REVIEW OF BEACH SEASON BY LISA JACKSON, HOLLY CHAMBERLIN, CATHY LAMB, AND ROSALIND NOONAN

“The Brass Ring” by Lisa Jackson – It’s a beautiful June day, perfect for a wedding – until Shawna learns that her fiance, Parker, has been involved in a car crash. Though his injuries heal, his memories of her are gone. Yet Shawna won’t stop reaching to reclaim the love they once shared…”June’s Lace” by Cathy Lamb – June MacKenna is done – with her high-pressure legal career, her cheating soon-to-be-ex, and the stress of city living. In her studio on the Oregon coast, she creates beautiful lace wedding dresses, with no intention of ever wearing one again herself. Then songwriter Reece rents the house next door, and sets out to change her mind…”Second Chance Sweethearts” by Holly Chamberlin – Thea Foss is putting a bad marriage behind her in the pretty vacation town of Ogunquit, Maine. What’s past is past…Until her first love wanders into the local diner, reminding Thea of the person she once was, and the life it’s not too late to claim…”Carolina Summer” by Rosalind Noonan – Jane Doyle needs to get out of New York – the farther the better. She’s headed toward Florida, but thanks to a storm along North Carolina’s Outer Banks, she finds herself stranded in a beautiful, remote town that soon feels a lot like home. And thanks to the local sheriff, she finds herself staying longer than she planned – and feeling less lost at sea than ever…

REVIEW

Beach Season is an eclectic mix of stories by four NY Times bestselling authors. Each story had characters that were very down to earth which made them easy to relate to and likable. The beach setting of these stories makes this a great summer read or a book to help with the cold winter days. I enjoyed each story equally and found myself wanting more stories about these wonderful characters these authors have created.

http://www.amazon.com/Beach-Season-Lisa-Jackson/dp/0758265638/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354281888&sr=1-1&keywords=beach+season+lisa+jackson

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/beach-season-lisa-jackson/1106568192?ean=9780758265630

Review Of How To Lose a Demon in 10 Days by Saranna DeWylde

Grace does. She’s got more demon than she can saddle. In fact, she’s got a sinfully sexy Crown Prince of Hell named Caspian. She’s also got ten days to get rid of him or Bad Things shall ensue. See, her Russian mobster ex-boyfriend didn’t take kindly to her smutty Mephistophelean contract. It’s not that she’s conspiring with fiends; that was his idea. It’s that she’s conspiring against him with outrageous devilry that runs the gamut from embarrassing to a dead hooker turned dominatrix demon gunning for his soul.

One should never trust demons, let alone shag them. They don’t have hearts. Yet Grace is buying hers some slightly tarnished armor and hoping that once he’s been shoveled into it, kicking and screaming, he’ll find it’s just his size. This damsel in distress needs a dark knight for a Happily Ever After.

REVIEW

How to Lose a Demon in 10 Days by Saranna DeWylde was a pleasure to read. I quickly fell in love with the characters Saranna DeWylde created and the blend of humor and the paranormal had me laughing to myself which earned me some strange looks. I felt that the way Saranna DeWylde developed the relationship between Grace and Caspian was perfect because there really is a thin line between love and hate. Anyone who is a fan of Angie Fox and Darynda Jones will find this quirky and humorous series highly entertaining.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Lose-Demon-10-Days/dp/0758269153/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354283939&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+lose+a+demon+in+10+days+by+saranna+dewylde

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-lose-a-demon-in-10-days-saranna-dewylde/1102033900

Review of No Tan Lines By Kate Angell

There’s a place where the ocean meets the shore, where kicking off your shoes and baring some skin is as natural as sneaking under the boardwalk for an ice cream cone and stolen kisses. But life isn’t all a beach for Shaye Cates, even if her idea of an office is a shady umbrella at the water’s edge equipped with cell phone and laptop. Steely-eyed Trace Saunders is the incredibly irksome fly in her coconut tanning oil. And running a kids’ softball team with her long-time rival is going to have everyone in her little Florida town buzzing. Her scads of laid-back relatives and his whole uptight clan know that Shaye just wants to play ball while Trace thinks only of business. But beneath the twinkling lights of the ferris wheel, the magic of sea and sand can sweep away every inhibition…Suddenly, it’s summertime, and the lovin’ is easy.

REVIEW

No Tan Lines by Kate Angell is a smart and sweet contemporary romance that is sure to become a favorite of many readers. Kate Angell has created a wonderful story featuring a cast of close knit characters from a small beach community. The contrast of the two main characters’ personalities kept me from putting this book down and I thought they complimented each other perfectly because of their different personalities. The build up to the climax of No Tan Lines was well written and had me reading long into the night. This is a perfect book for all fans of romance and its many subgenres.

http://www.amazon.com/No-Tan-Lines-Kate-Angell/dp/0758269196/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354286731&sr=8-1&keywords=no+tan+lines+kate+angell

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-tan-lines-kate-angell/1106566742?ean=9780758269195

BANNED BOOKS GUEST POST – MOST TEENAGERS DO NOT LIVE IN THE TEENAGE DREAM

….And who makes the decisions about what YAs published? Adults from start to finish. It’s always been that way. Always. Some publishers who do consult teens. That’s new. Social media’s allowed more teens to speak out about this genre that’s supposedly theirs.  We’ve gone from a situation when YA was aimed at a teen audience via schools/libraries to one where it’s mainly aimed at adult readers. Once YA was aimed at teens and in some sense written *for* teens. But that’s less and less true. More honest to say it’s *about* teens. Teens are often imagined as a group that must be protected. Stuff aimed “at” them can be patronising. No swearing! No sex!”-Justine Larbalestier on Twitter.

Do not disparage or patronize me, I am no sheltered, innocent child. My “innocence” and “sweetness” was ironed out of me years ago, by the burning iron of the supposed superiority of the privileged.

Why do adults think they can somehow “protect” teenagers, and young adults (presumably college students, or recent graduates) from the real issues? Do they think we lose all our senses of perception of the real world as soon as they chuck us a decent smartphone? Children drooling over teeth rings, and slamming circles into holes shaped like a square? Oblivious? Ignorant? Please.

I am worn out by what I have endured, and the most aggravating thing is to hear about a privileged adult call the story of an intersectionally diverse teen unrealistic or too much. They really mean that they think our brains can’t handle it. (Fun scientific fact: Your brain isn’t actually fully developed until you reach your 25th birthday.) Our young brains can’t or shouldn’t have to handle our own struggle.

Maybe. Definitely. But we survive, and we thrive. I am sick of seeing books banned for having real life issues. The adults are not always right in this situation, no matter how much they think they are. I am sick of seeing books with expletives get banned as if expletives aren’t a constant in streets, and school hallways.

One example of a book that was banned for sexual nature and coarse language is Looking for Alaska. I find this quite aggravating because I actually consider one of the first books I ever read in a connection with mental illness, and self discovery. I felt the characters were authentic. Overall, I believe LFA is an important read for teens, and for this novel to be taken away from teens and/ or young adults who may need or want this story for something as simple as expletives, and sexual nature is unacceptable. Especially since realistically speaking, teenagers and young adults are no stranger to coarse language nor things of sexual nature. They aren’t primary school children.

We know the ugliness of this world and society, we live in it.    
And in this world, it’s time to accept that teenagers and young adults sometimes/frequently deal with difficult things in their lives, and like it or not, those difficult things will change them.

There are a lot of teenagers that are creative, and intelligent, and will not be so quickly soothed or brainwashed by your aim to shelter them, but they will search out to pave a path for themselves. Teens are going to see the truth for themselves one way or another. They are no longer clay-like babies that you try so hard to hold onto, and shape and mold. They’re no longer the scared kindergartners clutching the hands of parents, or even the excited, apprehensive high school seniors preparing to enter college or university.

They can think for themselves. It is time for teenagers and young adults to choose what they need to see in books, even if people that are not the targeted audience choose to read the literature, it is time for TEENS and YOUNG ADULTS to choose the stories they want to define them, comfort them, and stories they choose for a didactic purpose.

