Cover Reveal: Stained by Cheryl Rainfield

On Nov 19th, 2013 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will be realeasing the newest title by author Cheryl Rainfield, Stained.

In this heart-wrenching and suspenseful teen thriller, sixteen-year-old Sarah Meadows longs for "normal." Born with a port-wine stain covering half her face, all her life she’s been plagued by stares, giggles, bullying, and disgust. But when she’s abducted on the way home from school, Sarah is forced to uncover the courage she never knew she had, become a hero rather than a victim, and learn to look beyond her face to find the beauty and strength she has inside. It’s that—or succumb to a killer. Tag Line: Sometimes you have to be your own hero. 

From the author: Like I did with SCARS and HUNTED, I drew on some of my own experiences of bullying, abuse, and trauma to write STAINED and to give it greater emotional depth. Like Sarah in STAINED, I experienced abduction, imprisonment, periods of forced starvation, mind control, and having my life threatened. And like Sarah, I tried hard to fight against my abuser, keep my own sense of self, and escape. I hope readers will see Sarah's strength and courage, and appreciate her emotional growth as she reclaims herself.

And now, for the moment you've been waiting for...

Isn't that cover intense?!

You can check out the newly released trailer too!

Available For Pre-Order on:

Amazon (hardcover)

Amazon (kindle)

Amazon.ca (hardcover)

Amazon.ca (ebook)

Amazon.co.uk (hardcover) 

Amazon.co.uk (ebook) 

The Book Depository

Powell's

Books a Million

Cheryl Rainfield is the author of the following books: Stained: Sarah, a teen with a port-wine stain, is abducted, and must find a way to rescue herself.
Parallel Visions: Kate sees visions of the future--but only when she has an asthma attack.
Hunted: Caitlyn is a telepath in a world where having any paranormal power is illegal. Monica Hughes Award finalist
Scars: Kendra must face her past and stop hurting herself before it's too late. GG Literary Award Finalist, YALSA's Top 10 Quick Picks.

To find out more about Cheryl visit her website.

Middle Grade Monday

Middle Grade Monday is a feature started right here at Reading Nook. It's a way to share news or reviews of middle grade novels on a blog that doesn't exclusively post middle grade content. Feel free to join any time and link up. 

This week I want to talk about...The Key & the Flame by Claire M. Caterer

Eleven-year-old Holly Shepard wants nothing more than to seek adventure outside of her humdrum American life. She gets her chance at last when her family travels to England and Holly receives an unusual gift: an iron key that unlocks a passage to the dangerous kingdom of Anglielle, where magic is outlawed and those who practice magic are hunted. When her friend Everett and brother Ben are captured by Anglielle’s ruthless king, Holly must rescue them. But that means finding—and using—the magic within herself and learning which magical allies she can trust.

What about this doesn't sound fantastic? Secret passages to other worlds? Yes please! 

This lovely tale releases on April 2nd, so make sure you add it on Goodreads so you don't forget to grab it.

This is a Middle Grade Monday Post feel free to link your middle grade reviews/news below :) 

(doesn't have to be posted on a Monday)

Stuff I Got This Week

Bought and Won:

Shut Out - Kody Keplinger (my review)

A Midsummer's Nightmare - Kody Keplinger (my review)

Both signed by the author. I won these when Kody did a live lounge discussion awhile back. 

Thanks Kody!

I bought some Fairy Tale cookie cutters for a program I'm doing next month at the library. There are some really cute ones in there.

Fairy Tales - Hans Christian Andersen

This was a beautiful copy and I couldn't resist.

Fight Club on blu-ray 

I owned it on DVD, but I just bought a new TV (see above) and I thought I should upgrade.

So that's what I got this week. What did you all get?

