Waiting On: Parallel by Lauren Miller (23)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Parallel
Author: Lauren Miller
Release Date: May 14th 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen

Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

This is so Sliding Doors and my heart and soul need it so much I don't even know what to do with myself. I LOVE books like this so much, so you all better BELIEVE I shall be pouncing all over this one the minute it comes out next week.

Do you guys love Sliding Doors like I do? No? Excited anyway? Tell me all about it in the comments below!

Top Ten Books When You Need Something Light & Fun (22)

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

I had a lot of trouble with this because most of the books I tend to read deal with issues. Even the books I have chosen are still not as light and fluffy as I feel like this topic might demand? So I've picked 5 books I've read that are (kinda?) light and fluffy and then 5 books I WANT to read that seem light and fluffy to me. You guys can tell me if I'm right, I guess.

TOP FIVE LIGHT & FLUFFY BOOKS I'VE ALREADY READ

1. Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys by Kate Brian

I really, really love this book. It's so cute! Maybe not as light and fluffy as it could be, but I absolutely adore it. I've read it 4-5 times and it makes me all happy inside every time.

2. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares

Okay, also not as light and fluffy as it could be, but the series is a GREAT binge read. Also, I love the friendship stories. Yeah, there are boys, but it's really about the girls. I mean, that's not so relevant ont he light and fluffy front, but still. 

3. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot

These books were always quick reads for me. It's been a long time since I read this one, and I definitely liked the movie better (the Grandma is super scary in the book and JULIE ANDREWS in the movies so, y'know). But yeah. Fluffy, light, fun.

4. Audrey, Wait by Robin Benway

I haven't read this book in a very long time but I remember it being a super fun romp. I want to re-read it soon since a lot of bloggers I follow have been raving about it recently.

5. Ex-Mas by Kate Brian

Another Kate Brian book. I can't even help myself. I haven't read a ton of Christmas books, but I'm pretty sure - based on the ones I HAVE read - that I love them. A lot.

TOP FIVE LIGHT & FLUFFY BOOKS I WANT TO READ

6. Decked with Holly by Marni Bates

Since I love Christmas books, and because this one sounds SO CUTE, I'm gonna have to put this on my light and fluffy wish list. 

7. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Is this one a fluffy, light book? I feel like that's the impression I have of it. Either way, I want to read it so I'm putting it on this list. 

8. Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

It looks so cuuuuute. I want it to be light and fluffy and cute and yeah. Especially since that cover is adorable. But I guess I'd be okay with it being a bit heavier?

9. The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise

The cover of this book is SO CUTE. I'm a little nervous about the way this book's going to turn out, but I'm DEFINITELY going to read it very soon!

10. Meant to Be by Lauren Morrill

The cover just SCREAMS light and fluffy. I also really love the colors. And the graphics. And the everything. Yes to the everything. So I'll take it, please. 

Do you think the first five fit the bill or are they too dramatic? And how about the second five on my TBR list? Are they light and fluffy or have I been mislead? Let me know in the comments below!

Veronica Mars Watch-Along Week 7

[Graphic designed by the lovely Judith of Paper Riot]

So, how does this work, super sleuths? Go check out the Watch-Along kick off post for the skinny. I'll give you a second just in case...

All caught up? Good.

In case you already know the basics and just forgot what episodes are up today, here's the list:

• "Silence of the Lamb"
• "Clash of the Tritons"

And, for NEXT WEEK:

• "Lord of the Bling"
• "Mars vs. Mars"

ALSO interesting for next week: The LOVELY Judith of Paper Riot (who made the graphic for this event - wooooo Judith!) has agreed to run the recap next weekend. I know, you'll all miss my keyboard slamming and Logan love, but next week is going to be a stressful one for me (I FINALLY GO HOME) AND Judith will probably be JUST as generous with the keyboard slamming and Logan love, if not more.

THE NOIR
Both of the short mysteries here really get me, mostly because they hit V close to home. In "Silence of the Lamb" we hear a little bit more about Mac. Since I love Mac, her whole story was like WHOA for me. I mean, OBVS if she had to be SWITCHED AT BIRTH it would have to be with Madison Sinclair. Who we are all required to hate anyway. But yeah. My heart cried all of you readers a river at the end of the episode when Mac put her hand on her bio mom's car window. Like seriously, guys. WHERE IS THE JUSTICE IN ALL THIS? But I guess Mac's other fam is pretty legit too...

And then also, in "Clash of the Tritons", the whole reason Rick did what he did was because Keith caught his dad doing illegal things and screwed up Rick's life. Granted, Rick's dad shouldn't have been doing illegal things, but still. Also, it was interesting to see V chase after the Tritons like that, even after knowing Duncan was one of them. Would she have done that if they were still dating? WHO KNOWS. I will say that I definitely enjoyed hear V sing karaoke though.

Side note: I also really liked how Keith went back to find that serial killer. Totally baller. Get it, Papa Mars. Show Lamb what's up.

And then there are a couple of important little factoids that are worth cataloguing.

• Clarence Wiedman called the police with the tip that Abel Koontz killed Lilly.
• Weevil and Lilly WERE a thing.
• Duncan's got some mysterious illness?
• Logan blames Veronica for Lilly's death because she told Lilly Logan kissed some girl and she broke up with him.

That last one isn't really pertinent to any of the major crimes of the season, but I think it's important in general. Also, HOW INVASIVE AND ABSURD is it that Veronica only found out the last three of these facts because she planeted a bug in her guidance counselor's office? I'm offended for all three boys, even though I only like two of them. But seriously. V. Crossing lines.

This good looking man does not approve.

STOP BEING CRAZY, VERONICA

Previously, I've noted V's SERIOUS trust issues. And her inability to believe her father knows what's best for her. And her overall anger issues. Wallace might be right to say she's a giant marshmallow under it all, but there's a lot to break through to get under it all. But I think this episode really shows that Veronica KNOWS what she's like - even though she might not realize it's such a bad thing.

Veronica (to the Guidance Counselor): "I don't want to talk away my grief. I want to turn it into something else. Fuel. I know how I'm gonna feel better and it's not by talking about how sad I am."

Lord.

That being said, I still think Veronica's THE WORST for bugging her guidance counselor's office. No, I don't like Rebecca, but there are things you shouldn't be allowed to hear like that. There's such thing as confidentiality and yeah, V's looking for the truth and yeah, that's a great way to find it, but the whole thing is still dizzying to me. I mean, was it really her place to hear Logan say:

"And what is so great about living?"

No. No it's not.

BRING ON THE SNARK
I don't have a lot this week. But you can probably include every conversation V has with Cliff. They're hilarious. Or maybe Cliff's just hilarious. I don't know.

Keith (to Lamb): "He's waiting for you to throw your panties."

Leo (to Veronica): "What I'm trying to say? This uniform is a tearaway."

THE BOYS
FRESH MEAT THIS WEEK, MY DARLINGS. COME AND GET IT.

• Duncan: Since when is he good at everything, Tritons? Oh, you mean he's super rich and has ambition? Okay.
• Logan: This boy makes me so sad. People are SO CRUDE talking about his family on the radio, his dad's abusive and crazy and threatens him, people leave news clippings on his locker (which is a little strange because he's King of the 09ers) and then his mom JUMPS OFF THE BRIDGE. And all of this is on top of his girlfriend getting murdered and his best friend checking out emotionally occasionally. I don't know. If I were him I probably wouldn't be the best behaved kid in the class. Sometimes I even think he has it worse than V? Like, at least V's dad loves her and she knows that. Who loves Logan? (Besides for me, of course)
• Weevil: THIS BOY. HE HAS A HEART AND WE CAN SEE IT NOW. Sort of?
• Leo: The new guy. He's pretty funny and I love his banter with Veronica. Really. I even love the line about the band. I'm pleased that V likes him too but totally underwhelmed that she got him into trouble. Like, OF COURSE she did, but UGH. STOP BEING SUCH A RUINER, VERONICA. STOP.

FUN FACT
Katie Leclerc, who plays Daphne on the ABCFamily show, Switched at Birth, appears at the beginning of the "Silence of the Lamb" episode - the episode about Mac being SWITCHED AT BIRTH. Leclerc plays one of the kids paying V to find dirt on her parents.

