Geek Girl: Model Misfit by Holly Smale

Geek Girl: Model Misfit by Holly Smale
"Harriet Manners is a model—but she feels even less popular and more awkward than she did when she was just a geek. So a summer modeling job in Japan sounds like the perfect vacation, even if she has to bring along her crazy grandma Bunty, and even if she might run into Nick, her gorgeous supermodel ex-boyfriend. No one is going to ruin Harriet's fabulous Tokyo adventure—unless she accidentally ruins it herself. . . ."- summary from Amazon

This series is turning into one of my favorites and I love reading a new entry in it when they come out. It reminds me so much of works from Meg Cabot and Louise Rennison and it's so good to find books like those. Harriet is an awesome and hilarious main character, and her adventures in fashion are so funny and crazy that it's extremely difficult to put the book down. I fly through these books even though they're usually close to or over 400 pages long. It amazes me how quickly I read them.

Overall, a fantastic new book in the series. Please read these books if you love funny contemporaries and support them so they can continue to be published here in the US (They're already up to Book 5 in the UK!). But regardless, I will support Smale however I can get the books. She's such a wonderful, hilarious writer.

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

What's Broken Between Us by Alexis Bass

What's Broken Between Us by Alexis Bass
"A year and a half ago, Amanda Tart's brother got behind the wheel drunk and killed his best friend. Today, he's coming home from prison.

Amanda's been the one living with the fallout, made worse by her brother's recent unapologetic TV interview. People think he's a monster. Still, she loves him. It's her dark secret, until she starts getting close to Henry again--whose sister is paralyzed from the accident.

A year and a half ago, her brother destroyed his life. Now Amanda has to decide if she'll let his choice destroy hers."- summary from Amazon

Bass' follow-up novel is even better than her debut, which is crazy to say since I absolutely adored her debut. It was such a fantastic debut, but this new book is just so beautifully written and unflinchingly honest. Amanda's specific situation may not be one that many will relate to, but the underlying themes of being in your older sibling's shadow and perhaps feeling like you need to take on the consequences of their actions will hit closer to home for some readers. Amanda is a character that readers will want to root for and to see where her journey will take her over the course of the novel, to see if she can get to a point where she isn't holding herself back because of what her brother did and continues to do.

Overall, an amazing book and I cannot wait to read more from Bass. If you're a fan of Sarah Dessen and Gayle Forman, you'll enjoy Bass' work as well.

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
"Grace Mae is already familiar with madness when family secrets and the bulge in her belly send her to an insane asylum—but it is in the darkness that she finds a new lease on life. When a visiting doctor interested in criminal psychology recognizes Grace's brilliant mind beneath her rage, he recruits her as his assistant. Continuing to operate under the cloak of madness at crime scenes allows her to gather clues from bystanders who believe her less than human. Now comfortable in an ethical asylum, Grace finds friends—and hope. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who will bring her shaky sanity and the demons in her past dangerously close to the surface."- summary from Amazon

This is my first McGinnis book, though I have wanted to read her previous books. Reading this novel made me further want to check out her other stuff. It's a creepy, suspenseful read that had me turning the pages quickly and never wanting to put it down, causing me to take longer and longer breaks at work. I'm usually not much for historical fiction, so it's a sign of a good novel that I actually get so engrossed in it. Grace is an interesting main character and McGinnis writes her very well, slowly unraveling her story throughout the book.

Overall, a fantastic stand-alone novel (hard to find these days) and I'm eager to read her earlier two books while waiting for upcoming books!

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Thicker than Water by Kelly Fiore

Thicker than Water by Kelly Fiore
"Cecelia Price killed her brother. At least, that's what the police and the district attorney are saying. Although CeCe is now locked up and forced into treatment, she knows the story is much more complicated. Cyrus wasn't always a drug-addled monster. He used to be a successful athlete, but when an injury forced Cyrus off the soccer field and onto pain medication, his life became a blur of anger, addiction, and violence.

All CeCe could do was stand by and watch, until she realized an effective way to take away her brother's drugs while earning the money she needed for college: selling the pills. Only she never expected what happened next."- summary from Amazon

This was a really interesting book and a complete 180 from Fiore's previous books, which were romantic comedies for the most part. This is a much more serious and heavy book, but Fiore writes it so well and really gets into CeCe's mindset and voice. It's a fascinating novel that alternates back and forth between the present day and 3 months beforehand (which, as the novel progresses, gets closer and closer to present day). Based on the summary, I had a different idea of what happened to land her on trail for jail and was surprised at what really happened. It was an interesting twist and one that made a lot of sense.

Overall, a fantastic novel from Fiore and a perfect read to start off your year. I highly recommend this to anyone who's a fan of Ellen Hopkins.

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

ARC Purging

So I've been trying to do some cleaning lately and getting rid of ARCs that I either didn't want to begin with or will just never find the time to read. But there's so many that I figured I would see if any of my readers would want any of them. The catch is that you must pay for packaging and shipping- $3 for 1 book, $4 for 2 books, $5 for 3 books and then $.50 for each additional book after that. If a book is in a series, I have the other books on the same line as well, so be sure to read carefully.

Just leave a comment with the books you wish to have as well as your email address so I can contact you about payment and to get your mailing address. I will need payment before I ship the books out. This is for US residents only; if you're international, I may consider it but you would need to pay more for shipping. I moderate comments so some books may be gone by the time you comment; I will do my best to keep up with approving but I work all weekend so it may take some time. It will happen at a first-come, first-serve basis. Now, go forth and comment so I can get these off my hands, lol. If there are any questions too, feel free to leave them in the comments as well.



Dark Energy by Robison Wells
The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron
Unraveling and Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris
The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holtzer
Arcadia Falls and Arcadia Burns by Kai Meyers
Asylum by Madeline Roux
Indelible by Dawn Metcalf
Wasteland by Susan Kim and Laurence Klavan
Twinmaker, Crashland and Hollow Girl by Sean Williams
Blackout and Dead Zone by Robison Wells
Messenger of Fear by Michael Grant
Quake by Patrick Carson
On the Edge by Alison von Diepen
The Ward and The Isle by Jordana Frankel
Unremembered and Unforgotten by Jessica Brody
Arclight and Meridian by Josin L. McQuein
The Brokenhearted and The Invisible by Amelia Kahaney
Genie Wishes by Elisabeth Dahl
Natural Born Angel by Scott Speer
Flashes by Tim O’Rourke
Mr. Fahrenheit by T. Michael Martin
Vortex and Catalyst by S.J. Kincaid
Be with Me by J. Lynn
Infinite Sky by C.J. Flood
The Drowning by Rachel Ward
Mila 2.0 and Mila 2.0: Renegade by Debra Driza
Elusion and Etherworld by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam
The Brilliant Light of Amber Sunrise by Matthew Crow
172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad
A Midsummer’s Nightmare by Kody Keplinger
Welcome Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell
Temptation by Alisa Valdes
Burning Blue by Paul Griffin
Losers in Space by John Barnes
The Believing Game by Eireann Corrigan
The Slayer Chronicles : Second Chance by Heather Brewer
Forgotten by Catherine McKenzie
Wishful Thinking by Alexandra Bullen
What’s Left of Me, Once We Were by Kat Zhang
Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson
The Innocents by Lili Peloquin
Trafficked by Kim Purcell
Wicked Sweet by Mar’ce Merrell
Everything Breaks by Vicki Grove
Dark Eyes by William Richter
How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer
Rock and a Hard Place by Angie Stanton
Snapshot by Angie Stanton
Eat, Brains, Love by Jeff Hart
Don’t Turn Around, Don’t Look Now, Don’t Let Go by Michelle Gagnon
Bzrk: Reloaded by Michael Grant
Night School by C.J. Daugherty
The Far Dawn and The Dark Shore by Kevin Emerson
The Well’s Bequest by Polly Shulman
The Apprentices by Maile Meloy
Frosted Kisses by Heather Hepler
Sanctuary by Jennifer McKissack
The Different Girl by Gordon Dahlquist
The Look by Sophia Bennett
Under the Spotlight by Angie Stanton
Eternity’s Wheel by Neil Gaiman, Mallory Reaves and Michael Reaves
The Cost of All Things by Maggie Lehrman
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Juba by Walter Dean Myers
Reckless Hearts by Sean Olin
The Revenge Playbook by Rachael Allen
Taking Aim: Power and Pain, Teens and Guns (anthology) edited by Michael Cart
Breaking Butterflies by M. Anjelais
Encore to an Empty Room by Kevin Emerson
Trouble from the Start by Rachel Hawthorne
Wrong About the Guy by Claire LeZebnik
The World Within by Jane Eagland
To Hold the Bridge by Garth Nix
A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, illustrated by Gris Grimly (graphic novel)
Twisted Fate by Norah Olson
If You’re Reading This by Trent Reedy