Top Ten Tuesday: Debut Authors I Want Sophomore Novels From

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This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is: Top Ten Debut Authors Who Have Me Looking Forward To Their Sophomore Novel. Some of my picks do have their sophomore (or more) novels published already, but I haven’t read them yet.

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1. Rebecca Scherm – Debut: Unbecoming

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2. Erin Morgernster – Debut: The Night Circus.

And just for fun – here is a link to a blog post Erin wrote about NaNoWriMo

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3. Stella Newman – Debut: Pear Shaped

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4. William Ritter – Debut: Jackaby

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5. Mike Lawson  – Debut: The Inside Ring

Ok, so I guess I’m only having a top 5 today. I’m sure I’ll realize a ton I missed when I read other people’s lists. I’m going to blame in on my NaNoWriMo brain!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Fall TBR

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by the Broke and the Bookish, is: Top Ten Books On My Fall TBR.

Beastly Bones (Jackaby, #2)

1. Beastly Bones (Jackaby #2) by William Ritter. Published September 22.

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2. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Published September 29.

Pretty Girls

3. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter. Published September 29.

Zeroes

4. Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan, and Deborah Biancotti. Published September 29.

A Madness So Discreet

5. A Madness so Discreet by Mindy McGinnis. Published October 6.

Carry On

6. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. Published October 6.

These Shallow Graves

7. These Shallow Graves by Jennifer Donnelly. Published October 27.

Winter (The Lunar Chronicles, #4)

8. Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer. Published November 10.

Oblivion (Lux, #1.5)

9. Oblivion (Lux 1.5) by Jennifer Armentrout. Published December 1.

10. Backstage (Boy Band #2) by Jacqueline E. Smith. Published December 8.

What books are you looking forward to this fall? Are you looking forward to any of the above?

Top Ten Tuesday: New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2014

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This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, is: Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read In 2014.

One Plus One

1. Jojo Moyes
Books Read: The Last Letter from your Lover, Me Before You, One Plus One, Silver Bay

Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy, #3)

2. Sarah Rees Brennan
Books Read: The Lyburn Legacy: Unspoken, Untold, Unmade

Dangerous Girls

3. Abigail Haas
Books Read: Dangerous Girls, Dangerous Boys

Definitely, Maybe in Love (Definitely Maybe, #1)

4. Ophelia London
Books Read: Definitely, Maybe in Love, Someday, Maybe

Submerged (Alaskan Courage, #1)

5. Dani Pettrey
Books Read: Submerged, Shattered, Stranded, Silenced

All the Truth That's in Me

6. Julie Berry
Books Read: All the Truth that’s in Me

To All the Boys I've Loved Before (To All the Boys I've Loved Before, #1)

7. Jenny Han
Books Read: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before

Jackaby

8. William Ritter
Books Read: Jackaby

So once again it looks like I’m doing a top 8 instead of top 10. Oh, well. What authors did you discover this year?

12 Days of Book Tags

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Falling Down the Book Hole made up this fun tag. Feel free to tag yourself if you want to participate!

To try and give myself some different answers than I usually give, I’m only going to respond with books that I read in 2014.

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
A Partridge in a Pear Tree  : The Partridge Stood Alone In The Pear Tree? What is Your Favorite Stand Alone?

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Two Turtle Doves : Love Is In The Air, Who Is You OTP (One True Pair)?

Juliette & Warner from the Shatter Me series by Tahereh Mafi

On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Three French Hens :  In The Spirit Of Threes, What Is The Best Trilogy You Have Read?

The Lynburn Legacy by Sarah Rees Brennan

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Four Calling Birds : Since Series Usually Consist of Four or More Books What Is Your Favorite Series?

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Five Golden Rings : One Ring To Rule Them All! Who is Your Favorite Villain/Antagonist?

The Darkling from The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Six Geese a Laying : Creation Is A Beautiful Thing! What is Your Favorite World/World-Building?

I’m going to go with The Grisha series again – Bardugo is amazing!

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Seven Swans a Swimming: Who Needs Seven Swans When All It Takes Is One Good Animal Sidekick To Make A Hero Rock! Who Is Your Favorite Animal Sidekick?

Douglas the duck from Jackaby by William Ritter

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Eight Maids a Milking: Milk Is So 18th Century! Which Book or Series Takes Beverages/Food To A Whole New Level?

All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes by Betsy St. Amant

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Nine Ladies Dancing : Dancing is Just One Skill of a Lady! Who is Your Favorite Kickass Female Lead?

Fi from The Mind Games duology by Kiersten White and Kami Glass from the Lynburn Legacy

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Ten Lords a Leaping: Leaping Lords? How About Who Is Your Favorite Leading Lad?

The Raven Boys. Alllllll of them

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
Eleven Pipers Piping: Where Would We Be Without Music? What Is Your Favorite Book or Bookish Thing That Deals With Music? (It can be about music, reference music a lot etc.)

While I wasn’t in love with the book or the music, I thought it was cool that all the songs from Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover was recorded.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me:
12 Drummers Drumming: Drum Roll Please…………………….What Is Your Favorite Read of This Year?

Either Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan or Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White or One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

September New Releases

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My apologies for not posting anything all week. I just haven’t been feeling it lately. I was in the process of buying a house (my first) and the deal ended up falling through this week and it has put me in a bit of a funk. To help cheer me up, I thought I’d post about the new releases coming out this month that I’m looking forward to.

SEPTEMBER 9TH

Illusions of Fate

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

I love White’s Mind Games series and am looking forward to reading more from her.

Downton Abbey meets Cassandra Clare in this lush, romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White.

“I did my best to keep you from crossing paths with this world. And I shall do my best to protect you now that you have.”

Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him.

Kiersten White captured readers’ hearts with her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy and its effortless mix of magic and real-world teenage humor. She returns to that winning combination of wit, charm, and enchantment in Illusions of Fate, a sparkling and romantic new novel perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, The Madman’s Daughter, and Libba Bray.

SEPTEMBER 16TH

Jackaby

Jackaby by William Ritter

I had an ARC of this book and really enjoyed it. I look forward to others getting to read it!

“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion–and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.”

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary–including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police–with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane–deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.

The Infinite Sea (The Fifth Wave #2)

The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

The follow-up to The Fifth Wave

The riveting follow-up to the New York Times bestselling The 5th Wave, hailed by Justin Cronin as “wildly entertaining.”

How do you rid the Earth of seven billion humans? Rid the humans of their humanity.

Surviving the first four waves was nearly impossible. Now Cassie Sullivan finds herself in a new world, a world in which the fundamental trust that binds us together is gone. As the 5th Wave rolls across the landscape, Cassie, Ben, and Ringer are forced to confront the Others’ ultimate goal: the extermination of the human race.

Cassie and her friends haven’t seen the depths to which the Others will sink, nor have the Others seen the heights to which humanity will rise, in the ultimate battle between life and death, hope and despair, love and hate.

SEPTEMBER 23RD

Unmade (The Lynburn Legacy, #3)

Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan

I love this series so, so much! I can’t wait for this book!!!

Powerful love comes with a price. Who will be the sacrifice?

Kami has lost the boy she loves, is tied to a boy she does not, and faces an enemy more powerful than ever before. With Jared missing for months and presumed dead, Kami must rely on her new magical link with Ash for the strength to face the evil spreading through her town.

Rob Lynburn is now the master of Sorry-in-the-Vale, and he demands a death. Kami will use every tool at her disposal to stop him. Together with Rusty, Angela, and Holly, she uncovers a secret that might be the key to saving the town. But with knowledge comes responsibility—and a painful choice. A choice that will risk not only Kami’s life, but also the lives of those she loves most.

This final book in the Lynburn Legacy is a wild, entertaining ride from beginning to shocking end.

Stay with Me (Wait for You, #3)

Stay With Me by J Lynn

Love me some JLA!

At 21, Calla hasn’t done a lot of things. She’s never been kissed, never seen the ocean, never gone to an amusement park. But growing up, she witnessed some things no child ever should. She still carries the physical and emotional scars of living with a strung-out mother, Mona—secrets she keeps from everyone, including her close circle of college friends.

But the safe cocoon Calla has carefully built is shattered when she discovers her mom has stolen her college money and run up a huge credit card debt in her name. Now, Calla has to go back to the small town she thought she’d left behind and clean up her mom’s mess again. Of course, when she arrives at her mother’s bar, Mona is nowhere to be found. Instead, six feet of hotness named Jackson James is pouring drinks and keeping the place humming.

Sexy and intense, Jax is in Calla’s business from the moment they meet, giving her a job and helping her search for Mona. And the way he looks at her makes it clear he wants to get horizontal . . . and maybe something more. Before Calla can let him get close, though, she’s got to deal with the pain of the past—and some very bad guys out to mess her up if she doesn’t give them her mom.

SEPTEMBER 30TH

Sacrifice (Elemental, #5)

Sacrifice by Brigid Kemmerer

I read an ARC of this and my review is scheduled to post on it’s release date and I’m dying to share!

One misstep and they lose it all. For the last time.

Michael Merrick is used to pressure.

He’s the only parent his three brothers have had for years. His power to control Earth could kill someone if he miscalculates. Now an Elemental Guide has it out for his family, and he’s all that stands in the way.

His girlfriend, Hannah, gets that. She’s got a kid of her own, and a job as a firefighter that could end her life without a moment’s notice.

But there are people who have had enough of Michael’s defiance, his family’s “bad luck.” Before he knows it, Michael’s enemies have turned into the Merricks’ enemies, and they’re armed for war.

They’re not interested in surrender. But Michael isn’t the white flag type anyway. There will be blood on the ground tonight…

In Your Dreams (Blue Heron #4)

In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins

I adore Kristan Higgins. Her books are always so sweet and fun

Emmaline Neal needs a date. Just a date—someone to help her get through her ex-fiancé’s wedding without losing her mind. But pickings are slim in Manningsport, New York, population 715. In fact, there’s really only one option: local heartthrob Jack Holland. Everyone loves Jack, and he won’t get the wrong idea…. After all, Jack Holland would never actually be interested in a woman like Em. Especially not with his beautiful ex-wife creeping around, angling to reunite ever since he rescued a group of teens and became a local hero.

But when the wedding festivities take an unexpectedly passionate turn, Em figures it was just one crazy night. Jack is too gorgeous, too popular, to ever end up with her. So why is she the one he can talk to about his deep, dark feelings? If Em is going to get her dream man, she’ll have to start by believing in him…

The Fine Art of Pretending (The Fine Art of Pretending, #1)

The Fine Art of Pretending by Rachel Harris

I love the fake relationship trope! This book looks so cute!

According to the guys at Fairfield Academy, there are two types of girls: the kind you hook up with, and the kind you’re friends with. Seventeen-year-old Alyssa Reed is the second type. And she hates it. With just one year left to change her rank, she devises a plan to become the first type by homecoming, and she sets her sights on the perfect date—Justin Carter, Fairfield Academy’s biggest hottie and most notorious player.

With 57 days until the dance, Aly launches Operation Sex Appeal and sheds her tomboy image. The only thing left is for Justin actually to notice her. Enter best friend Brandon Taylor, the school’s second biggest hottie, and now Aly’s pretend boyfriend. With his help, elevating from “funny friend” to “tempting vixen” is only a matter of time.

But when everything goes according to plan, the inevitable “break up” leaves their friendship in shambles, and Aly and Brandon with feelings they can’t explain. And the fake couple discovers pretending can sometimes cost you the one thing you never expected to want.

What books are you looking forward to this month?

Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I Would Want With Me On A Deserted Island

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Today’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by the Broke and the Bookish, is: Top Ten Characters I Would Want With Me On A Deserted Island.

