Waiting on Wednesday: Pieces and Players

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine blog

This Wednesday I'm Waiting on: Pieces and Players by Blue Balliet

From the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of CHASING VERMEER and HOLD FAST

THE PIECES
Thirteen extremely valuable pieces of art have been stolen from one of the most secretive museums in the world. A Vermeer has vanished. A Manet is missing. And nobody has any idea where they and the other eleven artworks might be . . . or who might have stolen them.
 
THE PLAYERS
Calder, Petra, and Tommy are no strangers to heists and puzzles. Now they've been matched with two new sleuths -- Zoomy, a very small boy with very thick glasses, and Early, a girl who treasures words . . . and has a word or two to say about the missing treasure.
 
The kids have been drawn in by the very mysterious Mrs. Sharpe, who may be playing her own kind of game with the clues. And it's not just Mrs. Sharpe who's acting suspiciously -- there's a ghost who mingles with the guards in the museum, a cat who acts like a spy, and bystanders in black jackets who keep popping up.
 
With pieces and players, you have all the ingredients for a fantastic mystery from the amazing Blue Balliett.
-summary and cover via Goodreads

I haven't read any of this authors books in awhile, but I remember loving previous books by her! And I'm looking forward to read another book with Petra, Calder, and Tommy in it! :)

This book releases March 31st

Top Ten Favorite Heroines From Books

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

Top Ten Favorite Heroines From Books

This TTT was very hard to narrow down to just ten! :)

Felicity Pickle

From A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

Sophie

From the Keeper of the Lost Cities books by Jessica Day George

Princess Celie

From The Castle Glower books by Jessica Day George

Piper

From The Mark of the Dragonfly by Jaleigh Johnson

Cammie Morgan

From the Gallagher Girl books by Ally Carter

Nancy Drew

From the Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene

Daine

From Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce

Gemma

From Broken Hearts, Fences, and Other Things to Mend by Katie Finn

Skye

From The Penderwicks books by Jeanne Birdsall

Amelia 

From the Amelia Rules! graphic novels by Jimmy Gownley

And because it was that hard to narrow it down to just ten, here are a few (Well, more than a few!) honorable mentions! :)

Honorable Mentions: Holly Mead from the I Heart Band books by Michelle Scusterman, Ana from the My Life is a Zoo books by Jess Keating, Rose from the Rose books by Holly Webb, Chole Turner from At Your Service by Jen Malone, Fer from the Winterling books by Sarah Prineas, Sophia from The Glass Sentence by S. E. Grove, Jane from A Horse of Her Own by Annie Wedekind, Abby from Abby Spencer Goes to Bollywood by Varsha Bajaj, Lily from Firespell by Chloe Neill, Sawako from Kimi Ni Todoke manga by Karuho Shiina, and Madeline Hatter from A Wonderlandiful World by Shannon Hale

Who are your favorite heroines from books? :)

Mini review: Thursdays With Crown

Mini Review: Thursdays With the Crown by Jessica Day George

Mini review: This is honestly one of my favorite series ever! Each book just gets better. The characters are wonderful, the plot is entertaining, and I highly recommend this entire series to every Middle Grade reader out there! :)

I checked this book out from my library.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Penderwicks in Spring

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine blog

This Wednesday I'm Waiting on: The Penderwicks in Spring by Jeanne Birdsall

With over one million copies sold, this series of modern classics about the charming Penderwick family, from National Book Award winner and New York Times bestseller Jeanne Birdsall, is perfect for fans of Noel Streatfeild and Edward Eager.
 
Springtime is finally arriving on Gardam Street, and there are surprises in store for each member of the family. 
 
Some surprises are just wonderful, like neighbor Nick Geiger coming home from war. And some are ridiculous, like Batty’s new dog-walking business. Batty is saving up her dog-walking money for an extra-special surprise for her family, which she plans to present on her upcoming birthday. But when some unwelcome surprises make themselves known, the best-laid plans fall apart.
 
Filled with all the heart, hilarity, and charm that has come to define this beloved clan, The Penderwicks in Spring is about fun and family and friends (and dogs), and what happens when you bring what's hidden into the bright light of the spring sun.

-summary and cover via Goodreads

IT'S A NEW PENDERWICKS BOOK!!!!!!! This is honestly one of my favorite series, the books just make me happy! And I'm very happy that another book is almost here! :)

This book releases March 24th

Mini review: Lucky Me

Mini Review: Lucky Me by Cindy Callaghan

Mini review: I don't have much to write about this book except that I enjoyed this book a lot! The characters were fun, I LOVE getting to read a book set in Ireland, and if you want to read a entertaining Middle Grade book with a fun plot set in Ireland, I recommend this book! :)

I checked this book out from my library.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Storyspinner

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine blog

This Wednesday I'm Waiting on: The Storyspinner by Becky Wallace

Drama and danger abound in this fantasy realm where dukes play a game for the throne, magical warriors race to find the missing heir, and romance blossoms where it is least expected.

In a world where dukes plot their way to the throne, a Performer’s life can get tricky. And in Johanna Von Arlo’s case, it can be fatal. Expelled from her troupe after her father’s death, Johanna is forced to work for the handsome Lord Rafael DeSilva. Too bad they don’t get along. But while Johanna’s father’s death was deemed an accident, the Keepers aren’t so sure.

The Keepers, a race of people with magical abilities, are on a quest to find the princess—the same princess who is supposed to be dead and whose throne the dukes are fighting over. But they aren’t the only ones looking for her. And in the wake of their search, murdered girls keep turning up—girls who look exactly like the princess, and exactly like Johanna.

With dukes, Keepers, and a killer all after the princess, Johanna finds herself caught up in political machinations for the throne, threats on her life, and an unexpected romance that could change everything.
-summary and cover via Goodreads

I have been reading a lot of good things about this book! :)

This book releases March 3rd

Review: Everblaze

Review: Everblaze by Shannon Messenger

The summary has spoilers for previous books!

Sophie Foster is ready to fight back.

Her talents are getting stronger, and with the elusive Black Swan group ignoring her calls for help, she’s determined to find her kidnappers—before they come after her again. 

But a daring mistake leaves her world teetering on the edge of war, and causes many to fear that she has finally gone too far. And the deeper Sophie searches, the farther the conspiracy stretches, proving that her most dangerous enemy might be closer than she realizes. 

In this nail-biting third book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, Sophie must fight the flames of rebellion, before they destroy everyone and everything she loves.
-summary and cover via Goodreads


Plot: LOVE! Each book just gets better and after the ending of this one? I NEED the next book!

Characters: LOVE! Sophie is a great main character, and I love her friends, too! Especially Keefe! :)

The cover: LOVE! The second cover is still my favorite, but this is pretty epic, too! :)

Overall: Overall I loved this book! (Was it hard to tell with my review? (; ) Each book just gets better and better! And if you haven't read these books yet? You need to! This is one of my favorite series ever! Highly recommend it! :)

I checked this book out from my library.

Waiting on Wednesday: Inherit Midnight and One of the Guys

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

This Wednesday I'm Waiting on: Inherit Midnight by Kate Kae Myers

The Competition:

Outlandishly wealthy Grandmother VanDemere has decided to leave her vast fortune to the family member who proves him or herself worthiest-by solving puzzles and riddles on a whirlwind race around the globe, from the mines of Venezuela to the castles of Scotland. There will be eight competitors, three continents . . . and a prize worth millions.

The Players:

Seventeen-year-old Avery is the black sheep of the VanDemere clan, the ostracized illegitimate daughter. Finally, she has a chance to prove herself . . . and to discover the truth about her long-lost mother.

Marshall might be Avery's uncle, but there's no love lost between the two of them. He's her main competition, and he'll do anything to win-including betray his own children.

Riley is the handsome son of Grandmother VanDemere's lawyer. As the game progresses, Avery falls hard for Riley. Suddenly, losing the game might mean losing him, too. 

As the competition takes treacherous turns, it becomes clear there can only be one victor. Who can Avery truly trust? And is winning worth her life?
-summary and cover via Goodreads

Inherit Midnight releases February 10th from Bloomsbury

And: One of the Guys by Lisa Aldin

Tomboy to the core, Toni Valentine understands guys. She'll take horror movies, monster hunts and burping contests over manicures. So Toni is horrified when she's sent to the Winston Academy for Girls, where she has to wear a skirt and learn to be a lady while the guys move on without her.

Then Toni meets Emma Elizabeth, a girl at school with boy troubles, and she volunteers one of her friends as a pretend date. Word spreads of Toni’s connections with boys, and she discovers that her new wealthy female classmates will pay big money for fake dates. Looking for a way to connect her old best friends with her new life at school, Toni and Emma start up Toni Valentine’s Rent-A-Gent Service. 

But the business meets a scandal when Toni falls for one of her friends--the same guy who happens to be the most sought-after date. With everything she's built on the line, Toni has to decide if she wants to save the business and her old life, or let go of being one of the guys for a chance at love.

-summary and cover via Goodreads

One of the Guys releases February 10th from Spencer Hill Press

Don't both of these books look amazing?! :)