Tuesday, January 30, 2018

New Release: SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER ME by Katie McGarry

It's Release Day!!!

   
I'm excited to celebrate the release of SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER ME by Katie McGarry. "I loved reading SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER ME. Fans of Katie McGarry's books will embrace this story and the characters." It is SO GOOD!!! You can read my full review here.

"Maybe I'm drawn to you because I envy you. You know who you are. I want that. I want to know who I am, too."

This is one of my favorite quotes. Doesn't that just make you want to read this book?! 

SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER ME 

by Katie McGarry 
Publication Date: January 30, 2018 
Published by Harlequin Teen 
Pages: 400

             Add to Goodreads       

Synopsis:

“Doesn’t matter who did it. Not anymore. I did the time. It’s over.”

When Drix was convicted of a crime–one he didn’t commit–he thought his life was over. But opportunity came with the Second Chance Program, the governor’s newest pet project to get delinquents off the streets, rehabilitated and back into society. Drix knows this is his chance to get his life back on track, even if it means being paraded in front of reporters for a while.


Elle knows she lives a life of privilege. As the governor’s daughter, she can open doors with her name alone. But the expectations and pressure to be someone she isn’t may be too much to handle. She wants to follow her own path, whatever that means.


When Drix and Elle meet, their connection is immediate, but so are their problems. Drix is not the type of boy Elle’s parents have in mind for her, and Elle is not the kind of girl who can understand Drix’s messy life.


But sometimes love can breach all barriers.


Fighting against a society that can’t imagine them together, Drix and Elle must push themselves–Drix to confront the truth of the robbery, and Elle to assert her independence–and each other to finally get what they deserve.



Get your copy of  SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME here!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Google Play | B-A-M | Kobo

              
SPECIAL PRE-ORDER OFFER
It's a good one! I couldn't pass it up!

Pre-order SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME, register and you will receive AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER, a novella that features your favorite Pushing the Limits and Thunder Road characters!

From the Pushing the Limits series, Noah, Beth, Isaiah, West and Logan are all grown up. Catch up with your favorite characters as one of them finally says, I do.

Pigpen, Eli and Addison from the Thunder Road series: Three separate personalities who still needed to find love…and still had someone important to meet.

This is a limited time offer! So hurry! Registration ends on February 3, 2018! You must register your pre-order to receive AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

https://a.pgtb.me/4tLZSM

 

Read an Excerpt


~Ellison~

The two of us are different. Complete sliding scale different. The only thing we have in common, as far as I can tell, is that he appears about my age and that we are both wearing shoes. My sandals to his scuffed combat boots. His sagging jeans with rips and white T-shirt to my ironed khaki shorts and fitted blue top. My diamond earrings and gold bracelet with a heart charm to his black belt that has metal studs and silver chain that hangs from his belt loop to his wallet.

By looks, I should have more in common with the loser college boys, but it’s this guy I’m comfortable with. “What’s your name?”

He throws the ball, and he’s right, he sucks at it. While he has unbelievable power, his aim’s completely off. The ball hits the back curtain with a loud thud, then drops to the floor. “Drix.”

“Drix?” I repeat to make sure I heard him correctly.

“Drix. It’s short for Hendrix. Like Jimi Hendrix.”

“That’s cool.” Because it is.

I wait for him to ask for my name, but he doesn’t. Instead he says, “Are you here alone?”

He throws the second ball, and this time he hits the top of the three bottles, sending that one to the ground.

“No. My parents are here. I’m supposed to meet them at the convention center. What about you? What happened to the people you were with? Or are you here alone now?”

“Yes, but no.” Drix pulls his arm back, releases the ball, and when the ball hits the bottom bottles, my heart lifts with the idea that he won, but only one of the bottles goes flying. The other stays completely untouched.

He turns in my direction, but his gaze roams over my shoulder, then flickers to the left. Drix then glances behind him, and when he returns his attention to me he raises his eyebrows. “They appear to be gone.”

That’s awesome news, but I’m still stuck on his answer of “yes but no.” Honestly, I’m stuck on him. He’s a million questions without a single answer, and he makes me incredibly curious.

“My parents weren’t thrilled about me hanging out alone at the midway, but I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal. It’s just Whack-A-Mole, you know?”

“And a ball toss.”

“And a ball toss. None of it should have been complicated.”

“Shouldn’t have been.”

“Elle!” Part of me is relieved to see Andrew craning his neck over the crowd. Another part of me is majorly disappointed. There aren’t many times in my life I’m left alone. Not many times I’m able to explore new places and people without someone hovering and not many opportunities when I would meet someone like Drix.

“Elle,” Andrew calls again. I wave at him, hoping it will buy me a few seconds, and he waves back in a way that tells me he needs me to walk in his direction. That works well for me.

“Is that a friend of yours?” Drix asks.

“Yes, but no.” I borrow his answer because it’s apropos. Andrew’s a few years older. More friend of our family than a personal friend of mine, and I don’t like the idea of explaining that my parents think I need a babysitter.

Drix’s mouth twitches at my words, and my lips also edge upwards. “I just made you smile a third time. Is this a Guinness Book of World Records thing?”

“I liked your answer.”

“I’m just creative like that.”


TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY



About Katie McGarry: Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine’s 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.     

    

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER ME by Katie McGarry - Review, Excerpt, & Giveaway

      


SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER ME 

by Katie McGarry
Publication Date: January 30, 2018
Published by Harlequin Teen
Pages: 400
Source: InkSlinger | Netgalley   

Add to Goodreads       




Synopsis:

“Doesn’t matter who did it. Not anymore. I did the time. It’s over.”

When Drix was convicted of a crime–one he didn’t commit–he thought his life was over. But opportunity came with the Second Chance Program, the governor’s newest pet project to get delinquents off the streets, rehabilitated and back into society. Drix knows this is his chance to get his life back on track, even if it means being paraded in front of reporters for a while.


Elle knows she lives a life of privilege. As the governor’s daughter, she can open doors with her name alone. But the expectations and pressure to be someone she isn’t may be too much to handle. She wants to follow her own path, whatever that means.


When Drix and Elle meet, their connection is immediate, but so are their problems. Drix is not the type of boy Elle’s parents have in mind for her, and Elle is not the kind of girl who can understand Drix’s messy life.


But sometimes love can breach all barriers.


Fighting against a society that can’t imagine them together, Drix and Elle must push themselves–Drix to confront the truth of the robbery, and Elle to assert her independence–and each other to finally get what they deserve.


MY THOUGHTS

I was excited about reading SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER ME because of the chance to meet new characters and a new environment experience the trademarks of what I love about Katie McGarry's books. Friends as family and the lengths they will go to protect and support each other and all of the love that exists.

Through the characters Elle and Drix, SAY'LL YOU REMEMBER ME addresses the complexities of identity . Finding it. Understanding it. Claiming it. Drix and Elle are on different spectrums - Drix struggles with no longer recognizing who he is, who he is becoming or who he should be. And Elle knows who she wants to become, but is stunted by her parents, her cousin, and everyone around her who tells her who she is. 

There were parts of SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER ME that left me saddened and stunned or infuriated. Specifically, how Elle's parents spoke to her and treated her, especially her mother, and how they were selfish and condescending and didn't really seem to understand their daughter at all. Elle just wanted to make them happy, to be perfect for them, but they couldn't see it. 

I loved the friendship that grew between Elle and Drix as they began to get to know each other, understand each other, and protect each other. I love how the relationship doesn't depend on attraction and shows the depths of who they are. The attraction is there, but the substance is there too. 

Favorite Quotes:

"Breathe. Focus. Find empathy within the situation. If all else fails, leave." - Drix on how to deal with his anger and aggression

"Maybe I'm drawn to you because I envy you. You know who you are. I want that. I want to know who I am, too." - Drix on how he sees Elle

I loved reading SAY YOU'LL REMEMBER ME. Fans of Katie McGarry's books will embrace this story and the characters, and I'm sure readers will be demand to know more about the other prominent characters - Axle, Holliday, Marcus, Dominic, and Kellen. I know I want more!   


Preorder SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME here!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Google Play | B-A-M | Kobo

             

SPECIAL PRE-ORDER OFFER

It's a good one! I couldn't pass it up!

Pre-order SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME, register and you will receive AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER, a novella that features your favorite Pushing the Limits and Thunder Road characters!

From the Pushing the Limits series, Noah, Beth, Isaiah, West and Logan are all grown up. Catch up with your favorite characters as one of them finally says, I do.

Pigpen, Eli and Addison from the Thunder Road series: Three separate personalities who still needed to find love…and still had someone important to meet.

This is a limited time offer! So hurry! Registration ends on February 3, 2018! You must register your pre-order to receive AND THEY ALL LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

https://a.pgtb.me/4tLZSM

   


Read an Excerpt


~Ellison~

The two of us are different. Complete sliding scale different. The only thing we have in common, as far as I can tell, is that he appears about my age and that we are both wearing shoes. My sandals to his scuffed combat boots. His sagging jeans with rips and white T-shirt to my ironed khaki shorts and fitted blue top. My diamond earrings and gold bracelet with a heart charm to his black belt that has metal studs and silver chain that hangs from his belt loop to his wallet.

By looks, I should have more in common with the loser college boys, but it’s this guy I’m comfortable with. “What’s your name?”

He throws the ball, and he’s right, he sucks at it. While he has unbelievable power, his aim’s completely off. The ball hits the back curtain with a loud thud, then drops to the floor. “Drix.”

“Drix?” I repeat to make sure I heard him correctly.

“Drix. It’s short for Hendrix. Like Jimi Hendrix.”

“That’s cool.” Because it is.

I wait for him to ask for my name, but he doesn’t. Instead he says, “Are you here alone?”

He throws the second ball, and this time he hits the top of the three bottles, sending that one to the ground.

“No. My parents are here. I’m supposed to meet them at the convention center. What about you? What happened to the people you were with? Or are you here alone now?”

“Yes, but no.” Drix pulls his arm back, releases the ball, and when the ball hits the bottom bottles, my heart lifts with the idea that he won, but only one of the bottles goes flying. The other stays completely untouched.

He turns in my direction, but his gaze roams over my shoulder, then flickers to the left. Drix then glances behind him, and when he returns his attention to me he raises his eyebrows. “They appear to be gone.”

That’s awesome news, but I’m still stuck on his answer of “yes but no.” Honestly, I’m stuck on him. He’s a million questions without a single answer, and he makes me incredibly curious.

“My parents weren’t thrilled about me hanging out alone at the midway, but I didn’t think it would be that big of a deal. It’s just Whack-A-Mole, you know?”

“And a ball toss.”

“And a ball toss. None of it should have been complicated.”

“Shouldn’t have been.”

“Elle!” Part of me is relieved to see Andrew craning his neck over the crowd. Another part of me is majorly disappointed. There aren’t many times in my life I’m left alone. Not many times I’m able to explore new places and people without someone hovering and not many opportunities when I would meet someone like Drix.

“Elle,” Andrew calls again. I wave at him, hoping it will buy me a few seconds, and he waves back in a way that tells me he needs me to walk in his direction. That works well for me.

“Is that a friend of yours?” Drix asks.

“Yes, but no.” I borrow his answer because it’s apropos. Andrew’s a few years older. More friend of our family than a personal friend of mine, and I don’t like the idea of explaining that my parents think I need a babysitter.

Drix’s mouth twitches at my words, and my lips also edge upwards. “I just made you smile a third time. Is this a Guinness Book of World Records thing?”

“I liked your answer.”

“I’m just creative like that.”