As much as they want to, adults shouldn’t attempt to keep teens from growing up, changing, and learning how they want to live. They shouldn’t attempt to keep them from the real world; because from my personal experience, the real world is like an ice cold bucket of water waiting to splash on your head, make you yelp and wake the hell out of your sleep, or groggy state. They will have to wake up and grow up, eventually.They will not always be in the comfort of the homes of their mummies and daddies searching for a job after college, having their mummies and daddies pay their bills.

Teens know their own heartaches and troubles, let them choose what they need, because it isn’t always the adults that are the best to choose for them.

BIO:

Wesaun is a teen book lion. She’s also an art enthusiast: poetry, theater, and fan art, as well as paintings/drawings. She loves to be overenthusiastic over books and authors.

You can find her at her Twitter: @epicbooklover.

Waiting On Wednesday: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Fans of acclaimed author Kendare Blake’s Anna Dressed in Blood will devour her latest novel, a dark and inventive fantasy about three sisters who must fight to the death to become queen. 

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose...it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown. 

To preorder: http://www.amazon.com/Three-Dark-Crowns-Kendare-Blake/dp/0062385437/ref=pd_rhf_gw_s_cp_3?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&pf_rd_i=&pf_rd_m=&pf_rd_p=&pf_rd_r=08KXGNXNCF2A1C6P3B4S&pf_rd_s=recent-history-footer&pf_rd_t=gateway&refRID=08KXGNXNCF2A1C6P3B4S

Secrets of the Sands by Leona Wisocker teaser

Cover reveal for the German edition of Don't Get Caught by Kurt Dinan

Teaser Tuesday: Next Door To A Star by Krysten Lindsay Hager

Recap of The Bachelorette season premiere

The last time we saw Jojo was on the last season of The Bachelor. Now she's back as The Bachelorette for her chance at finding love. Based on first impressions, most of the guys seemed average but there were a few who stood out to me. The men who I think might have a chance at being the guy who gets the final rose are Luke, Jordan, and Ali. They seemed like the most genuine men there.

On the other hand we have Daniel and Chad. These two are in a class of their own and not necessarily a good class. Daniel came across as a total party boy who clearly doesn't know when to stop drinking. If I was Jojo I would have sent him home the first night. Chad's a different story. He seemed nice enough at first but then he started bad mouthing all of the other men and from the clips they showed from upcoming episodes from this season Chad has some serious anger issues. Oh, and can't forget about one of the guys named James (speaking of guys named James, did the casting directors purposely choose multiple men named James on purpose?) who came across as way more interested in a photo op with Chris Harrison than being there for Jojo. She also appeared to be underwhelmed by the men who were chosen for her during the meet and greet part of the evening so I was fairly happy when she had some one on one time with Jordan because they make an adorable couple and I can tell he's really there for Jojo.

When former Bachelor Jake showed up I thought for sure that he was there to compete to win Jojo's heart but he was just there to give her some advice and friendly support. If Jake had been there for Jojo it certainly would have made things so much more interesting in my opinion.

Why researching publishers is important

I'm sure there are countless people out there in the world who've had bad experiences with people who pass themselves off as publishers. I'm one of those people. I was first introduced to Giovanni Gelati (I recently found out that's not even his real name) when I was asked by an author if I would be interested in doing a spot on his Blog Talk show. Almost immediately after I did the show he offered me a contract with Trestle Press, which he said he owned. The fact that he offered me a contract without even reading anything I had wrote should have been a huge red flag but I was just excited that my book was going to be published.

It wasn't long before I started hearing about how other authors were having problems with this man and there were rumors of him not paying for the stock images he used to create the book covers. Shortly after discovering this and earning next to nothing from the sales of my book I came to the decision that it would be better for me to ask to be let out of my "contract". Thankfully he let me out of it without any problems but he was still out there preying on other authors who, like me, overlooked any doubts they had because they were just so happy to be a published author.

I recently discovered that not only was he using a fake name but he was convicted of fraud and ordered to pay back a large sum of money to the authors he defrauded. Unfortunately I wasn't one of those authors but I've learned my lesson. It's much better to know who you're potentially going to be working with which is why researching all publishers, editors, agents, etc. is necessary. There are horrible people out there who won't hesitate to take advantage of you.

Review of The Loose Ends List by Carrie Firestone

A refreshing, funny, and moving debut novel about first loves, last wishes, and letting go.

