Hi readers!

I hope you’re all having a great day! Kristy and I have some exciting news to share. :)

Bare with me though because I want to talk about the state of the blog and what’s been going on in the background first.
You may have noticed some changes with our posts in the last couple of months. Very clearly I have taken more of a direction into comics and graphic novels (which I’ve loved for a few years now, but has become almost all I read these days), whereas Kristy is still reviewing the YA books you’ve come to expect to seeing around here. I guess for me, it’s been a difficult shift. I went into a huge reading slump that has lasted months and the only thing that has pulled me through is comics. I have battled with a lot of guilt over this because I haven’t been posting YA reviews, which left me with the feeling that I was very much leaving Kristy to this responsibility on her own - and I didn’t want her to have to have this pressure on her either.

Since Book Nerd Reviews has traditionally always focused on YA books, I wasn’t posting comic reviews for a long time because I didn’t want to “tarnish the waters”. But Kristy and I discussed it, as the alternative was that I’d have to consider stepping down - which I am also not ready for. Book Nerd Reviews is my baby that I’ve nurtured for the last few years. Kristy has been so amazing and very supportive of me, and we decided that there’s no reason why Book Nerd Reviews had to just be a YA book blog. This is why you’re now seeing YA and comic related posts and reviews. Personally, this has been great for me and has reignited my passion for this blog - however I still was conscious that Kristy was representing YA books on her own. She is completely capable of doing this - but having done it myself for a number of years, the last thing I want is for Kristy to burn out also.

Which finally brings me to the good news.
Our little team of two is expanding to three. Kristy and I as co-bloggers sat down and talked made a decision that we would be on the lookout for a contributer to help us with posts and YA reviews. We hadn’t even gone out with this publicly yet, when we received an email from Jocie, who lives in Queensland. Her personality is bubbly and infectious and she’s fun and articulate and loves YA. So why wouldn’t we jump at the chance to have her join the team? :)

Jocie will start posting reviews shortly, and so this post is more to let you know what’s happening around these parts. When Jocie starts posting, you should welcome her and say hi! You can also view her personal blog here and add her on twitter here.

Welcome to Book Nerd Reviews Jocie!
We’re really happy to have you onboard. :)

Hi everyone! Welcome to another Comic Crossover.

What is Comic Crossover you ask?
Comic Crossover is where we take a YA book and compare it to a comic book up close. Comics sometimes get a bad wrap, and so this feature is designed to shine a light on some amazing comic reads.

Sometimes you may not see straight away why I have matched up books and comics the way I have, but rest assured that there is always method to my madness! Sometimes it’s because of the characters alone, the storyline, the genre or another feature about the YA book that I have found that draws parallel to a comic.

For those of you who are new to comics, the titles that I select to talk about are always comics that you can pick straight up off the shelf without knowing anything prior about them and enjoy. So if comics have made you feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable in the past, you don’t need to feel that way about the comics that feature in Comic Crossover.

In all cases, I have read both the YA books and the comics, so if you have any questions you can comment on this post!

This weeks Comic Crossover:
If you enjoyed The Devouring by Simon Holt, then you might enjoy Locke & Key Volume 1: Welcome To Lovecraft by Joe Hill

YA Book Breakdown: Hands down the best horror YA book I’ve read. When Reggie reads about the Vours in a mysterious old journal, she assumes they are just the musings of an anonymous lunatic. But when her little brother, Henry, begins to act strangely, it’s clear that these creatures exist beyond a madwoman’s imagination, and Reggie finds out what happens when fears come to life. This book plays like a movie in your mind. It’s such a dark fun read and genuinely plays on some common fears. I’d love to read this series again actually!

Comic Book Breakdown: Locke & Key tells of Keyhouse, an unlikely New England mansion, with fantastic doors that transform all who dare to walk through them. Home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it forces open the most terrible door of them all. Locke & Key is so original and different to other books I have read with a “haunted house” theme.

Why the comparison? Both are deliciously creepy books. If you love spooky reads, then both of these books are fantastic. Not only are they both quite dark reads, but they are both so original and well thought through in terms of the overall story. You’re able to pick up Locke & Key Volume 1 without any prior comic knowledge and it’s a great series in general!

Want to grab yourself a copy? Right here or check with your local library.

Release Date: May 8th 2012
Published By: Margaret K. McElderry Book
Pages: 535
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list
Purchase: Click here to purchase

Rating: 3 out of 5

Synopsis: The New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments continues—and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon.

What price is too high to pay, even for love? When Jace and Clary meet again, Clary is horrified to discover that the demon Lilith’s magic has bound her beloved Jace together with her evil brother Sebastian, and that Jace has become a servant of evil. The Clave is out to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. As Alec, Magnus, Simon, and Isabelle wheedle and bargain with Seelies, demons, and the merciless Iron Sisters to try to save Jace, Clary plays a dangerous game of her own. The price of losing is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she still trust him? Or is he truly lost?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge. Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

Review: This review contains spoilers for the previous books in ‘The Mortal Instruments’ series.

After the cliff-hanger ending of City of Fallen Angels, we find ourselves thrown in the midst of the Sebastian’s evil plan without really knowing what is going on, and why. Jace is missing, and all we know is that Jace is linked to Sebastian and to hurt Sebastian will hurt Jace. The Clave wants Sebastian dead - but they cannot find him. But even if they do, how can this be done without destroying Jace as well - and does The Clave care enough about Jace to ensure he survives?

Clary, Alec, Magnus, Isabelle and Simon find themselves fighting for Jace’s life - dealing with faeries, demons and other creatures never to be dealt with before - a lot of sacrifices are made to try to save Jace - but will they succeed? Meanwhile, Jace isn’t himself, and although his love for Clary remains, his bond to Sebastian is stronger. So Clary does the only thing she can think to do, and Clary decides to join Jace, in the hopes to save him. Clary finds that Jace is much more like Sebastian that she dared to imagine, but she constantly hopes that she can save the boy she loves. But will she survive herself?

During Clary’s time of trying to save Jace, we get to learn some of Sebastian’s plans, and also get see some other sides to him. There are moments of vulnerability and yearning, and then there are moments of bat-crap crazy - it is never a dull moment when Sebastian is concerned. He is a very interesting character.

The others are trying to find a way to detach Jace and Sebastian, and come up with some pretty inventive ideas - but will their plans work? Will they find a way to destroy one without the other?

Throughout this book we get to hear a LOT of Clary reminiscing about Jace. The flashbacks she has of him (even when he is there) do become a bit repetitive. Actually the become very repetitive. This may have annoyed me more because I found Clary extremely frustrating in this book. She was selfish and impulsive and made stupid decisions. One in fact was so ridiculously idiotic and selfish, I actually had to put the book down because she frustrated me so much.

Once again, I loved the references to The Infernal Devices… I love how these two are being interweaved, and this one thing that Clare continues to do extremely well. There were lots of references to the Herrondales and Tessa. I especially loved the comment about ducks! And I really enjoyed the lighter moments in this book; the sibling interactions between Alec and Izzy, the sarcasm and light-hearted humour of Magnus, and even Jace retained his ego-inflated sarcasm. And we even get to see the more vulnerable and softer side to Izzy - she has had it pretty tough, but she is certainly growing. And Brother Zachariah is clearly becoming a bigger part in the storyline, which I really like.

But there are two characters that I just really want to smack around the head - that being Clary and Alec. Although Clary is becoming stronger, she is starting to become a real Shadowhunter, sadly she is still making some pretty impulsive and idiotic decisions that could have disastrous consequences. And then there is Alec. I don’t normally have issues with Alec, but he was pretty stupid in this book… throughout the book I wanted to just shake him. I do love Alec, and although he has always been the sensible one, he proved that his heart can overrule his head. He lets someone plant ideas in his head, and sometimes thoughts can be turn into the most dangerous a weapon of all. Oh Alec….

Although I am a little over the whole Jace and Clary not being able to be together thing (5 books is a lot of angst), this book did have a stronger plot and faster pace than City of Fallen Angels, so therefore I did enjoy it more than its predecessor.

As the book draws to the close, the action really picks up. Sebastian’s plans are in full-swing, but so is the desire to save Jace. Some pretty horrific things happen, and a battle ensues. Hate, love, desire and betrayal are fuelling motives, and everyone is determined to succeed in their plan. People are hurt, people are desperate to save those who may or not be able to be saved, and people are thrown into a situation where sacrifices must be made. But will the ultimate sacrifice save or kill those you love the most?

The conclusion was certainly interesting - and I think ultimately this will be a huge part in the finale of this series - and probably not just a huge part, but THE huge part. I just hope that that card wasn’t played too early.

