Review: The Hunt - Andrew Fukuda

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 4 stars  
Cover Rating: 4 stars (I'm not sure what I don't love about this, but I do like it quite a bit. Maybe I just hate the weird tribal thing in the middle.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: December 24, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Page Count: 293 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Gene's different from other people. He's slower, clumsier and doesn't crave blood like everyone else. It's probably because he's human. To survive though, Gene can't let on to what he is. Every second that he is surrounded by other people he must be on top of his game. One minor body error and it would be the end for him. Something as small as a sneeze and his whole world would come undone. He seems to be coasting by perfectly fine and then they called numbers for The Hunt. It's an opportunity that everyone is excited about because it means hunting the last of the humans. As you can imagine, Gene is less than excited, he's terrified. Without his privacy in his home he will have a much harder time keeping up his charade. He's going to have to be smarter than everyone else if he wants to stay alive.

What a story. I was not expecting to enjoy this nearly as much as I did. It sounded interesting, but it was action-packed. I didn't want to stop reading—I was on the edge of my seat most of the time. I can't believe I didn't buy the second one yet. Now I will just have to wait until it comes, which is okay since the third book isn't out quite yet.

Just when I thought there would be no more vampire stories that would catch my interest, Andrew Fukuda pulls out this little number. What a thrill. I couldn't even imagine how much self control has to go into Gene blending in. A sneeze or a cough or a giggle would mean death. I liked that these vampires had a few more non-human quirks than usual ones. Fukuda made these vampires a little bit more his own. It was weird, but I think it worked.

Gene just had me biting my nails so many times. His terror was my terror and there was plenty of it to go around. This book did make vampires seem a bit dim-witted though for not catching on to Gene sooner once he left for The Hunt. There were also some lines that were written strangely, though writing this now I can't recall an example. Gene has a very strong instinct for survival and it made him a great character to watch survive.

Then there was the ending of book one. I had made many guesses throughout this novel and some of them I was correct on, but this one I just didn't see. I had kind of forgotten about it until it was right in my face causing me to groan and wish I had the next book to dive into. Alas, I did not so I will suffer until it gets here.

If you're willing to take a chance with just one last vampire novel. Make it this one. It's not wholly typical and it's full of action. I will definitely be recommending this to my teens because I'm sure they will devour it.

First Line:
"There used to be more of us."

Favorite Line:
"And then her fingers interlace with mine."

"Funny how that is, how it's the beautiful things in life that betray you in the end."

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten secondary character...

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak | Max Vanderburg *sigh*

Harry Potter (series) - J.K. Rowling | The Weasley Twins Love them!

Invincible Summer - Hannah Moskowitz | Gideon always and forever my favorite character.
(my review)

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green | Issac it's not just the HAZELANDAUGUSTUS show.
(my review)

Jellicoe Road - Melina Marchetta | All of them. It's so hard to pick. This book had some fantastic secondary characters!
(my review)

If He Had Been With Me - Laura Nowlin | Jaime. Mostly I just feel bad for him. He never had a chance.
(my review)

Ruby Red - Kerstin Gier | Lesley, I hope she has a bigger role in the next two books.
(my review)

The Grimm Legacy - Polly Shulman | Jaya, a great younger sister.
(my review)

The Beautiful and the Cursed - Page Morgan | Luc, I want more.
(my review)

As You Wish - Jackson Pearce | Lawrence, I want him to be my best friend.
(my review)

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

Review:

Love in the Time of Global Warming - Francesca Lia Block

Seventeen-year-old Penelope (Pen) has lost everything—her home, her parents, and her ten-year-old brother. Like a female Odysseus in search of home, she navigates a dark world full of strange creatures, gathers companions and loses them, finds love and loses it, and faces her mortal enemy.

Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

Cath is a Simon Snow fan. 

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan...But for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. 

She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving. Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere. Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to. 

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words...And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone. For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

So very excited for both of these!!!

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

Review: Arclight - Josin L. McQuein

Where I got it: ARC from AmazonVine
Rating: 4 stars  
Cover Rating: 5 stars (Very shiny and pretty, maybe not super relevant, but pretty.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: April 23, 2013
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Page Count: 403 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Marina is the only one who has faced the Fades and the Dark and lived. She can't tell them about it though, because she doesn't remember. Most of the other kids don't like her because their parents sacrificed their lives to bring her back. Marina wishes she could remember something, anything to make these people feel like she was worth the sacrifice. Tobin, who's father died saving her, starts to be kind to her. It may only be what his father wanted, but it may be something more. Together they may be able to unravel her past and the lies that try to keep them safe.

I enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced and kept you turning pages. The Fades sort of remind me of Dementors at first. They seemed eerie and wispy. It's hard to imagine living a life like this. Never really being in the dark, not seeing stars or other parts of the world.

My one big complaint about this novel is the shifting tone. In the beginning it's all action, then it changes, then it's funny, then it's serious, scary etc. There wasn't a set tone for this novel, which while it isn't a terrible thing, kind of made the book seem all over the place.

I really enjoyed this story though. As it unraveled it was easy to guess where it was going, but there were so many threads to get there that some things were luckily still a surprise. Even at 400 pages this book seemed to fly by. The world and the story were just so fascinating that I never wanted to stop reading.

I feel like we could have gotten to know all the characters a bit better, but this is a series so there is always the next book. I'm very curious to see where McQuein plans on taking these books because this first one was fine by itself. I certainly want to know what happens next, but I felt like this book finished up nicely.

If you're looking for a nice dytopian-y supernatural-ish sci-fi-sorta read, check this one out. It was fun and fast and I quite enjoyed it. And for the record, Rue was my favorite character. So, more Rue in book two!

First Line:
"Someone's attention shouldn't have physical weight, but it does."

Favorite Line:
"His fingers split the spaces between my own, turning out hands into a shared fist."

Review: Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 4.75 stars  
Cover Rating: 4 stars (I don't love the proportions of the illustration, but it's cute.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: February 26, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Page Count: 328 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Eleanor dresses strange, has huge red hair and is not exactly the ideal body type. Park is one of the few Asian kids at his school (maybe the only one). When Eleanor gets on Park's bus for the first time, he feels embarrassed for her because she's not even trying to fit in. Once he begrudgingly lets her sit down next to him though. A small spark of hope finds both of them. She may have not wanted to let someone in and Park surely didn't want to like her, but regardless they still start to fall for each other. It won't be easy, but it may just be worth it.

Love this novel. I can not wait to read more by Rainbow Rowell. This is not one of your typical love stories. This is a real love story. There isn't insta-love there is a slow trudge toward each other. A misfit and a rich, attractive boy in love. A lot of readers will be able to relate to this one. And, what's that I see... Reading is what brings Eleanor and Park together, together. YES!

I hate that Eleanor's home life had to be so, so, so terrible. This book has a super case of the wicked step-parent. Her mom's husband is such an awful person. Her mom probably shouldn't have had so many kids either. What a toxic situation for Eleanor and her siblings. I see this sort of thing a lot in real life and it is just horrible. I'm so glad that Eleanor got to have a few moments of reprieve.

I feel like we didn't totally get to know Park in this one, not nearly as much as Eleanor. It could be that there just aren't a lot of dark secrets in Park's life so there's not much more to know. Park's life is far from perfect, but it's not too shabby.

I feel like I don't really need to try and sell this book to you. If you've read it, you know how wonderful it is. If you haven't read it, just do it, you'll fall in love. This book is lovely and funny and just a wonderful read. If you don't believe me, just read some of those lines below. Those should convince you that you need to read this book.


First Line:
"He'd stop trying to bring her back."

Favorite Lines:
"This house was designed by cave trolls, Eleanor thought."

"To Be able to talk to him without every inbred hellspawn in the Flats listening."

"It made her want to have his babies and give him both of her kidneys."

"It was at least twice as nice as seeing him somewhere she expected him to be."

"A walrus who's tasted human blood."

"The whole sky was the color of her skin."

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. 

In a couple of days, Claire LeGrand has a new book coming out called The Year of Shadows. I really enjoyed The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls and am super excited for this to come out!

Olivia Stellatella is having a rough year. 

Her mother’s left, her neglectful father—the maestro of a failing orchestra—has moved her and her grandmother into the city’s dark, broken-down concert hall to save money, and her only friend is Igor, an ornery stray cat. 

Just when she thinks life couldn’t get any weirder, she meets four ghosts who haunt the hall. They need Olivia’s help—if the hall is torn down, they’ll be stuck as ghosts forever, never able to move on. 

