Sanctuary Bay by Laura Burns and Melinda Metz

Happy Monday! This was supposed to go up last week, but the dates had different plans for me. Namely, staring at my recovering dog and wondering why he doesn't want to eat/drink/go to the bathroom when I want him to.

So rude, I know.

Anyway, I'm back today with Sanctuary Bay by Laura Burns and Melinda Metz, which I'm really excited about!

In this genre-bending YA thriller, will Sarah Merson's shiny new prep school change her life forever or bring it to a dark and sinister end?

When Sarah Merson receives the opportunity of a lifetime to attend the most elite prep school in the country-Sanctuary Bay Academy-it seems almost too good to be true. But, after years of bouncing from foster home to foster home, escaping to its tranquil setting, nestled deep in Swans Island, couldn't sound more appealing. Swiftly thrown into a world of privilege and secrets, Sarah quickly realizes finding herself noticed by class charmer, Nate, as well as her roommate's dangerously attentive boyfriend, Ethan, are the least of her worries. When her roommate suddenly goes missing, she finds herself in a race against time, not only to find her, but to save herself and discover the dark truth behind Sanctuary Bay's glossy reputation. 

I'm glad I took a few days before reviewing this book. When I first requested this from NetGalley, it reminded me of that really bad Leonardo DiCaprio movie, Shutter Island (not the Dennis Lehane book. The book was pretty okay). That movie was a mess, and I was hoping that this book wouldn't follow in its footsteps.

It did not.

Sarah Merson has bounced around from foster home to foster home after the murder of her parents when she was young. When she mysteriously receives a full scholarship to the prestigious Sanctuary Bay Academy - a total immersion school that has spawned everyone from hedge fund managers to presidents - Sarah believes that her life is about to turn around. She meets her roommates, bubbly Karina and Boston-cool Izzy, and makes a smattering of friends, like student body president Nate and Karina's boyfriend Ethan. Everything appears to be going well, and Sarah even feels that she has a chance for the first time in her life. However, she finds secrets and strange happenings on the island, things that cannot be explained and no one is willing to try.

I'll be honest: I had no idea what to expect from this book. I went in a little blind, because I had requested it, and then totally forgot what it was about. I think that was for the best, because it's really hard trying to explain this book without giving too much away. Although, I don't think I can even think about explaining the end of this book because...well, because. It's so hard to comprehend and then try to explain it to someone else. It took a little while for this book to get moving, but that's understandable because the second half of the book is insanity. So much happens between point A and point B that I was glad for the long intro. 

All that being said, I really liked this book. It was different than a lot of the other YA books I've read, and for that, I was grateful. Not that those YA books are bad, but sometimes you fall into a routine of reading the same kinds of books, and this one helped snap me out of it. This was a mystery and a thriller and a YA romance all rolled into one. At certain points, I forgot that I was reading a YA book, and that was kind of a bad thing, sometimes. While I loved the story, the characters were so mature and intelligent that I felt like a child compared to them. The things that Sarah goes through would cause me to curl up under a blanket and never come back out. But Sarah just pushed through, stone-faced and with nerves of steel. Of course, I may have been slightly jealous at her perfect photographic memory, because that was awesome.

I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries, thrillers, or wants a different kind of YA book. It gets slow at times, but if you push through, you'll be thankful. It goes on sale January 19th, so run over to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your local indie store to get your copy!

Hello 2016!

And hello everyone in 2016!

It's only four days into the new year and I'm already wondering what the rest of the year holds for me. Of course, there were resolution made, but then I thought about it. Every year since I was about thirteen, I've made resolutions for the upcoming year. Not biting my nails has been on that list for about nineteen years {this will be the year!}. But then there's been other resolutions, ones that seem ridiculous now that I look back on them, because they were impossible. I set myself up to fail. I would get so wrapped up in completing my resolutions that when I {inevitably} didn't finish one, I felt like a failure even though I had accomplished so many other great things.

So, this year, I've gone with a different tactic: I have ideas. I wrote them down {somewhere} and I'm going to use them as guidelines for the year. Finish and polish a story. Eat healthier. Read more books {I know, I know, this one is ridiculous, but I only read 82 last year, and that's pathetic for me}. Pay attention to organization. Don't bite nails {it's more of a tradition now, really}. If I mess up on one of them {I'm looking at you, nails}, oh well. Pick yourself up, start over. I guess the biggest idea on my list is not to stress so much. I depend on myself a lot and when I have to go to other people for help, I stress. I don't want to do that anymore. It hurts me, and it hurts the people that ask me to come to them. So I'm trying for zen. Like my cat.

