Waiting on Wednesday: Silver Stars by Michael Grant

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.  “Waiting on Wednesday” spotlights upcoming releases that I’m eagerly anticipating.

Title: Silver Stars

Author: Michael Grant

Publication Date: January 31, 2017

Synopsis:

The summer of 1943, World War II. With heavy memories of combat, Frangie, Rainy, Rio, and the rest of the American army are moving on to their next target: the Italian island of Sicily.

The women won’t conquer Italy alone. They are not heroes for fighting alongside their brothers—they are soldiers. But Frangie, Rainy, Rio, and the millions of brave females fighting for their country have become a symbol in the fight for equality. They will brave terrible conditions in an endless siege; they will fight to find themselves on the front lines of WWII; and they will come face-to-face with the brutality of war until they win or die.

I absolutely, positively, and certainly cannot wait for the release of this sequel! I loved Front Lines so very much and once I had finished, I was left wanting more and more! You can check out my review here. In Front Lines, Frangie, Rainy, and Rio’s story start out at very different places until they eventually meet and their stories begin to intertwine. Silver Stars is one my most anticipated reads of 2017 and I know it will not disappoint!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Comic Books/Graphic Novels I Want To Read

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish, and I decided to share my list with all of you also!

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is a freebie and I decided to talk about the Top Ten Comic Books/Graphic Novels I Want To Read. Shall we?

1. The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl by Ryan North

2. The Unbelievable Gwenpool by Christopher Hastings

3. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

4. Username: Evie by Joe Sugg

5. Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, & Shannon Watters

6. Watchmen by Alan Moore

7. Archie by Mark Waid

8. Monstress by Marjorie M. Liu

9. Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen

10. The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman

This year I made the commitment to read outside of my comfort genres. If you follow my blog, then you know that the majority of what I read is young adult. One genre that has always interested me, but I have never taken the chance to read is comic books/graphic novels. So far I have only read one comic book this year, but I plan on finishing all of these (and maybe more) before the year is over!

Do you read comic books/graphic novels? Have any good recommendations?

Review: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Title: Passenger

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Publication Date: January 5, 2016

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Synopsis: Passage, n.
i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them—whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home… forever.

As Etta is about to begin her piece for her violin debut, she suddenly hears screaming. No one in the crowd seems to hear the screaming and she runs offstage in a panic. One of her fellow violinist states that she also hears the screaming and they both run towards the noise. What greets Etta is her beloved music instructor that has just been murdered. Before she knows, she is on a ship in the middle of the ocean in the 1800’s.

I thought that Etta was a tolerable character. I did not dislike her and there were a few times she made me laugh. I appreciated the fact that she was from this century and inspired others to pursue their dreams, even if they were a woman. Nicholas was a decent character as well. While he did fall head over heels the moment he laid eyes on Etta and felt the need to defend her “honor” when a physician attempted to help her, he was a rather serious individual. He often pushed Etta’s advances mainly due to the color of his skin. Eventually Nicholas does give in and decides to be with Etta. To me this romance wasn’t a bad one, but it did feel like it came out of nowhere. One second they are time traveling partners, the next, they are making out. Even though this romance wasn’t my favorite (I blame it on Feyre and Rhysand), there are some serious bonus points due to the fact that this is an interracial couple. Hooray for more diversity!

It took me three weeks to read this book. THREE WEEKS PEOPLE. That never happens. Normally, I would dnf a book if I was having that much trouble reading it, however, I pursued on due to all the positive reviews on this book. This book was extremely slow. There were a few moments that were intriguing, but most of this book was quite a drag. I will say that the ending was quite a surprise and certain events happened that I would have not predicted. The ending is the only reason I plan on reading the sequel. I am happy that I read on, however, I do hope that the sequel is a better read for me.

3 out of 5 stars

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Meet The Author

 Meet Alex. She writes about telekinetic teens and floppy-haired wizards. She loves Star Wars, classic rock, and 18th century gentlemen. When she’s not up at 4 AM writing, you can find her running around New York City. It is exactly as fun as it sounds.

You can find her on Goodreads, Twitter, Instagram, and her website.

Review: Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly

Title: Trouble is a Friend of Mine

Author: Stephanie Tromly

Publication Date: August 4, 2015

Publisher: Kathy Dawson Books

Synopsis: Of course I didn’t like Digby when I first met him. No one does.

The first time Philip Digby shows up on Zoe Webster’s doorstep, he’s rude and he treats her like a book he’s already read and knows the ending to.

But before she knows it, Zoe’s allowed Digby—annoying, brilliant, and somehow…attractive? Digby—to drag her into a series of hilarious, dangerous, and only vaguely legal schemes all related to the kidnapping of a local teenage girl. A kidnapping that might be connected to the tragic disappearance of his little sister eight years ago. When it comes to Digby, Zoe just can’t say no.

But is Digby a hero? Or is his manic quest an indication of a desperate attempt to repair his broken family and exorcize his own obsessive-compulsive tendencies? And does she really care anyway?

This is a contemporary debut with razor-sharp dialogue, ridiculously funny action, and a dynamic duo you won’t soon forget.

I received this book through Goodreads giveaways. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

After her parent’s divorce, Zoe Webster and her mother are in a new house and Zoe is attending a new school. With high hopes of soon attending a boarding school to prepare her for Ivy League colleges, Zoe does not plan on stay where she is for long. That is until she meets Philip Digby. Digby brings out a new side of Zoe that she didn’t even know existed. Zoe soon begins to wonder if the life she has planned for herself is still the life she wants to have.

