Lisa's Looking Forward To #31 - September 24th, 2019

Back to joining up with the Waiting on Wednesday Posts, and the Can't Wait Wednesday posts hosted by Wishful Endings.  There are a ton of books out next week that I'm excited for!

From my ARC list for September 24th, 2019:

Sounds like a great fantasy probably, and that cover is beautiful!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

IN THE KINGDOM OF AXARIA, a darkness rises.

Some call it a monster, laying waste to the villagers and their homes.
Some say it is an invulnerable demon summoned from the deepest abysses of the Immortal Realm.
Many soldiers from the royal guard are sent out to hunt it down.

Not one has ever returned.

When Asterin Faelenhart, Princess of Axaria and heir to the throne, discovers that she may hold the key to defeating the mysterious demon terrorizing her kingdom, she vows not to rest until the beast is slain. With the help of her friends and the powers she wields — though has yet to fully understand — Asterin sets out to complete a single task. The task that countless, trained soldiers have failed.

To kill it.

But as they hunt for the demon, they unearth a plot to assassinate the Princess herself instead. Asterin and her companions begin to wonder how much of their lives have been lies, especially when they realize that the center of the web of deceit might very well be themselves. With no one else to turn to, they are forced to decide just how much they are willing to sacrifice to protect the only world they have ever known.

That is, of course… if the demon doesn’t get to them first.

From young author Coco Ma comes a dazzling new tale of adventure, power, and betrayal, weaving together a stunning world of magic with a killer cast in an explosive, unforgettable debut.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE. 
 

Sounds like it could be an emotional read.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Two teens meet after tragedy and learn about love, loss, and letting go

Naima Rodriguez doesn’t want your patronizing sympathy as she grieves her father, her hero—a fallen Marine. She’ll hate you forever if you ask her to open up and remember him “as he was,” though that’s all her loving family wants her to do in order to manage her complex OCD and GAD. She’d rather everyone back the-eff off while she separates her Lucky Charms marshmallows into six, always six, Ziploc bags, while she avoids friends and people and living the life her father so desperately wanted for her.

Dew respectfully requests a little more time to process the sudden loss of his parents. It's causing an avalanche of secret anxieties, so he counts on his trusty voice recorder to convey the things he can’t otherwise say aloud. He could really use a friend to navigate a life swimming with pain and loss and all the lovely moments in between. And then he meets Naima and everything’s changed—just not in the way he, or she, expects.

Candace Ganger's Six Goodbyes We Never Said is no love story. If you ask Naima, it’s not even a like story. But it is a story about love and fear and how sometimes you need a little help to be brave enough to say goodbye.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

I loved the idea of The Blair Witch Project, but couldn't watch any of the movie because of the camera-work, so this sounds like my kind of story.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

In the faux-documentary style of The Blair Witch Project comes the campfire story of a missing girl, a vengeful ghost, and the girl who is determined to find her sister--at all costs.

Once a year, the path appears in the forest and Lucy Gallows beckons. Who is brave enough to find her--and who won't make it out of the woods?

It's been exactly one year since Sara's sister, Becca, disappeared, and high school life has far from settled back to normal. With her sister gone, Sara doesn't know whether her former friends no longer like her...or are scared of her, and the days of eating alone at lunch have started to blend together. When a mysterious text message invites Sara and her estranged friends to "play the game" and find local ghost legend Lucy Gallows, Sara is sure this is the only way to find Becca--before she's lost forever. And even though she's hardly spoken with them for a year, Sara finds herself deep in the darkness of the forest, her friends--and their cameras--following her down the path. Together, they will have to draw on all of their strengths to survive. The road is rarely forgiving, and no one will be the same on the other side.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE. 

Finished this and loved it, check out my review HERE.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
 
The storm of the century is about to hit Little Bridge Island, Florida—and it’s sending waves crashing through Sabrina “Bree” Beckham’s love life…

When a massive hurricane severs all power and cell service to Little Bridge Island—as well as its connection to the mainland—twenty-five-year-old Bree Beckham isn’t worried . . . at first. She’s already escaped one storm—her emotionally abusive ex—so a hurricane seems like it will be a piece of cake.

