Lisa's Looking Forward To #11 - April 9th, 2019

Another big week of books!  Once again I'm going to join up with the Waiting on Wednesday Posts, and the Can't Wait Wednesday posts hosted by Wishful Endings.  Check out what is in my Blog planner for new titles publishing this week.

I'm a huge movie buff, I go about once a week or so, and so any movie set in a movie theater is intriguing to me.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
The Green Street Cinema has always been a sanctuary for Ethan. Maybe it's because movies help him make sense of real life, or maybe it's because the cinema is the one place he can go to still feel close to his dad, a film professor who died three years ago. Either way, it's a place worth fighting for, especially when developers threaten to tear it down to build a luxury condos.

They say it's structurally unsound and riddled with health code violations. They clearly don't understand that the crumbling columns and even Brando, the giant rat with a taste for sour patch kids, are a part of the fabric of this place that holds together the misfits and the dreamers of the changing neighborhood the cinema house has served for so many years.

Now it's up to the employees of the Green Street Cinema--Sweet Lou the organist with a penchant for not-so-sweet language; Anjo the projectionist, nicknamed the Oracle for her opaque-but-always-true proclamations; Griffin and Lucas who work the concessions, if they work at all; and Ethan, known as "Wendy," the leader of these Lost Boys--to save the place they love.

It's going to take a movie miracle if the Green Street is going to have a happy ending. And when Raina, Ethan's oldest friend (and possible soul mate?), comes back home from Hollywood where she's been starring in B-movies about time-traveling cats, Ethan thinks that miracle just may have been delivered. But life and love aren't always like the movies. And when the employees of the Green Street ask what happens in the end to the Lost Boys, Ethan has to share three words he's not been ready to say.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

This is supposed to be based on a true story, that is probably what grabbed my attention.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
In 1937, Mary Margaret Joyce is born in the Tuam Home for unwed mothers. After spending her early years in an uncaring foster home, she is sentenced by a judge to an industrial school, where she is given the name Peg, and assigned the number 27. Amid one hundred other unwanted girls, Peg quickly learns the rigid routine of prayer, work, and silence under the watchful eye of Sister Constance. Her only respite is an annual summer holiday with a kind family in Galway.

At the tender age of thirteen, Peg accidentally learns the identity of her birthmother. Peg struggles with feelings of anger and abandonment, while her mother grapples with the shame of having borne a child out of wedlock. The tension between them mounts as Peg, now becoming a young adult, begins to make plans for her future beyond Ireland.

Based on actual events, The House Children is a compelling story of familial love, shameful secrets, and life inside Ireland’s infamous industrial schools. 

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE. 

Not sure, this one just sounds like it could be a really deep story.  And the cover is beautiful!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
A powerful story of love, identity, and the price of fitting in or speaking out.

After her father’s death, Ruth Robb and her family transplant themselves in the summer of 1958 from New York City to Atlanta—the land of debutantes, sweet tea, and the Ku Klux Klan. In her new hometown, Ruth quickly figures out she can be Jewish or she can be popular, but she can’t be both. Eager to fit in with the blond girls in the “pastel posse,” Ruth decides to hide her religion. Before she knows it, she is falling for the handsome and charming Davis and sipping Cokes with him and his friends at the all-white, all-Christian Club.

Does it matter that Ruth’s mother makes her attend services at the local synagogue every week? Not as long as nobody outside her family knows the truth. At temple Ruth meets Max, who is serious and intense about the fight for social justice, and now she is caught between two worlds, two religions, and two boys. But when a violent hate crime brings the different parts of Ruth’s life into sharp conflict, she will have to choose between all she’s come to love about her new life and standing up for what she believes.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

The whole unsolved mystery of Jack the Ripper has always intrigued me.  Especially since the movie with Johnny Depp called From Hell.  I've read Patricia Cornwell's book on her theories, and I think they even had some news about who they think it really is just recently.  This story sounds great because it is about the victims, giving a true story of who they were.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Miscast in the media for nearly 130 years, the victims of Jack the Ripper finally get their full stories told in this eye-opening and chilling reminder that life for middle-class women in Victorian London could be full of social pitfalls and peril.

