Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every weekend.

Well it seems that things are moving along behind the scenes even if everything seems to be in an frozen state otherwise. There was so much news revealed in the last week or so that no matter what your interest there was bound to be something that caught your attention.

BOOKS

Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer (goodreads)

Pretty much anyone who has read the Twilight series has been waiting for the release of Midnight Sun. Most of us had given up hope that we would ever get to see if published. Stephenie surprise dropped the news that not only was being released, but it was being released this summer. It comes out in August which feels both so far away and very soon.

The cover was released and sort of wish they had gone with an apple that had a bite taken out of it.

I will have this pre-ordered and will eagerly await its arrival at my door. I cannot wait to read it.

Book News From Courtney Summers (goodreads)

Courtney has a new book coming out and if you watch the video in the below tweet you'll get all the details that we currently have about it.

THE NEWS: my next novel is so relentless and so compelling, @WednesdayBooks and I can only reveal it in pieces at a time and we're thrilled to share these with you today: title and release date.
Push play and stay to the end.
Just stay.
And welcome to . . . pic.twitter.com/8hQ5OjDQEq

— courtney summers news (@courtney_s) May 4, 2020

It's called The Project and that teaser is both intriguing and terrifying. It's pretty much what we have come to expect from Courtney.

Cover of Stephanie Perkins' The Wood Are Always Watching (goodreads)

Some details of Stephanie Perkins next horror novel have been released. We have a title and a cover.

We also know that it takes place in the woods and involves a serial killer. I have heard it is even more of a horror novel that her first one was so that is exciting for horror fans.

Cover for A Better Bad Idea by Laurie Devore (goodreads)

Laurie's books are always  ones I eagerly anticipate. If you are a Courtney Summers fan you need to check out Laurie's books. Her next one sounds really intriguing and I love the cover.

This one comes out in March 2021 so if you haven't read her other books previously you can read them while you wait.

TV/MOVIES

I'll Be Gone In The Dark trailer

All of us Murderinos devoured Michelle McNamara's books when it was released and followed all of the news of the eventual arrest of the Golden State Killer. There is now going to be a documentary released. It is releasing in June so it'll be perfect for everyone to watch while we're still social distancing.

There are, obviously, so many people Murderinos will recognize in this trailer. It's such a great trailer too! I got goosebumps.

What are you obsessed with this week? Let me know in the comments.

2018 Most Anticipated Event - Winner Take All

I am thrilled to be kicking off my 2018 Most Anticipated feature today! I love getting to showcase some amazing authors and their awesome sounding upcoming books. I hope you find a few to add to your own 'to be read' list for next year during this event.

I am happy to kick off this year's event with a book by Laurie Devore. I was pretty much sold after reading How To Break A Boy. I was even more excited when Laurie teased that this novel was going to deal with a toxic romance. I loved how she wrote the toxic friendship that was the focus of her debut novel, so I am excited to see how she'll tackle this toxic relationship.

Winner Take All is set to deal with 'obsessive love, toxic competition, and the drive for perfection' as per its synopsis and I, for one, cannot wait. When toxic relationships (friendship or otherwise) are written well they can be useful to learn from, and show the complexities of the connections we build with people.  

The Goodreads synopsis offers a pretty tantalizing tease of what you can expect from this book. It seems that Laurie is sticking with her tradition of writing complex female characters who are, dare I say it, unlikeable at times. This pleases me because I think we need more of those in media (be it books, television, movies, etc).

For Nell Becker, life is a competition she needs to win.

For Jackson Hart, everyone is a pawn in his own game.

They both have everything to lose.

Nell wants to succeed at everything—school, sports, life. And victory is sweeter when it means beating Jackson Hart, the rich, privileged, undisputed king of Cedar Woods Prep Academy. Yet no matter how hard she tries, Jackson is somehow one step ahead. They’re a match made in hell, but opposites do attract.

Drawn to each other by their rivalry, Nell and Jackson fall into a whirlwind romance that consumes everything in their lives. But when a devastating secret exposes their relationship as just another game, how far will Nell go to win?

Visceral and whip-smart, Laurie Devore’s Winner Take All paints an unflinching portrait of obsessive love, toxic competition, and the drive for perfection.

I expect gender roles, particularly double standards in how women and men are seen for the same behaviour, to be heavily discussed with this novel and I cannot wait for those conversations to happen.

Laurie was, once again, kind enough to agree to a Q and A that I hope will pique your curiosity about this book even further, and put it on your radar for 2018.

1 What gif sums up Winner Take All? 

This very specific Veronica Mars quote that I think is great!