Olivia has to do the impossible for her shadowy new friends: Save the concert hall. But helping the dead has powerful consequences for the living…and soon it’s not just the concert hall that needs saving

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

Review:

Relic: The Books of Eva - Heather Terrell

When Eva’s twin brother, Eamon, falls to his death just a few months before he is due to participate in The Testing, no one expects Eva to take his place. She’s a Maiden, slated for embroidery classes, curtseys, and soon a prestigious marriage befitting the daughter of an Aerie ruler. But Eva insists on honoring her brother by becoming a Testor. After all, she wouldn’t be the first Maiden to Test, just the first in 150 years. 

Eva knows the Testing is no dance class. Gallant Testors train for their entire lives to search icy wastelands for Relics: artifacts of the corrupt civilization that existed before The Healing drowned the world. Out in the Boundary Lands, Eva must rely on every moment of the lightning-quick training she received from Lukas—her servant, a Boundary native, and her closest friend now that Eamon is gone. 

But there are threats in The Testing beyond what Lukas could have prepared her for. And no one could have imagined the danger Eva unleashes when she discovers a Relic that shakes the Aerie to its core.

I hadn't even heard of this book until it showed up. Have you guys read it or heard anything about it? 

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

Review: Jellicoe Road - Melina Marchetta

Where I got it: ebook from library
Rating: 4.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 4.5 stars (I like it a lot.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: August 26, 2008
Publisher: HarperTeen
Page Count: 432 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Taylor was abandoned on Jellicoe Road by her mother. All she has in Hannah, a woman who has been taking care of her while she stays at a school there. Taylor wants to know where her mother is though and what made her give up on her daughter.

This book is super confusing at first. You dive right into it and there are changing story lines and hostilities and lots of other things that are just a bit much for your brain to work out at first. I wasn't even positive that Taylor was a girl for the first third of the book. Once you sort things out though you can't stop reading.

This was a beautiful and lovely book. There is just so much feeling and meaning behind everything that happens. My heart sat like a rock in my chest just waiting for something to happen. I didn't think anything bad could happen if a book started with so much death, but I knew better.

Melina Marchetta wrote a heartbreaking novel. It's just written in a way that allows you to really get to know the characters and fall in love with them. I loved the little bits from Hannah's story woven in. We get to see little bits and pieces of these characters while trying to push Taylor forward in life. This book was fun and shocking and just all the good bits.

I can't believe it has taken me so long to read this. So many people told me about how amazing it was and I didn't want to read it and have it be less than that. I was not disappointed. If you are one of those people who have been meaning to read this but haven't yet, set some time aside and devour this one. You may want to read it again right after you finish so you can see things again with all your new information. This is 100% worth the read.

First Lines:
"My father took one hundred and thirty-two minutes to die. I counted."

Favorite Lines:
"And then he told me to close my eyes. And I think I've been frightened to do just that ever since."

Review: Easy - Tammara Webber

Where I got it: Library
Rating: 4.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 4 stars (He does look yummy.)
Genre: Young Adult/New Adult
Publication Date: May 25, 2012
Publisher: CreateSpace
Page Count: 304 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Jacqueline followed her boyfriend to his college instead of going where she wanted. She thought they were forever. Instead, she gets dumped. Shortly thereafter, she nearly gets raped. Her savior is Lucas who beat her would-be rapist before things got too hairy. When she points him out to her friends, they think he will be her perfect bad boy rebound. Jacqueline isn't so sure, she is sure that she's sick of her attacker following her around. It seems like Jacqueline can't stop running into Lucas either, but maybe she doesn't want to.

So this is my first New Adult novel (this is New Adult right?). It seemed like a YA novel just with steamier college moments. I enjoyed it. It's nice to read something with protagonists closer to my age. I thought this was a good romance-y type novel and will definitely read other books by Tammara Webber.

Lucas, Lucas, Lucas. He is a yummy bad boy. He's not even that much of a bad boy. He's mostly just tattooed and has a bit of a rough life. He's really just a nice guy who puts on a bad boy exterior. He's smart and charming and secretive. He was a really great love interest.

Jacqueline wasn't a terrible character... I didn't care much for her at times, but other times I was proud of her. She had some rough things happen to her and I appreciate that in some aspects she didn't just dwell on them. She actually just ignored them, which is where I was a bit frustrated. Sometimes it can be hard to know what to do right after something happens, but it seems like she could have made some better choices. In the end she mostly redeemed herself so that made me happy.

There were some super steamy moments in this. I feel like this is Forever by Judy Blume for this generation. It goes much more into detail about Jacqueline's feelings (physical and emotional) and it shows how sometimes a sure thing, isn't.

I think this would be a great read for older high school kids. For some of them it might even make them reconsider giving up their hopes and dreams for an iffy relationship. It will also show that what a great guy you can find if you dig a little. Definitely check this out if you're looking to try a New Adult book or just want something a bit steamier than regular YA.

First Line:
"I had never noticed Lucas before that night."

Favorite Line:
"My last coherent thought, as Lucas took his time kissing and touching every part of me he could reach and my body was arched into his, was oh... so this is what all the fuss is about."

Review: The Forgetting Curve - Angela Smibert

Where I got it: ARC from AmazonVine
Rating: 3 stars  
Cover Rating: 3.5 stars (It's fancy like and matchy-matchy with the first one, but it doesn't scream to me. )
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: May 15, 2012
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
Page Count: 202 p.
Add it: Goodreads
Sequel to: Memento Nora

Aiden catches word that his cousin is in a bit of trouble. He's not doing great in school and ends up going back to the states. Here he finds a bare echo of what his cousin used to be. She seems bland now. Aiden needs to figure out what's going on with her and the rest of the world as the Forgetting Clinics seem to be taking over.

This book was a bit confusing at first, because there were so many story lines. There's also a small time gap between the last book and this one, so there's a bit of catch-up involved too. Between these two things it was a bit complicated at first trying to see where everyone is and get to know the people behind the new perspectives.

As much as I wanted more Micah, I enjoyed getting a glimpse from a different set of eyes. I didn't really care to much for Aiden and could never really get a good handle on what kind of a person he was. He seemed shiny and slick at some times and self-deprecating at other times.

Not a lot really happened in this book it sort of pushed forward to bring Micah and Nora back into the picture for the grand finale of The Meme Plague. It was an interesting chapter in the story and I am looking forward to seeing how the characters come together and play their parts.

First Line:
"It all started with a door."

Favorite Lines:
"I'm much better at trusting my instincts (and the universe) than actual deductive reasoning. That was usually way too much work."

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books set in boarding schools...

A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - E. Lockhart
(my review)

Harry Potter (series) - J.K. Rowling

Kiss Me Kill Me - Lauren Henderson
(my review)

Shadow Hills - Anastasia Hopcus
(my review)

Looking for Alaska - John Green
(my review)

Withering Tights - Louise Rennison
(my review)

Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
(my review)

The Mockingbirds - Daisy Whitney
(my review)

Wildefire - Karsten Knight
(my review)

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

Review and Won:

Confessions of a Hater - Caprice Crane

Hailey Harper has always felt invisible. Now her dad has a new job and the family is moving to Hollywood. Just what Hailey needs: starting a new high school. 

As she's packing, Hailey finds a journal that belonged to her older sister, Noel, who is away at college. Called "How to Be a Hater," it's full of info Hailey can really use. Has Hailey found the Bible of Coolness? Will it help her reinvent herself at her new school? Will her crush notice her? Will she and the other Invisibles dethrone the popular mean girls? After all, they deserve it. Don't they? 

Erasing Time - C.J. Hill (won from EpicReads TEATIME)

When twins Sheridan and Taylor wake up 400 years in the future, they find a changed world: domed cities, no animals, and a language that's so different, it barely sounds like English. And the worst news: They can't go back home. 

The twenty-fifth-century government transported the girls to their city hoping to find a famous scientist to help perfect a devastating new weapon. The same government has implanted tracking devices in the citizens, limiting and examining everything they do. Taylor and Sheridan have to find a way out of the city before the government discovers their secrets. To complicate matters, the moblike Dakine has interest in getting hold of them too. The only way for the girls to elude their pursuers is to put their trust in Echo, a guy with secrets of his own. The trio must put their faith in the unknown to make a harrowing escape into the wilds beyond the city.

