SYNC Summer 2016: Week 3 #AudiobookSYNC16

Man, I can't believe it's already May! The kids are [almost] out of school, and summer will soon be upon us. You know what that means! SYNC recently announced the list of audiobook pairings up for grabs this summer, and today kicks off week three of the program for 2016. Here's what you can grab through Wednesday of next week...for free!

This week's YA title is 100 Sideways Miles by Andrew Smith, performed by Kirby Heyborne for Tantor Media.

Finn Easton sees the world through miles instead of minutes. It’s how he makes sense of the world, and how he tries to convince himself that he’s a real boy and not just a character in his father’s bestselling cult-classic book. Finn has two things going for him: his best friend, the possibly-insane-but-definitely-excellent Cade Hernandez, and Julia Bishop, the first girl he’s ever loved.

Then Julia moves away, and Finn is heartbroken. Feeling restless and trapped in the book, Finn embarks on a road trip with Cade to visit their college of choice in Oklahoma. When an unexpected accident happens and the boys become unlikely heroes, they take an eye-opening detour away from everything they thought they had planned—and learn how to write their own destiny.

This week's classic title is This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff, performed by Oliver Wyman for HighBridge Audio.

This unforgettable memoir, by one of our most gifted writers, introduces us to the young Toby Wolff, by turns tough and vulnerable, crafty and bumbling, and ultimately winning. Separated by divorce from his father and brother, Toby and his mother are constantly on the move, yet they develop an extraordinarily close, almost telepathic relationship. As Toby fights for identity and self-respect against the unrelenting hostility of a new stepfather, his experiences are at once poignant and comical, and Wolff does a masterful job of re-creating the frustrations and cruelties of adolescence. His various schemes - running away to Alaska, forging checks, and stealing cars - lead eventually to an act of outrageous self-invention that releases him into a new world of possibility.

I've never read any of Andrew Smith's books, but I do have several on my shelves. Now that I can grab this audio fo' free, I think I will have to make the effort finally. :) I don't know why I've held off...I've heard nothing but good things...

Will you be picking up either of these titles? Remember, they're only available through Wednesday, and new titles will be put up on Thursday for download. To download this week's titles, just click here to be taken to the SYNC download page.

I hope you take advantage of this program. I've been doing it for the last several years, and I've had the opportunity to listen to a ton of great audio for free.  If you've never tried audiobooks before, it's a great opportunity to do so without the obligation of buying one that you might not enjoy.  And if you love audiobooks, well, it's a great time to stock up on some titles you may have missed or discover new ones.  Win/win.  =)

Happy listening!

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Labels: 2016, audiobooks, freebies, promotions, summer, sync

{WOW} STARFALL by Melissa Landers

"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 selection is...








's Pick:



Title: Starfall
Author: Melissa Landers
Series: Starflight, book #2
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: February 7, 2017

When Princess Cassia Rose fled her home world of Eturia to escape an arranged marriage to a bloodthirsty prince and prevent a coup, she had no idea her sudden departure would spark a war. Now after two years hiding as a lowly ship hand, she finally has the chance to return home and make peace, but not in the way she imagined. Shackled by bounty hunters, she is violently dragged back to account for her crimes. Her only solace is that the Banshee crew managed to evade capture, including Kane Arric, her best friend... with occasional benefits.

Meanwhile, Kane and the rest of the crew of the Banshee, including Solara and Doran, are planning a desperate rescue mission. But when they arrive on Eturia, they find Cassia ruling her home planet, having imprisoned the rogue prince who would have overthrown her family. Deep down, Kane knows that Cassia can't rule her world and be with the bastard son of a business man, but he's also sure she returns his feelings, and that makes the circumstances all the more painful. When the outer realms are threatened by the dangerous Zhang mafia, Cassia, Kane and the rest of the Banshee crew rally to protect the population from widespread enslavement. The reunion forces Cassia to consider who her true family is and if she can live without the boy who has been there for her through thick and thin.