Blog Tour / Review: The Darkness Dwellers - Kirsten Miller

Where I got it: Netgalley
Rating: 4 stars  
Cover Rating: 4 stars (I like these covers significantly more than the old ones.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: January 22, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Page Count: 416 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
Sequel to: Inside the Shadow City and The Empress's Tomb

Kiki Strike is headed back to Pokrovia to claim her rightful place as Princess. There are a few complications on the way there though and she winds up kidnapped. Now it's up to the Irregulars to help her out. They will need a concoction that can cure female baldness and a way to get it there. Meanwhile it seems like some of the girls are too busy thinking about their love lives to take things as seriously as they should be. The group needs to get their heads right and stick together if they all plan on making it out of this situation as friends and still alive.

More Kiki Strike books are needed. It's a shame there are only three. These girls, though sometimes obnoxious, are very exciting. Kiki Strike is a phenomenal character and in this story we get to see that she is in fact a teen girl and not always a super hero. I also love her little footnotes in this story. Footnotes always make me love a book a little bit more.

Unfortunately we have to see Ananka being a failure at life again. She just isn't as loyal as the other irregulars. It seems like, while she is a great narrator she is a pretty crap friend. Even if she doesn't follow through with all her evil thoughts, the intentions are there.

The other thing that bugged me is the timeline. (Maybe it's just because I have an ARC, I'll have to check a finished copy and I will revise it if it is different.) Ananka mentions that she has been a member of the Irregulars for six years, but she's only fifteen. She became a member when she was twelve, so the math simply doesn't add up. I was excited when she mentioned that she'd been a member for six years, because that would mean the books were following real life's time passage(just about) since the first book came out in 2006. But...that doesn't seem to be the case, especially with the talk about the incidents in The Empress's Tomb happening a few months prior to this story.

I will neve not fall instantly for a boy named Etienne and I entirely blame Stephanie Perkins. It's a great name and just instantly brings to mind yummy parisans boys. ;)

If you are a Betty fan, this is the book for you. In this novel we get to see what other tricks the master of disguise has up her sleeve. And...it does not disappoint.

Definitely, definitely check out this series. If you haven't read the first two books, you don't even have to in order to dive right into this one. Ananka gives you a brief history on the adventures in the preface so you'll be able to jump right in. Of course, you'll probably want to read the other two first, because they are full of awesome espionage and such.

First Lines:
"There are plenty of impatient people in this world who will pick up a book and thumb past it's preface. You should be proud you're not one of them."

Favorite Line:
"'As usual, you smell like goat.'"

Review: The Empress's Tomb - Kirsten Miller

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 3.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 3 stars (I don't really love how old Oona looks.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: September 30, 2008
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Page Count: 369 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
Sequel to: Inside the Shadow City

Kiki and the Irregulars are back again and Ananka is ready to tell you all about it. There are lots of secrets that the Irregulars tried to keep from each other, but all secrets are discovered eventually. Lester Liu is back and something is going on with Livia and Sidonia. Oona is all caught up in the Mister Liu mess and Kiki has some problems with Verushka and Ananka's mom is about to freak out if Ananka keeps sneaking out and falling asleep in school. The Irregulars need to pull it together if anything is going to work out. It may be the most unlikely people that end up saving them from themselves.

What a fun sequel. I adored Kaspar. I wish there was some squirrel graffiti somewhere in the book. I think that would have made the book look fantastic. It would have been so fun! I wish we had learned a bit more about Kaspar and the animal rights aspect of the story. It seemed like such a huge thing in the beginning  but it went nowhere.

There was a lot of tension in this book between the girls. I was sure someone was going to loose it on every page. There were so many secrets and acting and it was just crazy. I liked how everything worked out though.

Again Ananka was a fantastic narrator. Seriously, her little helpful hints are just too good. I could read a whole handbook of just those. She such a plain character in comparison to the other girls and that may be why she's such a great narrator. She seems to always be where the action is, but she isn't all knowing (like Kiki seems to be).

This was just a really fun second novel and the ending made me need more. It ended well enough, but excitement is certain to ensue. If you haven't started this series yet, you totally should!