1-5 The Merrick Brothers and Becca from the Elemental Series by Brigid Kemmerer. They would all be super helpful in controlling the environment and they’re fun!

Storm (Elemental, #1)  Sacrifice (Elemental, #5)  Spark (Elemental, #2)

1. Nick – Can control Earth
2. & 3. Twins Gabriel & Nick can control Fire and Air
4. & 5.Chris and his girlfriend Becca can control Water and Spirit

Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy, #1)

6. Kami Glass from the Lynburn Legacy series by Sarah Rees Brennan. She would work on a way to save us and entertain us with her wit and humor along the way.

Ruin and Rising (The Grisha, #3)

7. Sturmhond from The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo. Everyone’s favorite Privateer! He’s smart, he’s resourceful, and he’s hilarious.

8. Captain Thorne from the Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. Because he can hold his own, even without his sight. And he’s entertaining.

The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)

9. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins. Because obviously she’s on EVERYBODY’S list and I can’t be the only one who doesn’t have her. She’s awesome. No explanation required.

Jackaby

10. R.F. Jackaby from Jackaby William Ritter. If anything fishy is going on, a la Lost, then Jackaby will figure it out!

Who would you want with you on a deserted island?

 

Review: Jackaby by William Ritter

Jackaby

Synopsis from Good Reads:

Newly arrived in New Fiddleham, New England, 1892, and in need of a job, Abigail Rook meets R. F. Jackaby, an investigator of the unexplained with a keen eye for the extraordinary–including the ability to see supernatural beings. Abigail has a gift for noticing ordinary but important details, which makes her perfect for the position of Jackaby’s assistant. On her first day, Abigail finds herself in the midst of a thrilling case: A serial killer is on the loose. The police are convinced it’s an ordinary villain, but Jackaby is certain it’s a nonhuman creature, whose existence the police–with the exception of a handsome young detective named Charlie Cane–deny.

Doctor Who meets Sherlock in William Ritter’s debut novel, which features a detective of the paranormal as seen through the eyes of his adventurous and intelligent assistant in a tale brimming with cheeky humor and a dose of the macabre.

I received a copy of this title from NetGalley. It does not impact my review.

This was such a fun, odd book! I loved the characters and the witty dialogue.

As the synopsis suggests, Jackaby is a bit of a mix of Sherlock and Doctor Who. He’s a quirky detective with a gift of observing the supernatural. Abigail Rook has run away from home looking for adventure, but finds herself in New Fiddleham looking for work. She answers an ad for Jackaby’s assistant, “Must be literate and possess a keen intellect and open mind. Strong stomach preferred…Do not stare at the frog,” and a new partnership is formed.

The story follows Jackaby and Abigail as they investigate a serial murderer and Jackaby introduces Abigail to the supernatural elements in the world she’s always been missing. While a couple of the twists were a little predictable, it was still a fun and surprisingly humorous journey.

The story is told through Abigail’s 1st person POV and I was impressed with how well Ritter pulled it off. I can’t recall the last book I’ve read where a male author gives a female 1st person POV. And not only a female POV, but a YA female POV. Abigail was likable and relatable and at times girly, but in a realistic and un-annoying way. Jackaby is a fun and enjoyable character and every scene with him was humorous. While he was very present throughout the story, I almost wish there was still more of him. Rounding out the rest of the quirky and enjoyable cast are Jenny the ghost, Douglas the duck, and Charlie the cop.

Overall, I really enjoyed Jackaby. It was a cleverly written fun, easy read with a great sense  of humor. I’m unsure if this is a standalone or a series, but I’m really hoping it’s a series, as I would love to see more of these characters. I definitely recommend this book to fans of Sherlock, Doctor Who, mysteries, and the supernatural.

Jackaby is available September 16, 2014.

Rating (out of 5):
Plot: 3.5
Characters: 4
Readability: 4
Enjoyability: 4
Overall Rating: 3.875 stars