Seventeen-year-old Maddie O'Neill Levine lives a charmed life, and is primed to spend the perfect pre-college summer with her best friends and young-at-heart socialite grandmother (also Maddie's closest confidante), tying up high school loose ends. Maddie's plans change the instant Gram announces that she is terminally ill and has booked the family on a secret "death with dignity" cruise ship so that she can leave the world in her own unconventional way - and give the O'Neill clan an unforgettable summer of dreams-come-true in the process.

Soon, Maddie is on the trip of a lifetime with her over-the-top family. As they travel the globe, Maddie bonds with other passengers and falls for Enzo, who is processing his own grief. But despite the laughter, headiness of first love, and excitement of glamorous destinations, Maddie knows she is on the brink of losing Gram. She struggles to find the strength to say good-bye in a whirlwind summer shaped by love, loss, and the power of forgiveness.

Review

The Loose Ends List was smart, funny, and at times sad. Coming from a big family myself I found the fictional family hilarious. The book wouldn't have been as great as it is without every single character because each of them played an essential role in the overall story. I also felt that Carrie Firestone did an excellent job of handling the subject of death with dignity. The story had serious moments but they weren't all this book was about. My favorite thing about this book wasn't the relationship between Maddie and Enzo, it was Maddie's relationship with her grandmother. The love Maddie felt for her just poured off the page.

Review of All The Feels by Danika Stone

College freshman Liv is more than just a fangirl: The Starveil movies are her life...and her last tangible connection to her deceased father. Thus, when her favorite character, Captain Matt Spartan, is killed off at the end of the last movie, Liv Just. Can't. Deal.

Tired of sitting in her room sobbing, Liv decides to launch an online campaign to bring her beloved hero back to life. With the help of her best friend, Xander, actor and steampunk cosplayer extraordinaire, she creates #SpartanSurvived, a call that ignites the fandom. But as her online life succeeds beyond her wildest dreams, Liv is forced to balance that with the pressures of school, her (mostly nonexistent and entirely traumatic) romantic life, and her disapproving mother's new boyfriend. A trip to DragonCon with Xander might be exactly what she needs to get away from it all... and figure out what (and who!) she really wants, in this geeky romance by Danika Stone.

Review

All The Feels was slow at first but once the pace picked up I fell in love with the story. I couldn't get enough of all the scenes set at DragonCon. They were all fun and lighthearted. I thought how passionate the character Liv is was great and the obvious chemistry between her and Xander was something I picked up on quickly. If you're looking for a book that's fun, cute, and with a ton of heart this is the book for you. It absolutely lives up to its title.

Superhero Sunday: Ms. Marvel volume 1

Collects Ms. Marvel (2014) #1-5, All-New Marvel Now! Point One (Ms. Marvel story).

Marvel Comics presents the all-new Ms. Marvel, the groundbreaking heroine that has become an international sensation! Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City - until she is suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the all-new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! As Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to handle? Kamala has no idea either. But she's comin' for you, New York!





To purchase: http://www.amazon.com/Ms-Marvel-Normal-Graphic-Novels/dp/078519021X?ie=UTF8&qid=1463911441&ref_=tmm_pap_swatch_0&sr=1-1

Sunday Spotlight: Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Michael L. Printz Winner

National Book Award Finalist

"Bone Gap marks Laura Ruby as one of fiction's most original voices. She is capable of moving you to tears, terrifying you on deep and dreamlike levels, and making your heart shout with happiness. This book is magic realism at its most magical."

—E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars

Bone Gap is the story of Roza, a beautiful girl who is taken from a quiet midwestern town and imprisoned by a mysterious man, and Finn, the only witness, who cannot forgive himself for being unable to identify her kidnapper. As we follow them through their melancholy pasts, their terrifying presents, their uncertain futures, acclaimed author Laura Ruby weaves a heartbreaking tale of love and loss, magic and mystery, regret and forgiveness—a story about how the face the world sees is never the sum of who we are.

To purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Bone-Gap-Laura-Ruby-ebook/dp/B00KVI77JI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463911024&sr=1-1&keywords=bone+gap

Sunday Spotlight: Mosquitoland by David Arnold

“Top-notch” —USA Today
“Illuminating” —Washington Post
“A breath of fresh air” —Entertainment Weekly
“Memorable” —People 

I am a collection of oddities, a circus of neurons and electrons: my heart is the ringmaster, my soul is the trapeze artist, and the world is my audience. It sounds strange because it is, and it is, because I am strange.

After the sudden collapse of her family, Mim Malone is dragged from her home in northern Ohio to the “wastelands” of Mississippi, where she lives in a medicated milieu with her dad and new stepmom. Before the dust has a chance to settle, she learns her mother is sick back in Cleveland.

So she ditches her new life and hops aboard a northbound Greyhound bus to her real home and her real mother, meeting a quirky cast of fellow travelers along the way. But when her thousand-mile journey takes a few turns she could never see coming, Mim must confront her own demons, redefining her notions of love, loyalty, and what it means to be sane.

Told in an unforgettable, kaleidoscopic voice, Mosquitoland is a modern American odyssey, as hilarious as it is heartbreaking.


From the Hardcover edition.

To purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Mosquitoland-David-Arnold-ebook/dp/B00KWG9LO8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463911206&sr=1-1&keywords=mosquitoland

Saturday Spotlight: Hold Still by Nina LaCour

In the wake of her best friend Ingrid's suicide, Caitlin is left alone, struggling to find hope and answers. When she finds the journal Ingrid left behind for her, she begins a journey of understanding and broadening her horizons that leads her to new friendships and first love. Nina LaCour brings the changing seasons of Caitlin's first year without Ingrid to life with emotion, honesty, and captivating writing.

https://www.amazon.com/Hold-Still-Nina-LaCour-ebook/dp/B002QGB9E2/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1463842940&sr=1-4&keywords=hold+still

Saturday Spotlight: Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

The New York Times bestselling he-said/she-said rock n’ roll romance that inspired the motion picture starring Michael Cera (Juno, Arrested Development) and Kat Dennings (Thor, TV’s 2 Broke Girls)!

"I know this is going to sound strange, but would you mind being my girlfriend for the next five minutes?" 

Nick frequents New York's indie rock scene nursing a broken heart. Norah is questioning all of her assumptions about the world. They have nothing in common except for their taste in music, until a chance encounter leads to an all-night quest to find a legendary band's secret show and ends up becoming a first date that could change both their lives.

Co-written by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, co-author of WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON with John Green (THE FAULT IN OUR STARS), NICK & NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST is a sexy, funny roller coaster of a story that reminds you how you can never be sure where the night will take you…

This movie tie-in edition also includes an 8-page photo insert from the film, as well as a map of Manhattan, detailing all of the sites Nick and Norah go to on their all-night date.

Survey for German readers

Hey Everyone,

I’m super happy that Tanya offered me to spread word about a survey I’m doing! Thank you so much, Tanya!!

You all might know the book crates (like Owl Crate or Illumicrate) you can subscribe to? For German readers the shipping costs are super high, so I thought maybe one could offer such a book crate in Germany, too. To see if readers are interested in it I’m trying to get word out about it to German readers and started a survey.  

If you’re a German reader, it would be awesome if you could participate in the following survey:

https://de.surveymonkey.com/r/SRYJT5Z

It doesn’t take long and would help me a lot, even if you’re not interested in such a book crate ;-)!

If you’re not a German reader, maybe you could spread word about it, anyway? That would be awesome :-)!

Thanks again, Tanya! And thanks to everyone else participating in my survey and spreading word about it :-)!

PD. If you have any questions, I’m more than happy to answer them either on Twitter (@DreamingLibrary) or on my blog (www.dreaminginlibraries.wordpress.com)!

Freebie Friday ARC giveaway of You Know Me Well

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Freebie Friday giveaway of Atlantia by Ally Condie

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review of Zero Day by Jan Gangsei

Review

Zero Day by Jan Gangsei is a pulse pounding YA thriller that kept me guessing until the end. I quickly found myself unable to put this debut novel down. The plot of Zero Day was tension filled but that was just one of the things that made it a great book. Other things that I enjoyed about Zero Day were the characters, particularly Addie because figuring her out was not that easy. This is one book I am definitely buying.

