Brooke's Books

Hello Everyone!

It's been quite a while since anyone has posted on here. Alisha and I tried to keep it going, but life happened and things got busy. Lately, I started thinking about this blog and how fun it was for everyone! We had all kinds of reviews and contests with people interacting with one another. It was a good community for those who loved to read. This is why I would like to announce that I have started up my own blog, Brooke's Books. It's not nearly as big as Alisha's website and it's just starting up, but I'm putting up a lot of the same kinds of reviews on my blog. So if any of you were missing the content on Alisha's blog, you should look up my blog here. I'll be announcing weekly releases (as I used to), book reviews, and other fun features I'm working on. I'm not sure if it will be the same as Black Nailed Reviews, but I think it will be a fun experience! I have missed writing and have missed all of you readers as well. I hope you will come check me out when you have the chance.

Sweet Daydreams,
Brooke

#3 Hear by: Jacqueline Abelson

Title: Hear

Author: Jacqueline Abelson

Series: N/A

Format: Paperback

Release Date: May 19, 2012

Genre(s): YA

Rating:

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Summary

Lots of people can hear, but how many really listen?

At the age of 17, Charlotte Goode has issues. Serious issues. Despite countless surgeries, her parent's panic attacks, and a well-meaning oncologist, a rare genetic disorder means Charlotte must live with recurring tumors. Life isn’t supposed to be this way.

And just as Charlotte is learning to cope, she gets some devastating news: Tumors are growing on her auditory nerves. But, the necessary surgery will leave her completely deaf.

With the operation scheduled in a month, Charlotte prepares herself for a world without sound. A world without the violin she loves, without her best friend’s laugh, and even without her boss’s irksome tone. Charlotte's on a mission to take it all in, while trying to hire a band to play a benefit concert. Will it be The Bond Boys or Lennox?

Counting down the days until everything goes silent, The Bond Boys’ lead singer, Ron Cam, sweeps Charlotte off her feet. He’s pure charisma. Then there’s Matthew Lovelace of Lennox , who captures Charlotte’s attention with his music and “that” voice. What will she do?

Time is running out. Charlotte must find a way to leave the hearing world on a high note without missing a beat.

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Review

Plot: This story made me cry right from the beginning. Charlotte is a girl who's always waiting for the next tumor to appear somewhere. She's constantly at the doctor's office and under a knife. But one thing that basically defines her is her love for music. She plays the violin, works as a music critique, and hopes to go to Julliard. But then she finds out one day that the newest tumors have grown in her brain and the only two options are between her hearing and her life. This story was amazing in the way that it was realistic and touching without being overly dramatic or unrealistic. Also it has a little bit of romance but not that much which makes it unique. The ending isn't how her and the one she likes end up. It is solely based on her and her struggles.

Character(s): Charlotte - I think she is a very realistic character. She's whiny without being overly annoying. In the end her family tells her she is being selfish and I was actually surprised. I think she acted more mature with this news than I could have. But even through all that she apologized and  had the best attitude about things. I also love her relationship with her best friend, Lexi. They get mad at each other but it's not enough to split them apart. They don't stay mad for more than a day and I love it. No unnecessary drama.

Cover: I love the cover of the book! But that's also because I love music. I'm a piano player so anything to do with music draws me in. I thought the title and cover were simple in a very pretty way.

Closing Thoughts: I loved this book! I read it in one whole day almost nonstop. It was the perfect way to kick-start my summer reading. I have a special connection with books that have to do with music and that could be a reason why this touched me. I loved the trials she went through and how she responded. I liked the small bit of relationship she grew with boys but it didn't really amount to much which was a nice change. I would most definitely read this book if I was any of you. It's a nice, quick read.

Where to find Jacqueline Abelson:
 Goodreads

Sweet Daydreams,

Brooke

#2 Firegirl by Tony Abbott

Title: Firegirl

Author: Tony Abbott

Series: N/A

Format: Paperback

Release Date: June 6, 2006

Genre(s): YA, Realistic Fiction

Rating:

---

Summary

"...there is..." Mrs. Tracy was saying quietly, "there is something we need to know about Jessica..."

From this moment on, life is never quite the same for Tom and his seventh-grade classmates. They learn that Jessica has been in a fire and was badly burned, and will be attending St. Catherine's while getting medical treatments. Despite her horrifying appearance and the fear she evokes in him and most of the class, Tom slowly develops a tentative friendship with Jessica that changes his life.

Review

Plot: Basically it's about this young boy who's perfectly normal for his age. Goes to school, has a crush on the prettiest girl, has a best friend, etc. Then one day this new girl comes into school and shakes everything up because of one detail: she was in a fire. It was to the point where she just barely made it so the burns are pretty bad. No one wants to look at her, much less talk to her. It's really sad actually! After a while he starts to have this small, awkward, almost-friendship with her and that's really all it progresses to. She ends up having to leave and that's that.

Character(s): Tom- He's a pretty simple boy who acts just like any other. The only thing I can say that stands out about him is that he is very defensive of the girl. His best friend starts bad-mouthing her (which I couldn't stand) and he tells him to shut up. In fact they pretty much stop being friends because this guy's such a jerk to the poor girl. 

Cover: I liked the cover so much more after I realized what it was. A little ways into the book they have this prayer circle in the beginning of class and everyone has to hold hands. See, her hands are burned so the boy on the other side of her refuses to hold her hand. But the main character does, even though it's a little scary to him. That's what the cover is and when I realized that I went "oh my gosh, this cover is so great!"

Closing Thoughts: I feel like a bad person giving this book a two. The thing is I LOVED the plot. It was so cute and I really liked the idea. It's just that I felt things weren't very developed. I wasn't very attached to the characters and right before anything really happens she leaves and the book ends. I was a little bored by it (hence it taking so long) and it just... I don't know didn't really do it for me. But I think it's a cute story to read and the book isn't very big at all! So it's worth reading if you just want a quick story. 

Where to find Tony Abbott:

Goodreads

Sweet Daydreams,

Brooke

#1 The Secret of Boys: Hailey Abbott

Title: The Secrets of Boys

Author: Hailey Abbott

Series: N/A

Format: Paperback

Release Date: May 30, 2006

Genre(s): Romance, YA, Fiction

Rating:

---

Summary

Eric: Loves surfing, has killer abs, an even better smile, and a heart of gold.

Joe: A sarcastic goofball who gives great advice, which no one ever takes.

Zach: Sophisticated college boy, wise in the ways of French painting as well as other French things.

A California girl like Cassidy Jones should be out on the beach, not stuck in summer school! But her life heats up when she meets the worldly and romantic Zach – she can't stop thinking about him, even though she already has a boyfriend. Cassidy wishes her pal Joe were around to help her figure out the secrets of boys, but he's hundreds of miles away. Will she be able to ignore her feelings for Zach – or will temptation be too strong to resist?

Review

Plot: Cassidy is a very shy, timid girl working to get into the best school. Her best friend is the craziest, most outgoing girl ever and her boyfriend of two years is practically perfect. After her mom decides she has to go away to summer school instead of working with her friend all summer she starts leading a whole new life. She meets Zach. He’s the TA for her French class and is amazingly gorgeous and charming. When she starts being with him, she learns to be more outgoing and confident. But things get a little… complicated, what with her real boyfriend and all.

Character(s): Cassidy- I have to say at first I related with her. Shy, quiet, girl who cares way too much about her studies. A serious boyfriend who’s just perfect for her. A fashionable, outgoing best friend. All of it seemed relatable. But then she starts making some choices that just bug the heck out of me! She cheats on her boyfriend and doesn’t even officially dump him until way too late and it’s just very annoying to me. After a while she seemed whiny and annoying. Although, I will give her that her best friend is really not a good friend and it made me really happy when she finally stood up for herself.

Cover: I liked the cover and I didn’t. I liked it because the couple on the cover didn’t seem like the usual “picture perfect” book cover models. In fact it just looked like a normal couple someone just snapped a picture of. However, I did feel like I needed to hide the cover from the people around me. Two people in their underwear? I felt like I needed to assure everyone I wasn’t reading a dirty book!

Closing Thoughts: I only gave this a two because I think I’m more strict about books than I used to be. It was a good read! I read it in only about a day. But it just wasn’t amazing. The characters bugged me and really the only character I liked was Joe. I liked Eric too, but he got dumped so I didn’t really get stuck on him. It was realistic though which was nice. She learned valuable lessons I think a lot of girls should learn from. So it’s a good read, just nothing amazing.  

Where to find Hailey Abbott:

Goodreads

Sweet Daydreams,

Brooke

Back From The Dead!

Hellooooo everyone!

I am so sorry it has been what... 7 months! That is incredibly long. Alisha and I have been off at college doing old people stuff and have just been so busy. But I'm decided to start a new project and start posting again on here. (If people even still follow I wouldn't blame you for losing hope in us...)
Anyways, where my dad lives there is this wonderful library that is full of awesome books. So I've made a kind of silly goal for myself. I'm going through the entire YA section and reading them. From A-Z by author's name. Honestly, there's not as much as you might think here so it's not like a lifelong goal. I obviously can't read the book if the first one's not there or something so I may have to miss some, but that's the general idea is to read them all! So after I read a book I'll post my review on here to show that I've officially read another book! I have no idea how many there are so I'll just have to keep track on my own. I already finished the first today so I'll post that review shortly.

No matter how stressful life may get or life may seem, just remember one thing: there's always time to read! I stopped reading for a really long time (hence the absence on here) and it actually wasn't good for me at all. Reading was my stress reliever and part of what made me, me! So don't skip out on the reading. Try and fit some in between classes, before bed, waiting to be picked up, before homework, between homework, after homework, while you eat... you get the idea. It's nice to just detach your mind for a while and just relax.

Sweet Daydreams,
Brooke

Weekly Book Releases: August 25-31

Here are this week's releases: 

 

August 27

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for? Source

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.



But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight. Source

 

The Garde are finally reunited, but do they have what it takes to win the war against the Mogadorians?

John Smith—Number Four—thought that things would change once the Garde found each other. They would stop running. They would fight the Mogadorians. And they would win.

But he was wrong. After facing off with the Mogadorian ruler and almost being annihilated, the Garde know they are drastically unprepared and hopelessly outgunned. Now they’re hiding out in Nine’s Chicago penthouse, trying to figure out their next move.

The six of them are powerful, but they’re not strong enough yet to take on an entire army—even with the return of an old ally. To defeat their enemy, the Garde must master their Legacies and learn to work together as a team. More importantly, they’ll have to discover the truth about the Elders and their plan for the Loric survivors.

And when the Garde receive a sign from Number Five—a crop circle in the shape of a Loric symbol—they know they are so close to being reunited. But could it be a trap? Time is running out, and the only thing they know for certain is that they have to get to Five before it’s too late.

The Garde may have lost battles, but they will not lose this war.

Lorien will rise again. Source

The epic conclusion to Rae Carson's Fire and Thorns trilogy. The seventeen-year-old sorcerer-queen will travel into the unknown realm of the enemy to win back her true love, save her country, and uncover the final secrets of her destiny.

Elisa is a fugitive in her own country. Her enemies have stolen the man she loves in order to lure her to the gate of darkness. As she and her daring companions take one last quest into unknown enemy territory to save Hector, Elisa will face hardships she's never imagined. And she will discover secrets about herself and her world that could change the course of history. She must rise up as champion-a champion to those who have hated her most. Source

Noa Torsen is on the run. Having outsmarted the sinister corporation Pike & Dolan, Noa and her friend Zeke now move stealthily across the country, protecting runaways before they become test subjects for P&D's horrific experiments. Noa knows all too well what that feels like: Whatever they did to her has left her exhausted and scared.

Back in Boston, Peter anxiously follows Noa's movements from his computer, using his hacker skills to feed her the information she needs to stay alive. But he's desperate to do something more, especially when he learns what P&D has done to his ex-girlfriend Amanda.

Then, in an explosive confrontation, Noa and her team are trapped in the one place they thought was safe. It will take everything Noa and Peter have to bring down the corporation before it gets them first. And with no one to trust and enemies hiding at every turn, they may be the only people alive who can.

This stunning second book in the critically acclaimed Don't Turn Around trilogy raises the stakes to their absolute limit and will leave readers begging for the exciting conclusion, Don't Let Go. Source

 

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together? Source

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1890

Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, wants to be known as a doctor, not a necromancer. But Tsar Alexander III forbids women to attend medical school; his interest in Katerina extends only to her ability to raise the dead. Twice now, Katerina has helped him by using her power to thwart the forces of darkness—vampires bent on resurrecting the lich tsar Konstantin Pavlovich so that he can take what he sees as his rightful place on the throne. Katerina thought she had bound Konstantin to the Greylands, the realm of the dead, but he has found a way out. Now he is searching for the Morning Star, a sword that will allow him to command a legion of supernatural warriors.

Katerina must find the sword before Konstantin does—and she must travel to Egypt to do so. Along the way, she puts up with unwanted attention from her former fiancé, the nefarious Prince Danilo, and struggles with her feelings for her true love, George Alexandrovich. But with the looming threat from Konstantin, Katerina's focus remains on the sword. Russia's fate will be determined by whoever wields the Morning Star—and delivers the final blow. Source

Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline's been at Gram's bedside since her stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape--both her family and the reality of Gram's failing health. So when Caroline's best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: stay by Gram's side, or go to the party and live her life.

The consequence of this one decision will split Caroline's fate into two separate paths--and she's about to live them both.

Friendships are tested and family drama hits an all-new high as Caroline attempts to rebuild old relationships, and even make a few new ones. If she stays, her longtime crush, Joel, might finally notice her, but if she goes, Chris, the charming college boy, might prove to be everything she's ever wanted.