Quotes:

“Missing, one stunningly attractive teenage boy. Answers to ‘Jace’ or ‘Hot Stuff”

“Watching me play Scrabble is enough to make most women swoon. Imagine if I actually put in some effort.”

“Nerd love. It is a beautiful thing, while also being an object of mockery and hilarity for those of us who are more sophisticated.”

“He’d burn the whole world down til he could dig out you of the ashes.”

“You have a dark heart in you, Valentine’s daughter,”

“I don’t think she doesn’t believe she can die. I think, just like you always did, she believes there are things worth dying for.”

“Screw the Silent Brothers.”
“No thanks. There’s strong and silent, and then there’s just freaky.”

It’s Wednesday which means it’s time to tell you what we have been up to for the past week! Well actually, this covers the last two weeks, but same rules apply :) W..W..W.. Wednesdays is a weekly meme bought to you by MizB from Should Be Reading.

What are you currently reading?

Melissa - I’ve currently started reading Batman Volume 4: Zero Year Secret City.

Kristy - Tonight I am picking up We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

What did you recently finish reading?

Melissa - I had a big week for books. I finished reading Batman Volume 3: Death of the Family. Was so good!! Love a good Joker story!

Kristy - The Winners Curse (The Winners Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutcoski, Wow - this is one great book. My review will come soon. And I also read Bridge of Snow (The Winner’s Trilogy 0.5).

What do you think you’ll read next?

Melissa - Possibly Batgirl: Year One or maybe Gotham Central Volume 1.

Kristy - Next up is Masquerade by Kylie Fornasier. I am then planning on listening to the audiobook of Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo.

What is everyone out there reading at the moment, and more importantly is it a good read? Share your links below!

Release Date: September 23rd 2014
Published By: DC Comics
Pages: 192
Goodreads: Add it to your reading list

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis: Beginning a bold new series that details the relationship between The Man of Steel and the Warrior Princess as writer Charles Soule (Swamp Thing) is joined by artist Tony S. Daniel (Batman) to tell the tale of a romance that will shake the stars themselves. These two super-beings love each other, but not everyone shares their joy. Some fear it, some test it-and some will try to kill for it. Some say love is a battlefield, but where Superman and Wonder Woman are concerned it spells Doomsday!

Collects Issues #1-7 of Superman/Wonder Woman

Review: Let me preface this review by saying that whilst I consider myself a pretty big Wonder Woman fan, I’ve never really been much of a Superman fan. I’ve always found him to be quite boy scouty and lacking much of a personality if I am honest. Probably explains why I love Batman so much. ;)

Now that I’ve gotten out of the way, if you too don’t love Superman, this is a GREAT reason to read Superman/Wonder Woman Volume 1. I know that doesn’t make sense on the surface. But honestly, this book helped me really like Superman as a character. I saw so much more depth in his character than I’ve ever seen in any standalone Superman comic.

The reason this book is different to most, is that it’s ultimately a romance. If you’re new to comics, I’ll say it now. Romance and comics don’t often come together in a story. Especially in a DC Superheroes story! So to have this series, it’s quite exciting.

We still see so much action and we see Superman and Wonder Woman team up to take on their enemies together, so it’s not lacking ANY of the standard action you should come to expect in a superhero comic. In actual fact, this had plenty of action scenes and some very worth adversaries in Doomsday and Zod.

It’s really interesting for me personally to see the Internets reaction to this comic title in general, because so many people love Superman and Lois Lane together. I am going to say it now… I think Lois Lane is needy, clingy and desperate. There. I said it. I feel so much better for having gotten that off my chest.

The thing I love about Wonder Woman and Superman together is that they are both equals. Wonder Woman does not need Superman. She wants him. She is a strong and independent woman who is constantly showing Superman that she can take care of herself and doesn’t need to be protected. Interestingly enough, it’s when they’re out of uniform where we see that she too can be vulnerable at times when she gets upset that Clark wants to keep their relationship a secret. We als0 get to see Diana’s (Wonder Woman) ex Steve Trevor getting all jealous of her relationship with Superman as well which showed a very different side to these characters.

The art is beautiful, and I truly believe that a comic book is more enjoyable when the art is good to look at also. I thought there was some really beautiful scenes in this comic. :)

I really enjoyed this book; if you’ve never read a comic before, this can be picked off the shelf and enjoyed - you don’t have to know much about comics to understand this! It’s a pure love story. :)

Here is some more unique bookshelf bliss for you to admire! We hope you enjoy these amazing displays of books!

Hello everyone! Thanks to the wonderful team at Bookworld, we hosted a giveaway for one lucky reader of Book Nerd Reviews to win a boxset of Game of Thrones by George. R. R. Martin!

Synopsis: For the first time, all five novels in the epic fantasy series that inspired HBO’s “Game of Thrones “are together in one boxed set. An immersive entertainment experience unlike any other, A Song of Ice and Fire has earned George R. R. Martin-dubbed “the American Tolkien” by “Time” magazine-international acclaim and millions of loyal readers. Now here is the entire monumental cycle:
A GAME OF THRONES
A CLASH OF KINGS
A STORM OF SWORDS
A FEAST OF CROWS
A DANCE WITH DRAGONS
“One of the best series in the history of fantasy.”-“Los Angeles Times”
” ”
Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King’s Landing. There Eddard Stark of Winterfell rules in Robert’s name. There his family dwells in peace and comfort: his proud wife, Catelyn; his sons Robb, Brandon, and Rickon; his daughters Sansa and Arya; and his bastard son, Jon Snow. Far to the north, behind the towering Wall, lie savage Wildings and worse-unnatural things relegated to myth during the centuries-long summer, but proving all too real and all too deadly in the turning of the season.
Yet a more immediate threat lurks to the south, where Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, has died under mysterious circumstances. Now Robert is riding north to Winterfell, bringing his queen, the lovely but cold Cersei, his son, the cruel, vainglorious Prince Joffrey, and the queen’s brothers Jaime and Tyrion of the powerful and wealthy House Lannister-the first a swordsman without equal, the second a dwarf whose stunted stature belies a brilliant mind. All are heading for Winterfell and a fateful encounter that will change the course of kingdoms.
Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Prince Viserys, heir of the fallen House Targaryen, which once ruled all of Westeros, schemes to reclaim the throne with an army of barbarian Dothraki-whose loyalty he will purchase in the only coin left to him: his beautiful yet innocent sister, Daenerys..

And the winner of the Game of Thrones boxset giveaway is…….

Janelle Herondale

Congratulations, I will send you an email shortly to get your personal details so this boxset can be on its way to you soon!

Once again, we would like to thank Bookworld for this amazing giveaway! If you didn’t win this awesome prize, you can purchase the Game of Thrones boxset from Bookworld (you can save even more if you join their VIP Citizenship program).

For those of you who entered and didn’t win, we will be hosting another giveaway soon, so keep y our eyes peeled for that!

Hi everyone! Welcome to another Comic Crossover.

What is Comic Crossover you ask?
Comic Crossover is where we take a YA book and compare it to a comic book up close. Comics sometimes get a bad wrap, and so this feature is designed to shine a light on some amazing comic reads.

Sometimes you may not see straight away why I have matched up books and comics the way I have, but rest assured that there is always method to my madness! Sometimes it’s because of the characters alone, the storyline, the genre or another feature about the YA book that I have found that draws parallel to a comic.

For those of you who are new to comics, the titles that I select to talk about are always comics that you can pick straight up off the shelf without knowing anything prior about them and enjoy. So if comics have made you feel overwhelmed or uncomfortable in the past, you don’t need to feel that way about the comics that feature in Comic Crossover.

In all cases, I have read both the YA books and the comics, so if you have any questions you can comment on this post!

This weeks Comic Crossover:
If you enjoyed The Last Girl by Michael Adams, then you might enjoy The Walking Dead Volume 1: Days Gone Bye

YA Book Breakdown: The Last Girl is Danby’s story. She wakes up on Christmas and starts hearing everyone’s thoughts. But this book isn’t about Danby having supernatural powers. Because everyone can hear everyone elses thoughts. Except for some reason no one can hear Danby’s thoughts. This is the end of the world as people know it. People start calling it The Snap. When The Snap happens, suburbs and cities explode into chaos and violence. This is the apocalypse. Danby must protect her little brother and reach the safety of her mother’s mountain retreat. But it’s 100 kilometres away and the highways are blocked by thousands of cars and surrounded by millions of people coming apart at the psychic seams.

Comic Book Breakdown: If you’ve seen the TV show, you’ll have an idea. The world we knew is gone. The world of commerce and frivolous necessity has been replaced by a world of survival and responsibility. An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe, causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months society has crumbled: no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, the survivors are forced to finally start living.