But animal-loving Bree does become alarmed when she realizes how many islanders have been cut off from their beloved pets. Now it’s up to her to save as many of Little Bridge’s cats and dogs as she can . . . but to do so, she’s going to need help—help she has no choice but to accept from her boss’s sexy nephew, Drew Hartwell, the Mermaid Café’s most notorious heartbreaker.

But when Bree starts falling for Drew, just as Little Bridge’s power is restored and her penitent ex shows up, she has to ask herself if her island fling was only a result of the stormy weather, or if it could last during clear skies too.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE. 

I like the other books I've read by this author, and this one sounds good too!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Meri Beckley lives in a world without lies. When she turns on the news, she hears only the facts. When she swipes the pages of her online textbooks, she reads only the truth. When she looks at the peaceful Chicago streets, she feels the pride everyone in the country feels about the era of unprecedented hope and prosperity over which the government presides.

But when Meri’s mother is killed, Meri suddenly has questions that no one else seems to be asking. And when she tries to uncover her mother’s state of mind in her last weeks, she finds herself drawn into a secret world full of facts she’s never heard and a history she didn’t know existed.

Suddenly, Meri is faced with a choice between accepting the “truth” she has been taught or embracing a world the government doesn’t want anyone to see—a world where words have the power to change the course of a country, and the wrong word can get Meri killed.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE. 

I've got an ARC of this one and hope to read in the next week.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Simmering in Patagonian myth, The Tenth Girl is a gothic psychological thriller with a haunting twist.

At the very southern tip of South America looms an isolated finishing school. Legend has it that the land will curse those who settle there. But for Mavi—a bold Buenos Aires native fleeing the military regime that took her mother—it offers an escape to a new life as a young teacher to Argentina’s elite girls.

Mavi tries to embrace the strangeness of the imposing house—despite warnings not to roam at night, threats from an enigmatic young man, and rumors of mysterious Others. But one of Mavi’s ten students is missing, and when students and teachers alike begin to behave as if possessed, the forces haunting this unholy cliff will no longer be ignored.

One of these spirits holds a secret that could unravel Mavi's existence. In order to survive she must solve a cosmic mystery—and then fight for her life.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.  

This one sounds really spooky!  Plus, that cover!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Aderyn ("Ryn") only cares about two things: her family, and her family's graveyard. And right now, both are in dire straits. Since the death of their parents, Ryn and her siblings have been scraping together a meager existence as gravediggers in the remote village of Colbren, which sits at the foot of a harsh and deadly mountain range that was once home to the fae. The problem with being a gravedigger in Colbren, though, is that the dead don't always stay dead.

The risen corpses are known as "bone houses," and legend says that they're the result of a decades-old curse. When Ellis, an apprentice mapmaker with a mysterious past, arrives in town, the bone houses attack with new ferocity. What is it that draws them near? And more importantly, how can they be stopped for good?

Together, Ellis and Ryn embark on a journey that will take them deep into the heart of the mountains, where they will have to face both the curse and the long-hidden truths about themselves.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

I love this author, and I have the ARC of the first book waiting to be read still, so I didn't bother to request this one.  Need to read the other first!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

The stunning finale of the epic fantasy duology from New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis.

Alchemy student turned necromancer Nedra Brysstain has made a life-changing decision to embrace the darkness--but can the boy who loves her bring her back to the light before she pays the ultimate price?

Lunar Island is trying to heal. The necromantic plague that ravaged the land has been eradicated, and Emperor Auguste, the young and charming leader of the Allyrian Empire, has a plan: rid the island of necromancy once and for all. Though Greggori "Grey" Astor wants what's best for his people, he knows that allying himself with Auguste threatens the one person he loves most: necromancer Nedra Brysstain. Feeling like he already failed to save Nedra once, Grey becomes determined to help the Emperor rebuild Lunar Island while still keeping Nedra safe from harm.

Back at the quarantine hospital, Nedra's army of revenants are growing increasingly inhuman by the day. Wracked with guilt for imprisoning their souls, Nedra vows to discover a way to free the dead while still keeping her sister by her side.

But, still reeling from the trauma of the plague, the people of Lunar Island are looking for someone to blame, and Grey can only protect Nedra for so long. And when Nedra and Grey are thrust into a battle with an even more terrifying adversary, Nedra will be pushed to the darkest depths of her necromantic powers. But can Grey let her go that far?

 Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.