First Line:
"The whispers began the day she arrived on horseback at the gates of the Emperor's palace."

Favorite Line:
"My lab partner, a studious girl named Natasha with no talent for chemistry, was dumping liquids into a glass beaker and barely acknowledged my arrival."

Review: Echo - Alyson Noël

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 3.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 3 stars (Fitting I suppose, but kind of boring.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: Novemeber 13, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Page Count: 340 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads
Sequel to: Fated

Though there is still more for Daire to learn, time is short. Not only does Daire have to step up her learning, but she has to figure out what is going on between Dace and her. Cade seems to have found a way to feed on their love and that will make him harder to defeat. Daire and Dace have to decide how they can defeat him, but whether they are apart or together it will still be a challenge. Neither one of them knows just how deep Cade's evil goes until everything is revealed. Even that knowledge may not save them though.

A great sequel to this series. The one thing that bothered me was Dace. He seemed way to mature in this novel. He did some things impulsively but for the most part he was incredibly level-headed. I don't remember him being like this in the first novel, but it was a while ago.

I really liked how the story progressed in this novel. Lots of secrets were revealed and it was interesting to see Daire learn more magic. Cade also changed a lot in this novel. He seemed much worse, much more suffering. It was nice to have some more Xotichl in this novel, because I think she is just fantastic.

The evil twin vs. good twin seemed a bit overemphasized throughout the novel. Even Dace seemed to be getting sick of how many times that comparison was made. It would have been better to just have Cade doing more evil things, I think that would have shown the point better.

The ending of this book is O_O. It doesn't even really end. I liked seeing things from different characters viewpoints, but what the hell Noël? Seriously! I just need the next book soon. Sooner than May! Regardless, I very much enjoyed this installment and will eagerly wait for the next.

First Line:
"Horse carries us across an expansive terrain with Raven riding high on his neck."

Favorite Line:
"My silent plea for forgiveness, chased by a single life-restoring breath."

Waiting on Wednesday #57

This week I'm waiting on Stolen Nights by Rebecca Maizel and Marco Impossible by Hannah Moskowitz. I read Infinite Days forever ago when it came out and have been dying for the sequel ever since. It kept getting pushed back, but it seem like it might finally, actually be released. 

And of course I'm waiting for the new Moskowitz book. This one sounds exceptionally fantastic. 

Lenah Beaudonte should be dead. But having sacrificed herself to save another, she finds herself awakening with strange powers that are neither vampire nor human—and a new enemy on her trail. In her vampire life, Lenah had thought that being human was all she ever wanted; but the human heart suffers pain, heartbreak and loss. With her new powers growing and the dark force of the Nex after her soul, Lenah faces a choice: between the mortal love of gorgeous Justin, whose passion fed her human soul, and taking a different path to become the mistress of her own destiny, wherever that may lead...


Thirteen-year-old best friends Stephen and Marco attempt a go-for-broke heist to break into the high school prom and get Marco onstage to confess his love for (and hopefully steal the heart of) Benji, the adorable exchange student and bass player of the prom band. Of course, things don't always go according to plan, and every heist comes with its fair share of hijinks.



 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten settings I'd like to see more of...

New Hampshire - I live in New Hampshire and love recognizing places in books (who doesn't?) There aren't too many NH books though Love & Leftovers is a good one. I will settle for more New England in general. 

Canada - Scott Pilgrim I love you. 

Wonderland - I want more of this. I want sequels of epic proportions. I love Wonderland!

Farms - Farms are so versatile. They can be kind of creepy like The Murder Farm or Never Let You Go or they can be like Greyhound of a Girl or Dark Water or lots of other books that are fun. Lots can happen on a farm is all I'm saying. 

Road Trips - Yes, yes and yes. What is there not to love about road trips. I mean from Amy & Roger's Epic Detour to Perfect Escape there is just so much that can happen on a road trip. It's a great time to really dig deep. 

Cars - Completely different from a road trip. I'm think epic quests like in Sparks. I spent a good deal of my teenage life just driving around having a blast.  

Cabins (Secluded) - I'm a sucker for a book that can give you chills and when secluded cabins are involved, you know you're in for a treat. 

Airplanes - The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. Need I say more?

Underwater - Mermaids, Sirens, Mermaids, Narwhals, Sea Creatures; I just love the magic of the water and want more.  

The Broke and the Bookish is a group of college aged and twenty somethings that have an unhealthy obsession with reading and would spend every last penny on books even if it meant skipping a few meals. We are the people  who lurk in the library, buy handbags based on how many books can be stashed in them, and who refer to characters in books as if they are personal friends.

We sought after other bookish college students to share in our love for reading and were brought together by the College Students group on Goodreads that was created in September 2008. Our desire to share great books with each other in and our tendency to be opinionated and passionate about all things book related naturally led to the birth of The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.

Stuff I Got This Week

For Review:thanks to the authors

The Paparazzi Project - Kristina Springer

Livvie Peterson thought taking Interpersonal Communications her junior year would be an easy A. But when the first assignment is given, her world flips upside down. Here’s the deal: the class is assigned a six-week project and is split into three groups— Paparazzi, Tabloid, and Celebrities. The Paparazzi follow around the Celebrities taking pictures and grabbing any kind of quotes they can. The Celebrities try to navigate being tailed on a daily basis. And the Tabloid receives all the information collected by the Paparazzi and decides what makes the weekly summary report. Sounds harmless…and it’s all just pretend anyway, right? Livvie is assigned as Paparazzi and when she is matched up with the über-cute Chas Montgomery as her Tabloid boss she’s pretty sure things couldn’t get much better. Livvie’s uncanny ability to capture the Celebrities in compromising photos matched with Chas’s skill of exaggerating captions and editing the photos make them an unstoppable team. And the long hours working side by side with Chas aren’t a bad bonus. Livvie simultaneously launches an anonymous blog, leaking the class’ photos and stories on the Internet. Her rising follower number quickly becomes addicting and she possibly spills too much information online. Once she finds her own celebrity will she be able to give it back? And will Chas be gone before she ever has the chance to find out?

The Wizard of Oz: a Steampunk Adventure - S.D. Stuart

There is no yellow brick road here. No emerald city. No lollipop guild. This is the Australis Penal Colony, a continent sized prison referred to the world over as the Outcast Zone. Built to contain the world's most dangerous criminals, OZ ended up the dumping ground for everything polite society deemed undesirable. From inside this place a garbled message proves Dorothy's father is still alive, trapped in a prison with only one way in and no way out. Into this place 17-year-old Dorothy must go if she wants to find her father and keep the promise she made to her dying mother. She thought she had spent the past seven years preparing to overcome anything that got in the way of fulfilling her promise, but the situation she finds herself is harder and more intense than anything she has experienced before as she drops right into the middle of a power struggle for control over all of OZ. If she has any hope of surviving long enough to find her father, she will need her mother's guts, her father's brains and the unexpected help from those discarded and forgotten. Everyone she meets tells her the same thing. The only person who can help her is the one prisoner who deserves to be in a place like this and refers to himself by the name, Wizard. The Wizard always asks for something in exchange for his help. Can Dorothy afford the terrible price he will demand?

Review: Never Let You Go - Emma Carlson Berne

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 4 stars  
Cover Rating: 5 stars (Creepy.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: December 4, 2012
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Page Count: 240 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Megan made the mistake of making out with her best friend's boyfriend at a party. For the past year Megan and Anna worked on mending their friendship. Anna invited Megan to live and work on her uncle's farm for the summer, so Megan takes this as good news for their relationship. On the way to the farm Anna tells Megan about a boy she's fallen for, Jordan. Anna is sure that her and Jordan are meant to be. Problems start to arise when it's obvious that Jordan's affections lay elsewhere. Everyone seems to notice except Anna. Megan doesn't want to hurt her friend again, especially after she finally seems to be forgiven. Anna may take things too far in order to keep what she wants and Megan may not be the only one who suffers.

