Upcoming Release: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins/MAY 2017

Hello dear Readers,

Very excited about the news released early this week. 

Paula Hawkins, the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller and global phenomenon The Girl on the Train returns with Into the Water, her addictive new novel of psychological suspense. Coming out May 2017.

The Girl on the Train was my favorite read of 2014 and one of the best books I have ever read. Cant wait to read her new book.

Please find more information in the links below.

Note: Links are not mine. Taken from the Internet for reference purposes only.

Book Cover Credit: Goodreads. Cover may not be the final one.

Title: Into the Water

Genre: Thriller/Suspense

Author: Paula Hawkins

Publisher: Riverhead Books  
Publication Date: May 2, 2017

Language: English

Hardcover: 352 pages

Meet the Author: Paula Hawkins
Pre-Order: Amazon

Book Description

With the same propulsion that captivated millions of readers around the world in her novel The Girl on the Train, Paula Hawkins unfurls a gripping, twisting, layered plot, interwoven with a powerful understanding of human instincts and the damage they can inflict.

Paula Hawkins has penned a “dark and moving” second psychological suspense novel for Doubleday called Into The Water, set for release next May.

The book is about “the slipperiness of the truth, and a family drowning in secrets”, her publisher said.

Set in a small riverside town in the UK, the novel will “unfurl a gripping, twisting, layered story”. While little has been given away in terms of plot, it will feature two sisters and “ghostly echoes of the past”

Links

http://www.ew.com/article/2016/11/29/paula-hawkins-into-water

http://time.com/4584670/paula-hawkins-new-novel/

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2016/11/29/girl-train-author-hawkins-announces-next-book-into-water/94592558/


Wendy

Book Review: Vagabonding With Kids: Australia by AK Turner-Non Fiction/Family Travel

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of Vagabonding With Kids: Australia by AK Turner.

Title: Vagabonding With Kids: Australia

Series: Book 2 in the Vagabonding With Kids Series.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Non Fiction/Family Travel

Author: AK Turner

Publisher: Brown Books Publishing Group 
Publication Date: December 1, 2016

Language: English

Paperback: 184 pages
Meet the Author: AK Turner
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

AK Turner wants to cuddle with a wombat. She wants it bad. In the hilarious sequel to Vagabonding with Kids, the nomadic family of four continues their journey with a two-month trip Down Under. AK Turner indulges her fascination with prisons, with no understanding of why her husband would rather spend every day at the beach. Their daughters aren't motivated by either, and are instead enthralled with the wonders of public toilets. As the Turners wind their way through Australia, all eyes are on the lookout for adventure. And wombats. New York Times bestselling author AK Turner continues the Vagabonding with Kids series with tales of exploring Down Under in Vagabonding with Kids: Australia. With a keen eye and sharp wit, Turner juxtaposes the intrigue of Australia with stories from an unconventional life on the road. This raucous adventure will inspire digital nomads and armchair travelers alike, and leave readers hungry for the next installment in the series, Vagabonding with Kids: Brazil.

My Thoughts

What an incredible book. AK Turner has the ability to make us feel part of the story from the beginning to the end thanks to a well crafted writing style. I like the humor, the stories, the details, the interactions between all the members of the family, how we get to know them and their journey.I like the way she shares her thoughts on their experiences traveling. 

AK has a story to tell and she does it with an amazing writing style, with a mix of elements, with humor, without letting anything out, the book, the story feels real, human and unique. 

Thank you Brown Books Publishing for sending a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. 

Wendy

NaNoWriMo 2016: Week 4

Hello dear readers and writers,

Today is the last day of Nanowrimo 2016. I  finished the challenge last week, on November 23. My word count that day was 51377 words. Did not wirte anything new the last 6 days due to the Holiday and been out of town did not have time to write. I will be doing some writing at the write in tonight and will be reporting my Final Word Count for November. Another year, another win but more than that I finished project. Before starting Nano this year I did a lot of prep and knew what I wanted to write about. It does not mean the writing process was easier but all that prep helped a lot and now I cant wait for the editing process to start. It feels good to have a finished project, a draft that has more shape and feels more complete comparing to other years. 

