Waiting on Wednesday (40)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where book bloggers discuss the books that they are most anxiously waiting for! (And this fabulous button was designed by my dear blogger friend Lindsay at The Violet Hour)

This week I'm waiting on...

On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane
© 27 December 2011 by Harlequin Teen

Five years ago Abbey Chandler cheated Death. She survived a horrific car accident, but her lucky break came at the expense of her mother’s life and changed everything. After she crossed paths with Death—by taking the hand of an ethereal boy made of clouds and sky—she would never be normal again.

Now she’s the target of Death’s Ravens and an innocent boy’s life is on the line. When Nate Holden—Abbey’s secret crush—starts to climb Alaska’s Denali, the Angel of Death is with him because of her.

Abbey finds out the hard way that Death never forgets.

I've almost always been a bit of a sucker for a intriguing looking angel book and this one is next on my list! I read a post that Jordan wrote about it and knew immediately that I HAD to read it.  Trust me--I did a little *happy dance* when I saw this one on NetGalley (which just happened to be the same day that I discovered it--coincidenc?). Now I just need to read it!!

Also, I figured I would combine this post with W.W.W. Wednesdays...so here is some more info about my reading for this week! To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…Grab the logo...and post your link at Should Be Reading!

What are you currently reading?

(Currently listening to...)

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next? 

What are YOU waiting on this week?

(ARC) YA Book Review: Hushed by Kelley York

Release Date: 6 December 2011

Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher via NetGalley


Get a copy! Amazon | B&N

Goodreads description:

He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her.

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn’t get what she wants… And what she wants is Evan’s death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.

My Thoughts...

WOW.  From the moment that you read the description of this novel, you know it's going to be one wild ride of a story.  Kelley York's story will pull you in and take you on an intense emotional roller coaster as she pulls you into her characters and their lives. If you're looking for that next great read, look no further. Ms. York has crafted a beautiful, compelling story of friendship, love, sacrifice,...and murder.

The first thing that I really loved about this story is the day-by-day format.  Instead of chapters, the story segments are divided into individual days and it works. It helps mark the passing of time in a perfect way--without intruding upon the story. I know that it's a fairly minor point, but I liked it.  But, this story, for me, is all about the characters.

Archer, oh, Archer.  This boy has got some deep-seated emotional problems--that much is fairly clear from the very beginning.  When we meet him, he's already committed, either directly or indirectly, multiple muders and there are at least three more (with the possible fourth) on his hit list--all in order to get revenge for atrocities committed against his best friend years ago.  His emotional state is clearly fragile from the beginning and it's clear that he doesn't fully understand what it's like to have someone in your life who actually CARES about you. I won't lie--Archer was not a character that I loved from page one.  At the beginning, I wasn't at all sure that I was going to be able to enjoy reading from his POV.  However, he grew on me immensely and after not too long I was completely sucked into his thoughts, actions, and emotions.

Rescuer-boy was taller than Archer by a few inches, so he had to look up to see hi face, his dark eyes and mousy brown hair. Every inch was trim and lean where Archer was slim and willowy.  The guy took one look at Archer's expression and let him go, pocketing his hands.

Archer scooped his bag off the ground. "I'm fine. People never watch where they're going."

The guy quirked a smile. There was something about the soft shape of his mouth, something that made him stare a moment longer than necessary. "You say that like you're used to being bowled over."

-p13, eARC

Enter Evan.  I LOVED Evan from the moment that he first inserts himself into Archer's life (see above).  Even from their brief first interaction, I felt like Evan was someone that I desperately wanted to get to know and spend some time with.  He's so awesome.  *cue gushing*  Evan is the kind of person that we all want/need in our lives.  He's constant and understanding and loving (and it doesn't hurt that he's athletic and gorgeous...not that I'm at all his type but whatever).  I loved that he was totally there for Archer and he was willing to stick with him through a lot and draw him out of his shell.  At the same time, Evan totally wasn't willing to just let Archer take everything out on him and become an emotional punching bad (i.e. he won't let Archer treat him like Vivian treats Archer).

Oh, and Vivian.  Man, that chick is crazy.  I seriously couldn't stand her from the beginning and all I wanted was for Archer to get Viv out of his life. I know the girl has issues but you should only be willing to take so much.  I mean, seriously Archer, Evan is the better choice!!!

Something else that this story does incredibly well is portray an LGBT relationship without turning into an issue book.  The book is not about being LGBT or coming out--it is a thriller that just happens to feature a male-male romance.  And it's a heart-breakingly beautiful romance.  It's the kind of romance that I think we all can appreciate and hope to have someday (if we haven't already found it).  It was wonderful.  I wish there were more books like this and I honestly hope to read more like this in the future. Oh, and this book also had something else I want more of: college-age MCs! I love reading about college-age MCs and I bet a lot of high schoolers do/would as well!

