Waiting on Wednesday (58)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming release they are particularly looking forward to.

THIS WEEK'S PICK:

TIME BETWEEN US BY TAMARA IRELAND STONE

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett's unique ability to travel through time and space brings him into Anna's life, and with him, a new world of adventure and possibility.

As their relationship deepens, they face the reality that time might knock Bennett back where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate--and what consequences they can bear in order to stay together.

Fresh, exciting, and deeply romantic, TIME BETWEEN US is a stunning and spellbinding debut from an extraordinary new talent in YA fiction.

I've been seeing the cover for Time Between Us floating around for quite some time and thought it was gorgeous. But it wasn't until recently that I actually took the time to read the summary. And after I did I just knew I had to read this book. I love any story that involves time travel and this one sounds like a particularly great one. It can't come out soon enough.

Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone will be published October 9, 2012 by Hyperion.

Lucky Fools by Coert Voorhees

Title: Lucky Fools

Author: Coert Voorhees

Publisher: Hyperion

Release Date: July 10, 2012

Source: From Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

What does it cost to fight for your dream?

David Ellison has always been told that he can do anything he sets his mind to, but when he sets his sights on Juilliard rather than nearby Stanford University, his parents quickly point out that "anything" doesn't include throwing away his private school education to study acting.

But David is determined to make his dream a reality. As his Juilliard audition approaches, he jumps wholeheartedly into his latest play…and right into the path of his beautiful costar, Vanessa. Caught between his devotion to long-time girlfriend Ellen and his undeniable attraction to Vanessa, David finds himself ensnared in a love triangle of his own making, with his relationship teetering on the brink of disaster.

To make matters worse, Oak Fields Prep is thrown into chaos by a mysterious prankster known as The Artist, who is determined to sabotage the college aspirations of the school's highest achievers. Anyone who excels is a potential target--and David, the star of every play, could be next.

From the author of the critically acclaimed The Brothers Torres comes an insightful novel about enduring the pressures of high school, surviving the ins and its of love, and fighting for your dreams, no matter what.

I'll be honest and say that what originally caught my attention was the cover of Lucky Fools. Then I read the synopsis and I knew it would be a book I would enjoy. While the book ended up being a little different than I expected, I was still able to really enjoy the story.

David Ellison has always wanted to be a professional actor and has his sights set on Juilliard. And everything seems like it will be working out for David. But with his Juilliard audition only a couple of weeks away, David becomes a little less focused and the senior class of his elite prep school has become the target of The Artist, a mysterious prankster. And by the look of it, David could be the next victim. And if that happens, everything might not go exactly as planned and David's entire future could be in jeopardy.

For whatever reason, I expected Lucky Fools by Coert Voorhees to be a really funny book. Don't ask me why, because I really don't know. While Lucky Fools wasn't as funny as I expected it would be, it didn't stop me from really enjoying the book. The story ended up working on two levels. On the surface, it was the story of a high school senior trying to navigate the college application process. But when you looked a little deeper you realized that this same high school senior was just trying to find his place in the world. And of course this was all done with some humour, which is what made me enjoy the story that much more. Though the best part of the story was that it was told from a boy's perspective.

The story in Lucky Fools was told from David's perspective and that made me love the story. And David himself had a lot to do with it. I loved how he managed to take himself seriously while at the same time not taking himself seriously at all. It made for interesting situations. But mostly I was happy when he finally realized what really made him happy and he went for it, and everything eventually worked out for him. The one character that really bugged me was Ellen. To me, she never really seemed sincere ad there was always something a little off about her. And I'm not going to lie, I was happy to see I wasn't wrong about her because she kind of annoyed me. But aside from Ellen, I really enjoyed the other characters, especially the humour Colter brought. It totally made up for Ellen.

Overall, Lucky Fools by Coert Voorhees was a highly enjoyable read. If you are looking for a YA that is both fun and serious, and is told from a boy's perspective then I recommend you give Lucky Fools a chance.

Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

Title: Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3)

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Publisher: Hyperion

Release Date: March 13, 2012

Source: Library

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Talk about terrible timing…

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. With her powers locked inside her, Sophie is defenceless, alone, and the at the mercy of her sworn enemies--the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down Prodigium. Or at least that's what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn't so sure.

