Waiting on Wednesday - BEA edition!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.
So, in honor of the fact that next Wednesday I'll BE at BEA, I thought I'd post a list of the books I'm looking forward to hopefully getting when I'm at BEA.  The list is kind of long, so I may not add cover pictures, just titles, authors, and links to their Goodreads page or other sites with information, I'll list them in alphabetical order by the author.  Here we go!

1. Some comics for kids books by Bill Amend (no link, not sure of what book is exactly, but I love Foxtrot!)
2.  Feed by MT Anderson (I know it's not new, but exciting to see him!)
3.  Cursed by Jennifer Armentrout
4.  Ursula's Prism by Anna Block
5.  The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
6.  Ten Tiny Toes illustrated by Marc Brown (a book for my niece Hadley)
7.  Gift by Andrea Buchanan
8.  Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter (haven't read the series yet, but have the first 1 in my grasp!)
9.  Frozen by Mary Casanova
10.  Open Heart (Farsighted #2) by Emlyn Chand (I haven't read, but think would be a giveaway here!)
11.  Narc by Crissa-Jean Chappell (loved Total Constant Order by this author & can't wait to meet her!)
12.  Beta by Rachel Cohn
13.  The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer (So excited to meet Kurt from Glee!!)
14.  Reached by Ally Condie (Really excited to get this since I also got Matched early, but not Crossed)
15.  Skinny by Donna Cooner
16.  The Great Unexpected by Sharon Creech
17.  Rift by Andrea Cremer (A prequel to Nightshade!)
18.  Breathe by Sarah Crossan
19.  Croak by Gina Damico (I've entered a couple contests for this, but not won it)
20.  Infinity Ring #1 by James Dashner (although I'm more interested in The Kill Order)
21.  After:  Nineteen Stories of Apocalypse & Destruction by Ellen Datlow (but stories from other awesome authors!)
22.  A Fractured Light by Jocelyn Davies (not a series I'm reading, so probably another giveaway!)
23.  Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick (still need to read the one before this, but love this series, and Patch!)
24.  Truancy City by Isamu Fukui (want to read this series!)
25.  Glass Heart by Amy Garvey (another giveaway)
26.  Hunter Moran Saves the Universe by Patricia Reilly Giff (for my students)
27.  Invisible Sun by David Macinnis Gill (another giveaway)
28.  The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton (not sure if this is the right book, but it is her next one, but probably is The Curiosities with Maggie Stiefvater)
29.  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (I've heard lots of good things about this book)
30.  Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin (I've been wanting to read this one for awhile now!)
31.  I Suck at Girls by Justin Halpern (I loved the book Sh*t My Dad Says)
32.  The Geomancer's Compass by Melissa Hardy
33.  Magisterium by Jeff Hirsch (Author of The Eleventh Plague which I just reviewed!)
34.  Otter & Odder by James Howe (one of my favorite authors from when I was little, Bunnicula)
35.  The Blessed by Tonya Hurley
36.  The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson (I have wanted to meet Maureen Johnson forever!!!!)
37.  The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
38.  Son by Lois Lowry (Part of the Giver series!)
39.  Prodigy by Marie Lu (Haven't read series, but want to!)
40.  Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas
41.  Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry (I've already read and loved, and can't wait to meet author!)
42. Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr
43.  Ten by Gretchen McNeil
44.  Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton (giveaway probably)
45.  Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin (guess I didn't need to bug the publishers for an ARC :-)
46.  All the Right Stuff by Walter Dean Myers (My students were excited I might get to meet him!)
47.  Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris
48.  Promised (Birthmarked #3) by Caragh O'Brien
49.  Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth by Jane O'Connor (for my cousin's daughter)
50.  The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver (Wish it was for 3rd in Delirium series though)
51.  Fathomless by Jackson Pearce
52.  Kingdom Keepers V by Ridley Pearson (I haven't read past the 1st one, but really liked it!)
53.  Destined by Aprilynne Pike (probably a giveaway!)
54.  The Turning by Francine Prose
55.  Insurgent by Veronica Roth (since I didn't win an ARC, autographed will be just as good, right?)
56.  Cirque De Ole by Judy Schachner (I love Skippyjon Jones, and I'll get it for my niece Hadley)
57.  Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Schultz (I've already read, but can't wait to see Cara again, after meeting her last November when I went to NYC)
58.  Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready (another giveaway)
59.  Inside and Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
60.  Nightwalker by Wendy Corsi Staub (I liked her Lily Dale series)
61.  The Curiosities and The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
62.  Red Rain by R.L. Stine (an adult novel)
63.  Time Between Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
64.  Soul Screamers Vol. #1 by Rachel Vincent (recently started this and LOVED it!)
65.  Lulu Walks the Dogs by Judith Viorst (She wrote one of my brother's favorite books when he was a kid, want to get this for his daughter)
66.  Partials by Dan Wells (another book I've wanted to read for awhile)
67.  Feedback (sequel to Variant) by Robison Wells (another book I want to read)
68.  Elemental by Emily White
69.  Wacko Academy by Faith Wilkins
70.  Because it is my Blood by Gabrielle Zevin (I have the ARC to the first one on my shelf to be read!)
And finally:
71.  What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang

So, that's most of them.  Which ones sound good to you?  Any you'd like me to get extra copies of for giveaways?  And what are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Hazards of Working at a Bookstore May 2012

I haven't done one of these posts for a looooooooong time, it's not that I haven't found lots of books I want, I just haven't had the time to post the entries.  So I decided to do one today.  I also wanted to say that in the next couple weeks I may have a few posts that aren't book reviews, or contests, or memes.  When I go to BEA I may post some stuff about my experiences there.  So look for those in the next couple weeks.

Okay, I now have 3 books to talk about, ones that I would really like to have, but I just don't have the money right at the moment to spend on books like these.

First is one that really is cool.  When I got my tattoo, I had exactly what I wanted in mind, it had a meaning for something that was important for me, one of my favorite books.  I've always also thought it would be cool to have a dinosaur tattoo, as I'm a huge fan of dinosaurs too.  And this book has some people who do have them!  It is called Science Ink.  Here is the description from Goodreads.com:

If you have ever thought of having an image of the double helix imprinted on your forearm or buttocks, this is the book for you. We should note however that the science-minded men and women represented in this weirdly arresting illustrated book have tattoos that go far behind decorative DNA diagrams. Listen for example, as software designer Zermelo-Fraenkel talks about his arm-covering tat: "This tattoo is the Zermelo-Fraenkel with Choice axioms of set theory. From these nine axioms, one can derive all of mathematics."
















Second is another "science" related book.  It's about my favorite tv show, The Big Bang Theory.  Like a lot of other tv shows and movies, it now has its own book about the philosophy of the show.  See the description from Barnesandnoble.com:


A lighthearted meditation on the philosophical quandaries of the hit television show The Big Bang Theory

Ever wonder what Aristotle might say about the life Sheldon Cooper leads? Why Thomas Hobbes would applaud the roommate agreement? Who Immanuel Kant would treat with "haughty derision" for weaving "un-unravelable webs?" And—most importantly—whether Wil Wheaton is truly evil? Of course you have. Bazinga!

This book mines the deep thinking of some of history's most potent philosophical minds to explore your most pressing questions about The Big Bang Theory and its nerdy genius characters. You might find other philosophy books on science and cosmology, but only this one refers to Darth Vader Force-chokes, cloning Leonard Nimoy, and oompa-loompa-like engineers. Fo-shizzle.

• Gives you irresistibly geek-worthy insights on your favorite Big Bang Theory characters, story lines, and ideas
• Examines important themes involving ethics and virtue, science, semiotics, religion, and the human condition
• Brings the thinking of some of the world's greatest philosophers to bear on The Big Bang Theory, from Aristotle and Plato to Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, Simone de Beauvoir, and more

Essential reading for every Big Bang Theory fan, this book explores whether comic-book-wielding geeks can lead the good life, and whether they can know enough science to "tear the mask off nature and stare at the face of God."