Anna. Is. Crazy. I don't even understand how Megan can be friends with her. Anna is terrible to Megan, always insulting her and cutting her down. I realize that Megan feels she owes Anna for something, but I think putting up with her as long as she had was more than enough payment. Anna take being a bad friend to the extreme. Some of the scenes with her made me so uncomfortable and I don't understand how Megan could even stand it.

Jordan seems like a nice enough character, he handled Anna well at least. It's tricky trying to fend off someone as unstable and obsessive as Anna. The novel didn't seem to even fully explore how crazy Anna was. From the level of her acts you can tell that she's much further gone then a typical person. Jordan remained fairly calm through all of her episodes though, which is admirable.

I didn't love all the soul mate talk. It seemed a bit much for the story. I mean, Anna though Jordan was her soul mate, but then Megan and Jordan thought they were meant to be together. It was all just a bit too much for me. Maybe Megan and Jordan were meant to be, but based on what? Statistical probability of love at first sight I guess. ;)

The psychological thriller aspect of this was lovely though. Anna was totally sketchy and it made me a bit sick thinking about what she might do next. If you like being kept awake and on the edge of your seat, definitely check this out. The beginning might not suit you, but the last third of the book is intense. Enjoy.

First Line:
"The party had been going on for hours."

Favorite Line:
"With her heart pounding, Megan pulled an index card from the envelope."

Warning: there is some animal cruelty in this novel.

Review: Two and Twenty Dark Tales - Various authors

Where I got it: Netgalley
Rating: 4 stars  
Cover Rating: 4.5 stars (I really enjoy it.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: October 16, 2012
Publisher: Month9Books
Page Count: 340 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Dark re-tellings of Mother Goose rhymes are what this whole anthology is about. From Jack and Jill to Humpty Dumpty, these authors explore another side of these nursery rhymes.

I'm not going to review each story, because there were a lot and also the ARC didn't have all of the stories that are in the finished version. On a whole though I really enjoyed all these tales. Some were rhymes I was not already familiar with, but most of them I knew. I'm a huge fan of re-tellings and this one did not disappoint. My two favorite stories were "Wee Willie Winkie" by Leigh Fallon and "A Ribbon of Blue" by Michelle Zink. "Wee Willie Winkie" was pretty creepy. Nothing particularly scary happened in it, but it gave me goosebumps. It just had this very eerie feel to it. "A Ribbon of Blue" was just a fantastic little story about love. I really enjoyed Ruby and the carnival was a fantastic back drop for her story.

If you are a fan of re-tellings or short stories, I would highly suggest you check this out. Although I didn't love every story, I didn't hate any. There were a lot of really fantastic re-imaginings.

First Line:
"The question that kept coming up as I read the stories in this volume was why would anyone want to transform innocent nursery rhymes into dark and scary fairy tales?"

Favorite Lines:
"'Is that not the doubter calling the cynic skeptical'"

"And tells me that he is Death."

"You can't deceive the witches in the wood."

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten 2013 Debuts I'm dying to read!

Level 2 - Lenore Appelhans
Taken - Erin Bowman
Ink - Amanda Sun
Uses for Boys - Erica Lorraine Scheidt
Another Little Piece - Kate Karyus Quinn

The Rules for Disappearing - Ashley Elston

OCD Love Story  - Corey Ann Haydu

Some Quiet Place - Kelsey Sutton

The Wig in the Window - Kristen Kittscher

Being Henry David - Cal Armistead

Have you guys read any of these? 
Any recommendations on where in this list to start?

The Broke and the Bookish is a group of college aged and twenty somethings that have an unhealthy obsession with reading and would spend every last penny on books even if it meant skipping a few meals. We are the people  who lurk in the library, buy handbags based on how many books can be stashed in them, and who refer to characters in books as if they are personal friends.