Why the comparison? Both of these stories are amazing apocalypse type stories. The Last Girl has a different type of spin on it, and The Walking Dead features many zombies. Both are compelling stories in their own right and there’s a reason The Walking Dead was turned into a TV show. It isn’t a horror comic despite what many believe. It’s actually a drama comic, just about zombies. And it works!

Want to grab yourself a copy? Right here or check with your local library.

It’s July!! Here are 12 of the releases this month that we’re the most excited about!

July 1st

The Vanishing Season - Jodi Lynn Anderson

Girls started vanishing in the fall, and now winter’s come to lay a white sheet over the horror. Door County, it seems, is swallowing the young, right into its very dirt. From beneath the house on Water Street, I’ve watched the danger swell.

The residents know me as the noises in the house at night, the creaking on the stairs. I’m the reflection behind them in the glass, the feeling of fear in the cellar. I’m tied—it seems—to this house, this street, this town.

I’m tied to Maggie and Pauline, though I don’t know why. I think it’s because death is coming for one of them, or both.

All I know is that the present and the past are piling up, and I am here to dig.I am looking for the things that are buried.

From bestselling author Jodi Lynn Anderson comes a friendship story bound in snow and starlight, a haunting mystery of love, betrayal, redemption, and the moments that we leave behind.

Reckoning (Silver Blackthorn #1) - Kerry Wilkinson

One girl. One chance. One destiny.

In the village of Martindale, hundreds of miles north of the new English capital of Windsor, sixteen-year-old Silver Blackthorne takes the Reckoning. This coming-of- age test not only decides her place in society – Elite, Member, Inter or Trog – but also determines that Silver is to become an Offering for King Victor.But these are uncertain times and no one really knows what happens to the teenagers who disappear into Windsor Castle. Is being an Offering the privilege everyone assumes it to be, or do the walls of the castle have something to hide?Trapped in a maze of ancient corridors, Silver finds herself in a warped world of suspicion where it is difficult to know who to trust and who to fear. The one thing Silver does know is that she must find a way out . . . The heart-stopping first book in a new trilogy by UK author Kerry Wilkinson, Reckoning is the story of one girl’s determination to escape the whims of a cruel king, and what she must do to survive against all odds.

Coral & Bone - Tiffany Daune

Halen knows the sparks igniting under her fingertips are dangerous. She has spent her entire life trying to quell the tingly feelings that make her destroy things, but now that she is back in Rockaway Beach, where she watched her father drown, the flames have become impossible to tame.Halen is trying to hold on, but when she is thrust into a mysterious new world, the underwater realm of Elosia, she unravels the secrets of her past and can’t help but ignite. As she explores Elosia, she realizes her life has been a lie. And when those who have deceived her come to her for help, Halen must choose—walk away or unleash the magick that could destroy them all.

 

On the Fence - Kasie West

She’s a tomboy. He’s the boy next door…

Charlie Reynolds can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn’t know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at a chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world. To cope with the stress of her new reality, Charlie takes to spending nights chatting with her neighbor Braden through the fence between their yards. As she grows to depend on their nightly Fence Chats, she realizes she’s got a bigger problem than speeding tickets-she’s falling for Braden. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Fun, original, and endearing, On the Fence is a romantic comedy about finding yourself and finding love where you least expect.

July 8th

The Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles #1) - Mary E. Pearson

In this timeless new trilogy about love and sacrifice, a princess must find her place in a reborn world.

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love.

Midnight Thief (Midnight Thief #1) - Livia Blackburne

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs.

But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull.

Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.

When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

July 15th

Illusive (Illusive) - Emily Lloyd-Jones

The X-Men meets Ocean’s Eleven in this edge-of-your-seat sci-fi adventure about a band of “super” criminals.

When the MK virus swept across the planet, a vaccine was created to stop the epidemic, but it came with some unexpected side effects. A small percentage of the population developed superhero-like powers. Seventeen-year-old Ciere Giba has the handy ability to change her appearance at will. She’s what’s known as an illusionist…She’s also a thief.

After a robbery goes awry, Ciere must team up with a group of fellow super-powered criminals on another job that most would consider too reckless. The formula for the vaccine that gave them their abilities was supposedly destroyed years ago. But what if it wasn’t?

The lines between good and bad, us and them, and freedom and entrapment are blurred as Ciere and the rest of her crew become embroiled in a deadly race against the government that could cost them their lives.

July 22nd

Extraction (Extraction #1) - Stephanie Diaz

“Welcome to Extraction testing.”

