Waiting On Wednesday: Smoke by Ellen Hopkins (12)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly book meme where we get to let everyone know about what books we are eagerly anticipating the release of. WoW is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine.

This week I'm waiting on...

Smoke by Ellen Hopkins

Pattyn Von Stratten’s father is dead, and Pattyn is on the run. After far too many years of abuse at the hands of her father, and after the tragic loss of her beloved Ethan and their unborn child, Pattyn is desperate for peace. Only her sister Jackie knows what happened that night, but she is stuck at home with their mother, who clings to normalcy by allowing the truth to be covered up by their domineering community leaders. Her father might be finally gone, but without Pattyn, Jackie is desperately isolated. Alone and in disguise, Pattyn starts a new life, but is it even possible to rebuild a life when everything you’ve known has burned to ash and lies seem far safer than the truth?

OMG. You guys. Burned was the FIRST Ellen Hopkins book I read and the reason why I adore her work so much. There is just so much feeling throughout the story, the kind that makes you elated and the kind that makes you furious. I am SOOO freaking excited to read the sequel. I actually think that I will reread Burned before I read Smoke. I don't usually do that but it's been YEARS since I read it (at least 5 or more), so it would probably be a good thing for me. It is coming out September 10th.

Review: Triangles by Ellen Hopkins

Title: Triangles
Author: Ellen Hopkins
Published: October 18th 2011
Source: Purchased
Genre: Adult Contemporary
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

Three female friends face midlife crises in #1 New York Times bestselling author Ellen Hopkins’s no-holds-barred exploration of sex, marriage, and the fragility of life. Holly is filled with regret after eighteen years at home with her three children. She sheds sixty pounds and loses herself in the world of extramarital sex. Andrea is a single mom watching her friend Holly’s meltdown with a mixture of concern and contempt. Holly is throwing away what Andrea has spent her whole life searching for. So what if she picks up Holly’s castaway husband? Marissa has more than her fair share of challenges—a gay, rebellious teenage son; a terminally ill daughter; and a husband who buries himself in his work.

As one woman’s marriage unravels, another’s rekindles. As one woman’s family comes apart at the seams, another’s reconfigures into something bigger and better. In this story of connections and disconnections, one woman’s up is another one’s down, and all of them will learn the meaning of friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness.

Unflinchingly honest, emotionally powerful, surprisingly erotic, Triangles is the ultimate page-turner, told in gorgeous, expertly honed poetic verse that perfectly captures the inner lives of Hopkins’s unforgettable characters.

My Thoughts:

Being the huge Ellen Hopkins fan that I am, when I found out she was going to step into Adult Contemporary for her next novel, I was thrilled. I've read practically all of her Young Adult novels and absolutely loved them. There's something about the characters and story lines she puts together that throw you smack dab into a situation that could really happen. These stories aren't just some formulaic "everyone lives happily ever after"--they often showcase real life consequences, not all of them painful and tragic, sometimes they're good learning experiences.

Like in the case of this book, there are a lot of lessons to be learned for all of the characters. Parents dealing with their children, trying to make sure they make the right decisions. Husbands and wives struggling to keep their marriage in tact despite the obstacles in their way. I can't go into detail on these things without giving away how the story goes and ends. It goes to show how the little things and the big things can bring people together or tear them apart.

The characters themselves were believable, and I found myself either infuriated, frustrated, fascinated, or respecting them. My favorite character was Marissa's son, Shane. He was one of those persons you just want to applaud for how great they are. He was constantly doing these wonderful things for his mom and sister. It makes me really want to read the YA companion novel, Tilt, that has his POV.

Triangles is definitely compelling. There's something about Ellen Hopkins' books, like this crashing fluidity of the facts of life. The way she brings out these serious issues within marriage and between lovers and among children. This strong tie between it all keeps me reading to find out how people really think about things, to understand why they act the way they do. I really enjoyed this one, maybe not as much as I do her YA books, but it was still amazing just the same.

My Rating:

Thoughts Weekly Update (24)

Welcome to the Weekly Update here on Thoughts! This is where I will share what books I finished, what I am currently reading, the current word count on my WIP, links from the posts from the last week, and maybe a little something on what's going on in my life.

Finished

Shut Out by Kody Kepplinger (-Goodreads-)
The Get Fuzzy Experience: Are You Bucksperienced (-Goodreads-)

Currently Reading

 
Escape Theory by Margaux Froley (-Goodreads-)
Suffocate by S.R. Johannes (-Goodreads-)
Precious Things by Stephanie Parent (-Goodreads-)
Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram (-Goodreads-)

Up Next

Hysteria by Megan Miranda (-Goodreads-)
Requiem by Lauren Oliver (-Goodreads-)
Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Black (-Goodreads-)

Word Count 

If Only We ~ 57,556
Check out my writer blog for the latest.

