide whether to trust mysterious, magnetic Jack, she may be doomed after all.

Why I’m Waiting:

Well, this sounds awesome. YA DaVinci Code? Count me in. Between the world traveling, the mystery, the romance, and the super gorgeous cover, is there anything this book doesn’t have? I want to read it right now.

What are you waiting on this week?