Random Reads #411, October 3rd

Random Reads is a monthly meme (that I'm going to do weekly) hosted by I'm Loving Books to read some books that have been on our TBR piles for a long time. Using Random.org, I got 5936 which turned out to be What Light by Jay Asher! It's been on my TBR pile since February 10th, 2016, and I added it because I enjoy his writing! Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #276, August 24th

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

The Midnight Star by Marie Lu
Expected Publication: October 11th, 2016
From Goodreads:
The thrilling finale to the New York Times bestselling Young Elites series from “hit factory” Marie Lu.

There was once a time when darkness shrouded the world, and the darkness had a queen.

Adelina Amouteru is done suffering. She’s turned her back on those who have betrayed her and achieved the ultimate revenge: victory. Her reign as the White Wolf has been a triumphant one, but with each conquest her cruelty only grows. The darkness within her has begun to spiral out of control, threatening to destroy all that she’s achieved.

Adelina’s forced to revisit old wounds when a new danger appears, putting not only Adelina at risk, but every Elite and the very world they live in. In order to save herself and preserve her empire, Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest—though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger.

Bestselling author Marie Lu concludes Adelina's story with this haunting and hypnotizing final installment to the Young Elites series.

What Light by Jay Asher
Expected Publication: October 11th, 2016
From Goodreads:
From Jay Asher, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Thirteen Reasons Why, comes a romance that will break your heart, but soon have you believing again. . . .

Sierra's family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it's a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other. 

Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other.

By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb's past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love.

What Light is a love story that's moving and life-affirming and completely unforgettable.

Oh, yeah, two really fantastic sounded books coming out! I can't wait to read them! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Jay Asher Author Page

The Story: Thirteen Reasons Why had-and still does-have a big buzz, and it sounded like a fantastic read, so I did, and it was just epic and sad, but still so great! And yeah that he has a book coming out this year!

Website

Stand Alone's: Thirteen Reasons Why and his site, my review, The Future of Us and his site, my review, What Light and his site.

We Have the Cover of What Light!!!!

Yeah, we have another book by Jay Asher!

Week 15 Review: The Future of Us

From Goodreads:
It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future. 

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

My Review:
This was a very interesting, fun read! Emma and Josh have no idea what Facebook is, and at one point Emma is very happy that there's a computer in the car, and another point where they wonder over what a text is, well, these are everyday items now, and since I was only 2 in 1996, well, it was really strange and wonderful to read this book!

Emma gets more involved in changing her future, because she doesn't sound happy, and she goes from marriage to this one guy who either hasn't really been seen for 3 days, or uses her money to get a iPad when she could use a therapist, to marriage to this guy with alternating children (because the future is a very changing thing) and when she feels that this guy is bad for her, making her give up her career, she changes the future again, and again, until near the end, Future Emma deletes her Facebook account so 1996 Emma can't log in anymore.

Josh, on the other hand, doesn't do that much to change his future, sure he starts an interaction with the one he's going to marry, Sydney, the girl all the boys at school want to date. And as he spends more time with Sydney, and then arguing with Emma about changing her future, because it affects his, well, there's all sorts of trouble!

But what they realize, is that the future doesn't have to be the thing they have to worry about. It's the present, and what makes them happy, and what doesn't, and where and who they want to be with. So the ending was quite sweet with the 4 1/2 week party being planned. Yep.

This was a really great book, one that I really enjoyed, so I hope you guys check it out!

Authors: Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
Read: April 7th, 2012
Source: Library
Reason Why: I wanted to, and it's a FTBRC book!
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: November 21st 2011

4/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars

Week 4 Review: Thirteen Reasons Why

From Goodreads:
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

My Review:
This book was about a topic that is pretty personal to me, for about 3 years now. Suicide. So it was a thought-provoking, intense novel that I devoured, seeing how everything was connecting, and how little things just built up, and were added to, and how they filled the already full cup. It was sad, and heart-breaking. And a wonderful novel!

I loved how the story went on, with Hannah narrating, and Clay going where she told, or Clay had a thought or 2 about what Hannah was saying. Basically, he was in hell thinking that he had a hand in her death, when in fact he was the one good thing, and how could've maybe stopped her, But anyways. it was such a great book!

I hated seeing how other teens would treat others, that they are that bad to each other. And mostly it was small things! Things that just wouldn't really matter. But they mattered when they caused more pain then anybody could know, well, it just goes to show that people should stop things like that, lists of hot or not, stealing, lying, double standards, using, exaggerating the truth...it just doesn't do any good, and it causes immeasurable pain.

The last 2 words she said to Clay, because the last words, she meant them as a message to those really 12 people who ruined her life, were so simple, but they meant everything, and it really brought the story together. I'm sorry. Just 2 words. And they mean the world. And they helped with the ending, too, to make it just a little bit better.

This was a book that you have to read, if only because someone did something like write your name on a list, to show you how not to go about it. Read it!

Author: Jay Asher
Read: January 22nd-23rd, 2012
Source: Library
Reason Why: I wanted to, and it might be a FtBRC book. Yep.
Publisher: Razorbill
Published: March 18th 2007

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars