REVIEW: ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN by Wendy Walker

AUGUST TBR of Laura

AUGUST TBR

Sorry for being so absent. I just finished a two-week ballet summer intensive and I thought I could just dance 7 hours per day and have enough energy to read in the evening/night but I was lying to myself... I can't :( that's why I was not able to finish all July reads. Therefore, I will finish July reads first and then I will see if I can complete August reads which are: Amour Amour, Nocte, Verum, Just A Few Inches, and Slip!

Are there any books you want us to review in particular? If you'd like to suggest a book to Hannah, Martyna, and/or me to read for September please use the Contact Us tab above.

REVIEW: FEVRE DREAM by George R. R. Martin

Title: Fevre Dream

Author: George R. R. Martin
Series: -
Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Bantam
Source: Audiobook
Pages: 334


// Add to GoodReads // BookDepository // Amazon //

BLURB:
When struggling riverboat captain Abner Marsh receives an offer of partnership from a wealthy aristocrat, he suspects something’s amiss. But when he meets the hauntingly pale, steely-eyed Joshua York, he is certain. For York doesn’t care that the icy winter of 1857 has wiped out all but one of Marsh’s dilapidated fleet. Nor does he care that he won’t earn back his investment in a decade. York has his own reasons for wanting to traverse the powerful Mississippi. And they are to be none of Marsh’s concern—no matter how bizarre, arbitrary, or capricious his actions may prove.

Marsh meant to turn down York’s offer. It was too full of secrets that spelled danger. But the promise of both gold and a grand new boat that could make history crushed his resolve—coupled with the terrible force of York’s mesmerizing gaze. Not until the maiden voyage of his new sidewheeler Fevre Dream would Marsh realize he had joined a mission both more sinister, and perhaps more noble, than his most fantastic nightmare...and mankind’s most impossible dream.
Here is the spellbinding tale of a vampire’s quest to unite his race with humanity, of a garrulous riverman’s dream of immortality, and of the undying legends of the steamboat era and a majestic, ancient river.

MONTHLY RECOMMENDATIONS: EMPOWERING FEMALE LEADS

Waiting on Wednesday: The Telling by Alexandra Sirowy

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. Today we are waiting for The Telling by Alexandra Sirowy!

New hot mystery release waiting for you next week.

Publication date: August 2nd, 2016

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

REVIEW: THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS by M.L.Stedman

Title: The Light Between Ocean

Author: M.L.Stedman
Series: -
Genres: Adult fiction, drama, romance, historical fiction
Publisher: Black Swan
Source: Paperback
Pages: 461


// Add to GoodReads // Amazon //

BLURB:
After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.

Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel has taken the tiny baby to her breast. Against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them.

M. L. Stedman’s mesmerizing, beautifully written novel seduces us into accommodating Isabel’s decision to keep this “gift from God.” And we are swept into a story about extraordinarily compelling characters seeking to find their North Star in a world where there is no right answer, where justice for one person is another’s tragic loss.

REVIEW: A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by Khaled Hosseini

Title: A Thousand Splendid Suns

Author: Khaled Hosseini
Series: -
Genres: Drama, Adult Fiction, Fiction
Publisher: Jotema
Source: Hardcover
Pages: 380


// Add to GoodReads // Amazon //

BLURB:
Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them—in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul—they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation.

LIBRARY BOOK HAUL aks SUMMER READS

REVIEW: THIS IS NOT FORGIVENESS by Celia Rees

Title: This is Not Forgiveness

Author: Celia Rees
Series: -
Genres: YA, contemporary
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Source: Paperback
Pages: 280


// Add to GoodReads //

BLURB:
Everyone says that Caro is bad ...but Jamie can't help himself. He thinks of her night and day and can't believe that she wants to be his girlfriend. Gorgeous, impulsive and unconventional, she is totally different to all the other girls he knows. His sister, Martha, hates her. Jamie doesn't know why, but there's no way he's going to take any notice of her warnings to stay away from Caro. But as Jamie falls deeper and deeper under her spell, he realises there is more to Caro - much more. There are the times when she disappears and doesn't get in touch, the small scars on her wrists, her talk about revolutions and taking action, not to mention the rumours he hears about the other men in her life. And then always in the background there is Rob, Jamie's older brother, back from Afghanistan and traumatised after having his leg smashed to bits there. Jamie wants to help him, but Rob seems to be living in a world of his own and is increasingly difficult to reach. With Caro, the summer should have been perfect ...but that isn't how things work out in real life, and Jamie is going to find out the hard way. This taut psychological drama is the brilliant new novel from acclaimed Celia Rees

REVIEW: PERSUASION by Jane Austen

Title: Persuasion

Author: Jane Austen
Series: -
Genres: Classics, Historical Fiction, Romance
Publisher: Penguin English Library 
Source: Paperback 
Pages: 249


// Add to GoodReads // BookDepository // Amazon //

BLURB:
Twenty-seven-year old Anne Elliot is Austen's most adult heroine. Eight years before the story proper begins, she is happily betrothed to a naval officer, Frederick Wentworth, but she precipitously breaks off the engagement when persuaded by her friend Lady Russell that such a match is unworthy. The breakup produces in Anne a deep and long-lasting regret. When later Wentworth returns from sea a rich and successful captain, he finds Anne's family on the brink of financial ruin and his own sister a tenant in Kellynch Hall, the Elliot estate. All the tension of the novel revolves around one question: Will Anne and Wentworth be reunited in their love?

Jane Austen once compared her writing to painting on a little bit of ivory, 2 inches square. Readers of Persuasion will discover that neither her skill for delicate, ironic observations on social custom, love, and marriage nor her ability to apply a sharp focus lens to English manners and morals has deserted her in her final finished work.

HannahCassie Ain't Rory Gilmore This Time

Good morning, my lovelies.

So as you can see there is no video today. Now theoretically I could have filmed it at 4.30am last night before I went to sleep but I am kinda too grows to the public right now. See the thing is normally I am really good with planning things and last time when I studied for exam it went all very well. Well this time my let's do what Rory Gilmore does plan did not work that well. Now, don't judge. I did exactly as I did last time, except this time my memorizing for exam equals memorizing a telephone book. Jup, useless bunch of stuff that you will ever ever need only if google crashes. The reasoning of our bunch of unorganized professors is simple "You need to know the old outdated technologies to appreciate the new ones". More like we are old and don't know new stuff so let's study something we did 50 years ago. Yeah, I think it is pretty clear I hate the module I have right now. Worst mistake I did ever concerning my studies. But on Friday it will be over. 

So yeah got off topic a little bit. Yes, well so there is no video today. I am truly sorry but I am about to explode. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J. K. Rowling

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. Today we are waiting for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J. K. Rowling!

More witches! and wizards! In fact our favorite wizard, Harry Potter, is back :D
Technically this is not a novel, it's just the script of the play that's going to be published.

Publication date: July 31st, 2016

Publisher: Little Brown UK

REVIEW: THE GREAT GATSBY by F.Scott Fitzgerald

Title: The Great Gatsby

Author: F.Scott Fitzgerald
Series: -
Genres: Classics, Academic, Historical Novel, Romance
Publisher: Scribner
Source: Paperback
Pages: 180


// Add to GoodReads // // Amazon //

BLURB:
THE GREAT GATSBY, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s third book, stands as the supreme achievement of his career. This exemplary novel of the Jazz Age has been acclaimed by generations of readers. The story of the fabulously wealthy Jay Gatsby and his love for the beautiful Daisy Buchanan, of lavish parties on Long Island at a time when The New York Times noted “gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession,” it is an exquisitely crafted tale of America in the 1920s.

The Great Gatsby is one of the great classics of twentieth-century literature

REVIEW: A TIME TO LOVE AND A TIME TO DIE by Erich Maria Remarque

Title: A Time To Love And A Time To Die

Author: Erich Maria Remarque
Series: -
Genres: Historical fiction
Publisher: Brace and Companyh 
Source: Hardcover 
Pages: 379


// Add to GoodReads //

BLURB:
From the quintessential author of wartime Germany, A Time to Love and a Time to Die echoes the harrowing insights of his masterpiece All Quiet on the Western Front.

After two years at the Russian front, Ernst Graeber finally receives three weeks’ leave. But since leaves have been canceled before, he decides not to write his parents, fearing he would just raise their hopes.

Then, when Graeber arrives home, he finds his house bombed to ruin and his parents nowhere in sight. Nobody knows if they are dead or alive. As his leave draws to a close, Graeber reaches out to Elisabeth, a childhood friend. Like him, she is imprisoned in a world she did not create. But in a time of war, love seems a world away. And sometimes, temporary comfort can lead to something unexpected and redeeming.

“The world has a great writer in Erich Maria Remarque. He is a craftsman of unquestionably first rank, a man who can bend language to his will. Whether he writes of men or of inanimate nature, his touch is sensitive, firm, and sure.”—The New York Times Book Review

GUESS THE CHARACTER ft. LAURA

REVIEW: THEFT OF SWORDS by Michael. J. Sullivan

Title: Theft of Swords

Author: Michael J. Sullivan
Series: The Riyria Revelations #1-2
Genres: High Fantasy, Adventure
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Library physical book
Pages: 681


// Add to GoodReads // BookDepository // Amazon //

BLURB:
There's no ancient evil to defeat or orphan destined for greatness, just unlikely heroes and classic adventure. Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, are two enterprising rogues who end up running for their lives when they're framed for the murder of the king. Trapped in a conspiracy that goes beyond the overthrow of a tiny kingdom, their only hope is unraveling an ancient mystery before it's too late.

REVIEW: PASSENGER by Alexandra Bracken

Title: Passenger
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Series: Passenger #1
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Source: Kindle Edition
Pages: 464

Add to GoodReads // Buy on BookDepository

SYNOPSIS: passage, n.

i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.
ii. A journey by water; a voyage.
iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are play­ing, treacherous forces threaten to sep­arate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home . . . forever.

RIP IT OR SHIP IT ft. LAURA

Waiting on Wednesday: How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. Today we are waiting for How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather!

Witches witches witches! Who doesn't like witches? (specially the Salem witches!)

Publication date: July 26th, 2016

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

REVIEW: ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN by Wendy Walker

Title: All is not forgotten

Author: Wendy Walker
Series: -
Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Trigger Warning
Publisher: Mira
Source: ARC
Pages: 384
Publication date: 12th July, 2016


// Add to GoodReads // BookDepository //

BLURB:
You can erase the memory. But you cannot erase the crime. Jenny's wounds have healed. An experimental treatment has removed the memory of a horrific and degrading attack. She is moving on with her life. That was the plan. Except it's not working out. Something has gone. The light in the eyes. And something was left behind. A scar. On her lower back. Which she can't stop touching. And she's getting worse. Not to mention the fact that her father is obsessed with finding her attacker and her mother is in toxic denial. It may be that the only way to uncover what's wrong is to help Jenny recover her memory. But even if it can be done, pulling at the threads of her suppressed experience will unravel much more than the truth about her attack. And that could destroy as much as it heals.

REVIEW: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (the Fury and Dark Reunion) by L.J.Smith

Title: The Vampire Diaires: The Fury and Dark Reunion

Author: L.J.Smith
Series: The Vampire Diaries
Genres: Fiction, YA, Vampire novel
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Paperback
Pages: 520


// Add to GoodReads //

BLURB:
LOVE CAN KILL

Elena: transformed, the golden girl has become what she once feared and desired.

Stefan: tormented by losing Elena, he's determined to end his feud with Damon once and for all - whatever the cost. But slowly he begins to realize that his brother is not his only enemy.

Damon: at last, he possesses Elena. But will his thirst for revenge against Stefan poison his triumph? Or can they come together to face one final battle?

Collected here in one edition are the third and fourth volumes of The Vampire Diaries, a riveting conclusion to the tale of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

JUNE WRAP UP of HannahCassie

REVIEW: THE VAMPIRE DIARIES (the Awakening and the Struggle) by L.J.Smith

Title: The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and the Struggle

Author: L.J.Smith
Series: The Vampire Diaries
Genres: YA, Vampires, Fiction, Paranormal
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Paperback
Pages: 492


// Add to GoodReads //

BLURB:
A DEADLY LOVE TRIANGLE

Elena: the golden girl, the leader, the one who can have any boy she wants.

Stefan: brooding and myterious, he seems to be the only one who can resist Elena, even as he struggles to protect her from the horrors that haunt his past.

Damon: sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him. Determined to have Elena, he'd kill to possess her.

Collected here in one volume for the first time, volumes one and two of The Vampire Diaries, the tale of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

REVIEW: THE WINNER'S KISS by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner's Kiss
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Series: The Winner's Trilogy #3
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Source: Kindle Edition
Pages: 496

Add to GoodReads // Buy on BookDepository

SYNOPSIS: Some kisses come at a price.

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

HannahCassie making it tidy for Laura's visit!

Muhaha, I wonder how long it holds this time!

Waiting on Wednesday: All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. Today we are waiting for All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker!

We are slowly breaking away from typical YA... which we still love by the way but we also think is a good idea to introduce some variety from time to time. What do you think? Should we introduce different genres or stick to our favorites (YA, Fantasy, Sci-Fi)?

Publication date: July 12th, 2016

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

REVIEW: NEFERTITI by Michelle Moran

Title: Nefertiti

Author: Michelle Moran
Series: -
Genres: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Source: Hardcover
Pages: 465


// Add to GoodReads //

BLURB:
Nefertiti and her younger sister, Mutnodjmet, have been raised in a powerful family that has provided wives to the rulers of Egypt for centuries. Ambitious, charismatic, and beautiful, Nefertiti is destined to marry Amunhotep, an unstable young pharaoh. It is hoped by all that her strong personality will temper the young Amunhotep’s heretical desire to forsake Egypt’s ancient gods, overthrow the priests of Amun, and introduce a new sun god for all to worship.

From the moment of her arrival in Thebes, Nefertiti is beloved by the people. Her charisma is matched only by her husband’s perceived generosity: Amunhotep showers his subjects with lofty promises. The love of the commoners will not be enough, however, if the royal couple is not able to conceive an heir, and as Nefertiti turns her attention to producing a son, she fails to see that the powerful priests, along with the military, are plotting against her husband’s rule. The only person wise enough to recognize the shift in political winds—and brave enough to tell the queen—is her younger sister, Mutnodjmet.

Observant and contemplative, Mutnodjmet has never shared her sister’s desire for power. She yearns for a quiet existence away from family duty and the intrigues of court. Her greatest hope is to share her life with the general who has won her heart. But as Nefertiti learns of the precariousness of her reign, she declares that her sister must remain at court and marry for political gain, not love. To achieve her independence, Mutnodjmet must defy her sister, the most powerful woman in Egypt—while also remaining loyal to the needs of her family.

Love, betrayal, political unrest, plague, and religious conflict—Nefertiti brings ancient Egypt to life in vivid detail. Fast-paced and historically accurate, it is the dramatic story of two unforgettable women living through a remarkable period in history.

REVIEW: THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL by Philippa Gregory

Title: The Other Boleyn Girl

Author: Philippa Gregory
Series: The Tudor Court #3
Genres: Historical fiction, Romance
Publisher: Touchstone
Source: Hardcover
Pages: 661


// Add to GoodReads // Amazon //

BLURB:
When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of Henry VIII. Dazzled, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realises just how much she is a pawn in her family's ambitious plots as the king's interest begins to wane and she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. Then Mary knows that she must defy her family and her king and take fate into her own hands.

A rich and compelling novel of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue, The Other Boleyn Girl introduces a woman of extraordinary determination and desire who lived at the heart of the most exciting and glamourous court in Europe and survived by following her heart.

HannahCassie Recommends: Vampire Books

REVIEW: THE WINNER'S CRIME by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner's Crime
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Series: The Winner's Trilogy #2
Genres: YA, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Source: Kindle Edition
Pages: 417

Add to GoodReads // Buy on BookDepository

SYNOPSIS: Following your heart can be a crime. 

A royal wedding means one celebration after another: balls, fireworks, and revelry until dawn. But to Kestrel it means living in a cage of her own making. As the wedding approaches, she aches to tell Arin the truth about her engagement: that she agreed to marry the crown prince in exchange for Arin's freedom. But can Kestrel trust Arin? Can she even trust herself?

Kestrel is becoming very good at deception. she's working as a spy in the court. If caught, she'll be exposed as a traitor to her country. Yet she can't help searching for a way to change her ruthless world...and she is close to uncovering a shocking secret.

This dazzling follow-up to The Winner's Curse reveals the high price of dangerous lies and untrustworthy alliances. The truth will come out, and when it does, Kestrel and Arin will learn just how much their crimes will cost them.

JULY TBR of Laura

JULY TBR

So if you remember June's tbr wasn't supposed to be long because I had lots of exams and stuff... well, turns out I procrastinate by reading because I hate studying so now I have already read a few July reads... but still got lots more!

For the Goodreads group All our TBR's I will read Passenger and I'll Give You The Sun. Then I will read The Crown, This Savage Song, and Me Before You. The rest I have already read and reviews will be coming soon.

GREAT NEWS! I will be visiting HannahCassie on the second weekend of July! Yayyyy! We will record videos so I ask you guys to please send us ideas for the videos (reviews, challenges, Q/A, etc)
BUT I will be going back to Spain mid-July and I will be on a ballet summer intensive for 2 weeks so I won't be very active on the blog :( I'll probably be most active during weekends writing reviews and such.

Are there any books you want us to review in particular? If you'd like to suggest a book to Hannah, Martyna, and/or me to read for August please use the Contact Us tab above.