The only known spell that can help Sophie regain her magic is at Hex Hall--the place where it all began, and now the headquarters of the evil Casnoffs. Together with her best friend, vampire Jenna; her boyfriend, Archer; her fiancé, Cal (yeah, her love life is complicated); and a ghost for a sidekick, Sophie must battle an army of demons. But even with her friends at her side, the fate of al Prodigium rests on her shoulders alone.

Sophie's bound for one hell of a ride…Can she get her powers back before it's too late?

It was only recently that I finally started reading Rachel Hawkins' Hex Hall series. I loved the first two books so I was really eager to see ow it all came together in Spell Bound. So when my library hold on the book came in, I started reading right away and didn't stop until I was finished.

After narrowly escaping from the burning Thorne Academy, Sophie Mercer finds herself with the Brannicks, a family of women dedicated to killing Prodigium. Except Sophie quickly discovers maybe they won't be so intent on killing her. In the meantime, Sophie still doesn't know if her dad, Cal, Archer and Jenna made it out of Thorne Abbey alive and she has no way of getting in touch with them. But most important, Sophie and the Brannicks need to find a way to stop the Casnoff sisters from raising more demons. But that might be difficult if Sophie can't find a way to get her powers back. And when everything goes down, Sophie will be in for one hell of a battle.

With the Hex Hall series, I have loved each book more than the previous one, and that continued with Spell Bound. Right from the first page there was something going on and, like with the other two books, the action doesn't stop until the very last page. With Spell Bound, there were definitely some parts of the story that I saw coming, but that never stopped me from enjoying the story and getting carried away with the characters. One of my favorite parts of these books is the humor that Rachel Hawkins throws into the story. The whole time I was reading, I had a smile on my face, I just couldn't help it. And it was like that until the end, which is you ask me, was a great one. I couldn't have asked fo a better ending to the story, which leaves the door open for potentially more to come.

There is nothing not to love about Sophie Mercer and her friends and family. My favorite thing about the characters is the level of snarkiness and sarcasm that comes from them. As a sarcastic person myself, I can't help but smile when they start going back and forth between each other. And all the different relationships between the characters also just put a smile on my face. Of course, I also love the characters themselves. I can't help but love Sophie and her parents, the way they are with each other just warms my heart. And where the boys are concerned, I love both Archer and Cal and I was, for the most part, happy with how things turned out for both of them.

In Spell Bound, Rachel Hawkins wrote a fantastic conclusion to her Hex Hall series. This is a series I highly recommend and it will put a mile on your face when you read it. I also can't wait to see what will happen with the spinoff book. I am all for another story in this world and with some of these characters.

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter

Title: Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy (Gallagher 

Girls #2)

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Hyperion

Release Date: October 2, 2007

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

After staking out, obtaining, and then being forced to give up her first boyfriend, Josh, all Cammie Morgan wants is a peaceful semester. But that's easier said than done when you're a CIA legacy and go to the premier school in the world…for spies.

Cammie may have a genius I.Q., but there are still a lot of things she doesn't know. Like, will her ex-boyfriend even remember she exists? And how much trouble is she really in after what happened last semester? And most of all, why is her mother acting so strangely?

Despite Cammie's best intentions to be a normal student danger seems to follow her. She and her friends learn that their school is going to play oct to some mysterious guests--code name: Blackthorne. Then she's blamed for a security breach that leaves the school's top secret status at risk.

Soon Cammie and her friends are crawling through walls and surveilling the school to learn the truth about Blackthorne and clear Cammie's name. Even though they have confidence in their spy skills, this time the targets are tougher (and hotter), and the stakes for Cammie's heart--and her beloved school--are higher than ever.

I've only just finally started reading this series and I'm really happy that I finally did. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy was a light and fun read that I just sped through. I just love everything about this series and I'm happy to have finally discovered it.

Cammie Morgan is back at the Gallagher Academy for a new semester, trying to put everything that happened with Josh behind her. Her new goal is to always be herself. Except when you are being trained to become an elite spy, always being yourself is often easier than done. And to make things better, it seems that the Gallagher Academy will be host to some unexpected visitors: boys form another spy school. While the Gallagher Girls may be equipped to deal with just about any situation, sharing their school with boys is not one of them. But Cammie is over the whole boy thing, or so she says. But then there's Zach who manages to get under her skin and push all the right buttons to drive her nuts. But there might be something bigger going on at the Gallagher Academy.