So besides how cool it is that the author of this graduated from the high school where I am a librarian now, I do need to read this sequel to her first book.

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
Still reeling from her recent battle (and grounded until she graduates) Alice must cross the Veil to rescue her friends and stop the Black Knight once and for all. But the deeper she ventures into Wonderland, the more topsy-turvy everything becomes. It’s not until she’s at her wits end that she realizes—Wonderland is trying to save her.

There’s a new player on the board; a poet capable of using Nightmares to not only influence the living but raise the dead. This Poet is looking to claim the Black Queen’s power—and Alice's budding abilities—as their own.

Dreams have never been so dark in Wonderland, and if there is any hope of defeating this mystery poet’s magic, Alice must confront the worst in herself, in the people she loves, and in the very nature of fear itself.

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE. 

So it takes place in Kansas City, where I live, so that's cool.  I have an ARC of this and hope to read and post a review in the next week or so!

Here is the blurb from Goodreads:
By day, seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honors student, a math tutor, and one of the only Black kids at Jefferson Academy. But at home, she joins hundreds of thousands of Black gamers who duel worldwide as Nubian personas in the secret multiplayer online role-playing card game, SLAY. No one knows Kiera is the game developer, not her friends, her family, not even her boyfriend, Malcolm, who believes video games are partially responsible for the "downfall of the Black man."

But when a teen in Kansas City is murdered over a dispute in the SLAY world, news of the game reaches mainstream media, and SLAY is labeled a racist, exclusionist, violent hub for thugs and criminals. Even worse, an anonymous troll infiltrates the game, threatening to sue Kiera for "anti-white discrimination."

Driven to save the only world in which she can be herself, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically Black in a world intimidated by Blackness. But can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?

Sound good?  Add to Goodreads HERE.  



  
Final Thoughts:
Two more than last week, but several I have ARCs of already.  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. The US only giveaway is open till Friday at midnight, there are even some 2019 ARCs that can be one of your two choices. 

ARC Review: No Judgments (Little Bridge Island #1) by Meg Cabot

Book info:

Title:  No Judgments
Author:  Meg Cabot
Series:  Little Bridge Island #1
Genre:  Adult contemporary romance
Release Date: September 24th, 2019
Publisher:  William Morrow Books
Source:  ARC acquired from Barnes and Noble where I work
My rating:  5 stars

Synopsis:
The storm of the century is about to hit Little Bridge Island, Florida—and it’s sending waves crashing through Sabrina “Bree” Beckham’s love life…

When a massive hurricane severs all power and cell service to Little Bridge Island—as well as its connection to the mainland—twenty-five-year-old Bree Beckham isn’t worried . . . at first. She’s already escaped one storm—her emotionally abusive ex—so a hurricane seems like it will be a piece of cake.

But animal-loving Bree does become alarmed when she realizes how many islanders have been cut off from their beloved pets. Now it’s up to her to save as many of Little Bridge’s cats and dogs as she can . . . but to do so, she’s going to need help—help she has no choice but to accept from her boss’s sexy nephew, Drew Hartwell, the Mermaid Café’s most notorious heartbreaker.

But when Bree starts falling for Drew, just as Little Bridge’s power is restored and her penitent ex shows up, she has to ask herself if her island fling was only a result of the stormy weather, or if it could last during clear skies too.


My Review:
I feel like it's been a long time since I've read Meg Cabot, because really I've mostly read her adult contemporary romance as opposed to her YA books. This book was exactly what I loved about her books back in the day when I first fell in love with her writing.  I loved the romance between Bree and Drew.  It was a perfect rom-com/chick flick type of story.  It was also fun to read this, well, not sure if fun is exactly the right word, but it seems as if it is the perfect time to read a love story set in a hurricane since it is right in the middle of hurricane season.  There was a lot of fun stuff about the little island preparing to either evacuate or hunkering down to ride out the storm.  All the quirky small town characters made for a great story as well.  There was definitely the sexy scenes, if not quite as many as some of the other authors I read today, definitely still enough steam and chemistry to make it a perfect fit for my favorite type of read.  Obviously it was a short time period that it took place since it was from a day or two before the hurricane until a day or two after, leading into an epilogue of several months after.   I also loved the whole bit about how the main character felt about something called the "Mean-World Syndrome".  Made a lot of sense to me.Highly recommend this one, and hope to see more of this type of read again from Meg Cabot in the future.  