2 If someone were to make a signature cocktail in honour of your book, what might be included?

It would be a bitter cocktail for sure! Probably something fairly close to an Old Fashioned. I’m thinking whiskey, bitters, a cherry for a little bit sweet/sexy. Maybe make it an Old Fashioned float with some ice cream to represent the summer vibe of the book.

3 Share something that helped inspire your main character (a movie, a picture, anything that helped form who they are)

So, I’m going to cheat on this a little because my main character was pulled from a lot of different places but the number one piece on inspiration for the main relationship and feel I wanted to capture between the two characters is Taylor Swift’s music video “Style.” I love everything about it, from the song lyrics to the bizarre back and forth between the two main characters of the video - especially the way they’re clearly trying to resist something they both want.

4 Name a song you listed to for inspiration while writing this novel.

Since I already talked about Style (and the video aesthetics are very important there!), here’s a couple more:

“The Way I Loved You” by Taylor Swift - inspired the original idea of this book
“Stand Still, Look Pretty” by The Wreckers - Nell, the main character’s song
“Fallen” by Casey Donahew Band - Jackson, the love interest’s song
“You Ruin Me” by The Veronicas - the perfect plot betrayal song
“Power” by Little Mix - a friend who was reading this book sent me this song and I love it for Nell and Jackson's relationship

5 Your first book was about a toxic friendship. This novel is about a toxic relationship. What is your fave toxic relationship (or friendship) from either TV, books, or movies?

I love the complexity of toxic relationships! There’s an element of obsession in both of these relationships as well that adds a certain codependency that makes it so hard to either break out of the relationships or evolve into a healthier relationship. I also liked playing with it in a relationship between a boy and a girl this time instead to two girls.

6 What 2018 release are you most anticipating?

A couple of 2018 books I’m really looking forward to:

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena
The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo
The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas

7 If not too spoilery, can you share the first line of Winner Take All?

“I can’t stop staring at the back of Jackson Hart’s head.”

Anyone immediately think of Taylor Swift's Getaway Car when Laurie mentioned an Old Fashion being the drink to represent this book? I totally did (even if the song doesn't really fit). Also, how great is that playlist? I love it!

Winner Take All releases January 30, 2018 but you can pre-order it right now from any retailer.

Chapters // Amazon // Barnes and Noble // BAM

You can also follow Laurie on Twitter, visit her website, and find out more about her books on the publisher website.

What are some of your favourite toxic relationships (romantic or otherwise) in books, television, or movies? What ones do you think were done right, and what ones were harmful? Let me know in the comments.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow to find out the next book on my 2018 Most Anticipated List!

Waiting On Wednesday .... Winner Take All

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

This week's pick is Winner Take All by Laurie Devore

Here is the Goodreads synopsis 

For Nell Becker, life is a competition she needs to win.
For Jackson Hart, everyone is a pawn in his own game.
They both have everything to lose.

Nell wants to succeed at everything—school, sports, life. And victory is sweeter when it means beating Jackson Hart, the rich, privileged, undisputed king of Cedar Woods Prep Academy. Yet no matter how hard she tries, Jackson is somehow one step ahead. They’re a match made in hell, but opposites do attract.

Drawn to each other by their rivalry, Nell and Jackson fall into a whirlwind romance that consumes everything in their lives. But when a devastating secret exposes their relationship as just another game, how far will Nell go to win?

Visceral and whip-smart, Laurie Devore’s Winner Take All paints an unflinching portrait of obsessive love, toxic competition, and the drive for perfection.

I loved Laurie Devore's debut novel. It was filled with messy, complex female characters and toxic friendships.

I was immediately on board with her second novel when it was evident she was taking those complex themes and applying them to relationships. It has a Chuck and Blair from Gossip Girl vibe, and I am curious to see how Laurie will handle a toxic romance.This synopsis has only made me even more excited to get my hands on this one!

It is going to be a long wait as this doesn't release until early 2018 but it gives people the chance to read How To Break A Boy in the meantime.

Expected release date - January 30, 2018

How To Break A Boy by Laurie Devore

How To Break A Boy by Laurie Devore
Release Date -  January 31, 2017

Publisher Website - Raincoast Books
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  352 pages
My Rating - 5/5
**received for review from the publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Keep your enemies close, but your friends closer.

Olivia Clayton has mastered the art of tearing others down to stay on top. She and her best friend, Adrienne, rule their small southern town like all good mean girls do--through intimidation and manipulation.

After Olivia suffers a family tragedy and catches Adrienne sleeping with her boyfriend, Olivia is over it. She decides to make a change--but it's impossible to resist taking Adrienne down one last time. Up to her old tricks, Olivia convinces golden boy Whit DuRant to be her SAT tutor and her fake boyfriend. But when it starts to feel real, Whit gets caught up in Olivia and Adrienne's war.

Olivia may ruin everything she touches, but this time she won't go down without a fight--not if it means losing Whit.

And definitely not if it means losing what's left of herself. 

Unlikeable is a word that gets used for female characters a lot. It usually means that the character in question made a decision the reader wasn't comfortable with, or made decisions that are morally skewed. I've noticed that female characters are held to a ridiculously high standard, or at least they used to be. Books like How To Break A Boy are starting to change this viewpoint. It unapologetically has characters that will be called unlikeable and I am so happy it does.

Laurie Devore's debut novel is written with precision. It's as bold as a dark red lipstick, and screams just as loudly. It's, at times, hard to believe that this is a debut novel because of how well crafted it is, and it is one that delivers a message as sharp as it's writing.

All the girls in this book make bad decisions. There are bad life decisions happening all over the place in this novel. These are not girls you're going to necessarily want to be friends with. You definitely wouldn't call them 'nice'. They are, however, complex, vivid, and realistic. We've all known girls like this, some of us may have been girls like this, and that makes this book instantly recognizable. I think it is important that this book shows girls like this that they can change. That their decisions do not have to define them forever. That you can make mistakes, and atone for them, and grow as a person.

As much as this book allows its female characters to be flawed, it never makes excuses for them. It shows the hurt that is caused to others, and themselves unflinchingly. It advocates for accepting the consequences of your actions, and showcases that you cannot control anyone else's actions but your own. It zeros in on manipulative toxic friendships and how hard it can be to break that cycle. It's easy to be sucked back in and we see that with Olivia and Adrienne's war. There are bystander casualties and that makes this book just a little more heartbreaking.

Olivia is such a nuanced character. Laurie has created a backstory for her that is simply heartbreaking, and as a result being inside her head gave me a bit of whiplash. She goes from having these redeeming moments, to making the worst possible decisions for reasons that make complete sense for her character even as you want to yell at her not to make them. Her voice is so strong, and vibrant that she effortlessly comes to life. It is her voice that compels the reader, and ensures you'll follow her through her bumpy journey.

Whit DuRant is definite book boyfriend material. He is forgiving, patient, and sweet. He calls Olivia out when she needs it, and encourages her to be the person she wants to be. He sees her not as the sum of her previous actions, but as someone who can be more. He may help Olivia find the path, but he recognizes it is her path to navigate. He cannot fix her, and I like that he didn't try. He just showed her that he felt she could change and that support was vital to both his character growth and Olivia's own journey. It doesn't hurt that their romance is basically the 'hate to love' trope which is one of my favourites.

If you like your female characters complex, messy, and razor sharp I recommend you pick up this stunning debut. If you like well written novels that are going to make you a little uncomfortable, I recommend this book.  Laurie Devore is a fierce new voice in young adult literature and I cannot see what characters she gives us next.

2017 Most Anticipated - How To Break A Boy

The next book on my 2017 Most Anticipated list has been compared to both Courtney Summers and Mean Girls. If that alone doesn't make you want to read it, hopefully this post will.

Laurie Devore's debut is filled with female characters who are complex and flawed. They make questionable decisions. They are the type of characters that get branded unlikeable (among other things). They are, for lack of a better term, the quintessential 'mean girls' and I could not be more excited to meet them.

Here is the  Goodreads synopsis so you can get a tease of all the delicious drama waiting to unfold

Keep your enemies close, but your friends closer.

Olivia Clayton has mastered the art of tearing others down to stay on top. She and her best friend, Adrienne, rule their small southern town like all good mean girls do--through intimidation and manipulation.

After Olivia suffers a family tragedy and catches Adrienne sleeping with her boyfriend, Olivia is over it. She decides to make a change--but it's impossible to resist taking Adrienne down one last time. Up to her old tricks, Olivia convinces golden boy Whit DuRant to be her SAT tutor and her fake boyfriend. But when it starts to feel real, Whit gets caught up in Olivia and Adrienne's war.

Olivia may ruin everything she touches, but this time she won't go down without a fight--not if it means losing Whit.

And definitely not if it means losing what's left of herself. 

Laurie took the time to answer a few questions for me. She used a Gossip Girl gif, and spilled the entire first paragraph of her story so basically she's the coolest.

1 What gif do you feel represents How To Break A Boy

I always struggle between the soapy and more emotional side of the book but I really love this one for just capturing the general attitude:

2 If someone were to make a signature ice cream in honour of your book, what might be included?

Hmm, maybe one scoop of honeysuckle, one scoop of pink bubblegum, sprinkles to make it a bit more appealing, and a hint of deceit (chocolate syrup should do).

