Waiting on Wednesday: The Quantum League

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

The Quantum League by Matthew J. Kirby

Release date: January 28, 2014

From Goodreads:

A magical crime saga filled with marvelous thrills, high action, and extraordinary adventure, from critically acclaimed author Matthew J. Kirby.

After Ben Warner is recruited to join a "science camp" led by the eccentric quantum physicist Dr. Madeleine Hughes, he quickly realizes it's no regular science camp. Along with his new friend, Peter, Ben discovers the secret, powerful art of Actuation -- the ability to change reality by simply imagining it differently.

When a mysterious group of men invade Dr. Hughes's laboratory, abducting her and stealing her precious equipment, Ben and Peter are suddenly caught up in a turf war between dangerous actuators desperate for Dr. Hughes's innovative technology. And as Ben and Peter are pulled into a perilous, hidden world full of impossibilities now made possible, will their combined powers be enough to save Dr. Hughes and vanquish their enemies before it's too late?

Why I'm waiting: I love reading books out loud to my kids and we loved Matthew Kirby's book The Clockwork Three. We are hoping this will be just as good. 

The Forbidden Library

The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler

Release date: April 15, 2014

From Goodreads:

The Forbidden Library kicks off a brand new classic fantasy series perfect for fans of Coraline, Inkheart, and The Books of Elsewhere

Alice always thought fairy tales had happy endings. That--along with everything else--changed the day she met her first fairy

When Alice's father goes down in a shipwreck, she is sent to live with her uncle Geryon--an uncle she's never heard of and knows nothing about. He lives in an enormous manor with a massive library that is off-limits to Alice. But then she meets a talking cat. And even for a rule-follower, when a talking cat sneaks you into a forbidden library and introduces you to an arrogant boy who dares you to open a book, it's hard to resist. Especially if you're a reader to begin with. Soon Alice finds herself INSIDE the book, and the only way out is to defeat the creature imprisoned within.

It seems her uncle is more than he says he is. But then so is Alice.

Why I'm waiting: Again this book looks fun to read out loud to my kids. We loved The Grimm Legacy and this looks similar.

 Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Worlds I'd Never Want To Live In OR Top Ten Characters I'd NEVER Want To Trade Places With

brought to you by the broke and the bookish

Jeni's Picks:

Characters 

1. Dashti from Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale: I just know myself and if I was stuck in a room with a brat like Lady Saren I would've strangled her. 

2. Kate in Heart on a Chain by Cindy C Bennet: I grew up in a loving family and it would be hard to grow up in one like Kates. 

3. Karigan G'ladheon from The Green Rider by Kristen Britain:  I feel so bad to what happens to Karigan in book 4.  I hope better things happen for her in book 5 Mirror Sight coming out in May. 

4. Nick Dunne from Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: This book is insane. I can't even imagine being in this characters shoes. I don't want to ruin the book for anyone that hasn't read it so I'll leave it at that. 

World

5. Allegiant by Veronica Roth: I'm pretty sure if I was a character in this book I would've ended up dead. So nope I definitely wouldn't want to live in this world. 

Emily's Picks

World:
1. The Maze Runner by James Dashner. This world would be one that I would not survive in.  I would have died just from sheer terror.  After finding out I was locked in a arena with a bunch of hormone infused boys.  No thank you. 
2. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong. I really liked this series, but I would not like to live on the run, constantly wondering if someone was after me because I was a supernatural.  It would get tiresome really quick.
3. Tess of the d'Ubervilles by Thomas Hardy. I hated, hated, hated this book, and I felt horrible for poor Tess the entire book. Angel?  Not so Angelic. I would have hated living like Tess. This book makes the stark reality of living in England as a poor person graphic. And very heart wrenching and come on, every one wants a happy ending, which you will not get with this book. (yeah, I know it's a classic)
Characters:
4. Fanny Price from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. Fanny, oh Fanny.  She is just so sweet, and understanding, and good.  Maybe too good.  She should have confessed her love to Edmund and all the silliness would have been avoided. Am I right?  I'm right.
5. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Yep, I went there.  I would not have had the guts or the where with all, to one, hunt for food, two, volunteer, and three survive in a world like that.  I would have hidden under my bed until it was safe to come out..or in their case, until I starved. I would not envy that world, not one second.  It sure makes for a great read though.

