Author: Deb Caletti

Blog Tour: Essential Maps for the Lost [Review & Giveaway]

Posted April 15, 2016 by Stephanie in Blog Tour, Giveaway, Review / 10 Comments

Essential Maps for the Lost by Deb Caletti
Published by Simon Pulse on April 5th 2016
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic, Romance
Pages: 336
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
four-stars

Buy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

From beloved author and National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti comes a fresh and luminous novel about the grief that can tear us apart and the people who can make us whole again.
When Madison makes a startling discovery, the body of a dead woman floating in the middle of a lake, the summer after her senior year becomes more complicated than she ever expected.
Madison (Mads to everyone who knows her) is staying with her aunt and uncle in Seattle after graduating from high school. Being away from her needy, unstable mother who's been pressuring her to take over the family business is such a relief. Now all Mads has to worry about is taking classes, swimming laps, and fighting off the sadness that threatens to overtake her.
That is, until the traumatic moment Mads collides with a body in the middle of the lake. After swimming the body back to shore, Mads becomes obsessed with uncovering the identity of the woman and what drove her to leap off of the Aurora Bridge. Determined to discover more, Mads parks outside the woman's home and sees the woman's son: the sweet and tormented Billy Youngwolf Floyd.
Through a series of not-so-happenstance meetings, Mads and Billy realize that desperate mothers and rescue missions are not the only thing that bonds them. Billy carries a map in his pocket; the one of the museum from The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler; and it's his dream to visit the museum one day. And though book-loving Mads is expected to return home to her already-decided future, her dream is to run away to a life of her choosing.
As the unlikely pair fall hard for each other and as the summer draws to a close, Billy and Mads must decide whose story to follow: their family's or their own.

My Thoughts

I remember reading Honey Baby Sweetheart back in high school (which let me tell you, was a long time ago) and I remember enjoying it and wanting to read more of Deb Caletti’s books. Fast forward to 2016 and I still hadn’t read anymore of Deb Caletti’s books. I did however buy a couple. Then I see a tour for ESSENTIAL MAPS FOR THE LOST and it sounds so good, I immediately sign up for it. I was not disappointed! Reading this book has made me want to read and/or reread the rest of Caletti’s books!

What I really love about this book is the emotion that you get while reading it. And that it deals with some important issues. At the very beginning you are thrown into this terrible event, Mads colliding with a dead body in a lake. I would have nightmares if that happened to me. And throughout the whole novel, you see Mads and Billy dealing with some pretty important stuff, not just their relationship.

Now, as much as I enjoyed this book. It did take me a little bit to get through the first third. I read the first few chapters pretty fast considering the beginning is literally Mads colliding into a dead body, but after that it did take some getting used to. And maybe it was because I was in a slight reading slump due to my wedding, but it did take me a few days to push through and finish this. But Caletti’s writing is gorgeous. She really does know how to show a story. And I will definitely be rereading this at some point in my life.

All-in-all, I really enjoyed this book and if you’re in the mood for a contemporary that isn’t afraid to deal with tough stuff. I really recommend giving Deb Caletti’s writing a chance! Because the story that she tells about Mads and Billy about falling in love amongst the grief, is a pretty fantastic read. 🙂

About the Author

Deb Caletti is an award-winning author and National Book Award finalist. Her many books for young adults include “The Nature of Jade,” “Stay,” “The Last Forever,” and “Honey, Baby Sweetheart,” winner of the Washington State Book award, the PNBA Best Book Award, and a finalist for the PEN USA Award. Her first book for adults, “He’s Gone,” was released from Random House in 2012, and was followed with “The Secrets She Keeps” in 2015. Coming this April: “Essential Maps for the Lost,” her eleventh book for young adults. She lives with her family in Seattle.

