Tag Archive | love

Forget Me, by K.A. Harrington (book review) – not his twin! who is he?

Aug12

book cover of Forget Me by KA Harrington published by GP Putnam's SonsFacial recognition software,
social media, hidden identities,
why did it tag her late boyfriend as another guy?
Maybe Morgan didn’t know Flynn as well as she thought…

Just released on Thursday (that’s really odd; most books are Tuesday releases) August 7, 2014, Forget Me  is a slight departure from Kim’s paranormal books like her Clarity series (my no-spoiler recommendation of book 1 here) with an eerieness all its own. See for yourself with this free excerpt of the first two chapters.

Could you forget someone that you truly loved?
**kmm

Book info: Forget Me / K.A. Harrington. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2014.  [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: When a social media site tags her late boyfriend’s photo as the face of a teen in a nearby town, Morgan is stunned. When Evan says he got an anonymous warning to stay away from her, they’re puzzled. When accidents start targeting them both, they race to solve the unfolding mystery before they’re the next victims!

Morgan’s Massachusetts home town is withering away after a deadly scandal shut down major employer Stell Pharmaceuticals. Her best friend is suffering from her parents’ unemployment, their favorite amusement park is abandoned, and time with her loner boyfriend Flynn is her only comfort – until he’s killed in a hit-and-run.

Weeks later, she uploads her only photo of Flynn onto FriendShare, which tries to tag it with another guy’s name! Finding out about Evan is simple, discovering that he’s received a photo of her with a warning to avoid her at all costs is weird, learning that his family is part of Stell is disconcerting.

Sneaking into the amusement park to retrace Flynn’s last steps, they uncover more secrets and more threats. A page-turning mystery in the fog. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

A Girl Called Fearless, by Catherine Linka (book review) – unwilling May-December marriage!

Aug9

book cover of A Girl Called Fearless by Catherine Linka published by St Martin's GriffinNo rights to an education,
sold in marriage to the highest bidder,
teen girls in an “advanced” society?

When all the mothers died because of corporate greed, young women like Avie became America’s only hope for the future. So love is a priceless luxury, and arranged marriages are major financial transactions. The Paternalists monitor young women constantly to stop kidnappings… but the power-hungry political movement has a more sinister agenda.

Read the first three chapters here for free, then grab this May 2014 release at your local library or independent bookstore to see what path Avie chooses.

Who is allowed to determine our freedoms? How far would you go to protect yours?
**kmm

Book info: A Girl Called Fearless / Catherine Linka. St Martins Griffin, 2014.  [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Contracted to marry a man twice her age, Avie wants to escape to Canada, but can she leave her true love behind in today’s totalitarian California?

After a hormone in beef kills all women of childbearing age, young girls become incredibly valuable and are Signed as teen brides to the highest bidders. The Paternalists say this will prevent kidnappings, but 16-year-old Avie and her best friend Yates aren’t so sure.

When her dad Signs Avie to marry Jessop Hawkins as part of a deal to save his biotech company, suddenly her dreams of attending college are dust. Hawkins wants Avie with him on the campaign trail as he runs for governor, so they will marry in 3 weeks – unless she follows Yates’ advice and joins the underground Exodus to Canada. Now that she knows she’s in love with Yates, what else could she do? But Hawkins isn’t about to let his prize slip away…

An alternate history tale of a chilling today which really could happen tomorrow, first in a series.  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Pawn, by Aimee Carter (book review) – doomed or destined by the Test?

Aug5

book cover of Pawn by Aimee Carter published by Harlequin TeenOne chance to rise above poverty,
one Test determines your life,
and all the rules are a lie!

In this future America, the Hart family’s dictatorship is unbreakable, anyone over 60 is sent Elsewhere, and only Kitty’s unique eye color saves her from poverty – at a steep price that’s too dangerous to refuse!

Read the first chapter of Pawn  here, then find book 1 of the Blackcoat Rebellion series today at your local library or independent bookstore – Captive arrives on November 25th.

**kmm

Book info: Pawn (Blackcoat Rebellion, book 1) / Aimee Carter. Harlequin Teen, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Kitty can trade a lifetime of servitude for wealth and luxury – if she can successfully masquerade as the USA prime minister’s niece and stop the rebellion which Lila began!

