Top Ten Tuesday: 2015 Most Anticipated Books

Posted by The YA Book Traveler , Tuesday, December 30, 2014 9:02 AM

My Top 3 Must-Read "Still-Being-Written" Series

Posted by The YA Book Traveler , Wednesday, December 17, 2014 9:03 AM

Obviously there are those series that we all LOVE! But they are over and no more books will be written (cries). But I wanted to list my 3 favorite "still-being-written" series that I wish EVERYONE was reading so we could flail and fan together. 1. Falling Kingdoms series by Morgan Rhodes (Books 1-3 are out, Books 4-6 still coming) Ah...Falling Kingdoms.  I was introduced to this series by the Epic Reads 25 YA books to try if you loved Game of Thrones. I LOVE fantasy so this was for me! Falling Kingdoms was on this list and so I requested it from the library. HOLY COW this series is epic! I really don't know quite how popular it is, but I wish EVERYONE would read it. It's full of great characters that are unique and have their own voices. It has fun magical elements and shocking moments. I love being surprised! If you haven't started reading it, read it! It'll be a 6 book series. 2. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (Book 1 out, Book 2 releases January 27th, Books 3-7 still to come) I've only read The Bone Season but I LOVED it! It's a dystopian London but with fantasy type elements mixed in (clairvoyance). I loved the world building in this book and all the new words and vocabulary. Vocabulary you say? Yes, it was fun learning all about this society. I'll be rereading it VERY soon since The Mime Order releases at the end of January. It's been over a year since I've read it but it's still one of my absolute favorite books! Swoon Warden! 3. Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. (Books 1-3 out, Books 3-6 still to come) Oh Throne of Glass, how I love thee.  This is a series that I just kept seeing everywhere even though it seems to have mixed opinions. But since I don't usually judge by what people say I figured I'd give it a shot. WOWZA! This series is great! Celeana is such a well written character, as are all the characters! Heir of Fire (book 3) really started making this series into a huge epic adventure and I look forward to the rest of the series. Honorable Mention: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. Now listen...I have NOT read this book. However, I am a HUGE fan of Sarah J. Maas and all the hype and love for ACOTAR online pretty much tells me I'll love it too.  But since I haven't read it, I can't really say 100%. What are series that are still in the works that you LOVE and wish everyone read?

Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch Review

Posted by The YA Book Traveler , Saturday, December 6, 2014 9:02 AM

First off, if you haven't read Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch you should. It's epic and very charming.  It made the list of top favorite books this year, hands down! I won an ebook copy of Snow Like Ashes by Royal Social Media. Follow them on twitter @RylSocialMedia Summary: This book is about a world called Primoria. (The book has a map, whoop!) It is made up mostly of two sets of kingdoms. The seasons and rhythm kingdoms. Winter has been completely wiped out by the kingdom of Spring and either the people of Winter were killed or enslaved. There was a group of refugees who had escaped one of these is Meira, our protagonist. She was only an infant when she was taken from Winter and has lived her whole life on the run.  The book is about the struggle to win back their kingdom from the evil of Spring and its ruler. My Feelings: I LOVED this book. It was great world building, heart wrenching and charming. The romance is great, I always love me some romance. The enslavement of the Winter people brings in such a unique feeling for this book compared to other fantasies I've read. Side Note: Another aspect I loved about SLA was that it was pretty clean. Other than violence there was no language or sex. This is great to me because I love recommending books and I always want to be careful with books I rec. Especially since some of them are for teens. I would feel comfortable letting my 11 year old son read this. I do plan to buy the hardcover copy of this book since I only have it on Kindle. For my most favorite books I always prefer to have a hard copy of the actual book. Plus I want to support Sara Raasch! She's so sweet and will respond to every Twitter tweet. Have you read SLA? What did you think? Buy: Barnes & Noble Here

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

Posted by The YA Book Traveler , Saturday, November 8, 2014 9:01 AM

 

Stacking the Shelves #1

Posted by The YA Book Traveler , 9:00 AM

Welcome to my Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Purchased (All purchased on Book Outlet, $15 for all 3!)

Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

Won

Snow Like Ashes eBook by Sara Raasch (Thanks Royal Social Media) Exquisite Captive (Thanks Alexa) Jackaby ARC by William Ritter (Thanks Christie from Geek in Librarians Clothing) The Jewel ARC by Amy Ewing (Thanks Christie from Geek in Librarians Clothing) I Become Shadow ARC by Joe Shine (Thanks Christie from Geek in Librarians Clothing)

Library Haul

Endgame: The Calling by James Frey The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Scholastic Cereal Rewards Books

So, my son technically order this with his free code from our Kellogg cereals, but I will snatch it up and read it after he's done. The Underland Chronicles #1: Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

It's all about the COVERS! (Well, not completely)

Posted by The YA Book Traveler , Thursday, November 6, 2014 9:00 AM

BOOK COVERS!

We love them...

Or we hate them...

For me, and I know for many others, a great cover will determine whether a person will read a book or not. I wanted to share a few of my FAVORITE covers out there. All these book are on my TBR but I am DYING to get my hands on.