And finally, I really don't read too many books about dogs.  Like Marley and Me they are almost always going to have an ending that makes me cry almost uncontrollably.  There is not much that I love more than dogs.  And having had to make the decision to put two dogs to sleep on my own in the past 10 years, it really hits me hard.  I don't know for sure this book ends this way, but maybe I could read up until the end.  It is called Giant George, and here is the description from Goodreads.com:

With his big blue eyes and soulful expression, George was the irresistible runt of the litter. But Dave and Christie Nasser's "baby" ended up being almost five feet tall, seven feet long, and 245 pounds. Eager to play, and boisterous to the point of causing chaos, this big Great Dane was scared of water, scared of dogs a fraction of his size and, most of all, scared of being alone.

GIANT GEORGE is the charming story of how this precocious puppy won Dave and Christie's hearts and along the way became a doggie superstar. In 2010, George was named by Guinness World Records as the Tallest Dog in the World-ever. He appeared on Oprah, and even has his own global fan club. But to Dave and Christie, this extraordinary animal is still their beloved pet, the one who has made them laugh, made them cry, and continues to make them incredibly happy.

So, those are the 3 books I saw the past few weeks that I remembered to post about.  I'll try to do a posting each month maybe, if I don't end up with too many!  :-)

Stacking the Shelves #3

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!  This is being hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  I actually wanted to do this last week because I got some good stuff, but I was so busy with the end of the school year and getting my classroom packed up that I just didn't have time.  So this is going to be kind of 2 weeks in one.
First, I am really excited to have gotten Sisters' Guide to NYC cupcakes.  I got this from Goodreads.  I saw it as a giveaway, and entered, and wrote in my review that I hoped to win it so I could try it out when I got to NYC for BEA.  And the author emailed me and said she'd send me a copy even though I didn't win!  And it was also really cool because the author and her sisters were from Kansas City, where I live.  So that came in the mail this week, perfect timing so I will be able to use it when I get to NYC.  I'll probably be blogging some of my adventures with this book!

The egalleys I've gotten from Netgalley lately include one that was my Waiting on Wednesday pick just recently, The Bar Code Prophecy.  I also got Beyond, and Rape Girl, all of these pictured below.

I also bought a book this week, a Michael Buble biography that we had on the bargain shelves at the bookstore where I work.  I couldn't pass up the $6.98 price, especially with my 30% employee discount on top of that!

What books are you stacking on your shelves this week?

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

I had this sitting in my classroom since last October when our school had its bookfair and I was able to get a hard cover copy for only $8.99!  But it's like I forgot it was there.  I pulled it out about a month ago when I was doing some cleaning in my classroom, and picked it up to start reading.  It got put aside once in a while for other books, but then I decided to finish it after my last book.  While it's not quite the dystopian story exactly, it was good.  Yes, it is set in the future, and people are struggling to survive after plagues and wars have destroyed society as we know it, but really the story doesn't actually spend as much time on that as it does the relationships.  And that's okay.  This is a book about how people can work together and overcome their obstacles, and even start over.  We do get a short, but sweet update on how the world got to this point.  But more of it is about how the people have dealt with this new world.  The main character is Stephen.  He was born after the last war, and has only known life as a salvager.  They basically live on the road, looking for things to sell, in order to get what they need.  There have been plagues, and Stephen's mother dies in childbirth, and so he's spent a lot of his life with just his father, and his grandfather.  And his grandfather was not a nice guy.  But we don't really get to spend time with him, as we begin the book with Stephen and his father burying him.  As they try to figure out just what they want to do now they're not having to follow the grandfather's orders, Stephen's father gets hurt.  And while Stephen is trying to figure out what he'll do and how he'll go without his father's help, a band of people find him, and take him and his father back to their community called Settler's Landing.  In Settler's Landing they are trying to get back to "normal".  Living in houses, farming, going to school, playing baseball.  But things aren't exactly perfect there either.  You've got the rich family that is in charge, and then you have other settlements that they often fight with, the slave traders, and other people in town, like Jenny.  Jenny is Chinese, the country that was part of the big war against America.  She was adopted by one of the families, the one that takes Stephen in, but she's never quite felt part of the community.  And her rebelliousness actually draws Stephen in, and they have a kind of connection.
The relationships in this book were written very well, and I feel pretty realistically.  I can see this as a big book with my students, I now just have to get them turned onto it next school year!
This also is my 10th book on my TBR pile, so it completes my goal for the TBR Pile Reading challenge.  Guess I'll keep going and see how far I can get this year on this challenge.

Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi

Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

First I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read the egalley of this book. This is the first book I've read by this author, although I know of her from seeing her books at the bookstore where I work. So the premise sounded good, and I'm glad I requested it, and now I will be looking to read more of the author's books.
First I want to say there are some spoilers in this review, so read on at your own risk. First I have to say the cover of this is something that might turn me away. The story sounds good, and knowing the story now that I've read it the picture works, but before it was a little too sci-fi for me. And I do like science fiction. But this is a dystopian, apocalyptic, zombie book all in one. With even a touch of the X-men. The book starts out in the past, but you don't necessarily know that. We meet Peyton, and learn about the nerdy guy who has a crush on her, Chris. But Peyton is friends with one of the most popular girls, and is dating a popular guy, so isn't interested in Chris. Her friend, while popular, does seem to be a nice person though, not a mean girl. Her boyfriend, is pretty much a jerk though. In this dystopia, due to AIDS becoming a huge problem, they have created a vaccine, and you must get a certificate saying you've had your vaccine before you're allowed to have sex. Peyton's father is something of a pariah/freak in the town. He is basically a conspiracy theorist, even went to jail for something like that. Now he's preparing for the end of the world that he says is coming soon. A good start to the book, got me hooked.
Then, the next chapter, all of a sudden we're 4 years in the future, the apocalypse has occurred and Peyton is getting ready to come out of the safe shelter her father created for her and her mother. And as I read that, I was like, WHOA!!! I want to know what happened that led up to that point! But I was not to be disappointed, it turned out that the author changed back and forth between each chapter so that we got the whole story up to the time when Peyton came out into the new world as we learned what Peyton had to go through to get to her father. Her father implanted her with razor claws, kind of Wolverine like. And she got eye implants that helped her to see things, had GPS, could see the heat signatures, which helped her to find zombies. She also had nanobots in her bloodstream that made her stronger. So basically she became a fighting machine. She is so happy to find Chris still alive, or as he now is called, Chase. Chase is happy, but still a little upset with her. See, Peyton never showed up on the day he and his brother, and a band of other students from school, decided to go to the mountains to try to live it out.
Peyton has to get to Disneyworld. The one thing her father told her before she went down in the shelter was that he and some other scientists were meeting there to start a new society. That it was a safe place they could have everything they needed there. Plus, Peyton's implants will begin to go downhill after 4 years, and she'll need her dad to fix them.
I loved the back and forth by chapter. It worked really well for this story. YOu only learned what you needed to answer questions in the chapter before. I liked that, spoiler alert, this is a stand alone story, there is a solution to the problem, and it can be fixed. I won't tell you how, I'll let you read that yourself.
My only complaint, I'm not sure I like the way Peyton and Chase kept having to hide their feelings from each other for the good of the other one. Then they'd share and get past that, but then something else would come up and they'd vow not to get close again. It happened several times in the book, and it just seems to me that two people would agree to not keep doing that. I know they're still kind of young, like 19, but still. When they read their destination there is a surpise I didn't see coming, and I like that I was able to be surprised and not figure it all out. One other tiny thing that bothered me. Chase/Chris name change. There were times Peyton called him both names. I think either stick with the old or the new.
Great characters, I liked the kids, reminded me a bit of Monument 14 in that way. I liked the living in Walmart too. I think if zombies come, I'm going to go live in a nearby Target. :-)

View all my reviews

Waiting on Wednesday - Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores by Jen Campbell

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.
This week I chose to do this meme because there is a book I am really excited about.  As someone who works at a bookstore, we are always having conversations about all the crazy things customers do and say.  And we have all said that we should write a book about it.  Someone finally has! This book actually was published first in England, and now it is being re-released in the United States.  And the really cool thing is that they have an email address where booksellers can send their funny stories before the book is published.  Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