We sought after other bookish college students to share in our love for reading and were brought together by the College Students group on Goodreads that was created in September 2008. Our desire to share great books with each other in and our tendency to be opinionated and passionate about all things book related naturally led to the birth of The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.

Stuff I Got This Week

For Review: Thanks Dial/Penguin

The Obsidian Mirror - Catherine Fisher

Jake's father disappears while working on mysterious experiments with the obsessive, reclusive Oberon Venn. Jake is convinced Venn has murdered him. But the truth he finds at the snow-bound Wintercombe Abbey is far stranger ... The experiments concerned a black mirror, which is a portal to both the past and the future. Venn is not alone in wanting to use its powers. Strangers begin gathering in and around Venn's estate: Sarah - a runaway, who appears out of nowhere and is clearly not what she says, Maskelyne - who claims the mirror was stolen from him in some past century. There are others, a product of the mirror's power to twist time. And a tribe of elemental beings surround this isolated estate, fey, cold, untrustworthy, and filled with hate for humans. But of them all, Jake is hell-bent on using the mirror to get to the truth. Whatever the cost, he must learn what really happened to his father.

I haven't read anything by Catherine yet, but I quickly intend to remedy that. 

So that's what I got this week. What did you all get?

Review: Silhouette of a Sparrow - Molly Beth Griffin

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 3.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 3 stars (It's strange.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: Milkweed Editions
Page Count: 224 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

It's the 1920's and Garnet is sent to the country for some "fresh air". Garnet loves ornithology, and carries a pair of scissors to snip out bird silhouettes. This is something that she does with ease. Though Garnet is fascinated by this new place she has come to stay, the company is less than desirable. Her relations are stuffy and snobby and Garnet just wants to escape them desperately. Then she finds someone to escape with. There are many reasons that people would find the friendship between Garnet and her new flapper friend scandalous, so they have to sneak around. This works fine until things come up that threatens to tear apart the happiness the two of them have built. Some things that should be, simply are not to be.

What a lovely book. I really enjoyed Garnet, she had such an interesting personality. I would have loved to see her snipping out bird silhouettes quick as you like. I really liked how many different things she had going on throughout the book. Her brain was consumed by just one passion.

It's crazy thinking about how duty bound women were(still are). Things always had to fall into a certain place otherwise you were deemed outside of the realm of nice people. Garnet is trying to escape what she has to do and at first she doesn't even quite realizes it's not what she wants. It's a tricky thing to look at something that is safe and comfortable and livable and decide that that's not really want you want. To know that you can be content, but not happy is a hard thing to walk away from. This is especially true when there is no promise that you will be happy. I appreciate that Garnet was willing to try though.

The relationship was wonderful. You would think that un-worldly Garnet would be the one that needed taking care of, but she ended up taking care of Isabella. Together, they both find out more about themselves. I think that what made their relationship ring so true. Is that through each other they were able to find themselves. Those are the kind of people we all need to surround ourselves with. True people, kind people.

This is a wonderful book and an especially wonderful LGBT book. It's a quick by beautiful read and I look forward to more by this author. If you have a chance, definitely check out this novel.

First Line:
"I was born blue."

Favorite Line:
"It was a slow, silent carousel ride, and I gave in completely to the dizziness."

Review: The Hunger Pains - The Harvard Lampoon

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 1 stars  
Cover Rating: 4 stars (It's a good parody cover.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Touchstone
Page Count: 157 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

If you've read The Hunger Games, this is kind of like that except a parody. This is pretty obvious, since it says it on the cover, but in case you weren't looking. There it is.

I'm just going to start by saying that as a whole I found this book terrible. There were a couple of lines that I enjoyed (as found below) but on a whole this book kind of sucked. A lot of the humor was just immature. I'm sure some people will love this, but if you want something that's actually funny, I'd skip it.

I had no problem with it making fun of The Hunger Games. I enjoyed that book and was interested to see the twist that The Harvard Lampoon would give it. I feel like anyone could've written this parody though. Jokes were made in obvious places and on a whole were not funny.

If you've liked other books by The Harvard Lampoon I imagine you will probably like this one too since they probably use the same humor again. If you were thinking about reading it but weren't sure, I don't recommend it. Luckily it is incredibly short, so if you do start it you won't have to suffer too long.

First Line:
"I awake to the sound of a growling stomach."

Favorite Lines:
"'District Twelve. Where the safety is good, but other things are less good,' I say."

"People tell stories in the Crack about a boy winning the Hunger Games with just a pot lid, although back then they took place in Japan and were referred to as Battle Royale."

Review: The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories Vol.2 - Joseph Gordon-Levitt & wirrow (hitRECord)

Where I got it: Finished copy from publisher for review
Rating: 5 stars  
Cover Rating: 5 stars (Just perfectly lovely.)
Genre: Book Lovers
Publication Date: November 13, 2012
Publisher: !t Books
Page Count: 128 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Once again a collaboration of many talented people being us this beautiful tiny book. I adored it. There were so many great stories in this one. There were a lot of stories about hair too, so if you like hair.... But, seriously. If you haven't heard of these books or been to hitrecord you are seriously missing out. Even if you don't have a creative bone in your body, as long as you can appreciate art you should check these out. These little tiny books are perfect to flip through again and again.

One of my favorite stories in this one came from this record. I just really love it.
You can see the illustration below.

Middle Grade Monday

Middle Grade Monday is a feature started right here at Reading Nook. It's a way to share news or reviews of middle grade novels on a blog that doesn't exclusively post middle grade content. Feel free to join any time and link up. 

This week I want to talk about... Doll Bones by Holly Black.

Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing...and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity...

Holly Black? Check.
Super creepy dolls? Check.
Magic? Check.
Awesome Cover? Check.
What is not to love about this book? Seriously. I'm sure it will be nearly impossible to read right before bed without having so awful nightmares. It seems like the book will be totally worth sleeping with the lights on though.

This haunting novel comes out on May 7th, so make sure you add it on Goodreads so you don't forget to grab it.

This is a Middle Grade Monday Post feel free to link your middle grade reviews/news below :) 

(doesn't have to be posted on a Monday)

Stuff I Got This Week

Bought:

I bought a FANTASTIC Alice tote at BAM! I love it!

Teeth - Hannah Moskowitz

Love Hannah, so this is an obvious buy.

Damned - Chuck Palahniuk

I also mostly enjoy Palahniuk, so I snatched this one up.

Confessions of a Closet Catholic - Sarah Darer Littman

This is an older one by this author and I have enjoyed what I've read of her so far, so I thought I'd give this one a shot. 

That's what I got this week. What did you all get?

Review: Drama - Raina Telgemeier

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 4.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 4 stars (It's fun and cute.)
Genre: Young Adult/Middle Grade
Publication Date: September 1, 2012
Publisher: GRAPHIX
Page Count: 233 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Callie designs sets for her drama club. She would try out for the musical, but her singing isn't quite as good as her creating. She wants this set to be one that people will remember, but it's hard with a limited budget and limited know-how. Then there is all the drama—boys, girls, love and middle school a drama-filled combination.

This was another really fun story by Raina Telgemeier. She always writes such honest portrayals of growing up. There are many instances when you'll nod your head and laugh, because it's all totally true. I especially loved that they were gay characters in this graphic novel. Raina did a great job sticking them in at the forefront, without making it too much for younger readers.

Callie was a fun character and even though she seemed to perpetually fall for the wrong guy, I think we'd get along. I think most girls fall for the wrong guy at least once or twice and their lives. I also really enjoyed Jesse and Justin. They would have been fantastic guys to be friends with in school. They seem like so much fun even if their father wants them to be more studious.