TOUR WIDE GIVEAWAY



About Katie McGarry: Katie McGarry was a teenager during the age of grunge and boy bands and remembers those years as the best and worst of her life. She is a lover of music, happy endings, reality television, and is a secret University of Kentucky basketball fan. Katie is the author of full length YA novels, PUSHING THE LIMITS, DARE YOU TO, CRASH INTO YOU, TAKE ME ON, BREAKING THE RULES, and NOWHERE BUT HERE and the e-novellas, CROSSING THE LINE and RED AT NIGHT. Her debut YA novel, PUSHING THE LIMITS was a 2012 Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction, a RT Magazine’s 2012 Reviewer’s Choice Awards Nominee for Young Adult Contemporary Novel, a double Rita Finalist, and a 2013 YALSA Top Ten Teen Pick. DARE YOU TO was also a Goodreads Choice Finalist for YA Fiction and won RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award for Young Adult Contemporary fiction in 2013.     

   

Monday, January 22, 2018

Review: LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE by Claire Kann






LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE
by Claire Kann
Publication Date: January 23, 2018
Published by Swoon Reads
Pages: 304
Source: XPresso Book Tours | Netgalley
Purchase Amazon | B&N | i-Books | Kobo






Synopsis

Alice had her whole summer planned. Non-stop all-you-can-eat buffets while marathoning her favorite TV shows (best friends totally included) with the smallest dash of adulting–working at the library to pay her share of the rent. The only thing missing from her perfect plan? Her girlfriend (who ended things when Alice confessed she’s asexual). Alice is done with dating–no thank you, do not pass go, stick a fork in her, done.

But then Alice meets Takumi and she can’t stop thinking about him or the rom com-grade romance feels she did not ask for (uncertainty, butterflies, and swoons, oh my!).

When her blissful summer takes an unexpected turn, and Takumi becomes her knight with a shiny library employee badge (close enough), Alice has to decide if she’s willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated—or understood.


My Thoughts

Let's talk about how much I loved LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE - from the characters and their story and the emphasis on the dynamics of relationships that are changing and evolving to the cute quips and fun of new friendships. This book has everything that I love about young adult contemporary!

I first found out about Let's Talk About Love when Swoon Reads asked readers to vote for the cover. The final cover is the one I voted for. YAY! I loved the boldness and the energy from it. It is perfection! This is ALICE!

I want to be friends with Takumi! He is thoughtful and observant and just the kind of person you want to be around. He makes things brighter. That is how he comes across - Alice struggles with his "perfection" a bit because it makes her take a look at herself and her perceived inadequacies, but Takumi sees her the same way she sees him.

LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE is the first book that I've read with an acknowledged asexual character. While this is just one example of one experience (through a character's perspective), I have some new knowledge and plan to read more about it and educate myself.

Alice shares her experience of being sexualized, objectified, stereotyped, and fetishized - I was sickened by the party scene because I knew that feeling. It's sad to say that I'm sure that many readers will be able to identify or understand her fear, her frustration, her annoyance and her anger.

Favorite Quotes:

"If I could stand close enough to you, maybe I could absorb some of your shine." - Takumi explaining why he needs Alice in his life. 


"I spend a lot of time trying to figure stuff out. Like, my feelings and sorting through my thoughts. I don't think I overthink, but I like to know why things are the way they are for me and why they're different from someone else." - Just one example of her self-awareness. I love that Alice and Takumi are contemplative characters.

"I guess it's a good thing I have health care because I cannot fight. If I had to, I'd talk a punch for you. Just not in the face." - The lengths that Takumi would go for Alice. This made me laugh out loud.

I love the voice the author has given to Alice and reading about her becoming an adult. I could read more about Alice and her experiences of college and her life beyond this moment. 


There are many wonderful things about this book that I could go on and on, but I hope readers will decide to pick up this book and discover them for themselves. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Claire Kann and I'm looking forward to reading LET'S TALK ABOUT LOVE again!!



Disclaimer: I received this e-ARC as part of a book review tour in exchange for my honest review. I was not compensated in any way other than the e-ARC provided. Thoughts and opinions are my own.