Though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending... Source

For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now... not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are?

Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be.

And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them...

Sexy, romantic, and oh-so-true to life, this is an unforgettable look at first love from one of young adult fiction’s greatest writers. Source

Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life.

No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.

But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes? Source

The last thing Mason Starling remembers is the train crossing a bridge. An explosion . . . a blinding light . . . then darkness. Now she is alone, stranded in Asgard—the realm of Norse legend—and the only way for her to get home is to find the Spear of Odin, a powerful relic left behind by vanished gods.

The Fennrys Wolf knows all about Asgard. He was once trapped there. And he’ll do whatever it takes to find the girl who’s stolen his heart and bring her back—even if it means a treacherous descent into the Underworld. But time is running out, and Fenn knows something Mason doesn’t: If she takes up the Spear, she’ll set in motion a terrible prophecy. And she won’t just return to her world . . . she’ll destroy it. Source

A supernatural romance about the powers that lie in the shadows of the mind, perfect for fans of Sarah Rees Brennan, Alyxandra Harvey, and Libba Bray.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Spiritualism and séances are all the rage—even in the scholarly town of Cambridge, England. While mediums dupe the grief-stricken, a group of local fringe scientists seeks to bridge the gap to the spirit world by investigating the dark corners of the human mind.

Each running from a shadowed past, Kate, Asher, and Elsie take refuge within the walls of Summerfield College. But their peace is soon shattered by the discovery of a dead body nearby. Is this the work of a flesh-and-blood villain, or is something otherworldly at play? This unlikely trio must illuminate what the scientists have not, and open a window to secrets taken to the grave—or risk joining the spirit world themselves. Source

Her friends
have a joke about her:
How can you tell if Colette is lying?

Her mouth is open.

Fifteen-year-old Colette is addicted to lying. Her shrink says this is because she’s got a very bad case of Daughter-of-a-famous-movie-star Disorder—so she lies to escape out from under her mother’s massive shadow. But Colette doesn’t see it that way. She says she lies because it’s the most fun she can have with her clothes on. Not that she’s had that much fun with her clothes off. At least not yet, anyway…

When her mother drags her away from Hollywood to spend the entire summer on location in a boring little town in the middle of nowhere, Colette is less than thrilled. But then she meets a sexy biker named Connor. He’s older, gorgeous, funny, and totally into her. So what if she lies to him about her age, and about who her mother is? I mean, she has to keep her mother’s identity a secret from him. If he finds out who she really is, he’ll forget all about Colette, and start panting and drooling and asking her for her mother’s autograph. Just like everyone always does.

But what Colette doesn’t know is that Connor is keeping a secret of his own… Source

Nica Ashley is accustomed to traveling the globe with her journalist mother, so when she gets sent to live in a small town with the father she barely knows, she's in for a bit of a culture shock. Barrington prides itself on being a sleepy, family community with the lowest crime rates in the state of Colorado. There's even a private security force run by Barrington Technology (BarTech) and a nightly curfew for all residents.

On Nica's first day at school, she meets Jackson Winters and finds out he went from school superstar to living ghost after his girlfriend disappeared a few months ago. When Nica follows him out after curfew one night, they both witness a mysterious green flash-and the next morning the power has gone out and all the birds are dead.

But secrets are well and alive, and as Nica and some of her friends discover they now have abilities best described as "super," they also realize that Barrington might not be so safe. And that BarTech is looking for them. Source

Sam has the rules of slackerhood down: Don’t be late to class. Don’t ever look the teacher in the eye. Develop your blank stare. Since his mom left, he has become an expert in the art of slacking, especially since no one at his new school gets his intense passion for the music of the Pacific Northwest—Nirvana, Hole, Sleater-Kinney. Then his English teacher begins a slam poetry unit and Sam gets paired up with the daunting, scarred, clearly-a-gang-member Luis, who happens to sit next to him in every one of his classes. Slacking is no longer an option—Luis will destroy him. Told in Sam’s raw voice and interspersed with vivid poems, Jumped In by Patrick Flores-Scott is a stunning debut novel about differences, friendship, loss, and the power of words. Source

If you can grill it, smoke it, or fry it, Nora Henderson knows all about it. She’s been basting baby back ribs and pulling pork at her father’s barbeque joint since she was tall enough to reach the counter. When she’s accepted to Taste Test, a reality-television teen cooking competition, Nora can’t wait to leave her humble hometown behind, even if it means saying good-bye to her dad and her best friend, Billy. Once she’s on set, run-ins with her high-society roommate and the maddeningly handsome—not to mention talented—son of a famous chef, Christian Van Lorten, mean Nora must work even harder to prove herself. But as mysterious accidents plague the kitchen arena, protecting her heart from one annoyingly charming fellow contestant in particular becomes the least of her concerns. Someone is conducting real-life eliminations, and if Nora doesn’t figure out who, she could be next to get chopped for good.

