Unexpected Hiatus and Tumblr

Hey all! Sorry I disappeared on you. Remind me to never take six classes in one semester again. I'm trying to get back into the swing of book reviewing, but it won't be on the same scale as it was before. School is too big a part of my life right now and I need to focus on it. I have started a Tumblr blog so that I can streamline both of my book review blogs into one place. The Tumblr posts are more likely to be short and sweet and not all of the books I talk about will be YA. With that said, I hope to return to active duty on this blog at a later date, but I don't know when that will be. If you want to follow me on Tumblr you can find me at http://www.bookmaedin.tumblr.com

Thanks for being such amazing readers! And thank you authors for being so supportive!

Review: The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

The Cinderella Society

by Kay Cassidy

http://www.kaycassidy.com

Egmont

ISBN: 9781606840177 (hardcover)

Release Date: April 2010

from the author's site: 

Sixteen year old Jess Parker has always been an outsider.  So when she receives an invitation to join The Cinderella Society, a secret society of the most popular girls in school, it’s like something out of a fairy tale.  Swept up by the Cindys’ magical world of makeovers, and catching the eye of her Prince Charming, Jess feels like she’s finally found her chance to fit in.

Then the Wickeds–led by Jess’s arch-enemy–begin targeting innocent girls in their war against the Cindys, and Jess discovers there’s more to being a Cindy than reinventing yourself on the outside.  She has unknowingly become part of a centuries-old battle of good vs. evil, and now the Cindys in charge need Jess for a mission that could change everything.

Overwhelmed, Jess wonders if The Cinderella Society made a mistake in choosing her.  Is it a coincidence her new boyfriend doesn’t want to be seen with her in public?  And is this glamorous, secret life even what she wants, or will she risk her own happy ending to live up to the expectations of her new sisters? 

my thoughts: 

This is a girl power handbook that every girl should read. We've all been in situations we're unsure and all we want to do is fit in with everyone else. The Cinderella Society is all about Jessica and her journey towards empowerment. As Jessica comes into her own she learns not only to stand up for herself but for others as well. Jessica becomes a role model for others to stand up for themselves against the Wickeds also. 

The Cinderella Society is pure empowerment and a must-read.  

how I acquired this book: 
I won the ARC in a contest held by the author.  

Trailer Tuesday: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

 Shadow and Bone
by Leigh Bardugo
http://www.leighbardugo.com
Henry Holt/Macmillan 
Release date: Today! June 5, 2012

Review: Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

Darker Still

by Leanna Renee Hieber

http://www.leannareneehieber.com

Sourcebooks Fire

ISBN: 9781402260520

Release Date: November 1, 2011

from the author's site: 

I was obsessed.

 It was as if he called to me, demanding I reach out and touch the brushstrokes of color swirled onto the canvas. It was the most exquisite portrait I'd ever seen - everything about Lord Denbury was unbelievable... utterly breathtaking and eerily lifelike. 

There is a reason for that. Because despite what everyone said, Denbury didn't commit suicide. He's alive. Trapped within his golden frame. 

I've crossed over into his world within the painting. I've seen what dreams haunt him. They haunt me too. He and I are inextricably linked- bound together to watch the darkness seeping through the gas-lit, cobblestone streets of Manhattan. And unless I can free him soon, things will only get darker still...

my thoughts: 

Absolutely positively love it! I was engrossed in Natalie's story immediately. The structure of the book instantly engages a reader's curiosity. The story opens with a letter from a police sergeant indicating that the contents are a diary and are part of an investigation. While I'm sure similar literary devices have been employed before, I still feel this is a unique way of grabbing and keeping your readers attention. And it worked. :) I breezed through Darker Still because I could not wait to see how the story would unfold. I anxiously await the release of book 2 in November. 

If you haven't read this one already, I strongly recommend it. Not only is Leanna a fabulous writer, but she's an all-around awesome person. You want to support an awesome person, so she keeps writing don't you? You know you do. :) If you have read it, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments. 

how I acquired this book: 
I bought it. 

Eyecatcher: Above by Leah Bobet

Above

by Leah Bobet

http://www.leahbobet.com

Arthur A. Levine Books

ISBN: 9780545296700

Release Date: April 1, 2012

from the author's site: 

Matthew’s father had lion’s feet and his mother had gills, and both fled the modern-day city to live in underground Safe, a secret community of freaks, ghost-whisperers, and disabled outcasts hidden beyond the subways and sewers. Raised underground, Matthew is responsible for the keeping of both Safe’s histories and the traumatized shapeshifter Ariel, the girl he took in, fell in love with – and can’t stop from constantly running away.

But Safe is no longer safe: the night after a frightening encounter in the sewers, Safe’s founder Atticus is murdered by the one person Safe ever exiled: mad Corner, whose coup is backed by an army of mindless, whispering shadows.

Only Matthew, Ariel, and a handful of unstable, crippled compatriots escape to the city that cast them out; the dangerous place he knows only as Above. Despite Ariel’s increasingly erratic behaviour and with the odds against them, Matthew must find a way to rescue Safe from Corner’s occupying army. But as his quest leads him through abandoned asylums and the dregs of urban poverty, Matthew discovers that the histories he’s devoted his life to aren’t true: Corner’s invasion — and Ariel’s terrors – are rooted in a history of Safe much darker and bloodier than Matthew ever imagined.

And even if he manages to save both home and Ariel, he may well lose himself.

why it caught my eye: 

I love the look of the dragonfly wings on the cover. :) Can't help it. I'm a dragonfly kinda girl. The premise is certainly interesting, I'm curious to see what happens. Anyone read it yet? Share your thoughts in the comments.  

You Recommend Wednesday

Your turn. Tell me what to read. Come on, it's summer, I finally have time to read for fun again. :) What's new and exciting that you just have to gush about? Feel free to gush all about it in the comments here.

Eyecatcher: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

The Gathering Storm

The Katerina Trilogy Book 1

by Robin Bridges

http://www.robinbridges.com

Delacorte Books

ISBN: 9780385740227

Release Date: January 10, 2012

from the author's site: 

Saint Petersburg, Russia, 1888.

As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe’s royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina’s strength as a necromancer attracts unwanted attention . . . including from two young men.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

why it caught my eye: 

It's a paranormal and it's set in Russia, need I say more? Ok, so maybe that's only a big deal to me. One of my two minors at school is Russian so it's interesting for me to read about Russia, even a fictionalized Russia. These books look really interesting and I can't wait to get a hold of them.