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Giveaway

3 Finished Copies of ESSENTIAL MAPS FOR THE LOST (US Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

Week 1:

4/4: Such A Novel Idea – Q&A

4/5: Ex Libris – Review

4/6: Life According to a Bibliophile – Top 10

4/7: Kelly Vision – Review

4/8: The Bookkeeper’s Secrets – Guest Post

Week 2:

4/11: Stuck In Books – Review

4/12: Who R U Blog – Novel Secrets

4/13: Between the Pages – Review

4/14: Jenuine Cupcakes – Top 10

4/15: In Wonderland – Review

What’s Next [3] – The Star Maps of Hearts

Posted March 10, 2016 by Stephanie in Meme / 2 Comments

What’s Next? is a meme created by Hafsah @ Icey Books where you list 3-5 books that you are wanting to read soon but can’t pick which one to read first. I am excited to start giving it a try! If you’re interested in participating in this meme, click the button above! 🙂

Here are a few books that I have received recently and I want to read, but which should come first?

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi
Published by St. Martin's Griffin on April 26th 2016
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mythology, Romance
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Buy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

Cursed with a horoscope that promises a marriage of Death and Destruction, sixteen-year-old Maya has only earned the scorn and fear of her father's kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her world is upheaved when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. But when her wedding takes a fatal turn, Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Yet neither roles are what she expected. As Akaran's queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar's wife, she finds friendship and warmth.
But Akaran has its own secrets - thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Beneath Akaran's magic, Maya begins to suspect her life is in danger. When she ignores Amar's plea for patience, her discoveries put more than new love at risk - it threatens the balance of all realms, human and Otherworldly.
Now, Maya must confront a secret that spans reincarnated lives and fight her way through the dangerous underbelly of the Otherworld if she wants to protect the people she loves.
Inspired by Indian mythology.

What’s Next [3] – The Star Maps of Hearts Essential Maps for the Lost by Deb Caletti
Published by Simon Pulse on April 5th 2016
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 336
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Buy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

From beloved author and National Book Award finalist Deb Caletti comes a fresh and luminous novel about the grief that can tear us apart and the people who can make us whole again.
When Madison makes a startling discovery, the body of a dead woman floating in the middle of a lake, the summer after her senior year becomes more complicated than she ever expected.
Madison (Mads to everyone who knows her) is staying with her aunt and uncle in Seattle after graduating from high school. Being away from her needy, unstable mother who's been pressuring her to take over the family business is such a relief. Now all Mads has to worry about is taking classes, swimming laps, and fighting off the sadness that threatens to overtake her.
That is, until the traumatic moment Mads collides with a body in the middle of the lake. After swimming the body back to shore, Mads becomes obsessed with uncovering the identity of the woman and what drove her to leap off of the Aurora Bridge. Determined to discover more, Mads parks outside the woman's home and sees the woman's son: the sweet and tormented Billy Youngwolf Floyd.
Through a series of not-so-happenstance meetings, Mads and Billy realize that desperate mothers and rescue missions are not the only thing that bonds them. Billy carries a map in his pocket; the one of the museum from The Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler; and it's his dream to visit the museum one day. And though book-loving Mads is expected to return home to her already-decided future, her dream is to run away to a life of her choosing.
As the unlikely pair fall hard for each other and as the summer draws to a close, Billy and Mads must decide whose story to follow: their family's or their own.

What’s Next [3] – The Star Maps of Hearts Queen of Hearts by Colleen Oakes
Series: Queen of Hearts Saga #1
Published by HarperTeen on May 3rd 2016
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance
Pages: 320
Format: eARC
Source: Edelweiss, Publisher
Goodreads
Buy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository

As Princess of Wonderland Palace and the future Queen of Hearts, Dinah’s days are an endless monotony of tea, tarts, and a stream of vicious humiliations at the hands of her father, the King of Hearts. The only highlight of her days is visiting Wardley, her childhood best friend, the future Knave of Hearts — and the love of her life.
When an enchanting stranger arrives at the Palace, Dinah watches as everything she’s ever wanted threatens to crumble. As her coronation date approaches, a series of suspicious and bloody events suggests that something sinister stirs in the whimsical halls of Wonderland. It’s up to Dinah to unravel the mysteries that lurk both inside and under the Palace before she loses her own head to a clever and faceless foe.
Part epic fantasy, part twisted fairy tale, this dazzling saga will have readers shivering as Dinahs furious nature sweeps Wonderland up in the maelstrom of her wrath.
Familiar characters such as Cheshire, the White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter make their appearance, enchanting readers with this new, dark take on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

So, what should I read next?