Waiting on Wednesday: The Boy is Back by Meg Cabot

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.  I've picked a book that is the fourth one in a series I read probably over 10 years ago and just adored.  It's by Meg Cabot, and it is what I used to call "Chick Lit", but now would probably be called New Adult.  Anyway, what I loved about the series was that it was told through emails, letters, texts, instant messages, etc.  Not your regular story format.  So when I saw that there was going to be a new one, I was very excited for it, not to mention with all the new forms of social media/technology out there, I can't wait to see what all the author will use to tell the story this time.  Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

From New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot comes the sweetly humorous story of a man who has to face his past in order to find his future.

Sometimes to move forward, you have to go back…

One post. That’s all it took to destroy the care free, glamorous life of pro golfer Reed Stewart. One tiny post on the Internet.

Then again, it’s not like Reed’s been winning many tournaments lately, and his uncle isn’t the only one who says it’s because of the unfinished business he left behind back home in Bloomville, Indiana—namely Reed’s father, the Honorable Judge Richard P. Stewart, and the only girl Reed ever loved, Becky Flowers.


But Reed hasn’t spoken to either his father or Becky in over a decade.

Until that post on the Internet. Suddenly, Reed’s family has become a national laughingstock, his publicist won’t stop calling, his siblings are begging for help, and Reed realizes he has no other choice: He’s got to go home to face his past . . . the Judge and the girl he left behind.

Becky’s worked hard to build her successful senior relocation business, but she’s worked even harder to forget Reed Stewart ever existed—which hasn’t been easy, considering he’s their hometown’s golden boy, and all anyone ever talks about. It was fine while they were thousands of miles apart, but now he’s back in Bloomville. She has absolutely no intention of seeing him—until his family hires her to help save his parents.

Now Reed and Becky can’t avoid one another…or the memories of that one fateful night.

Can the quirky residents of Bloomville bring these two young people back together, or will Reed and Becky continue to allow their pasts to deny them the future they deserve?

This warm, thought-provoking book, told entirely in texts, emails, and journal entries, is as much about the enduring bond of families as it is about second chances at love, and will delight as much as it entertains. 

Have you read any of this series?  Have you read any of Meg Cabot's books, either adult or YA?  What book are you eagerly awaiting this week?

Cover Reveal: Confessions of an Undercover Girlfriend by Kay Marie

Confessions of an Undercover Girlfriend
Author:  Kay Marie
(Confessions #2)
Publication date: October 11th, 2016
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

From bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis, writing as Kay Marie, comes the second book in the Confessions series, a romantic comedy being hailed as “the new Bridget Jones!” (Broc’s Bookcase).
So, I’m no longer a virgin sex columnist—thank you, Ollie—but if I thought that was going to make my life easier, boy was I wrong! John is back in town determined to win my forgiveness. Blythe is more ready than ever to take me down. Bridget is totally onto the new twinkle in my eye. And, well, Ollie is just as distractingly delicious as usual.
So, naturally, I have a few more confessions to make.
Confession #1: I came up with what I thought would be the perfect plan to keep my relationship with Ollie a secret—pretend to get back together with John!
Confession #2: It backfired. A lot.

This is a sweet romance, perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Meg Cabot, and Emily Giffin!

Goodreads / Amazon

Sequel to:

Author Bio:

Bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis writes young adult fantasy novels under the name Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name Kay Marie.
Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she's not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found indulging in some puppy videos, watching a little too much television, or spending time with her family. If you have any questions for her--about her books, about scheduling an event, or just in general--you may contact her at: KaitlynDavisBooks@gmail.com
To stay up-to-date with all of Kaitlyn's new releases, sign up for her new release newsletter here: TinyLetter.com/KaitlynDavisBooks

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Tumblr / Wattpad / Pinterest / Youtube / Amazon

A to Z April: Q Reviews - Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot/Queen of the Slayers by Nancy Holder

You would think book titles starting with the letter Q would be few and far between. And really, that is true for the most part. But I had two that started with the word queen, so that worked perfectly for the first post this week.  One is a chick lit book, another by that popular author Meg Cabot.  The other is a story from the last season of one of my most favorite tv series ever, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.