Are you guys also still crying because Logan's mommy jumped off the bridge? Or maybe you're all upset because Veronica's a relationship ruiner? Perhaps you're throwing a hissy because of Mac's familial situation? Let me know in the comments below!

**ONE LAST REMINDER**

NEXT WEEK:

• "Lord of the Bling"
• "Mars vs. Mars"

Bookish Things (Weird & Otherwise) I'm Guilty Of Doing PART 2

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.

Two months ago I wrote a post called Bookish Things (Weird & Otherwise) I'm Guilty Of Doing. I noted that I'd probably write up PART II when I remembered some of my other neuroses. Well, HERE IT IS.

1. Seeking: Uncracked Spine on Hardcovers
OBVIOUSLY I look for the best copy when buying a book, but the most neurotic thing I do while looking for said best copy is opening the hardcovers JUST a crack to see if there's the tell-tale "no one's read me yet" resistance. My favorite thing is opening a BRAND NEW hardcover and feeling/hearing the binding break open for the first time. The other day I lent my friend a book because she left hers at home. I forgot that I hadn't opened it yet. I actually winced when I heard the binding break open for the first time because I wasn't the one to do it. It was my fault, but I hated myself a little bit for it.

2. Don't Bend the Book
As much as I like the crackling of a brand new hardcover, nothing makes me angrier than when people bend the spine of my softcovers. I even sometimes get mad at my past self because I used to do that. Now I'll curl a cover while I read to keep from doing that. Curled covers can be uncurled. Those little white lines that run down the spines of paperbacks cannot be undone.

3. Series: All Hardback or All Paperback
If there's a trilogy (or more/less), all of the book should either be hardcover or softcover. I feel like this is a common thing. They just look better on the shelf that way. But I have to REALLY like a series to replace a book to make it all match. Or the way it looks on my shelf has to REALLY bother me. I'm a whole barrel full of nuts, really.

4. Preference: Softcovers
Number 2 established, I prefer softcovers. It's mostly because they're lighter and smaller. I read ebooks every now and again (which really minimizes weight and size), but I don't really like them. As such, I seek other ways to minimize issues with weight and suitcase size limitations. Although, aesthetically speaking, a bookshelf with a hardcover-softcover mix looks best (unless all of the books are pretty leather-bound books).  Yeah. A WHOLE BARREL OF NUTS.

**And then I have one last item from CASSIE...**
5. eBook or Hardcopy? HOW ABOUT BOTH.
Cassie tells me that sometimes she'll buy a book in eBook and hard/paperback form. It's mostly if the book's a favorite or if a book's really big/heavy, but she WILL buy both. I CAN DIG IT.

That's another 5 crazyperson/weird/other things I (and Cassie) do. Are you like us? Do you do other bookish things you think other people just can't possibly understand? Let me know in the comments below (because I probably WILL understand)!

Review: 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Title: 13 Little Blue Envelopes (Little Blue Envelope #1)
Author: Maureen Johnson
Release Date: September 26th, 2006
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 336
Source: Borrowed from the New York Public Library
Rating: Exciting adventure BUT this whole absentee parent thing? Yeah, no.

Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.

In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat.

The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.

Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke-about-town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous-though utterly romantic-results. But will she ever see him again?

Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

THE REVIEW

Ginny gets crazy instructions from her crazy aunt to go on a crazy backpacking trip through Europe sans cellphone or guidebook or laptop. The rub? SHE HAS NO ITINERARY. She has some cash (maybe?) and envelopes she has to open one by one as she travels, alone, through I don't even know where. Oh, and along the way she meets a cute British boy. Obvs.

Let's break this down: 

I HAVE SO MANY ISSUES WITH THIS BOOK.

Okay. First. GIRL. WHERE ARE YOUR PARENTS?

Yeah, I pulled out Sassy Gay Friend for this one.

TIME OUT FOR LIFE EXPERIENCE STORY TIME:
This past January, at age 23, I picked up and went to London for 2 months for work experience (I feel like a lot of you knew this already). Anyway, yeah, it was a little reckless, but I had a cellphone (on which my mother called me AT LEAST twice a week), about a dozen contact numbers, a laptop, multiple guidebooks, an internship, funds, friends in said country and about a million other things Ginny didn't have that SHE SHOULD HAVE HAD. I AM 23.

Now, YOU might think my mom was a little MUCH about all of the long distance checking in she did, but that's NOTHING compared to the vibe I got from Ginny's parents. Why/how they actually let this happen is BEYOND me.

And then I don't understand the role Ginny's BFF Miriam plays. It doesn't make ANY SENSE AT ALL. If Miriam really is her BFF, wouldn't we have actually heard from the girl for realzies? The girl REALLY didn't seem to have a plot point beyond Ginny's innate need for a bestie.

I dunno. I think this book would have been better if it opened with a chapter or two of Ginny at home. I wanna see how the arguments to let Ginny go went, at the VERY LEAST.

Okay. *Deep Breath*

The rest of the book? I liked. Everything happened the way it should have. There's the romance with Keith which kind of went somewhere, kind of didn't. The awkward relationship with Richard, which I LOVED. I even liked the nature of Ginny's relationship with her aunt. I enjoyed the way Ginny's perception of her aunt shifted because of what her aunt wanted her to do. And what's REALLY great is that I think this is what Ginny's aunt wanted. Ginny's aunt isn't the kind of person who has a plan or predicts outcomes. She just did her thing and that's all she wanted for her uptight niece. Whatever comes out of that, comes out of that. And honestly? It's exactly what the girl needed. I'm just not sure it all happened in a believable way, given the sudden absentee parenting.

Anyway, aside from loving the characters and all of their relationships, I also really loved the situations Ginny found herself in. I buy it. Even meeting Keith the way she does. Ginny is so bizarre and neurotic that the whole thing WOULD happen to her that way. And all of the European adventures are things that would DEFINITELY happen. EXCEPT maybe what happened in Amsterdam. That was a little strange.  But yeah. Italy and Greece make a LOT of sense. And so does Denmark.

What happens in all these countries, you might ask? READ THE BOOK AND FIND OUT.

The long and short of it?

Plot: An interesting coming of age story, to be sure. Also, adventure and travel, which I love, so HURRAY!
World Building: I don't buy that Ginny's parents would let her go off like that with no phone/without checking in. I just don't. While my rant-y paragraph makes it seem like I got too stuck on that to enjoy the book - I didn't. I just feel like bizarre and sudden absentee parenting from supposedly otherwise overprotective parents should be highlighted as inconsistent. I did like everything else about the set up of this book, though.
Character Development: Ginny really does learn a lot about herself and what she wants through her crazy aunt and I DIG IT. Also, I totally enjoyed seeing/reading Ginny's aunt's story/progression through the letters.
Prose: Cute and quirky. More things to dig.
Would I Recommend This Book?: This book didn't work so much for me because of the confused family dynamic. But that doesn't make this novel any less endearing. I don't think I'd buy it, but it's definitely worth borrowing from the library for a quick, easy read!

What would YOU do if you got a stack of envelopes that demanded you take off for Europe from a beloved deceased relative? I don't know if I'd go, but I'd like to know if you'd skip it or do what Ginny did. And HOW would your family react? Let me know in the comments below!

Pierce Fest Kick-Off!

Ladies and gentleman, girls and boys, bloggers and booklovers, booksellers and book connoisseurs – welcome to PierceFest!

What is PierceFest?

PierceFest is the brainchild of a conversation between me, Alexa (of Alexa Loves Books), Gillian (of Writer of Wrongs) and Rachel (of Rachel Reads). We bonded over our mutual love for Tamora Pierce and her books, and started reminiscing about the good old days when we devoured every novel she had to offer us. Even though Ms. Pierce is a well-known name, we certainly felt like it would be a fun idea to celebrate Tamora Pierce and her amazing novels – and thus, PierceFest was born!

During PierceFest, we will be celebrating all the books Ms. Pierce has written that have been published so far (and that’s a grand total of 27, not including her short story collection). Each month, one of the hosts will be spotlighting a series on her blog. There will be reviews, discussion posts, polls and other special and fun posts! There will also be one amazing giveaway (which you’ll find out more about later). 

What does the schedule look like?

PierceFest will be running from May-September, finishing up in time for the release of Battle Magic in October. The actual schedule is as follows:

May: Kick-off Post (this is it!) + Song of the Lioness quartet (hosted by Gillian)
June: The Immortals quartet (hosted by Gaby - that's ME, y'know, in case you forgot where you are)
July: Circle of Magic/Circle Opens/Circle Reforged (hosted by Alexa)
August: Protector of the Small (hosted by Rachel)
September: Trickster duo/Beka Cooper trilogy + Wrap-up Post (all 4 blogs)

How can I participate?

The easy answer to this, of course, is to read along with us as we tackle each series! If you’re a Pierce newbie, then this will be the perfect time for you to start reading the series and getting to know her work. And if you’re a long-time Pierce fan, this will be a fun avenue to discuss the books and the characters and the general awesomeness that surrounds Tamora Pierce! Either way, we hope you join us. You can use the official hashtag #PierceFest when chatting on Twitter about all things Tamora Pierce – we’ll be around and ready to chat with you!

If you’re interested in participating in the event in a contributor capacity, please feel free to send an email. For general inquiries and the like, you can email Alexa [ alexalovesbooks (at) gmail (dot) com ]. For specific series info or interest, you can email the various hosts in charge of each series.

Is there a giveaway?

As mentioned, we will be hosting this big giveaway in honor of this most amazing author!

THE PRIZE:

1 set of any Tamora Pierce series (which is, at max, FOUR books)

THE RULES:

1. The giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY, as long as Book Depository ships to you.
2. All entries will be verified, so please do not forget to include the correct information.
3. Winner will be contacted as soon as they are chosen. They will have 48 hours to respond with the pertinent information, or their win will be forfeit and another will be chosen.
4. The bloggers will not be held responsible for condition or timeliness of the book shipment, as they are being shipped by a third party organization. Please note that we will try to keep you informed of the status of your prize.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We sincerely hope you'll join us in celebrating our love of all things Tamora Pierce during PierceFest. It's bound to be lots of fun!

Don't just take our word for it!

We're not the only huge Tamora Pierce fans out in the blogging community. It's wonderful to realize that there are so many of us who love her. Here's what a few other people had to say about Ms. Pierce - and you better believe it's all good things!

Jen from Almost Grown-Up: "Kick-ass female heroines, unbelievable levels of world-building, and magic that enthralls. What's not to love about Tamora Pierce's work?"

Amy from Tripping Over Books: "It took me some time to find my way to Tamora Pierce, and I'm both so glad that I finally did and sad that I didn't find her sooner. Her stories are full of young girls and young women defying the expectations of their gender and forging their own paths; they're so special. Spending time with Tamora's characters in Tortall--a vibrant, well-fashioned world--is one of my favorite things to do."

Anna from I Am Here For This: "I've been reading and re-reading Tamora Pierce's books since I was twelve, and 15 years later, she's remains #1 on my list of Authors Whose New Books I Will Buy & Read Immediately. She taught me both to love high fantasy and to appreciate the unique pleasure of reading about smart, talented, willful women and girls who do amazing things, and if I ever get to meet her in person, I fully expect to burst into tears."

Sarah (Twitter handle: @SarahO97): "I first fell in love with Tamora Pierce's books by randomly discovering the Immortals series in my local library at the age of 12. Ever since, I've found myself enamored with the magical realm of Tortall and its inhabitants."

So come, join us on our magical re-exploration of the fantasy books all four of us grew up on! Whether you're starting fresh, re-reading a book you first read recently or re-reading for the first time in a while - like we are - all are welcome!

Waiting On: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (22)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Siege & Storm (The Grisha #2)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: June 4th, 2013
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

[Summary Source: Goodreads]

ASJIUFHEKNAKJJQWLKDJ *and other assorted, aggressive keyboard slamming*

I am SO JEALOUS of everyone who's already had the privilege of reading an ARC of this one - they've been really good about making me jealous too, what with all the gushing tweets! I CANNOT WAIT until June 4th when I will SPRINT to the nearest bookstore and snag myself a copy. Then I will go to the signing in NYC on June 18th and babble incoherently at Leigh Bardugo and hope she thinks I'm cute/endearing instead of completely out of my mind. Leigh, this is your official warning, whether you read this or not.

I'm EXCITED for this one. Are you? Talk to me about your feels for the second book in this series in the comments below! Oh, and be sure to share what book YOU'RE excited for, would you?