Overall, I don't think that I can recommend Hushed enough!  I loved it so much that I read it in one sitting--and hours later couldn't stop myself from going back to reread certain parts. I definitely think that it's a story that I would like to read in its entirety again sometime soon.  It's a quick-paced read that will keep readers on the edge of their seat.

(ARC) YA Book Review: Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout

Release Date: 6 December 2011
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Format: eARC 
Source: Publisher via NetGalley


Buy It!

Goodreads description:

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

My Thoughts...

[When I posted on a WWW post that I was reading this book, I got SO MANY comments telling me to read Ms. Armentrout's Half-Blood, and after reading (and LOVING) this, I can assure you that I WILL make time to read Daimon and Half-Blood, both of which I bought for my NookColor quite some time ago. I PROMISE.  So please don't flog me for not having read them yet--I'll get there.]

Now, onto this awesome book!  Katy has just moved from Florida to BFE, West Virginia and she's none too pleased about the move.  However, determined to adjust and be happy for her senior year of high school, she takes her positive attitude next door to meet the neighbors, only to be greeted by a downright gorgeous...jerk.  Daemon is none too welcoming, but thankfully Dee, his twin sister, is much more welcoming and looking for a friend. As Katy begins to settle into her new life, all strange rumors about her neighbors aside, she could never guess what was about to happen and how it would change her life.

A few second later, the video started and there I was, in all my book nerd glory, shoving cover after cover in front of my crappy webcam.

-p243, eARC

You will fall in love with these characters, especially Katy.  Katy rocks my socks off.  She's a tough girl with a soft spot for her heartbroken (but slowly recovering) mother.  And what's more? She's a book blogger--tell me you can't identify with that! (And lol, can you GUESS what post she's talking about in the quote above?)  Moving beyond that little detail, she's easy to like and relate to and love. (I mean, that moment when she dumps spaghetti on another girl...PRICELESS.)  She's pretty tough on the outside, but the girl really doesn't give herself enough credit.  I mean, from the spaghetti dumping incident to some pretty kick butt stuff later, she's got some attitude.

Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys

-p24/25, eARC

Okay, so did you laugh at that description of Daemon? Because isn't it SO TRUE in so many of the books out there? I loved that she just said it. And yes, Daemon is all of those things.  BUT, he's also super protective of his sister and for that I give him a lot of credit.  His on-again/off-again attitude with Katy definitely drove me nuts at times. His sister, Dee, on the other hand, is flipping fabulous!  She's got the best friend thing down perfectly and I simply love, love, loved her.

My stomach flipped thinking about how close his lips had been to min. Worse yet was the knowledge that I had wanted him to kiss me.  Like and lust must not have anything in common.

-p69, eARC

Holy sexual tension, Batman! This book is full of it! *fans self*  Yes, Daemon is an ass...but as always, he's a super HOTT ass (*pun intended*) and for that many people will forgive him--apparently myself included.  But, moving right along...this story was a really great read.  There was action and steamy romance and so much more!

Oh my holy heavens this ending will leave you BEGGING for more! I can't wait for the sequel to come out in March!  You can already buy this one for Kindle and Nook TODAY (you know, instead of tomorrow, lol) and you SHOULD.  It's only $5.99 and believe me--that' steal.  I already bought my copy (because hello, sometimes a girl just wants a sexy bad boy and some sexual tension!).

Blog Tour: Masquerade by Cambria Hebert

Release Date: 16 December 2011
Publisher: Otherworld Publishing
Format: eARC 
Source: from the Author


Grab the prequel, Before! Amazon| Smashwords | B&N
Pre-order Masquearde!! Otherworld Publishing

Heven was attacked leaving the library one evening and life ever since then has been, just, different.  She was left with a horrible scar on her face that she is constantly trying to hide behind her hair.  Her personality shift from bubbly head cheerleader to a shy, reserved girl is fairly extreme as she attempts to hide from the stares and questioning glances of her classmates.  When Sam wanders into her life, everything begins to shift for the better...until reality catches up with both of them and they have to fight for their lives.

My Thoughts...

After reading the prequel, Before, I was so excited when Cambria agreed to include me in her blog tour! Trust me, buy and read Before and you'll know what I mean. It totally leaves you begging for the rest of the story!

Heven was an incredibly sympathetic character--I was drawn to her struggle instantly.  She's constantly hiding away behind her scars and fears that others won't accept her with her scares.  I was always grateful for Kimber's presence and continued friendship for Heven, although at times I wished Heven would see that others would accept her if she would stop hiding.  I mean, damn, I loved this girl but show the world how tough you really are and stand up to your at times bitchy best friend!  By the end of the book, Heven is starting to come into her own and show the world a little of the tough chick I think is inside of her.

