So Long and Farewell, Poppets!

Yup. That's right, babies, I'm outta here. 

I know, it seems like a CRAAAAAZY thing to say, but the days of Gaby blogging here, at Queen Ella Bee Reads, are over. 

WHY? 
(You might ask.)

Well, some of you may have noticed that I've been hardcore slacking recently. Very busy Gaby = very few posts. And I KNOW it doesn't matter and blogging is for fun and all that good stuff, but I can't help but feel like I've let you all down anyway. So instead of dragging along and feeling like a terrible person throughout, I've decided to change the game. 

THAT'S RIGHT, I'M NOT GONE, I'M JUST CHANGING THE GAME. 

Lisa (my beloved Epic Recs brain twin who still kinda blogs over at Lisa is Busy Nerding) and I started thinking about combining our super-blogging-powers last Spring but we were never very serious. Then, in August, we were like "UGH BLOGGING ALONE IS HARD" and decided it was time to merge and do it up.

So, basically, now I get to formally introduce my new blog to all my old blog readers:



Bookish Broads is run by Lisa and me. We figure two blogging slackers smushed together makes for one not-so-slackery blogger. We might be wrong, but we intend to have plenty of fun working together, y'know?

So. Yeah.

That's the big news.

To Recap: 
No more Queen Ella Bee Reads (although I think I'll always be Queen Ella Bee).

BUT I'll still be blogging, so you should probably go follow Bookish Broads. Y'know, because you all love me so much and want to continue reading all the crazy words I decided to publish about books and other things I love.

You can do that one of many ways:

CLICK HERE for RSS/E-Mail

CLICK HERE (or on that fun widget below) for Bloglovin'

CLICK HERE for Twitter

CLICK HERE for Instagram

Those are the four major things. Now, go, follow Bookish Broads on all of the platforms and don't miss a word.

And remember:
You guys are all the very best blog supporters a girl could ever ask for.
Hugs and kisses forever.

But, for serious, bye now. See you guys not here.

Fierce Reads Interview + Giveaway!

I love when the Fierce Reads tour comes to town, so when I was asked to be the designated tour stop blogger, I was over the moon! Why wouldn't I want to interview the incredibly talented Ann Aguirre, Caragh M. O'Brien and Marie Rutkoski?

Of course, the event itself was brilliant, as well. Books of Wonder brought Emmy Laybourne (author of yet another brilliant Macmillan title, Monument 14) in to moderate and, as always, she brought the laughs. There was a quiz and those who took part in the quiz won ARCs. There was also the one prepared participant who asked a question with the word "moth" in it, and she won a coveted ARC of The Winner's Crime, the sequel to Marie Rutkoski's The Winner's Curse. 

But let's circle back to the interview I did with the lovely Fierce Read ladies. We had such a great time and everyone gave such fantastic answers... 

Top Ten Books On My Fall To-Be-Read List (63)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

So this week I went through my stacks of ARCs, expired and unexpired and was like, hey, maybe if I moved the ones I really, really want to read ASAP off the spare bookshelf in my older sister's now-empty room (some people have the smarts to get married and, y'know, have a new home with their spouse) to my nightstand. Of course, this has led to a tower of books on my nightstand, but this move forced me to clean off the stuff that was there before? Y'know, just a little bonus. 

Anyway, here are the books I intend to read this fall. It's more than 10 but less than 20 so let's call it a wash. And let's hope that their presence on my nightstand will help make sure I get through each and everyone. (Everyone, form a prayer circle now. Maybe that'll help.)

Blog Tour Review + Interview: Rooms by Lauren Oliver

Title: Rooms
Author: Lauren Oliver
Release Date: September 23rd, 2014 
Publisher: Ecco
Page Count: 320
Source: ARC from the Publisher
(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest
review. No favors were exchanged, my opinions are my own.)