I loved Starflight. So far, it's my favorite of Melissa Landers' books. Spaceships. Banter. Hate-to-love romance. What's not to love? And although this sequel doesn't feature the same couple as the first book, I'm equally as excited because I loved the chemistry between Cassia and Kane. Plus, it's always nice to revisit old friends. :)

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: beautiful covers, disney, funfunfun, melissa landers, sci-fi, starflight, waiting on wednesday (wow)

MY LADY JANE Was So Punny It Hurts

Title: My Lady Jane
Author(s): Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: June 7, 2016
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

For fans of The Princess Bride comes the comical, fantastical, romantical, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey.

Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger—and caught up in an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that’s the least of Jane’s problems. She’s about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.

This alternate version of the events leading up to and following the subsequent nine-day reign of Lady Jane Grey is equal parts hilarious and fantastical. I knew little of Lady Jane's rise to the queenship, but now I know the real story. *wink, wink* And it was ever so much fun!

I've read and adored series by all three of The Lady Janies, so I knew in my heart of hearts that this was going to be a worthwhile endeavor. They each have their own voice as they each write one of three perspectives: King Edward, Lady Jane, and Lord Gifford. I'm pretty sure I figured out which author wrote which POV early on, but I won't hazard a guess here because I don't want to spoil anything. Besides, it's more fun to guess!

This story is not historically accurate; it's not intended to be. But the aspects from history that were included made it feel as if this could have been how things really happened. It's a flight of fancy, I know, but I would like Jane to not have lost her head in the whole ordeal. There was entirely too much of that "off with her head" business back in those days for my liking, anyway.

That Eðian business was particularly refreshing, though. It's not mentioned in the synopsis, but it's apparently on the back cover, so I don't feel I'm revealing too much by discussing it. Besides, it's essential to the plot and also the dividing factor in the realm at this point. [In this version of history, at least. ;0)] Which means it should be as much up for discussion now as it is in the book. Where all the citizens of the queendom do is fight about it or try to master their animal change...or both. It's all rather mysterious and hush-hush, but in the best way possible. I wish I could change in to an animal at will. I would just prefer to pick which animal. =)

My Lady Jane is remarkably hilarious. It pays homage to favorites like The Princess Bride and Monty Python and other classics, while also including quips from more recent obsessions of mine, like Tangled. ("Frying pans. Who knew?") I alternated between loving these allusions...and not. They were funny until they became a little forced, a little too much for the specific moment. But most of the time, I treasured their wit and playfulness amidst the direness of the situation. The horse jokes DID NOT QUIT and they were perfection. And the remarks from the narrators (read: authors) throughout the story were equally funny and definitely made me feel like I was Fred Savage while reading this book. (If you don't get that reference, I don't think we can be friends.)

This was quite a story. It was just missing that je ne sais quoi that would have made it a five-star read for me. Maybe it was the fact that Lord Gifford wanted to be called G? That just did not feel right at all. Maybe it was the fact that it felt like the nods to other comedies were overused, that I would have loved to see more of the authors' own brands of humor integrated into the story? I'm not certain. But the voices were distinctive. The characterization was neatly done. The romance was pretty adorable, as well. And the story was clever as all get out. So it must just be me.

I think this story will resonate with fans of historical fiction and fans of the comedic genius of those movies listed above, alike. It's punniness sure had me cackling like a lunatic from beginning to end. I hope The Lady Janies collaborate like this again, to much ensuing hilarity.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

We're the authors of the upcoming young adult novel, MY LADY JANE, which will be out with HarperTeen on June 7, 2016. Our group is made up of Brodi Ashton (author of the EVERNEATH series and DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY), Cynthia Hand (New York Times bestselling author of the UNEARTHLY series and THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE), and Jodi Meadows (author of the INCARNATE and the ORPHAN QUEEN series). Between the three of us we've written thirteen novels, a bunch of novellas, a handful of short stories, and a couple of really bad poems, but this is the first time we've taken a stab at writing a book together. We're friends. We're writers. We're fixing history by rewriting one sad story at a time. See THE AUTHORS tab for more information.