AUTHOR BIO:
Claire Kann hails from the glorious Bay Area where the weather is regrettably not nearly as temperate as it used to be. She has a BA in English/Creative Writing from Sonoma State University, works for a nonprofit that you may have heard of where she daydreams like she’s paid to do it. LET’S TALK ABOUT LOVE is her debut novel.



Author links:

TOUR-WIDE GIVEAWAY

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Top Ten Tuesday: Bookish Resolutions, Goals, and Plans for 2018


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. This meme was originally created at The Broke and the Bookish because they're particularly fond of lists. I am too so that's why I am participating this week.

Top Ten Bookish Resolutions/Goals/Plans for 2018

1. Complete a family read. I want my family to read the same book and get together to talk about it. I think it would be a lot of fun, but I know that I will have to do a lot of convincing to make it happen.

2. Attend Books Signings. This year I'm planning on going to 3 book signings - Roanoke Author Event (April), Book Bonanza (July), and Renaissance Author Event (October).  I'm so excited! I'll get to meet and hang out with some of my favorite authors, catch up with my reader friends and make some new ones!

3. Meet Jessica Park! Finally. 

4. Hang out with my book friends!  I've made a lot of friends and made connections because of books. I can't wait to spend time with them this year at book clubs and signings. 

5. Go see Forever My Girl! In 2013, I started off the year by reading Forever My Girl by Heidi McLaughlin, and I fell in love with this story of first love and second chances. I'm so excited that Heidi's book was made into a movie. Forever My Girl and the rest of this series has been a TOP RECOMMENDATION for years! 

6. Go on a reader or writer retreat. A weekend of just reading or writing, I'm ready to sign up!

7. Track the amount of money I spend on books. I did this for a few months last year and it curbed the number of books added to my TBR pile and added a few dollars to my wallet.

8. Donate books - to my library, to classrooms, to non-profits, and to Little Free Libraries.

8. Reading Goals: read 100 books and review at least half of them. Read books from my shelves/books that I've owned prior to 2018. 

9. Finish the ABC Reading Challenge I started in November 2017. I still have about two-thirds of the alphabet to go.

10. Finally finish Pride and Prejudice.

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Books Read in 2017

I forgot to share this at the end of 2017, but it's never too late. Here is a recap of all of the books that I read in 2017. I listened to quite a few audiobooks and reread some of my favorites.

In 2018, one of my goals is to read more books from my own shelves (this is a goal I have every year). 


And now for the breakdown:


The date listed is when I finished the book.
*Library Book
**Borrowed from a friend
***reread
+ e-book
# Advanced Reader Copy (ARC)

January
1: November 9 by Colleen Hoover
2: Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas
5: Aftermath by Clara Kensie
9: Lucian Divine by Renee Carlino #
12: Dear Life by Meghan Quinn #
17: Home Run by Heidi McLaughlin #
24: Say You'll Stay by Corinne Michaels +
27: In Such Good Company by Carol Burnett (audiobook) *
30: The You I've Never Known by Ellen Hopkins

February
2: Long Way Home by Katie McGarry
4: The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen
6: Our Own Private Universe by Robin Talley
7: Keeping Her Wet by M. Robinson +
12: Luna Rising by Selene Castrovilla
19: Daring the Bad Boy by Monica Murphy +
21: Tracing the Stars by Amanda Richardson +
23: 180 Seconds by Jessica Park #
23: This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (audiobook)*
26: Defending Taylor by Miranda Kenneally

March
2: The McCullagh Inn in Maine by Jen McLaughlin
6: If I Fix You by Abigail Johnson #
8: Bad Mommy by Tarryn Fisher +
11: Mayhem by Jamie Shaw 
21: Riot by Jamie Shaw
28: Chaos by Jamie Shaw
30: Don't Kiss the Messenger by Katie Ray +

April
2: Forever by Monica Murphy #
5: Ends Here by M. Robinson +
10: Twist by Kylie Scott #
13: Other Breakable Things by Kelley York and Rowan Altwood #
15: Havoc by Jamie Shaw 
22: If I Fix You by Abigail Johnson ***
25: Rebel by Elle Casey +