Eight years ago, Addie Webster was the victim of the most notorious kidnapping of the decade. Addie vanished-and her high-profile parents were forced to move on.

Mark Webster is now president of the United States, fighting to keep the oval office after a tumultuous first term. Then the unthinkable happens: the president’s daughter resurfaces. Addie is brought back into her family’s fold, but who is this sixteen-year-old girl with a quiet, burning intelligence now living in the White House? There are those in the president’s political circle who find her timely return suspicious.

When a national security advisor approaches Darrow Fergusson, Addie’s childhood best friend and the son of the president’s chief of staff, he doesn’t know what to think. How could the girl he’s missed for all these years be a threat to national security? Still, at the risk of having his own secrets exposed, Darrow agrees to spy on Addie.

He soon realizes that his old friend is much more than the traumatized victim of a sick political fringe group. Addie has come home with a mission…but will she choose to complete it?

Review of After The Woods by Kim Savage

Review

After The Woods was a truly haunting story that I was looking forward to reading as soon as I heard of it. Nothing about this book let me down. This psychological thriller left me with a huge book hangover but I didn’t mind at all. After The Woods was immediately hooked me with the perfectly imperfect characters and the thrilling plot. After The Woods is one 2016 debut novel that is a must read.

Statistically speaking, girls like me don’t come back when guys like Donald Jessup take us.”

Julia knows she beat the odds. She escaped the kidnapper who hunted her in the woods for two terrifying nights that she can’t fully remember. Now it’s one year later, and a dead girl turns up in those same woods. The terrible memories resurface, leaving Julia in a stupor at awkward moments-in front of gorgeous Kellan MacDougall, for example.

At least Julia’s not alone. Her best friend, Liv, was in the woods, too. When Julia got caught, Liv ran away. Is Liv’s guilt over leaving Julia the reason she’s starving herself? Is hooking up with Shane Cuthbert, an addict with an explosive temper, Liv’s way of punishing herself for not having Julia’s back? As the devastating truth about Liv becomes clear, Julia realizes the one person she thinks she knows best-Liv-is the person she knows least of all. And that after the woods was just the beginning.

Review of In Real Life by Jessica Love

In Real Life by Jessica Love is a sweet story about first love and I instantly felt a connection to the characters the author has created. The story was fun and not overly serious which was one of the things that I enjoyed about it. The plot of the story was unique because there are very few other books with the same story. I loved the two main characters together because I felt like they complimented each other perfectly and I was rooting for them from the very beginning of this lighthearted book. In Real Life is perfect for readers who enjoy books that deal with what it means to fall in love for the first time.

To purchase In Real Life

Amazon

B&N

Indiebound

iBooks

Google Play

Review of Coral Reefs: Cities of the Ocean by Maris Wicks

Coral Reefs by Maris Wicks is a great book for middle graders who are interested in marine biology. It's a very informative book with beautiful drawings in comic book form. I learned many new things from reading this book such as coral is actually an animal. Besides learning facts about coral I also learned about how coral is at risk due to garbage and pollutants being dumped into the oceans. This book was a quick read for me and I'm better for having the chance to read it because learning new things from reading is always a huge plus for me.

Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic--dinosaurs, coral reefs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you!

This volume: in Coral Reefs, we learn all about these tiny, adorable sea animals! This absorbing look at ocean science covers the biology of coral reefs as well as their ecological importance. Nonfiction comics genius Maris Wicks brings to bear her signature combination of hardcore cuteness and in-depth science.

To purchase:

http://www.amazon.com/Science-Comics-Coral-Reefs-Cities/dp/1626721467?ie=UTF8&qid=1463649478&ref_=tmm_hrd_swatch_0&sr=1-1

Author Spotlight: Madeline Dyer, author of Untamed

Synopsis: 

As one of the last Untamed humans left in the world, Seven’s life has always been controlled by tight

rules. Stay away from the Enhanced. Don’t question your leader. And, most importantly, never switch sides—because once you’re Enhanced there’s no going back. Even if you have become the perfect human being. 

But after a disastrous raid on an Enhanced city, Seven soon finds herself in her enemy’s power. Realizing it’s only a matter of time before she too develops a taste for the chemical augmenters responsible for the erosion of humanity, Seven knows she must act quickly if she’s to escape and save her family from the same fate. 