Another year of very productive Write-Ins, sharing all that time with fellow writers and friends and meeting new writers, a lot of reading and the satisfaction of completing the challenge one more year.

Hope you all participating in Nanowramo had a fantastic time.

Happy Writing.

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #59: November 29, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

Happy Book Birthday to Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between) by Lauren Graham.

Title: Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls (and Everything in Between)

Genre: Biography/Memoir/Humor

Author: Lauren Graham

Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: November 29, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 224 pages
Meet the Author: Lauren Graham
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

In this collection of personal essays, the beloved star of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood reveals stories about life, love, and working as a woman in Hollywood—along with behind-the-scenes dispatches from the set of the new Gilmore Girls, where she plays the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore once again.

 

In Talking as Fast as I Can, Lauren Graham hits pause for a moment and looks back on her life, sharing laugh-out-loud stories about growing up, starting out as an actress, and, years later, sitting in her trailer on the Parenthood set and asking herself, “Did you, um, make it?” She opens up about the challenges of being single in Hollywood (“Strangers were worried about me; that’s how long I was single!”), the time she was asked to audition her butt for a role, and her experience being a judge on Project Runway (“It’s like I had a fashion-induced blackout”).

            

In “What It Was Like, Part One,” Graham sits down for an epic Gilmore Girls marathon and reflects on being cast as the fast-talking Lorelai Gilmore. The essay “What It Was Like, Part Two” reveals how it felt to pick up the role again nine years later, and what doing so has meant to her.

            

Some more things you will learn about Lauren: She once tried to go vegan just to bond with Ellen DeGeneres, she’s aware that meeting guys at awards shows has its pitfalls (“If you’re meeting someone for the first time after three hours of hair, makeup, and styling, you’ve already set the bar too high”), and she’s a card-carrying REI shopper (“My bungee cords now earn points!”).

            

Including photos and excerpts from the diary Graham kept during the filming of the recent Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, this book is like a cozy night in, catching up with your best friend, laughing and swapping stories, and—of course—talking as fast as you can.

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #58: November 22, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

Happy Book Birthday to The Spy by Paulo Coelho. Releasing today the English version of this fantastic book.

Title: The Spy 

Genre: Biographical/Espionage

Author: Paulo Coelho

Publisher: Knopf
Publication Date: November 22, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 208 pages
Meet the Author: Paulo Coelho
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

In his new novel, Paulo Coelho, best-selling author of The Alchemist and Adultery, brings to life one of history's most enigmatic women: Mata Hari. 

HER ONLY CRIME WAS TO BE AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN

 

When Mata Hari arrived in Paris she was penniless.  Within months she was the most celebrated woman in the city. 

 

As a dancer, she shocked and delighted audiences; as a courtesan, she bewitched the era’s richest and most powerful men. 

 

But as paranoia consumed a country at war, Mata Hari’s lifestyle brought her under suspicion. In 1917, she was arrested in her hotel room on the Champs Elysees, and accused of espionage.

 

Told in Mata Hari’s voice through her final letter, The Spy is the unforgettable story of a woman who dared to defy convention and who paid the ultimate price.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Wendy

NaNoWriMo 2016: Week 3

Hello dear readers and writers,

A couple of things to report for week three. I reached the 46k+ mark. I am pretty happy about it but more than that I feel accomplished because I have written most of the stories I planned on writing. Some have come along the way, during the challenge which is ok because for me every story counts. I will have a finish project and that was my main goal for this Nano and now I know I will more likely get to the 50k words which is great as well. I feel confident I will win it.

As always the write-ins have helped a lot and reading has played a major part on my success this year. I am still reading The Best American Short Stories of 2016 and some of the Neruda works and Stephen King have served a lot of inspiration.

See what week four brings.

Hope you all participating in Nanowramo are having a fantastic time.

Happy Writing.

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #57: November 15, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

Happy Book Birthday to Swing Time by Zadie Smith.

