New Nook Titles!

BRAND NEW Nook titles! Come and get them while they're still available.

Go here to download the complete list of Nook titles.

Happy Reading!

Amanda Hocking. SWITCHED

New St. Martin's Cover

This book was originally self-published and sold a million copies in eBook format. I even  purchased it myself back when it was 99 cents. But, I never got around to reading it. I’ve read self-published books before and been disappointed, so I was reluctant to begin this book. But, I finally relented, after perusing the list of books on my Kindle looking for one I hadn't read.  And, lo and behold - I really liked it! I think it’s an interesting cross between THE PRINCESS DIARIES and  BEAUTIFUL CREATURES.

On Wendy Everly's 6th birthday her mom tried to kill her, with a knife. Her mom kept telling Wendy that she was a monster and wasn't her real child. She was convinced that her own child had been stolen and Wendy was left in his place.

Now a teenager, Wendy has never really fit in anywhere. She's gotten kicked out of schools for various reasons. Friendships elude her. But her brother and aunt have always taken good care of her and tried to help her as much as possible after the incident with her mother.

One day, Finn, a strange new guy at school begins watching her. Finally, she confronts him and he has an interesting tale for her. Apparently, she isn't really human. (Was her mother right, after all?) She belongs to a secretive supernatural society. And he wants her to come back there with him.

Although Wendy senses that he may be right, she is reluctant to leave her brother and aunt. They're all she has, and they've been good to her. But the decision is made pretty quickly for her a few days later when a mysterious looking team of kidnappers try to nab her. Finn rescues her in time, but it's too late for her to stay. She must go with him.

As I said, I really liked it. Yes, the copy I read was the original self-published version, so it had some grammatical/spelling issues. But, in my opinion they were very minor. They certainly did not hamper the story for me at all, the way I've seen self-pubs do in the past.

I'm really curious about how the newer version looks compared to the original. On the author's website, she mentions that it will be "cleaned-up."

Original Self Published Cover

The story was interesting enough to keep me wanting to read it, even with the minor issues. I'm really excited to read the sequel. Since I missed the sequel when it was for sale previously, I'll have to wait until the re-published date in February - darn! But that's okay, because it will be the "cleaned-up" version, so it should be more polished.

I have to say, overall, it's a pretty great start to a unique series!

Check out the author's website here.


And, of course...the trailer:

New Book Reviews

Newest book reviews from Mrs. Hill's Blog: (we have both books in the library!)

Click here to continue reading via kwout

Click here to continue reading via kwout

Go here to go to the review blog.

Social Media Reshaping College Admissions

Food for thought:


Courtesy of: Schools.com

Beth Revis. ACROSS THE UNIVERSE

New paperback cover (better, IMHO)

Amy and her parents are cryogenically frozen and placed aboard the ship Godspeed that will take 300 years to land on a planet they plan to colonize. Her mom is a genetic scientist and her father is a military strategist, so they are crucial to the mission. Her father gives her the option of staying behind on Earth, but Amy can't imagine being separated from her parents.

Unfortunately, Amy is accidentally awakened on the ship about 50 years before the planned landing. They cannot refreeze her, and she knows her parents cannot be awakened early to be with her. So, she's all alone on a strange ship with a few thousand strangers.

Amy discovers that this new society is strange and completely different from Earth. The leader is tyrannical, but claims to have everyone's best interest at heart. Her one possible friend, Elder, on the enormous ship happens to be the next in line to lead. She isn't sure she can trust him, since he's being trained to lead in the same manner. But when another "frozen" is killed and several others threatened, Amy and Elder become closer as they begin uncovering mysteries and lies together.

Original Hardcover

It's difficult to do a summary of a book with so much going on! I feel like I'm still digesting it and sorting it all out in my brain. So, it's hard to write the review. Maybe that's because I read it mostly one day.

Anyway...it's suspenseful (kept me up very late) and it's a great science fiction story. It has a lot of emotion with a ton of ethical issues. I think the book jacket says it best - "It's a cross between TITANIC and BRAVE NEW WORLD." Yep, that about sums it up perfectly!

I'm so glad I waited to read it, because the sequel comes out in 10 days! YAY!

Find out more about Beth Revis here at her gorgeous website.

The trailer is a GREAT teaser. Check it out: