Book Piles and Random Musings (1)

Book Piles and Random Musings is a weekly/bi-weekly post where I will share all of the books I've gotten and it's the one regular post where I will talk about non book-related things. Sometimes just some things I'm loving, other times little tidbits about me! It'll be random, whenever I've got a pile I want to share or non-bookish things I'm dying to talk about. I claim no originality here, it is inspired by all of the other people who have come up with various mailbox/non-bookish posts out in the blogosphere :0)

It seems I've developed an addiction to signed books. I went to a signing in Miami and the bookstore had a whole bunch of signed books on their shelves, from previous signings. So I ended up spending way more money then I was planning, but they are so pretty! Also, Angie @ Beneath the Jacket works at a bookstore in CA and they had an awesome contemp author event, so I called up and ordered signed books from there!

On to the books...

 For Review:

"Burn for Burn" by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

"In Honor" by Jessi Kirby (Literally jumped all over the place after opening this!)

"The Last Princess" by Galaxy Craze

"My Life Next Door" by Huntly Fitzpatrick (ZOMG! I'm almost done & it's amazing)

"Meant to Be" by Lauren Morrill

"Something Like Normal" by Trish Doller (Already read! So good! Going to reread soon!)

"Love and Other Perishable Items" by Laura Buzo

Swapped/Borrowed:

"Purity" by Jackson Pearce

"A Touch Morbid" by Leah Clifford

"The Last Princess" by Galaxy Craze (I swapped for this one and the day after it arrived, the finished copy arrived from Hachette, so you know what that means...)

Bought:

"Second Chance Summer" by Morgan Matson (I'm so excited for this one!)

"Where She Went" by Gayle Foreman (Signed)

"The Disenchantments" by Nina LaCour (Signed)

"Anna and the French Kiss" by Stephanie Perkins (Signed)

"The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer" by Michelle Hodkin (Signed)

"Before I Fall" by Lauren Oliver (Signed)

*Huge thanks to Simon & Schuster, Poppy (Hachette), Bloomsbury, Random House, Penguin, NetGalley, and Children's Book World!

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Today I'm feeling the urge to talk a bit about a little known (hehe...) TV show from the 90's. It's one that I spent countless hours obsessing about and swearing that it was the best thing to ever be created!  Now that I'm not in my teens and have re-watched it with fresh eyes, I can see all the cheesiness that I missed before, but I still can't help loving it just the same :0)

Reasons why I still love Dawson's Creek:

*Pacey (played by Joshua Jackson). I love everything about his character. I don't even care that he was stupid enough to sleep with his teacher, because poor, misguided Pacey can never unearn my love!

*Back in it's day, Dawson's Creek was my go to place to find awesome music, and re-watching it now is kind of like finding an old friend. There are so many songs that I had simply forgotten that I loved back in high school.

*Fake College! I know it's super cliche for a show to create a fake college, so that everyone ends up in the same place after high school, but I just don't care. The show would have been awful if all of the characters got seperated and weren't able to hang out and ruin each others lives.

*Jack (Played by Kerr Smith). He was one of my favorite characters, second only to Pacey. It was especially awesome once him and Pacey became roomates :0)

Phew! Thanks for sticking through all of that! What did you guys get this week?!? Are any of you still Dawson's Creek fans?!?

"Shine" by Jeri Smith-Ready

Release Date: May 1st, 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Age Group: Young Adult


Life can change in an instant, and no one understands that better than Aura. It’s been almost a year since her boyfriend tragically died. She’s finally letting go of Logan’s violet-hued ghost, but not her search to uncover the truth about her past.

As the first in a generation that can see ghosts, Aura is convinced she has a connection to the Shift. She’s trusted Zachary, ever patient and ever by her side, with all that she knows. But when the government threatens his life in an attempt to learn Aura’s secrets, she will stop at nothing to protect herself and the one she loves...even if that means betraying her own heart.





