Stacking the Shelves #42: May 24

This Week's Headlines:

I can't believe that I'm saying this but... 1 MORE DAY UNTIL I LEAVE FOR BEA! I feel like I've been waiting for this gracious moment for eternity and for all of my life. AGGGGHHH! *parties*

Forever. YEP.

By this post next week, I'll be heading home with (hopefully) many books and ARCs that will become favourites and have me obsessed. WHOA. Yesterday I spent my day relaxing and prepping for the big event, packing my so-called professional clothes. (Just kidding, THEY ARE SUPER PROFESSIONAL). I need to get my life ready for this beautiful time of my life. Heh. And then of course I had to make some new additions to my library, so I went to the library with my bestie (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE). And came home with 8 new requested books by me. Ugh. It makes me happy that I have new additions, but sad that my shelves are getting more. Ugh. Then on Friday, we finished reading Romeo and Juliet in English class (where I acted as Prince Escalus), and I LOVE SHAKESPEARE. God of poetry and awesomeness. Bam. We'll be watching the movie with Leo DiCaprio tomorrow!

Stay tuned for coverage of BEA throughout the week, I sure will be fangirling hard! *panics* WE'LL HAVE A PARTY ON THE BLOG, MY FRIENDS!

My Book Haul:

I've gotten SO many books in the last little while that this part's going to take me forever to talk about. Whatever, we have ALL DAY.

Before we get going to my books, LOOK AT THIS GORGEOUS MUG THAT I PURCHASED LAST WEEK! *_* It was only $10 at Chapters, and IT'S SO TRUE. I've actually wanted it for the longest time as well. WOOT!

FINALLYYYYYY. KATIE COTUNGO RULES.

99 Days by Katie Cotungo: Actually being one of my most anticipated reads of 2015, I can say that it was a love at first sight moment with this gorgeous pretty. I LOVE THE COVER SO MUCH THAT I CAN'T HOLD IT IN ANYMORE. EEEEE!

Always needs a nice backdrop. Thankfully there was no DEW on the plants. *wipes sweat*

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh: OMG. When I saw this at the bookstore I instantly realized that I actually forgot that it was released until that moment. I ran in this swoony, bookish way, grabbed it and never looked back. SOON, I TELL HER.

All I Need by Susane Colasanti: The only Colasanti read that I haven't read yet, SADLY. I found it for $5.99 at the bargain section in my bookstore! I also need to get a copy of City Love and Now and Forever!

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger: THE ONLY KODY KEPLINGER NOVEL I HAVEN'T READ EITHER, OTHER THAN her newest, Lying Out Loud. And I'm pretty sure that this was her first, as well?

Servants of the Storm by Delilah S. Dawson: So I was obsessed with Hit, and still am, remembering that I wanted an ARC of this one last summer, but decided to pick some others instead! I must admit that I adore storm-related reads. *wiggles eyebrows*

Library books! YAY.

Letting Ana Go by Anonymous: I love books that make me feel sad and stiff. This is it!

Rogue by Julie Kagawa: Yay's all I'm able to say without fangirling and crying of happiness. SPEECHLESS FEELINGS ARE TOUGH TO COPE WITH.

A Sense of the Infinite by Hilary T. Smith: Contemporaries are what shape the YA world. New EpicReads promoted books? GIMME.

Damsel Distressed by Kelsey Macke: RETELLINGGGSSSSSSS! I can never get enough of them—always need to find the right one. 

The Isle of the Lost by Melissa de la Cruz: I want to read everything by this woman, whether it's middle-grade, adult or her grocery list.

Burying Water by K.A. Tucker: She's going to be at BEA with the sequel, so I want to see how the first one is!

Top Ten Clues You're Clueless by Liz Czukas: Again with the contemporary thing. Mystery fluff stuff, too!

Mad Miss Mimic by Sarah Henstra: Historical awesomeness. Everyone's talking about this!

Making Pretty by Corey Ann Haydu: Enjoyed Life by Committee, excited to see how this'll go!

REVIEW COPIESSSSS!

Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti: ONE OF MY MOST ANTICIPATED READS OF THE YEAR! So excited, and lemme just tell you that it's HUGE. (400 pages?) I LOVE SIMON AND SCHUSTER.

Three More Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter: Although it's a sequel (who cares?) I love books with these premises, and IT'S A TRUE STORY/MEMOIR!

Crossing Into Brooklyn by Mary Ann McGuigan: Another historical read from Merit Press! LOVE THE COVER!

We Will be Crashing Shortly by Hollis Gillespie: A perfect mystery read for me that will surely brighten up my day!

*Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster Canada and Merit Press for these beauties!*

Posts You May Have Missed:

• Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam Review
• Lies I Told by Michelle Zink Review
• The Jewel by Amy Ewing Review: BACK OFF, HATERS!
• BEA Maze: Part I
• Waiting on Wednesday #1: The White Rose by Amy Ewing
• Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid Review: ROAD TRIP MAGNIFICENCE
• In a Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis Review 

What are your newest additions? How was your week and how are you doing?

Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam Review

Elusion (Elusion #1), by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam
Publication: March 18, 2014, by Katherine Tegen Books
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopian, Romance
Pages: 382
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
Rating: ½

Soon, Elusion® will change the world and life as we know it.
A new technology called Elusion is sweeping the country. An app, visor and wristband will virtually transport you to an exotic destination where adventure can be pursued without the complications—or consequences—of real life.
Regan is an Elusion insider. Or at least she used to be. Her father invented the program, and her best friend, Patrick, heir to the tech giant Orexis, is about to release it nationwide. But ever since her father’s unexpected death, Regan can’t bear to Escape, especially since waking up from the dream means crashing back to her grim reality.
Still, when there are rumors of trouble in Elusion—accusations that it’s addictive and dangerous— Regan is determined to defend it. But the critics of Elusion come from surprising sources, including Josh, the handsome skeptic with his own personal stakes. As Regan investigates the claims, she discovers a disturbing web of secrets. She will soon have to choose between love and loyalty…a decision that will affect the lives of millions.
Suspense, thrills, and romance fuel this near-future story about the seductive nature of a perfect virtual world, and how far one girl will go to uncover the truth behind the illusions.

My Thoughts: 

Everyone has their own kind of image of what the world will be like in fifty years. A hundred years. Four hundred years. There's so many different interpretations that you can make, and I believe that there's no wrong answer. Maybe one day humankind will all be gorillas. (That's NOT my interpretation, by the way, haha). That's why I adore reading dystopian novels. They give me the view of life that I can't think of myself since there are an infinite amount to think about. Elusion was one of the most unique and rare ways I see humankind's destiny, and it surely was one of the best.

I first discovered this novel last year, around the time when it was released. I instantly added it to my TBR list on Goodreads, and AGH I wanted it for the longest time, honestly. The cover intimidated and overthrew all of the other covers of 2014, and I was sitting here in awe. Actually, I barely knew the what the plot was about, but I knew I wanted this gorgeous thing. *winks*

"But I think about the train a few minutes ago and how Elusion was everywhere. After today, there'll be no place for me to hide. At least not in the real world." (Paperback, page 14)

Gabel and Klam threw this phenomenal prose into place with an electrifying app that everyone wants: Elusion. It's all about throwing on a pair of glasses, closing your eyes, finding a companion to go into the other world with, and imagining yourself anywhere you'd like to go. Regan's dad is the creator of Elusion, but after he died in an accident, she feels lost but still tries to support the company. Now, her best friend, Patrick, has taken over the company and is making millions—with pure famousness in his hands. What happens when rumours unfold about Elusion and there are secrets behind it that were never meant to be told?

Here's the actual definition of the future. It's taken place in Detroit, where the US is with power and contains the most technology. It actually involves a ton of science terminology that is difficult to understand at first, but it's easy to tell what is what and it all forms together into a reader's mind. But the authors did a fantastic job at making it clean, fresh and raw. It's so interesting and captivating to find out about some kind of app that creates rage and new dimensions. *throws a party*

My overall thoughts contain absolute praise and happiness. I'm so delighted with how everything turned out to be, especially since I was excited, but a little anxious with trying to find out what'll the reaction be. I read this in one sitting, and I actually knew that I would love this after the first chapter. It's a "ME READ," know what I'm saying? I believe that any reader would be proud to have and devour a novel like this, because you won't read anything like it for ages.

