Know What You're Getting Into When You Make a Deal With the Devil

Title: Devil and the Bluebird
Author: Jennifer Mason-Black
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Amulet Books
Publication Date: May 17, 2016
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

“Devil-at-the-crossroads” folklore finds its way to YA via this moody, magical tale.

Blue Riley has wrestled with her own demons ever since the loss of her mother to cancer. But when she encounters a beautiful devil at her town crossroads, it’s her runaway sister’s soul she fights to save. The devil steals Blue’s voice—inherited from her musically gifted mother—in exchange for a single shot at finding Cass.

Armed with her mother’s guitar, a knapsack of cherished mementos, and a pair of magical boots, Blue journeys west in search of her sister. When the devil changes the terms of their deal, Blue must reevaluate her understanding of good and evil and open herself to finding family in unexpected places.

In Devil and the Bluebird, Jennifer Mason-Black delivers a heart-wrenching depiction of loss and hope.

Devil and the Bluebird was nothing like I was expecting and I may have liked it all the more because of it. You tell me there's a devil in the story, and I am so in. Plus, sister stories are always worth a read, having two sisters of my own and never really understanding either of them completely. And it should also be known that I can't say no to characters named Blue. ;0)

Much as Blue had been expecting someone different when she went to the crossroads, I was just as surprised at the identity of the would-be devil. Namely, that he was a her. Honestly, that shouldn't have really shocked me, not with all of the Supernatural I watch, but it did change all of my expectations for this book.

I guess I was hoping for some forbidden romance between the devil and Blue. Which would have been top-notch, but I think what the author does with this story is even more amazing. It's a coming-of-age story, about finding your voice (literally) and discovering your own path, and all of the ups and downs that come along with it. It's a story of loss and hope, of love and acceptance. That last one plays a BIG part in this story.

Blue makes friends and allies on her trek, but she also finds the meaning of true evil along the way. She discovers that things are not always what they seem but that she should trust her instincts when it comes to real danger. And she learns that family can come in many forms.

This story felt like a folk song, eclectic and rich. (It also made me want to rewatch Supernatural.) What a beautiful, poignant novel, full of heart and a hint of magic. A very lovely debut, to be sure.

GIF it to me straight:

NTS: Always get the terms of the contract IN FULL before offering up your soul to a beautiful, silver-tongued devil.

About the author:

Jennifer is a lifelong fan of most anything with words. She’s checked for portals in every closet she’s ever encountered, and has never sat beneath the stars without watching for UFOs. Her stories have appeared in The Sun, Strange Horizons, and Daily Science Fiction, among others. DEVIL AND THE BLUEBIRD is her first novel. She lives in Massachusetts.

Find Jennifer:

Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads

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Labels: 2016 debut, abrams, beautiful covers, devil and the bluebird, folk lore, jennifer mason-black, magical realism, music

SYNC Summer 2016: Week 1 #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 is the kick-off of the program for 2016. Here's what you can grab through Wednesday of next week...for free!


This week's YA title is Vivian Apple at the End of the World by Katie Coyle, performed by Julia Whelan for Dreamscape Media.

Seventeen-year-old Vivian Apple never believed in the evangelical Church of America, unlike her recently devout parents. But when Vivian returns home the night after the supposed "Rapture," all that’s left of her parents are two holes in the roof. Suddenly, she doesn't know who or what to believe. With her best friend Harp and a mysterious ally, Peter, Vivian embarks on a desperate cross-country roadtrip through a paranoid and panic-stricken America to find answers. Because at the end of the world, Vivan Apple isn't looking for a savior. She's looking for the truth.

This week's classic title is The Great Tennessee Monkey Trial by Peter Goodchild, performed by a full cast for L.A. Theatre Works.

The Scopes Trial, over the right to teach evolution in public schools, reaffirmed the importance of intellectual freedom as codified in the Bill of Rights. The trial, in a small-town Tennessee courtroom in 1925, set the stage for ongoing debates over the separation of Church and State in a democratic society—debates that continue to this day. Peter Goodchild used transcripts from the trial to create this intense docudrama.

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 few 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} WAYFARER by Alexandra Bracken

"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: Wayfarer
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Series: Passenger, book #2
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: January 3, 2017

All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history. After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed. When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master’s heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta’s past could put them both at risk.

Meanwhile, Nicholas and Sophia are racing through time in order to locate Etta and the missing astrolabe with Ironwood travelers hot on their trail. They cross paths with a mercenary-for-hire, a cheeky girl named Li Min who quickly develops a flirtation with Sophia. But as the three of them attempt to evade their pursuers, Nicholas soon realizes that one of his companions may have ulterior motives.

As Etta and Nicholas fight to make their way back to one another, from Imperial Russia to the Vatican catacombs, time is rapidly shifting and changing into something unrecognizable… and might just run out on both of them.

I don't know how I missed the cover reveal for this one, but I saw it on Amazon over the weekend and was like, YEP. I know Passenger was rather hit-or-miss for most people, but it was a hit with me. I've always liked Bracken's writing, and these books are no different. Plus, the premise for this sequel is just so compelling. Characters back from the dead. Mercenaries and girls with ulterior motives. And the possible destruction of time as we know it? YES, PLEASE!

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: alexandra bracken, beautiful covers, disney, diversity, fantasy, grabby hands, passenger, time travel, waiting on wednesday (wow)

{Blog Tour} THE SQUARE ROOT OF SUMMER - This Is Who I Am Now

Welcome to my stop on The Square Root of Summer Blog Tour: This Is Who I Am Now. This blog tour is a little different, in that us bloggers were tasked with answering a set of questions immediately upon receipt and then answering them again in a few months' time to see what had changed in that time. You can check out my responses below; but first, a bit more about the book:

Title: The Square Root of Summer
Author: Harriet Reuter Hapgood
Series: stand-alone
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication Date: May 3, 2016 -- that's today!!
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

This is what it means to love someone. This is what it means to grieve someone. It's a little bit like a black hole. It's a little bit like infinity.

Gottie H. Oppenheimer is losing time. Literally. When the fabric of the universe around her seaside town begins to fray, she's hurtled through wormholes to her past:

To last summer, when her grandfather Grey died. To the afternoon she fell in love with Jason, who wouldn't even hold her hand at the funeral. To the day her best friend Thomas moved away and left her behind with a scar on her hand and a black hole in her memory.

Although Grey is still gone, Jason and Thomas are back, and Gottie's past, present, and future are about to collide—and someone's heart is about to be broken.

This Is Who I Am Now

What Brings You The Most Joy In Life?

- Feb/March 2016: my daughter’s smiling face
- May 2016: still my Katiebug…when she’s happy, I’m happy :)

So, my little girl will always be the light of my life and she brings me so much joy each and every day. She can also be a royal pain, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

What Are You Reading?

- Feb/March 2016: I’ve been re-reading a lot of fantasy lately – mostly via audio – including the Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima, The Girl of Fire and Thorns series by Rae Carson, and The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutkoski
- May 2016: Right now, I’m listening to Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton. I read the book earlier this year but a good friend got me the audio for my birthday. And I’m reading Free to Fall by Lauren Miller, which has been on my TBR for ages.

I’ve been doing a lot of re-reading lately, so I guess that hasn’t changed much in the last few months. But I've also decided to start reading more of my backlist titles instead of always focusing on review books. Starting Free to Fall over the weekend was the beginning and it's already going really well.

What Is Something You’re Really Looking Forward To?

- Feb/March 2016: Katie’s 8th birthday and the #PenguinTeenOnTour stop in Dallas…I get to interview Alison Goodman before the event!
- May 2016: our big family trip to Schlitterbahn this summer…first time all of us sisters have taken our families on vacation together!

I was really looking forward to chatting with Alison Goodman, but she got delayed in Canada after that tour stop, so I got to interview Rachel Hawkins instead, which was super fun. Katie went along with me, too, and had Rachel sign the copies of the Hex Hall series that I gave her. ;)

What Is One Thing That’s Worrying You?

- Feb/March 2016: money…buying a house really depletes your funds
- May 2016: money…need to save for the big trip in July…some things never change

Apparently, money needs to grow on trees because I'll never have enough of it. But we knew that it would be hard at first when we bought the house we did because it's older and it's on a big lot that required we buy a much bigger (read: powerful) mower than what we had. That's done, but now we have a family trip on the books and that also requires money.

What Is Something That You Always Have With You?

- Feb/March 2016: a book, either a physical copy, my Kindle, or audiobooks on my phone...or all three
- May 2016: this answer will never change :)

This question really requires no further comment. =)

What Is Something That You Wish You Could Change?

- Feb/March 2016: the fact that the library I use recently reinstated the non-resident fee :(
- May 2016: the lack of empathy in the world – I’ve just seen so much hate and negativity in the world lately and it’s hard not to let it get me down

When I first answered this question, I was focused more on something I wished I could change in my own little world, but I've really been trying to work on my overall outlook on life, and well, that's where my recent answer stems from. A little love and understanding goes a long way.

About the author:

Harriet Reuter Hapgood is a freelance fashion journalist and author of THE SQUARE ROOT OF SUMMER (coming May 2016). Her first-ever professional writing credit was for Just Seventeen magazine, and she's been YA obsessed ever since. She likes burritos, cats, Gwyneth Paltrow and young adult fiction, which she plans to write more of, though she's also considering a PhD in Dawson’s Creek.

