Friday, June 29, 2018

Delightful Discoveries

Delightful Discoveries are not yet or newly published books that we have discovered recently. 


Jenn: 


The Deepest Roots
The Deepest Roots by Miranda Asebedo
Contemporary with the slightest twist of magic, this stunning debut YA novel is a fresh and heartwarming story about the power of friendship.
Cottonwood Hollow, Kansas, is a strange place. For the past century, every girl has been born with a special talent, like the ability to Fix any object, Heal any wound, or Find what is missing.
Best friends Rome, Lux, and Mercy all have similar talents, but to them, their abilities often feel like a curse. Rome may be able to Fix anything she touches, but that won’t help her mom pay rent or make it any easier to confide in Lux and Mercy about what’s going on at home. And Rome isn’t the only one. Lux has been hiding bigger, more dangerous secrets.
As Rome struggles to keep her friendships close, she discovers the truth about life in Cottonwood Hollow—that friends are stronger than curses, that trust is worth the risk, and sometimes, what you’ve been looking for has been under your feet the whole time.

Damsel
Damsel by Elana K. Arnold
The rite has existed for as long as anyone can remember: when the prince-who-will-be-king comes of age, he must venture out into the gray lands, slay a fierce dragon, and rescue a damsel to be his bride. This is the way things have always been.
When Ama wakes in the arms of Prince Emory, however, she knows none of this. She has no memory of what came before she was captured by the dragon, or what horrors she has faced in its lair. She knows only this handsome prince, the story he tells of her rescue, and her destiny to sit on the throne beside him. Ama comes with Emory back to the kingdom of Harding, hailed as the new princess, welcomed to the court.
However, as soon as her first night falls, she begins to realize that not all is as it seems, that there is more to the legends of the dragons and the damsels than anyone knows–and that the greatest threats to her life may not be behind her, but here, in front of her.




The Healer
The Healer by Donna Feitas 
Marlena Oliveira has—mysteriously, miraculously—been given the power to heal all kinds of ailments. People around the world believe she is a saint. But her power comes at a price: she can’t go to school, she can’t have friends her own age, and she certainly can’t date.
Then she meets Finn, a boy who makes her want to fall in love. For the first time, she begins to doubt whether her gift is worth all that she must give up to keep it.









Ash: 


The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronaut, #1)
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
A meteor decimates the U.S. government and paves the way for a climate cataclysm that will eventually render the earth inhospitable to humanity. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated timeline in the earth’s efforts to colonize space, as well as an unprecedented opportunity for a much larger share of humanity to take part.
One of these new entrants in the space race is Elma York, whose experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition’s attempts to put man on the moon. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn’t take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can’t go into space, too—aside from some pesky barriers like thousands of years of history and a host of expectations about the proper place of the fairer sex. And yet, Elma’s drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions may not stand a chance.




Dreaming Dangerous
Dreaming Dangerous by Lauren DeStefano
Brassmere Academy for the Extraordinary is a school for orphans with strange and wonderful gifts. Twelve-year-old Plum has lived there forever, and each night, she ventures into her dreams alongside her three best friends, Vien, Gwendle, and Artem, to fight monsters and journey on dangerous quests. But one night, Plum gets a mysterious warning that she and her friends are no longer safe. And the next morning, Artem is nowhere to be found.

As Plum, Vien, and Gwendle search for their friend—in both the dreaming and waking worlds—they start to uncover alarming secrets about Brassmere and its intentions. Will they be able to find Artem before it’s too late, or will they be next to disappear?





Olympian Challenger

Olympian Challenger by Astrid Arditi
 
A hero’s tournament. A defiant contender. Does one girl have the courage to take on Mount Olympus?
Hope’s world doesn’t have room for heroes. She barely has time for schoolwork, swim team, and taking care of her ailing mother. But when she’s invited to a mysterious tournament, the all-powerful hosts won’t take no for an answer.
Transported to Mount Olympus, Hope comes face to face with her new trainers—the pantheon of Greek gods. While other contenders train hard to gain a fighting edge, Hope searches for a way out. Instead, she finds a gorgeous shadow god who may just convince her to stay…
As each round unfolds, the ultimate prize draws closer—the granting of her heart’s deepest desire. If she survives the final challenge, her mother’s cure would be within reach…but only if Hope can ignore the tournament’s dark purpose.
Olympian Challenger is the first book in a bold YA urban fantasy trilogy. If you like Greek mythology, forbidden romance, and feats of courage, then you’ll love Astrid Arditi’s heroic coming-of-age tale.




Bloggy Buddy: Meet Sam!

Introducing Bloggy Buddy where we feature the bloggy friends we love so much!


Hey guys! Time for another bloggy buddy. Meet Sam from We Live and Breathe Books. I love Sam's blog for many many reasons. Let me count the ways.

 1: The blog design is just too adorable and bright and sloth!  ... I don't think I need to say more on this subject.

2: We read and enjoy many of the same books. I love her reviews and she helps me with future reads. Nay or YAY! 

3: She uses GIFs! I love GIFs and so glad I am not the only one that does this. 

4: Reviews in a Nutshell- not only is it a cute name but I love mini-reviews. 

Sometimes I just like to load up on all the short reviews. I don't always have time for long ones and the more I read the happier I am. 

5: She is just so much fun and really nice. So everyone should just follow her blog. Really do it now! 








What name do you like to go by?
Sam


How long have you been blogging?
WLABB has been around for 5 years, but I was asked to join at the blog in Jan 2017. So, about a year and a half

What inspired you to start blogging?
This blog was started by my daughter and some of her high school friends, but then they went to college, and it was tough to balance their course loads and blogger. Kiersten, my co-blogger and daughter, asked me if I would like to contribute since I read a lot.

