What's On My Hold List?

Picture from YaBookNerd's blog,
because, though, I started this meme
she created a much cuter pic for it!

Welcome to the April 2014 edition

of

"What's on My Hold List?"

One of the most beautiful things about working in a Library is that I have the ability to put lots of things on hold and read them *before* I buy!! These are some of the books that I'm currently waiting for, though I may buy one or two of them after reading, as well.

These are the books I'm waiting for right now:

Dorothy Must Die
by Danielle Paige 

The Inventor's Secret
by Andrea Cremer

Meridian 
by Josin L. McQuein
Arclight, book two 

The Princess in the Opal Mask
by Jenny Lundquist

Rebel Belle 
by Rachel Hawkins

Ruin and Rising
by Leigh Bardugo
The Grisha, book three

You can click on each title to go to their Goodreads page for a description...

So, these are the books I'm waiting anxiously to get my hands on...what are you waiting for??

Anxiously Awaiting... The Kiss of Deception!

The Kiss of Deception 
by Mary E. Pearson
Remnant Chronicles, book one

Publication Date: July 15, 2014

Description: 

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

I LOVE Mary Pearson's books, so I'm dying to read this one, no matter what it's about.  The fact that it's a dystopian with secrets and a twisted, deceptive character triangle?  YES, please.   Gimme! 

Mini Reviews: Stephanie Plum Catch-Up Edition

So, since I've taken my professional reviewing down a notch and I've had some free time, I've been playing catch up with some of my favorite adult series.  One series I love that I had fallen sadly behind on was Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. They are just SOO much fun... and since I'm driving a lot more now (back and forth to Roller Derby practice!), I decided to listen to these books which is an even more hilarious experience...

Explosive Eighteen
by Janet Evanovich
Stephanie Plum series, book eighteen

Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 from Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, she’s flying back to New Jersey solo, and someone who sounds like Sasquatch is snoring in row 22. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A. layover. Now he’s dead and the FBI, the fake FBI, and guns-for-hire are all looking for a photograph the dead man was supposed to be carrying.

Only one other person has seen the missing photograph—Stephanie Plum. Now she’s the target, and she doesn’t intend to end up in a garbage can. Over at the Bail Bonds Agency it’s business as usual—until the bonds bus serving as Vinnie’s temporary HQ goes up in smoke, Stephanie’s wheelman, Lula, falls in love with their “largest” FTA yet, lifetime arch nemesis Joyce Barnhardt moves into Stephanie’s apartment, and everyone wants to know what happened in Hawaii?! All Stephanie is willing to say about her Hawaiian vacation is . . . It’s complicated. (description from Goodreads.com)

I had forgotten how much this series made me laugh.  Listening as everyone tried to drag the tale about Hawaii out of Stephanie and then finally hearing the tale, bit by bit, as Stephanie recounts how exactly things went down...So good. I love the strange balance she struggles to keep in her personal *and* professional lives with Joe and Ranger. 

Notorious Nineteen 

by Janet Evanovich 

Stephanie Plum series, book nineteen 

New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is certain of three truths: People don’t just vanish into thin air. Never anger old people. And don’t do what Tiki tells you to do.

After a slow summer of chasing low-level skips for her cousin Vinnie’s bail bonds agency, Stephanie Plum finally lands an assignment that could put her checkbook back in the black. Geoffrey Cubbin, facing trial for embezzling millions from Trenton’s premier assisted-living facility, has mysteriously vanished from the hospital after an emergency appendectomy. Now it’s on Stephanie to track down the con man. 

Desperate for money—or maybe just desperate—Stephanie accepts a secondary job guarding her secretive and mouthwatering mentor Ranger from a deadly Special Forces adversary. While Stephanie is notorious for finding trouble, she may have found a little more than she bargained for this time around. (description from Goodreads.com)

Oooh. The baddies in this one were just plain creepy!  A "Yeti," a special forces freak-show hunting Stephanie down...and a Tiki "influencing" people into doing things they just shouldn't do... This one was very entertaining and like Stephanie, for a solid minute, I really thought perhaps she should just quit her job! Thank goodness that she always manages to escape just by the skin of her teeth. 

Takedown Twenty 

by Janet Evanovich 

Stephanie Plum series, book twenty

When powerful mobster Salvatore “Uncle Sunny” Sunucchi goes on the lam in Trenton, it’s up to Stephanie to find him. Nobody wants to turn him in—not his poker buddies, not his bimbo girlfriend, not his two right-hand men, Shorty and Moe. Even Joe's old-world grandmother, Bella, is doing everything she can to throw Stephanie off the trail. It’s not just Uncle Sunny giving Stephanie the run-around. Before Stephanie knows it, she’s working side by side with Ranger and Grandma at the senior center, trying to catch a killer on the loose—and the bingo balls are not rolling in their favor.

With bullet holes in her car, henchmen on her tail, and a giraffe named Kevin running wild in the streets of Trenton, Stephanie will have to up her game for the ultimate takedown. (description from Goodreads.com) 

Can I just say that I spent the majority of this book solely focused on Kevin. A GIRAFFE running around Trenton, New Jersey?!  Janet Evanovich you just made my reading YEAR. Love.  This was spectacularly funny and I know I have a little bit of a bias here (read that as a huge bias based on my love of giraffes) but I cannot wait to see where the bounty hunting hijinks take Stephanie Plum next. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this series. 

Full disclosure: All audio books borrowed from my Library. 

Some Random, but Randomly Awesome Links...

So, first up...I know I'm late to the party, but have you SEEN the trailer for IF I STAY??



Doesn't it look AMAZING? *sighs* I cannot wait to see this one.

Second, I LOVE this link to a blog post that author, Lynne Kelly, did on real author wardrobes... SO FUNNY. Didn't you realize that the snuggie is an author's ultimate comfort tool during writing? LOL.



I really love this blog post that author, Chuck Wendig (author of FIGHT CLUB) did giving some, shall we say upfront and practical, advice to new, aspiring writers. Such as, WRITE OFTEN AND WRITE ENOUGH AND YOUR VOICE WILL FIND YOU and FINISH YOUR SHIT.


Teen Eagle Huntress.  In Mongolia.  Need I say more?  This girl rocks.













So, did you guys come across anything randomly awesome this week?

Cover Reveal - The Fire's Princess!

I'm so happy to be part of Ley Hayley's cover reveal today.  Ley Hayley is the author of The Elemental Royals trilogy and having enjoyed book one, THE FOREST'S HEIR, so much, I'm very excited to get my hands on book two, THE FIRE'S PRINCESS.

Here's the basics:
THE FIRE'S PRINCESS
Release date: June 4, 2014

Book Description:
Rose has lost everything she's ever known.

Her father has been murdered. She has fled her home in the Forested Land to take refuge with King Andrew Rivers in a foreign kingdom.

Her home is under the control of a tyrant king, one who will stop at nothing to see Rose and all of her family dead. She has to fight to stay hidden, stay alive, and find a way back home.

Now Rose must find a way to organize a rebellion to get back to her homeland, as well as win the hearts of a kingdom that doesn't know her. With lords scheming with hidden agendas and her own secrets threatening to be exposed, Rose must face enemies she never expected and find a destiny she never planned for.

In the stunning sequel to The Forest's Heir, Ley Hayley takes readers on a journey through court intrigue and matters of the heart. The Fire's Princess truly is a fiery ride!

Drumroll please...

...and here's the cover! 

Such gorgeous colors! It's intensely romantic looking...I can't wait to find out if the cover matches the story... *wink, wink*

For more info on Ley Hayley and THE FIRE'S PRINCESS:

Website: http://leyhayley.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeyHayley

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeyHayley

Author's Blog: http://leyslibrary.blogspot.com/

Unleashing Mr. Darcy

Unleashing Mr. Darcy 
by Teri Wilson

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman teetering on the verge of thirty must be in want of a husband.

Not true for Manhattanite Elizabeth Scott. Instead of planning a walk down the aisle, she's crossing the pond with the only companion she needs; her darling dog, Bliss. Caring for a pack of show dogs in England seems the perfect distraction from the scandal that ruined her teaching career, and her reputation, in New York. What she doesn't count on is an unstoppable attraction to billionaire dog breeder Donovan Darcy. The London tycoon's a little bit arrogant, a whole lot sexy, and the chemistry between them is disarming. When passion is finally unleashed, might Elizabeth hope to take home more than a blue ribbon? (Description from Goodreads.com)

What a cute book! I first saw the description in this monthly publication, Bookpages, our library gets that talks about upcoming releases.  It just sounded too fun to pass up, so I requested the book through interlibrary loan.  

Set in modern times, with a very modern main character, I loved seeing the influence of Pride and Prejudice in these pages.  Sometimes it was tongue-in-cheek, like when Elizabeth's sister, Jenna, makes a comment about how of course the hot British guy she meets is named Darcy, why wouldn't he be?  Sometimes, it was more a direct rewrite of the characters or a plot scene.  In every case, Wilson does a bang up job and this book is a winner for fans of Austen rewrites.  

The plot makes sense, the characters shine, and the romance is stellar.  I adored this book and will probably be purchasing a copy for my collection.  Well done. 

Full disclosure: Borrowed through Interlibrary Loan

Gold Star Review: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line

The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line
Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham
Veronica Mars, book one

Ten years after graduating from high school in Neptune, California, Veronica Mars is back in the land of sun, sand, crime, and corruption. She’s traded in her law degree for her old private investigating license, struggling to keep Mars Investigations afloat on the scant cash earned by catching cheating spouses until she can score her first big case.

Now it’s spring break, and college students descend on Neptune, transforming the beaches and boardwalks into a frenzied, week-long rave. When a girl disappears from a party, Veronica is called in to investigate. But this is no simple missing person’s case; the house the girl vanished from belongs to a man with serious criminal ties, and soon Veronica is plunged into a dangerous underworld of drugs and organized crime. And when a major break in the investigation has a shocking connection to Veronica’s past, the case hits closer to home than she ever imagined. (Description from Goodreads.com)

Picking up where the recently released movie left off (*Caution - This means Spoilers ahead!!*) this first book in the new Veronica Mars mystery series has all the smarts and sass of the original tv series.  Magic. 

Veronica has officially decided to become Neptune's next official PI. Unfortunately, Keith is none to happy about it. ..Delicious tension ensues.  Veronica gets herself into a few very sketchy spots, making everyone just a hair toohair nervous. .. she learns to use a gun and make slightly wiser choices. 

With Logan away and Veronica’s mom suddenly reentering her life,  her emotions are all over the map.  Every time she remembers why she's made this life choice,  a wrench in the works makes her doubt herself,  and yet. .. In true Veronica fashion,  by the end of the day (so to speak) she's kicking @ss, taking names,  and holding her own once again.  

I CANNOT wait for the next book.  I will follow Veronica wherever she leads!  

Gold Star. BAM.

Full disclosure:  Purchased for my Nook 

Movie Review: Veronica Mars

Veronica Mars
2014
Warner Bros.
Rated: PG-13
107 mins.

Years after walking away from her past as a teenage private eye, Veronica Mars gets pulled back to her hometown - just in time for her high school reunion - in order to help her old flame Logan Echolls, who's embroiled in a murder mystery. (Description from IMDB.com)

So, I'm pretty sure that I've mentioned at least once that Veronica Mars was my FAVORITE television show...ever. When I heard on twitter that Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell were running a Kickstarter to fund a movie...I jumped on that bandwagon so hard I was afraid I must bust a wheel off it. Well, you know what I mean.  I was one of those 91,585 backers that raised the required funds within 24 HOURS of the Kickstarter's launch.  :D  I do love me my Veronica...yes, yes I do.  

So...after months and months and months and months (basically a year) of getting behind the scenes updates and getting my t-shirt and other accoutrements supplied only to the backers, the time finally came for the MOVIE!! 

I was devastated to learn that it was only running in AMC theaters and the closest one to me was almost an hour away and in a shady-@ss town that I was NOT going to the movies in.  My heart broke.  Then I remembered that as a backer I actually received a digital copy of the movie the day it was released and I could watch it in the own comfort of my home...and my PJs, LOL.  

So, since my hubs is not a crazed fan like me and I wanted to watch without his commentary, at least the first time!, I actually watched the movie on my phone! First time for everything, right?  I worried it wouldn't be as great on such a teeny screen, but you know what I still laughed, cried, gasped, and cheered.  It was everything I'd hoped for and I cannot wait to watch it again on my big TV next time.  

SO without getting too spoilery... here's some things I loved:

Same bad-@ss Veronica.  When she comes back to Neptune to help Logan out of a bad situation, she falls back into both the P.I. habits and the witty sarcasm we all knew and loved.  

Veronica's amazing best friends, Mac and Wallace.  (Mac looks AH-MAZING now, btw...) All of the cast was truly necessary to make this work, but the scenes where these three fall back into the friendship fold just immediately drew me back in. I loved seeing them sit on the front stoop, drinking and laughing together.  

Ummm...and, yes, I will admit that all of the cast has, uh... aged well.  In fact, this particular scene where the men of Veronica Mars show off their male prowess and then somehow end up all soaking wet... well, there's a lot here for any fan to love. LOL.  Am I right?  

Basically, my overall review is OH MY GOD, GO SEE IT.  WHY HAVEN'T YOU SEEN IT YET??? 

Long-term fans of the show will love it.  There are little hints and quips and things that happen that are all shout-outs to those fans, but the best part of the movie is that you don't have to have been a fan in order to watch and enjoy this one on its own.  It is a fun, smart movie no matter if you have the background knowledge or not. 

Truly one of my favorites of all time now.  

BONUS: Check back on the blog on Friday for my review of the new Veronica Mars novel, The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line.