Top Ten Tuesday: 2014 Debuts I'm Excited for

brought to you by the broke and the bookish

Jeni's Picks:

1. Trolls, witches and curses sounds fantastic. 

2. Assassins and thief's. I'm hoping it's as good as some of the other books I've read lately like The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen and The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner.

3.  A girl can see strange aura's around people. Sounds interesting. 

4. I was excited for this assassin style book until I went to the book debut. I wasn't impressed with the author she was boring and rude. 

5. A music academy with a myth about a creature that lives in the forest. I love the cover. 

6. Set in a futuristic world where the murder rate is higher than the birth rate. 

7. About a girl that is a fallen fate that has to guide people to their destinies. 

8.  WWII setting. This is one of my favorite time periods to read about. 

9. Set in an underwater world. 

10. A retelling of Beauty and the Beast what could be better? 

Top Ten Tuesday:Top Ten Goals/Resolutions For 2014 (bookish, not bookish or a blend)

brought to you by the broke and the bookish

Jeni's Picks: 

1. To read more from my TBR list. I tend to forget about what I've wanted to read in the past and just read newer books.  

2. To be more organized.

3. Read 150 books this year. 

4. Bug my sister Emily to finish her book.

5. Use bookmarks instead of folding the pages of my books. 

Emily's Picks

1. To read book genres I wouldn't normally venture into.
2. To finish some of the books on my TBR that have been sitting on that list oh, for two or three years.
3. Go to a book signing (and maybe tease Brandon Sanderson again)
4. Maybe finish my book (Jeni....)
5. Get my husband to read a book with me.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Read In 2013

brought to you by the broke and the bookish

Jeni's Picks: Wow this is hard to narrow down…I will try my best. 

1. Blackmore by Julianne Donaldson: While I didn't like this book as much as her debut Edenbrooke, I did enjoy it. I hope this author well keep creating more stories.

2. Drops of Gold by Sarah M. Eden. This is by far my favorite book from this author. I read it 3 times this year. Her next book comes out at the beginning of January. I will probably do a little dance when it comes in the mail.

3. Once a Witch and Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough: My sister Emily recommended this duet to me. I love books about witches and these two books are perfect for a weekend read. The ending didn't disappoint and I even better I didn't have to wait three years for it to end. 

4. The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen: This book was amazing. Such a great sequel to The False Prince. I can't wait until the third and final book in the trilogy is released. February seems so far away.
5. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley: This was another recommendation from my sister Emily. She has been begging me to read this for awhile now. I read it out loud to my girls and they loved it too. It helps that the main character is around their age. 

 

 

 

Emily's Picks

 

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth. This one took me by surprise, and I like being surprised.  I need to finish this series, and have them waiting for me.

 

2. Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard I liked this book, it was interesting, it had non-scary zombies, and I liked the characters. And it was something I could let my 13 year old read.

 

3. The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman this book was something I would have never read on my own.  It is not a book I would pick up and think oh, I'm going to love this one!  But I thought the story was thoughtful, and invoking, and it meant something.

 

4. Enclave by Ann Aguirre I liked this book, it was interesting.  I liked the ending, and honestly, I thought it could end right where it did.  I had no interest in furthering the story, but I liked it.

 

5. Unenchanted by Chanda Hahn this was a book I got on Amazon, and I actually liked it. I bought the whole series.  It was cute, unique, and funny, plus my 13 year old loved it.  So, that's a plus. 

Top Ten Tuesday: New to me authors of 2013

brought to you by the broke and the bookish

Jeni's picks:

1. Stephanie Bond: I read her Body Movers series and loved it. It reminded me a little of the Stephanie Plum novels but I actually think I liked these more. I hope the 7th book comes out soon. 