Sam definitely kicked butt in this novel.  The little glimpses that you get of him in Before definitely leave you intrigued and wondering what more there is to this mysterious boy.  Who is he? Better yet, WHAT is he? (BTW, the reveal kicks butt, so I'm not gonna tell you what's up.)  Sam is super sweet throughout the entire novel and I loved how much he loved Heven--especially that he was willing to back off when she told him to.  I was honestly happy that at least she acted repulsed at his big reveal of what he is because too often that kind of thing is like "Oh, you're a ____? *shrugs* That's cool."  Sam and Heven's relationship definitely develops fast and is pretty intense from the get go, but I liked them together. 

I loved being surprised by this story, so I don't want to give too much away.  Let's suffice it to say that Masquerade is a novel that I won't soon forget and I'll definitely have my eyes open for the release of book two! So much happened in the 300ish pages of this novel, and I can't wait to see what Sam and Heven will go through next.  Ms. Hebert's blend of high school drama, first love, and action/adventure makes this a read that many paranormal YA fans can't miss!

As part of the "Heven & Hell" blog tour, I'm super excited to bring you...

A "This or That" Interview with....Sam!!

Hi, Sam! Welcome to Reading in the Corner! I'm super excited to have you here today! Let's go ahead and dive right into this fun interview. I know people are dying to learn more about you.

So...THIS OR THAT...

...Coffee or Tea? 

Coffee is okay, my girlfriend Heven really likes it but I prefer tea. Bubble Tea to be exact. My favorite place to get bubble tea is from Bubble Mainiea in Portland. Have you ever tried it? It has these giant tapioca balls at the bottom that taste like big gummy bears. 

Actually, I LOVE bubble tea. We have a local place that makes it here, too!
 
...Chocolate or Vanilla? 

Most definitely chocolate. It’s my favorite flavor of Bubble Tea and Ice cream. 

Yay, a chocolate lover! We'll get along fine. *wink*

...Sweet or Sour? 

Sweet. Who doesn’t like a little bit of sugar? 

Um, crazy people, that's who. :-)

...Winter or Summer? 

I don’t really have a preference. I don’t get cold…. I mean my body temperature usually stays the same. I really like the swimming in the summer but Heven isn’t much for the water… I’m trying to talk her into letting me teach her how to swim. I really like the snow too, I would love to get a snow mobile and rip through the snow banks at Gran’s farm. 

I'll go swimming with you any day. *wink*

...mac & cheese or spaghetti? 

Mac & Cheese!! I like to get those little packs that go in the microwave… it’s a guy staple. 

Mmmm....now I've got a craving for some blue box mac & cheese!

...cats or dogs? 

Ummmm…. Neither? Animals and I don’t really get along. 

Oh, well, I guess you won't be visiting me and my cats anytime soon, will you? :-(

...books or movies? 

I really like to read Comic Books….they are filled with action and adventure and people who sometimes have something about them that isn’t ordinary. I was never a movie person until I met Heven. 

Lol, I think significant others often turn us into movie people.  :-)

...cake or pie? 

Pie… any kind of pie that is made by Heven’s Gran. That lady can cook! 

Grandma's simply make the BEST PIE EVER. No competition there!

...boxers or briefs? 

*Grins* *Clears throat* Sometimes it’s easier to where none at all. 

*Blushes* Dude, family friendly blog here! LOL!

Thanks for having me here today at Reading in the Corner…. I brought a few things along that maybe you could giveaway. I have a necklace… its nothing fancy but it might come in handy sometime… it’s a dog whistle. Heven wears one wherever she goes. I also brought along a paperback of mine and Hev’s story and a bookmark so you don’t lose your page. 

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a shift at the gym where I work.

Awwww....isn't he the sweetest?!  He brought gifts and one of you lucky readers gets to have them all!!  Be sure to enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below! Trust me, lovelies, you want to read this book! And it gets better!! Cambria has agreed to make this an INTERNATIONAL giveaway! YAY! :-) So...scroll down and enter away!


About the Author:

Cambria Hebert is an author, a blogger and a latte sipper. She has an irrational fear of chickens (EWWW!) and is obsessed with werewolves. She would rather have coffee (Starbucks please!) than food and her favorite TV show is the Vampire Diaries. You can find her stalking the YA aisles of Barnes and Noble with her iphone glued to her hand. Check out her website!!