Doomed – dyslexic orphan Kitty Doe just failed the Test and is tattooed as level III, sentenced to menial labor in a city far from her beloved boyfriend Benji.

Destined – her contract purchased by Prime Minister Hart, her body Masked and remade to replicate his popular niece, even Lila’s mother and fiance help Kitty become the wealthy level VII teen for her adoring public.

Determined – as Kitty learns more about outspoken Lila’s desire to help common folks, she dares to contact the Blackcoat rebels – but can she risk losing Benji forever?

First of a trilogy set in a future USA where one Test determines everything and some folks aren’t playing by their own rules. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Red Rising, by Pierce Brown (book review) – class warfare on Mars, to the death!

Jul29

book cover of Red Rising by Pierce Brown published by Del ReyDemokracy is a lie.
Mourning is forbidden.
Love adds fuel to vengeance!

Game of Thrones  meets Star Wars and Hunger Games on the Red Planet in this rock ’em, sock ’em story, as lowest-caste Darrow is completely remade so that he can win the ultimate competition among ruling class youth and free his family and friends from slavery in the mines of Mars.

Be sure to visit the publisher’s site and click More Inside to read the first chapters so you know how the injustices heaped upon the Reds for generations have forged Darrow into a weapon.

**kmm

Book info: Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy #1) / Pierce Brown. Del Ray Spectra, 2014.  [author site]  [series site]   [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: A quest for vengeance drives Darrow to escape slavery in Mars’ mines and beat the Gold overlords at their own game as they fight to the death for power.

Deep in its hellish mines, Reds have slaved for decades so the Martian surface can become habitable, little knowing that the Red Planet is already a world of luxury.

When his young wife is executed for singing the forbidden death dirge, 16 year old Darrow’s rage makes him a perfect target for the Sons of Ares, fellow Reds who’re willing to rebel against the ruling Golds – from the inside.

Darrow is remade – bones re-engineered to sustain maximum impact, brain retooled for intellectual superiority, reflexes honed to matchless fighting ferocity – and enters the Institute where young Golds compete to become supreme rulers in the Solar Systems where the “noble lie of demokracy” has been stamped out.

All the Reds will stay enslaved if he doesn’t survive this vicious months’ long war against teens of the various Institute houses battling for the choicest apprenticeships of power, truly battling to the death.

A master strategist, a true leader, a Red in Gold’s skin, Darrow intends to win at all costs and to change society from the top down to the helldivers’ mines in this first book of the Red Rising trilogy.

Since You’ve Been Gone, by Morgan Matson (book review) – daring to-do list & a mystery

Jul26

book cover of Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson published by Simon Schuster BFYR4. Break something.
8. The backless dress. And somewhere to wear it.
11. Hug a Jamie.

If timid Emily does all 13 daring (for her) things on live-in-the-moment Sloane’s epic summer list, will her suddenly-gone BFF return? Maybe with cute Frank’s help…

You’ll want to grab this summer tale at your local local library or independent bookstore today so you can find out if Emily completes Sloane’s list and what she discovers about herself along the way.

What would you add to a gotta-do-this list for your best friend?
**kmm

Book info: Since You’ve Been Gone / Morgan Matson. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2014.   [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: The letter with no return address brings Emily her only clue about Sloane’s sudden disappearance  – a to-do list that her vivacious best friend promises will make an epic summer.

With her parents in a playwriting haze and little brother Beckett sulking about missed vacation, Emily is on her own to check off the adventures on Sloane’s list – with help from her new running partner Frank (Captain Responsible to pal Collins), while his girlfriend is away for the summer.

Ride a horse!? Kiss a stranger?! Facing her fears and making new friends in their coastal Connecticut town as she works through the list will surely bring back her best friend – but where is Sloane now? And what about her runs and shared playlists with Frank when summer ends? (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Broken brain, bent mind in SYNC audiobooks – listen and beware!

Jul24

Go deep into the human brain and mind – if you dare!

