Waiting on Wednesday: Thursdays With the Crown

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine blog

This Wednesday I'm Waiting on: Thursdays With the Crown by Jessica Day George

(There are spoilers for the first two books in the summary below!)

Castle Glower has been acting weird, so it’s no surprise when two towers transport Celie and her siblings to an unknown land. When they realize that no one from home is coming to get them, the kids – along with Celie’s pet griffin Rufus – set out through the forest to figure out where they are and what’s happened to their beloved Castle. Instead, they discover two wizards and an entire lost people, the oldest inhabitants of Castle Glower. And it seems they may know more of the Castle’s secrets than Celie. But do they know how to get her back home?

This bestselling series continues with the story of the origin of Castle Glower. Readers who’ve been enchanted by the Castle’s moving walls will be delighted by the Castle’s rich and magical history.

-summary and cover via Goodreads

These books are favorites and this new book looks amazing! And after the way the last book ended, I want this book even more now! :)

This book releases October 7th 2014 from Bloomsbury

Top Ten Books I Really Want To Read But Don't Own Yet

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish blog

The topic this week is Top Ten Books I Really Want To Read But Don't Own Yet. I decided to go with a slightly different twist to it, with Top Ten Books I Don't Own Yet (Because They Aren't Out Yet), But Want VERY Badly. I'm talking about the books I NEED. And WANT. Like, yesterday. :) I'm going to list books that don't release until at least next month (There are already a bunch releasing this month that I'm excited for a lot, like the new Amulet book, At Your Service, and the new Ever After High! But I'm trying to use this post to focus on books that are a little ways off yet.), and few of the ones I'm going to mention don't even have covers up yet. But that doesn't lessen my need for them! And I listed waaaayy more than just ten! :)

Top Ten Twenty-Three Books I Really Want To Read But Don't Own Yet

First, the books that have the cover up already! :)

Thursdays With the Crown by Jessica Day George

This is one of my favorite MG series and after the way the last book ended I NEED this next book! :)

Crushes, Codas, and Corsages by Michelle Schusterman

These books have been a favorite this year and while I'm sad it's ending, I'm looking forward to this book a lot! :)

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

I have been looking forward to this book awhile now and I just won an ARC of it! Looking forward to it! :)

Hook's Revenge by Heidi Schulz

The whole idea of this book has me excited about it and I just am looking forward to it a lot! :)

My True Love Gave to Me by various authors, edited by Stephanie Perkins

I love Holiday books and this has a short story by Ally Carter in it! :)

The Penderwicks in Spring by Jeanne Birdsall

I NEED IT!!!!!!! The Penderwicks are a favorite (Most of you probably know that about me!) and the last book released awhile ago. Ah, I just want this book a lot! :)

Everblaze by Shannon Messenger

EEEEEEE! I love these books and am looking forward to this next book a lot! :)

Valiant by Sarah McGuire

I LOVE fairytale retellings and I think this book is going to be amazing! :)

How to Outswim a Shark Without a Snorkel by Jess Keating

I love the first book and this book looks like it's going to be even more of a "me" book! :)

Breaking the Ice by Gail Nall

It looks good! :)

Colonial Madness by Jo Whittemore

The idea of this book is fun! :)

Love, Lucy by April Lindner

It's Italy! I have to want it! :)

And now, the books that don't have covers yet, but I really want! :)

Revenge, Ice Cream, and Other Things Best Served Cold by Katie Finn

I NEED IT! :)

The Golden Specific by S. E. Grove

The first was very interesting and that ending! Wondering what the next book is going to be like! :)

Library Jumpers by Brenda Drake

Interesting looking! :)

Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

Looks like fun! :)

Lock & Mori by Heather Petty

Another book that is VERY high on my want list! :)

Petticoats & Pistols by various authors

I love Historicals and these short stories look very good! :)

The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

Looks interesting! :)

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

It's an Ally Carter book! I have to want it! :)

Tracked by Jenny Martin

The idea of this book is amazing! :)

Becoming Jinn by Lori Goldstein

Looks good! :)

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

I want it! :)

What books do you want to read but don't own yet? :)

Top Ten Books People Have Been Telling Me That I MUST Read

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish blog

I wasn't able to think of ten this week, even though I know I'm always being told by people that I NEED to read this book or that book (And I know I'm always telling that to people, too!), but now that I'm trying to think what books people are always telling me about, my brain is not remembering what books! Now, a lot of the books below are books that I plan on reading eventually, I either just haven't had time to or I just feel like there's a lot of pressure to love them and am afraid to try them now.

Top Ten Seven Books People Have Been Telling Me That I MUST Read

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Harry Potter books by J. K. Rowling

Alanna books by Tamora Pierce

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

Have you all read these books? What books are people always telling you that you NEED to read? :)

Review: How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied

Review: How to Outrun a Crocodile When Yours Shoes Are Untied by Jess Keating

"A wild romp, filled with humor and heart."-Lisa Schroeder, author of It's Raining Cupcakes and the Charmed Life series

Ana Wright's social life is now officially on the endangered list: she lives in a zoo (umm, elephant droppings!?), her best friend lives on the other side of the world, and the Sneerers are making junior high miserable. All Ana wants is to fade into the background.

Yeah, that's not going to happen.

Creature File for Ana Wright:

Species Name: Anaphyta Normalis
Kingdom: The Zoo, Junior High
Phylum: Girls Whose Best Friend Just Moved To New Zealand; Girls Who Are Forced To Live In A Zoo With Their Weirdo Parents And Twin Brother
Weight: Classified
Feeds On: Daydreams about Zackardia Perfecticus and wish cupcakes
Life Span: Soon to become extinct due to social awkwardness
-summary and cover via Goodreads


Plot: If I had to describe the plot of this book in one word it would be fun! I was giggling a lot while I was reading it! I have always loved animals, and I thought the whole idea of this book looked totally like a "me" book. And I was right! The zoo? Love. The animals? Love. The humor? Um, love! :)

Characters: Ana was a totally relatable character and I loved that! Every time she felt embarrassed I felt it right with her (Except when I was giggling!)! Kevin was darling and I love him! I love that her parents were actually involved in her life (Even if they were totally embarrassing her!), that was way more realistic than most MG books. Ana's Grandfather was fun! And even though I thought Sugar was going to be just a typical stereotype, she wasn't and I like that. All of the characters were just really well done!

The cover: Very fun! And I love how the orange stands out on the bookshelf! (And this has more to do with the title, but I love how the title/cover together gives you a very good idea of the book!)

Overall: I was looking forward to reading this book for awhile and the author is so nice on Twitter that I was hoping that I would totally enjoy this book! And I'm very glad that I did! If you're looking for a fun, enjoyable, MG book, then I highly recommend this book! If you love animals or laughing or just good writing this is one not to miss! :)

I won this book in a contest and that did not effect my review.

Authors website: http://jesskeating.com/
Age Range: Middle Grade
Series?:  Yep! The next book releases in January, How to Outswim a Shark Without a Snorkel! (Don't you love these titles?)
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

What Do I Read Next? Info-Graphic! :)

I thought it would be fun to try and make a What Do I Read Next? graphic for YA books! I didn't want to make it very detailed, I just wanted to try and make one to find out if I would be able to! Now, it isn't the best one ever or anything, but I'm happy with how it turned out! This one is for YA Romance Books! Here it is now! :)

Here's a list of books mentioned above:
This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg
Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita
Better Off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg
The Distance Between Us by Kasie West
Rhymes With Cupid by Anne Humphrey
Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt

All of the books on this are ones that I love! I highly recommend all of them! And they all have things in them besides what I mentioned above, but I just wanted to do an easy one today! :)

Now tell me! Do you like it?! Do you want me to make another one?! I'm thinking of tyring to make one for a different genre! :)

Waiting on Wednesday: At Your Service

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine blog

This Wednesday I'm Waiting on: At Your Service by Jen Malone

Thirteen-year-old Chloe Turner wants nothing more than to follow in Dad’s footsteps as a respected concierge in a posh NYC hotel. After all, living at a hotel is heaven, and perks like free concert tickets and all-access passes to boutiques, restaurants, and attractions aren’t too shabby either.

When the spoiled brat child of an important guest is only placated by some quick thinking on Chloe’s part, Chloe is awarded the role of Junior Concierge. But she might be in over her head when tasked with tending to the every whim of three royal guests: a twelve-year-old princess who can’t stand Chloe, a cute fourteen year-old prince(!), and their ten-year-old sister, who has a nasty knack for getting herself lost. After the youngest princess slips Chloe’s care, Chloe and the remaining royals must embark on an event-filled hunt for her through NYC’s best tourist spots.
-summary and cover via Goodreads

I have been looking forward to this book for awhile now, it looks good! And the Mix books are usually a lot of fun! :)

This book releases August 26th 2014

What Do YOU Think? Books that have toys, too.

Awhile back I heard someone talking about how this lady's daughter wanted to read the Ever After High books by Shannon Hale, but the woman said that if the daughter wanted them, she would have to get them herself. That the books weren't "good" enough for her and that she thought her daughter had better taste than that. The thing that bugs me the most about that, is that if the daughter wanted to read them, why is that bad? Yes, there are a lot of toys that go with those books. Why is that bad? And if one of you reading this knows, I really would like you to try and explain that to me, because I don't get it.

To be honest, I think it's neat when books have dolls and other toys that go with them. (I buy dolls. Yes, I am a teenager and I buy dolls. There is nothing wrong with that.) I admit that when I hear that a book was made just for the purpose of that, I'm a little hesitent. Yes, not all are good. But I read the first two Ever After High books, and I'm a fan. I look forward to the next one! And I got an Madeline Hatter doll for Christmas this past year. And I don't think there is anything wrong with that. At all. I get that if you think your daughter or son wants a book, they'll then just want ALL the toys. But, first of all, won't they want toys anyway? And second of all, they're reading! Isn't that a good thing? I mean, am I insane to think that people might be HAPPY that their kids are reading books?! Even if they're "beneath" them?

Look at the American Girl books, yes, they have really expensive dolls with them, but they are FUN and GOOD! I read them when I was younger (I never had any of the dolls, but I liked the books a lot, I like them today, too!) They made History fun and that's my favorite subject today!

And the Monster High books, I have not read them, but the dolls are fun and unique! What's wrong if they like the books AND the dolls?!

And if they're not readers, what if they get a doll and begin to wonder about the books? What if they read the books? And LOVE them?! Wouldn't that mean they might get to wondering about other books and go on from there? And then maybe they would learn to LOVE reading ALL books? I know I read a blog post about that from someone, I think it might have been Shannon Hale?

My point to this post was that I wanted to get all of this out and I honestly want to read your thoughts, too! Tell me, am I weird for thinking this way? Or do you agree with me? :)

Waiting on Wednesday: The Swap

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine blog

This Wednesday I'm Waiting on: The Swap by Megan Shull

“YOU BE ME...AND I'LL BE YOU.”

ELLIE spent the summer before seventh grade getting dropped by her best friend since forever. JACK spent it training in “The Cage” with his tough-as-nails brothers and hard-to-please dad. By the time middle school starts, they’re both ready for a change. And just as Jack’s thinking girls have it so easy, Ellie’s wishing she could be anyone but herself.

Then, BAM! They swap lives—and bodies!

Now Jack’s fending off mean girls at sleepover parties while Ellie’s reigning as the Prince of Thatcher Middle School. As their crazy weekend races on—and their feelings for each other grow—Ellie and Jack begin to realize that maybe the best way to learn how to be yourself is to spend a little time being someone else.
-summary and cover via Goodreads

This book looks like fun! :)

This book releases August 26th 2014

July 2014 Monthly Recap

Reviews:
Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn
Moonkind by Sarah Prineas
Otomen Vol. 18 by Aya Kanno

TTT and WOW Posts:

Top Ten Blogging Confessions

WOW: Lucky Me

Top Ten Favorite Movies and TV Shows

WOW: Magnolia
WOW: The Time of the Fireflies
WOW: Ever After High #3: A Wonderlandiful World

Other Posts:
Happy 4th of July!
2015 Books I'm Looking Forward To! (The amount of love this post received made me happy!)
Marvelous Musical Friday 24!
Horse Books!
Marvelous Musical Friday 25!
Happy Birthday to Me!
What Do YOU Think? This or That Edition!

Song of the Month:

Tattoo by Hunter Hayes

Hunter Hayes is one of my favorite singers and this song is in my top 3 favorite songs from this album! I'm happy that it's now his newest single! :)

What Happened Last Month and What's Going on Now:
The 4th of July was fun! Went to an event in town and then watched the Macy's special that night! And my Birthday was last month! I'm now 19! It was very good Birthday! :) And I wanted to thank everyone again for all the Birthday wishes, you all are awesome people! :) Last month was busy, but I did get a few good books read, despite not having a lot of free time. This month looks to be a little less busy, hoping to get ahead on everything before Fall gets here, which is probably the busiest time of year for me. (Except for December!) I hope you all had a good July! :)

What was your July like? :)

Top Ten Books I'd Give To Readers Who Have Never Read Middle Grade Books

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish blog

The topic for this weeks TTT was Top Ten Books I'd Give To Readers Who Never Read x. I didn't know what I wanted to do, then I figured that I'm always talking about Middle Grade books anyway, why not make that my TTT this week? Now, if you haven't read MG books before or you haven't read them in awhile, here are just a few of my favorites that I recommend to you all! Now, I would be able to go on for hours about MG books, and these are by no means the only ones I recommend to you all, but if I listed all the books I wanted to, this list would be waaaay longer than just ten! I tried to list a wide variety of genres below, I hope you find a book to read from this list! :)

Top Ten Books I'd Give To Readers Who Have Never Read Middle Grade Books

1. A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Llyod
This book in one word is wonderful! Just a wonderful  book! I wouldn't call it Fantasy necessarily, but more Magical Realism, at least that's what I think! It's one of my favorite books this year! :)

2. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
If you know me you know that this is probably the book I recommend the most frequently, no matter what genre you like. It's Contemporary with an old-fashioned feel, and it is funny, heartwarming, and just wonderful all-around! :)

3. The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson
I just finished this book a few days ago and I love it! It's a Fantasy, with kind of a Steampunk feel to it as well. The main character in it? Awesome. And the twist in it? Ugh, it was good. (Plan on writing a review for the blog!) :)

4. May B. by Caroline Starr Rose
Historical in verse. Very quick read that was good! :)

5. Winterling by Sarah Prineas
This Fantasy trilogy is amazing! Fer, Rook, and everyone else in it are fantastic characters and if you want a good Fantasy, these are the books to try! :)

6. I Heart Band by Michelle Schusterman
This Contemporary trilogy is darling! Holly is a very relatable main character and Owen is just darling, too! :)

7. The Horse From the Sea by Victoria Holmes
This Historical is one I haven't heard mentioned a lot, but it was very good! (Try Heart of Fire by this author as well!) :)

8. Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Love this Fantasy! This series is longer than the average MG book, (According to Goodreads, the 1st book is nearly 500 pages!) but totally worth reading and the books just fly by despite their length. Highly recommend them! :)

9. A Horse of Her Own by Annie Wedekind
Another MG, this time a Contemporary that I rarely hear mentioned, but it's a wonderful book! :)

10. Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
This book and it's seqeul are just wonderful books. If you love Fantasy with a Fairytale-like feel, then this is what you need to try! :)

Honorable Mentions That Would Have Made The List If I Had Kept Going Past Ten: Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood by Varsha Bajaj (Contemporary), The Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove (Fantasy and I want to mention another genre, but I don't know what Genre.), How to Outrun a Crocodile When Your Shoes Are Untied by Jess Keating (Funny Contemporary), Circus Galacticus by Deva Fagan (Science Fiction/Fantasy), Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis (Fantasy), Lost in London by Cindy Callaghan (Contemporary), Ever After High #1 by Shannon Hale (Fairytale), and I probably need to stop now, don't you think? :)

Have you all read any of these books? Do you like MG? Do you not like MG? Do you want anymore MG recommendations from me? I love talking MG books with people! :)