From the hugely popular blog, a miscellany of hilarious and peculiar bookshop moments:
'Can books conduct electricity?'
'My children are just climbing your bookshelves: that's ok... isn't it?'
A John Cleese Twitter question ['What is your pet peeve?'], first sparked the 'Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops' blog, which grew over three years into one bookseller's collection of ridiculous conversations on the shop floor. From 'Did Beatrix Potter ever write a book about dinosaurs?' to the hunt for a paperback which could forecast the next year's weather; and from 'I've forgotten my glasses, please read me the first chapter' to'Excuse me... is this book edible?'
This full-length collection illustrated by the Brothers McLeod also includes top 'Weird Things' from bookshops around the world.

If you are a fellow bookseller, and would like to send in some stories, go check out the author's website here for information how to do it.  I have lots of good stories, but can't remember actual conversations much longer. 

What are you waiting on this week?

Stacking the Shelves #2

Okay, week 2 of doing this meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  I feel like such a loser that I really only have one book each time I've done one of these memes.  But oh well.  I did actually get some egalleys on Netgalley, but don't remember when exactly, so I will just have to start keeping track of those better.  However, the one book that I did get, I am very excited about!  I really liked the book Ashfall by Mike Mullin, and when he posted information on how to get an ARC of the 2nd book, Ashen Winter, I immediately emailed and asked to get a copy, and it came in the mail this week!  So excited!  Can't wait to read it!  Of course I won't be able to post my review probably until closer to the publishing date in October, but still!  I do have to say, that when I first saw the cover, it was kind of a small picture, and it almost looked like an arm with no skin, showing only bones and muscles, but then you look at a good picture, like below, and see it is two hands reaching to each other.

So, what books are you stacking on your shelves this week?

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

First, I have to say, WOW!! Why didn't I read this when I first got the ARC at the bookstore where I work back in October? How stupid am I? This book was sooooo good. I think I waited because at first I was trying to finish reading the review books for the 2012-2013 Gateway books. But I should have read this right away. I mean when I didn't pick it up, then it sat on my shelf, and I would pick it up, then say, eh, there's something else that sounds better, and put it back down. But boy was I wrong! All the hype about this book being good, well, they were right. Now I'm so eager to read the next book in the series.
Second, not sure how much I want to admit, but when I was younger, I used to write movies/books in my mind. I was very nerdy, boys didn't like me, but I read a lot. So I would create future worlds in my mind, whole stories. And some of this story reminds me of the stories I would create. The handsome, evil guy, that wanted me, and I was attracted, but knew he was bad. So right away I was drawn into the story with Warner. I love Adam though. Unlike some other teen books I've read lately, while he and the main character, Juliette, seem to fall in love quickly, they actually have a past that makes sense. That does remind me a bit of Peeta and Katniss in

I do see where the whole "X-men" thing comes in. And I love it! I can't wait to read more about the other people in this world. But I sitll want to know where these "powers" came from. Hopefully the author will go on in the next book and explain more, because it does seem like the Omega Point and Castle know what is going on.
In the story, Juliette has been locked up for years because when she touches someone, it kills them.  She's been in a room alone this whole time, food shoved in daily, a window outside, once in awhile she is allowed to pass through the darkness to a shower.  She keeps track of her time by writing in a notebook.  Then one day they put in a roommate for her.  A boy.  She knows this boy.  He tries to get to know her, she soon begins to trust him.  Next thing she knows they are pulled out and taken away by soldiers.  Turns out Adam, her new roommate, is one of these soldiers, and he's been assigned to get to know her, so that Warner, the leader of this army, can gain her trust and get her to use her power to kill for him.  This Warner is the handsome, but evil guy.  He thinks because Juliette kills with touch, that she is like him and wants to kill people.  At first she thinks Adam has betrayed her, but he hasn't, and they figure a way to escape.  But that isn't the end.  Warner doesn't want to let her go, and there are others out there who want her.
Great book! If you haven't read it, do so soon!

This is my 9th book on my TBR Reading Pile Challenge.  I planned to do 10 this year, so I've almost made my goal and it's only halfway through the year.