With romance and intrigue as delectable as the winning recipes included in the story, this debut novel will be devoured by all. Source

Seventeen-year-old Penelope (Pen) has lost everything—her home, her parents, and her ten-year-old brother. Like a female Odysseus in search of home, she navigates a dark world full of strange creatures, gathers companions and loses them, finds love and loses it, and faces her mortal enemy.

In her signature style, Francesca Lia Block has created a world that is beautiful in its destruction and as frightening as it is lovely. At the helm is Pen, a strong heroine who holds hope and love in her hands and refuses to be defeated. Source

After a raging fire consumes her town and kills her parents, Maggie Davis is on her own to protect her younger sister and survive best she can in the Colorado town of Burning Mesa. In Maggie’s world, the bones of long-extinct magical creatures such as dragons and sirens are mined and traded for their residual magical elements, and harnessing these relics’ powers allows the user to wield fire, turn invisible, or heal even the worst of injuries.

Working in a local saloon, Maggie befriends the spirited showgirl Adelaide and falls for the roguish cowboy Landon. But when she proves to have a particular skill at harnessing the relics’ powers, Maggie is whisked away to the glamorous hacienda of Álvar Castilla, the wealthy young relic baron who runs Burning Mesa. Though his intentions aren’t always clear, Álvar trains Maggie in the world of relic magic. But when the mysterious fires reappear in their neighboring towns, Maggie must discover who is channeling relic magic for evil before it’s too late.

Relic is a thrilling adventure set in a wholly unique world, and a spell-binding story of love, trust, and the power of good. Source

Tristan Coleman has survived the change from Clann magic user to vampire, much to Savannah Colbert's joy—and despair. By changing the Clann's golden boy and newly elected leader, even to save him from death, she has unleashed a fury of hatred and fear that they cannot escape.

As the Clann and the vampire council go to war, Tristan and Sav face a new threat—a fracturing of the all-consuming bond they share. To fight for peace, they must forge a new trust and risk everything to take down their deadliest enemy, even as they must run for their lives. Soon they will learn that some bonds are stronger than love—and some battles cannot be won without sacrifice. Source





 
Mean girls are always the haters - Right?

Hailey Harper has always felt invisible. Now her dad has a new job and the family is moving to Hollywood. Just what Hailey needs: starting a new high school.

As she's packing, Hailey finds a journal that belonged to her older sister, Noel, who is away at college. Called "How to Be a Hater," it's full of info Hailey can really use. Has Hailey found the Bible of Coolness? Will it help her reinvent herself at her new school? Will her crush notice her? Will she and the other Invisibles dethrone the popular mean girls? After all, they deserve it. Don't they?

Caprice Crane's funny--and deeply felt--observations about high school, bullies, popularity, friendship, and romance will leave teens thinking...and talking. Source


Only the best of the best qualify for "Indoors," a series of fall horse shows. And of course, Tommi, Kate, and Zara are the best. Still, it's not exactly convenient that this show series starts up just as school is back in session. Tommi's still riding the high of selling the horse she's been training all summer, but ego threatens to get in the way of her riding. Kate and Fitz are still the golden couple at Pelham Lane Stables, but will a new guy at school tarnish her relationship? And Zara has a lot to learn about East Coast schools...and boys. This addictive series just gets juicier with each book. If our favorite equestrians have a prayer of staying at the top of their game, they're going to have to rein in the drama! Source

August 29

 

It's always darkest before dawn.
Secret government unit Department 19 is recovering from evil vampire Valeri Rusmanov's deadly attack on their base. The Department’s newest member, teenage operator Jamie Carpenter, is tasked with training up a new squad, as his friends and colleagues desperately search for ways to try to stop what is coming.

The timing couldn’t be worse for a coordinated, global attack on a number of maximum security prisons and hospitals—with the already-dangerous inmates now on the loose and turned into vampires. One of the escapees has a deep connection to one of the darkest moments in the history of Department 19 and embarks on a quest that threatens to expose the existence of vampires to the public. And with each day that passes, the regenerated Dracula gets stronger, bringing Zero Hour closer.

In this third installment of the epic Department 19 series, Will Hill delivers higher—and sharper—stakes than ever before. Source

So many books this coming week! It's crazy.

Sweet Daydreams,
Brooke