So, as I said, the first is by Meg Cabot, it is the first in the Queen of Babble series, and that is its title.  It's kind of an American girl in Europe story.  The main character Lizzie just cannot keep her mouth shut.  And she is always opening up and letting the wrong things slip in front of the wrong people.  Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

What's an American girl with a big mouth, but an equally big heart, to do?

Lizzie Nichols has a problem, and it isn't that she doesn't have the slightest idea what she's going to do with her life, or that she's blowing what should be her down payment on a cute little Manhattan apartment on a trip to London to visit her long-distance boyfriend, Andrew. But what's the point of planning for the future when she's done it again? See, Lizzie can't keep her mouth shut. And it's not just that she can't keep her own secrets, she can't keep anything to herself.

This time when she opens her big mouth, her good intentions get Andrew in major hot water. So now Lizzie's stuck in London with no boyfriend and no place to stay until the departure date written on her non-refundable airline ticket.

Fortunately, there's Shari, Lizzie's best friend and college roommate, who's spending her summer in southern France, catering weddings with her boyfriend, Chaz, in a sixteenth-century château. One call and Lizzie's on a train to Souillac. Who cares if she's never traveled alone in her life and only speaks rudimentary French? One glimpse of gorgeous Château Mirac - not to mention gorgeous Luke, the son of Château Mirac's owner - and she's smitten.

But while most caterers can be trusted to keep a secret, Lizzie's the exception. And no sooner has the first cork been popped than Luke hates her, the bride is in tears, and it looks like Château Mirac is in danger of becoming a lipo-recovery spa. As if things aren't bad enough, her ex-boyfriend Andrew shows up looking for "closure" (or at least a loan), threatening to ruin everything, especially Lizzie's chance at ever finding real love...

Unless she can figure out a way to use that big mouth of hers to save the day.

The 2nd one is from the last season when the only way for the Scooby gang to win was to get all the slayers in training up to full slayer power.  Of course it takes magic, and Willow is there to do that. Even with the misgivings of the last time she did big magic and what it turned her into.  After they've saved the world, what does it man to have all of those slayers now, instead of just the Chosen ONE.  Here is the blurb from Goodreads.com:

No vacation. No benefits. And the only retirement is an early death. 

With the closing of the Hellmouth and the awakening of hundreds of potential slayers, Buffy Summers thought she had overturned the Slayer's self-sacrifice and earned herself a much-deserved break. But the thrill of victory is short-lived. The Forces of Darkness are not ones to graciously accept defeat, and the collective rage unites disparate and powerful parties more eager than ever to reclaim dominance.
Willow's magickal distribution of the slayer essence left girls across the world discovering their latent power. Giles races to reorganize the now much-needed Watchers Council, and the Scoobies relocate to Europe. And there in Rome, Buffy is drawn to the Immortal -- a charismatic, if inscrutable, figure. But then comes word that a number of the fresh slayers are being coerced to join an army of slayers -- governed by the mysterious "Queen of the Slayers," an awesome evil determined to claim the intoxicating slayer essence for herself.
Xander is sent to Africa to learn more about the origin of the slayer essence. Instead, he returns to report that, alarmingly, there's not enough good in the world to counteract the overabundance of evil, and that the deciding apocalypse is drawing much too near. Alliances are formed and loyalties betrayed as it comes down to slayer versus slayer, leading to an ultimate battle of champions -- from Buffy's past and present. And then an unimaginable gift arrives...

If you are a Meg Cabot fan, have you read this book, or this series?  I believe I need to finish the series.  Are you a Buffy fan?  If so, have you read any of the books or graphic novels based after the tv series ended?

While you're here, don't forget to enter my giveaway below!

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A to Z April: B Reviews - Boy Meets Girl and Boy Next Door by Meg Cabot

My choice of books today are similar to yesterday's in that they are what I consider Chick Lit.  These are the first books by Meg Cabot that I ever read.  I believe the whole Princess Diary craze was after my time.  But these books came out when I was in my late twenties/early thirties, and I was all about being a single woman.  And I loved the cute, funny romances like these.  Now what makes these books really unique is that they are not told through normal narrative like other books.  While I don't know that these were the first books to do this, I'm sure they were out before it became more of a trend.

The first book, The Boy Next Door, is told completely through emails.  Nothing but emails.  No actual dialogue, regular chapters and paragraphs describing things, just the daily emails from the main character, Mel and her friends, coworkers, bosses, etc.  She's got a good job, gossip columnist, but her love life leaves much to be desired.  And there's a really cute neighbor that she's noticed some weird things going on.  I loved this book because it is told in such a fun, unique way. And the character was one that I felt was easy to relate to as a single woman at the time.  I definitely think you should check it out, as well as the next one I list if you enjoy fun romance stories.

The second book, Boy Meets Girl, is told through letters, instant messenger posts, lists, memos, etc.  There is not anything other than that within the entire book.  And I can't remember for sure, it's been a while since I read it, but I think there is at least one part that is a note or list written on a napkin.  The main character is Kate.  She has a horrible boss, a boyfriend that she can't get to commit, and can't find an affordable apartment in NYC.  The horrible boss makes her fire some employees, who then come back and sue her.  The legal woes aren't so bad when she meets the very attractive lawyer Mitch.  A man who is normally not her type at all, but for some reason they click.  A fun read, and as I said, completely told through all the different types of messages.


Have you read any Meg Cabot books?  Or books told in a similar format?  That's one reason I enjoyed Rainbow Rowell's Attachments was because of that type of format.

And while you're here, enter the giveaway below!

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Flashback Friday - August 15th, 2014

I  just saw this over on Fiction Fare and thought it sounded like a lot of fun!  I think this will be a way I feature books that I read before I started blogging, but that I really want to share with my readers.  Here are the instructions:


Pick a book... any book that meets the following criteria: 

1.  Must have been published at least 2 years ago or
2.  Preferably is still in print or available to read

That's it!  Just grab the button and then after you post, link up!!!

The Boy Next Door

By: Meg Cabot (as Meggin Cabot)

Published:  October 11th, 2002

This is a book I loved so much when I was really into my Chick Lit phase.  And for those who enjoyed Rainbow Rowell's Attachments, this is definitely comparable.  This story is told almost completely through emails, inter-department office memos, and if this is the right one I'm thinking of (it's been a while since I've read it) at least one part is even told from writing on a napkin.  

While you're here, don't forget to enter my 5th Blogoversary Giveaway, just click on the picture below.

And I also have a sign up for a Blog Hop and my September is for Sequels Challenge for you to sign up for with the buttons below.

Awaken (Abandon Trilogy #3) by Meg Cabot

First I must say thanks to Netgalley and Scholastic for allowing me to read an e-galley of this book.  I really liked the first book in the series, and the second one kind of had the sophomore slump, but was still good.  This final book in the trilogy started kind of slow, but once we got into the end, it really did get pretty good.  Now be careful about reading on, it is really hard to write my summary of the book without a few spoilers.
Pierce is back, in the Underworld with John, but now her cousin Alex is there, as well as her friend Kayla.  Alex has to be there because John brought him back from the dead in the last book when he was killed by Seth Rector and his friends when he tried to confront them about his dad getting framed.  Only he doesn't understand that he was really dead, and when he wakes up in the Underworld, doesn't quite understand where he is, and rushes to find Pierce and try to rescue her and get them out.  But Pierce is busy helping sort the newly dead so that they can get on the boats that will take them to their final destination.  Only the number of the dead has really kind of piled up.  The belief is that it is because John was up with Pierce for so long helping her cousin.  While they are waiting, Pierce is passing out drinks to the people waiting and trying to keep them calm.  John's friends, Frank, and the other pirates are taking care of the more rowdy crowd, the one that is not going to such a nice place when they get on their boat.  It seems like forever, but finally they can see the two boats coming in the distance.  However there is something funny about how they are coming in.  In fact they are coming too fast, and are going to crash into the docks.  So John must go out and stop them, but there is a possibility he could get hurt, even die.  And the worst happens.  Pierce and the rest carry him back to the castle, as well as bringing all the dead until they can figure out what to do.  While Pierce is trying to imagine what in the world will happen now that John, the "king" of the Underworld, her love, is dead, she is told a story about another death deity, Thanatos.  And she hears that he may have John trapped.  So she figures she must go back and find him, and get John back.  And so she takes Alex and Kayla and Frank and they go to solve the problem.  And it is not just that John is dead.  The Fates seem to have disappeared as well, the food, all of the things that just appeared when needed in the Underworld are gone.  Back on the surface they must deal with the hurricane, as well as the Furies that are still searching for Pierce.  And wow, does it get intense when they get back to Isla Huesos.
I loved how it ended, all the subtle characters that you didn't know would have such a part in the whole scheme of things.  I also love the way the author answered a question that I know I always have with endings like that in the afterwards.  She said that yes, the characters will go on and have more adventures, and maybe some day she'll go back and visit them, but for now, the book has closed for them.  Such a great way to end a series, and for her to add that to the end, because you know how readers, (like me), always want to know what happens next, why don't you keep writing, it is like she knows her readers, (which she obviously does), and keeps them in mind as she writes.  This is the only YA series of Meg Cabot's that I've read, and I'm glad it was the first one I read, as I really enjoyed it, and it will make me more likely to read future YA series by her.  Although I'd really love to have some more of what I called her "chick lit".  I won't bore you with my picture from when I met the author since I put it with my review last month of the 2nd book in the series.