The "canonical five" women murdered by Jack the Ripper have always been dismissed as society's waste, their stories passed down to us wrapped in a package of Victorian assumptions and prejudice. But social historian Hallie Rubenhold sets the record straight in The Five. In reality, only two of the victims were prostitutes, and Rubenhold has uncovered entirely new research about them all--in some cases, material no one has ever seen before.

The Five tells for the first time the true stories of these fascinating women. It delves into the Victorian experience of poverty, homelessness, and alcoholism, but also motherhood, childbirth, sexuality, child-rearing, work, and marriage, all against the fascinating, dark, and quickly changing backdrop of nineteenth-century London. From rural Sweden to the wedding of Queen Victoria, from the London of Charles Dickens to the factories of the Industrial Revolution and the high-class brothels of the West End, these women were not just victims but witnesses to the vagaries and vicissitudes of the Victorian age.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

The Alien movies are some of my favorites, and now a YA novel set in that universe?  Sign me up!  And that cover is so spooky!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
An original young adult novel of the Alien universe

Olivia and her twin sister Viola have been dragged around the universe for as long as they can remember. Their parents, both xenobiologists, are always in high demand for their research into obscure alien biology.

Just settled on a new colony world, they discover an alien threat unlike anything they’ve ever seen. And suddenly the sisters’ world is ripped apart.

On the run from terrifying aliens, Olivia’s knowledge of xenobiology and determination to protect her sister are her only weapons as the colony collapses into chaos. But then a shocking family secret bursts open—one that’s as horrifying to Olivia as the aliens surrounding them.

The creatures infiltrate the rich wildlife on this virgin colony world—and quickly start adapting. Olivia’s going to have to adapt, too, if she’s going to survive...

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.


Final thoughts:
Once again a lot of books, just as I mentioned last week, I think it will be this way the next few months.  I didn't get my hands on any of these early, although I wish I had!  Have you read any of these yet?  Are they on your TBR?  And hey, while you're here, you should go try to win some of my ARCs from Cleaning Up My TBR Post HERE.

Waiting on Wednesday: Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.  My pick this week is one that just sounds really good!  One I wish I had an actual ARC of, but I am able to get an egalley if I have time for it.  Anyway, here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Presented by James Patterson's new children's imprint, this deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion...

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.

What do you think?  Does it sound like a fun read to you?  What book are you eagerly awaiting this week?

Review: The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith (COYER Challenge #5)

First of course I have to thank Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read an e-galley of this.  I'd actually hoped to get an ARC last summer at BEA.  I did get to meet the author, but he was just signing the first book, Abraham Lincoln-Vampire Hunter.  I'll admit I didn't read the first book, even though it was sitting on my shelf since before the movie came out.  I did see the movie though, and loved it.  So of course I know there were things left out from the book in the movie.  But it was still enough to help me read this book.  I did enjoy the book. There were some predictable things, but it was still a fun read.  With all the different historical figure cameos, it reminded me a bit of Forrest Gump.  The main character, Henry, just happened to be at all these big events, and somehow have a hand in them.  Again, I'm not complaining, just pointing out what it reminded me of.

Henry Sturges is the man, scratch that, vampire, that helped turn Abraham Lincoln into a vampire hunter.  He is the main character, or "The Last American Vampire," although he's not really the last one, at least not where the story ends.  But the book is pretty much about his life.  It starts off with memories of Lincoln's last days.  And how hard it was for Henry to let go of Abe.  And then we pretty much jump back to a quick bit about his life before he became a vampire.  Henry was one of the people in the Roanoke Colony.  He only survived because the vampire who slaughtered all the other settlers saw something that he thought was unique and worthy in Henry, and so turned him instead.  There are many flashes back to the times right after that throughout the more modern stories.  There are visits back to London during the times of Jack the Ripper.  Guess what, he was a vampire.  Then we get the story of Anastasia, again vampires involved.  For the most part we jump over the Civil War since that was the main part of the first book.  But Henry helps out the government of the United States, working for several of the presidents of the United States.  It's fun to get a look at him with both Roosevelts, JFK, and with others like J. Edgar Hoover.  There's an attempt on Hitler's life.  Henry gets to be friends with other famous people like Nikola Tesla and Mark Twain.  Of course there are some famous people that are vampires, Howard Hughes for instance.  All of it is woven into a very fun story.

In the end it is kind of left open.  Not sure how they could go much further into the future, as it ends shortly after September 11th, 2001 I think.  But I'm sure there could be other stories from the past to share.  Another fun read from this author, who I have read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies which is by him as well.  And to finish the review off, here is a picture of me with the author last June at BEA in NYC.

Review: Resurrection (Ripper #3) by Amy Carol Reeves

Again, thanks to Flux and Netgalley for allowing me to read an e-galley of this book.  I have to say this was a perfect conclusion to this story.  All the loose ends left from the last book were tied up.  We learned basically all about the past of the bad guys, as well as the families of the good guys.  My only complaint is something that has absolutely nothing to do with the story really.  Since this was an e-galley I'm sure there will still be so much editing done before it is published.  But this is the first time I have read one with so many errors.  My guess is that the author was just so into the story that she just wrote and didn't go back and spend a lot of time making sure it all flowed.  There were sentences that seemed like she started to say something one way, but then finished the sentence another way, which could mean repeated words.  Now both ways would work, but just not together.

Our main character Abbie is back, along with her friend Simon, and her love, William.  The love triangle is still there to a point.  But Abbie knows that she loves William for sure, even though Simon does still love her, and everyone else feels that Simon would be better for her.  She's back in London with her grandmother, and working at the hospital.  But there are still the undead out there attacking people.  And there is someone new to care for, Laura, who is the granddaughter of the main who helped them get to the island where they found the Lamia that they killed in the last book.  William starts the book recovering from his injuries from the last book.  And Abbie and her grandmother are attacked in her grandmother's home by one of the resurrected.  In fact it is Abbie's friend, yet she has changed besides being dead.  She now is a killer, and enjoys it.  She kills their maid, and tries to get Abbie's mother.  Fortunately they end up getting away that time.  But now Abbie must tell her grandmother about all that has been going on, and she must move her out of the London house.  Only it isn't over, Max is still following Abbie.  He wants her to become immortal like him, to take the elixir.  And he is not the only one, there are two other men that have been around him.  One looks so much like William it is scary.  And there is a reason for that, they are related.

There is a lot of action in this story, and it all concludes in a really exciting suspenseful confrontation between Abbie and Max, at the location they first met, the White Chapel hospital.  I loved the story, the way it concluded was great, even if it was really sad.  And the final bit?  I loved it.  Just the thing I want to know about what happens after a story ends.  I'm a huge fan of this series, and will always recommend it to others.

Project Cain by Geoffrey Girard

Thanks to Edelweiss and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for allowing me to read an e-galley of this book in June 2013.  I loved the idea of reading a book about boys who were genetically designed in a lab to be the clones of serial killers.  While I wasn't quite sure what the scientific research in this would be, other than maybe to see if it was nature or nurture that caused their violence, it just sounded like a unique story.  And that it definitely was.
The main character is Jeff, and he was cloned from Jeffrey Dahmer.  He was raised by one of  the actual scientists.  Told his mother died in a car accident when he was younger, that he was also in, and that is why he can't remember her.  Well, the book starts out with his "dad" telling him that is actually not true, and leaving him with papers explaining what really he was, and then being left alone.  Left alone until men from the DSTI labs come to take away everything his father has left.  He hides in his father's secret room until they go.  Until another man shows up, Castillo.  Castillo has been hired by the labs, or maybe the government, to find all the clones that were just set free from the labs.  Set free probably by Jeff's father, and amidst murders of doctors, nurses, and other people at the labs.  At first Castillo think that Jeff can help him.  Until one night Castillo gives him some money, and tells him to get lost.  Jeff can't just take the money and leave.  He has nowhere to go, and he figures that Castillo is his best chance at finding his father.  Along the trip to find these cloned serial killers, Jeff and Castillo's relationship will change.  As Jeff begins to see what kind of life he really had growing up, how he was actually lucky compared to some clones that were subjected to some of the horrible same abuses their originals dealt with, he finds that Castillo's messed up life kind of fits well and matches his needs for a friend.
I loved the idea of this book.  And it is a good story, had a good plot, characters, all of that.  Only, it kind of started slow.  They sit in a hotel room for a LONG time at the beginning.  And it is kind of boring.  I know that is the point of it, but it made it hard to get going in the book and stay hooked at first.  If you keep going, and give it time, it will get you hooked to where you are wanting to keep reading because you need to know what is going to happen.  So just keep that in mind.  I found the information about the serial killers that was included, which also included pictures of them, was fascinating.  The back story of Jeff's father, the scientist, and how he wondered if he himself might have been related to one of the possible suspects of Jack the Ripper, was interesting, so that added as well.  Again, I could see it being a hard read for someone who needs to get right into the story, but if you can push through that first part, and just keep reading for the info on the serial killers, I think it is enjoyable.

