Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

Release Date: October 1, 2013
Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers
Source: BEA

Summary

After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.

Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all? (courtesy of Goodreads.)

Review

Did you like Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles? Or anything else Simone has written? Did you like Katie McGarry's books? If so, you will love Wild Cards.

Manga Mondays #166: Sherlock Bones vol. 1 by Yuma Ando

Manga Mondays Meme

I've been doing Manga Mondays every week since I started my blog 3 years ago. It started out as a personal feature, but I decided to turn it into a meme last year. There are quite a few people who do Manga Mondays. I don't claim by any means that I owned or created the idea of Manga Mondays - it's an obvious choice given the alliteration. I think a meme is a great way for everyone to publicize their own Manga Mondays and get a little more publicity.

The linky will be below my review.

Sherlock Bones vol. 1 by Yuma Ando

Summary

DEDUCTIVE DOG DETECTIVE When Takeru adopts his new pet, he's in for a surprise—the dog is none other than the reincarnation of Sherlock Holmes, the famous detective. What's more, this "Sherdog" has decided that Takeru is the reincarnation of his long-time assistant, Dr. Watson. Takeru may think Sherdog (or he himself) is crazy, but with no one else able to communicate with Holmes, he's roped into becoming the canine's assistant all the same. Using his exceptional sleuthing skills, Holmes uncovers clues to solve the trickiest crimes. (courtesy of Goodreads)

Review

*Warning: Potential spoilers. My manga reviews tend to be more of a summary than a review. I find it hard to review manga in the same way I do regular books.

Can you say cute?

I'm on a Sherlock Holmes kick right now. I'm obsessed with the BBC show (Benedict Cumberbatch and Andrew Scott...squee!). I'm reading The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes to gain an appreciation for the original. And here I find a manga take-off on the world's most famous consulting detective.

Feature and Follow Friday #167

Welcome to the Feature & Follow

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Gain new followers and make new friends with the Book Blogger Feature & Follow! If this is your first time here, welcome! You are about to make some new friends and gain new followers -- but you have to know -- the point of this hop is to follow other bloggers also. I follow you, you follow me.

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Who is our Feature today? Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

Wish You Were Eyre by Heather Vogel Frederick

Wish You Were Eyre by Heather Vogel Frederick

Release Date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Source: Library

Summary

The book club says bon voyage to Concord and bonjour to France!

It’s a dream come true for Megan, who’s jet-setting to Paris for Fashion Week with Gigi. Meanwhile, back in Concord, Mrs. Wong decides to run for mayor, so Emma and Stewart team up to make her campaign a success. Jess and Cassidy are also hoping for victories, Jess in the a cappella finals with the MadriGals and Cassidy in the national hockey championships with her teammates. In the midst of it all, the girls—along with their Wyoming pen pals, who drop in for a visit over Spring Break—dive into Charlotte Brontë’s classic Jane Eyre. Some real life romance follows, as Becca may have found a Mr. Rochester of her own.      And then there’s the matter of a certain wedding. The book club girls, their families, the British Berkeley brothers, and even Stinkerbelle will be attending the ceremony, which means there might be some bumps before the bride waltzes down the aisle…. (courtesy of Goodreads.)

Review

The ending of a wonderful book series is always a bittersweet thing. Actually, often more bitter than sweet. Wish You Were Eyre is the sixth and final book of Heather Vogel Frederick's wonderful Mother Daughter Book Club series.

Waiting on Wednesdays: Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine!

Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund

Publish Date: October 15, 2013

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Cheating a bit here - I've already read this book. I loved it so much that I want to emphasize its release for everyone. Such an incredible book. It's a companion to For Darkness Shows the Stars and based off of The Scarlet Pimpernel!

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Release Date: September 3, 2013
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: BEA

Summary

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black. (courtesy of Goodreads.)

Review

A few weeks ago, I spent a week in New York City. We stayed in New Jersey, which meant I 30+ minutes on a bus to and from the city. Since I was trying to conserve my iPhone battery, I had nothing to do other than read. How refreshing. Despite obviously being a big reader, focusing on a book is increasingly difficult as the Internet beckons 24/7. What a luxury to be forced to read. I lucked out by bringing a fabulous book on my trip. I couldn't put The Coldest Girl in Coldtown down.

Manga Mondays #165: The Princess of Tennis vol. 1 by Takeshi Konomi

Manga Mondays Meme

I've been doing Manga Mondays every week since I started my blog 3 years ago. It started out as a personal feature, but I decided to turn it into a meme last year. There are quite a few people who do Manga Mondays. I don't claim by any means that I owned or created the idea of Manga Mondays - it's an obvious choice given the alliteration. I think a meme is a great way for everyone to publicize their own Manga Mondays and get a little more publicity.

The linky will be below my review.

The Princess of Tennis vol. 1 by Takeshi Konomi

Summary

The exciting backdrop of high school tennis serves as the setting for the sports drama and coming-of-age story, The Prince of Tennis. From creator Takeshi Konomi, the manga depicts the on- and off-the-court adventures of Ryoma Echizen, who joins the Seishun Gakuen Middle School tennis team, known for being one of the most competitive teams in Japan. Freshmen rarely have a chance to actually play during their first year, but Ryoma's cool confidence, combined with a deadly, un-returnable "twist serve," gain him a coveted starting spot. With rigorous and extremely intense practices, the upperclassmen of the team expect the very best from themselves, and expect even more from the new members of the team. He's made the cut but can he survive the intense competition? Join Ryoma and other first year players, as they train hard, make friends, and try to find a place for themselves on the team. Also meet Ryoma's cute but chronically shy classmate, Sakuno Ryuzaki, who hopes he will notice her. Ryoma Echizen is The Prince of Tennis. He may be ready for the Seishun Gakuen tennis team, but are they ready for him? (courtesy of Goodreads)

Review

*Warning: Potential spoilers. My manga reviews tend to be more of a summary than a review. I find it hard to review manga in the same way I do regular books.

What a fun manga series. It's about a stellar tennis player, but will appeal to anyone who likes silly, personal drama. And I'm saying silly in a good way.