2. Rhonda Pollero: The Finley Anderson series were a fun read. They got better with every book. My sister introduced me to this author after I made her read The Body Movers series. 

3. Gayle Forman: I actually bought her book If I Stay a long time ago but it sat on my shelf for awhile. When I finally read it I was kicking myself for not reading it earlier. It was one of my favorite books of the year. 

4. Huntley Fitzpatrick:  My Life Next Door was a great read. It reminded me so much of my large family. 

5. M.L. Stedman: The Light Between Oceans. I was so excited to read this book. I bought it while I was in England on vacation. It is a bit melancholy so beware you might need some tissues while reading it. 

Emily's Picks

1. Susan Dennard: Something Strange and Deadly Series. This popped up on my TBR list and having a hard time deciding what to read next, I picked this up. I liked it and bought the next book in the series, A darkness strange and lovely. The third book doesn't come out till next year, but I thought this was interesting. It was recommended for those that liked the Clockwork Angel. 

2. Maggie Stiefvater: Lament was the only book I have read of hers, although I understand her werewolf series is popular.  I have yet to read it. I loved this book. There was something haunting and strange about this faerie tale. And I would love to have her write more about the story line, I know there is another book, but I understand the story follows another character.

3. Julianne Donaldson: Edenbrooke.  This was a fun read, and honestly, it wasn't something that I would have picked up on my own, but having it recommended, by someone I trust, I read it.  And liked it. So, I would have missed out on a fun adventure if I hadn't listened. 

4. Teri Brown: Born Of Illusion. I picked this book up on a whim in the YA section in my library.  And was surprised by the results. Magic, illusion, seance, romance, all combined in this nicely written story.  It's too bad I have to wait until next year sometime for the next instalment.  I enjoyed this book.

5. Veronica Roth: so, I was really late in the game on this one. I was a little burnt out on the whole dystopian world idea.  How many more are coming? ugh. And I wasn't impressed by Divergent, at first, until half way through, when suddenly this book grew. And then I wanted more. But please, please, please, Hollywood, stay true to the story! Thank you. (Hunger Games, you came close)

Top Ten Tuesday: Our Winter To be Read List

Top Ten Tuesday: Our Winter To be Read List

brought to you by the broke and the bookish

Emily's List.

1. Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard this book has been on my tbr list on goodreads for a while, and I needed to review a new book series for my daughter to read. I have this on my kindle, and so far, it looks promising.

2. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. So, I sort of bought this book a couple of months ago, and then promptly forgot about it. It happens when you have a long list of tbr's. Shrug. It's on my winter list. 

3. Insurgent by Veronica Roth. So, there was this book series everyone read, and someone was avoiding...oh that would be me. I read the first book, wasn't sure until half way into the first book if it was even something I would enjoy..so, I am starting over, because I tend to forget things. But I will happily do so before diving into this series for REAL. 

4. A Red Herring Without Mustard (Flavia De Luce #3) by Alan Bradley. Who doesn't love Flavia? I have to read the rest of this series. It's coming, it is. Like poison running through my veins..slowly but surely.

5. Of Triton by Anna Banks. So, I am not usually a mermaid type of gal. I tried and didn't love it. But then there was this book called Of Poseidon, and I thought, maybe I do like some mermaid books when they aren't silly. 

Jeni's
1. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley: I'm reading this to my girls and so far we have enjoyed it. 
2. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card: I haven't read this series yet but everyone tells me it is really good. So I figured it would be a fun winter read. 
3. Hood by Stephen R Lawhead: I've loved his others series and this one is a Robin Hood retelling. I'm pretty sure I'm going to love it. 
4. Boundless by Cynthia Hand: I have been meaning to read this book forever. I even started it awhile back but just wasn't in the mood. My goal is to finish by the end of the year. 
5. Friends and Foes by Sarah M. Eden:  I read this book every year around Christmas time.