Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted at 

Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that 

we're eagerly anticipating.

I just LOVE Wednesdays! 
I go around to all the blogs and see what everyone is excited about. 
I've discovered some great books this way.

Anyways... this week my WoW is

November 9
Author: Colleen Hoover
Release Date: July 21st, 2015

Genre: New Adult, Romance, Contemporary

Another Colleen Hoover book!!!! We are so lucky that this woman turns books out like it's nothing and we don't have to wait a year in between. I can't wait to read this!

Goodreads Summary:

This is a love story between a guy (me) and a girl (Fallon).  
I think.  
Can it even be considered a love story if it doesn’t end with love?  
Mysteries end when the mystery is solved.  
Biographies end when the life story has been told.  
Love stories should end with love, right?  
Maybe I’m wrong, then. Maybe this isn’t a love story. If you ask me…I’d say this might even be considered a tragedy.  
Whatever it is—however it ends—I promised I would tell it. So without further ado.

Once upon a time…I met a girl.  
The girl.

What book are you [not so] patiently waiting for??

Book Review: Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 4.18
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Romance

Goodreads Summary:
The Pre-Sloane Emily didn't go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn't do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.

But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just… disappears. No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try… unless they could lead back to her best friend.

Apple Picking at Night? Okay, easy enough.

Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not?

Kiss a Stranger? Um...

Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go Skinny Dipping? Wait ... what? 

My Rating: 3.2

Another Goodreads choice book that didn't impress me as much as I hoped.

This book had a good, solid story line with a hint of mystery to it but I was really let down by the characters and the solving of the mystery. Maybe that was the point though.. Sloan's mystery wasn't all that interesting or shocking but the story wasn't supposed to be about her. For once, she wasn't the star in the Emily/Sloan friendship. The real story that developed here is Emily learning to break away from that stigma and be her own person.

I personally didn't feel like I was falling in love along side the characters more like watching it happen in a movie. I didn't connect with the characters on a personal level and I found the love story quite predictable.

I did like the list and how even though Sloan wasn't around, Emily still got to feel her presence by completing the list. Overall this book made me miss my best friend and summer time when I was in high school. I liked Emily okay but Frank and other sub-characters like Dawn were quite unimpressive.

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Book Review: Aberrant (Aberrant, #1) by Ruth Silver

Aberrant by Ruth Silver
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 3.58
Genre: Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Young Adult

Goodreads Summary:
In the future Dystopian society of Cabal, the government instills equality for all and offers its citizens the perfect system. There is food, shelter and jobs for everyone. The one requirement is to follow the rules without question, including the government's match in marriage and "The Day of the Chosen", a lottery that randomly selects families to conceive children as natural means hasn't existed in generations. Following her eighteenth birthday, Olivia Parker accepts her requirement to marry her childhood best friend, Joshua Warren, and is eager to start her work assignment and new life when it all comes abruptly to an end as she's arrested and thrown in prison. The only crime committed, her existence. Olivia is unlike the rest of the world born not from "The Day of the Chosen." The truth haunts the government and puts her life in grave danger as one simple fact would destroy the perfect system.

With Joshua's help, Olivia breaks free of prison and is forced on the run. Together they set out to find the promised rebel town in search of a new home and new life together. Their situation seems less than promising as they reach the town of Haven. New rules and customs must be adhered to in order to stay. Leaving would mean most certain death in the large expanse of the Gravelands. Time is running out as the government mounts an attack to destroy Olivia and bury her secret with her. Thrown into a world unlike their own, they must quickly adapt to survive. 

My Rating: 3.9

This was a hard book to rate! It was really good in the beginning and then really really boring in the middle and then REALLY good at the end. Unfortunately, I found the characters quite annoying.. Will really just Oliva. 

***SPOILER***

Josh was all over the place with his feelings for Olivia and I feel like after they were matched he all of a sudden has been in love with her forever. I don't know.[ after they were matched he all of a sudden has been in love with her forever. I don't know.

I really liked how it all came together in the end. With the whole "test" thing being a sham. I like the idea of "Shadow" and the people there. I didn't understand the title until literally the second to last page. And even then I had to look up the word. (hide spoiler)]

I really liked how it all came together in the end. With the whole "test" thing being a sham. I like the idea of "Shadow" and the people there. I didn't understand the title until literally the second to last page. And even then I had to look up the word. 
Feel like it was more bad then good so had to go with 3 stars but I still might read the next one.

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Book Review: Walking Disaster (Beautiful, #2) by Jamie McGuire

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 4.26
Genre: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary

Goodreads Summary:
Finally, the highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Beautiful Disaster.

Can you love someone too much?

Travis Maddox learned two things from his mother before she died: Love hard. Fight harder.

In Walking Disaster; the life of Travis is full of fast women, underground gambling, and violence. But just when he thinks he is invincible, Abby Abernathy brings him to his knees.

Every story has two sides. In Beautiful Disaster, Abby had her say. Now it’s time to see the story through Travis’s eyes.

My Rating: 4.2

This book is a re-telling of from Travis's perspective. I was not aware of that going in and expected more story so at first I was a little disappointed. Fortunately I love Trav and this book turned out to be fantastic.

I felt like we got more of the story instead of the exact same story Abbie told which is great because it's more realistic. There is always stuff going on behind the scenes that we don't quite know about. Whether it be because Abbie was drunk and forgot about it or the times when she just wasn't around. We got a deeper look into Travis's pain & misery and more of an explanation about why he did the things he did.

I thought Travis was a little over the top from Abbie's perspective; Too violent & controlling. But from his own perspective I could see it was how he's always dealt with his emotions. A long comes this girl that tilts his world on a different axis. His passion and unconditional love was overflowing from his pores and sometimes he didn't know better than to react in his old ways.

I was really, really grateful for that epilogue. I'm so content with that look 11 years into the future. I finished this book feeling satisfied and thankful for the closure. Now I just need to read about that wedding to get my final "ahh" moments.

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Book Review: Let the Sky Fall (Sky Fall, #1) by Shannon Messenger

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 3.91
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Goodreads Summary:
Vane Weston should have died in the category-five tornado that killed his parents. Instead, he woke up in a pile of rubble with no memories of his past - except one: a beautiful, dark-haired girl standing in the winds. She swept through his dreams ever since, and he clings to the hope that she's real.

Audra is real, but she isn't human. She's a sylph, an air elemental who can walk on the wind, translate its alluring songs, even twist it into a weapon. She's also a guardian - Vane's guardian - and has sworn an oath to protect him at all costs.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both their families, Audra has just days to help Vane unlock his memories. And as the storm winds gather, Audra and Vane start to realize that the greatest danger might not be the warriors coming to destroy them, but the forbidden romance growing between them.

My Rating: 2.8

Hey at least it got a high 2?

Okay, let's cut straight to the chase. I am SO glad that is over.. I wanted it to end from about the 1/4 point.

It's really unfortunate cause in the beginning I had high hopes for this book. Execution was just terrible.

Things I liked: The oppositeness of the characters.. i.e. The main character was a BOY and the "super hero" type one with the powers and the knowledge was the GIRL. The main character's father was the GOOD guy and mother, the BAD guy.. You don't see that as often I feel like. Also, Vane was pretty funny. He's also loyal to his family and I liked how he came clean to his mom.

I also liked the element control aspect.. the different types of winds and all the background behind each type of wind.

Things I disliked: The length.. I feel like it went on and on and on forever. Nothing happened for chapters and chapters. The "wind calling" process itself was cheesy and unrealistic... having to say a 2 line limerick to get a wind to save you from falling? Will you even have time?

Another thing.. why did they feast on in-n-out right before they had to go into this huge fight.. And if talking to the Gale was that easy (he pretty much got everything he wanted way easily) why didn't they do it beforehand?

I just don't care enough about this "sylph" world to keep reading..

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Book Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 3.93
Genre: Young Adult, GLBT, Contemporary

Goodreads Summary:
Will Grayson meets Will Grayson. One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two strangers are about to cross paths. From that moment on, their world will collide and Iives intertwine.

It's not that far from Evanston to Naperville, but Chicago suburbanites Will Grayson and Will Grayson might as well live on different planets. When fate delivers them both to the same surprising crossroads, the Will Graysons find their lives overlapping and hurtling in new and unexpected directions. With a push from friends new and old - including the massive, and massively fabulous, Tiny Cooper, offensive lineman and musical theater auteur extraordinaire - Will and Will begin building toward respective romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history's most awesome high school musical.

My Actual Rating: 3.5

I'm so glad I came back and re-read this book. It was so different than the first time I read it and I thought it was important for me to re-review it as well. My standards on books have definitely changed over the last two years and this book no longer deserves 5 stars.

The first time I read this book I didn't realize it was told from two different perspectives and I was SO confused the whole time! I was like wait is Will Grayson straight or is he gay? I quickly realized this time around, that one was straight and one was gay, no wonder I was so confused! In fact, there was nothing confusing going on at all.

I do like the characters in this book. I give them extreme credit for being the misfits that they are and learning to embrace it and find happiness in it. This book took us through a couple different kinds of depression and sadness and brought different kinds of happily ever afters as well.

My favorite character was still Tiny Cooper and I'm glad that I re-read this book so I am fully prepared for Hold Me Closer - The Tiny Cooper Story!


Original Review from January 8th, 2013: 5 stars

Oh Will Grayson...

I have mixed feelings about this book. It didn't really come together in the end the way I wanted it to however the journey it took me on was amazing. I was SO confused when the book switched perspectives and the whole book I was a bit confused and waiting for things to make sense.

I waited and waited for this dramatic THING to happen and it NEVER DID.

The writing style was amazing, it really captured so many different relationships and values that most authors overlook.

Gah I just don't know what to say because I loved it so much but at the same time it could have been so much better... Or could it? I don't know.. I literally laughed and cried while reading this book. Real laughs... Real tears! Whatever 5 stars! I love Tiny Cooper!

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Book Review: You Are Mine (Mine, #1) by Janeal Falor

You Are Mine by Janeal Falor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Avg rating: 3.80
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

Goodreads Summary:
Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life—worth less than the shadow she casts.

Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly. 

My Rating: 4.5

I was provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is kinda like Beauty and the Beast meets Harry Potter... Are you intrigued yet?
I am so impressed by this book! The premise and idea is intricate & well thought out. I found it interesting from start to finish. I absolutely loved the characters in it and loved seeing them grow and develop.

The love story came in late and was quite subtle but it was perfect in my opinion. I wish there was more! I could definitely see this be turned into a series and if so I will read them all.

*EDIT* I just realized it IS a series and that the second book is already out! Yay!! I can't wait to read more and watch Serena truly come out of her hole and fall in love with Zade. I hope it stays on Serena's story and doesn't switch to someone else.

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