Through Wednesday, July 30, you can download this week’s free audiobooks from SYNC, then listen to these 2 explorations of what’s inside one man’s skull. Just remember to keep the Overdrive Media files on your device or computer, and read with your ears at any convenient time.

CD cover of Headstrong by Patrick Link Read by Deidrie Henry, Ernie Hudson, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, & Scott Wolf Published by L.A. Theatre WorksHeadstrong (download here)
By Patrick Link
Read by Deidrie Henry, Ernie Hudson, Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine, & Scott Wolf
Published by L.A. Theatre Works

The celebrated hard hits in pro football take on new meaning as a retired NFL linebacker faces tragedy in their aftermath.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde CD cover of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde By Robert Louis Stevenson Read by Scott Brick Published by Tantor Audio(download here)
By Robert Louis Stevenson
Read by Scott Brick
Published by Tantor Audio

Everyone has heard of mild-mannered Dr. Jekyll and his malevolent alter ego Mr. Hyde – now it’s time to hear the whole dark tale in its original form.

How does the mind work? How does the brain work? How do we go on when they don’t? Read with your ears to find out.
**kmm

Anyone But You, by Kim Askew & Amy Helmes (book review) – hate, love, & Chicago pizza

Jul22

book cover of Anyone But You by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes published by Merit PressFeuding Italian families,
star-crossed secret lovers,
a deep-dish pizza war?

Welcome Shakespeare’s most-famous couple into the 21st century as Roman Monte and Julietta Caputo fall in love during the third generation of their Chicago families’ bitter restaurant rivalry. This third book in the Twisted Lit series takes us back into the early 20th century, too, as we discover what turned best friends into bitterest enemies.

Be sure to check out the Dear Teen Me site where Amy and Kim wrote letters to their teen selves.

Can true love have a happier ending this time?
**kmm

Book info:  Anyone But You  (Twisted Lit #3) / Kim Askew & Amy Helmes. Merit Press, 2014.  [Kim’s website]  [Amy’s website]   [series site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk:  A missed rendezvous at the World’s Fair leads to an Italian restaurant feud decades later, and the boy who makes Gigi swoon is on the wrong side of these marinara wars in this Chicago-based version of Romeo and Juliet.

Gigi’s 16th birthday party at her family’s restaurant is marked by her first kiss, a handsome rival for an investor’s icky son, and potential mayhem from a rival restaurant family – all in the person of  Roman Monte, whom her Caputo cousins would gladly pummel into pesto.

Why the big fight between the Caputos and Montes? Warned by longtime waitress Carmen about digging up old secrets, Gigi and Roman stealthily go on dates and try to uncover what started the feud… something about two pals sneaking into the Chicago World’s Fair ages ago, mistaken identities, social class differences, and pizza?

In this third Twisted Lit book based on Shakespeare’s plays, chapters alternate between Gigi and Roman’s growing relationship in the present and the past when Nick and Benny began a pizzeria only to lose their friendship. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Kiss of Deception, by Mary E. Pearson (book review) – princess seeks peace, finds danger

Jul19

book cover of The Kiss of Deception by Mary E Pearson published by Henry HoltA dreaded arranged marriage,
a daring escape,
two girls on the run
with a killer on their trail!

Prepare for a galloping read across lands we’ve never seen as Lia tries to stay unnoticed in the lovely seaside town, the disguised prince seeks to know her, and the hidden assassin waits for the right moment when you grab this July 8 release at your local library or favorite independent bookstore.

Either a medieval future after failed interplanetary travel or space voyagers in the past created the setting of this great new series by the author of the well-known Jenna Fox Chronicles, which wrapped up last year with Fox Forever (my no-spoilers review here).

Marriage as a political alliance tool- yes or no?
**kmm

Book info:  Kiss of Deception (The Remnant Chronicles, book 1) / Mary E. Pearson. Henry Holt, 2014. [author site]  [publisher site]  Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Escaping a kingdom-uniting marriage, 17 year old Lia finds peace in a coastal village, unaware that the jilted prince and a stealthy assassin have found her.

Indeed, the First Daughter of Morrighan lacks the Gift of prophecy required by the kingdom of Dalbreck. Piqued by her note “I should like to inspect you before our wedding day”, the prince tracks Lia and Pauline to Terravin where they’re working at aunt Berdi’s inn and poses as a young farmer in town for the religious festival.