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

Review: Memento Nora - Angie Smibert

Where I got it: Kindle
Rating: 3 stars  
Cover Rating: 3.5 stars (A bit comic book noir-y.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: May 15, 2012
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
Page Count: 184 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Times have gotten hard in America and that's why people need the Therapeutic Forgetting Clinics. One little pill makes all your terrible memories of this or that bombing disappear. You can even make other bad memories vanish if you choose. During Nora's first trip her mother reveals a big secret memory that she wants to forget. Nora decides that it's better to remember, so she spits out her pill when no one is looking. She got this idea from a kid she say before going in with her mother. This boy turns into a friend and co-conspirator to spread the truth and help people remember.

This was a fun little novel. It was fast paced and an interesting concept. I really liked the story line and am eager to see what happens next.

Nora, Micah and Winter are an unlikely trio. Micah and Winter make sense, but Nora in the equation just doesn't add up. I never got a good sense of what kind of a person she was. She seemed very artificial at times, but then she's all underground rebel. It just didn't feel natural and it put me off a bit. I really enjoyed Micah though. He was a really great character.

This was a quick futuristic read. The plot was the focus so the character development and world-building fell a bit by the way side. It was definitely interesting enough that I'm eager to read the next two in this series.

First Line:
"I'm about to forget everything I'm going to tell you."

Favorite Line:
"Okay, Dad is definitely a creep, but he's my creep."

Review: Pretty Girl-13 - Liz Coley

Where I got it: ARC from AmazonVine
Rating: 3.5 stars  
Cover Rating: 2.5 stars (Hate the font with a passion. Bleeding Cowboy...bleh. I sort of like the representation of the photo itself, but feel like this cover could have been better.)
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: March 19, 2013
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Page Count: 344 p.
Add it: Goodreads

Angie disappeared one day while camping with her girl scout troop. Later she finds herself walking down her street towards her house. When she gets inside she calls for her parents and they are falling over themselves crying. Angie doesn't see what the big deal is, it's only been a day or so. That's when her parents tell her that it's been three years. Three years Angie has been gone and she doesn't remember any of it. Now she has to figure out how to come to terms with her age and all the things that have changed while she was gone. With the help of a therapists she might even be able to piece together what happened to her and figure out why she can't remember.

This was an interesting story. It wasn't all that suspenseful, since a lot of it was pretty obvious, but it was interesting nonetheless. I enjoyed being with Angie as she pieced together her past few years. Angie has a terrible, but fascinating, experience that I was wager to learn more about. I don't want to give too much away, but she had a mental condition which is why she didn't remember what happened it that was the most fascinating part of the book.

I appreciated that amid all the chaos of her return Angie was able to find at least one decent person. It's terrible that there weren't more people that were kind to her. I loved the detective though. He was a perfect gentleman through and through.

I was so angry when I finished reading this book. The awful people got off way too easily. I wanted them to have to suffer the way that Angie did. Their lives weren't enough torment. It would have been nice to see them squirm.

This book went by pretty quick, there were no real surprises which sucks, but it was interesting. The psychological aspects of it were enough to hold my interest.

First Line:
"You had forgotten how early the sun rises on summer campouts—and how loud the birds sing in the morning."

Favorite Line:
"His hesitation was a definite mistake."

Top Ten Tuesday

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books I wish could have had sequels...
This was a really hard topic because most YA nowadays is already part of a series. There are few books that aren't and fewer books I wished there was more too. I scrounged around a bit and came up with a few though. 

Another Little Piece - Kate Karyus Quinn
I felt like I wanted more from these characters. I didn't want the story to end.

Chime - Franny Billingsley
This book did include some loose ties that I would love to see revisited and concluded.

The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
I'd settle for another chapter.

Shadow Hills - Anastasia Hopcus
This is the first in a series, so it may be cheating to put it on here. It was been three years since this came out though and I am chomping at the bits to see what happens next.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore - Robin Sloan
I just never wanted to stop reading this book. I want more adventures.

Every Day - David Levithan
Six Earlier Days didn't help much with my desire for more A. I just loved A and want more.

Whisper - Phoebe Kitandis
This is another first in a series that came out three years ago and has left me craving a sequel.

The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls - Claire Legrand
This was just a lot of fun and I could use more of these two!

Lost at Sea - Bryan Lee O'Malley
This was a strange story but I would love more of it. I adore the Scott Pilgrim books and would love to see this extended too. 

Huntress - Malinda Lo
This novel was just amazing and awesome and I'd love to revisit some of these characters and their world.

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.

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. 

