"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.


Title: Tin Star (Tin Star #1)
Author: Cecil Castellucci
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 240 Pages (February 25th 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: On their way to start a new life, Tula and her family travel on the Prairie Rose, a colony ship headed to a planet in the outer reaches of the galaxy. All is going well until the ship makes a stop at a remote space station, the Yertina Feray, and the colonist's leader, Brother Blue, beats Tula within an inch of her life. An alien, Heckleck, saves her and teaches her the ways of life on the space station.

When three humans crash land onto the station, Tula's desire for escape becomes irresistible, and her desire for companionship becomes unavoidable. But just as Tula begins to concoct a plan to get off the space station and kill Brother Blue, everything goes awry, and suddenly romance is the farthest thing from her mind.

Title: Salvage
Author: Alexandra Duncan
Publisher: Greenwillow, 520 Pages (April 1st, 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Ava, a teenage girl living aboard the male-dominated deep space merchant ship Parastrata, faces betrayal, banishment, and death. Taking her fate into her own hands, she flees to the Gyre, a floating continent of garbage and scrap in the Pacific Ocean, in this thrilling, surprising, and thought-provoking debut novel that will appeal to fans of Across the Universe, by Beth Revis, and The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood.

Title: Grim

Author: Christine Johnson, Kimberly Derting, Sonia Gensler, Tessa Gratton, Claudia Gray, Rachel Hawkins, Amanda Hocking, Ellen Hopkins, Shaun Hutchinson, Julie Kagawa , Malinda Lo, Myra McEntire, Saundra Mitchell, Jackson Pearce, Sarah Rees Brennan, Dia Reeves, Jon Skovran, Jeri Smith-Ready
Publisher: Harlequin Teen, 480 Pages (February 25th 2014)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository, Amazon UK

Synopsis: Inspired by classic fairy tales, but with a dark and sinister twist, Grim contains short stories from some of the best voices in young adult literature today:

Ellen Hopkins, Amanda Hocking, Julie Kagawa, Claudia Gray, Rachel Hawkins, Kimberly Derting, Myra McEntire, Malinda Lo, Sarah Rees-Brennan, Jackson Pearce, Christine Johnson, Jeri Smith Ready, Shaun David Hutchinson, Saundra Mitchell, Sonia Gensler, Tessa Gratton, Jon Skrovan

It's another Wednesday and another packed WoW this week. Three titles... two set in space and one filled with some pretty epic authors writing novella's inspired by classic fairy tales? YES PLEASE to ALL THREE!

QUESTION: If you had to choose ONE of these title's that you could pick up and read right now, which one would you choose and why?

*covers are always subject to change.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.

Title: Auracle
Author: Gina Rosati
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 304 Pages (August, 7th, 2012)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: 16 year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe.

When there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them.

Title: Such a Rush
Author: Jennifer Echols
Publisher: MTV Books, 320 Pages (July 10th, 2012)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.   

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business — until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers — and the consequences could be deadly.

Title: The City's Son (The Skyscraper Throne, #1)
Author: Tom Pollock
Publisher: Flux, 480 Pages (September 8th, 2012)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Running from her traitorous best friend and her estranged father, graffiti artist Beth Bradley is looking for sanctuary. What she finds is Urchin, the ragged and cocky crown prince of London's mystical underworld. Urchin opens Beth's eyes to the city she's never truly seen-where vast spiders crawl telephone wires seeking voices to steal, railwraiths escape their tethers, and statues conceal an ancient priesthood robed in bronze.

But it all teeters on the brink of destruction. Amid rumors that Urchin's goddess mother will soon return from her 15-year exile, Reach, a malign god of urban decay, wants the young prince dead. Helping Urchin raise an alleyway army to reclaim his skyscraper throne, Beth soon forgets her old life. But when her best friend is captured, Beth must choose between this wondrous existence and the life she left behind.

And for today's WoW I have another three books that I'm really excited to read. And for two of them, I MIGHT have already. Thankfully I have both Aracle and Such a Rush here, so keep an eye out for those reviews soon. The City's Son was a brand new find... well new when I was working on this post awhile ago. The cover caught my eye and I'm always looking for a book that's set in England, which makes this one perfect! So, what are your thoughts?

*covers are always subject to change.

"Just Picked" is a feature here at A Life Bound By Books. This is a place where I'll be spotlighting new (and old) childrens book or picture books for parents and new readers. It's a place to talk about books for a younger group and to try to help create a new generation of readers.

Title: The Prince's New Pet
Author & Illustrator: Brian Anderson
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 40 Pages (December 6th, 2011)
Age Range: 4 - 8
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: The Prince's birthday was just like every other day in his father's kingdom-drab, gloomy, and completely colorless. Years ago the Prince's father had banned all color from the kingdom, so the Prince now received the same gray gifts wrapped in the same gray paper and ate the same gray birthday cake, while outside gray skies loomed. But when a special package arrives at his party, the Prince is surprised to see a very unusual creature emerge. Will his new pet bring a splash of color to the kingdom?