I guess the no stress idea came during my winter break. I had planned on writing more on this thing since I would have nothing more to do than read and decide which pair of pajama pants I would wear that day. But then. Oh, but then.

Guess who had another leg surgery?

If you guessed that guy, then give yourself a cookie because you pay attention to this blog.

We knew that he was going to need another one, so we decided to do it over break because both the boy and I would be home. We took him in on Christmas Eve and picked him up the next day. To say that we forgot how much of a pain in the butt this guy is...is an understatement. The first week was okay: it just sucked waking up at two in the morning to give him pills. But thanks to Greenies Pill Pockets, that was a breeze {he always hated those things, until this time around}. Now we're onto the second week, and he gets his stitches out on Friday, but he thinks that he's ready to go NOW. It's like he thinks that he didn't just have major surgery because he's walking and hopping up stairs while the boy and I groan and yell at him. 

But, again, he doesn't care.

Now that I know he's okay and the whole first scary week is over {you know, eating, drinking, going to the bathroom, all that fun stuff a dog is supposed to do but doesn't during recovery and you think he's dying}, I have more time to concentrate on other stuff. Like work. Ugh.

And my stuff! Don't worry, I might not have been writing on the blog, but I did do some major writing to the story that I picked last month. I think I've written about ten thousand words in the last two weeks, and it only needs an ending {only} and then I get to editing. This story is fun, so I don't so much mind the editing part.

I KNOW.

I still have book reviews coming up, and I'm going to try to post one a week. I just went nuts on NetGalley, so I have plenty of fodder for this thing. In fact, I'll be back later this week for a review of a book I just finished this morning. I have to let it sit for awhile before I can figure out what I want to say about it. It's kind of weird. But good. But weird.

Welcome to 2016, folks.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli

I've been reading like a fiend lately (I have four more books to go until I reach my challenge, and I've also been so lazy with reading in the last few months), so I really had to choose which book I wanted to review today. I wish I could say that it was a very scientific process on how I picked the winner, but, really, I just closed my eyes, scrolled down my Kindle, and stabbed my finger at it.

Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda!

Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.



This is yet another book that's been sitting on my Kindle for months. I finally started it last week (at work!), and I finished it that same day. I had about a billion things to do, I was dead tired, and I had to wake up early the next day, but I didn't care. I wanted to finish this book because it was that good.

Poor Simon. All he wants to do is email his secret gay boyfriend, hang out with his best friends, and have life stay exactly the same, all the time. But when Martin (Martin) finds Simon's email, he blackmails him, saying that as long as Simon hooks him up with the prettiest cheerleader in school, Simon's sexual orientation will stay a secret. Add on top heaps of friend drama and Simon trying to come out to his family, he life quickly dissolves into a mess.

I can't put a finger on what made me love this book so much. It was one of those where I would finish one chapter and tell myself that was it, but then I had to read the next chapter because I had to know what happened. That went on until my Kindle informed me that I had reached the end of the book. Guessing who Blue was had to be the most fun. Simon would throw out names and characters, and I immediately, of course, thought they were Blue. I did guess who it was pretty early on, but the author does such a great job at misdirection. I was convinced it was *this person* and then she would give you more information on someone, and suddenly, everything I knew was a lie. 

I also enjoyed the reality of it all. Simon does eventually come out, and not everyone is okay with it. It's pretty tame compared to some stories, but it's the fact that the author remembers that there are small-minded people out there. It made everything have more depth, because you were right there while Simon goes through it all. Also, his friends (even though they were okay with it) added a drama to his coming out that I felt was true of teenagers, not even today. Just teenagers. Especially those that have been friends for as long as Simon has with his friends. Remembering the dynamic of having multiple best friends was not fun, but it was sure interesting. Looking at it from an outsider's point of view made me so uncomfortable and made me realize that sometimes, we can be really, REALLY dumb when we're kids.

And I don't want to spoil anything, so I'll say this: I FREAKING LOVE WHO BLUE TURNS OUT TO BE.

Anyway, pick this book up. That isn't even a recommendation; that's an order. Pick it up. Now. Tomorrow. Yesterday. Just grab it. 

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

I hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine was kind of nuts, seeing as we went full Christmas and we're not even done with the other house stuff we need to do. More on that later in the week, though, because today I have a review for This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp.

10:00 a.m.
The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve.

10:02 a.m.
The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class.

10:03
The auditorium doors won't open.

10:05
Someone starts shooting.

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival.

I've had this book on my Kindle for about two months now. I wanted to wait until it got closer to it's actual release date (January 5, 2016) before reading and reviewing it. Honestly, I'd actually forgotten the plot of this book, and to say that I was surprised would be an understatement. I finally got to it last week and it took me a few days before I could process what I felt for this book.

Since this is America, where apparently my cat could walk into a gun store and purchase whatever she wants, we've had about 335 mass shootings this year. 52 of those were school shootings. Working with kids, I'm constantly worried about what's going to happen to them when they leave our center. Sure, they live in a relatively safe suburb, but I'm sure that's what everyone thinks of their smallish city. I wish I could say that this book was one of those where I can't imagine what those people were feeling, but, again, as this is America, I understand it all too well.

This Is Where It Ends is told from several different perspectives: Claire, the runner; Tomás, the "bad" kid; Autumn, the sensitive dancer; and Sylv, her brave but damaged girlfriend. Three of these students are stuck in the school auditorium when a shooter begins his senseless, methodical murders, and one is on the outside, wanting in because family and friends are in there. Sprinkled throughout are shots from Twitter and a teacher's daughter's blog, giving us the experience of understanding all angles of this tragedy. We soon come to find that everyone in this narrative is connected in some way, and they all have a rather dark past with the shooter. That's what makes this whole mess so much worse: everyone is blaming themselves and not the shooter, because they think they've done something so harmful to him that he would turn a gun on his fellow students.

I liked a lot about this book, and it far outweighed the stuff I didn't like. I guess let's start with the disliking. Sometimes the characters were really one-dimensional. Having never been in a school shooting, I don't know exactly how I would react, but some of these kids were incredibly stone-faced and snarky when come face-to-face with the shooter. The secondary characters - those that we didn't really get a chance to know - were far more believable. For example, one girl watches her sister die in front of her, and she screams bloody murder (sorry), crumples to the ground, and then is in absolute shock for most of the novel. But the main characters stand up to the shooter, being sarcastic and don't seem to worry in the least about being shot.

What I liked most was the fast-pace of the novel. Sometimes when a novel is set within a certain time limit (this one was 52 minutes), it seems to drag on, leaving the reader wondering, okay, this scene has taken about an hour, but it's only been two minutes? This one really felt like everyone was moving at break-neck speed. I also really liked how real it all felt, because sometimes an author asks us to suspend reality for a few pages, but this one didn't. The cops didn't offer any special insight to the main characters, which left us in the dark, too. No one called from the auditorium and explained the plot to some other character. The reader is left wondering and waiting along with the other characters, hoping that so-and-so isn't really dead, that a sibling made it out before the shooter could see him or her. The stress and suspense is so real - and so all the time - that I had to take a few breaks, just to get my heart rate back to normal.

But now I get to the fun part! Sourcebooks Fire, the awesome publisher behind this book, is having a pre-order promotion for This Is Where It Ends. I'm going to let their super cute chalkboard picture tell the details, because it does it better than I could.

There are two ways to enter the giveaway:

1. If you pre-order a copy of This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp, submit your name, mailing address, email address, and order confirmation number via this Rafflecopter link.
2. If you have not pre-ordered a copy of This Is Where It Endsby Marieke Nijkamp, you may enter the giveaway by printing your name, mailing address, email address and the phrase "This Is Where It Ends" on a standard-size postcard and send to: Publicity, c/o Sourcebooks, Inc., 1935 Brookdale Rd., #139, Naperville, IL 60563.

So that's it! Easy peasy, right? But come on back the rest of this week, because I did some major reading over the weekend, and I still have two more reviews on hand. See you then!

The End of NaNo and The Beginning of a Bigger Mess

NaNo is over! And I won!

Trust me, no one is more surprised than I am. I went on a marathon writing jag last weekend and just barely made it. I'm not entirely sure I want to go back and read over what I wrote, because I'm sure it makes no sense and probably has nothing to do with the plot. But, I guess, whatever? I won? I don't know. I'm just glad that November is done with and we're on to December.

So how did I celebrate this momentous win? I turned off my computer for five days and didn't step foot in my office for the same amount of time. I couldn't stand to look at my computer anymore, and I'm sure it felt the same way about me. But now I've decided to be an adult and get things in order.

My office is an absolute mess. I debated whether or not to share a picture because, seriously, it makes me cringe each time I walk in, but in the interest of being honest, here it is.

It's so embarrassing. My office has become the Island of Misfit Toys, with whatever we can't find a place for finding a home in my office. It's not a permanent home, mind you, but it's still a home. All those boxes piled on top of the bookshelf? Those are nerd boxes that my boyfriend subscribes to. ALL OF THEM. He went a little crazy one day - and I love him for it - but now we have to find space for those things. Until then, they live here. My cat also lives in this room, because we have the dog and my boyfriend is allergic, so her most of the time home is in here. She pretty much makes any mess she can, and those two beds? Yeah, those are both hers, but she doesn't use them. BECAUSE SHE HATES ME. She uses her crate, the place that she hates so much she usually throws up in there.

I don't know. Our household is strange.

Anyway, why am I showing these disgusting, hideous pictures? Because I'm hoping that by next week, this will all be cleaned up. Not exactly cleared out, but at least in a state of organization that I can handle. We're going Christmas decoration shopping on Saturday morning and then setting up the house for the merriest of holidays that day.

Really, I'm in it for the cookies, the music, and the movies, but I'll take some presents, too.

Sunday, however, I'll be able to dedicated most of my day to cleaning the office. Looking around, it seems like a rather daunting task, but I can do it. Because I have to, or else I'll slowly go insane in here.

But what about writing, Bree? What about that?? Well, let me tell you, I think I've already found a story that I want to concentrate on. I'd been looking at it since October, and it was almost my NaNo story, but then I changed my mind. But now, I've been reading it on my phone and miss it. It's fun and it has substance, and I think it could really be something if I just give it a little love. I haven't made my final decision yet, but I'm leaning toward this story. I'll keep you all updated on that, and the office, because I know you want to see it all pretty and sparkling.

Also, next week I'll have a review up of This Is Where It Ends. I was going to do it today, but I just finished it last night and I'm still processing some feelings. It's a difficult book.

That's it for now! I'll see you next week for reviews and gorgeous office makeovers! (Don't hold your breaths.)

Onward and Upward

I feel like the last few weeks have gone by in a blur.

So, after the Oval Nationals, I figured I would buckle down and get to work on NaNo, right? Well, that was the plan, but it didn't quite work out that way. We decided to go to Arizona the next weekend for the last bit of races, and I ended up feeling kind of run down that whole weekend. Between flying and driving and sitting outside in the cold while dust flew up my nose and in my mouth, it all took its toll on me. I started trying to get serious this week, but it's been difficult. It's getting colder around here and all I want to do is clean the house, curl up in bed, and read.

I never thought I'd be so happy to see the end of November.

What does that mean for NaNo? Well, I'm going to work my butt off for the next four days and see what I can get done. I'm not so far behind that winning is impossible, but one could call it a long shot. Luckily, this story is not something that I was too terribly excited about, but just something I grabbed out of my folders. I knew this month would be insane, so I picked something that I could "mindlessly" write and know that it would never see the light of day. Looking over some of the things I've written, it's ridiculous and trite, but it's been helping me write everyday (more or less) and getting my brain working again.

My brain has really been getting at the future. December is going to be another slightly crazy month, but I'm going to utilize it the best I can. I've already started compiling a list of all the stories that I have in my folders that are...well, I guess you could say, worth something. Those are the stories that could be more, that could turn into novels with just a little love and patience. The plan (oh, the plan) is to take December to really look at them, to figure out if I could flesh them out into something that I would be excited about. Then, starting near the end of December or in January, I'm going to start writing (I'll still be writing everyday, and I'll talk about that in a second). Sprint cars don't get going until the beginning of March, and we have been planning on working on the house most weekends, but I can make it work. I'm determined to make it work, actually. I want something done before my birthday, something that I can hold in my hands and say, dang, that's mine.