Renegade (Ripper #2) by Amy Carol Reeves

I will start by thanking Netgalley and Flux Books for allowing me to read an e-galley of this.  I also got to read the first in the series, Ripper, as an e-galley.  I was very into the first book because it was supposedly about Jack the Ripper which is a subject that has always fascinated me.  And yes, the first book was, but not quite the way we've always thought of him.
In this sequel, it is after Abbie has taken care of all of The Conclave, except for Max, who got away.  She and William are trying to enjoy their new romance, while continuing to work at the White Chapel Clinic.  Abbie has another vision, but is worried about telling William.  She does feel able to tell Simon about it though.  Although no one seems to believe her when she ends up in the cemetery that was in her vision and she sees what seem to be either zombies, or cannibals.  She also gets the chance to go work with the one woman doctor that she really looks up to.  But, as they know, Max is still there, and he soon visits Abbie and asks her, no ends up basically blackmailing her to help him out.  Throughout the whole story we have flashes over to a Lamia.  A part woman, part sea creature, not like a mermaid, more like almost a dragon.  She is the caretaker for the Conclave, taking care on a remote island of their menagerie.  All their creatures, including the dodo that Abbie had gotten the chance to see in the first book.  Inspector Abbiline is still in this story, now investigating the murders that are occurring in the graveyards.  We do end up basically settling the story point from this, with the Lamia, but we don't ever get the part of the story with the deaths in the graveyards solved.  I'm guessing that will be in the next book.  And I'm very interested and excited to read on!  Another fun take on a secret society and a strong female character of the time.

A - Z Book Challenge

So, I really only did one book challenge last year, the Debut Author Challenge hosted by

The Story Siren. And I'm now debating whether to do that one again this year or not. But this is a challenge that sounds really interesting and different. So I'm going to try it. I'm going to go with the "B" method, of just as I read adding titles to the the list. In order to make this list, what I'll probably do is make a post, and then just add to it as I add books to the list and update it. Not sure how else to keep a list on my blog right now. I'm not so great with all the design stuff. But if any of you have suggestions on how I can do it, I'd love it! I'm kind of at the mercy of using Blogger's little widgets right now.

If you're interested in participating, just click on the button at the top of this post and follow the instructions to get involved!

A- Another Jekyll, Another Hyde by Daniel and Dina Nayeri
B- Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
C- Fever (Chemical Garden series #2) by Lauren DeStefano
D- The Death Cure by James Dashner
E- Revealing Eden (Save the Pearls #1) by Victoria Foyt
F- First Kill (The Slayer Chronicles) by Heather Brewer
G- Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1) by Robin LaFever
H- Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
I-  Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
J- Transcendence by C.J. Omololu
K- The White Oak (Imperfect Darkness #1) by Kim White
L- Rebirth (Aftertime #2) by Sophie Littlefield
M- My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent
N-  On Fire (Teen Wolf) by Nancy Holder
O- Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
P- Pure by Julianna Baggott
Q- Rift (Nightshade preQuel #1) by Andrea Cremer
R- Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves
S-  Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz
T- Torn (Trylle Trilogy #2) by Amanda Hocking
U- Suck it Up and Die by Brian Meehl
V-  Redemption by Veronique Launier
W- The Weepers (Other Life #1) by Susanne Winnacker
X- Truth (XVI #2) by Julia Karr
Y- Monument 14 by EmmY Laybourne
Z- The Kill Order (MaZe Runner prequel) by James Dashner

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


So I've been a fan of Maureen Johnson since I first began following her on Twitter. I even got her to reply to me one time, a long time ago though. I hadn't read her books yet, just knew her name from working in the children's department at the bookstore where I have a part time job. I immediately picked up her books once I saw how funny she was because I just knew anyone who could be so funny in 140 characters or less had to be an asesome writer. And she is really good. I've read her Scarlett series, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, and Devilish. And now I've read The Name of the Star, which I hear is going to be the first in a series. And I'm very glad to hear that because I really enjoyed this book.