On The Blog This Week

• Stacking The Shelves #14: May Edition 
• Gilmore Girls Mondays (1)  
• Review: Snowed Over by Angie Stanton 
• The Top 5 Reasons to Read Waiting for the Storm This Summer + GIVEAWAY!

The Latest With Me

It's been pretty much same old all week for me. Except for Wednesday night when there were some bad storms in my area. They were threatening tornadoes so I had to pay attention for sirens. Of course, they had to go off at MIDNIGHT when I had to get up early for the morning shift at work. UGH. I had very little sleep that night. Far as I know, nothing serious happened near me so that's good. I think it was mostly just powerful winds, even though a couple funnel clouds were spotted.

Other than that, I've been looking into some new craft ideas. Haven't decided what I want to go for yet but I'm looking into the cost to start making them. I need to sell off a little more of what I already have first. ^_^

Hope you have a great weekend!!!

The Top 5 Reasons to Read Waiting for the Storm This Summer + GIVEAWAY!

Now that summer is finally here, don't you just want to read a nice summery book? Look no further, I've got exactly what you're looking for... Waiting For The Storm by Marie Landry! And she's got five reasons WHY you should read it this summer...

~*~*~*~*~

Top 5 Reasons to Read
Waiting for the Storm This Summer

by Marie Landry

1) Charlotte: In the beginning of Waiting for the Storm, Charlotte is broken. Her mother just died after a long illness, her sister hates her, and her dad is so buried in grief he can hardly function. Charlotte has to be strong and brave, and not only figure out how to take care of her crumbling family, but also remember how to really live since she’s been shut away taking care of her mother for the last year. I think Charlotte is a relatable character because even if you haven’t been through tragedy and heartache the way she has, we’ve all felt lost at some point in our lives, and we’ve all had to learn to carry on.

2) Ezra: Ezra’s pretty swoonworthy if I do say so myself! He’s got this quiet, understated way about him and he’s there for Charlotte in a time when she desperately needs someone. Plus he’s a good boy with just the tiniest edge of a bad boy to him, which is pretty sexy. Also, he has secrets…deep, dark secrets…

3) It’s set at the beach: I don’t know about you, but during the summer months, I love reading books that are set in summer, especially at the beach. There’s just something about the beach - the smell of it, the feel of sand under your feet, the sound of crashing waves. Angel Island is at once the last place and the only place Charlotte wants to be because her mother spent time there and loved it, and because it was her dying wish that the family spend the summer there. She’s torn because she feels close to her mother there and yet she feels haunted in a way.

4) A mini road trip: Who doesn’t love a road trip? This one’s not an epic cross-country one, but the journey is more than just a physical one. Plus there are a couple scenes during the road trip that are really special to me personally and I was excited to get to share one in particular in this book. But that’s all I’ll say! ;-)

5) Self-discovery, growth, heartache, romance, an emotional journey - ok those are five reasons but to me those are the things that make up great contemporary fiction, and I hope you’ll agree!

~*~*~*~*~

Seventeen-year-old Charlotte O’Dell knows this summer is going to suck. Her mother just died, her sister hates her, and her dad has completely checked out. Fulfilling her mother’s final wish, the family heads to Angel Island for the summer to stay in a beach house her mother once loved.

After a year of being shut away taking care of her mother, Charlotte is numb and practically afraid of her own shadow; she hopes going to the island will give her the time and space she needs to begin healing, and an opportunity to bring her family back together. When she meets her mysterious neighbor, Ezra, it doesn’t take long for Charlotte to confess the issues she’s developed. Ezra begins giving Charlotte assignments to get over her fears, and although she accepts his tasks, all she really wants is to be with him. When she’s with Ezra, she’s able to forget the hollow ache in her heart and the fact that her family is falling apart. But Ezra has secrets…

Can Charlotte pull what’s left of her family together, mend her broken heart, and allow herself to fall for Ezra? Or is it all just a storm waiting to happen?

~*~Goodreads~ ~Amazon~ ~Barnes & Noble~ ~Smashwords~*~

Find & Follow Marie on:

~ Goodreads ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ YouTube ~

~ Book Blog ~ Author Blog ~ Personal/Photography Blog ~

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GIVEAWAY!

Marie has generously provided THREE ebook copies of Waiting For The Storm for you!

Rules:
1. You must be a follower.
2. You must be over 15 years old.
3. This is open internationally.
4. You can earn extra entries by adding Waiting For The Storm to your Goodreads shelf, liking Marie Landry, Author on Facebook, following Marie on Twitter, and tweeting about the giveaway.
4. This contest runs from June 12th to 19th.
6. Winners will be selected on June 20th and notified via blog post announcement and email.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~*~*~*~*~

Fan Appreciation Event
on Ramblings Of A Daydreamer

To thank all of her fans for their support, Marie Landry is giving away a $25 gift card to Amazon and $25 USD PayPal Cash (or $25 from The Book Depository if you don't have PayPal). If she gets to 50 reviews for Waiting For The Storm on Amazon, she'll add another $25 Amazon gift card! So, if you win a copy from my giveaway, you can read the book, write a review, and enter Marie's giveaway too! Talk about awesome!