Friday Fling Mini-Review: Before by Cambria Hebert

 During Friday Fling , I share with you a short story or "just for fun" book that I read and really enjoyed.  It is a "mini review" instead of a full review to introduce you to something that I think is simply a fun, quick read--you know, like a cheap, easy Friday night date. *wink* Enjoy!

Release Date: 18 November 2011

Publisher: Otherworld Publications

Source: Purchased

Buy It! Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Goodreads description:

What if your life was charmed and everything in it was perfect… Before.

This is the story of my past. Of what things were like for me when everything was normal. Of what every teenager’s life is like. Clothes. Parties. Boys and summer vacation. What’s so wrong with that? I liked it. I was happy.

Until things changed. I changed.

I didn’t know that lies and secrets were about to take over my existence. I didn’t know there was someone out there, someone meant just for me. I didn’t know that I was about to go on a journey, a journey that would lead me to the girl I am today. This is the beginning of the worst year of my life. Would I go back and change things? Erase everything that has happened to go back into these moments?

Not a chance. This is a story of before

My Thoughts...

A Goodreads friend of mine recommended this author to me and I have to say that I'm so happy that she did.  The writing is fabulous and it's most definitely a short story that will make you want to read the upcoming novel.

In Before we are introduced to Heven and Sam, our two MCs from both of their POVs.  The alternating POVs works well and the transitions are smooth.  The short story gives you just enough of a glimpse into the lives and personalities of each person that you feel that first glimmer of a deeper connection.  Heven wasn't the type of character that I generally "click" with right away, but SAM left me completely intrigued. WHAT IS HE? The darker snippets that we get from his POV lead me to believe that this boy's got some secrets and I NEED to know what they are.

The cliffhanger in this short story left me wanting MORE...in the good way.  The author got me excited to learn more about these characters and what happens to them, which is what a prequel should do, right? I definitely recommend checking this one out and then preparing yourself to wait for the full novel, which is set to be released on December 16!!

**Check out Cambria's website!**

YA Book Review: Notes to Self by Avery Sawyer

Release Date: 20 November 2011
Publisher: Self-Published
Format: eBook
Source: Author


Get a copy! Amazon | Smashwords

Goodreads description:

Two climbed up. Two fell down.

One woke up.

In the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury, Robin Saunders has to relearn who she is and find out what happened the night everything changed.

My Thoughts...

I have a tendency so say things like "I don't really enjoy contemporary YA" and then realize later that I clearly don't know what I'm talking about.  I love a good emotional roller coaster of a book--the kind of books that tugs on your heart-strings and makes you so engrossed in the characters' well-being that you can't stop turning the pages.  This week, Notes to Self became one of those books.

I don't believe everything happens for a reason. But I still search for reasons anyway. It's like I don't want to admit that maybe everything really is totally random...that people are just molecules in the air, bumping into each other and floating away again.

-p150

Robin is having trouble coping.  She climbed up a theme park ride in the middle of the night with her best friend and everything went wrong.  Emily is still in a coma and Robin thinks that maybe, just maybe, if she could remember what happened that night things would be different.  Maybe Emily would wake up.  Maybe the kids at school would stop calling her "Short Bus."  Maybe she could let life move on to whatever is coming next.  But she can't--not until she figures out what happened that night...and along the way learns more about herself and her best friend than she could possibly imagine.

I think insomnia is a sign that a person is interesting.

-p138

At the suggestion of her doctor, Robin begins writing notes to herself to help her remember things--from mundane daily tasks such as washing her hair to snippets of memories about her past and her personality.  I found Robin a really interesting character to read about because she doesn't even really know who she is after the accident so the reader discovers her personality right alongside her.  It also opens up the possibility of changing and growing where maybe before she never would have imagined it.  It was intense watching her get picked on at school because of how much she was suffering--you just want to reach out and hit those other kids.

It's going to be okay.  That's what everyone says when they really have no idea how it's going to be.

-p37

The side characters, such as Robin's mom and her friend, Reno, make a huge difference in this story and how Robin regains her memories.  I liked how each of them played into her healing process and experiencing the memories that they sparked for her throughout.  Reno is such a fabulous friend, willing to be there for her all the time even though they had, apparently, not been as close lately.

There were a few nit-picky things that bothered me just the slightest bit about this novel, one thing being a tad more use of slang than I generally like (i.e. the use of "totes"...which I say all the time but for some reason don't expect characters to say.  Double standard, I know).  However, overall, I enjoyed this read quite a bit.  It reminded me a lot of If I Stay by Gayle Forman and Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott with the unique twist that the MC is dealing with a traumatic brain injury herself.  It added an extra layer of intrigue that really drew me in. I think fans of emotional drama in contemporary YA will enjoy this novel and it's truly a steal for only $3.99!