Target Audience: Adults/Lauren Oliver fans/People who like good (slightly more mature) fiction
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository  

The New York Times bestselling author of Before I Fall and the Delirium trilogy makes her brilliant adult debut with this mesmerizing story in the tradition ofThe Lovely Bones, Her Fearful Symmetry, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane—a tale of family, ghosts, secrets, and mystery, in which the lives of the living and the dead intersect in shocking, surprising, and moving ways.

Wealthy Richard Walker has just died, leaving behind his country house full of rooms packed with the detritus of a lifetime. His estranged family—bitter ex-wife Caroline, troubled teenage son Trenton, and unforgiving daughter Minna—have arrived for their inheritance.

But the Walkers are not alone. Prim Alice and the cynical Sandra, long dead former residents bound to the house, linger within its claustrophobic walls. Jostling for space, memory, and supremacy, they observe the family, trading barbs and reminiscences about their past lives. Though their voices cannot be heard, Alice and Sandra speak through the house itself—in the hiss of the radiator, a creak in the stairs, the dimming of a light bulb.

The living and dead are each haunted by painful truths that will soon surface with explosive force. When a new ghost appears, and Trenton begins to communicate with her, the spirit and human worlds collide—with cataclysmic results.

Elegantly constructed and brilliantly paced, Rooms is an enticing and imaginative ghost story and a searing family drama that is as haunting as it is resonant.

Blog Tour + Excerpt: Hook's Revenge by Heidi Schulz

AHOY ME HEARTIES!

Welcome to (Pirate) Queen Ella Bee Reads' day on the HOOK'S REVENGE blog tour!

Title: Hook's Revenge (Hook's Revenge #1)

Author: Heidi Schulz
Release Date: September 16th, 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Powell’s | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Twelve-year-old Jocelyn dreams of becoming every bit as daring as her infamous father, Captain James Hook. Her grandfather, on the other hand, intends to see her starched and pressed into a fine society lady. When she’s sent to Miss Eliza Crumb-Biddlecomb’s Finishing School for Young Ladies, Jocelyn’s hopes of following in her father’s fearsome footsteps are lost in a heap of dance lessons, white gloves, and way too much pink.

So when Jocelyn receives a letter from her father challenging her to avenge his untimely demise at the jaws of the Neverland crocodile, she doesn’t hesitate-here at last is the adventure she has been waiting for. But Jocelyn finds that being a pirate is a bit more difficult than she’d bargained for. As if attempting to defeat the Neverland’s most fearsome beast isn’t enough to deal with, she’s tasked with captaining a crew of woefully untrained pirates, outwitting cannibals wild for English cuisine, and rescuing her best friend from a certain pack of lost children, not to mention that pesky Peter Pan who keeps barging in uninvited.

The crocodile’s clock is always ticking in Heidi Schulz’s debut novel, a story told by an irascible narrator who is both dazzlingly witty and sharp as a sword. Will Jocelyn find the courage to beat the incessant monster before time runs out?

Heidi Schulz sent me an excerpt (message in a bottle style, of course) to share with all of you, but FIRST I have to tell you why I'm SO EXCITED today.

Review by Alex: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: September 2nd, 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Page Count: 565
Source: Purchased
First Reaction: You'll have to ask Alex, my guest reviewer for the day!
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Review by Alex: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: August 27th, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Page Count: 420
Source: Purchased
First Reaction: You'll have to ask Alex, my guest reviewer for the day!
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository 

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie...and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Top Ten Tuesday by Alex: Throne of Glass Edition (62)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Gaby has given me the opportunity to do this week’s top ten, and since I’m guest blogging on behalf of the Throne of Glass series, guess what this week is going to be about! Yes, my fangirling and how/why you should fangirl with me! YAAAAAAYYY

Actually, Gaby gave me a couple of suggestions on what to do and I’m stealing them. Instead of a traditional 10, today I am going to split it up and do TWO Top 5s!

First of all, a huge CONGRATULATIONS to Sarah for the Throne of Glass series landing at #4 on the New York Times Best Seller List!

Which is a perfect segue into...

