ramblings of the perpetual new girl

  Top 10 Books From My Childhood That I Love To Revisit I stuck with books that I read before age 5, because my childhood was littered with books too old for me and there's something precious about Children's Picture Books that always draws me back in when I get the chance to revisit them. My children are now too grown to show that they like my nostalgic meanderings into the picture book realms. So when they find me in our library picking through these books... because the only two from this list I do not own are that version of Cinderella and Fair's Fair, they end up on the floor beside me just as happy to re-read these favorites.  My mother has a copy of Fair's Fair and gets it out whenever I visit which is usually at Christmas time so that's all good too. She doesn't need an excuse to read picture books since both my little nephews live down the street from her and she uses them as an excuse to read Where The Wild Things Are and Little Bear over and o...

Okay, so it's time to get my shorts out! Spring arrived and while some of you may not yet be rid of the snow, Florida is mostly sunny skies where I am. However, I rarely wear shorts, despite the heat but I sure do like shortened reviews when I have a lot of books to talk about and not enough brain power or motivation to write individual reviews for all the books I read in a year. If I posted anything on Fangirlish though, I will make sure to link to that review or post. Shall I start then?! THE CEMETERY BOYS by Heather Brewer :  Stephen, the main narrator, has an independent streak that accompanies a lot of shame knowing his mother has been hospitalized for her mental health safety. When Stephen learns Devon and Cara, both care for a mother who also has been burned by life, he thinks he has found loyal, understanding friends. Instead betrayal follows him and his father to the last page. Delightfully creepy, atmospheric and down-to-earth look at mental health issue...

Did anyone doubt my choice would come around to this very awesome book now that the cover reveal has gone live and I have had a chance to read the excerpt? No? Good. Alrighty then. DETAILS: Publisher:  Feiwel and Friends Publishing date:  November 10, 2015 Author:  Marissa Meyer Series:  Final Installment of the Lunar Chronicles Goodreads  ~  Amazon  ~  B&N  ~  Twitter  ~  Website   My argument for why WINTER should be on your "Waiting On" Book Pile. Scarlet pressed her body against the steel bars, straining to grasp the tree branch that dangled just outside her cage. Close —  so close . The bar bit into her cheek. She flailed her fingers, brushing a leaf, a touch of bark —  yes ! Her fingers closed around the branch. She dropped back into her cage, dragging the branch closer. Wriggling her other arm through the bars, she snapped off three leaf-covered twigs, then broke off the t...

Happy St. Patrick's Day! My goal today was to review Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger, however, I am too intrigued by these Top Ten Tuesday features that The Broke and the Bookish host. Today's feature means I get to list the top ten books on your Spring TBR List. Too excited about this list, you all... seriously... ridiculously excited to think about these books! Books that I already have in my hands, just haven't read yet: Half Wild by Sally Green ~ magical communities that tackle racist ideas involving children raised to feel like they do not belong and good and bad labels fall into a grey area where cruelty and prejudice make allies of the worst of enemies An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir ~ Rome-inspired fantasy where the wilds of political gain depends on an unwilling soldier and a rebel scholar... yeah... that's a brilliant pairing The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson ~ so much love for this series, so of course I am freaking excited ab...

You know what's so wrong with my "Waiting On" Wednesday selection today? The book I've selected  is sitting on my dining room table. Yep... you read that right. Not only am I "waiting on" it to be released, I am having to wait to read it because there's a line of MBR (must be read) books ahead of it. And I really, really, really want to skip them all and read HALF WILD right now! DETAILS: Publisher: Viking Juvenile Publishing date: March 24, 2015 Author: Sally Green Series: The Half Bad Trilogy #2 Acquired: ARC sent to me from publisher for honest review In HALF WILD, Nathan is still on the run. He needs to find his friend Gabriel and rescue Annalise, now a prisoner of the powerful Black witch Mercury. Most of all he needs to learn how to control his Gift – a strange, wild new power that threatens to overwhelm him.  Meanwhile, Soul O'Brien has seized control of the Council of White Witches and is expanding his war against Black witc...

My first run-in with Shaun David Hutchinson didn't go down prettily. I cried and cried a bit more and nearly broke down in a scene where I found out just why Andrew Brawley, the main character in his newest book out, needed to attempt CPR on a toddler corpse. Sounds morbid, right?! And yet there's so much more that makes up the whole of this story. Such a raging good book that hits you right in the gut and other times slaps you across the face with the feels. It's bloody fantastic!  TITLE: The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley AUTHOR(S):  Shaun David Hutchinson SERIES:  Stand Alone PUB INFO:  Simon Pulse on 1/20/2015 ACQUIRED HOW?  Publisher sent ARC for honest review BOOK RATING:  Cherry Pie Wounds heal — emotional, physical — of course, scarring occurs but ultimately with time, people get better. In an effort to make sense of his world, Andrew Brawley hides out in the hospital where he last saw his family alive. G...

Some persons have the ability to write pain into beautiful turns of phrases. Like Sylvia Plath and A. S. King's influence here, King writes about the harsh realities and pain of living so prettily that you cannot help but be awed by the way the words wound your heart and speak to it simultaneously. How does one decide to remain a part of this world; a decision that seems momentous and heartbreaking and useless in the wake of realities. Glory O'Brien faces an unknown future and an even scarier prospect when she starts seeing everyone else's future and it's all grim. The past, present, and future become one big blur, yet somehow, A. S. King makes sense of it all. With Glory's narration, she gives us all the secret to why choosing to get living life means so much more than we ever expected. TITLE:  Glory O'Brien's History of the Future AUTHOR(S):  A. S. King  SERIES:  Stand Alone PUB INFO:  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers on 1...