Waiting on Wednesday- Gemini By: Sonya Mukherjee

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature/meme hosted here at Breaking the Spine. The idea behind it is to share upcoming releases that we can't wait to get our hands on! 

My pick for this week is Gemini By: Sonya Mukherjee. This is Sonya Mukherjee's debut novel and I'm really looking forward to it because I think twins, especially conjoined twins, are fascinating. As a mother of twins I'm always interested to see how twins are written in books. Since this one is about conjoined twins I'm really curious to see how it will be done. The summary has me hooked already and I need to know what the girls decide!! Plus, just look at that gorgeous cover. Wow. 

Expected Publication Date: July 26, 2016 

Summary From Goodreads: 

In a powerful and daring debut novel, Sonja Mukherjee shares the story of sisters Clara and Hailey, conjoined twins who are learning what it means to be truly extraordinary. 

Seventeen-year-old conjoined twins. Clara and Hailey, have lived in the same town their entire lives--no one stares at them anymore. But there are cracks in their quiet existence and they're slowing becoming more apparent. Clare and Hailey are at a crossroads. Clara wants to stay close to home, avoid all the attention, and study the night sky. Hailey wants to travel the world, learn from great artists, and dance with mysterious boys. As high school graduation approaches, each twin must untangle her dreams from her sister's, and figure out what it means to be her own person. 

Told in alternating perspectives, this unconventional coming-of-age tale shows how dreams can break your heart--but the love between sisters can mend it. 

Anyone else really looking forward to Gemini? Anyone else fascinated by stories with twins? 

Top Ten Tuesday- Top Ten 2016 Debut Novels I'm Looking Forward To

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme/feature hosted here at The Broke and the Bookish. The topic for this week is top ten 2016 debut novels I'm looking forward to.

I'm so excited about this topic because there are a lot of debut books that I'm really looking forward to reading in 2016. Somehow I've narrowed it down to only ten and here is my list!


1.  After the Woods By: Kim Savage- I love a good mystery/thriller and just from reading the blurb alone I can't wait to see what will happen.

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2. Symptoms of Being Human By: Jeff Garvin- This one looks like a really unique GLBT book. The main character is gender fluid and I'm excited to see more diversity in YA novels.

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3. These Vicious Masks By: Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas- Victorian London meets X-Men? I'm in! That cover is so gorgeous too.

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4. The May Queen Murders By: Sarah Jude- I want to know what the mystery of those woods are all about! This one looks like another really good mystery/thriller. I hope it has some creepy moments too. I love this cover as well.

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5. Bookishly Ever After By: Isabel Bandeira- Yes, yes, yes!! This one must be on all booknerds to read lists! It looks absolutely adorable and fun for us book lovers.

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6. The Crown's Game By: Evelyn Skye- I'm really excited about everything in this book. It's a fantasy/magical YA novel set in Russia. I'm in just based off of that alone.

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7. Burning Glass By: Kathryn Purdie- What really interests me about this one is the main character's ability to feel (physically and emotionally) what others feel. This concept is fascinating and I can't wait to see how it works.

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8. The Girl Who Fell By: Shannon M. Parker- I love books with intense relationships and it sounds like this will definitely be one of those.

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9. The Girl From Everywhere By: Heidi Heilig- Time travel to real places AND places of myth and legend? Yes, please!

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10. The Love That Split the World By: Emily Henry- I just really want to find out if the girl saves the guy in the three month time period and do they have an epic romance.

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Well that is it for this weeks Top Ten Tuesday! Do you want to read any of these books? What other 2016 debut novels would be on your list?

Waiting on Wednesday- After the Woods By: Kim Savage

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature/meme hosted here at Breaking the Spine. The idea behind it is to share upcoming releases that we can't wait to get our hands on! 

This is my first Waiting on Wednesday post and my selection is After the Woods by Kim Savage. This will be Kim Savage's debut novel and I'm really excited for this one. It looks like it will be a fantastic YA mystery/thriller. I love a well done mystery/thriller and I have high hopes for this one. 

Expected publication date: February 23, 2016.

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Summary From Goodreads:

Would you risk your life to save your best friend? 

Julia did. When a paroled predator attacked Liv in the woods, Julia fought back and got caught. Liv ran, leaving Julia in the woods for a terrifying 48 hours that she remembers only in flashbacks. One year later, Liv seems bent on self-destruction, starving herself, doing drugs, and hooking up with a violent new boyfriend. A dead girl turns up in those same woods, and Julia's memories resurface alongside clues unearthed by an ambitious reporter that link the girl to Julia's abductor. As the devastating truth becomes clear, Julia realizes that after the woods was just the beginning. 

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For The Record By: Charlotte Huang ARC Review

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Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Books for Young Readers for allowing me to read and review an ebook copy of For the Record  by Charlotte Huang. 

For the Record is about a girl named Chelsea who lost a TV singing competition show (think American Idol, X-Factor) and then she got the opportunity to be the lead singer for a band named Melbourne. Only she has to prove herself worthy during their summer tour. The book is about her summer with the band playing sold out shows in clubs, dating famous actors, falling for the band's bassist, and dealing with the rest of the band.

I really enjoyed this book. I was captivated by page one. If there is anything I like as much as books, it would be music. I've seen For the Record described on Goodreads as, "If Almost Famous were a YA novel."  I can see that as far as the story following a rock band on tour. That's really where the similarities stop for me though. I was pleasantly surprised that For the Record was not a book all about drugs, sex, and drinking. While there was some light alcohol drinking, there wasn't any drug use. Which is a shocker!!!  Also, even though there was sex it wasn't anything too crazy and it wasn't the main focus of the book. Of course there was some rock 'n' roll though!! 

I thought the characters were all interesting, but there were a couple that fell a little flat to me. Pem and Lucas for example felt a little lifeless and dull. I couldn't connect with them at all or even imagine them as real people. I hope that makes sense LOL! :P Luckily it didn't make the book any less enjoyable. Another thing I didn't like was pretty much all of Chelsea's background story. All the stuff from her hometown and with her ex-boyfriend seemed pretty weird to me. I did not like how it was written because it all seemed false and too much like a story. Also, even though I love the ending it seemed to be a pretty abrupt one. I would read a sequel if the author wrote one. 

Overall, For the Record is a great debut novel by Charlotte Huang. There were a few things that I didn't care for, but mostly it was a fantastic novel. I look forward to seeing what she will write in the future. I recommend this for fans of Almost Famous (if you don't mind a toned down YA version), music lovers, and for YA contemporary fans. 

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