Review by Alex: The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Title: The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1-0.5)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: March 4th, 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Page Count: 448
Source: Purchased
First Reaction: You'll have to ask Alex, my guest reviewer for the day!
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Review by Alex: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: August 7th, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Page Count: 404
Source: Purchased
First Reaction: You'll have to ask Alex, my guest reviewer for the day!
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another.
Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Top Ten Underrated Contemporary Books (61)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is "Top Ten Underrated Contemporary Books." Or, at least for me it is. The actual topic is "Top Ten Underrated Authors or Books in X Genre." I chose the easy way out on this one: Went through my bookshelves and picked up the books I don't see enough on the interwebs and loved a lot and also happen to all fit in the same genre.

So, if you haven't read a contemporary novel in this stack, you probably should, because I liked them a lot.

Stacking the Shelves (18)

"Stacking the Shelves" is a weekly feature hosted by Tynga's Reviews

Okay. It's not Stacking the Shelves day. And I haven't done one of these forever. But I bought/received a lot of very, very good things this summer and I thought I'd share as much as I can with you guys. And when I say "as much as I can" I mean I went over my shelves and if I remembered I got it in the last couple of months, I pulled it and took a picture of it.

I'm really sophisticated.

So sit back, relax, and enjoy the many, many books.

Review: Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang

Title: Falling Into Place

Author: Amy Zhang
Release Date: September 9th, 2014
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Page Count: 304
Source: ARC from BEA
(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest
review. No favors were exchanged, my opinions are my own.)
First Reaction: I... have a lot of feels...
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

On the day Liz Emerson tries to die, they had reviewed Newton’s laws of motion in physics class. Then, after school, she put them into practice by running her Mercedes off the road.


Why? Why did Liz Emerson decide that the world would be better off without her? Why did she give up? Vividly told by an unexpected and surprising narrator, this heartbreaking and nonlinear novel pieces together the short and devastating life of Meridian High’s most popular junior girl. Mass, acceleration, momentum, force—Liz didn’t understand it in physics, and even as her Mercedes hurtles toward the tree, she doesn’t understand it now. How do we impact one another? How do our actions reverberate? What does it mean to be a friend? To love someone? To be a daughter? Or a mother? Is life truly more than cause and effect?

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Review: The Only Thing Worse Than Witches by Lauren Magaziner

Title: The Only Thing Worse Than Witches

Author: Lauren Magaziner

Release Date: August 14th, 2014
Publisher: Dial
Page Count: 272
Source: Purchased
First Reaction: LOOK AT THE CUTENESS. Also: AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH BUNNIES.
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

Rupert Campbell is fascinated by the witches who live nearby. He dreams of broomstick tours and souvenir potions, but Rupert’s mother forbids him from even looking at that part of town. The closest he can get to a witchy experience is sitting in class with his awful teacher Mrs. Frabbleknacker, who smells like bellybutton lint and forbids Rupert’s classmates from talking to each other before, during, and after class. So when he sees an ad to become a witch’s apprentice, Rupert simply can’t resist applying.

But Witchling Two isn’t exactly what Rupert expected. With a hankering for lollipops and the magical aptitude of a toad, she needs all the help she can get to pass her exams and become a full-fledged witch. She’s determined to help Rupert stand up to dreadful Mrs. Frabbleknacker too, but the witchling's magic will be as useful as a clump of seaweed unless Rupert can figure out a way to help her improve her spellcasting—and fast!

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Bout of Books 11.0: Wrap Up

 So Bout of Books 11.0 is OVER.

OOOOVER.

I am sad.

But I have lots and lots of books to console myself with, so I'll just go do that.

Now, enough of my blabbering, I should probably just wrap up Bout of Books 11.0 (because I've been dragging my feet for long enough about all of this - it's been a week since the whole thing ended!)

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Blog Tour Review + Interview: Eternal Night by Carina Adly MacKenzie

And I'm back with another Paper Lantern Lit blog tour (two days in a row - but there won't be a third, much to my dismay). This time I'm here to try and tell you why ETERNAL NIGHT is one of the most addicting bits of fiction I've read in a long while.

But before I do that, here's a quick description of this delightfully dark paranormal tale...

Blog Tour Review: Feuds by Avery Hastings

I'm just gonna stare at that cover and blog tour banner while you all read about the latest in dystopian YA fiction, okay?

No, but seriously, I'm thrilled to be kicking off the FEUDS blog tour on today. Thanks, as always, to Paper Lantern Lit for being amazing and, please, everyone, brace yourself for the swoons you're about to encounter in this book...

Teaser + Giveaway: Summerfall by Claire Legrand

Hey, do you guys know about SUMMERFALL by Claire Legrand? Y'know, the prequel novella to WINTERSPELL (also by Claire Legand - duh, Gaby, duh). WELL. It comes out today.

Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart

Release Date: May 13th, 2014 
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Page Count: 240
Source: ARC from ALA

(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest
review. No favors were exchanged, my opinions are my own.)

First Reaction: O.O >.> OH.
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

A beautiful and distinguished family. 
A private island. 
A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. 
A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive. 
A revolution. An accident. A secret. 
Lies upon lies. 
True love. 
The truth.

We Were Liars is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart.

Read it.
And if anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Going to the Movies YA Style

Fact: I don't like coffee. I just like saying Coffee Clutch in my best and deepest New York accent. Considering I'm a New Yorker, I'm pretty freaking good at it. So I've got my tea and I hope you have your heated beverage of choice, because it's time to gab the day away.

Can I be honest with you guys for second?

While I'm really happy about all of these YA books getting made into movies, I don't generally like to go see them.

Bout of Books 11.0: Progress Report

Welcome to my Bout of Books 11.0 Progress Report post. Because I am crazy and neurotic, I have separated this post from my Goals post. My Wrap Up post (to be posted in a week, when all of this is over) will also be a separate post. Although, I will be posting any and all of my challenges here, as they are part of my Bout of Books 11.0 Progress Report.

I hope that explanation made sense to you. I feel like it does to me but things often make more sense in my head that out of it.

Anyway, in case you're wondering what Bout of Books is...

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Now, for my progress.

Top Ten "Modern" Books People Tell Me I MUST Read (60)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I say "modern" because if I listed the number of classics everyone always tells me I need to read we'd be here forever. But I'm bad at reading classics so I think I should go with books I'll maybe actually read if you guys get excited enough about them in the comments.

Bout of Books 11.0: Goals

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

Top Ten Expired ARCs I Have I'm Not Sure I Want To Read (59)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way, mean for this post to sound ungrateful. I am incredibly grateful for all of the ARCs in my life. I just happened to have gone to ALAMW14, and BEA14. I also have some generous friends (whom I'm also incredibly grateful for). Between all of this, the ARCs pile up and I'm not a fast enough reader or a dedicated enough blogger to keep to any kind of schedule. Not to mention, between the moment a book is pitched to me or I read the back cover and I actually consider the book for reading pre-pub, I sometimes lose some interest.

I also sometimes forget when publication dates and then they're gone and then it's all confused and my brain melts a little. So there's that too. 

Anyway, now that all of the disclaimers are done with, we can move on to the stack I seem to need to disclaim about...

Review: Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Title: Isla and the Happily Ever After (Anna and the French Kiss #3)
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: August 14th, 2014
Publisher: Dutton
Page Count: 339
Source: ARC from Work
First Reaction: I had many small problems but THE END WAS SO DELICIOUS IT DOESN'T EVEN MATTER. REJOICE FRIENDS.
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Exquisite Captive Book Trailer Reveal!

Sometimes, when you hear about a book, you think to yourself: "YES. PLEASE."

One of my "YES. PLEASE." books for 2015 is EXQUISITE CAPTIVE by Heather Demetrios. I so loved Heather's first book, SOMETHING REAL - a contemporary novel about reality TV show - and while I'm very aware of the differences between SOMETHING REAL and EXQUISITE CAPTIVE (as there are many), I couldn't help but be excited. There's just a quality, tone, and purpose to Heather Demetrios's writing that I just have to be a part of - by both reading and spreading the word about it. 

But first, before you watch the TRAILER for this beautiful book, you should probably remind yourself why you're excited about Heather's latest release:

Review: Noggin by John Corey Whaley

Title: Noggin
Author: John Corey Whaley
Release Date: April 8th, 2014
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 342
Source: ARC from ALA

(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest
review. No favors were exchanged, my opinions are my own.)
First Reaction: Well that was emotionally intense.
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

Listen — Travis Coates was alive once and then he wasn’t.

Now he’s alive again.

Simple as that.

The in between part is still a little fuzzy, but he can tell you that, at some point or another, his head got chopped off and shoved into a freezer in Denver, Colorado. Five years later, it was reattached to some other guy’s body, and well, here he is. Despite all logic, he’s still 16 and everything and everyone around him has changed. That includes his bedroom, his parents, his best friend, and his girlfriend. Or maybe she’s not his girlfriend anymore? That’s a bit fuzzy too.

Looks like if the new Travis and the old Travis are ever going to find a way to exist together, then there are going to be a few more scars.  Oh well, you only live twice.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Ten (Or Eleven) Authors Whose Books I Buy Compulsively (58)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I have a serious book buying problem. Like, when I get birthday money, my dad asks: "How many books do you think you can buy with that?" I brush him off, but the truth is? I'm crunching the numbers even before he asks. So it's no shock that I have many books and, more specifically, many books by my favorite authors.

PLEASE NOTE: I have not read all books pictured below. There are a few instances of good reading behavior from me, but definitely not for each and every picture. Which basically means I'm a hoarder. And please try not to judge me for my Rainbow Rowell collection. (I KNOW, OKAY? I KNOW.)

So let's do this thing.

Add These To Your Goodreads TBR, Please + Thank You

Guys, I know it's not Tuesday, so this isn't a Top Ten List or anything, but I was thinking about the to-be-published books I'm most excited for and I just have to share some of them with you RIGHT NOW before my insides explode. And yes, I know many of these books don't come out for quite a few months (and some of them don't even have covers or solid release dates) but I'm so, so, so excited and I don't do Waiting on Wednesday anymore, so I HAD TO SHARE.

**Please note: All images/typography bits done up in lieu of images are links to the associated Goodreads page. So click and add these books to your TBR immediately, you'll thank me later.

READY?

The One in Which I Ask You Guys For Things

Fact: I don't like coffee. I just like saying Coffee Clutch in my best and deepest New York accent. Considering I'm a New Yorker, I'm pretty freaking good at it. So I've got my tea and I hope you have your heated beverage of choice, because it's time to gab the day away.

Hi guys, what's up?

Review: Don't Even Think About It by Sarah Mlynowski

Title: Don't Even Think About It (Don't Even Think About It #1)
Author: Sarah Mlynowski
Release Date: March 11th, 2014
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Page Count: 336
Source: ARC from ALA
(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest
review. No favors were exchanged, my opinions are my own.)
First Reaction: Well that was CUTE.
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

We weren't always like this. We used to be average New York City high school sophomores. Until our homeroom went for flu shots. We were prepared for some side effects. Maybe a headache. Maybe a sore arm. We definitely didn't expect to get telepathic powers. But suddenly we could hear what everyone was thinking. Our friends. Our parents. Our crushes. Now we all know that Tess is in love with her best friend, Teddy. That Mackenzie cheated on Cooper. That, um, Nurse Carmichael used to be a stripper.

Since we've kept our freakish skill a secret, we can sit next to the class brainiac and ace our tests. We can dump our boyfriends right before they dump us. We know what our friends really think of our jeans, our breath, our new bangs. We always know what's coming. Some of us will thrive. Some of us will crack. None of us will ever be the same.

So stop obsessing about your ex. We're always listening.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Review: Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

Title: Midnight Thief (Midnight Thief #1)
Author: Livia Blackburne
Release Date: July 8th, 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Page Count: 368
Source: ARC from Publisher
(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest
review. No favors were exchanged, my opinions are my own.)
First Reaction: *First 300 pages* Awesome, loving this, GREAT. *Last 68 pages* I will have none of this. Good day I say, Mr. Book.
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs.