Also on her trail are the King’s Army scouts (her father won’t forgive Lia for leaving everyone waiting in the chapel) and an assassin bent on easing a Vendan invasion of Morrighan – by eliminating any alliance with Dalbreck.

Secrets shared, secrets kept, disguises and deceit – how long until Lia falls for handsome Rafe or charming Kaden, shattering her hard-sought peace with a Kiss of Deception?  First in The Remnant Chronicle series where crumbling ruins mark the past’s spacefaring technology, and Lia’s gift of Sight may arrive much too late. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Shadow Hero, by Gene Luen Yang & Sonny Liew (book review) – Asian superhero against crime!

Jul15

book cover of The Shadow Hero by Gene Yuen Lang and Sonny Liew published by First Second BooksIn Chinatown’s dark alleys,
the ruthless tongs demand payment,
but the Green Turtle arises to protect the innocent!

Happy book birthday to The Shadow Hero, as the origins of the first Asian-American superhero are revealed!

I love this new joint effort of graphic novelists Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew – light-hearted, but underpinned with the historical accuracy which won Gene so many awards for his paired graphic novels of a pivotal time in Chinese history, Boxers and Saints (my review here) .

Get a quick look at its vintage look and action here:

The Green Turtle’s adventures continue in this short sequence published on the Tor website, too.

**kmm

Book info:  The Shadow Hero / Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew. First Second Books, 2014.  [Gene’s site]  [Sonny’s site]   [publisher site]  [book trailer] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: As a child of Chinese immigrants, Hank expected to follow family tradition, but his mother demands that he become a superhero!

When The Anchor of Justice rescues his mother from a bank robber, she won’t be satisfied until Hank reinvents himself as a superhero, instead of being a grocer like his father.

Hank discovers that intense training and a new costume certainly don’t guarantee superhero success when his attempt to save a young lady from thugs merely earns him a beating and the crime boss’s daughter rescues herself.

Fighting against the tong’s extortion has a high price for Hank’s family, yet he vows to continue, aided by the ancient Tortoise spirit from his parents’ homeland.

As the Green Turtle, Hank battles his way into the tong’s headquarters with the Tortoise spirit’s guidance. Yet the challenges he finds there would tax any superhero’s skill and resolve.

“Sometimes a fight you cannot win is still worth fighting,” counsels the spirit of the Tortoise, and Hank is in this fight until the end.

Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew transform an old comic book into this great graphic novel about the first Asian-American superhero.  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

Royally Lost, by Angie Stanton (book review) – her prince is here…on a motorcycle?

Jul12

book cover of Royally Lost by Angie Stanton published by Harper TeenThey’re escaping parents and routines
didn’t know they’d find each other,
the prince and the American girl –
can they bear to lose each other so soon?

Nikolai’s insistence that the Mondovian royal family not be merely a decorative burden on his small kingdom falls on deaf ears. Becca’s horrible recent breakup (and he’ll be in the same college dorm with her in 6 weeks!) and dislike of her so-put-together stepmother lead to the Midwestern teen’s first rebellious acts. And romance blooms from one casual encounter in the quaint European streets…

Find this May 2014 paperback at your local local library or favorite independent bookstore, and travel through Europe by riverboat, motorcycle, and the wings of love!

**kmm

Book info: Royally Lost / Angie Stanton.  Harper Teen, 2014.  [author site]  [publisher site]   Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Stuck on a boring European tour with her family, Becca finds the love of her life – a real prince taking an unapproved holiday – but after the ten-day tour is over…

When Nickolai’s father orders him to military training, the Crown Prince sneaks away incognito for time off from protocol and formal dinners.

This riverboat tour through Austria should be “good family time” for Becca and Dylan’s harried executive dad and designer-clad stepmom, but both teens want time away from historic sights after day one.

Honoring her late mom’s deathbed admonition to be good hasn’t helped Becca much lately, so it’s time to break some rules and find a way to spend more time with cute Nik  – before the King’s security forces catch up with the errant prince!  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)