It's taken me a couple of weeks to write up this review, because when I first finished the book it would have all been kind of nonsense. I was all I LOVE THIS BOOK! THIS WAS THE PERFECT ENDING! ZACH! AURA! IRELAND! SCOTLAND! Though it was a completely accurate display of my emotions after reading, it wouldn't have made a very good review.

Obviously this book is amazing, I mean how could it not be. I always get really nervous when reading a conclusion to a series, because what I imagine as a perfect ending isn't necessarily going to be the same as what the author imagines. I didn't need to worry with this one, though, because Jeri Smith-Ready totally nailed it!

We've got all of the great characters back in this one, but most of them stay in the background, because Shine focuses on Zach and Aura and is so much better for it. I felt like I really got to know Zach and Aura during the course of this book. We get to learn more about their history, their parents at Newgrange, the Shift, and how they are really tied in with it all. We also get to see their relationship truly develop. They never really got to be together in the first two books, so while they are learning about their pasts, they also learn about each other and form a stronger bond. And I think their story deserved to be told.

I want to go into all kinds of specifics and squee about certain scenes and lines, but I don't want to ruin the awesome experience that is reading Shine for the first time. I hope that everyone runs right out to get this and if you haven't started the series, run out and get all three!


*Cover photo and description from Goodreads*

Spring Into the Future signing recap + Giveaway!

I was lucky enough to be able to make the trip to Miami and attend the Spring Into the Future event at Books & Books in Coral Gables, FL this past weekend! Saturday morning my friends Shanon (Escaping with Fiction) and Angela (Novel Therapy) hopped into the car and hit the road.

We met up with a couple of fellow bloggers, and awesome ladies, Jenna (Making the Grade) and Sarah (YA Rebels) before the signing, and had a great time hanging out and fighting with parking meters.

One of the times we had to go feed the meter Shanon, Angela and I actually saw Veronica and Tahereh chatting outside the bookstore. We got a little excited and I think we startled them when we went up to say hello. They were very sweet about it, though :0)

I have to say, Veronica Rossi and Tahereh Mafi are absolutely hilarious and adorable! They were joking that since they have been touring together for so long, they are basically married now. Romantic walks on the beach included. Haha.

The Q&A portion was awesome. Both authors admitted that there are parts of many of their characters that are drawn from themselves and the people in their lives. Tahereh said there is quite a bit inspired by her brothers. The bird tattoo on Adam's chest is actually a real life tattoo that one of her brother's has. She said after he read about the tattoo and the shower scene, Thanksgiving dinner was a little awkward. Haha. We learned that "Shatter Me" was originally titled "Touching Juliette", but there were too many questions of who was touching Juliette and where she was being touched, so that's how it ended up as "Shatter Me". We also learned that both of them would want to have flight as a superpower, Tahereh also wanted invisibility to go with it. She likes to be stealth :0)

They couldn't share too much about what was coming up in their new books, but we were promised more Roar and more Kenji! That was enough to get me even more excited then I already was. They also had some really great advice for aspiring writers. They insisted that no matter how long it takes and how many times you hear no, you should never give up.

The two of them were so nice once we got up to get our books signed. They spent time chatting with us and even recognized us from Twitter! I was feeling a little starstruck actually getting to have a conversation with these two awesome authors, but they were so genuine and I don't think it could have been more wonderful! I hope if the last leg of the tour comes near you that you'll check it out. It was so much fun and just an all around excellent experience :0)

Now, since it was a signing, I picked an extra copy of each book and had it signed for you guys! So I'll be giving away a signed copy of UNDER THE NEVER SKY, a signed copy of SHATTER ME, and a signed SHATTER ME keychain, to one lucky winner!

This one is going to be US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Some photos courtesy of Jenna DeTrapani & her awesome camera! Thanks, Jenna*

May TBR

It's that time again, the beginning of the month, where I put together a list of the books I am planning to read for the month. Of course, sometimes I get them read, sometimes I don't, sometimes I read completely different ones. I'm sure May will be no different :0)

 "Switched" by Amanda Hocking

"Torn" by Amanda Hocking

"Ascend" by Amanda Hocking

"In Honor" by Jessi Kirby

"Second Chance Summer" by Morgan Matson

"The Summer My Life Began" by Shannon Greenland

"Struck" by Jennifer Bosworth

"The Last Princess" by Galaxy Craze

"Masque of the Red Death" by Bethany Griffin

What is everyone else planning to read this month?

"Until I Die" by Amy Plum

Release Date: May 8th, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: eGalley
Age Group: Young Adult


Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.


Since this is the second book in this awesome series, this is going to be a short one, because I don't want to risk spoiling anything from the first book.

There are so many things I love about this series. I love that it's set in Paris, because I'm a huge fan of Paris and wish that I could go back there. I love how Amy does such a wonderful job of describing the places and things that Kate, Vincent and the other characters go and see. I am completely enamored with the wonderful set of characters that Amy has created for us. The "family" that Kate has found herself apart of, with the revenants, has such a wonderful dynamic. They all play such an integral part to their existence and you truly feel how much they care for one another. Kate is so much stronger this time around. Not that she ever has been, but she's even less helpless when it comes to her safety, in book two. She's learning how to take care of herself and even though she probably should be sometimes, she's much less afraid to jump head first into situations that could harm her. And can I just say, I think Georgia is one of my favorite characters in a long time! She's got so much spunk and now that she has some idea of what Kate's really been up to, she's more than willing to join the fight and help when she can. I love sister solidarity!

There are so new characters and a new mystery that unfolds in this installment, but I loved the direction it took and I think I might have even liked this book better than the first. And oh my goodness, that ending was just...I have no words. I am desperate to find out where this is going to go. If you've already read DIE FOR ME, then I definitely suggest picking up UNTIL I DIE once you get the chance. If you haven't given this series a try yet, what are you waiting for? It's original, romantic, action-packed and funny! A must read :0)

"Breaking Beautiful" by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Release Date: April 24th, 2012
Publisher: Walker Children's
Format: eGalley
Age Group: Young Adult


Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.



I am having a hard time coming up with the right words to describe the emotions from this book. It was such an excellently written story with so much sadness and a lot of mystery woven in. I both liked and didn't like being in Allie's head the whole time. It was her story, so having it told from her point of view made it feel a little like my experience, too. I got to remember things right along with her and reliving the experiences from her perspective made it feel more real. Unfortunately, a lot of the things that Allie had gone through were so heartbreaking and terrifying. I completely understand why she wasnt' trying harder to remember the things she'd blocked out, because the things she did remember were awful.

I don't want anyone to think this was a dark and depressing book, because it wasn't. It's not a light and easy read, because there are a lot of tough issues to be dealt with, but there is growth and hope woven in there too. Allie starts off with everyone blaming her for Trip's death and everything that she does is scrutinized and held against her. She's also got someone leaving creepy notes in her locker, which adds to the overall mystery of the book. The biggest mystery is about how Trip died and the only one who was there, is Allie. Unfortunately, Allie can't remember anything about that night. It's terrifying when you can't remember something so horrible, it's even worse when you aren't sure if you are the one responsible.

Most people weren't on Allie's side, but she did have a few people who never left her corner. Her brother Andrew was such an excellent character. He suffers from Cerebral Palsy, and has a hard time with things that come so easy to others, but he loves Allie so much and she feels the exact same way about her. I love reading about siblings who not only really care about each other, but are also best friends. They didn't always get along, but in the end the two of them always stick together. Then there is Blake. He and Allie have known each other since they were very young, and he tries his hardest to be there for her after everything happens, even while she keeps pushing him away.

This story was completely engrossing and really well written. I didn't fall in love with all of the characters, in fact I kind of despised half of them, but that's the point. Not everyone is understanding and kind, but you learn to move on and live without caring what they think. Allie was a great character to go on this journey with and I had so much emotion for her by the end. I definitely recommend this for anyone who likes a solid contemporary and a little mystery. I cannot wait to see what Jennifer Shaw Wolf has in store for us next!