Review: 5 Stars - The Prince’s New Pet By Author & Illustrator Brian Anderson is one of the best picture books I’ve had the joy of looking at and reading. To me, the art is amazing to say the least. I couldn’t wait to see what would be on the next page and if I’m honest I’ve picked this book up a few times just for the art work alone. The touches of color in an otherwise grey and drab world were a perfect addition. Panels, like in comic books and graphic novels were also wonderful additions to the art and story. Even now, when I pick up the book I find something new hidden within the art. Anderson’s imagination and detail are just… I have no words. The story that accompanies the art that I can’t get enough of was a pleasure to read. I loved the names for the characters, such as Duchess of Humdrum and King Cerulean. The gist of the story is about a Prince and his father the King. The Queen was full of color and when she died the King removed all the color from the Kingdom because it only reminded him of his wife. The young prince wants color and the story goes to tell how he tries to change things, how he tries to keep some color in his life and how he wants to change the laws and rules of the Kingdom. While the copy I received was an ARC, I felt that the last page was a bit confusing and wondered if I was missing some text. In the end it didn’t bother me much because when I pick this one up, I always go right back to the beginning again for the art. I would hang this on my walls if I could!

All in all, while this title is suggested for age ranges 4 to 8, I feel that this would be better suited for 8 year olds on up. I could see some of the art being a bit scary for younger readers, so I suggest parents judge this title and how their children might take the art for themselves. Enjoy!

*Please note that this is feature here that I have created specifically for my blog. Should you wish to have a feature like this, please be sure to credit me or make it all your own. Thank You!


FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

"Just Picked" is a feature here at A Life Bound By Books. This is a place where I'll be spotlighting new (and old) childrens book or picture books for parents and new readers. It's a place to talk about books for a younger group and to try to help create a new generation of readers.

Title: Prudence Wants a Pet
Author: Cathleen Daly
Illustrator: Stephen Michael King
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 32 Pages (June 21st, 2011)
Age Range: 4 - 7
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: Prudence wants a pet. Desperately. “No,” says Dad, “pets cost too much to keep.”
“No,” says Mom, “pets make noise.”But Prudence is determined. She finds her own pet. It is a…branch. But Branch isn't exactly the pet of her dreams, and neither are Twig, Mr. Round (a car tire), or her baby brother Milo. Poor Prudence. Will she ever find the perfect pet?

Review: 4 Stars - Prudence Wants a Pet By: Cathleen Daly, Illustrated By: Stephen Michael King is a fantastic story about an extremely imaginative little girl who goes out of her way to create her own pet when her parents tell her the many reasons why she can’t have one. So, Prudence finds things – a branch, twig and a tire to name a few – and turns them into a pet. I loved the names for the various “pets” she finds out of random things throughout her day. Never knowing what she might find next as a “pet” was fantastic and my nieces now have fun announcing each item Prudence finds along the way throughout the book. The only thing I found a little harsh, hence the 4 stars, were her parents. Not sure why they had to be a bit on the mean side, but they were. At least they changed in the end when Prudence’s birthday came around. All in all, this is a great book to get kids imaginations going! I loved sharing it with my nieces and it’s been a go-to book for them many times. The illustrations are brilliant and added a touch of whimsy to a seriously cute character.

*Please note that this is feature here that I have created specifically for my blog. Should you wish to have a feature like this, please be sure to credit me or make it all your own. Thank You!


FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

"Just Picked" is a feature here at A Life Bound By Books. This is a place where I'll be spotlighting new (and old) childrens book or picture books for parents and new readers. It's a place to talk about books for a younger group and to try to help create a new generation of readers.

Title: Grandpa Green
Author & Illustrator: Lane Smith
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 32 Pages (August 30th, 2011)
Age Range: 5 - 9
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: From the creator of the national bestseller It's a Book comes a timeless story of family history, legacy, and love. Grandpa Green wasn't always a gardener. He was a farmboy and a kid with chickenpox and a soldier and, most of all, an artist. In this captivating new picture book, readers follow Grandpa Green's great-grandson into a garden he created, a fantastic world where memories are handed down in the fanciful shapes of topiary trees and imagination recreates things forgotten. In his most enigmatic and beautiful work to date, Lane Smith explores aging, memory, and the bonds of family history and love; by turns touching and whimsical, it's a stunning picture book that parents and grandparents will be sharing with children for years to come. Grandpa Green is a Publishers Weekly Best Children's Picture Books title for 2011.

Review: 4 Stars - Grandpa Green is the second book by Author & Illustrator Lane Smith that I’ve had the pleasure of reading. The story is fantastic and the graphics are utterly captivating. And while I took a lot of time looking over the art that had me hooked, the story and the message wasn’t lost at all. Picture books with a message of family and history like this one will have kids ready to ask questions about their parents and grandparents. It’s a great tool to use as a conversation piece for maybe kids a little bit older when it comes to this title and all that the actual story is about. The meaning is there, but I think that younger kids might be a bit lost. However, it’s not to say that this is one to keep from them. I think Grandpa Green would be a perfect book for kids and grandparents to share as they read and walk through the fantastic topiary garden as the boy in the pages of the book learns all about his grandfathers’ life from the beginning and more. Enjoy.