If you enjoyed Smile, definitely check this one out. It was a fast fun read and I can't wait to see what Raina creates next!

First Line:
"Do you think Mr. Madera will let me operate the spotlight again?"

Favorite Line:
"FEH"

Review: Mercury - Hope Larson

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 3.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 4 stars (Fitting cover. I enjoy it.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: April 6, 2010
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Page Count: 240 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

Tara's house burned down. The farm had been around forever and she really wished she could still live there. Her mother wants to move them away from Nova Scotia, but it's home to Tara.
Josey lived in Tara's house in 1859. That is where she fell in love with an interesting stranger.
Legend has it that there is treasure buried on the property. Tara finds little clues to lead her there and her and her friends check it out. Tara just really wants to keep her home and she'll do what she can to help keep it.

This was a really interesting and strange novel. I really liked the back and forth between the two time periods. Little things were interspersed in the modern day story that came from 1859. I was especially glad that it was obvious when you were switching perspectives so that things didn't end up getting too confusing.

The story was really strange. Especially the 1859 one. Asa was a really odd character and I'm not sure what was going on with him. Everything about him was strange. It could be how people were in that time, but even the mother didn't seem to like him.

If you enjoy graphic novels, you should make sure to check this one out.

First Line:
"Hi, house."

Favorite Line:
"You're holding me too tight."

Review: The Burning House - Foster Huntington

Where I got it: Finished Copy from Publisher for Review
Rating: 5 stars  
Cover Rating: 5 stars (I really like it.)
Genre: Photography
Publication Date: July 10, 2012
Publisher: !t Books
Page Count: 265 p.
Buy it: Book Depository / Amazon
Add it: Goodreads

If your house was burning, what would you take with you? This is the question that Foster Huntington asked and The Burning House is the answer. Foster compiled photographs, that people submitted from around the world, into this wonderful book.

This book was amazing. It was so interesting to see different ages and cultures reflected in this work. You can almost guess the age of some people based on what they would take with them. Some of the pictures are surprising and many of the stories are interesting. Each photo is accompanied by some information about the person as well as a list of the items. This is a great book to own and just flip through. It made me question what I would take if my house was on fire. Since I have five cats, I'm pretty sure they are all I would have time for.

If you love books of photography this would be a great pick. It's a good coffee table book that works as a conversation starter. You can look through this again and again, it's really fascinating.

So, what would you take with you?

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books I resolve to read in 2013!

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

I know I'm going to cry, so I just need to suck it up and get it over with because I'll love it.

A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin

I really need to read this so I can continue to watch the show.

Divergent - Veronica Roth

Everyone says this is amazing and I can hardly keep it in the library. I really need to get to this.

The Host - Stephenie Meyer

Hey, that movies coming out soon eh? I should get to this since I have had it since it came out.

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Seth Grahame-Smith

This will kill two birds with one stone. I'll (re)read a classic and a zombie book. Hooray!

Soulless- Gail Carriger
I really am excited to read this series, but somehow I just haven't made it to them yet. 
Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater
This one has been sitting on my shelf forever. I haven't read a book by just her yet and I really ought to.
The Passage - Justin Cronin
I've had this one since it came out too and since the sequel just came out I figure I should read this.
Forbidden - Tabitha Suzuma
I was really interested in reading this one, but have pushed it aside so this year I will get to it.
Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins
I really don't understand how I skipped reading this. 

Have you guys read any of these? 
Any recommendations on where in this list to start?

The Broke and the Bookish is a group of college aged and twenty somethings that have an unhealthy obsession with reading and would spend every last penny on books even if it meant skipping a few meals. We are the people  who lurk in the library, buy handbags based on how many books can be stashed in them, and who refer to characters in books as if they are personal friends.

We sought after other bookish college students to share in our love for reading and were brought together by the College Students group on Goodreads that was created in September 2008. Our desire to share great books with each other in and our tendency to be opinionated and passionate about all things book related naturally led to the birth of The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010.