Hey everyone, this week I wanted to talk about the series Sleuth or Dare by Kim Harrington. I read and loved the first book in this series Partners in Crime. The second and third book do not disappoint. These two books deal a bit more with the friendships between the characters. These are really great, quick mysteries and I just really love them. They aren't super easy to solve mysteries either, which is super awesome.

If you haven't checked out this series yet and enjoy middle grade mysteries make sure you grab this. This is also a great recommendation for the younger kids (you know the ones it is intended for) so buy it for them too!


First Line:
"'The pizza is frozen,' Fiona said, her green eyes shimmering with excitement." 

 Favorite Line: 
 "Monday morning was a disaster." 




First Line: 
"A dark cloud followed me to school Monday morning." 

Favorite Line: 
"But at the same time my whole body felt electric with happiness." 

  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

Review:

Curtsies & Conspiracies - Gail Carriger

Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won't Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.
Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers' quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship's boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a school trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot--one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card. 

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

The Chaos of Stars - Kiersten White

Isadora’s family is seriously screwed up.
Of course, as the human daughter of Egyptian gods, that pretty much comes with the territory. She’s also stuck with parents who barely notice her, and a house full of relatives who can’t be bothered to remember her name. After all, they are going to be around forever—and she’s a mere mortal.
Isadora’s sick of living a life where she’s only worthy of a passing glance, and when she has the chance to move to San Diego with her brother, she jumps on it. But Isadora’s quickly finding that a “normal” life comes with plenty of its own epic complications—and that there’s no such thing as a clean break when it comes to family. Much as she wants to leave her past behind, she can’t shake the ominous dreams that foretell destruction for her entire family. When it turns out there may be truth in her nightmares, Isadora has to decide whether she can abandon her divine heritage after all.

Projection - Risa Green

When 13-year-old Gretchen Harris's mother is murdered at Gretchen's 8th Grade graduation party, everyone in the town of Delphi, California, suspects a power struggle within the Oculus Society: Delphi's version of the Junior League. Gretchen's best friend, Jessica Shaw, might even hold the key to finding the culprit withThe Plotinus Ability: the Oculus Society's jealously guarded secret power to trade souls, which hinges on a kiss. Gretchen's hope at finding the murderer ends in tragedy when Ariel Miller—the class outcast—stalks Gretchen and Jessica and surreptitiously films them exchanging a kiss to test if the Plotinus Ability is real, not knowing their motives. The ensuing YouTube video ("Popular Girls = Secret Lovers") goes viral, Gretchen's and Jessica's lives are further shattered, and they vanish from Delphi. 

Flash forward two years later: Ariel is suddenly the most popular junior in town, but wracked with guilt over what she did to Gretchen and Jessica. When both girls reappear after their mysterious absence, Ariel finds herself pawn, suspect, and key player in their scheme to bring the murderer to justice.

I haven't read Etiquette and Espionage yet, but I'm sure I'm going to love it. I hadn't heard of Projection before it arrived on my doorstep, but I did enjoy The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball. This doesn't look as fluffy but hopefully will be really good. 

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

Let's Talk: Bad Boys

Let's Talk is a weekly feature at i swim for oceans.


Question: Who are your all-time favourite literary bad boys?

I don't know that there is anyone for me but Warner from Shatter Me. I know he's a terrible person to Juliette most of the time but...I just totally have a thing for him. It's sort of like Logan from Veronica Mars. He's an ass most of the time, but in those moments when you get to see behind the curtain, he's vulnerable and lovely. I probably wouldn't even be so into Warner if I hadn't read Destroy Me (or chapter sixty-two), but I was still pretty much in love with him before that. 

Warner is just Warner and I can not wait to see the final book and what happens. 

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Some Quiet Place - Kelsey Sutton | Hope

Name: Hope

A Typical Summons: “I should have done more,” Mom murmurs, pulling me back to the present. “Said more. I should have fought for my daughter, tooth and nail, looked for her until my last breath. But I stood here in this kitchen, doing dishes, pretending that everything was all right.”

I should have expected this; it’s the way of humanity, after all, to deny. To hope when there is none. I study the shine of a glass in my hand as I ask, “What do you think happened, then?”

Mom just shakes her head. Really, she has no idea what she believes.

-- Kelsey Sutton
www.kelseysutton.blogspot.com
SOME QUIET PLACE, July 2013

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