Waiting on Wednesday: All the Rage & Hello, I Love You

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selections are...








's Pick:




Title: All the Rage
Author: Courtney Summer
Series: n/a
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: April 14th, 2015

The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous.But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time—and they certainly won’t now — but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear.　

With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out, All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women after an act of sexual violence, forcing us to ask ourselves: In a culture that refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?

I have only ever read one thing by Courtney Summers, This is Not a Test. I loved it because Zombies are all the rage... ah ha haha! See what I did there? Anyway, She normally writes just contemporary stories, so I'm looking forward to checking this one out. I love seeing how different authors tackle this subject.




's Pick:



Title: Hello, I Love You
Author: Katie M. Stout
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: June 9, 2015

A teen escapes to a boarding school abroad and falls for a Korean pop star in this fun and fresh romantic novel in the vein of Anna and the French Kiss.

Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.

She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can't stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can't deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.

Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she'll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.

Okay, soooo...admittedly, I don't know all that much about K-pop, but I don't care...this still sounds like such an adorable story. With an adorable cover, to boot! Plus, I read the author's blog before she had a book, and I just loved the way she expressed herself. So, I'm sure the book will be just as cute. Maybe someone can explain K-pop to me so the story will mean that much more to me? At least tell me what I'm missing? =)


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: all the rage, contemporary, courtney summers, hello i love you, katie m. stout, macmillan, st martins press, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Waiting on Wednesday: Better Than Perfect & All the Rage

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's WoW selections are...








's Pick:

Title: Better Than Perfect
Author: Melissa Kantor
Series: n/a
Publisher: HaperTeen
Publication Date: February 17th, 2015

Juliet Newman has it all. A picture-perfect family; a handsome, loving boyfriend; and a foolproof life plan: ace her SATs, get accepted into Harvard early decision, and live happily ever after.

But when her dad moves out and her mom loses it, Juliet begins questioning the rules she’s always lived by. And to make everything even more complicated there’s Declan, the gorgeous boy who makes her feel alive and spontaneous—and who’s totally off-limits. Torn between the life she always thought she wanted and one she never knew was possible, Juliet begins to wonder: What if perfect isn't all it’s cracked up to be?

Melissa Kantor once again delivers a tale that is equal parts surprising, humorous, heartbreaking, and romantic. Powerful and honest, Juliet’s story brilliantly portrays the highs and lows of life in high school and will resonate with any reader who has experienced either.

While getting our TTT together for this week, it made me think of how much I'm looking forward to this book. I loved Maybe One Day and I'm hoping I will love this one just as much. Thankfully I won't have to wait until February to read it. I'll be getting to this one as soon as possible. :)

's Pick:

Title: All the Rage
Author: Courtney Summers
Series: n/a
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: April 14, 2015

In her hardcover debut, from the author of Cracked Up To Be and This is Not a Test, comes a powerful new young adult novel.　

The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous.But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time—and they certainly won’t now—but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear.　

With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out, All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women after an act of sexual violence, forcing us to ask ourselves: In a culture that refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?

So, I was just saying how I needed to read more from Courtney Summers after loving This is Not a Test, and I think I know which one I want to read next. If TiNaT is any indication, this will not be an easy book to read, but it will be honest and real. And after reading the first chapter, I know I'm going to feel all the rage myself. I hadn't planned to feature this book this week, but the cover was revealed yesterday and I checked out that sneak peek, and I knew I had to switch out my pick for this week. This book is going to be amazing and sad and poignant and I cannot wait until I have the opportunity to read the whole thing.

What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: all the rage, Better than perfect, contemporary, courtney summers, harper-collins, macmillan, Melissa Kantor, st. martin's press, tough subject, waiting on wednesday (wow)

TGIF #26 - Authors Are Our Celebrities

TGIF is hosted by Ginger at GReads! In this weekly feature, Ginger poses a question to her followers and then asks everyone to link up at the end of the post, sharing their responses.

This Friday's Question:

Authors Are Our Celebrities: Have you ever contacted an author you admired? How did that experience go? If not, which author would you love to have a chat with? 

I love interacting with authors and bloggers alike.  I'm not the most avid tweeter, but I do enjoy the occasional over-zealous tweet about a new release or a contest or what-have-you.  I do, however, stalk a ton of authors on Twitter, as well as on their blogs, on Goodreads, and anywhere else I can track them down.

In my year or so of blogging, I've only been to one actual signing, and I drug my then 3yo daughter along with me.  I don't have many real-life bookish friends, so it was just me and my Katiebug off to see Lauren Kate.  And was Ms. Kate ever the nicest, sweetest person!  She even posed for a pic with the Bugster!  (Katie's kinda shy, can you tell? Hehe.)

