Meet Marissa Meyer in Toronto!

Marissa Meyer, author of the Lunar Chronicles is coming to Toronto in just over one week on March 9th. I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to meet her in person as I absolutely loved Cinder and with just under 100 pages to go, I am loving Scarlet just as much! Myself and some of the other Ottawa Bloggers are making the trip especially for this event so I just know it's going to be an awesome weekend.

To make things even better, Raincoast Books is running a contest giving one lucky blogger the opportunity to have a one-on-one interview with Marissa Meyer. All you have to do to enter is post a question you would ask Marissa should you win. So my question would be:

Of all the fairy tales out there, why did you choose to adapt Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Snow White for the Lunar Chronicles?

If you are planning on attending this event be sure to let me know, I always love meeting new people. And if you want more information on this awesome contest, check out the poster below!

Waiting on Wednesday (73)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming book release they are particularly looking forward to. This week I have two titles I am particularly looking forward to reading.

How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
May 7, 2013
Simon Pulse

First she lost her heart. Then she lost her mind. And now she's on a road trip to win back her ex. This debut novel's packed with drama and romance!

Rosie's always been impulsive. She didn't intend to set her cheating ex-boyfriend's car on fire. And she never thought her attempts to make amends could be considered stalking. So whens she's served with a temporary restraining order on the first day of summer vacation, she's heartbroken--and furious.

To put distance between Rosie and her ex, Rosie's parents send her on a cross-country road trip with responsible, reliable neighbor Matty and his two friends. Forget freedom of the road, Rosie wants to hitchhike home and win back her ex. But her determination starts to dwindle with each passing mile. Because Rosie's spark of anger? It may have just ignited a romance with someone new…

Right when I first heard about How My Summer Went Up in Flames I knew I had to read this book. This story just sounds like an incredible amount of fun but also like one where there might be something a little more serious going on. Also there's a road trip. That's all I really needed to know in order to know I have to read this book.

The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

May 14, 2013

Disney-Hyperion

She's been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky…But now that she's been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last. 

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they've given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do--or see--that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits' rules--and her dad's silence. If he won't help, it's time she got some answers for herself. 

But Meg isn't counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who's too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there's only one rule that really matters--survival.

This story sounds like it has the potential to have the perfect mix of romance and mystery. The synopsis for The Rules for Disappearing truly has me intrigued. I want to know why this girl is in the Witness Protection Program and I want to know why she's in danger. I guess I'll have to wait until May to figure it out!

Five Summers by Una LaMarche

May 16, 2013

Razorbill

Four best friends, five summers of camp memories.

The summer we were nine: Emma was branded "Skylar's friend Emma" by the infamous Adam Loring…

The summer we were ten: Maddie realized she was too far into her lies to think about telling the truth…

The summer we were eleven: Johanna totally freaked out during her first game of Spin the Bottle…

The summer we were twelve: Skylar's love letters from her boyfriend back home were exciting to all of us--except Skylar…

Our last summer together: Emma and Adam almost kissed. Jo found out Maddie's secret. Skylar did something unthinkable…and whether we knew it then or not, I've summers of friendship began to fall apart.

Three years after the fateful last night of camp, the four of us are coming back to camp for reunion weekend--and for a second chance. 

Bittersweet, funny, and achingly honest, Five Summers is a story of friendship, love, and growing up that is perfect for fans of Anne Brashares and Judy Blume's Summer Sisters.

Anne Brashares' Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants were among the first YA books I ever read, so being told Five Summers is perfect for fans of that author just makes me want to read it even more. The synopsis also totally piqued my curiosity--I want to know what happened that last summer that changed everything. And any book about summer camp is a good book if you ask me.

If you couldn't tell from these books or a fair amount of my posts recently, I LOVE contemporary. If anything, contemporary is probably my favorite genre so I'm excited about all the great contemps that seem to be coming out this year. Maybe this is the year contemporary makes a comeback? Even if it doesn't quite make a comeback, I'm hoping these three books won't disappoint me. 

Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally

Title: Things I Can't Forget (Hundred Oaks #3)

Author: Miranda Kenneally

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: March 1, 2013

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Some rules were meant to be broken.