Even though I've only read the first two books, I can already say that I love this series. It's just so much fun to read and I can't help but have a smile on my face as I'm reading. But while Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy was definitely light and fun, there were also moments that were a little more serious that made me appreciate the book even more. The other great thing about the Gallagher Girls series is that I can pick one of the books up and read it all in an afternoon and escape for that time. And this book definitely provided a great escape from all the exam studying I was doing at the time.

I love Cammie Morgan and, like I said in my review of I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You, she is a fantastic narrator. The things she says just always seem to put a smile on my face. Cammie is also the kind of character whose emotions you can really feel. I felt both her joy and her pain. And of course I felt all her confusion about boys, especially Zach. Heck, Zach even drove me crazy at times. He was just such a hard person to figure out. Even once I finished reading the book, I still didn't really have a clear handle on him. Once again I also loved Cammie's best friends. They bring a lot of life and action to the story with their crazy plans and ideas. And in spite of everything, I just knew they would always have Cammie's back.

Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy definitely confirmed to me that I was seriously missing out by not having read the Gallagher Girls series sooner. It is a fantastic series and a great way to escape for an afternoon. I can't wait to read the next installment.

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter

Title: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You (Gallagher Girls #1)

Author: Ally Carter

Publisher: Hyperion

Release Date: April 25, 2006

Source: Purchased

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school--that is, it would be if every school taught advanced martial arts in PE and the latest chemical warfare in science, and students received extra credit for breaking CIA codes in computer class. The Gallagher Academy might claim to be a school for geniuses, but it's really a school for spies.

Cammie Morgan is a second-generation Gallagher Girl, and by her sophomore year she's already fluent in fourteen languages and capable of killing a man in seven different ways (one of which involves a piece of uncooked spaghetti). But the one thing the Gallagher Academy hasn't prepared her for is what to do when she falls for a boy who thinks she's an ordinary girl.

Sure, she can tap his phone, hack into his computer, and track him through town without his ever being the wiser--but can she have a relationship with a regular boy who can never know the truth about her?

Cammie may be an elite spy-in-training but in her sophomore year, she's beginning her most dangerous mission--falling in love.

For the longest time, I have been hearing about how good Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series is, but it wasn't until recently that I finally picked up the first book in the series. Of course, I have now discovered exactly what I was missing out on and I will definitely go back and read this series.

To the outside world, it looks like Cammie Morgan goes to an elite boarding school for rich girls. But as often is, everything isn't always what it seems. Because while it is an elite all-girls boarding school, the Gallagher Academy is also a school where girls with genius IQs go to be trained to become spies. Cammie has always embraced her future as a spy, but when she meets Josh, she may be reconsidering the whole thing. Because with Josh, Cammie wants nothing more than to be the normal girl that he sees when he looks at her. But normal is the last thing Cammie can be, and she can never tell Josh who she really is.

While I have read both books in Ally Carter's Heist Society series, it wasn't until recently that I decided to give her Gallagher Girls series a try. I'm glas I did because I was finally able to discover what I was missing out on. It was one of those books that i just fun to read and takes you away from your own life for a few hours. I loved getting lost in the spy world of the Gallagher Academy, and discovering some of its secrets. What I loved best about the story was that it could go from being completely normal one minute to being full of spy action the next. I just didn't know what would be coming next.

I absolutely loved Cammie's voice as narrator. She just had a way of telling the story that made it so she could make me smile at the smallest of things. But she wasn't always that happy person and those other times often made me really feel for her. I could understand her yearning to be the normal girl that Josh saw in her. I could also really see why she would fall for Josh the way she did. He was definitely great and I loved his stubbornness when it came to Cammie. And Cammie's friends were also pretty fantastic, I would love to have them in my own life. I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of Bex, Liz and Macey in the next books in the series.

After reading I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You I can say that I will be going back and reading all of the Gallagher Girls books. If they're all like this one, then I'm sure I'm going to enjoy them.