Cover 1 - A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray

I read an interview on the Epic Reads blog (link below) with the lead artist, Alison Klapthor, on the cover design for this book. Marguerite Caine, the books main character is a painter so the goal was to create something that really did look like a work of art. It's really a gorgeous cover! Read the full interview here: http://www.epicreads.com/blog/behind-the-design-a-thousand-pieces-of-you/

Cover 2 - Snow Like Ashes - Sarah Raasch

So who doesn't like a good fantasy, especially one with an awesome cover like this! We all know that a huge reason for the popularity of this book is the cover! I just won an ebook of this and plan to read it soon and CANNOT wait. There is so much talk, constantly, on how great this book is, so I do know that it's more than just a pretty cover. Shout out to Jeff Huang who designed this cover! Follow him on Twitter @thefifthorder

Cover 3 - Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

This was book-love at first sight! EVERYONE loves this cover. It's... just... amazing. I really don't know too much about the book, but who cares?! The cover tells me it's AWESOME!

Cover 4 - This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman

I really enjoyed These Broken Stars. In fact, Tarver is one of my favorite male characters because he isn't the stereotypical guy that I've read over and over and over again. But I am VERY excited about This Shattered World cover because Jubilee is a POC and she's on the cover! There is a HUGE vacuum of African American girls featured on the covers of YA books. This makes me very happy! Add all these books to your Goodreads shelves and buy buy buy!

What are your favorite covers? I'd love to know!

Book Cover Redesigns with Diversity!

Posted by The YA Book Traveler , Tuesday, November 4, 2014 8:59 AM

Visit weneeddiversebooks.org

I want to first explain why I am a supporter of the We Need Diverse Campaign. Three years ago my husband and I adopted a sibling group of three out of Foster Care. There are THOUSANDS of children in each state who desperately need a permanent home. Our house became one of differing colors.  My husband and I are Caucasian  and my children are African American, the oldest is Bi-Racial.  Diversity is important to me because people are beautiful because of the differences. My children are avid readers, especially my daughter, and I want her to be proud of who she is and I think she's gorgeous!  After becoming aware of the We Need Diverse Books Campaign, I quickly realized that there is a HUGE hole of African American characters within YA (my favorite genre) and of course other races as well. (My daughter loves to read. Here is a picture of her at the library dressed like a princess!)

Book Cover Fun

Just for Fun I photoshopped a few popular YA books to have a person of color on the front.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi This is one of my favorite books of all time! The characters are rich, fun, and I wish I knew them in real life. Here is my version with an African American version of Aria on the front. Check out this book on Goodreads and add to your pile! Under the Never Sky


Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard Here is my version of Eleanor Fitt! Check out and add this book to your Goodreads, click link below! Something Strange and Deadly

Book Tag: The TBR Tag

Posted by The YA Book Traveler , Sunday, November 2, 2014 8:58 AM

This is my first TBR tag. I was not tagged by anyone but I've been wanting to do one for a while.  (I'm also new to blogging) How do you keep track of your TBR pile? Like most, I keep track of my TBR through Goodreads.  After seeing other's category list, mine is very simple. Is your TBR mostly print or ebook? Mostly print. I have a few free, or cheap ebooks I've bought, but most are print. I just won an ebook of Snow Like Ashes and I'm super excited to get into that one! How do you determine which book from your TBR to read next? Two ways: 1. It's the book that comes to me first from the library. 2. Whatever I decide I'm in the mood for. A book that’s been on your TBR list the longest? I have tried twice now to read The Casual Vacancy, but I keep getting stuck at the first chapter. Perhaps one day I'll get to it but I can't say I'm extremely motivated.

A book that you recently added to your TBR pile?

RIDERS by Veronica Rossi!  The announcement was finally made for Veronica Rossi's next book and I am EXCITED! She is one of my favorite authors so I quickly added this book to my TBR the same day.

A book on your TBR strictly because of its beautiful cover?

I wouldn't say this book is on there strictly for of the cover but that I want to read it BECAUSE of it's beautiful cover. To be honest, I don't really know what it's about but I don't care! I will read this! A book on your TBR that you NEVER plan on actually reading? The Seventeenth Summer by Maureen Daly was recommended to me by a friend one night while we were swapping books we loved. So, to please her I put this on my TBR. Most likely I'll never actually read this. An unpublished book on your TBR that you’re excited for? THERE ARE SO MANY!!!! But if I can only pick one, I will pick: The Mime order by Samantha Shannon. I LOVED The Bone Season so much when I read it last fall.  And I feel like I've been waiting FOREVER for The Mime Order to come out. It originally was set to release this fall but got bumped back.  The waiting has been real.

A book on your TBR that basically everyone has read except you?

The Giver.  I have not read this or seen the movie. I know that I should at some point! A book on your TBR that everyone recommends to you? The Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead. I read the Vampire Academy series and I loved it (I'm SO SAD that they're not making anymore movies!). However, I didn't really care for the character Sydney.  I've been reluctant to read this but others talk about that it's even better than VA. A book on your TBR that you’re dying to read? Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes is a book I'm DYING to read!  The first two, Falling Kingdoms and Rebel Spring OMG they're so good. THIS! SO MUCH THIS! The number of books on your Goodreads TBR shelf? Um...38.  Yes, I know it's a low number but to be honest, I really only put books on my TBR I plan on reading. I don't want to just put books on there just to put them on there. This was fun! Thanks for reading!

The Young Elites by Marie Lu and Star Wars

Posted by The YA Book Traveler , Saturday, November 1, 2014 8:58 AM

This review will contain spoilers, BUT first some information about the book, The Young Elites.

Goodreads Summary:

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites. Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all. Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen. Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her. It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Book Review

Posted by The YA Book Traveler , Monday, October 27, 2014 8:56 AM

The Book

I bought Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs over the summer and finally decided Halloween was a good time to pull it off the shelf. I've been interested in reading this book because, to be honest,  I love his wife's (Tahereh Mafi) Shatter Me series.  Secondly, Tim Burton will be adapting this book into a film. YAY! I LOVE Tim Burton and after reading this book it's more than obvious why he's directing it. The story is about a 16 year old teenage boy who grew up with a grandfather who told these unbelievably fantastic stories about his life. As Jacob gets older he comes to a realization that the "stories" he was told growing up couldn't possibly be true. Events unfold that make him decide that he has to find out the truth by traveling to an island in Wales where the home for the peculiar children lived. I really enjoyed this book. I didn't know anything at all about the story line other than there were peculiar children involved. There were many surprises and I found fun and interesting as the book continued to unfold. It left me wanting to read The Hollow City, the second book in this series. The book also is a lot of fun because of all the photographs throughout the book. Characters will be described on what they're doing or look like then it'll follow up with a photograph.

Film Cast Possibilities

No one has yet to be confirmed for the cast of the movie, but there are a couple possible choices. Asa Butterfield  as Jacob Portman. Asa is best known for his roles in Hugo and Ender's Game. Eva Green as Miss Peregrine Eva is best known for her roles in Casino Royale and 300: Rise of an Empire I canNOT wait for this book to be adapted to screen. If you haven't read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, I do recommend it!

Re-Reads for Life! "I'll never let go"

Posted by The YA Book Traveler , Tuesday, October 14, 2014 8:00 PM

You know those books.  Those books that you know you'll read for the rest of your life.  Something about the world, the characters, the writing pulled you in so much that part of your heart was given away and the only way to retrieve it is by reading them again. We all have those must-have books. Sure there are great series and books we love, but to be honest, we'll never read again. Here is a short list of my absolute favorites (right now).

1. Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

This is a given.  I've read the whole series 3 times, but I know there will be many more in the future.  One aspect that I love about J.K. Rowling's books are the details that are discovered when re-reading.  Characters, magical objects will be mentioned in an earlier book only to make full appearance in a later book. Genius.

2. Under the Never Sky series by Veronica Rossi.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started reading this series. To be honest, I didn't care much for the covers but I kept seeing it everywhere. And boy, was I glad I read them. I LOVE Under the Never Sky. The writing is so rich and descriptive. Some books I have a hard time picturing the scenery, and characters. Veronica Rossi is gifted in created a world that you can truly see in your mind. I love that her secondary characters don't feel that way, secondary. All the characters feel real and I love them! I wasn't surprised to find out that she's a painter. To me this explains perfectly how she's able to translate visuals onto paper.  I've read this series twice since last fall and plan on reading it many many more times in the future.

3. Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.

I love kick-ass female protagonist and Celaena is just that.  The Throne of Glass series that has released 3 of the 6 books that will be published, and it is one of my favorites. I love the raw emotion, friendships, and of course the romance.

4. The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Okay, so even though only the first book of this series is currently out, it still ranks high on my favorite books.  I read this last fall and have been painstakingly waiting for The Mime Order, book number 2. There will be 7 books in this series and The Bone Season is in the works to become a film.

Michigan YA Authors are the best!

Posted by The YA Book Traveler , Monday, October 13, 2014 8:39 AM

Michigan...The Mitten State, The Great Lakes State, The "why do I live here during the winter" state?

Michigan is a tough state to live in and suffering is inevitable (it's called Michigan winters).  We all know suffering produces fantastic artists. Because of this "suffering," Michigan has birthed some fabulous authors! If you don't have these books, make sure to check them out, add them to Goodreads, buy them, get them! I've listed 4 Michigan authors/books you need to know if you don't already. 1: The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare (Alex Wayfare #1)  M.G. Buehrlen Goodreads Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17878473-the-57-lives-of-alex-wayfare?from_search=tru 2. My Last Kiss by Bethany Neal Goodreads Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21524042-my-last-kiss 3. The Winter People by Rebekah L. Purdy Goodreads Link:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18630479-the-winter-people?from_search=true 4. Between the Stars and Sky by David James Goodreads Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23130575-between-the-stars-and-sky?from_search=true