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to doe people at school--although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she's a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He's the first guy she ever kissed, and he's gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her. 

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn't that easy...

So far, I have loved everything Miranda Kenneally has written. But then a friend was having some concerns with Things I Can't Forget so I decided to pick it up sooner than I had planned to. And then proceed to sit in my desk chair the entire evening, reading it. And I LOVED it. Things I Can't Forget is definitely different from Miranda Kenneally's other books, but it's a different that really works.

Kate has been brought up with strong Christian values. Every Sunday her family goes to church. And more than anything Kate believes in what she has been taught her whole life. But when she has to do the one thing that goes against everything she believes in, Kate doesn't really know what do believe in anymore. She feels guilty and she hopes that a summer working as Cumberland Creek summer camp will help her move forward and leave the past behind. But at camp Kate reconnects with Matt, the boy who gave Kate her first kiss. With Matt, Kate feels like she's able to move forward. But Matt also makes Kate question everything she has every believed in. And now Kate is even more confused than ever before.

The thing about Miranda Kenneally's Things I Can't Forget is that it's quite different from the other two books she's written. The subject matter is a little more serious and there are a lot more religious undertones to this book. And this had me a little weary at first. But once I started reading, I realized I didn't have anything to worry about. Yes, there was definitely a lot more religion in this book than in the other ones. But it wasn't the type of book that preaches at you. It fits in with the story, it makes sense. Without it, it wouldn't have been the same story and that would be a shame. Because this story worked. Everything made sense. And it also stole my heart in the process. It did not take long at all for me to find myself unable to put the book down. While reading Things I Can't Forget I found myself going through a whole range of emotions. There was just so much to feel. And this characters? They were most certainly responsible for a lot of those emotions.

Oh Kate. You puzzled me, you annoyed me and then somewhere along the way, you found a way to make me love you. I'll be the first to admit that at first I really wasn't sure how I felt about Kate, especially when it came to how strongly she held on to her beliefs. But the more I read, the more I understood that they were part of who Kate was. But the best thing about Kate was seeing her growth over the course of the novel. While still holding on to her beliefs she managed to come to terms with what she did and who she was becoming. I loved seeing that change happen in her, and that is what made me love Kate. With Matt, on the other hand, I didn't stand a chance. How was I supposed to resist a boy who goes around without shoes in preparation for running a marathon barefoot and also happens to be just about the sweetest person ever? I was powerless against him. Right from the start Matt stole my heart and I was just waiting for the same thing to happen to Kate's heart. Because there is no way she could resist Matt. And of course I was happy to see Parker and Will again, because who wouldn't want to see those two?

Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally is definitely different. But that doesn't stop the book from telling a beautiful story. Don't let yourself be scared of this book because you will be missing out. Believe me, this is not a story you want to miss. I know it stole my heart and I will be putting Things I Can't Forget in the hands of everyone I know. 

On the Topic Of...Series Ending

I have always loved reading series. Some of my favourite books are part of series. But I've always had a little trouble motivating myself to read the last book in those series. In recent years, I've found that I've become more and more reluctant to read the last in those series…to the point I've made a challenge to help me catch up on series. I don't really know why. For the post part I think it's a question of me being afraid to say goodbye to those characters I've been reading about for so many books. Or maybe it's that I'm afraid that the ending won't leave me satisfied. And that's what this post is all about, how I feel whenever a series ends.

There are so many series I love that are ending this year. And as excited as I am about finding out how everything is going to pan out, there certain books that I am almost afraid of reading for fear of what they will do to my poor heart. Just in the next couple of weeks, I know I'm going to be putting my heart through the wringer. In just about three weeks, Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices trilogy will be ending with Clockwork Princess and I know that this is a book that will likely break my heart into a million pieces. Much like Lauren Oliver's Requiem is likely to do. And potentially Josephine Angelini's Goddess when May comes around. And every time one of those books comes out, I will wage this internal battle as to whether or not to read the book right away.

I know this because this is what I've been doing for the past few years. There are countless series sitting on by bookshelves right now where I am just too scared of reading the final book. I'm scared because I don't want to be disappointed by the conclusion. I'm scared because I don't want anything bad to happen to the characters I've grown to love over the course of the other books in the series. And most of all, it comes down to me not wanting one of my favourite series to end. I know they all have to end one day, but sometimes I still just don't want them to end. 

This is not to say that I don't read last books in series. Because I do, and sometimes I can't wait to read them and jump straight into reading them. I remember going to the bookstore first thing on the day Last Sacrifice, the final book in Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series, and starting to read it right away when I got home. But the whole time I was reading I was torn: I wanted to keep going because I was dying to know what would happen next, but at the same time I didn't want to read too quickly so that the book wouldn't end right away. And that's how I am with basically all the the final books in series I read. 

In general, I go through a whole range of emotions whenever I read the final book in a series. And this year, a whole slew of series are ending. And that means my poor little heart will break over and over again. But regardless, I will be reading those last books even though I know they will completely break me.

Blog Tour - Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

Title: Out of the Easy

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Publisher: Philomel Books

Release Date: February 12, 2013

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

It's 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan to get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.

Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test. 

With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Grey, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.

I remember when I first heard about Out of the Easy, I just knew this was a book I had to read. The synopsis just caught my attention and I kept thinking about what a story set in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the 1950s would be like. Now after having read the book, I can say that it was a fantastic story that also really moved me.

Josie Moraine knows how to take care of herself. With a mother like hers she didn't have any other choice but to make a life of her own, and has been doing so she was 12 years old. But despite everything, Josie can't just let her mother go and can't help wanting to protect her. But now that her mother has left town, Josie has a plan. She's applying to college and she's going to get out of New Orleans and away from all the people who know her only as a prostitute's daughter. But when a wealthy tourist turns up dead, Josie's plans take an unpredicted turn. Now trying to stay clear of danger even when danger comes knocking on her door, Josie is conflicted: should she leave everything behind and go or should she stay and help protect the people she loves.

The story in Out of the Easy is not about the plot, it's about the characters. But that doesn't mean the story wasn't beautifully written and didn't captivate me from start to finish. There was intrigue, love and loss all mixed together to make this fantastic story. The historical aspect of the story truly captivated me and Ruta Sepetys' writing made me feel like I was walking the French Quarter in New Orleans right along side Josie. I was transported back in time by the writing and I could just picture everything while I was reading. Though I said the story itself was more about the characters, that doesn't mean there wasn't a plot at all. Because there was, and it kept me interested the whole way through. I just wanted to know what would come of everything and if something would finally go right for Josie because she more than deserved it. And as you may have gathered, the plot was all about the characters, their relationships and their growth.

Josie was so interesting to read about. She has never had an easy life but she never let that deter her from going after what she wanted. Her mother may have been one of the worst mothers I have ever read about, but still Josie found a way to make her own life, learning early on that if she wanted something she would have to go for it herself. And throughout the book it was just really interesting to see her coming to terms with everything that has happened to her and learning from those experiences to move forward. By the end of the book I was really happy to see just how far Josie had come. The other characters in the book, though they were not necessarily as prominent as Josie were still all fully fleshed out. I could so easily picture Cokie driving around in his cab, Sadie in the kitchen going about her business unable to say a word, Willie fiercely protective of Josie even though she didn't owe her a thing or Patrick going about his business in the store, getting excited about books. It was really great to see that though her family was a mess, Josie had all those other people around her willing to step in and do just about anything for her. And best of all was Jesse, even though Josie didn't realise he had been there all along until it was almost too late.

Ruta Sepetys' Out of the Easy was an absolutely fantastic read. From the very first page, the atmosphere of the book drew me in and I was right there in the French Quarter in 1950. Even if historical fiction is not something you tend to enjoy, you can't go wrong with Out of the Easy. You should really give it a try.

Stacking the Shelves (22)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews. It's a weekly post where book bloggers showcase the book they received throughout the week.

Lots of new books this week. Last Sunday, a bunch of us Ottawa bloggers got together for a meet up and the ever wonderful Kathy from A Glass of Wine had arranged for all of us to get goodie bags with fun books from publishers. It was all very exciting. And of course there were some books I just had to buy and others showed up on my doorstep unexpected.