I have also been fascinated by the Jack the Ripper stories ever since reading the book by Patricia Cornwell: Portrait of a Killer: Jack The Ripper - Case Closed as well as the movie From Hell which starred Johnny Depp, and the guy who plays Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies.

In this book, our main character is Rory, who is from Louisiana, but is now attending a school in London because of her parents traveling for their own jobs. She is attending a boarding school that just happens to be right near the whole Ripper scene. And, just as she arrives, someone has begun to imitate the Ripper murders. Rory also has some other weird things happen. She keeps seeing people that no one else sees. She soon realizes that she has the ability to see ghosts, one of which may be responsible for the new Ripper like murders. She also discovers she's not alone in having this ability and that she may be able to use it to help out and save more people from dying.



View all my reviews

Waiting on Wednesday - New Style

Okay, what I mean by "New Style" is that I know I'm not doing the exact correct thing here, but I'm so far behind on reading since school started back in August, that I kept thinking about how many new books were out that I'd been waiting on, but hadn't had the time to read them yet. So, hopefully Jill at Breaking the Spine doesn't mind too much if I veer off course this week. Instead of choosing one book that is not published yet that I'm eagerly awaiting, I want to share the books that have recently been published but I haven't had time to read them yet.

First is The Death Cure by James Dashner. This is the 3rd, and as far as I know at the moment, final book in the Maze Runner series. According to bn.com:
Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

Second is Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick, the 3rd, and I think final in the Hush Hush series. According to bn.com: The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

Third is The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. I enjoy following Maureen Johnson on Twitter, she is so funny. And I've read a few of her others, 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Suite Scarlett, Devilish, to name a few. The 3rd one was the closest to my normal type of book, I mean paranormalish. But this new one sounds really in my area, and I did get it for my birthday, so it will be one of the next ones I read. According to bn.com:
The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.
Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

Fourth is First Kill (The Slayer Chronicles #1) by Heather Brewer. I loved her Vladmir Tod series. I love following her on Twitter, and I was so excited to get to meet her last spring! I was so excited when I heard about this series which will fill in the summers between the Vlad Tod books, but from Joss, the vampire slayer's, point of view. Here is the summary according to bn.com: Joss McMillan’s perfect life crashes down the night he witnesses his sister’s murder — at the hands of a vampire. He then finds out his family’s secret heritage: They are part of the Slayer Society, a group whose mission is to rid the world of vampires. Joss is their new recruit. As Joss trains, bent on seeking revenge for his sister, he discovers powers that could make him the youngest, strongest Slayer in history. But there is a traitor in the Society, one whose identity would shake Joss to the core . . . if the traitor doesn’t kill him first.
With over a million copies already in print, The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod is still sinking its fangs into new readers every day. Now, bestselling author Heather Brewer brings us the other side of the story, from the perspective of Vlad’s former friend turned mortal enemy: vampire slayer Joss McMillan. This is the first in a series of five books that can be read alongside Vlad Tod or entirely on their own.

The 5th book I came up with, and I know there are many more, is The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore. This is the sequel to I Am Number Four, which I only picked up to read in the first place due to some of the controversy about who the author really was. I'll let you do some research into that on your own if you're interested enough. Here is the storyline according to bn.com:
I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.
Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?
They caught Number One in Malaysia.Number Two in England.And Number Three in Kenya.They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.
I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.
And I'm ready to fight.

So, as I said, I hope that the blog who does this meme isn't upset with me for diverging from the normal way of doing this for this week. I just really wanted to do a blog about this, and it felt kind of like I was "waiting" so I decided it fit perfectly under "Waiting On Wednesday" because instead of waiting for a book to be published, I'm waiting to have the time to read them!