I feel like Zoe and Digby’s relationship just…happened. One second, Zoe does not know anything about Digby and the next second they are spending time together and committing various crimes. Do people really become friends that quickly? I had some trouble finding their relationship believable. As for the other characters within this story, there are all your favorite clichés. We have the handsome and brave football quarterback and his popular, but jealous girlfriend. You even have your mean girls group and the “nerdy” kid.

Although I did not hate this book, I do not plan on reading the sequel. I never truly became invested in these characters and their stories enough to follow along with their upcoming adventures. While this book wasn’t necessarily a good read, it also wasn’t a bad read. It was entertaining at times and entertaining enough. I never felt the need to dnf this book and there was enough to keep me reading. There have been many mixed reviews on this book. Some people love it, others hate it, and a few just feel “meh” about this book. I am in the “meh” category. Trouble Is a Friend of Mine is one of those books that I will forget about the story and characters within a few months.

2.5 out of 5 stars

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Meet The Author

Stephanie Tromly was born in Manila, grew up in Hong Kong, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and worked as a screenwriter in Los Angeles. She is the author of Trouble Is a Friend of Mine and lives in Winnipeg with her husband and son.

You can find her on Goodreads and Twitter.

Blog Tour: Unplugged by Donna Freitas – Top Ten + Giveaway

Title: Unplugged

Author: Donna Freitas

Publication Date: June 21, 2016

Publisher: Harper Children’s

Synopsis: The first book in a provocative new series from acclaimed author Donna Freitas—Feed for a new generation.

Humanity is split into the App World and the Real World—an extravagant virtual world for the wealthy and a dying physical world for the poor. Years ago, Skylar Cruz’s family sent her to the App World for a chance at a better life.

Now Skye is a nobody, a virtual sixteen-year-old girl without any glamorous effects or expensive downloads to make her stand out in the App World. Yet none of that matters to Skye. All she wants is a chance to unplug and see her mother and sister again.

But when the borders between worlds suddenly close, Skye loses that chance. Desperate to reach her family, Skye risks everything to get back to the physical world. Once she arrives, however, she discovers a much larger, darker reality than the one she remembers.

In the tradition of M. T. Anderson’s Feed and Scott Westerfeld’s Uglies, Unplugged kicks off a thrilling and timely sci-fi series for teens from an award-winning writer.

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | iBooks | The Book Depository

Top Ten Items or Things That Keep Us “Unplugged” In The Real World According to Donna Freitas…

1. Real food. I mean, imagine a life eating virtual strawberries? Or virtual peaches and ice cream shakes and all the wonderful things we like to eat? I don’t think we could come up with virtual eating experiences that would cut it.

 2. A great conversation. Face to face. With eye contact.

3. Making out. Kissing. (Honestly, that’s the first thing that popped into my head. J) But I put it as number three to try to make myself a tad more respectable. But there’s nothing like an amazing kiss—a real one.

 4. Our heartbeats. The way the heart pounds and speeds up. This is related to making out and kissing. The way your pulse gets all erratic when you’re with someone you like or maybe even love.

 5. Swimming in the ocean. Need I explain?

 6. The amazing beauty of the world we live in, and all the people we see when we look up from our devices. Too amazing to miss.

 7. The real body is a pretty nice place to be. You get to feel the sun on your face. Bodies can be wonderful all on their own, without any virtual enhancements. Bodies aren’t perfect, we get old, and sick, of course, but they are our homes, for better or worse. And I wouldn’t want to trade one in for a virtual copy.

 8. Being unreachable. I love being unreachable sometimes.

 9. Kissing and making out. (Can I have that on here, twice?)

 10. Reading. Reading is nicer when you’re unplugged, since you’re free of the temptation to be elsewhere.

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Meet The Author

Donna Freitas is the author of both fiction and nonfiction, and she lectures at universities across the United States on her work about college students, most recently at Colby, Pepperdine, Harvard, and Yale. Over the years, she has written for national newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post, and she’s currently a non-resident research associate at the Center for Religion and Society at Notre Dame. Donna has been a professor at Boston University in the Department of Religion and also at Hofstra University in their Honors College.

In 2008, Donna published Sex and the Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance and Religion on America’s College Campuses with Oxford University Press, based on her national study about sex on campus. Her latest book is called The Happiness Effect: How Social Media is Driving a Generation to Appear Perfect at Any Cost (Oxford, October 2016), and it is based on her research for a new study about social media and how it is effecting the ways we construct identity and sense of self, how we make meaning in the world, and navigate our relationships during college. In 2014 and 2015, Freitas conducted approximately 200 in-person interviews with college students at thirteen different colleges and universities, and collected nearly1000 online surveys about these subjects.

Donna is also the author of six novels for children and young adults, including The Survival Kit (FSG, 2011), named an ALA Best Books for Young Adults and the winner of the Bookstar Award in Switzerland, and This Gorgeous Game (FSG, 2010), also named an ALA Best Books for Young Adults, a winner of the CCBC Choice Award, and a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best winner. Her novel, The Possibilities of Sainthood (FSG, 2008), received five starred reviews and many accolades, including: an Indie Next Kids’ List Great Read, Society of School Librarians International Book Award Honor Book, VOYA Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers, and the Texas Lone Star Reading List. Donna has also published two middle grade companion novels with Scholastic, Gold Medal Summer (about a gymnast) and Gold Medal Winter (about an ice skater), which just won a CCBC Choice Award. In June, Unplugged the first novel in her sci-fi trilogy about two competing worlds, one real, one virtual, will be out in June from HarperTeen. She lives in Brooklyn.

You can find her on Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, and her website.

Giveaway

3 Finished Copies of Unplugged (US Only)

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