Book Birthdays – March 13, 2018

bookbirthdays

Wishing these lovelies the Happiest Book Birthdays!!


Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3)

By Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

obsidio

PUBLISHED BY  KNOPF BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, SCIENCE FICTION
PAGES: HARDCOVER 615
Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they’ll find seven months after the invasion?

Meanwhile, Kady’s cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza’s ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha’s past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict.

With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken.


 

Radical Element (A Tyranny of Petticoats #2)

Edited by Jessica Spotwood

radical element

PUBLISHED BY CANDLEWICK PRESS
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, HISTORICAL FICTION, ANTHOLOGIES
PAGES: HARDCOVER 320
To respect yourself, to love yourself—should not have to be a radical decision. And yet it remains as challenging for an American girl to make today as it was in 1927 on the steps of the Supreme Court. It’s a decision that must be faced whether you’re balancing on the tightrope of neurodivergence, finding your way as a second-generation immigrant, or facing down American racism even while loving America. And it’s the only decision when you’ve weighed society’s expectations and found them wanting. In The Radical Element, twelve of the most talented writers working in young adult literature today tell the stories of the girls of all colors and creeds standing up for themselves and their beliefs—whether that means secretly learning Hebrew in early Savannah, using the family magic to pass as white in 1920s Hollywood, or singing in a feminist punk band in 1980s Boston. And they’re asking you to join them.

The Hook-Up Experiment

by Emma Hart

thehookupexperiment

GENRE(S): CONTEMPORARY, ROMANCE
1.Hate-screw my high school nemesis.
2.Remember to hate him.
3.Prove my brother wrong.
It should be easy.
It isn’t.

As the owner of Pick-A-D*ck, New Orleans’ premier hook-up website, my job is simple. Connect two people for a no-strings, no-expectations hook-up. The plus for my clients is that I’m the one who gets to sift through the d*ck pics—except this time, they’re required.

My problem? My brother, co-owner of Pick-A-D*ck’s sister dating site, doesn’t believe it’s possible to hook up with someone three times and not fall in love.
I disagree. I know it’s possible.

And my disagreement is exactly how I end up reconnected with my high school nemesis, Elliott Sloane. The guy who asked me to junior prom and then stood me up. Who egged my car when I rejected him, and convinced my senior homecoming date to ghost me.

It should be easy to hate-screw him. If only he was still that person, instead of a hot-as-hell single dad, working as a builder to make ends’ meet, fighting for custody of his daughter.

Three hook-ups.
One outcome.
Right?

(The Hook-Up Experiment is book one of the Experiment duet. If you’ve read The Upside to Being Single, this is Peyton’s story.)


In Sight of Stars

by Gae Polisner

insightforstars

PUBLISHED BY WEDNESDAY BOOKS
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, CONTEMPORARY, MENTAL HEALTH
PAGES: HARDCOVER  288
Seventeen-year-old Klee’s father was the center of his life. He introduced Klee to the great museums of New York City and the important artists on their walls, he told him stories made of myths and magic. Until his death.

Now, forced to live in the suburbs with his mom, Klee can’t help but feel he’s lost all the identifying parts of himself—his beloved father, weekly trips to the MoMA, and the thrumming energy of New York City. That is until he meets wild and free Sarah in art class, with her quick smiles and jokes about his “brooding.” Suddenly it seems as if she’s the only thing that makes him happy. But when an act of betrayal sends him reeling, Klee lands in what is bitingly referred to as the “Ape Can,” a psychiatric hospital for teens in Northollow.

While there, he undergoes intensive therapy and goes back over the pieces of his life to find out what was real, what wasn’t, and whether he can stand on his own feet again. Told in alternating timelines, leading up to the event that gets him committed and working towards getting back out, Gae Polisner’s In Sight of Starsis a gorgeous novel told in minimalist strokes to maximal effect, about what makes us fall apart and how we can put ourselves back together again.


Chaotic Good

by Whitney Gardner

Chaotic Good Comps14.indd

PUBLISHED BY KNOPF
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, CONTEMPORARY
PAGES: HARDCOVER  256
Cameron’s cosplay–dressing like a fictional character–is finally starting to earn her attention–attention she hopes to use to get into the CalTech costume department for college. But when she wins a major competition, she inadvertently sets off a firestorm of angry comments from male fans.

When Cameron’s family moves the summer before her senior year, she hopes to complete her costume portfolio in peace and quiet away from the abuse. Unfortunately, the only comic shop in town–her main destination for character reference–is staffed by a dudebro owner who challenges every woman who comes into the shop.

