BEA = MIA

Hey All!

I know I've been super absent for the last few months, but I'm hoping that will all change over the summer, but first I have to pass a few big hurdles. The next few weeks are going to be super busy and hectic, so don't think that I forgot you guys! Today marks the beginning of BEA so I'm going to be missing again for a few days, and then as soon as that is over, I have to go to my boyfriends graduation and then its summer! I've got some exciting things coming for you in the comings months so be sure to keep an eye out! Amy will be joining me at BEA, so you're going to get some very exciting stories!

Seduction

Author: M.J. Rose
Goodreads Rating: 4.04
Pages: 370
Format: ARC from Publisher for Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

From the author of The Book of Lost Fragrances comes a haunting novel about a grieving woman who discovers the lost letters of novelist Victor Hugo, awakening a mystery that spans centuries.
In 1843, novelist Victor Hugo’s beloved nineteen-year-old daughter drowned. Ten years later, Hugo began participating in hundreds of séances to reestablish contact with her. In the process, he claimed to have communed with the likes of Plato, Galileo, Shakespeare, Dante, Jesus—and even the Devil himself. Hugo’s transcriptions of these conversations have all been published. Or so it was believed.
Recovering from her own losses, mythologist Jac L’Etoile arrives on the Isle of Jersey—where Hugo conducted the séances—hoping to uncover a secret about the island’s Celtic roots. But the man who’s invited her there, a troubled soul named Theo Gaspard, has hopes she’ll help him discover something quite different—Hugo’s lost conversations with someone called the Shadow of the Sepulcher.
What follows is an intricately plotted and atmospheric tale of suspense with a spellbinding ghost story at its heart, by one of America’s most gifted and imaginative novelists.

BEABlitz: Lisa from The Young Adult Connection

Today I have Lisa from The Young Adult Connection joining me for BEABlitz! She'll be attending BEA this year as well as having attended last year. Today she's got a few tips and tricks

1. How many times have you been to BEA before? When was the first time?

I went to BEA for the first time last year, and it was amazing!

2. What would you say has been the most memorable moment for you at BEA?

I think my most memorable moment at BEA was seeing Tim Gunn, from Project Runway. I didn't know he was going to be there and I saw him and just stood frozen  for a minute.

3. What are you looking forward to most while in NYC?

The lights! Times Square! The food! Everything! New York City is one of my favorite places ever.

4. What was your first impression when you got to BEA the first time?

I remember walking in to Javits Center and immediately feeling overwhelmed. But I was also incredibly excited. When I saw all the books I felt like a kid on Christmas morning and couldn't contain my happiness. Seriously. I was pretty giddy.

5. What keeps you coming back?

The books! :) And the people. And the entire experience of being in a city that I love because of books.

6. What is one thing you wish that someone had told you before your first time at BEA?

How terribly sore my shoulders would hurt after carrying a bunch of books in a tote bag all day. Seriously. Pay to check your bag, or take some back to your hotel/house. You'll thank me later.

I cannot wait to meet Lisa at BEA this year! Hopefully we'll cross paths when we're at BEA!

Who I Kissed

Author: Janet Gurtler
Goodreads Rating: 3.88
Pages: 310
Format: ARC from BEA

Janet Gurtler's books have been hailed as "just right for fans of Sarah Dessen and Jodi Picoult" (Booklist) and "reminiscent of Judy Blume" (RT Book Reviews). Her latest contemporary YA novel is by turns gripping, heart-wrenching, and joyous as one teen girl has to find the courage to carry on after a devastating tragedy.
She never thought a kiss could kill...
As the new girl in town, Samantha just wants to fit in. Being invited to a party by her fellow swim team members is her big chance...especially since Zee will be there. He hasn't made a secret of checking her out at the pool. Sam didn't figure on Alex being there too. She barely even knows him. And she certainly didn't plan to kiss him. It just kind of happened. 
And then Alex dies—right in her arms...
Consumed by guilt and grief, Sam has no idea what to do or where to turn when everyone at school blames her. What follows is Sam's honest, raw, and unforgettable journey to forgive herself and find balance—maybe even love—in a life that suddenly seems to be spinning out of control.

What Happens Next

Author: Colleen Clayton
Goodreads Rating: 4.38
Pages: 320
Reviewed by: Nicole

How can you talk about something you can’t remember?
Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy “Sid” Murphy was a cheerleader (at the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she’s thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid—including a lock of her perfect red curls—and she can’t remember any of it.
Back home and unable to relate to her old friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey “The Living Stoner” Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.
Witty and poignant, Colleen Clayton’s stunning debut is a story about moving on after the unthinkable happens.