But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull.

Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.

When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Belated BEA Haul + Giveaway

So... yeah. BEA was like a month and a half ago. People have already posted their ALA annual hauls. And I know I said I'd do this ages ago, but it just never happened. I recorded a video but I hated it so I never posted. But recently I decided that most all of the books I picked up come out in September or later (with the exception of SINNER by Maggie Stiefvater and LANDLINE by Rainbow Rowell, which I didn't picture below because said ARCs have already expired) so the publicity that comes from this post is still relevant.

Therefore, without further babbling from me, here are the books I picked up at BEA and am MOST excited about (I left out like half a dozen that I'm like "eh" about).

Top Ten Favorite Current TV Shows (57)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

If you follow me on Twitter, you might know I love television almost as much as I love books. Also, if you read this blog, you might recall the Veronica Mars Watch-Along I did for a while (until I failed to finish off season 3 - although I retain the right to finish that thing eventually). So, basically, this Top Ten Tuesday topic is absolutely perfect for me. But to make this topic a little more tackle-able (since I have way more than 10 favorite shows), I decided to only list shows that are current. Meaning, they're still on the air (although some of them are in hiatus right now for the summer). Also meaning you can binge what's out now but continue on with it and talk to me about it as new episodes come up. WOOHOO.

Ready?

Review: Like No Other by Una LaMarche

Title: Like No Other
Author: Una LaMarche
Release Date: July 24th, 2014
Publisher: Razorbill
Page Count: 352
Source: ARC from Publisher
(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest
review. No favors were exchanged, my opinions are my own.)
First Reaction: Picked up for religious reasons, stayed for everything else.
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

Fate brought them together. Will life tear them apart?

Devorah is a consummate good girl who has never challenged the ways of her strict Hasidic upbringing.

Jaxon is a fun-loving, book-smart nerd who has never been comfortable around girls (unless you count his four younger sisters).

They've spent their entire lives in Brooklyn, on opposite sides of the same street. Their paths never crossed... until one day, they did.

When a hurricane strikes the Northeast, the pair becomes stranded in an elevator together, where fate leaves them no choice but to make an otherwise risky connection.

Though their relation is strictly forbidden, Devorah and Jax arrange secret meetings and risk everything to be together. But how far can they go? Just how much are they willing to give up?

In the timeless tradition of West Side Story and Crossing Delancey, this thoroughly modern take on romance will inspire laughter, tears, and the belief that love can happen when and where you least expect it.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Epic Recs: July

Feature created by Amber and Judith, Graphic created by Judith

Okay, so I know I only JUST posted my review from last month, but that was late and this is late so... BEEP BEEP move out the way Epic Recs July is driving on it. This month I told Lisa I wanted something non-contemporary, different, and with a map (the map bit basically means fantasy and since Lisa's my soul sister, she knew this). Anyway, while Lisa couldn't find me a map (I know, sads) she did find me something non-contemporary and definitely different. I am excite. 

Epic Recs Review: Wanderlove by Kirsten Hubbard

Feature created by Amber and Judith, Graphic created by Judith

Once again, Lisa and I are a bit late with our posts (me a bit later than Lisa, but who's even counting, not me). I think we're just getting more and more comfortable with each other and our partnership. Like, neither of us feel guilty or care when we're behind. And whenever we write each other emails or start gchatting, there are like 400 other things to discuss then then all of the Epic Recs business gets pushed off. Basically, we're those girls who spend more time gabbing than getting the group project done and THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT WE'RE THE BEST EPIC REC PARTNERS EVER.

But I guess we still have to post the reviews for the June books if we ever want to put up the July stuff, so, this month, while Lisa was reading THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE by Jennifer E. Smith, I read...

5 Reasons to Read SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY + Giveaway!

  

Oh HIIIIIIII it's time for a giveaway of one of my faaaavorite series, SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY by Susan Dennard.

  

In case you missed it and you need to re-read all my reviews of this series (y'know, as proof that you need to read), here's a list of the words I posted on my blog previous to now about this series:

   

SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY

A DARKNESS STRANGE AND LOVELY

STRANGE AND EVER AFTER

But, y'know what? I hear some people don't like to read reviews before/after they read a book and I know all about this TL;DR business, so I'm just going to quickly give you FIVE brief reasons why you should not only want to read this series, but also enter the giveaway below.

Top Ten Blogging Confessions (56)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Can we talk about how I've been doing Top Ten Tuesday for over a year's worth of Tuesdays? (It hasn't been a year since I started doing this feature though - sometimes I skip weeks.) I mean, I know how long I've been blogging (a little over a year and a half) but I don't count the weeks since I started. I just number these Top Ten Tuesday things for reference. And there are 56 of them on my blog. Nuts, I tell you.

Anyway, this week's topic if Blogging Confessions (which feels somehow connected to my moment in the last paragraph so woohoo for that). Ready to hear about the things I have to confess to?

Review: Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Title: Landline
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Release Date: July 8th, 2014
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Page Count: 308
Source: ARC from BEA 

(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest
review. No favors were exchanged, my opinions are my own.)

First Reaction: MORE PERFECTION FROM THE MOST PERFECT AUTHOR EVER. *rolls around on the floor, cries tears of joy*

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems besides the point now.

Maybe that was always besides the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts...

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?


[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Happy Fourth of July, My Dears!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY, MY DEAREST READERS!     Even if you don't live in 'MURICA (*cough* The US *cough*), you can probably still get down with the idea of FREEDOM (unless you're British and are still holding a grudge 250-some odd years later). So let's all just say we're celebrating, get drunk, eat some barbecue, and watch the fireworks, shall we? (Because GOSH HOW I LOVE FIREWORKS.)     Since we have a beautiful three day weekend here in the States in honor of the birth of our country, I thought I'd put together a little list of some of the books I hope to get to this weekend. AKA the weekend I have dubbed "Fantasy Weekend."    Ready?

Review: Strange and Ever After by Susan Dennard

Title: Strange and Ever After (Something Strange and Deadly #3)
Author: Susan Dennard
Release Date: July 22nd, 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 400
Source: ARC from Jeffrey, Jeremy & Charlee (I have great friends)
First Reaction: I am a puddle on the floor. A puddle of feels on the floor.
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

He took her brother, he took her mother, and now, Marcus has taken her good friend Jie. With more determination than ever to bring this sinister man to justice, Eleanor heads to the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt in hopes of ending this nightmare. But in addition to her increasingly tense relationships with Daniel, Joseph, and her demon, Oliver, Eleanor must also deal with her former friend, Allison, who has curiously entangled herself in Eleanor’s mission.

With the rising dead chomping at her every move and Jie’s life hanging in the balance, Eleanor is convinced that her black magic will see her through to the bitter end. But there will be a price. Though she and the Spirit Hunters have weathered every battle thus far, there will be consequences to suffer this time—the effects of which will be irreversible. And when it’s over, only some will be able to live a strange and ever after.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

Review: The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

Title: The Truth About Alice
Author: Jennifer Mathieu
Release Date: June 3rd, 2014
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Page Count: 208
Source: ARC from Macmillan
(I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest
review. No favors were exchanged, my opinions are my own.)
First Reaction: Woah. 
Barnes & Noble | Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository

Everyone has a lot to say about Alice Franklin, and it’s stopped mattering whether it’s true. The rumors started at a party when Alice supposedly had sex with two guys in one night. When school starts everyone almost forgets about Alice until one of those guys, super-popular Brandon, dies in a car wreck that was allegedly all Alice’s fault. Now the only friend she has is a boy who may be the only other person who knows the truth, but is too afraid to admit it. Told from the perspectives of popular girl Elaine, football star Josh, former outcast Kelsie, and shy genius Kurt, we see how everyone has a motive to bring – and keep – Alice down.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]