What was your first blog post?
My first post was the Best of 2016 post, which me, Kiersten, and Amrutha contributed to.

What are some unique features you do on your blog?
I read a bunch of books, so I started these pro/con reviews called In a Nutshell Reviews in order to feature more books. We also have a meme, which I am terrible at doing, called Stuffed Animal Saturday. Essentially, you take a picture of your stuffed animal and your current read, and you write about your thoughts thus far. And, well, Sloth is a pretty special part of the blog too. He will featured heavily in the new blog theme.

What was your inspiration behind your blog design and name?
The original WLABBers bonded over their shared love for the Shadowhunters, and the name of the blog is based on a quote from one of The Infernal Devices books - “We live and breathe words.” The new design is my mother’s day gift, and it is just based on Sloth and our love of whimsy. I am very excited to unveil it soon.

What genres do you like to read and feature?
I love contemporaries, and if pressed to be more specific, contemporary romances. Age wise, we focus on YA.

What were some of your favorite reads from last year?
Such a HARD question! Here are a few from my favorites shelf:

Foolish HeartsTop TenA Short History of the Girl Next DoorThe Art of FeelingAftercare InstructionsWords in Deep BlueAlex, Approximately

Three blogs you really love?


Another really hard question!

Image result for it starts at midnight

• I have followed Shannon at It Starts are Midnight for many years. She has a fabulous sense of humor and is a straight shooter.

Image result for girl plus book

• Tanya from Girl Plus Books just vibes with me in an amazing way. 

The Infinite Limits of Love

• Nick from Infinite Limits of Love feeds my passion for contemporary romances. 

A Fool's Ingenuity
Read All The Things!

• Bonus: Becky from A Fool’s Ingenuity and AJ from Read All Things always make me laugh.


And lastly, tell us a bit about yourself and your blog.
I am Sam, a YA loving adult. I have a long commute, an empty nest, and I read a lot. I am fascinated by the natural world, and love knowing how it works. Thus, my love of science. WLABB has been around for about 5 years, celebrating YA bookish things







Thursday, June 28, 2018

Review: Bring Me Back by P.A. Paris

Bring Me BackTitle: Bring Me Back
Author:  B.A. Paris
Publisher: June 19th, 2018
Publishing Date:  
Pages: 291
Genre:  Adult Psychological Thriller
Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  Audio
 

Finn and Layla are young, in love, and on vacation. They’re driving along the highway when Finn decides to stop at a service station to use the restroom. He hops out of the car, locks the doors behind him, and goes inside. When he returns Layla is gone—never to be seen again. That is the story Finn told to the police. But it is not the whole story.
Ten years later Finn is engaged to Layla’s sister, Ellen. Their shared grief over what happened to Layla drew them close and now they intend to remain together. Still, there’s something about Ellen that Finn has never fully understood. His heart wants to believe that she is the one for him...even though a sixth sense tells him not to trust her.
Then, not long before he and Ellen are to be married, Finn gets a phone call. Someone from his past has seen Layla—hiding in plain sight. There are other odd occurrences: Long-lost items from Layla’s past that keep turning up around Finn and Ellen’s house. Emails from strangers who seem to know too much. Secret messages, clues, warnings. If Layla is alive—and on Finn’s trail—what does she want? And how much does she know?
A tour de force of psychological suspense, Bring Me Back will have you questioning everything and everyone until its stunning climax

This is my first book by this author. I have seen her name around many times, and I just haven't really felt interested. Lately, though these types of books have been my reads. I really loved this book. It was so great. The story, the writing, the characters, the ending, the twists and turns, the suspense. It was all so well done. I really didn't find any fault with this read. 
Ten years ago, Finn and Layla go on a vacation together. They are in love, they are the cutest couple. Everything is great until it's not. Layla ends up disappearing. Finn tries everything to find her with no luck. He doesn't know what happened that night and he lives with it every day. 

Ellen is Layla's older sister. She comes into town sometime later and hooks up with Finn. They are now the happy couple and are engaged to get married. Everything again seems to be going great, until it doesn't. 

There have been sightings of Layla around town. Messages from someone who knows she is alive. Maybe this is true. Maybe she is here to be a part of Finn's life again. Or maybe someone is really messing with him. Either way, he needs to find out and without Ellen finding out what he is up too. He needs the truth before he marries Ellen. 

This book was really really good. I will try to express my feelings without giving anything away. This book is full of shock moments and I want to keep it that way for all those that want to read it. The suspense is crazy good, the mystery is crazy good. The storytelling is crazy good. It is just crazy good. 

The best parts and the most anticipating parts for me were the mysteries; first... what really happened the night Layla disappeared. I feel like this is the mystery of the first half of the book. Second... the other half of the book is filled with the mystery if Layla is really alive and if so what does she want. The mysteries of this story is done really well and I just needed to know it all. 

The story was told in dual timelines and from a couple of points of view. So the story was pieced together little by little letting the entire truth in. Of course, the last bit of the truth doesn't come out until the very end. It is done slowly but not too slowly. The pacing is really excellent and there was a lot of things happening that kept my interest in the story. 

The characters were developed well. They were intriguing and interesting even though I didn't particularly like them. I didn't need to like them, I needed to understand them. They were flawed, very flawed. Some of the decisions made were just so wrong... but I understood them and like I said, they were interesting. 

The ending was wowzers. I was just in awe. I loved how it ended and how it all came together. The story was told just amazingly well and the end was just perfect. Flawless really from beginning to end for me. 


I was blown away and will be reading much more of this author!



B.A. Paris


B A Paris grew up in England but has spent most of her adult life in France. She has worked both in finance and as a teacher and has five daughters. Behind Closed Doors is her first novel.

 
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