May 
4: It Happened on Love Street by Lia Riley
5: More Than This by Jay McLean (audiobook)
6: The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland by Rebekah Crane ***
10: Say No to the Bro by Kat Helgeson
14: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
19: Grand Slam by Heidi McLaughlin
23: Dirty by Kylie Scott (audiobook) ***
24: The Line by Amie Knight 
25: Come Closer by Brenda Rothert +
30:  Girl on the Verge by Pintip Dunn

June 
3: What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
8: Blue by Lisa Glass (audiobook) ***
8: My Best Friend's Ex by Meghan Quinn #1: 
12: I'm Not in the Band by Amber Garza #
16: Take Me On by Katie McGarry (audiobook) ***
19: The Impossible Vastness of Us by Samantha Young #
25: The Summer Before Forever by Melissa Chambers #

July
1: The Crown by Kiera Cass
3: Falling for Forever by Melissa Chambers #
6: Until It Fades by K.A. Tucker #
10: It Started with Goodbye by Christina June
13: Trust by Kylie Scott +
18: Wrecked by JB Salsbury #
18: City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong (audiobook)
21: 16 Ways to Break a Heart by Lauren Strasnick #
21: The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli (audiobook) *
16 Ways to Break a Heart by Lauren Strasnick ***
In a Daze Work by Siobhan Gallagher
How to Make a Wish by Ashley Herring Blake

August
1: Kissing Max Holden by Katy Upperman
3: Winter by Melissa Meyer
11: The Forbidden by Jodi Ellen Malpas 
14: Paper Girls, vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan *
16: Paper Girls, vol. 2 by Brian K. Vaughan *
24: Stripped Bare by Heidi McLaughlin +
28: Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis (audiobook) *
31: Always and Forever Lara Jean by Jenny Han

September
5: Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
6: Wild by Cheryl Strayed
12: When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
14: The Border by Steve Schafer
18: Mud Vein by Tarryn Fisher
20: Logan by Jay McLean
24: Forever Our Boys by Heidi McLaughlin
28: In Pieces by Danielle Pearl
29: Starting Over by Ruthie Knox

October
2: Left Drowning by Jessica Park
3: The Weight of Lies by Emily Carpenter
5: Chase by Cassia Leo
5: Too Late by C. Hoover
10: Twist by Kylie Scott
11: Holding Onto Forever by Heidi McLaughlin
23: Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab (audiobook) *
29: Seven Days of Us by Francesca Hornak
30: Beautiful Mess by Lucy V. Morgan +
31: The Text Dare by Amy Sparling +

November 
1: How to Love by Katie Cotugno ***
5: Too Far to Care by Jen Luerssen
6: Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds *
8: Saving It by Monica Murphy #
9: Sugar by Deirdre Riordan Hall (audiobook)
9: I'll Be Home For Christmas by Jen McLaughlin +
11: I Never by Laura Hopper #
13: The Tide Is High by Jen Luerrsen
15: Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy (audiobook)
18: The Siren by Kiera Cass
20: The Dead Inside by Cyndy Etler #
25: The First Kiss Hypothesis by Christina Mandelski #
27: On the Line by Jen McLaughlin #
28: Darkness Matters by Jay McLean +
29: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover (audiobook) *** 


December 
3: What She Didn't Know by Tammy Falkner +
7: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith ***
7: Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur +
10: Spinning by Tillie Walden *
13: We Are Okay by Nina Lacour
15: Girl Underwater by Claire Kells (audiobook) ***
24: Santa's Secret by Heidi McLaughlin +
29: Without Merit by Colleen Hoover 
31: Finally, Forever by Katie Kacvinsky ***