*Please note that this is feature here that I have created specifically for my blog. Should you wish to have a feature like this, please be sure to credit me or make it all your own. Thank You!


 FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

"Just Picked" is a feature here at A Life Bound By Books. This is a place where I'll be spotlighting new (and old) childrens book or picture books for parents and new readers. It's a place to talk about books for a younger group and to try to help create a new generation of readers.

Title: Ten Little Beasties
Author's & Illustrator's: Ed & Rebecca Emberley
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Age Range: 2 - 6
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: If there's one thing beasties love to do, it's dance! When one little beastie is joined by two little, three little, and more little beasties, we count UP until there's a party on the page. But when one of the little beastie starts trouble, it's time to start counting DOWN.

Review: 2 Stars - The art of Ten Little Beasties is what makes this book. The text, mainly adding and subtracting - adding a beast on each page until reaching ten, then subtracting one each page until getting back down to one again - is a simple way for younger kids to start to learn how to count and some very simple visual math. While reading this book wasn't a stellar story, it was the abstract art that I loved to see change from page to page. It was the art that I sincerely was fascinated with. I just wish that art such as this would have had a bit of a story to it.

I haven't read this one to my younger nieces yet because I don't think this would grab them, however I can see boys taking to the monsters with ease, especially around Halloween.

*Please note that this is feature here that I have created specifically for my blog. Should you wish to have a feature like this, please be sure to credit me or make it all your own. Thank You!

"Just Picked" is a feature here at A Life Bound By Books. This is a place where I'll be spotlighting new (and old) childrens book or picture books for parents and new readers. It's a place to talk about books for a younger group and to try to help create a new generation of readers.

Title: Bee & Bird
Author: Craig Frazier
Illustrator: Craig Frazier
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 40 Pages (May 10th 2011)
Age Range: 2 to 6
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: Things are not always what they appear to be in this mezmerizing tale of a bee and a bird's epic journey. These brilliantly hued illustrations by Craig Frazier look good enough to eat, and the simple but surprising story will entrance young readers . . . and everyone else.

Review: 4 Stars - Bee & Bird by Craig Frazier shows amazing illustrations that take on a different point of view with the turn of each page, showing that sometimes all isn’t what it seems. With brightly colored pictures, it follows a bee and a bird as they go on an adventure.

I loved Frazier’s illustrations, and the lack of words makes this a true picture book. However, words aren’t needed with a book with art such as this. You know what they say; a picture is worth a thousand words.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

"Just Picked" is a new Feature here at A Life Bound By Books. Now and then I'll be sharing with you various picture books that I've come across that I think everyone with kids, or even adults will love to read or would even make a great coffee table book.

Title: Lemonade and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word
Author: Bob Raczka
Illustrator: Nancy Doniger
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 48 Pages (March 15th 2011)
Age Range: 8 to 12
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: Play with your words! A brand new poetic form that turns word puzzles into poetry.

Part anagram, part rebus, part riddle—these poems capture a scene from a child's daily life and present a puzzle to solve. Sometimes sweet and sometimes funny, but always clever, these poems are fun to read and even more fun for kids to write. Bob Raczka is a fresh, new voice in children's poetry who knows that fun and games can turn a poetry lesson into lemonade!

Review: 3 Stars - Lemonade is more than a book; it’s filled with words made from words to create many different poems. It’s unique, interesting and extremely creative giving kids something fun to read. It might be a quick book of poems but I can see kids looking at words differently, by seeing what words they can find in other words.

I have to say that the poems might be hard to read at first due to the layout, but all you need to do is turn the page and its there, clear and easy to read. It’s the things such as where the poems originate from and how different they are displayed on the page that make this book interesting and will have readers ready to make finding words within words new and exciting.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

Title: It's a Book
Author: Lane Smith
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press, 32 Pages (August 3rd 2010)
From: the Publisher, Thank You!

Synopsis: Playful and lighthearted with a subversive twist that is signature Lane Smith, IT’S A BOOK is a delightful manifesto on behalf of print in the digital age. This satisfying, perfectly executed picture book has something to say to readers of all stripes and all ages.

Review: 4 Stars - It’s a Book By Lane Smith is the perfect coffee table book for readers of all ages. Being that were in the digital age and now with the semi-recent introduction to eReaders, this light hearted story shows just how easily we can often find ourselves throughout each day lost behind a computer, eReader, or various other electronics.

The three characters are a Monkey, Donkey and a Mouse. The Monkey is reading a book, and the Donkey has no idea what it is. With his curiosity, the Donkey asks many questions to better learn and understand just what a “book” is or even does.

With extremely cute art and funny characters, It’s a Book was delightful to read and I thoroughly enjoyed all 32 pages.

Note: A word of warning for younger readers or adults with kids, there is a semi bad word on the last page in reference to the Donkey. It didn’t bother me, however I felt a warning would be appreciated to any looking to purchase this super cute book!

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.