Yet, as one of the most powerful Seers that the Untamed and Enhanced have ever known, Seven quickly discovers that she alone holds the key to the survival of only one race. But things aren’t clear-cut anymore, and with Seven now questioning the very beliefs she was raised on, she knows she has an important choice to make. One that has two very different outcomes. 
Seven must choose wisely whose side she joins, for the War of Humanity is underway, and Death never takes kindly to traitors. 

Author bio: 

Madeline Dyer lives in the southwest of England, and has a strong love for anything dystopian, ghostly, or paranormal. She can frequently be found exploring wild places, and at least one notebook is known to follow her wherever she goes. Aside from writing, Madeline enjoys reading, painting, and inline skating. UNTAMED (Prizm Books, May 2015) is her debut novel. 

Purchase links: 

 Amazon: http://hyperurl.co/vzdkhq 

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/untamed-madeline-dyer/1122078467?ean=9781610409186

Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/untamed/madeline-dyer/9781610409186

The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Untamed-Madeline-Dyer/9781610409186

Books A Million: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Untamed/Madeline-Dyer/9781610409186?id=6348841148905

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/untamed-60

Prizm Books: http://www.prizmbooks.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=98

Torquere Press: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=83&products_id=4389

Nook: http://www.nook.com/gb/ebooks/untamed-by-madeline-dyer/9781610409179

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25537576-untamed">Goodreads</a>

Preorder giveaway for Jade's Awakening by Isabelle Hardesty

To purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Jades-Awakening-Delacourt-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B01F0JKN0M?ie=UTF8&keywords=jades%20awakening&qid=1463499967&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

Waiting on Wednesday: Girl In Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow

For fans of Girl, Interrupted, Thirteen Reasons Why, and All the Bright Places comes Kathleen Glasgow’s debut novel about a girl who has lost everything—almost even herself. 
 
   Charlotte Davis is in pieces. At seventeen she’s already lost more than most people do in a lifetime. But she’s learned how to forget. The broken glass washes away the sorrow until there is nothing but calm. You don’t have to think about your father and the river. Your best friend, who is gone forever. Or your mother, who has nothing left to give you. 
   Every new scar hardens Charlie’s heart just a little more, yet it still hurts so much. It hurts enough to not care anymore, which is sometimes what has to happen before you can find your way back from the edge. 
  A deeply moving portrait of a girl in a world that owes her nothing, and has taken so much; and the journey she undergoes to put herself back together. Kathleen Glasgow's debut is heartbreakingly real and unflinchingly honest. It’s a story you won’t be able to look away from.

"Equal parts keen-eyed empathy, stark candor, and terrible beauty. This book is why we read stories: to experience what it's like to survive the unsurvivable; to find light in the darkest night."-Jeff Zentner, author of The Serpent King

"Raw, visceral, and starkly beautiful, with writing that is at times transcendent in its brilliance. . . . An unforgettable story of trauma and resilience."--Kerry Kletter, author of The First Time She Drowned

"A breathtakingly written book about pain and hard-won healing . . . I want every girl to read Girl In Pieces."-Kara Thomas, author of The Darkest Corners
“A Girl, Interrupted for a new generation….The story of the mad girl is ultimately a story about being a girl in a mad world, how it breaks us into pieces and how we glue ourselves back together."—Melissa Febos, author of Whip Smart and Abandon Me 
 
“Dark, frank, and tender, Girl in Pieces keeps the reader electrified for its entire journey. You’re so uncertain if Charlie will heal, so fully immersed in hoping she does.”—Michelle Wildgen, author of Bread and Butter and You’re Not You
"Girl in Pieces has the breath of life; every character in it is fully alive. Charlie Davis' complexities are drawn with great understanding and subtlety."-Charles Baxter, author of National Book Award finalist The Feast of Love

"Charlie Davis has been damaged and abused after several years of living on the streets, but she is fiercely resilient.  Though it will appeal to readers of Ellen Foster, Speak, and Girl, Interrupted, Girl in Pieces is an entirely original work, compulsively readable and deeply human."-Julie Schumacher, author the New York Times bestseller Dear Committee Members