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

New Release: THE SPRING GIRLS by Anna Todd - Excerpt




The Spring Girls by Anna Todd 
A coming of age, new adult romance. 
Release Date: January 2nd, 2018 
Genre: Contemporary Romance

the spring girls cover

Four sisters desperately seeking the blueprints to life—the modern-day retelling of Louise May Alcott’s Little Women like only Anna Todd (After, Imagines) could do.
The Spring Girls—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—are a force of nature on the New Orleans military base where they live. As different as they are, with their father on tour in Iraq and their mother hiding something, their fears are very much the same. Struggling to build lives they can be proud of and that will lift them out of their humble station in life, one year will determine all that their futures can become.
The oldest, Meg, will be an officer’s wife and enter military society like so many of the women she admires. If her passion—and her reputation—don’t derail her.
Beth, the workhorse of the family, is afraid to leave the house, is afraid she’ll never figure out who she really is.
Jo just wants out. Wishing she could skip to graduation, she dreams of a life in New York City and a career in journalism where she can impact the world. Nothing can stop her—not even love.
And Amy, the youngest, is watching all her sisters, learning from how they handle themselves. For better or worse.
With plenty of sass, romance, and drama, The Spring Girls revisits Louisa May Alcott’s classic Little Women, and brings its themes of love, war, class, adolescence, and family into the language of the twenty-first century.
Blog Tour (1)

Read an Excerpt:

Meet the Springs

Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,”
Jo declared from her spot on the rug.

She sat at the feet of her oldest sister, Meg. Jo’s long brown
hair was unruly, as it always was. She was my strong girl. She
was the only one of my girls who didn’t hog the bathroom. Her
delicate fingers, the black polish on their nails chipped, picked
at the frayed edges of the Afghan rug under her folded legs.

The hand-woven black-and-red textile had once been bright and
beautiful, and I remembered when my husband had sent it to
our house back in Texas from his former post in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

In my head, Denise’s scratchy voice reminds me to use
proper military lingo: my husband’s FOB in Kandahar. The biggest
forward operating base in Afghanistan, she would also necessarily
add. Denise was always on my case. Come to think of
it, she even had comments about the rug when I got it. She said
he could have sent it to the base and paid no fee.

None of that mattered to my girls. From the moment it arrived,
they loved that rug as much as I did. When I ripped open
the package from their dad, who had been living across the
world for the past eight months, the girls—particularly Jo—
were excited to own such a beautiful, culture-filled treasure
from the other side of the world. Meg loved that we now had
a lavish handcrafted object in our simple home. She was my
most materialistic daughter, but I always knew that if I tried
to teach her right, she would use her love of shiny things to do
something magical and worthwhile with her life. Amy was too
young to really care about the rug, and of course Beth knew
it was coming because her daddy knew that she was the only
Spring Girl who could be trusted to keep the secret. Plus, on
a more practical level, since Beth was basically homeschooled,
Frank knew she could watch out for it. Later, he explained to
me that he wanted to mail the package straight home so that
we could be treated with the rug as a surprise on our doorstep,
rather than as a pickup chore on the base. I’m not sure if I told
Denise that she would understand.

Of late, our beautiful rug wasn’t as beautiful anymore.
Dirty shoes and heavy bodies had worn it down, and the colors
blended into a mud brown that I tried my best to clean, but the
color just wouldn’t come back.

We loved it not one bit less.


TSG-AN2

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Meet Anna Todd:
Anna Todd is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of the After series. Hailed by Cosmopolitan as “the biggest literary phenomenon of her generation,” Anna began her literary career on the social storytelling platform Wattpad. Serialized on Wattpad in 2013, After has over 1.5 billion reads on the site. The print edition, published in 2014 by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, has over 15 million copies in circulation, has been published in over 30 languages and is a #1 bestseller in Italy, Germany, France and Spain.
A native of Ohio, Anna was a voracious reader all her life, citing Pride & Prejudice, Wuthering Heights and Fifty Shades of Grey as some of her favorites. In 2012, after discovering the world of fanfiction for fandoms like Twilight, The Vampire Diaries, The Mortal Instruments, Anna began writing as a way of continuing the stories she so loved from fanfiction community.

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