As for actually reaching out to authors, sure, I've done that on Twitter, and to my amazement, they are always so, so nice and pretty much just excited that you're reading or interested in their book(s).  After reading Fracture by Megan Miranda, I wanted to spread my love for that book so hard, so I contacted the author for an interview and signed swag for a giveaway, not expecting much because her book had just released and I was sure she'd be too busy for lil ole me.  But Megan was beyond pleasant and was so quick to respond whenever I emailed her.  It was defnitely a blog-changing experience, meaning because of it, I'll be much more likely to contact authors in the future.

Upon discovering the Shade series, I also discovered that Jeri Smith-Ready is like the most awesome author ever.  I told her this in an email the other day, and she assured me all authors were that full of awesome, but I still have my doubts.  Sure, they're all really great, but JSM is beyond great.  She makes loving her books even more fun that it would normally be.  She's a very involved author, and her interactions with her fans is one of the things I love best about her, after creating Zachary, of course.  :D  If you ever have the chance to read her books or chat/tweet with her, take the opportunity.

So, yeah, authors are my celebrities, for sure.  My sis talks all day long about this starlet and that actor and in turn, I respond with, "Yeah, well, COURTNEY SUMMERS just thanked me for including This is Not a Test in my Teaser Tuesday post this week!  Do your celebrities even acknowledge you exist?"  Yep.  I love my celebrities because they write the books I love and make me feel like a rock star.  :0)

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Labels: author interviews, courtney summers, jeri smith-ready, lauren kate, megan miranda, signings, tgif

Review: This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title:  This is Not a Test
Author:  Courtney Summers
Series:  n/a
Publisher:  St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date:  June 19, 2012
Source:  Southern Book Bloggers ARC tour

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self.

To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live.

But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside.

When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

I don’t know if I can adequately explain how brilliant this book is, but I’ll give it a try.  I knew better than to expect an average zombie novel, based on the buzz This is Not a Test was already getting before I picked it up.  What I did not expect was how the book would affect me personally.  I finished reading this book almost a week ago, and I’m still dwelling on it, trying to collect my thoughts.  But I’ll try to keep this short and spoiler-free.

This is Not a Test was poignant, sad, disturbing…the end-of-the-world at its most real.  It was about the aftermath, not the before, not the cause.  This story is about what remains when the world collapses around you.  How you survive.  How you cope…or don’t.  It’s about six kids who become unlikely allies (or enemies in some cases).  The story follows these kids, through the eyes of Sloane, and it shows us just how little we know the people in our lives. This novel is full of deep characters with consciences but questionable morals, and they’re all trying to survive as best they can. 

This book was so raw and it felt so authentic.  So much so that it makes one wonder if Courtney Summers survived the zombie apocalypse in a former life.  It may not be a full-on zombie novel, but I still don’t recommend it if you’re squeamish.  The zombies ARE scary as hell when they’re around, but you don’t see much of them for the majority of the novel.  The threat of the walking dead is enough to be scary, in and of itself.  But what makes this story truly revolting is the choices that have to be made.  How do you kill someone who is infected but not yet turned?  How could that NOT affect you?  How do you go on living when everyone you knew and cared for is dead and gone?  The dilemmas faced in this book were far more terrifying than the zombies…at least until the kids are faced with the zombies once again.  Then all bets are off.

The author has created such a realistic portrayal of human behavior in the aftermath of an apocalyptic nightmare.  I fully expect to still be thinking about this one for weeks.  It's definitely not for the faint of heart.  This was my first Courtney Summers novel, though I have Fall for Anything on my shelf, but after This is Not a Test, I want to read everything she's ever written or even thought about writing.

Rating: 

Book-A-Likes:  The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan and Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

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Labels: arc tour reviews, contemporary, courtney summers, favorites, macmillan, must-read, post-apocalyptic, reviews, southern book bloggers, zombies

Teaser Tuesday #10: This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


This week's teaser comes from the following book:

Title:  This is Not a Test
Author:  Courtney Summers
Series:  n/a
Publisher:  St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date:  June 19, 2012
Source:  Southern Book Bloggers ARC tour

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self.

To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live.

But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside.

When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?

My teaser:

"Baxter studies us.  I'm hoping for something but I don't know what it is.  I want him to handle it the right way.  I want him to make it easier on all of us.  In a way, he does.
He does the most condemnable thing ever.
He tries to run." -- p. 177 of ARC

I actually just finished this one last night, guys, but it SLAYED me.  So raw.  So sad.  Such a realistic portrayal of human behavior in the aftermath of an apocalyptic nightmare.  I fully expect to still be thinking about this one for weeks.  It's definitely not for the faint of heart.

This was my first Courtney Summers novel, though I have Fall for Anything on my shelf, but after This is Not a Test, I want to read everything she's ever written or even thought about writing.  I'll be posting my full review in the very near future.

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Labels: contemporary, courtney summers, macmillan, must-read, post-apocalyptic, southern book bloggers, teaser tuesday, zombies