Week 52 Review: A Year to the Day

From Goodreads:

National Book Award–winning author Robin Benway returns with an ambitious I'll Give You the Sun meets Every Day story of love, loss, and sisterhood told in a reverse chronological narrative that will claim a permanent home in your heart.

It's been a year—a year of missing Nina. A year of milestones—holidays, birthdays, everything without her.

Leo feels like she should remember what happened that night. But all she knows is that she left the party and got into a car with Nina and Nina's boyfriend, East.

East, who once promised Nina he'd watch out for her younger sister. East, who has been trying to keep that promise every day since. But East won't give Leo the one thing she wants—the one thing she needs. He won't tell her anything about the accident. He won't talk about that night at all.

As the days tumble one into the next, Leo's story comes together while her world falls apart. The only constant is the one person who can help her bear the enormous weight of her love for Nina—and East might be carrying too heavy a load of his own.

Robin Benway's signature exploration of love, family, and finding yourself is on display in her most ambitious story yet.

My Review:


Author: Robin Renway 
Read: December 26th, 2023
Source: Edelweiss  
Reason Why: Love her writing, and it's a SAC 2023 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: June 21st 2022
Published: Harper Teen

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Monthly ARC's Update 58

So I read my next book for Monthly ARC's and it was A Grim and Sunken Vow by Ashley Shuttleworth and Born to Be Badger by Shelly Laurenston from the November list, and A Year to the Day by Robin Benway from the June 2022 list, and Bone Weaver by Aden Polydoros from the September 2022 list, and The Warden by Daniel M. Ford from the April list.

Here's the link to this month's post with my journey.

How it Works: 

This is my monthly ARC accountability challenge, to list out the books that I have as ARC's that are being published in the coming month, rounding them up at the start of the month, and seeing how well I did at the end, as well as rounding up the next month's books.    

  

Bookgammon Readathon Update 4

So I read my next book for Bookgammon Readathon, and it was Bone Weaver which was for the prompt Roll 3, and I'll be reading Going Bovine next! 

My Reading Journey:

Steelstriker by Marie Lu

Prompt Fulfilled: Roll 5

Started On: December 17th

Finished On: December 17th, 12:15 PM

Pages Read: 400

Fire & Heist by Sarah Beth Durst

Prompt Fulfilled: Roll 4

Started On: December 17th

Finished On: December 17th, 3:54 PM

Pages Read: 304

Knight Assassin by Rima Jean

Prompt Fulfilled: Roll 2

Started On: December 20th

Finished On: December 20th, 10:05 PM

Pages Read: 300

A Year to the Day by Robin Benway

Prompt Fulfilled: Roll 3

Started On: December 26th

Finished On: December 26th, 2:31 PM

Pages Read: 352

Bone Weaver by Aden Polydoros

Prompt Fulfilled: Roll 1

Started On: December 

Currently On: Page 0 of 448

Prompts Left: Roll 6

Read: 4

Pages Read: 1356

Week 21 Review: Far from the Tree

From Goodreads:
Robin Benway's beautiful interweaving story of three very different teenagers connected by blood explores the meaning of family in all its forms—how to find it, how to keep it, and how to love it.

Being the middle child has its ups and downs.

But for Grace, an only child who was adopted at birth, discovering that she is a middle child is a different ride altogether. After putting her own baby up for adoption, she goes looking for her biological family, including—

Maya, her loudmouthed younger bio sister, who has a lot to say about their newfound family ties. Having grown up the snarky brunette in a house full of chipper redheads, she's quick to search for traces of herself among these not-quite-strangers. And when her adopted family's long-buried problems begin to explode to the surface, Maya can't help but wonder where exactly it is that she belongs.

And Joaquin, their stoic older bio brother, who has no interest in bonding over their shared biological mother. After seventeen years in the foster care system, he's learned that there are no heroes, and secrets and fears are best kept close to the vest, where they can't hurt anyone but him.

Don't miss this moving novel that addresses such important topics as adoption, teen pregnancy, and foster care. 