3 It sounds like your main character is going to be complex. Did you find writing a character like her difficult?

Honestly, I can’t imagine writing any other type of character. I like my girls a little rough around the edges, challenging. I think it’s who I’ve always been – growing up, I was most drawn to the darker characters, the seriously flawed girls who made questionable decisions and often spent time cleaning up after themselves. I always find myself wanting to dig into those girls and get to their core since they don’t give their secrets up too easy. Half the fun is getting them to spill.

4 Name a song you listed to for inspiration while writing this novel

Even though my title is a great Fiona Apple shout out my editor spotted (and listen to “Criminal” in relation to this book – it’s undeniable), the original song I’d always thought was perfect for this book is Rilo Kiley’s “Portions for Foxes.” I mean:

It's just bad news, bad news, bad news
‘Cause you're just damage control
For a walking corpse like me

It’s definitely Olivia’s song.

5 If you could travel to anywhere, in any time period, when and where would you want travel?

Time traveling is not my strong suit due to my deep, abiding love of the internet and technology. Honestly, anywhere at any time period? Probably a beach in Europe right now ;)

6 What 2017 release are you most anticipating?

I could not be more excited for Kate Hart’s After the Fall. It promises to feature more of those complex female characters I love – and it’s set in the south too!  And for a looking-even-further-ahead bonus pick, keep your eyes out for Somaiya Daud’s Mirage, a Moroccan-inspired sci fi out next fall.

7 If not too spoilery, can you share the first line of How To Break A Boy?

How about the first paragraph :)

If you’re riding up from Columbia on I-20, get off at Exit 98 and drive northeast for about forty-five minutes, past a bunch of cows and historic battlefields and bullshit, and you’ll hit Buckley, South Carolina. It’s a blink-and- you-miss- it town, minus there being anything to miss. When you see a sign declaring the Buckley High Golf Team State Champs and a water tower with some faded spray paint, you’re there. If you hit the Gas-n- Go, you’ve gone too far.

There is something about the innocence and child like quality to the bubble gum on the cover when contrasted with the synopsis. I like it and I think this novel is going to be both a soapy treat, and a really look at those girls who are brushed aside as 'unlikeable' simply for making mistakes.

How To Break A Boy releases January 31, 2017 so the wait is going to be next to nothing! Add it to your after holiday shopping spree when spending all those gift cards you were gifted.

Chapters // Amazon // Barnes and Noble // BAM 

You can also follow Laurie on Twitter, visit her website, and visit the publisher website for more information about How To Break A Boy.

If you're a contemporary fan like myself, do you like the more gritty side? Or do you prefer the lighter side to these types of stories? Are you a fan of stories with flawed characters who are allowed to be flawed and still worthy? Let me know the comments.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow to find out the next book that made this year's list!

New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews)

I have two awesome things that made their way into my mailbox this week.

First up is another Funko Pop for my collection. This one is the Edward from Twilight Hot Topic exclusive. He sparkles! On one hand this makes me laugh, and on the other I think it is the best thing ever!

You can really see the sparkles in the sun (which, hilarious) and I am so happy to have him as part of my small (but growing) collection.

Next up is a book I am VERY excited about from Raincoast Books. A huge thank you to Raincoast Books for sending this one along! 

How To Break A Boy by Laurie Devore (goodreads)

Keep an eye out because this one just might be featured at the end of this year during a special event!

What bookish items made their way into your mailbox this week?

Happy Weekend and Happy Reading!

Waiting On Wednesday .... How To Break A Boy

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

My pick this week is How To Break A Boy by Laurie Devore

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Keep your enemies close, but your friends closer.

Olivia Clayton has mastered the art of tearing others down to stay on top. She and her best friend, Adrienne, rule their small southern town like all good mean girls do--through intimidation and manipulation.

After Olivia suffers a family tragedy and catches Adrienne sleeping with her boyfriend, Olivia is over it. She decides to make a change--but it's impossible to resist taking Adrienne down one last time. Up to her old tricks, Olivia convinces golden boy Whit DuRant to be her SAT tutor and her fake boyfriend. But when it starts to feel real, Whit gets caught up in Olivia and Adrienne's war.

Olivia may ruin everything she touches, but this time she won't go down without a fight--not if it means losing Whit.

And definitely not if it means losing what's left of herself. 

There is a Mean Girls vibe to this that immediately grabbed my interest. Olivia Clayton seems like a flawed, complex character and I am pretty excited to 'meet' her.

I've seen it compared to Courtney Summers and that speaks volumes of the plot and writing so consider me very intrigued and dying to get my hands on this one.

Expected release date - January 31, 2017