At her twin brother’s suggestion, Cameron borrows a set of his clothes and uses her costuming expertise to waltz into the shop as Boy Cameron, where she’s shocked at how easily she’s accepted into the nerd inner sanctum. Soon, Cameron finds herself drafted into a D&D campaign alongside the jerky shop-owner Brody, friendly (almost flirtatiously so) clerk Wyatt, handsome Lincoln, and her bro Cooper, dragged along for good measure.

But as her “secret identity” gets more and more entrenched, Cameron’s portfolio falls by the wayside–and her feelings for Lincoln threaten to make a complicated situation even more precarious.


Twelve Steps to Normal

by Farrah Penn

twelvestepstonormal

PUBLISHED BY JIMMY PATTERSON
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, CONTEMPORARY
PAGES: HARDCOVER  384
James Patterson presents this emotionally resonant novel that shows that while some broken things can’t be put back exactly the way they were, they can be repaired and made even stronger.

Kira’s Twelve Steps To A Normal Life

1. Accept Grams is gone.
2. Learn to forgive Dad.
3. Steal back ex-boyfriend from best friend…

And somewhere between 1 and 12, realize that when your parent’s an alcoholic, there’s no such thing as “normal.”
When Kira’s father enters rehab, she’s forced to leave everything behind–her home, her best friends, her boyfriend…everything she loves. Now her father’s sober (again) and Kira is returning home, determined to get her life back to normal…exactly as it was before she was sent away.

But is that what Kira really wants?


Nothing Left to Burn

by Heather Ezell

Nothinglefttoburn

PUBLISHED BY RAZORBILL
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, CONTEMPORARY, ROMANCE, MYSTERY
PAGES: HARDCOVER  320
The autumn morning after sixteen-year-old Audrey Harper loses her virginity, she wakes to a loud, persistent knocking at her front door. Waiting for her are two firemen, there to let her know that the moment she’s been dreading has arrived: the enormous wildfire sweeping through Orange County, California, is now dangerously close to her idyllic gated community of Coto de Caza, and it’s time to evacuate.

Over the course of the next twenty-four hours, as Audrey wrestles with the possibility of losing her family home, she also recalls her early, easy summer days with Brooks, the charming, passionate, but troubled volunteer firefighter who enchants Audrey–and who is just as enthralled by her. But as secrets from Brooks’s dark past come to light, Audrey can’t help but wonder if there’s danger in the pull she feels–both toward this boy, and toward the fire burning in the distance.


The Falling Between Us

by Ash Parsons

thefallingbetween

PUBLISHED BY PHILOMEL BOOKS
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, CONTEMPORARY
PAGES: HARDCOVER 304
All-consuming fame and fortune prove too much for a teen popstar who suddenly goes missing–Eddie and the Cruisers for the Justin Bieber era.

After 15-year-old Joshua Blackbird posts a performance of an original song on YouTube, he becomes an overnight sensation, catapulting to the dizzying heights of celebrity. Joshua is plucked from his middle-of-nowhere small town to pursue a pop star career complete with million-dollar record deals, international tours with sold-out crowds, and a diehard following who call themselves “Birdies.” But it’s not long before the never-blinking eye of fame begins weighing this bird down–the constant hunger of managers, record execs, paparazzi, even family, all leeching onto him. Then there is the staged romance with a teen pop princess and the unsettling fear brought on by a stalker. Everyone reaching out, determined to grab their piece of stardom, forgetting that an actual person–a kid nonetheless–is on the other side their grasp. It’s all too much.

Until, that is, Joshua Blackbird disappears. Was it a suicide? An accident?

Narrated from the perspective of Joshua’s girlfriend from home, Roxie, The Falling Between Us presents every wannabe teen heartthrob’s dream come true . . . only to realize it is a nightmare.


Time Bomb

by Joelle Charbonneau

TIMEBOMB

PUBLISHED BY HMH BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
GENRE(S): YOUNG ADULT, CONTEMPORARY
PAGES: HARDCOVER  352
A congressman’s daughter who has to be perfect. A star quarterback with a secret. A guy who’s tired of being ignored. A clarinet player who’s done trying to fit in. An orphaned rebel who wants to teach someone a lesson. A guy who wants people to see him, not his religion.

They couldn’t be more different, but before the morning’s over, they’ll all be trapped in a school that’s been rocked by a bombing. When they hear that someone inside is the bomber, they’ll also be looking to one another for answers.


Which of these new releases are you most excited to read? Do you have any on your TBR? Comment down below.

sincerelykarenjo2

 

Top Ten Tuesday – Books That Surprised Me

toptentuesdays

Hello lovely bookworms! It’s time for another segment of Top Ten Tuesday! I hope you’re all having a great day so far.

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and has been moved to That Artsy Reader Girl since January 16, 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week’s topic is Books That Surprised Me (Good or Bad). I don’t want to bash on the books I didn’t enjoy as much as I thought I would, so I’ll be sharing some of the amazing books I’ve read and completely took my breath away!


hopeless

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover – This is the first book I read by CoHo and I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I actually didn’t really know anything about this book. I think I downloaded it when it was free and kind of forgot about it for a long time. I had heard great things about CoHo’s books, but didn’t realize just how addictive and amazing they really are! Hopeless is by far one of the best books I’ve ever read and will always have a special place in my heart. It’s beautifully written, heartrending, and the FEELS are absolutely the BEST!!!

 


 

whereifoundyouWhere I Found You by Heidi R. Kling – When I read the synopsis for this book, I knew that I would really enjoy the story. I just didn’t expect to absolutely fall head over heels in love with it. It’s one of the best books I read last year and I honestly cannot wait to read the sequel. This book made my heart hurt, but in the most amazing ways. It’s such wonderfully aching and beautifully written story about hope, forgiveness, and love. It was funny, sweet, fascinating and inspirational. Just love this book so much!


penandxanderPen and Xander by Laekan Zea Kemp – It took me a while to get into this book because I was having a difficult and stressful time at work. I was really enjoying the story, so rather than force myself to get through it, I read a few chapters every other day or so and let me tell you… those few chapters made me feel a little better. It motivated me to keep pushing through whatever I was dealing with and focus on what’s truly important in life. This book is so well-written and absolutely full of heart. It’s a book that inspires, teaches, and comforts you in the best possible way. It made me feel so many emotions and I’m just so in love with this book and everything about it.


doon

Doon by Lorie Langdon and Carey Corp – I picked up the first two books of this series because I loved the covers. They’re absolutely gorgeous and I really just bought them for that. I did however read the synopsis and had an idea of what the series was about — magic, romance, time travel, and ridiculously handsome guys. I knew I would really like the series… just didn’t know I would completely love the series and end up binging. It’s also one of my favorite series and can’t wait for the T.V. adaptation!


shorthistoryA Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck – I thought this book would be adorable and cutesy and lighthearted. Well, it certainly had those moments, but this  book hit me so hard I didn’t know what to do with all the FEELS! I honestly love this story so much it hurts. This book is hilarious, sweet, and so so BEAUTIFUL!! The emotional depth was so wonderfully executed and I cannot get over how amazing this is!

 


twilightTwilight by Stephenie Meyer – Of course I had to put this here. I loved the movie and was really interested in reading the books. I had a good feeling I would really enjoy the books. Just didn’t know I would be so damn addicted to the series that I ended up reading the entire series in the span of 4-5 days. AND during my midterms week too. I probably didn’t even really sleep that week and I can’t remember if I studied all that much. I did really well on my midterms though and I had so much fun reading this series. It’s also what got me back into reading again, so I’ll always have a soft spot for this series.


 

amessyA Messy, Beautiful Life by Sara Jade Alan – This book is so INCREDIBLY AMAZING. How can something so upsetting and heartbreaking be so full of life and laughter?! I knew going into this book that I would get very emotional and cry until my eyes hurt, but I was actually laughing… A LOT. I mean there were plenty of tears involved don’t, but this book filled my heart with so much hope and joy. By the end, I just wanted to give everyone I love a big hug and never let go.  Everything about this book is just so achingly beautiful. I love this story with all my heart and can’t recommend it enough.


Above the Sky cover 1600Above the Sky by J.W. Lynne- The synopsis for this book sounded intriguing and fun so I had a good feeling I would really like it. Well, this book is undeniably amazing!!! It’s imaginative, detailed, and deeply moving. I have to admit, after reading a few pages I didn’t know what to think or what to really expect. Then out of nowhere… BOOM!!! My heart couldn’t keep up with ALL THE FEELS and it just didn’t not stop.

 


 

no ordinary star cover

No Ordinary Star by M.C. Frank – I heard amazing things about this series and I couldn’t wait to finally read it. I was so excited when I got picked to be on the street team and received an ARC. This book is exceptionally unique and just so lovely! Gorgeous storytelling, wonderful world building, fantastic characters, and a fast paced intriguing plot that had me hooked from the very first page. I absolutely love this series!!!


vicariousVicarious by Paula Stokes – This was one intense, twisted and mind-blowing ride! I wasn’t sure what to really expect since I was never a fan of mystery and thrillers. I do really enjoy Paula’s writing style and I wanted to read outside my comfort zone, so I picked this up. I actually didn’t even read it until I was approved on Netgalley for the sequel, Ferocious. Well, I definitely have no regrets! This book/series is haunting, riveting, and absolutely fantastic. Had me flipping the pages wayyyy past my bed time and I loved every moment!


I hope you enjoyed reading this week’s Top Ten Tuesday. What are some books that surprised you? Good or bad? Leave your comments and links down below so I can check out your posts!

Have a great day!

sincerelykarenjo2