Review:

- True by Hilary Duff - The first two books in this series were surprisingly good so I'm looking forward to see how it all ends.

- Dr. Frankenstein's Daughters by Suzanne Weyn - I honestly hadn't heard until this one until it showed up on my doorstep but it sounds interesting enough.

- The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington - From what I've heard, this book is really good and I'm looking forward to finally reading something by Kim Harrington.

- The Wrap-Up List by Steven Arntson - Again, never heard of this book, but it sounds really interesting from what I can tell from the summary.

- Delusion by Laura L. Sullivan - I'm going to sound like a broken record but I hadn't heard of this book before either but it kind of intrigues me.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada, Scholastic Canada and Thomas Allen & Sons for sending me these books for review!

Purchased:

- The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead - AAAAAHH! So excited for this one about this one and I'm reading it right now and it's just so good.

- Perfect Scoundrels by Ally Carter - I have loved the first two books in this series, and let's be honest, I'm just looking forward to reading more about Hale.

- Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins - I've already read this one but now that it's out in paperback I needed a copy to match my copies of Hex Hall  and Demonglass.

From Ottawa Blogger Meet Up:

- Poison by Bridget Zinn - For a long time I wasn't a big fantasy reader, but I've been really getting into the genre lately so I'm excited at the prospect of reading this one.

- Takedown by Allison van Diepen - I haven't read anything yet by Allison van Diepen but this book sounds really interesting. Plus Allison was super nice and joined us for lunch at the meet up.

- Impostor by Susanne Winnacker - I'm a sucker for a story that involves a murder mystery so I'm really excited to read this one. Plus it sounds really different.

- The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope by Rhonda Riley - Not something I would normally pick up, but the description made it sound really interesting, as did Shannon's (from HarperCollins Canada) note inside the book.

- Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley - Ever since I first heard about this one I've been wanting to read it so I'm really excited to now have a copy for myself.

- The Loop by Shandy Lawson - A more or less doomed from the start love story? I am there. This book sounds really complex but also like it will just break my heart. I can't wait to read it.

So that's it for me this week. As you are reading this I am on my way to Toronto for the Faze/Breathless Reads Event taking place there on Sunday which should be really exciting. And it's a good thing it's reading week this week, because if you couldn't tell, I have lots of new books to read on my hands.

Blog Tour: The Ruining by Anna Collomore

Title: The Ruining

Author: Anna Collomore

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: February 7, 2013

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Annie Phillips is thrilled to leave her past behind and begin a shiny new life on Belvedere Island, as a nanny for the picture-perfect Cohen family. In no time at all, she falls in love with the Cohens, especially with Libby, the beautiful young matriarch of the family. Life is better than she ever imagined. She even finds romance with the boy next door. 

All too soon cracks appear in Annie's seemingly perfect world. She's blamed for mistakes she doesn't remember making. Her bedroom door comes unhinged, and she feels like she's always being watched. Libby, who once felt like a big sister, is suddenly cold and unforgiving. As she struggles to keep up with the demands of her new life, Annie's fear gives way to frightening hallucinations. Is she tumbling into madness, or is something sinister at play?

The Ruining is a complex ride through first love, chilling manipulation, and the terrifying depths of insanity.

Right when I first heard about Anna Collomore's The Ruining I knew it was a story I just had to read. I'm a sucker for psychological thriller and I'm not sure what that says about me that I like people messing with my mind this much. But anyways, The Ruining was just as twisted as I thought it was going to be, though the last twenty pages or so kind of left me somewhat unsatisfied.

Annie hasn't had an easy life in Detroit, but now she is looking forward to moving to California, starting university, and becoming the Cohen family's new nanny. And at first, Annie can't help but be excited about all of it and it doesn't take long before she feels right at home with the Cohens. And if that wasn't great enough, there's also Owen, the boy next door, who seems to be quite interested in Annie. But what started out so great quickly takes a turn toward a nightmarish situation. Where Libby was once the older sister Annie never had, she is now blaming Annie for things Annie can't remember doing. And soon enough, Annie thinks she's starting to go crazy and there's nothing she can do about it.

I love psychological thrillers. And apparently that means I really love having my mind messed with…which might not be the healthiest thing ever but that's not really the point. With The Ruining everything started out relatively normal and the story made sense. But then some things just started changing and with them I wasn't exactly sure where the story would go. And for the most part I could figure out how things were going to turn out. Or so I thought. But then the more I read, the more I started doubting everything I knew, and I think that might have been what Annie was feeling as well. And I really loved the story for being as twisted as it was. But then I hit the last 20% of the book or so and things started getting strange. Not that they weren't strange before but it felt like the story took a turn and I kinda missed that turn. For the most part, it seemed like a logical progression of events, but then the end just felt a little rush and while it was the turnout I expected, it didn't happen in the way I thought it would.

So the characters in The Ruining. When I first started reading the story, I liked Annie. I could understand from her background why she wanted a fresh start and just how excited she was to be living in this completely new world. As the story moved on, I wasn't really sure what to think of her. I didn't believe she was going crazy, but at the same time I was getting increasingly annoyed with how easily she was letting herself get manipulated by the people around her, especially Libby. And Libby was the character that truly annoyed me and got on my nerves. Though I think that may have been the point when it came to her. But still, it sometimes felt like the woman suffered from split personality. And Libby's behaviour, I have to say is what messed with my mind the most because I just couldn't figure out when she wasn't being herself. And I also thing that's one of the main reasons I was unsatisfied with the way things ended. It just didn't feel like some aspects of Libby were explained enough.

Anna Collomore's The Ruining was interesting to say the least. And while the story didn't capture my attention for the majority of the book, the ending did leave me somewhat unsatisfied. Regardless, if you are looking for something a little different, you might want to give this psychological thriller a try.

Waiting on Wednesday (72)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming book release they are particularly looking forward to. This week I have two titles I am particularly looking forward to reading.

Spirit by Brigid Kemmerer
May 28, 2013
Kensington Teen

With power comes enemies. Lots of them.

Hunter Garrity just wants to be left alone. He's learned the hard way that his unusual abilities come at a price. And he can't seem to afford any allies.

He's up to his neck in hostiles. His grandfather, spoiling for a fight. The Merrick brothers, who think he ratted them out. Calla, the scheming psycho who wants to use him as bait.

Then there's Kate Sullivan, the new girl at school. She's not hostile. She's bold. Funny. Hot. But she's got an agenda, too.

With supposedly secret powers rippling to the surface everywhere around him, Hunter knows something ugly is about to go down. But finding out what means he'll have to find someone he can trust...

So far I have loved the first two books in Brigid Kemmerer's Elemental series. These books have proven to be quite addictive and I can't wait to find out what happens next. It will be interesting this time around to see things from the perspective of Hunter instead of one of the Merrick brothers. Regardless of it all, I am still really excited about Spirit being released.

Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep

July 30, 2013

Kensington Teen

Here we go again…

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can't get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities--until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I'm still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike's Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I'm still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I've got to get my hands on the antidote fast--otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins--and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there...

Have I mentioned how much I have come to love the Mythos Academy series in the past year? With each book, it seems like it just keeps getting better and better. And with everything that happened in Crimson Frost how could I not be unbelievably excited about Midnight Frost. Though I have a feeling that what Jennifer Estep will do to some of these characters will break my heart a little.

So those are the two books I'm excited about this week. If you haven't yet checked out either one of those series, I strongly recommend you do. But be warned that you may find yourself becoming addicted to them quite quickly. 

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans

Title: Level 2 (The Memory Chronicles #1)

Author: Lenore Appelhans

Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR

Release Date: January 15, 2013

Source: Borrowed from fellow blogger

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Everything Felicia Ward thought she knew about the afterlife was wrong.

Killed in a car accident just before she turned eighteen, Felicia left behind friends, family, and the boy she loved, Neil. Now trapped in a stark white world known as Level 2, Felicia and the other drones spend the endless days in chambers watching memories from their lives. 

The interminable pattern is broken when someone appears in Felicia's chamber. Julian, a dangerously charming acquaintance in life, encourages Felicia to join a brewing rebellion against the Morati, the angels in charge of Level 2. Instead of shepherding souls to the next level, the Morati have been keeping the dead in Level 2 indefinitely, upsetting the delicate balance of the afterlife. Though Felicia is reluctant to trust Julian, he promises Felicia a way out and the one thing she wants most--to be with Neil again.