My Review:
I had a good time with this book. I requested this book when I wasn't as sure in my reading tastes-I usually avoid contemporary if I can. But sometimes FOMO gets the better of me. But this story of three siblings who were all given up for adoption by their mother, and ended in very different situations.

I'm glad that we got the perspectives of all the siblings. Grace and Maya both were adopted, but Joaquin wasn't, he maybe has a chance of getting adopted, but it hasn't gone through yet. All of them have their issues, and dealing with reconnecting with their biological siblings.

Grace's parents really bugged me. There's so many things that they could've done to make the situation better, even if they couldn't adopt Joaquin as well, and they didn't. And so they both missed out on that connection, when they both could've really used it.

The way this book dealt with all these issues, I really enjoyed how they were dealt with. It was thought provoking, and pretty emotional at points. I hope not all of it is experienced by those who are adopted and who adopt, but some of it is, and I hope that everybody who experiences it the best! 

I had a good time with this book, and I'm really glad that I read it!  

Author: Robin Benway
Read: May 21st, 2022
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded really great and it's a SAC 2022 Book!
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: October 3rd 2017

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars

Becca's BookoplAthon Update 3

So I read my next book for Becca's BookoplAthon, and it was Far from the Tree which was for the prompt Ebook or Audiobook, and I'll be reading Gideon Green in Black and White next!

My Reading Journey:

Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg 

Prompt Fulfilled: Small Book

Started On: May 20th

Finished On: May 20th, 9:15 PM

Pages Read: 276

Star Father by Charlie N. Holmberg

Prompt Fulfilled: Gods

Started On: May 20th

Finished On: May 20th, 11:42 PM

Pages Read: 329

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway

Prompt Fulfilled: Ebook or Audiobook

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 1:48 PM

Pages Read: 520

Gideon Green in Black and White by Katie Henry

Prompt Fulfilled: Colour

Started On: May 21st

Currently On: Page 0 of 384

Read: 3
Pages Read: 1125

Clean Sweep ARC Challenge Update 22

Ok, so I read my next book for Clean Sweep ARC Challenge, and it was Far from the Tree and I'll be reading Gideon Green in Black and White next! 

My Reading Journey:

The Life She Had by K.L. Armstrong

Started On: May 1st
Finished On: May 1st, 8:55 PM
Pages Read: 320

A Curse of Queens by Amanda Bouchet 

Started On: May 3rd

Finished On: May 3rd, 9:20 PM
Pages Read: 496

Heroic Hearts Anthology 

Started On: May 4th

Finished On: May 4th, 10:21 PM
Pages Read: 368

Alone Out Here by Riley Redgate

Started On: May 5th

Finished On: May 5th, 9:34 PM
Pages Read: 400

Claws for Suspicion by Deborah Blake

Started On: May 6th

Finished On: May 6th, 4:02 PM
Pages Read: 288

Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Started On: May 6th

Finished On: May 6th, 8:40 PM
Pages Read: 368

Game Changer by Neal Shusterman

Started On: May 7th

Finished On: May 7th, 9:45 PM
Pages Read: 400

Wolf in the Shadows by Maria Vale

Started On: May 8th

Finished On: May 8th, 9:10 PM

Pages Read: 360

The Stars Between Us by Cristin Terrill

Started On: May 9th

Finished On: May 9th, 8:36 PM

Pages Read: 400

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood

Started On: May 11th

Finished On: May 11th, 8:12 PM

Pages Read: 384

Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas

Started On: May 12th

Finished On: May 12th, 9:34 PM

Pages Read: 368

'Till the World Ends Anthology

Started On: May 14th

Finished On: May 14th, 10:30 PM

Pages Read: 448

The Hunt by Megan Shepard 

Started On: May 15th

Finished On: May 15th, 7:30 PM

Pages Read: 384

The Gauntlet by Megan Shepard 

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 9:32 PM

Pages Read: 400

Clown in a Cornfield 2: Frendo Lives by Adam Cesare

Started On: May 16th

Finished On: May 16th, 11:34 PM

Pages Read: 416

Katzenjammer by Francesca Zappia 

Started On: May 17th

Finished On: May 17th, 11:06 AM

Pages Read: 304

Anatomy by Dana Schwartz

Started On: May 18th

Finished On: May 18th, 10:32 PM

Pages Read: 320

Loveboat Reunion by Abigail Hing Wen

Started On: May 19th

Finished On: May 19th, 3:30 PM

Pages Read: 400

Trouble With the Cursed by Kim Harrison 

Started On: May 19th

Finished On: May 19th, 9:54 PM

Pages Read: 464

Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg 

Started On: May 20th

Finished On: May 20th, 9:15 PM

Pages Read: 276

Star Father by Charlie N. Holmberg

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 20th, 11:42 PM

Pages Read: 329

Far from the Tree by Robin Benway

Started On: May 21st

Finished On: May 21st, 1:48 PM

Pages Read: 520

Gideon Green in Black and White by Katie Henry

Started On: May 21st

Currently On: Page 0 of 384

Books Read: 22

Goal: 25 Books

Pages Read: 8413

Waiting on Wednesday #575, May 18th

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

A Year to the Day by Robin Benway

Expected Publication: June 21st, 2022
From Goodreads:

National Book Award–winning author Robin Benway returns with an ambitious I’ll Give You the Sun meets Every Day story of love, loss, and sisterhood told in a reverse chronological narrative that will claim a permanent home in your heart.

It’s been a year—a year of missing Nina. A year of milestones—holidays, birthdays, everything without her.

Leo feels like she should remember what happened that night. But all she knows is that she left the party and got into a car with Nina and Nina’s boyfriend, East.

East, who once promised Nina he’d watch out for her younger sister. East, who has been trying to keep that promise every day since. But East won’t give Leo the one thing she wants—the one thing she needs. He won’t tell her anything about the accident. He won’t talk about that night at all.

As the days tumble one into the next, Leo’s story comes together while her world falls apart. The only constant is the one person who can help her bear the enormous weight of her love for Nina—and East might be carrying too heavy a load of his own.

Robin Benway’s signature exploration of love, family, and finding yourself is on display in her most ambitious story yet.

Just one book coming out this day, but yeah, I can't wait for this book! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Week 49 Review: Emmy & Oliver

From Goodreads:
Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy's soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?

Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life. . . . She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents' relentless worrying. But Emmy's parents can't seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.

Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart. . . . He'd thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who had kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing, and his thoughts swirling.

Readers who love Sarah Dessen will devour these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver's father's crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story.

My Review:
I really enjoyed this book! I haven't really read many other books that deal with kidnapping, and the one that I can think of off the top of my head was from the POV of the kidnapped. So yeah, this book is pretty darned unique.

This book was really hilarious! I loved Emmy's sense of humour, and use of sarcasm! So awesome! One of the best lines, for me, was Drew saying, "The sign says STOP! Not GIVE UP!" That was just hilarious!

You have to feel for Oliver. He was kidnapped by his dad-but he didn't know that. He thought that his mom had abandoned them, and that he and his dad were having an adventure basically. He loves his dad, but his mom wants to make sure that his dad is jailed for his crimes. Complicated!

I think that it was a really great ending! They were happy, they were together, and while his dad is in prison, well, his dad's the one that called the cops, so it's kinda the best of the situation. And so it's a happy ending, and I really liked that!

Awesome book, so funny and so great, and I really enjoyed it!

Author: Robin Benway
Read: November 29th, 2015
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded really great, and it's a SAC 2015 Book and it's a WoW Book!
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: June 23rd 2015

5/5 Hearts

4/5 Books

4/5 Stars

Waiting on Wednesday #211, May 20th

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

A Book of Spirits and Thieves by Morgan Rhodes
Expected Publication: June 23rd, 2015
From Goodreads:
Modern-day sisters discover deadly ancient magic in book 1 of this Falling Kingdoms spin-off series!

Worlds collide in this suspenseful, page-turning Falling Kingdoms spin-off series, which explores a whole new side of Mytica—and an even darker version of its magic.