View all my reviews

Waiting on Wednesday - The Bar Code Prophecy (Bar Code #3) by Suzanne Weyn AND Spring Fling Giveaway Winner announcement!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.
This week I have a book I'm waiting for in 2 ways.  I just found on Netgalley the 3rd book in a series I really enjoy, The Bar Code series by Suzanne Weyn.  I've requested it, and so now I'm waiting to hopefully get approved to read it.  And if that doesn't work out, then I'll be waiting for it to be published in November, which is too far away now that I know it is coming out!  It's a dystopian series, that I feel was out before all the big explosion of dystopian really hit the shelves.  Here is the blurb from Goodreads.com:

Just as in the original Bar Code Tattoo, the year is 2025 and the mysterious, ubiquitous, and seemingly omnipotent multi-national corporation, Global 1, is in power through their agent President Loudon Waters. But now this ominous situation is experienced through the eyes of sixteen-year-old Grace Morrow.
When Grace finds out that she's adopted, her biological father, who's the head of the Global 1 nano-bot injection project, urges her against getting the bar code tattoo when she turns seventeen. Stunned by the revelations, she goes home to find her adoptive family vanished, and she's determined to find them, turning to the anti-bar-code group Decode. As they uncover more information about tracking, Grace must hide deep underground and under cover, trying to discover information that will allow Decode to figure out what Global 1 is up to, and trying desperately to shut the organization down for good.

I can't wait to read it!  I sure hope that I get the chance to read an egalley!

Now, for all you new followers, thanks for following!  I'm actually getting so close to 500 that I think I'm going to do another giveaway later this month or beginning of June for sure.  I may give away things that I pick up at BEA!  And on to the announcement of my Spring Fling Giveaway winner.  It was announced on the actual Rafflecopter, but my winner is Shane Russell!  She should be getting her Barnes and Noble $10 gift card in the mail in the next week!  Congratulations Shane!  Thanks to all my new followers as well, and stay tuned for more reviews, and another giveaway coming up soon!



Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

First I have to say thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Childrens Publishing Corporation for letting me read the egalley of this book.  It really fits in with all the end of the world stories I seem to be reading lately.  It is set slightly in the future, eveyone carries a "tab" around with them for use of a phone, internet, etc.  We begin with our main character, Dean, traveling on a bus to school.  In this school district they have 2 buses for each route, one that carries the high schoolers, and one that carries the middle school and elementary kids.  They are both traveling to school when all of a sudden a freak hail storm begins.  The high school bus gets hit the worse and slides until it flips over and crashes.  The younger kids' bus driver is able to control their bus better and pulls/crashes it into the front of a huge department/grocery store, kind of like a Walmart or Target supercenter I would say.  Maybe a shopping mall?  Not quite sure.  Then she goes back and helps get the high school kids out and over into the store and out of the storm.  It's early enough in the morning that the store is empty.  Mrs. Wooly, the bus driver, leaves the kids saying she is going for help. About that time the security gates come crashing down around the store, making it impossible for the kids to leave.  So while they're waiting there, they figure they'll eat at the pizza shop.  Astrid, one of the high school girls that Dean has always had a crush on, used to work there, and so she get the pizzas going.  Their tabs aren't working, the network seems to be down, which never happens according to Dean's brother Alex, who is a tech wizard.  But they do find an old fashioned tv that they turn on to find out what is happening.  Turns out there have been lots of disasters.  A huge tsunami has wiped out most of the East coast.  And near where this is taking place, a huge government testing facility has either been attacked or something we don't know for sure, but anyway, chemicals have been released into the air.  The kids finally find a way out, on the roof of the store, but when they get up there, they see a huge mushroom cloud, the chemicals.  And then Dean turns murderous, and Niko, one of the other high schoolers, breaks out in blisters.  They learn that the chemicals have different effects based on a person's blood type.  So, they end up settling in waiting for Mrs. Wooly to return, which she doesn't.  At first they let Jake, the big football hero kind of take over as boss.  But soon other things begin to happen.  They figure out the water also contains the chemicals in the bathroom when Astrid attacks one of the little kids she is helping clean up.  Astrid then takes off on her own and hides.  Jake and his buddy Brayden just want to relax.  Aren't up much for organizing or getting things figured out so they can survive on their own.  Other problems that they must deal with, people outside trying to get in who have been affected by the chemicals.  Worrying about if the electricity will go out.  Food lasting, etc.  We've got 6 high schoolers and I think about 6 little kids plus a middle school girl.  One of the little kids speaks Spanish mostly.  Dean ends up being in charge of the food, and gets the little kids to take turns being his helpers.  Niko ends up in charge and plans things out.  Dean's brother Alex is in charge of all the power and things like that. 
This was a pretty good story, an interesting take on end of the world.  In a way, a bit of Lord of the Flies, kids must learn how to take care of themselves, and when/if adults show up, they may be surprised by how the kids have had to handle things.  Definitely a good, quick read.  My only negative on it, is I don't quite know what the title has to do with the story.  I think there has to be a sequel, but not sure.  I will read on because I have to know if they do ever find their parents.
I am going to put this on my A-Z Reading Challenge as the "Y" for the two of them in the author's name.

Transcendence by C.J. Omololu

First, thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishers for letting me read this as an egalley.  I really liked this book.  It is a book about reincarnation.  Which reminds me of another of my favorite book series, The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller.  Yes, Incarnate by Jodi Meadows is also about reincarnation, but it is a little different, and I'm guessing a different planet than Earth?  And of course there is always the book Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn.  All of these books are ones I enjoyed.  And this one didn't disappoint either.  We started out with our main character Cole, short for Nicole, in London with her sister Kat and their father.  They're touring the famous Tower of London where many people were held and later beheaded or executed nearby, including Anne Boleyn.  Cole has a vision of someone being beheaded in the main area of the Tower.  When she has this vision, she stumbles and is caught by a very cute boy named Griffon.  Griffon seems to recognize her at first, although she doesn't know who he is.  Soon she learns that they are connected somehow, and when she is back home she learns he lives nearby and they meet up again.  They get closer, and eventually not only do her visions keep popping up, dangerous things start happening to her.  Griffon tells her she is what is called Akhet.  Basically in this story it sounds as if anyone can be reincarnated, but only some remember past lives, and these are the Akhet.  It seems someone in Cole's life may be from her past, and be after revenge, for something that Cole slowly remembers that she is probably not really responsible for.  But Griffon has his secrets too, and they threaten to come between him and Cole.  Cole doesn't know who to trust when she realizes just where the connection between her and Griffon is from. 
I need to start taking notes when I'm reading ebooks because I know there was something I wanted to remark on, some quirky little part that really made me laugh or stood out to me, but I can't remember it now.  I hope to learn more about Cole's first life she is remembering, the time when she was beheaded.  This will definitely be a recommendation for me when it is published and arrives at the bookstore.  I like that there is going to be a sequel because there was definitely a loose end left with another person Cole met that seemed to know her. 
Finally, this will count as my "J" on my A-Z Reading Challenge for the author's name.

Weigh In Wednesday #1

This is a new meme started by Lauren at Epilogue Review.
Today's topic is E-book vs. Print Book
My answer:  I used to think that I would never want to read e-books.  I still don't like to read things off of my computer, and will print things out that are very many pages to read.  But I've always been a big technology person, and when the Barnes and Noble where I work started selling Nooks, it wasn't long before I started drifting over to play with them, and soon bought one to try it out.  I now love my Nook, but I have to admit there are very few books I actually paid anything for on my Nook.  Most of what is there are free e-galleys from Netgalley.  The ones I purchases are ones like the Twilight series, that I wanted to have available to me anywhere I went, or The Help, which was cheaper to buy an e-book of at the time, and I didn't think I'd need a copy, and then there are a few bargain e-books, like the Trylle series by Amanda Hocking.  I do still love a print book though.  In fact, books that I like, even some I've read the e-galley of, if I loved them, I want to own the pretty shiny book on my bookshelf as well.
What about you?  Do you prefer e-books or print books?