My selection for Waiting on Wednesday...

Book One

Boy! It's been forever since I did a Waiting on Wednesday post! Life's been incredibly busy these days, but I'd like to get back in the routine---somewhat! Jill at Breaking the Spine started this meme and I've missed it. For my return performance, I've selected the first book in a new series by Lauren DeStefano: Perfect Ruin, The Internment Chronicles.

I became a fan of DeStefano after reading Wither, The Chemical Garden trilogy. She has a lyrical, and lovely style of prose, plus her stories have an unusual and odd sensibility. The author even looks a bit mysterious and quirky in her photos; like there are a lot of strange stories floating in that head of hers. I for one, am curious to know what they are. This newest series sounds like it has that odd, creative vein running through it. Check out the description...

On the floating city of Internment, you can be anything you dream. Unless you approach the edge.
Morgan Stockhour knows getting too close to the edge of Internment, the floating city in the clouds where she lives, can lead to madness. Even though her older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. If she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in her best friend, Pen, and in Basil, the boy she's engaged to marry.
Then a , the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially once she meets Judas. Betrothed to the victim, he is the boy being blamed for the murder, but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or whom she will lose.

Yup. Sounds sufficiently odd and strange to me! I'd love to score a copy from the publisher ( are you listening Simon and Schuster? Lol...) I like collecting this author's books as keepers. The covers of her novels are interesting too.

Perfect Ruin, The Internment Chronicles, releases October 1, 2013.

Toodles, ya'll!

Mailbox Monday!

I can't believe it, but I've never read a Melissa de la Cruz book. Not for lack of interest. She's a prolific writer and her Blue Bloods series sounds good. Somehow, I just never got around to any of her books. Probably because I have so many books to get to! I found her latest in my mailbox this week: Winds of Salem, a Witches of East End novel. It's a LifeTime series. I don't know if it's started yet because I'm behind on my TV watching too. My thanks to Hyperion for their generosity and their push to get me to read some of her stuff! Lol...Witches of Salem will be released 8/13/13.




I also received Scorched by Mare Mancuso. Dragons...Umm...doesn't that cover look awesome? The girl pictured is coming up against two brothers (cute I'm sure...lol), one who wants to save the dragon and one who wants to destroy it. She and the dragon look kinda chummy to me...We'll see...I'll be digging into this one soon. My thanks to Sourcebooks Fire. Scorched will be released on 9/3/13.




I'm really looking forward to reading The Twisted Key by Tone Almhjell. I learned about this book from Laini Taylor, author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series (which is freaking awesome, btw!). She met Tone Almhjell through her blog and they became friends. Laini referred her to her literary agent, I believe, and the rest is history. We now have The Twisted Key! The cover looks so magical and the story sounds so as well. There's a strange key that opens a secret door and leads to a strange world. If you're an animal lover like me, it sounds delicious because in that world, the inhabitants were once beloved pets or tamed wild animals. My thanks to the publisher for passing this on! The Twisted Key releases 10/22/13 from Dial.

Toodles, ya'll!





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Book Review: THE RETURNED by Jason Mott

This book came to my attention because it is getting a lot of buzz. The Returned is being adapted as a TV series by ABC. I read interviews by the author and was intrigued by the premise of his story: What would happen if people began to return from the dead? Your loved ones and maybe some who were not so loved. What would you do? Why did this occur? I had to find out, so when the opportunity to read The Returned presented itself, I jumped at the chance.

Harold and Lucy Hargrove are shocked to find their son, Jacob, who died on his eighth birthday in 1966, standing on their doorstep. They don't know what to make of it. Is he a miracle or a devil? People all over the world are asking themselves the same questions, with varied and mixed reactions!

I watched the trailer for this book and the whole feel was weird and maybe a tad creepy. I didn't know what to make of the story myself, so I had to plunge into it.

As I read, I keep waiting for the big answer. Why was this happening? That question was in the back of my mind the whole time. As the story proceeded, I found it interesting, but I became a bit disappointed because it was not turning out to be the big, epic, grandiose tale I was expecting. It was proceeding along rather quietly and I was able to put it down several times. It stayed in the back of my mind, though, and I knew I had to finish it. I had to know where it was all leading.

The tale begins to pick up speed. An entire murdered family "returns" and some people are not happy about it. They are intent on sending them back to the grave. Lucy and Harold Hargrove have other plans. The whole world is in a tizzy. Governments have to decide what to do with these newly "undead" people. It may not be what you would expect. The world reaction certainly threw me for a loop.

You really have to read this story for yourself. The author developed his idea for this story after he dreamed about his deceased mother returning from the dead. It was his hope that this book would be thought-provoking and indeed help people to consider their own feelings and perhaps deal with unresolved issues considering their dearly departed.

I found myself in tears for one brief moment and I believe I understood the author's intent. We each have to confront the end of life and what that means for each of us.

The Returned is epic in an unexpected and gentle way. It sneaks up on you and pulls you into exploring death and ultimately the meaning of life. Read it.

The Returned releases August 27, 2013 by Harlequin Mira.

Toodles, ya'll...