Title: Swing Time 

Genre: Women's Fiction

Author: Zadie Smith

Publisher: Penguin Press
Publication Date: November 15, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 464 pages
Meet the Author: Zadie Smith
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

An ambitious, exuberant new novel moving from North West London to West Africa, from the multi-award-winning author of White Teeth and On Beauty

Two brown girls dream of being dancers—but only one, Tracey, has talent. The other has ideas: about rhythm and time, about black bodies and black music, what constitutes a tribe, or makes a person truly free. It's a close but complicated childhood friendship that ends abruptly in their early twenties, never to be revisited, but never quite forgotten, either.

Tracey makes it to the chorus line but struggles with adult life, while her friend leaves the old neighborhood behind, traveling the world as an assistant to a famous singer, Aimee, observing close up how the one percent live.

But when Aimee develops grand philanthropic ambitions, the story moves from London to West Africa, where diaspora tourists travel back in time to find their roots, young men risk their lives to escape into a different future, the women dance just like Tracey—the same twists, the same shakes—and the origins of a profound inequality are not a matter of distant history, but a present dance to the music of time.

Wendy

NaNoWriMo 2016: Week 2

Hello dear readers and writers,

Just a few things to report for week two. One, as of last night I'm half way through the challenge word count wise, 25k+. It was a very productive week, lots of stories, lots of thoughts on paper. The other thing is I have been reading The Best American Short Stories of 2016 and have found a lot of inspiration and motivation for my own writing. These first two weeks I have been focused on short stories but there are poems that have been in my mind for a long time now that I need to let out as well, which I know will be on paper very soon. Not much of editing or free writing, just writing what I feel I need to write, want I want to write, letting it out, the rest will have its own time.

Hope you all participating in Nanowramo are having a fantastic time.

Happy Writing.

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #56: November 08, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

Happy Book Birthday to The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer.

Title: The Chemist 

Genre: Thriller & Suspense

Author: Stephenie Meyer

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: November 8, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 528 pages
Meet the Author: Stephenie Meyer
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

In this gripping page-turner, an ex-agent on the run from her former employers must take one more case to clear her name and save her life. She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest secrets of an agency so clandestine it doesn’t even have a name. And when they decided she was a liability, they came for her without warning. Now, she rarely stays in the same place or uses the same name for long. They’ve killed the only other person she trusted, but something she knows still poses a threat. They want her dead, and soon. When her former handler offers her a way out, she realizes it’s her only chance to erase the giant target on her back. But it means taking one last job for her ex-employers. To her horror, the information she acquires only makes her situation more dangerous. Resolving to meet the threat head on, she prepares for the toughest fight of her life, but finds herself falling for a man who can only complicate her likelihood of survival. As she sees her choices being rapidly whittled down, she must apply her unique talents in ways she never dreamed of. In this tautly plotted novel, Meyer creates a fierce and fascinating new heroine with a very specialized skill set. And she shows once again why she’s one of the world’s bestselling authors

Wendy

NaNoWriMo 2016: Week 1

Hello dear readers and writers,

Week one of Nanowrimo 2016 is over. It went good for me. Had to do a little catch up on Sunday but other than that I managed to reach the daily goal pretty much every day and my project is coming along better than I was expecting it for week one.

I did more prep for this year's Nano than I did previous years and that has been part of why I am doing better in 2016. Had the chance to go into more detail on what I wanted to write and what I wanted to do and have my ideas better organized and a clearer path on where I am going with my project. 

I am working on a collection of Short Stories and Poetry and have realized there are a lot of things I want to write about and I am excited about it. This year I have also discovered even though I want to win it and get to the 50000 words but I am more focused on having a finished project whether I meet the goal or not. All these stories in my head that I need to let out, this year is definitely a different one.

And my writing buddies. A writing group is very helpful for Nano and I am happy to be a part of one, an amazing one. We meet every Tuesdays at Barnes and Noble and on Sundays at the Library, speaking of which I am very, very happy to see how much the Library continues to support us, the Wrimos, they give us a space and tools to succeed in our 50000 words journey. The Write-Ins are definitely something that always help for my November writing month to be a successful one.

Overall, a great week one, and looking forward to what is next.

Happy Writing.

Wendy

New Release Tuesday #55: November 1st, 2016

Hello dear Readers,

Happy Book Birthday to The Sun is also a Star by Nicola Yoon, Author of Everything, Everything.