Crystal Hatcher, Modern-day Toronto: It’s a normal afternoon in her father’s antique bookshop when Crys witnesses the unthinkable: her little sister Becca collapses into a coma after becoming mesmerized by a mysterious book written in an unrecognizable language.

Maddox Corso, Ancient Mytica: Maddox Corso doesn’t think much of it when he spots an unfamiliar girl in his small village. Until, that is, he realizes that she is a spirit, and he is the only one who can see or hear her. Her name is Becca Hatcher, and she needs Maddox to help get her home.

Farrell Grayson, Modern-day Toronto: Rich and aimless Farrell Grayson is thrilled when the mysterious leader of the ultra-secret Hawkspeare Society invites him into the fold. But when he learns exactly what he has to do to prove himself, Farrell starts to question everything he thought he knew about family, loyalty, and himself….

Fate has brought these young people together, but ancient magic threatens to rip them apart.

The Leveller by Julia Durango
Expected Publication: June 23rd, 2015
From Goodreads:
Nixy Bauer is a self-made Leveller. Her job? Dragging kids out of virtual reality and back to their parents in the real world. It’s normally easy cash, but Nixy’s latest mission is fraught with real danger, intrigue, and romance.

Nixy Bauer is used to her classmates being very, very unhappy to see her. After all, she’s a bounty hunter in a virtual reality gaming world. Kids in the MEEP, as they call it, play entirely with their minds, while their bodies languish in a sleeplike state on the couch. Irritated parents, looking to wrench their kids back to reality, hire Nixy to jump into the game and retrieve them. 

But when the game’s billionaire developer loses track of his own son in the MEEP, Nixy is in for the biggest challenge of her bounty-hunting career. Wyn Salvador isn’t some lazy kid looking to escape his homework: Wyn does not want to be found. And he’s left behind a suicide note. Nixy takes the job but quickly discovers that Wyn’s not hiding—he’s being held inside the game against his will. But who is holding him captive, and why?

Nixy and Wyn attempt to fight their way out of a mind game unlike any they’ve encountered, and the battle brings them closer than either could have imagined. But when the whole world is virtual, how can Nixy possibly know if her feelings are real?

Gamers and action fans of all types will dive straight into the MEEP, thanks to Julia Durango’s cinematic storytelling. A touch of romance adds some heart to Nixy’s vivid, multidimensional journey through Wyn’s tricked-out virtual city, and constant twists keep readers flying through to the breathtaking end. 

Emmy & Oliver by Robin Benway
Expected Publication: June 23rd, 2015
From Goodreads:
Emmy and Oliver were going to be best friends forever, or maybe even more, before their futures were ripped apart. In Emmy's soul, despite the space and time between them, their connection has never been severed. But is their story still written in the stars? Or are their hearts like the pieces of two different puzzles—impossible to fit together?

Emmy just wants to be in charge of her own life. . . . She wants to stay out late, surf her favorite beach—go anywhere without her parents' relentless worrying. But Emmy's parents can't seem to let her grow up—not since the day Oliver disappeared.

Oliver needs a moment to figure out his heart. . . . He'd thought, all these years, that his dad was the good guy. He never knew that it was his father who had kidnapped him and kept him on the run. Discovering it, and finding himself returned to his old hometown, all at once, has his heart racing, and his thoughts swirling.

Readers who love Sarah Dessen will devour these pages with hearts in throats as Emmy and Oliver struggle to face the messy, confusing consequences of Oliver's father's crime. Full of romance, coming-of-age emotion, and heartache, these two equally compelling characters create an unforgettable story.

Oh, I just want to read these books so much! They look so fantastic, and I just want to read them! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Robin Benway Author Page

The Story: I heard of Robin Benway from Goodreads, and the Also Known As, and now I've gotten Emmy & Oliver from Edelweiss, and I can't wait to read them!

Website

Series: Also Known As.

Also Known As: Also Known As and her site, my review, Going Rogue and her site, my review.

Stand Alone's: Emmy & Oliver and her site, my review, The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June and her site, my review, Aubrey, Wait! and her site, my review, Far From the Tree and her site, my review, A Year to the Day and her site, my review.