"'I know what it's like. When you lose someone, it's hard to let them go. You come up with a thousand excuses that will explain why they were taken from you—reasons that will make all the pain go away.'" (Paperback, page 166)

The storyline was absolutely crazily awesome. My heart raced, pounded, and I was unable to stop reading. It's been awhile since I've read a book like this, to be honest.

Anyone want to change that "fantastic" into "weird?" That was my only tiny issue with this all. Regan was... meh. She was kick-ass, I couldn't let that go out of my sight, but there was something about her that studded me. Most of the time, she was whiny and made all of the people around her look like they're so much worse and grosser than her. GIRL, YOU'RE NOT A DETECTIVE OR TECH GENIUS, CHILL. Okay? Okay. To be honest, that was my only negative point that I was trying to get across, and the love triangle was beautiful. IT WORKED SINCE IT HAD TO DO WITH A MYSTERY. Josh was the sweet, helpful one, and Patrick was the villain. Guess which one I prefer?

You've guessed it, my cool, app-tech-genius friends. HE RULES AND HE'S ADORABLE AND AGHHHHHH! Fangirl alert, duh.

Well, you've actually guessed it. I'M SO EXCITED FOR ETHERWORLD AND I'M GOING TO GET IT ASAP. Or, I'll be the cool person waiting for an autographed copy so I'll go and meet Claudia at BEA and get my dream copy. All in all, I'm the happiest person alive after now realizing how much enjoyment this one gave me. It had the setting, the plot, the characters, the romance, THE ENDING. If you hadn't enjoyed this one and devoured it like a gooey ice cream sundae, then you're ineligible for a chance to get the Elusion app for yourself, made by me. Hah. Hah.

What do you think apps will end up being in the future?

Lies I Told by Michelle Zink Review

Lies I Told (Lies I Told #1), by Michelle Zink
Publication: April 7, 2015, by HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Mystery
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

What if, after spending a lifetime deceiving everyone around you, you discovered the biggest lies were the ones you've told yourself?
Grace Fontaine has everything: beauty, money, confidence, and the perfect family. 
But it’s all a lie.
Grace has been adopted into a family of thieves who con affluent people out of money, jewelry, art, and anything else of value. Grace has never had any difficulty pulling off a job, but when things start to go wrong on the Fontaines' biggest heist yet, Grace finds herself breaking more and more of the rules designed to keep her from getting caught...including the most important one of all: never fall for your mark.
Perfect for fans of Ally Carter, Cecily von Ziegesar, and Gail Carriger, this thrilling, high-stakes novel deftly explores the roles of identity and loyalty while offering a window into the world of the rich and fabulous.

My Thoughts: 

Never in a million years would I actually expect myself to read a Michelle Zink book ever again... or even expect to actually enjoy it. But hey, a psychological thriller read is waaay more different than a paranormal-angel read. Way back in '10 where my career of reading young adult novels had just begun, I went off with reading Zink's angelic trilogy, Prophecy of the Sisters, and really enjoyed it. But the sequel was so gross that I just couldn't go for it or anything else by this author for this sake. The cover of Lies I Told superbly intrigued me and I knew I wanted to indulge it all and fall in love.

I do have to tell you that I'm pretty sure that I've just fell in love with this duology. I first expected it to be horrible and boring, and that's what it began readers off with. It had a horrible impression, and I was pretty sure that I was going to put it down midway. But that might have been the cause because of my illness at the time of reading this and being unable to concentrate with a thriller read. But in an overall hand, this all became perfect and enjoyable by the end. We'll get to more of the plot later, but it's one of the things that left me so surprised by the end.

"Now I started to feel the truth of it. Of me. Not the part I played in this job or in the last one, but who I really was. Like acknowledging things about myself out loud somehow made them—and me–more real. It was exhilarating, confirmation that there was something underneath the Grace who lied and stole. But it was terrifying, too. What if the real Grace didn't want to stay undercover anymore?"

And that regretting Grace was our sassy protagonist here. I'll tell you now, beforehand, that her life was always horrible. It's true. She's been heading to foster homes for the majority of her life, and she was now adopted into a family of thieves who perform heists and hunt down for richness. It may seem like the best possible situation for her and to be happy, but it truly isn't. They now move into a small town in California where they're about to perform their biggest heist yet, stealing gold bars from a rich family's home. And it's Grace's job to get close with the family and try to figure out clues.

The majority of the novel is a transformation, really. It's Grace's character development, and because of her having a tough life from the start, it's easy to see that it's not her fault that she's become involved with all of the cruelty that the Fontaines perform to others. And this is why I wanted to get to the point about her character, first. Initially, I hated her guts. She seemed whiny and all desperate for love and romance, but once I broke out of my angsty-stage of living and saw the real thing behind the lines, she needed help and a good role model. Thankfully, her foster brother and new friends helped guiding her in the right direction. I grew to seek a reader-to-character relationship with this coolest chick around.

Aside from the obvious themes and concepts present: stealing, forbidden romance and family, Zink actually had a depressive story that was hidden from readers' view. This isn't your average mystery-thriller, since I actually found that I haven't read any book about thieves or stealing as a crime, so to read this as a first is very impressive. And of course, I adored the setting as well. WHO DOESN'T WANT TO LIVE IN CALIFORNIA? I KNOW I DO!

"But Playa Hermosa was different. It was like another world. One where the old rules didn't apply. Like the exotic birds on the peninsula, we were suddenly all on our own. Except it didn't feel like that right away. In the beginning, it was business as usual. Plot the con, get into character, work our way in, stick together."

From page one, I was... unhappy. I actually made a prediction that I would put this book down by a hundred pages. And by that time, I was actually ready to. Sometimes I find that I force myself through the novel and reading it although I may not be enjoying it to the fullest extent that it could've been from the start. But hey, I took the chance, kept reading, and voila. Michelle Zink's writing then captivated me. I adored the second half of the book, packed with action scenes that I will never forget about, ever. And in the end after realizing that a sequel will be coming around at the end of the year? I found it perfect. DUOLOGIES RULE.

You may think that this is a Romeo and Juliet situation where Grace and her forbidden love interest... *forgets name* LOGAN are forced with insta-love, but I have to note to you that this wasn't the case here. I mean, some may see it as the love-at-first-sight thing after Grace dropped her schedule and everything, but I found it adorable, real, and not the biggest part of the book. But I'm such a sucker for romance, so I guess that it was a truly huge and positive part of my 4 star rating for me! Just to note another character-relationship, Parker and Grace, brother and sister, were adorable as well. YOU NEED SOMEONE IN YOUR LIFE WHO'LL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR YOU, and that's Parker for Grace. R-I-S-K-T-A-K-E-R!

After reading this spectacular read, I guess I feel that I'm more easy with picking and choosing books to read. Beforehand, I probably wouldn't have chosen to read this and pick it up at my library if it didn't have a nice cover. I guess now I see beyond my surroundings and would go for a book even if I didn't enjoy some other book by an author. Excluding the troubles of the slow plot in the beginning and Grace's character at first, it was practically a 5 star read. I absolutely recommend this for all lovers of psychological thrillers and mysteries, Michelle Zink will surely please you with Grace's lies she told!

Any good stealing/con novels?

The Jewel by Amy Ewing Review: BACK OFF, HATERS!

The Jewel (The Lone City #1), by Amy Ewing
Publication: September 2, 2014, by HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopian, Romance, Fantasy
Pages: 358
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
Rating: 

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.
Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.
Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

My Thoughts: 

Only in rare times comes a book where I feel the complete opposite about it than the general bookish public. Usually, I always think it's bad when others think it's good, or we have mutual feelings about it all. But now–NOW, I'm simply sitting here wondering why the heck are people hating on this gorgeous state of mind beauty that changed my life. WHY. WHY. WHY?! 

"The walk back to my chambers is a blur. Out of the Jewel. Lucien has just offered me my freedom."

The Jewel is a book that's been on my mind and radar since before it was released when I was captivated by the cover and the saying that it's like Kiera Cass's The Selection, which is one of my favourite books to this date. I still picked it up and bought a hardcover finished copy although everyone was hating on it since before the release date in September of 2014. Looking at my feelings now, I'm unable to stop thinking about it and all of the pain that it provided me with–a huge headache and dizziness after reading it all in one sitting, mixed with the suspense, plot twists and action scenes that almost had me bursting into tears. I prefer writing this review now since my mind is clear and all focused on Ewing's story, and I know what I'll be dreaming about tonight.

It basically is the perfect dystopia, mixed with magic and romance, but not too much of both. I'll get to the real stuff later, I'm just letting you know what you're here for before actually going onto the actual summary and the main storyline of the book. It was plotted to perfection, by the way. AND THIS WAS STARTED OFF AS AMY'S THESIS PROJECT, WHICH LED TO A STUNNING DEBUT!

This world is split up into circles, where different kinds of people with different social statuses live... and sometimes hide. Violet Lasting was picked up and thrown into intense training to live up to the expectations of the royalty when she was twelve, but she wasn't sure about what this really meant for her future. Yes, she has the perfect blood type and the talent of playing the cello, but it was increasingly difficult for her to learn how to perform the magic that she needs to eventually give birth to a new royal family member. These days, only certain people can give birth without having a child who's deformed or born with a disability, so that's why 200 ladies are chosen for The Auction. After 4 years in practice, Violet now goes to the Auction and gets chosen, and her whole life changes forever.

It doesn't. What can you possibly expect to happen in a sci-fi romance? We've got to keep in mind that Violet and the other girls are forbidden from seeing their families or friends from the outside in the Marsh (the poorest part of their world), and I'd say that I would be put in immediate stress and depression, too. Once you're put into the richest part of their setting, the Jewel, you get everything that you want when you want it. There's only one day when you'll see your family before the Auction, and that's it. Violet actually was one of the lucky ones, because after reading about what her best friend, Raven, went through, as well as Lot #200, Dahlia, went through, she was one of the lucky ones. A smack on the face doesn't do any bad, actually.

What a lot of people continued to complain about from page one was the unrighteousness going on throughout. Yeah, the surrogates were treated SO unfairly. Like, it makes me want to cry. But was this by accident and did the author make it look like it was okay and fine for the stupid royalty to do whatever they'd please to? Um, no. They all were suffering from this absurdity that their world held. What were they supposed to do? They have no choice and no voice throughout, and if they had none of the magical arcana that Violet was lucky to have, they would've all been killed, probably. It all depended on their strengths.

For those of you who don't really understand the concept, it's pretty complex but gorgeous. Unlike the typical dark-world kickass dystopias that I always seem to read (by accident when I'm looking for something else), the concept here was a big chunk of social status and voices. We get a brief meeting of Violet's family in the beginning, and you can basically say that Ewing had a threshold of all kinds of people from everywhere in the city: The Marsh (Raven, Lily and Violet herself), The Farm (where Violet's brother works), The Smoke (where Ash is from, heh) and the Jewel, where the bitchiest bitches live. They all have to do with each other, and without one, everything would fall apart. Expect Hunger Games-like trains, and pills that knock you out for hours straight.

"'Well guess what—I'm human. I'm not perfect. I was trying to do the right thing, but you know what? I don't care anymore. I don't want to be right, I don't want to be good. i wasn't supposed to have you any more than you were supposed to have me.'"

Thatta girl. We have a bunch of kick-ass characters that were present throughout the story, and even if they were wimps, I think I still would've loved them. I just can already picture a movie cast and who would play who. But Violet, she was something else. The fact that Ewing hadn't imaged her as perfect was what made the book better. She made stupid mistakes and choices sometimes, but she learned from them and she became stronger in the end. There were tons of moments where she was a wink away from bursting out in tears, but she kept her head held high and thought of the good. I think Beatrice Prior would've dissipated in her situation, everyone. Here we have a new girl in town.

At least for me, I can tell that it rarely happens when I know that I am so in love with a book from the start. It usually takes me some time to read, get a build-up and feel the tension beginning in my heart, but this happened from the start. It was like this book was written for me, since it's the perfect example and mix of everything. You looked for all sorts of genres? This is for you. There's tension, plot twists (LIKE HELL), and moments where I surely wouldn't have known what to do with myself if I stopped reading. By the way, you'll need a bunch of time on your hands because this will be one sitting for you, absolutely.

What are people's problems and issues with the romance? I DON'T CARE IF IT'S INSTALOVE. I DON'T CARE IF THERE'S A MINIATURE LOVE-TRIANGLE PRESENT. I DON'T CARE IF THERE'S NO SEX. Like, chill. It's a smooth romance that took place because Violet needed someone amazing in her life to help her cope. But it's not like she was using Ash for anything, either. Take a look at Romeo and Juliet for example—instalove, AND PEOPLE LOVE IT. This will be a classic gorgeous stunning thing one day, I tell you. I LOVE YOU ASH, ASH, ASH, ASH YOU'RE MY HUSBAND, OKAY? GO OFF WITH VIOLET IN BOOK 2 SO US FANS CAN BE SATISFIED. LOVE YA. That'd be my message.

Mixing in with special friendships (Annabelle and Violet, and Raven and Violet), I think and strongly believe that the character relationships were unlike any other. It's like The Selection, if you ask me. But I'm obviously not stating that it's copying it, but it has the same gorgeous things that brought me to adore both books at the same time. Bam. Sparks fly. 

LOT-197, Violet Lasting, and the girl who was a strong surrogate who has the talent of changing things' shapes, colours and form with the shut of her eyes has left a legacy. I'm not trying to sound cheesy or too obsessed, but I proudly am at the same time. I can't stop thinking about this book and my feels are exploding all over the place as I'm especially thinking about ALL OF YOU—haters or not. I'd recommend that you see the true side of this or else you're seriously missing something.

Whether this book had the cover of a plain brown paper bag with the grossest image on it, or whether it has this electrifying simply amazingly stunning cover, I love this inside and out. I'm simply going so far with it that I'm feeling like it's my kid or something. Ewing went through all of the aspects that make and add up to create a favourite novel, and I'll absolutely be reading this one over and over again. AND I DON'T REREAD BOOKS.

Amy Ewing will be at Book Expo America on May 27 this month, and she's actually the first author that I will go to see on my autographing schedule. I put her on before I read this book, and it must've been fate that made me go to see my new favourite author first, because I just can't wait for The White Rose after that shocking ending. I. NEED. MORE. AFTER. THE. CRAZY. SUSPENSE. AGHHHH!

What was the last book that made you feel the same way I do now?

BEA Maze: Part I

Part I: Hardcore Preparation

BAM BAM BAM! *sets the hardcore music on* So on this date, I will:

• leave for BEA in 4 days 
• be throwing hundreds of ARCs into my hands in a week from today
• be entering Harlequin Teen's annual BEA breakfast in a week from today
• have hopefully met some favourite authors in a week from today
• have hopefully met some awesome bloggers in a week from today
• hopefully have my spreadsheet and schedule organized VERY soon

YES. So BEA starts in 5 days, and I'm literally going mad because:

And:

NOPE. JUST KIDDING. I CAN'T WAIT ANY LONGER. I've been obsessing over BEA 2015 since July 2014 and I've waited almost a year for this amazing event to swing by me. AND NOW THERE'S ONLY A FEW DAYS LEFT. Sorry if you feel like I'm bragging, I get you. People who attended last year made me want to cry and bawl and lie in my bed for days. But thankfully, I didn't. I AM A GROWN WOMAN. *not really*

So at the moment, as I frantically continue to check Twitter and scroll through the endless amount of #BEA15 tweets trying to scurry and gather up more information, I'm busy planning. I have my NYC National Geographic guide ready with me (as soon as I find it), my spreadsheet needs some looking over and double-checks, and I'll have to begin packing this weekend. The sooner, the better, right? (Frowns since that's not true.) But hey, uhh... at least I know what I'm doing, hah.