Underworld (Abandon Trilogy #2) by Meg Cabot

I actually received this book from the YA Book Exchange website.  It came from Sri Lanka, so took a little longer than expected to arrive.  But fortunately I got it in time to get it read before my e-galley of the final book in the trilogy, Awaken, expires.  And you can check out my review of the first book in the trilogy, Abandon, HERE.
In book 2, we begin with Pierce down in the Underworld with John.  He brought her here to keep her safe from the Furies, one of which had possessed her grandmother.  But Pierce isn't sure if she wants to stay there and have to leave her family forever.  When John offers her breakfast she eats, not realizing that the myth of Persephone eating a pomegranate and being stuck there wasn't quite correct.  According to John, it is any food, and so unknowingly she has now made it so that she has to stay.  But she is worried about what might happen to her family while she is gone, and what will they think about her going missing?  And then the weirdest thing happens, when she finds her backpack, somehow her cell phone is working!  Well, kind of.  It keeps showing her a video of her cousin Alex trapped in a coffin and screaming for help as he runs out of air.  So she tries to find John to convince him to take her back to the surface to save her cousin.  Along the way she meets some of his "friends" or as they used to be, his shipmates.  See John used to be part of a ship's crew.  And some of them ended up with him, helping him get the newly dead on their way to wherever it is they are going in the afterlife.  So, seeing the video of Alex, John gives in and takes Pierce back to try to save her cousin.  Going back isn't as easy as she'd hoped.  The Furies are still looking for her, and what Pierce saw on the phone hasn't happened yet.  So they have to try to convince Alex not to do whatever revenge plan he has.  There are also some other subplots that really tie into the story, as well as helping Pierce learn more about John and who he really is/was.
It kind of started a bit slow, but once they got back to town and started interacting with Pierce's family and learning all the stuff about John's past and the town's past, it got really good.  And now I'm very anxious to read my e-galley of the 3rd book.  Now because the book I got was actually published outside of America, I have to share what the cover of the book I actually have looks like below.  And, while we're at it, I also want to show my picture from when I met Meg Cabot and got the first book in the series.

Waiting on Wednesday - Underworld by Meg Cabot

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we get together to discuss upcoming books that we are eagerly awaiting.

This will of course be the last one of 2011! Yay! I have a hard time doing this some time because there are soooooo many books out there that I am looking forward to. So I scrolled through my Goodreads list for one I had on my to-read list that already had a picture for the cover.

My choice this week is Underworld by Meg Cabot, which is a sequel to her book Abandon. Here is the summary from Goodreads:

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn't dead. Not this time. But
she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and
hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final
journey. Her captor, John Hayden, claims it's for her own safety. Because
not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up
after leaving the Underworld, they've come back as Furies, intent on vengeance .
. . on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves. But
while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers
could be lurking for her there . . . and they might have more to do with its
ruler than with his enemies. And unless Pierce is careful, this time
there'll be no escape.

Can't wait to go on with this story. I just really enjoyed it! What is your WOW?

Must Read Monday #1

Just found this meme through someone I follow, and it is sponsored by Fans of Fiction. It is called Must Read Monday, and I love the creativity behind it! You pick a book based on whatever the theme is, and you explain why it is a must read. But you must explain it using an acrostic poem. This week's theme is paranormal, which can include paranormal romance. I just read a really good one I'd like to share, but since the title is so long, I decided not to do it for my first foray into this meme. Instead I'll go with another really good one I read this past spring. I chose Abandon by Meg Cabot.

Ancient stories of the underworld

But who really believes in them anymore.

An accident nearly took Pierce's life

Near death, but she came back

Doing her best to move on with life isn't easy, so she moves to her mother's birthplace

Oh but still he finds her, and still he wants her to come live with him

Now she must decide her own fate.

Wow, now that I do this, it might be easier next time to do a longer title to fit more in. Hope I've given some idea of the book with this poem. It was fun if anything.

Book Blogger Hop #4 and Follow Friday #2

First off is the Book Blogger Hop hosted by Crazy for Books at Crazy-for-books.com. (Sorry, still having issues with blogger posting correctly, so can't link sometimes.)

This week's question is:

Share your favorite blog post from the last month and tell us why it's close to your heart.

I guess it would have to be from May 15th, my blog about Abandon by Meg Cabot, because it reminds me of getting to meet her when I got that book. It is also when I decided that I was going to try to set a goal to meet 12 authors this year, one a month, because I met her in April, and she was the 4th author I'd met this year.


And for the 2nd time, I'm going to participate in Follow Friday hosted by parajunkee at parajunkee.com.





This week's question is:

What are you doing to prepare for the upcoming zombie apocalypse and/or the return of Mel Gibson to the silver screen?

Well, I have been reading a lot of zombie books in the past year or so it seems. And seen a few zombie movies. I must admit that I often think about how could I survive in my house if this happened. There also used to be a house in the city I live in that I always thought I'd go to during a zombie attack because it's like the whole house was up high, with just a small side of it that I assume had an elevator or stairs above a garage. I figured it'd be safe. Not easy for zombies to climb, but lots of windows so you could see what was going on outside. Not quite sure about Mel Gibson, I will have to think about that one.

Abandon by Meg Cabot

I have to admit, that actually, until I decided last minute to go see Meg Cabot down on the Plaza a couple weeks ago, the only books I'd read by her were adult ones, like Boy Meets Girl, ones told in email and texts, and instant messages. Quick, fun, chick lit reads. I loved them all. I'd never read any of her teen or ya books as they just didn't quite sound like I'd want to read them. I'm ashamed of myself now as I loved Abandon, and after listening to her talk about another series, the Airhead series, I now want to read those as well.

Abandon is kind of a re-take on the whole myth about Persephone and Hades, only retold with a modern take. I'm so glad to hear it is a trilogy as it left off on a major cliffhanger in my opinion and I 'm really enjoying the story. Our "Persephone" is named Pierce Oliviera. And she met her Hades, when she was younger at the cemetary for her grandfather's funeral. When she is older, she drowns in her family's pool, and goes to hell, where she is confused and scared until she sees the familiar face of the young man she met when she was a little girl, only now, he looks to be about her age, because he has not aged since that time she first met him. His name is John, and he offers to save her if she comes to live with him. He gives her a necklace to protect her from danger, such as the Furies, but she doesn't want to stay here, so she is able to run, and is brought back to life. She runs into him as he seems to show up to save her when she is in danger. And she ends up back in Florida, Key West, when something really bad happens and her mother must find her a new school. We find out there is more to the story than her just happening to meet him by coincidence when she was a child.

A very good story, and I look forward to seeing where it will continue. I've included a picture of when I met Meg Cabot in this blog as well.

Book blogger Hop May 13th, 2011

Haven't had time to do this in so long! But home today so thought I'd join in. The Book Blogger Hop is sponsored by Crazy for Books. This week's question is:

Are you going to Book Expo America (BEA) and/or the Book Blogger Convention (BBC) this year?

My answer is unfortunately no. I've known about BEA for years from working at the bookstore. But I just heard about BBC this past month or so. Since I may be giving up on my search for a job as a school librarian, maybe next year, instead of saving money for the state library convention, I'll save money to go to the Book Blogger Convention, something I can do without having to have someone hire me. Sorry, a bit of bitterness there, because I love reading, and I love sharing books and reading with students, but don't get much chance in my science classroom, and can't seem to get a chance to get in a library to do it.

I've got 2 books to blog about, I'll try to do it this weekend, Abandon by Meg Cabot, and Bumped by Megan McCafferty.