As for writing everyday, I'm planning on doing what I make my students do: get into some prompts. I want to get into the habit of writing something each day, whether it's a hundred words or a thousand. It's like physical exercise: once I get into the swing of it, I'll crave it. There's thousands of websites out there with daily prompts, and I'd be an idiot not to use them. I hate New Years resolutions because I feel like you're just setting yourself up to fail (maybe it's just me), but I'm trying to be more organized in the coming year. That includes writing. Keep your fingers crossed for me, because I'm going to need it.

Besides all that, I'm betting that this blog is going to turn into me complaining that this house is too damn big and that I hate having to turn it into something I want to live in. Typical white people problems, basically. And no, I don't live in a mansion or anything close, but sometimes I look around our house and wonder what the hell we're going to do with some of the space. Then, within the space of two seconds, I wonder why we don't have more space for all of our junk. Then I wonder if anyone wants to buy a slightly used, mostly broken cat.

Cat hair rug included!

But that might just be me,

Oval Nationals and Then...Weirdness

This weekend was a trip.

Before leaving on Thursday, I made certain to pack my laptop and extra books, since I figured I'd be alone in the hotel room most of the time. I'd be able to catch up on my writing and finish one book so I could get started on another that I've had my eye on for weeks now. So, how did I do? Let's put it this way: I'm about 5,000 words behind and didn't finish one book. 

But I didn't care. 

Perris Auto Speedway during a quiet moment

Sprint cars are amazing. I knew this before, but this weekend only reinforced and strengthened my love for this sport. Watching the boy work alongside people I've been cheering for was surreal. I met drivers and others involved in this sport that I've treated like celebrities for the last few years. The best part of it all was seeing him so happy. He was having the time of his life (even though his team didn't do so hot).

The boy (in the blue hat) checking out Hubcap Mike's car

Watching what goes into making these cars run is terrifying. I felt like they should fall apart in a matter of seconds (side note: the smell of Methanol and cigarettes is an intoxicating perfume). Everyone involved is absolutely insane, I swear. The mechanics, the drivers, the photographers. One photographer I met takes amazing shots, but it's horrifying to watch him perch precariously on the wall and lean out toward the track while the cars whiz by, all to get the perfect picture. The mechanics work faster and harder than anyone I've ever seen, and they have the harrowing task of making sure this car doesn't self-destruct on the track and the driver doesn't die. There are no words for the drivers themselves: their huge balls speak for them. 

Now I'm back home (for awhile...) and trying to catch up on everything I missed while being so wrapped up in sprint cars. 

I'm plunking away at NaNo. I think this one might come down to the wire. I'm into the story and finding inspiration everywhere I turn, but something is stopping me. It's not writer's block or even that cat (surprise!), but, as weird as this sounds, I think the feeling are getting to me. Some of the scenes are terribly sad and it gets me really down for awhile, so much so that I don't want to do anything more than stare at the cat and contemplate my own life. I'm going to try my best, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a quiet Thanksgiving break, although I was just told that I would be working that Wednesday, so siiiiigh. 

Now, for a Mr. Roger's moment. Now that things are looking to slow down, I notice an aspect of my personality that I thought had gone forever: obsession. 

This sounds like the prelude to a Saturday Morning Special. 

We have a lot of stuff to do around the house, and I tend to zone in on one thing and obsess over it until it's perfect. Seriously. It's scary. I used to (sadly) do this with boys in high school: I'd get a crush and then have to refrain from driving by his house every two seconds (I lived in a small enough town where this sort of behavior would have been noticed pretty quickly). Luckily, I'm not insane anymore. But that same level of obsession seems to be creeping over me. It's come for little things, but they've all consumed my every waking moment. It stresses me out to no end. I want things to get going and to be done, and sometimes I can't see over the rainbow to the next project. It takes a lot of deep breaths to keep me going through the day and lovely bedtime stories to keep my dreams obsession free.It feels dangerous and heady, but I enjoy it.

What I'm getting at here is that obsession is okay. Obviously, there are different levels to this, but I think constantly looking up pictures for your office (me right now) or writing a boy's name a thousand times in your notebook (me at 15) is okay. Just, you know, don't get all Single White Female on whatever you're obsessing over. 

I just dated myself. Whatever, I'm old. 

Now, back to writing. Hopefully my next post will be full of happiness and self-praise for almost being done. 

As always, fingers crossed.