What I'm Packing:

I haven't gone through my clothes yet, but I've heard tips from people that I should go through a mix between professional and casual. I have some ideas in my head, and that'll go pretty well. But I'll sort through that all on Friday. *nods head* That's better.

Now, you're probably wondering what books I will bring with me on this spectacular journey. So my family and I are driving to the city from Toronto, which will take about 8 hours. That's honestly not a bad drive since the one to Florida takes 22 hours in total. Not that I mind, anyways, since I adore road trips. Here's what I'm bringing with me to read:

YES. I can imagine what some of you are bringing, but since I do know that I'll be coming home with SO MANY BOOKS, why waste luggage space now? Besides, Lux is a huge book, and since I'm meeting JLA at the Harlequin Author Breakfast on Thursday, I'll bring it for her to sign! And my Kindle has hundreds of reads, so I obviously won't run out with any from there. I'll be able to go through some eARCs, too!

My Spreadsheet/Organization:

So I've heard that different people use different methods to get their schedule together. Some use the BEA Agenda on the app (which I do have, but not everything's on there), while some just write everything down in a notebook (too messy if something gets changed around), while others like myself prefer to use the spreadsheet method. I know some people who've done it in the past and said that it's the most helpful, so I organized my own spreadsheet using Numbers on the Mac. Here's a snippet of it:

It's simple, but I love it! I'll probably be printing out maps of the floor as well so I can highlight where everything is without running around the Javits like a total maniac. *imagines self*

So What Else Is There To It?

I'm obviously a total amateur and noob of what it's like, but I guess staying organized, having fun and meeting others is SUPER important! I really don't want to tire myself out too much since I'm also going to see the city, right? NYC has always been my #1 must-see place in the world since I've never gone before. I'M SO EXCITED!

Stay tuned for next week where I'll be posting live coverage of what it's actually like to be there and photos of authors, my hauls and other bloggers and the center, of course!

Until next time,

Waiting on Wednesday #1: The White Rose by Amy Ewing

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

The White Rose (The Lone City #2), by Amy Ewing
Publication: October 6, 2015, by HarperTeen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Dystopian, Romance
Pages: 320

Violet is on the run. After the Duchess of the Lake catches Violet with Ash, the hired companion at the Palace of the Lake, Violet has no choice but to escape the Jewel or face certain death. So along with Ash and her best friend, Raven, Violet runs away from her unbearable life of servitude.
But no one said leaving the Jewel would be easy. As they make their way through the circles of the Lone City, Regimentals track their every move, and the trio barely manages to make it out unscathed and into the safe haven they were promised—a mysterious house in the Farm.
But there’s a rebellion brewing, and Violet has found herself in the middle of it. Alongside a new ally, Violet discovers her Auguries are much more powerful than she ever imagined. But is she strong enough to rise up against the Jewel and everything she has ever known?
The White Rose is a raw, captivating sequel to The Jewel that fans won’t be able to put down until the final shocking moments.

So I've just read The Jewel not so long ago, and I'M OBSESSED. Ewing is a fantastic author and she created so much suspense that I'm unable to wait any longer. Thankfully, Amy will be at BEA on the 27th (ONE WEEK!) and I will meet her and hopefully get this one!

Have you read The Jewel and enjoyed it as much as I did?

Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid Review: ROAD TRIP MAGNIFICENCE

Let's Get Lost, by Adi Alsaid
Publication: July 29, 2014, by Harlequin Teen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

Five strangers. Countless adventures. One epic way to get lost. 
Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most. 
There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love. 
Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.

My Thoughts: 

Get into the car, open your traveling carry-on bag full of your most precious things, look out of the window and admire the view of the different environment that you’re driving beside, and pick up this book and enjoy your road trip. This is exactly what Let’s Get Lost made me feel like doing. I was actually ready to concur it all and Seize the Saturday and road trip. But really, this book will help you transform to another place immediately without any regrets. I'll tell you something—I'm in love with this book.

The best thing about contemporary novels is that they're cute and they give you another reckless view on life. You might not be the type of person who tries to sneak into the Canadian border through a forest and risk going into jail, but at least it gives you the experience and you can feel like you've been through it all, right? That's what this book gave me—the feeling of being wild, or at least in my own fictional world in my imagination. It's the thought that counts, no?

"With his eyes closed, Hudson could reduce the world to a single engine and nothing more; a world where he could not only name every little part but knew what it was for, how it worked, how to fix it."

You'd expect this to be a novel about five teenagers who are on a road trip all together and go to different places and experience different forms of love. This is exactly not that. Instead, it was about five teenagers: Hudson, Bree, Sonia, Leila and Elliot, who all learn things about life and about themselves after Leila comes into their lives and helps them out somehow. For Hudson, he's the first individual who meets Leila as she's on her way to Alaska to see the Northern Lights. He's ready to become a doctor, and is about to go to his scholarship interview but she comes into his life and things happen. Next off we have Bree, who's a runaway escaping from the memories of her broken past. Later on, Elliot declares his love for his best friend, who may not feel the same thing back for him. And finally, Sonia is there, depressed over her boyfriend's death, but she falls in love with someone new.

I'll let you know beforehand that this isn't cheesy or something like that whatsoever. It doesn't talk about someone finding who they are or that you only live once. I mean, it does share those themes, but it's not the basic and main point of the novel. It's about having fun in your life and doing whatever you want to be happy. H-A-P-P-Y. I guess that's a thing that most people don't got through much these days.

When I think of summer, I think of popsicles and shorts... and this book. It's such a fun read that I know I'll never forget about, and the morals and just about everything in it was so relatable and true to the heart. It really helped me get lost for a few hours of pure enjoyment and fun, and I'm actually really anticipating Adi's next novel! (I WILL GO MEET HIM AT BEA.)

"It's a lot easier to seize the day than it is to seize a Tuesday. You have errands on Tuesday. On Tuesday you eat pizza again. Your favorite TV show is on Tuesday, you know? But the day... [...] The day is all just hours you're alive for. They can be filled with anything. Unexpectedness, wildness, maybe a little bit of lawlessness even."

Adi's writing is smart and right-to-the-point. When he goes through the different points-of-views of the characters, it's easy to tell that all of their stories are coming from his heart. He can probably make a well-known children story sound unique and interesting, for once. *laughs* From beginning to end, it was like rolling on a bumpy road that gives you butterflies–the story was enjoyable and had bumps in it (plot twists), but that was what made the book enjoyable, you know? It was like being an amateur YA reader again, where I have just began to read some of the most different books ever. No book has ever been written like this one.

And here's the part that I've been most looking forward to, to actually write about: the character relationships and Leila, of course. Leila is the type of girl who anyone can have some kind of connection with. Alongside each of the other four protagonists, Leila found something in common with them, but of course she grew to be hesitant onto how much information she should share with each of them and how far their relationship will go with her. And from the first POV: Hudson's, she already found a piece of love with him.

Hudson was someone whom everyone can actually grow to hate, but we actually turn to love anyways. I mean, they did have a kind of instalove fall-in-love-at-the-moment thing, but it's great to hear and read that they actually knew all about it and realize that. At first, both were kind of lost with their relationship and were surprised at how everyone usually isn't in their situation. But in the end, IT WAS ALL SO CUTE AND I THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING ELSE WOULD HAPPEN BUT IT ACTUALLY DIDN'T. Let the wedding bells ring!

As for: Bree, Elliot and Sonia, all three of them had a story that had to do with love. Whether it was loss and depression for Bree and Sonia, or it was trying to get someone to like you when apparently they don't—Elliot's situation. The guilt, the pity, the sorrow was all real and stayed with me throughout. I just can't pick and choose a favourite character because they're all stuck with me here! *pounds and points to heart*

This was a book—no scratch that—masterpiece of literature that deserves all of the stars. At first, I thought that all of the starred reviews on Goodreads were actually foreshadowing a worser experience, but in return I received something better and a billion times more positive than all of those reviews and through everything I could ever imagine. Adi's writing is hilarious, sweet and throws readers into a fictional road trip with the best crew of characters around. Where else would you rather spend a hot summer afternoon than with this?

Favourite summer road trip reads?