Felicia can't resist the chance to find Neil. She joins the rebels, but there's more to this battle than anyone--even Julian--knows. Torn between what she's lost and what's at stake for Level 2, Felicia finds herself at the center of an eternal struggle--and at risk are the souls of all mankind.

When I first heard about Lenore Appelhans' Level 2, I had an idea of what I thought it was going to be. But then I read it and it turned out to be something completely different. And though it wasn't what I thought it was going, it turned out to be something I enjoyed all the same.

Felicia knows she's dead. She spends her days watching memories from her old life, wondering what has now happened to everyone that was part of that life. But one day, that peaceful afterlife is shaken up when all of a sudden, people can't remember who they are or where they are. And that's when Julian walks back into Felicia's life. Felicia knew Julian when she was alive and he wasn't very good news then so why would now be any better. But when he tells her that he can help her see Neil again, Felicia can't really do anything other than follow him. 

The story in Level 2 was definitely something different. Right away when I started reading, I really had to pay attention in order to really understand the world this story was taking place in. I had to make good use of my imagination to picture all the hives where everyone was willing and how they all fit together to make up the level of afterlife Felicia was living in. But beyond just the setting, the story also dealt with something that I haven't really read that much about--the afterlife. It definitely put things in a certain perspective. In this afterlife people are still living, though that life is somewhat reduced. But the people there have a lot of time to think about things and reflect back on different aspects of their lives, something which was really interesting to read about, especially when it came to Felicia. 

Felicia was interesting to read about. She really seemed to be the only person living in Level 2 that that questioned a lot of what was going on or the way things were, especially when weird things started happening. It was also really intriguing to read about how she seemed to be the only one unaffected by certain changes. But what intrigued me the most about Felicia was her relationships with Julian and Neil. It was interesting to see it all unfold, both in the past and in the present. With Julian, it was interesting to see the differences between him as he was when Felicia was alive, and how he was in the afterlife. And he definitely puzzled me because at time he seemed like two different people, but at the same time I could never seem to quite figure him out. Neil seemed to be the complete opposite of Julian, but at the same time that's hard to tell because I only really got to see Neil in flashbacks. And that more than anything is what made it hard to get a clear read on Neil as well. But despite the fact that I had trouble getting a clear understanding of either boy, they were both clearly important and almost integral to who Felicia was…and is.

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans was definitely an interesting read. It is really unlike a lot of what is already out there in terms of YA books. There aren't too many books that deal with the afterlife, so if you are looking for something a little different that will also make you think, then I recommend picking Level 2. 

Stacking the Shelves (21)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga of Tynga's Reviews. It's a weekly post where book bloggers showcase the book they received throughout the week.

After having gotten no new books last week, I'm back this week with just 2 new books. I'm liking this slower pace because it means I actually have time to get through the books I've been buying and receiving. So here's what I got!

Review:

- Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison - This book sounds so intriguing. It's a murder mystery wrapped up in a ghost story and that just makes me so excited at the prospect of reading this book. Since it comes out later this month, I should get to read it quite soon!

Bought:

- Boundless by Cynthia Hand - While I still have to read Hallowed, I couldn't resist picking up a shiny pink copy of Boundless. I loved Unearthly when I read it two years ago and now that I have the last book, I can read the remaining two books in the series back to back...when I have time...which hopefully is soon.

That's it for me this week. Though I didn't get very many books I did find out about having gotten in to my top 2 choices for post-grad programs so I'm really excited about that too. And as usual, leave me a comment letting me know what you got and I'll come check it out!

Series Catch Up Challenge Month Two

It's already time for month two of the Series Catch-Up Challenge! Can you believe how fast January went by? So fast that by the time I realized I should read one of my books for the challenge, it was already too late. But I will do better this time around! If you're not sure what this is all about, be sure to check out this post. Otherwise you know what to do! Just link up your reviews below and you'll be entered in a giveaway at the end of the month for every review you submit.

Have fun catching up on all those series!