Enter The Fan Appreciation Giveaway HERE!

Also, another awesome thing is that she has marked her debut novel, Blue Sky Days, down to 99¢!

Buy Blue Sky Days:

~Amazon || Amazon Canada || Amazon UK || Smashwords || Barnes & Noble || Kobo~

Review: Snowed Over by Angie Stanton

Title: Snowed Over
Author: Angie Stanton
Published: October 12th 2012
Source: Purchased
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Buy: Amazon ~*~ Barnes & Noble
Add to your Goodreads shelf
Caution: May contain spoilers

To college student, Katie Brandt, ‘Home for the Holidays’ sounds like hell. When her parents separated, their holiday traditions shattered like a dropped ornament. What could be worse than celebrating Christmas with her suddenly single mom and mom’s new boyfriend?

Alex Walker, an engaged 20-year-old, dreads going home for his own reasons. He has a daunting task ahead of him and wishes he could skip the holidays altogether. So when a friend of a friend needs a ride north, Alex finds that having beautiful Katie seated by his side proves to be just the distraction he needs.

A simple ride home for Christmas turns into a nightmare when light snow rages into a full-scale blizzard. Katie and Alex find themselves stranded, and a vacant cabin becomes a haven from the storm.

Under different circumstances, time alone with Alex would be the ultimate Christmas gift, but Katie knows Alex is engaged and she must hide her growing attraction.

However, Alex harbors a secret that just might change this holiday from the worst Christmas ever, to the best.

My Thoughts:

When I saw this, I thought it sounded like a cute little story. And since it's a novella, it's a quick and easy read. I was right on all the above, but I was also surprised with a little bit more depth than expected for such a short story.

Alex and Katie are a pretty cute pairing. Once they end up stranded, it's only a matter of time before they open up. Of course, considering Alex is engaged you know you shouldn't be hoping for something to happen between him and Katie. And yet, knowing the background of the situation, you pull for it all to work out in the end. The way their romance blooms is adorable and sweet. Despite the obstacles they face, and the problems they're dealing with in their real life and at the moment, you can tell they know it means something more. Yet, once they're rescued, what does that mean for their future now?

Snowed Over, while formulaic, was actually a great story. It was a nice book to sit back and enjoy. I mean, being stuck with a cute boy in a cabin in the middle of nowhere? Yes, please. I would like to see how Angie Stanton handles a full length novel if she can do so well at a novella.

My Rating:

Gilmore Girls Mondays (1)

Welcome to Gilmore Girls Mondays!

Last weekend I watched the first two episodes of season one (yeah, I haven't had much time to watch more than that yet). It's been a few years since I watched the show so I didn't remember too much about it, aside from the basics. And that there were a lot of little jokes that you had to pay attention to catch. Which is, I believe, one of the best things about the show. I had a couple I shared on Twitter:

"People are particularly stupid today. I can't talk to any more of them."

"We like our internet slow. We can turn it on, walk around, do a little dance, make a sandwich."

What's funny is that the two of them are kinda perfect when it comes to me in real life. The first is for when I'm at work. There are certain days when I just can't stand the idea of picking up the phone one more time. The second is because it was a running joke back when my family had dial up internet years ago that we had enough time to make a sandwich while we wait. I never knew of anyone else who said that until then.

I love the relationship between Lorelei and Rory. It's so simple and real. Everything that goes on between Lorelei and her parents pretty much grates at me. I want to punch people who have that kind of attitude, you know?

I've only ever seen season one of this show, so I'm not sure all of what happens in the rest of the series yet. I'm hoping to be able to watch all of the first season again, and possibly the second and third. We'll see if I can get my hands on the rest. But hey! It's all good so far! ^_^

So, my lovely followers, do you like watching Gilmore Girls? Join in and watch with us!

Stacking The Shelves #14: May Edition

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews. Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week (or in my case, each month), sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!

Bought:

Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick (-Goodreads-)

Hysteria by Megan Miranda (-Goodreads-)
Escape Theory by Margaux Froley (-Goodreads-)
Requiem by Lauren Oliver (-Goodreads-)

~*~

I got some GOODIES last month! All of the above are ones I have been anxious about reading, and I plan on reading them all this year. I was bummed out when Escape Theory expired when I got it from NetGalley, so it became necessary for me to get my hands on it so I could finish it. And I must find out what happens in the rest of them! Just so much awesome.....

That was my awesome month of bookish goodness. How about you? Did you get anything good this week/month?