Find Harriet:

Website | Twitter | Tumblr | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram

Full List of Participating Blogs

Art​,​ Books​,​Coffee​ Blog​
Book Briefs
Bumbles and Fairytales
Confessions of a Book Junkie
Manga Mania Cafe
Ticket to Anywhere
The Irish Banana
Firefly Read It
Across the Words
Books and Makeup
Ex Libris Kate
Dark Faerie Tales
Jenuine Cupcakes
Miss Print
Mundie Moms
Nobs Book Reviews
Seeing Double in Neverland
Reading Teen
The Starry Eyed Revue -- you are here!
Read Now, Sleep Later
Forever Young Adult
Gone Pecan
Book Rambles
Perpetual Page Turner
Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf
Twirling Pages
Andi's ABCs
That Artsy Reader Gir​l​
Waste Paper Prose
Evie Bookish
Book Rook Reviews
Fiction Fare
​Lady Knight Reads​
Book Nerds Across America
Page Turners' Blog
Tripping Over Book​s​
Consummate Reader
Fiktshun
Ageless Pages Reviews
A Perfection Called Books
XPresso Reads
Good Books and Good Wine
Swoony Boys Podcast

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Labels: blog tour, harriet reuter hapgood, macmillan, multiverse, sci-fi, the square root of summer, time travel

Have You Seen This? | #booksfortrade - Updated 5.2.16

Big shout-out to Andi at Andi's ABCs and Brittany at The Book Addict's Guide for putting together such an awesome feature and helping the rest of us realize our dream of book hoarding collecting, lol.

Still hoping to trade for some of the ARCs I seriously covet while also culling some books that I've already read or no longer plan to collect and keep in my "library".

I've created an ARC wishlist on Goodreads, but here is a list of my most wanted ARCs to complete my collections:

ARC of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

ARC of Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

ARC of The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
ARC of Asunder by Jodi Meadows
ARC of On the Fence by Kasie West

Of course, I'm also willing to trade newer ARCs for newer ARCs. ;)

ARC of Caraval by Stephanie Garber
ARC of Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin
ARC of Gemina by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
ARC of The Sleeping Prince by Melinda Salisbury
ARC of A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess
ARC of A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
ARC of Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
ARC of Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
ARC of Vicarious by Paula Stokes

And finished copies for finished copies. Here's that wishlist. Those listed above are just some of the ARCs that remain the most elusive from my collection.

Recent successful amazing trades (aw, yeah!):

ARC of Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Thanks, Sabrina!!!!)
ARC of Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (Thanks, Beth!!!!)

ARC of A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

ARC of Vicious by V.E. Schwab (Thanks, Jessica!)

ARC of Slasher Boys and Monster Girls by April Genevieve Tucholke (Thanks, Rachel!)
ARC of Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke (Thanks, Nicole!)
ARC of Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers (Thanks, Rachel!)
ARC of The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows (Thanks, Lisa!)
ARC of Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes
ARC of When We Collided by Emery Lord (Thanks, Sabrina!!!!)
ARC of My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows
ARC of Rebel Sands by Alwyn Hamilton (the one with the simple blue cover)
ARC of The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh (Thanks, Crystal, Bridget & Liz!!!!)

And below are pictures of what I have available for trade. I also have this trade list, as well as a comprehensive wishlist (2nd tab).

2016 ARCs
FYI - I will also be adding a copy of The Rose and the Dagger soon. A trade/friendly gesture turned into a snafu that left me with an extra copy. Apparently, I'm too good with the sneaky and also not good enough. :P

highly sought after ARCs
(for these, I will *only* entertain offers from the above wishlist of coveted ARCs)

2015 ARCs

2014 and older ARCs

finished copies - paperback

finished copies - hardcover

I'd be willing to ship multiple books for anything on my highly coveted list of ARCs above -- unless you're also seeking a highly sought after ARC, in which case it's one for one -- if that helps any. =) Also, if you have something on my wishlist that you'd be willing to trade but don't see anything you want among my offerings, still hit me up because I might be willing to part with something not shown here. =D

I'll continue using the #booksfortrade feed as well, but I thought I'd spread the word a bit more here on the blog, too. If you want to make a trade, comment below, email me at mrsjbruce at gmail dot com, or hit me up on Twitter at @starryeyedjen.

For the tl;dr crowd, the books I have for trade are pictured above and this is my ARC wishlist. This is my finished copy wishlist. =) I reserve the right to refuse any trade. I might also be willing to trade multiple items for the right trade. :D

Thanks for taking a look and potentially helping a book hoarder achieve her dreams of allthebooks!

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Labels: book collecting, book hoarding, book purging, bookish wishlist, books for trade, grabby hands, have you seen this