Find The Lady Janies:

Website | Twitter

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Labels: alternate history, brodi ashton, cynthia hand, favorites, funfunfun, harper-collins, historical fiction, jodi meadows, lady janies, my lady jane, retellings, the princess bride

Wherein the Moon is Your Destiny

Title: Outrun the Moon
Author: Stacey Lee
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons BFYR
Publication Date: May 24, 2016
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

San Francisco, 1906: Fifteen-year-old Mercy Wong is determined to break from the poverty in Chinatown, and an education at St. Clare’s School for Girls is her best hope. Although St. Clare’s is off-limits to all but the wealthiest white girls, Mercy gains admittance through a mix of cunning and a little bribery, only to discover that getting in was the easiest part. Not to be undone by a bunch of spoiled heiresses, Mercy stands strong—until disaster strikes.

On April 18, an historic earthquake rocks San Francisco, destroying Mercy’s home and school. With martial law in effect, she is forced to wait with her classmates for their families in a temporary park encampment. Mercy can't sit by while they wait for the Army to bring help. Fires might rage, and the city may be in shambles, yet Mercy still has the 'bossy' cheeks that mark her as someone who gets things done. But what can one teenaged girl do to heal so many suffering in her broken city?

I'll admit, I didn't love this as much as Under a Painted Sky, but it was still a lovely, poignant story. And I unintentionally started reading it on April 18th, the day of the historic earthquake that the story is focused on, which was, well...kind of eerie. (I remember reading about it in school, but the date had little significance to me at that point because it didn't relate to me or anyone I knew.) And I didn't realize what I'd done until I was almost to the halfway mark and the story really got, er, shaking. :P

It took a minute to make a real connection with these characters, but I'll admit it...there were moments when I cried for/with them. I won't soon forget Mercy and her hard-won friends. Or the issues they faced in that time period - and the extent to which they face them: classism, sexism, racism...to name a few. I loved seeing how a tragedy like this could bring the girls of St. Clare's together -- albeit reluctantly, at least at first -- and make them forget all the ways they were different and instead focus on being true St. Clare's girls and "comport themselves with unselfish regard for the welfare of others."

As with Under a Painted Sky, I really appreciated Lee's blend of fiction, Chinese culture, and American history. It's obvious that she researched the material, as well as had some personal association with the matter, but I also loved how she explained in her author's note what changes she made for the sake of the story and how things would have really been for Mercy and friends.

Stacey Lee's words just paint such a vivid picture. Of Chinatown. Of the devastation wrought by the earthquake. And of the grief and loss suffered in the aftermath. Her depiction of this historic tragedy is fraught with high emotions and tempers but also with the kindness and compassion that such an event seems to bring about in mankind.

The first half of this story may have been more boarding school shenanigans than anything else, but the second half of the novel really makes up for any initial slowness in the beginning. I'm impressed with the overall friendships and sense of community this book gave me, and I'm glad that it expanded my knowledge of an event that I knew little about beforehand. And in doing so, it garnered a really emotional response from me. So far, I'm very impressed with Stacey's work, and I can't wait to read her next story.

GIF it to me straight:

Like the moon, you can try to hide from it. You can even see if from a different perspective.

But you cannot outrun your destiny.

About the author:

Stacey Lee is a fourth generation Chinese-American whose people came to California during the heydays of the cowboys. She believes she still has a bit of cowboy dust in her soul. A native of southern California, she graduated from UCLA then got her law degree at UC Davis King Hall. After practicing law in the Silicon Valley for several years, she finally took up the pen because she wanted the perks of being able to nap during the day, and it was easier than moving to Spain. She plays classical piano, raises children, and writes YA fiction.

Find Stacey:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Tumblr

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Labels: diversity, historical fiction, outrun the moon, penguin, reviews, stacey lee

{The Weekend Update} 5.14.16

So, since my end-of-the-week post isn't just about what I got in my mailbox or on my Kindle each week -- though that is a big part of it, I won't lie -- I decided to change up the title and intro a bit.  I might tweak the format a bit over the next few weeks, but for the most part, it'll contain the same stuff: stuff I got, stuff I did, and stuff that's coming up on the blog.  Plus, I get to use the awesome GIF you see here and blow kisses to all the people who sent me lovely books and bookish things.  Oh, and I've started linking up to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews since I'm not using a specific meme title anymore.  April's also doing her own Stacking the Shelves posts on Sundays.  Stop by and say hi!  =)

So, I wasn't around a lot this week because it was BEA week and while I'm super happy for all the folks who got to attend, the FOMO is seriously painful at times, so it was just better for me to avoid Twitter and Instagram all week. If you went, I hope you got some amazing goodies. If you didn't get to go, well...I'm right there with you. =D And if you did go and managed to score a copy of Caraval that you don't need, I would happily trade you for it. (See Trades below for more info.)

While I was briefly online on Friday, I discovered that 2016 show cancellations were in and Agent Carter didn't make the cut. I knew it was iffy, but this news still saddens me immensely. I'd already heard that Hayley Atwell had signed on for another show -- I can't remember which one and I don't feel like looking it up right now because of the sads -- so I didn't have high hopes, anyway. But I loved seeing badass Peg take on bad guys week after week, with no super powers, just her feminine wiles and intelligence. And, of course, I'll miss Jarvis and Ana, too.

Okay, okay. On to the books. Here's what I scored this week...

From Publishers:



From Harper:
Bright Smoke, Cold Fire by Rosamund Hodge
The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis



From Bloomsbury:
Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige



From Chronicle Books:
Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz & Kat Helgeson

From Penguin:
The Edge of the Light by Elizabeth George

Traded:



I made one hell of a trade last week! The lovely Carol offered up all three books in Jay Kristoff's The Lotus War series AND offered to get them signed while he was in town over the weekend. And since she was so generous with her time, I went ahead and sent her the entire The Looking Glass Wars series, even though she only requested the first book, along with a couple others she wanted. I hate to break up a series, anyway. =)

New #booksfortrade | Have You Seen This? post this week! I'm still looking for a few high profile ARCs, like Throne of Glass, The Near Witch, and Scarlet (Gaughen), plus some other 2016 releases. Also, if anyone has an extra of Caraval, you can have whatever you want from my trade stacks. Anything. Just sayin'...

Freebies:



The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury - just in time for the sequel! - via SYNC

Gifted:



My awesome older sister sent me a Beauty and the Beast-themed belated birthday present this week! I'm so happy to add all of these little guys to my Funko collection! =D



Finally got my ACOTAR tote for preordering A Court of Mist and Fury! It's so pretty and I love the quote on the opposite side


So, that's my haul. =) What fabulous bookmail did you get this week?

The Week in Review:

Reviews:

• The Square Root of Summer
• Grimm's Fairy Tales

Current Giveaways:

Check back soon!

Promotional/Discussion Posts:

• #WoW - Windwitch by Susan Dennard
• SYNC Summer 2016: Week 2 | #AudiobookSYNC16
• Thoughts and Theories as The Last Star Approaches

Currently Reading:

So, when I saw that this was "for fans of The Princess Bride," I knew it was only a matter of time before I caved and read it. But then I got a second copy and passed it on to my bestie so we could buddy read it. She's been at BEA this week so she hasn't done her part of the reading yet, but once I started, I couldn't NOT continue reading. It's so freaking funny...all of those horse jokes! Too adorable.




Currently Listening:

With no library access yet, I'm still relistening to a ton of titles that I already own, and it's been kind of awesome. This was my first ever Sarah Dessen and it just feels like the right time to revisit it. It's a perfect ready-for-summer read.





Upcoming Reviews:

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Labels: in my mailbox (imm), stacking the shelves, the weekend update