Title: The Sun is also a Star 

Genre: YA

Author: Nicola Yoon

Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: November 1, 2016

Language: English

Hardcover: 384 pages
Meet the Author: Nicola Yoon
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

A 2016 National Book Award Finalist

Be the first to read the dazzling new novel from Nicola Yoon, the #1 New York Timesbestselling author of Everything, Everything

Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true? 

Wendy

COVER REVEAL: Beyond the Neon Shore by Author Dela-Relase Date June 3rd, 2017

Hello dear Readers,

Yes, it is finally the time to reveal the Cover of Beyond the Neon Shore, the second book in the The 52ND series by Author Dela.

Ready?

Isn't it gorgeous? Can't get over how beautiful this cover is.

A few important things about the book

1.)  Release date will be JUNE 3^RD, 2017

2.)  Goodreads link to add it in your Want to Read Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32773850-beyond-the-neon-shore ) 

3.) The eBook for THE 52^ND will be on sale until Halloween so if you haven’t grabbed your copy yet you still can for $0.99!

4.)  Synopsis: 

For Zara Moss life was an escape. 

But breaking an ancient Aztec tradition and denying the Underworld god, Mictlan, the very life he is owed is forbidden . . . and punishment will be two-fold. 

With no rules left to follow, and the Celestial gods unquestioning Mictlan’s ability to conjure history’s worst human massacre, Executioners find a way to deliver the key to his success—Zara—to Mictlan. The Castillo family has saved Zara once but this time she must save herself beyond the neon shore. 

As she faces her undead future she discovers that her guard, Tototl, is doing something Mictlan wouldn’t approve of. And that she, too, has the choice to choose her own fate—should she be brave enough to follow.

Yet, in the midst of the bloody games of Tlatchi, a ghastly menagerie, and deadly layers of the Underworld, true friendship thrives with the most unlikely pair of friends.

Dela is the debut author of THE 52ND saga, a multicultural paranormal for young adults. Before tracing the minds of Aztec gods, Dela worked as a paralegal and could be found snowboarding at Brianhead, Utah. She currently lives in Las Vegas with her husband, three kids, and exceptionally fat Chihuahua. Her website is www.delaauthor.com.

Wendy

Book Review: P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han-NA/Contemporary/Romance

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han.

Title: P.S. I Still Love You

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Fiction/Teens

Author: Jenny Han

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books 
Publication Date: May 26, 2015

Language: English

Hardcover: 352 pages
Meet the Author: Jenny Han
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

Given the way love turned her heart in the New York Times bestselling To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, which SLJ called a “lovely, lighthearted romance,” it’s no surprise that Lara Jean still has letters to write.

Lara Jean didn’t expect to really fall for Peter.

She and Peter were just pretending. Except suddenly they weren’t. Now Lara Jean is more confused than ever.

When another boy from her past returns to her life, Lara Jean’s feelings for him return too. Can a girl be in love with two boys at once?

In this charming and heartfelt sequel to the New York Times bestseller To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, we see first love through the eyes of the unforgettable Lara Jean. Love is never easy, but maybe that’s part of makes it so amazing.

My Thoughts

I am in love with these characters and their story. Revisiting Lara Jean's world is always a joy. She is one of these characters you cant forget. 

I loved the book and how Lara Jean's character has grown from book one and how we can see more of her, her family and the two boys in her life now, Peter and John. 

I have to say I did not like the love triangle at the beginning but the more I read the more sense it made and liking Lara Jean and the story I think it turned out well. Kitty is another of my favorite characters, I like how smart she is for her age. I just love the family dynamics, their relationship. Its being a pleasure as a reader to be a part of this world and these characters and cant wait to read book number 3.

Wendy

The 52nd Sequel by Author Dela Cover Reveal

Hello dear Readers,

I'm excited to be a part of the cover reveal of Beyond the Neon Shore which is the second book in the The 52nd Series by Author Dela.

Cover Reveal will be this coming Thursday October 27th which is the 2-year Anniversary of The 52nd.

To celebrate the Anniversay and Cover Reveal, The 52nd eBook is on sale for $.99 which started today and will end Halloween at midnight. 

This has been one of the best books I have read this year, loved the main characters Zara and Lucas, the story how unique it is and all the Mayan-Aztec history behind it. Totally recommend it.

If you are interested on buying the eBook, please find the link below and also the link for my Review of The 52nd (Spoilers Free).

Amazon

The 52nd by Dela

Wendy

Book Review: La Niña Alemana (The German Girl Spanish Edition): A Novel by Armando Lucas Correa/Historical Fiction /NETGALLEY READ

Hello dear Readers,

Below my book review of La Niña Alemana (The German Girl Spanish Edition: A Novel by Armando Lucas Correa.

Title: La Niña Alemana (The German Girl Spanish Edition): A Novel 

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Genre: Historical Fiction

Author: Armando Lucas Correa

Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 18, 2016

Language: Spanish

Paperback: 368 pages
Meet the Author: Armando Lucas Correa
Buy Me: Amazon

Book Description

Una novela inolvidable ambientada en el Berlín de la primavera de 1939, la Cuba pre- y postrevolucionaria y el Nueva York después del 11 de septiembre.

Antes de que todo se desmoronara, Hannah Rosenthal y sus padres tenían una vida encantadora. Su familia, una de las más distinguidas en los altos círculos sociales berlineses, era admirada por amigos y vecinos. Ahora en 1939, Berlín se ha teñido de los colores blanco, rojo y negro de una bandera que no reconocen como suya. Hannah se refugia con su mejor amigo, Leo Martin, en los callejones y parques de una ciudad que ya no los quiere. Los dos niños hacen un pacto: pase lo que pase, se prometen un futuro juntos.

Un rayo de esperanza les llega a los Rosenthal y los Martin: el Saint Louis, un enorme y lujoso trasatlántico partirá de Hamburgo a Cuba con más de novecientos refugiados judíos. En la medida que todos los pasajeros se van llenando de ilusión por el brillante futuro que les espera, el amor de Hannah y Leo florece entre juegos, bailes de disfraces y cenas exquisitas. Hasta que empiezan a llegar noticias funestas desde La Habana cuyo gobierno prohíbe al barco atracar en el puerto. El majestuoso navío, que parecía la única salvación para ellos, podría terminar convirtiéndose en su pena de muerte.

Siete décadas más tarde, en Nueva York, a punto de cumplir sus doce años, Anna Rosen recibe, procedente de Cuba, un misterioso sobre de Hannah, su tía abuela, a quien nunca conoció. En un intento por armar el rompecabezas del pasado de su familia, Anna y su madre deciden viajar a encontrarse con Hannah. Al entrelazar el dolor del pasado con los misterios del presente, revive la memoria de un apellido olvidado y, a su vez, les rinde honor a aquellos que amó y que trágicamente perdió. 

My Thoughts

Cuando se cruza en mi camino un libro como este es para mi una razón más para amar la palabra escrita, los libros, la oportunidad de viajar en el tiempo, de encontrarnos con estos personajes que nos quieren contar su historia. La Niña Alemana es una historia inspiradora, que me tocó el corazón y que de una u otra forma es una lectura que me hizo refleccionar sobre la vida, sobre las personas a nuestro alrededor, sobre las experiencias que creamos día con día. El personaje de Hanna, inolvidable, Anna y su mamá. Mientras leía no pude evitar pensar como la pérdida de algo o alguien significa algo diferente para cada persona y cómo enfrentamos las situaciones en la vida. 

Armando Lucas Correa nos comparte su Novela Debut y vaya que extraordinario trabajo. El estilo de escritura, como describe el entorno, cómo da vida a estos personajes que a pesar que la historia en sí es sobre una época triste donde muchas personas fueron discriminadas y atacadas por su religión, por sus raíces pero Correa logra presentar una bella historia porque es uno de estos libros que siempre estarán en mi mente y en mi corazón.

Recomiendo esta historia cien por ciento, no solamente para las personas que gustan de leer historias que giran en torno a la Segunda Guerra Mundial sino para todos aquellos que buscan una lectura magnifica, una propuesta interesante, unos personajes inolvidables, un estilo de escritura que atrapa y una historia que dura para siempre.

Thank you Atria Books and Netgalley for sending a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Wendy