Clementine has spent her whole life preparing for her sixteenth birthday, when she’ll be tested for Extraction in the hopes of being sent from the planet Kiel’s toxic Surface to the much safer Core, where people live without fear or starvation. When she proves promising enough to be “Extracted,” she must leave without Logan, the boy she loves. Torn apart from her only sense of family, Clem promises to come back and save him from brutal Surface life.

What she finds initially in the Core is a utopia compared to the Surface—it’s free of hard labor, gun-wielding officials, and the moon’s lethal acid. But life is anything but safe, and Clementine learns that the planet’s leaders are planning to exterminate Surface dwellers—and that means Logan, too.

Trapped by the steel walls of the underground and the lies that keep her safe, Clementine must find a way to escape and rescue Logan and the rest of the planet. But the planet leaders don’t want her running—they want her subdued.

With intense action scenes and a cast of unforgettable characters, Extraction is a page-turning, gripping read, sure to entertain lovers of Hunger Games and Ender’s Game and leave them breathless for more.

Strange and Ever After (Something Strange and Deadly #3) - Susan Dennard

He took her brother, he took her mother, and now, Marcus has taken her good friend Jie. With more determination than ever to bring this sinister man to justice, Eleanor heads to the hot desert streets of nineteenth-century Egypt in hopes of ending this nightmare. But in addition to her increasingly tense relationships with Daniel, Joseph, and her demon, Oliver, Eleanor must also deal with her former friend, Allison, who has curiously entangled herself in Eleanor’s mission.

With the rising dead chomping at her every move and Jie’s life hanging in the balance, Eleanor is convinced that her black magic will see her through to the bitter end. But there will be a price. Though she and the Spirit Hunters have weathered every battle thus far, there will be consequences to suffer this time—the effects of which will be irreversible. And when it’s over, only some will be able to live a strange and ever after.

Susan Dennard will leave readers breathless and forever changed in the concluding pages of this riveting ride.

Dissonance (Dissonance #1) - Erica O’Rourke

Delancy Sullivan has always known there’s more to reality than what people see. Every time someone makes a choice, a new, parallel world branches off from the existing one. Eating breakfast or skipping it, turning left instead of right, sneaking out instead of staying in bed ~ all of these choices create an alternate universe in which an echo self takes the road not travelled and makes the opposite decision. As a Walker, someone who can navigate between these worlds, Del’s job is to keep all of the dimensions in harmony.

Normally, Del can hear the dissonant frequency that each world emits as clear as a bell. But when a training session in an off-key world goes horribly wrong, she is forbidden from Walking by the Council. But Del’s not big on following the rules and she secretly starts to investigate these other worlds. Something strange is connecting them and it’s not just her random encounters with echo versions of the guy she likes, Simon Lane.

But Del’s decisions have unimaginable consequences and, as she begins to fall for the Echo Simons in each world, she draws closer to a truth that the Council of Walkers is trying to hide ~ a secret that threatens the fate of the entire multiverse.

Welcome to the Dark House - Laurie Faria Stolarz

What’s your worst nightmare?

For Ivy Jensen, it’s the eyes of a killer that haunt her nights. For Parker Bradley, it’s bloodthirsty sea serpents that slither in his dreams.

And for seven essay contestants, it’s their worst nightmares that win them an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at director Justin Blake’s latest, confidential project. Ivy doesn’t even like scary movies, but she’s ready to face her real-world fears. Parker’s sympathetic words and perfect smile help keep her spirits up. . . at least for now.

Not everyone is so charming, though. Horror-film fanatic Garth Vader wants to stir up trouble. It’s bad enough he has to stay in the middle of nowhere with this group—the girl who locks herself in her room; the know-it-all roommate; “Mister Sensitive”; and the one who’s too cheery for her own good. Someone has to make things interesting.

Except, things are already a little weird. The hostess is a serial-killer look-alike, the dream-stealing Nightmare Elf is lurking about, and the seventh member of the group is missing.

By the time Ivy and Parker realize what’s really at stake, it’s too late to wake up and run.

July 29th

The Bridge from Me to You - Lisa Schroeder

Lauren has a secret. Colby has a problem. But when they find each other, everything falls into place.

Lauren is the new girl in town with a dark secret. Colby is the football hero with a dream of something more. In alternating chapters, they come together, fall apart, and build something stronger than either of them thought possible-something to truly believe in.