November Wrap Up and December TBR

As expected, November was a busy month for me, with three birthdays in the family, the build up to Christmas, and a whole bunch of family drama. I expect December to be even busier, so I do wonder how my reading is going to go. My plan for the first week of December is to get all my December posts written so that I don't have to worry about those, and to get cracking with my January ones. 

Also in November, I went to see Catching Fire, and I'm going again tonight. SUCH a good film, you guys! It reawakened my love for Finnick, and Finnick/Katniss. I don't even care, they should have been endgame.

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil
Release Date: September 17, 2013
Publisher: Balzer & Bray
Source: Borrowed
Star Rating: ★★★
Rating: Enjoyable

Josie Byrne's life is spiraling out of control. Her parents are divorcing, her boyfriend Nick has grown distant, and her physics teacher has it in for her. When she's betrayed by the two people she trusts most, Josie thinks things can't get worse.

Until she starts having dreams about a girl named Jo. Every night at the same time—3:59 a.m.

Jo's life is everything Josie wants: she's popular, her parents are happily married, and Nick adores her. It all seems real, but they're just dreams, right? Josie thinks so, until she wakes one night to a shadowy image of herself in the bedroom mirror – Jo.


Josie and Jo realize that they are doppelgängers living in parallel universes that overlap every twelve hours at exactly 3:59. Fascinated by Jo's perfect world, Josie jumps at the chance to jump through the portal and switch places for a day.

But Jo’s world is far from perfect. Not only is Nick not Jo's boyfriend, he hates her. Jo's mom is missing, possibly insane. And at night, shadowy creatures feed on human flesh.

By the end of the day, Josie is desperate to return to her own life. But there’s a problem: Jo has sealed the portal, trapping Josie in this dangerous world. Can she figure out a way home before it’s too late?

Josie crouched behind the photon laser module and aligned it with the beam splitter at the other end of the lab table.

---

I am a little bit disappointed by 3:59. Everyone should know by now that I love stories about parallel universes. Since they starting springing up in YA last year, I have been hunting them down and trying to get to as many as possible. It's a great trend, as is the time travel one, and I am so pleased that the science fiction genre is blowing up. But... 3:59 wasn't all that great.

Premeditated by Josin L. McQuein

Premeditated by Josin L. McQuein
Release Date: October 8, 2013
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Source: Borrowed
Star Rating: ★★★★
Rating: Enjoyable

A week ago, Dinah’s cousin Claire cut her wrists.

Five days ago, Dinah found Claire’s diary and discovered why.

Three days ago, Dinah stopped crying and came up with a plan.

Two days ago, she ditched her piercings and bleached the black dye from her hair.

Yesterday, knee socks and uniform plaid became a predator’s camouflage.

Today, she’ll find the boy who broke Claire.

By tomorrow, he’ll wish he were dead.

Killing someone’s easier than you think.

---

I love a good revenge story, and I adore thrillers, so I knew that Premeditated would be a book for me. Add to that the fact that I loved McQuein's debut, Arclight, and, well, we have a winner. After finishing this book and sitting on it for a while, I still feel pretty much the same about it. It's a great revenge story, packed with many different themes and topics, and without an overbearing romance.

Top Ten Bookish Things I'm Thankful For

hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Top Ten Bookish Things I'm Thankful For

I think this is a Thanksgiving thing? We don't celebrate it in England but I'm doing this TTT because it looked like it could be fun :)

New Releases: November 26 - December 2, 2013

Aside from Crash Into You, which I am a bit wary about, after the ridiculous relationship in Dare You To, I'm not particularly looking forward to any of these. Least of all Pawn, since The Goddess Test series was awful. AWFUL.