NewBookCatsREADS

Stevie is experiencing a  My Lottery Dream Home  moment; however, instead of a multi-million dollar prize leading to a new house and bonding time with the show's host David Bromstad, Stevie is enrolling in Ellingham Academy, a school known for teaching the brightest teenagers as well as the site of the near-century-old murder of previous student Dottie Epstein and the kidnappings of the school founder Albert Ellingham's wife and daughter. Both the murders and kidnappings are known to be done by the anonymous Truly Devious -- evidenced by a ransom poem crafted and sent nights before the terrible night in April 1936.  Inclined to solving the school's cold-case with her passion for forensics and with the aid of modern-day technology, Stevie becomes engrossed in a group video project staring the school's Hollywood star Hayes Major. Their focus is to recreate the series as a film showing the unfortunate events after Albert became aware of his wife and daughter's kidnapp...

Albertalli and Silvera's  What If It's Us  showcases the love story of two boys Arthur and Ben and their many dates and adventures located in New York. An enthusiastic and nerdy Georgia-native, Arthur is head over heels over the bustle of the city and its many attractions, particularly Broadway's musicals and this new guy Ben. Although Yale-bound Arthur was initially focused on gaining experience from his internship at his mother's law firm, he cannot help but become entranced by the Ben from the post office.  Cutest boy ever. Maybe it's the hair or the freckles or the pinkness of his cheeks. And I say this as someone who's never noticed another person's cheeks in my life. But his cheeks are worth noticing. So, that's our first description of Ben, a boy from Puerto-Rican descent who is grieving his recent break up with his ex Hudson. Left with a box of gifts and previous stuff from this relationship, Ben visits the post office to deliver and finally remo...

When a letter that was never meant to be seen by anyone draws high school senior Evan Hansen into a family's grief over the loss of their son, he is given the chance of a lifetime: to belong. He just has to stick to a lie he never meant to tell, that the notoriously troubled Connor Murphy was his secret best friend. Suddenly, Evan isn't invisible anymore--even to the girl of his dreams. And Connor Murphy's parents, with their beautiful home on the other side of town, have taken him in like he was their own, desperate to know more about their enigmatic son from his closest friend. As Evan gets pulled deeper into their swirl of anger, regret, and confusion, he knows that what he's doing can't be right, but if he's helping people, how wrong can it be? No longer tangled in his once-incapacitating anxiety, this new Evan has a purpose. And a website. He's confident. He's a viral phenomenon. Every day is amazing. Until everything is in danger of unraveling and ...

It's 1944, and World War II is raging across Europe and the Pacific. The war seemed far away from Margot in Iowa and Haruko in Colorado--until they were uprooted to dusty Texas, all because of the places their parents once called home: Germany and Japan. Haruko and Margot meet at the high school in Crystal City, a "family internment camp" for those accused of colluding with the enemy. The teens discover that they are polar opposites in so many ways, except for one that seems to override all the others: the camp is changing them, day by day and piece by piece. Haruko finds herself consumed by fear for her soldier brother and distrust of her father, who she knows is keeping something from her. And Margot is doing everything she can to keep her family whole as her mother's health deteriorates and her rational, patriotic father becomes a man who distrusts America and fraternizes with Nazis. With everything around them falling apart, Margot and Haruko find solace in their ...

Dear All in the Book Community, To introduce myself, I am Nicole, or am known as newbookcats on the line, and I run my blog NewBookCatsREADS. Most likely, you have never heard of a book and cat getting along unless if the cat is allowed to play with the pages; however, on my blog, anyone who can appreciate the luxurious smell of a book or the tiniest sound you hear when you flip a page is my friend. I might dwell on the great smell of books for a while, but who can keep away from the sweet smell of a new or old book? Anyway, the book community has become a part of me; therefore, I need to give thanks to it through a letter listing ten reasons why I believe the book community is one of the best ones in the world. Gather your tissues and enjoy the list because books are a few of my favorite things! *imagine I have Julie Andrews' voice for just a minute* 10 Reasons Why the Book Community is Awesome: 1. You can grow in this community. I have only been a book blogger...

A new heart saved her life—but will it help her find out what really happened to its donor? Seventeen-year-old Leah MacKenzie is heartless. An artificial heart in a backpack is keeping her alive. However, this route only offers her a few years. And with her rare blood type, a transplant isn’t likely. Living like you are dying isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. But when a heart becomes available, she’s given a second chance at life. Except Leah discovers who the donor was — a boy from her school — and they’re saying he killed himself. Plagued with dreams since the transplant, she realizes she may hold the clues to what really happened. Matt refuses to believe his twin killed himself. When Leah seeks him out, he learns they are both having similar dreams and he’s certain it means something. While unraveling the secrets of his brother’s final moments, Leah and Matt find each other, and a love they are terrified to lose. But life and even new hearts don’t come with guarantees. Who knew livin...

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. Discussion: " Why is straight the default? Everyone should have to declare one way or anothe...

Hi everyone! I am back from the dead. I dug myself out of my book-made grave and risen up with  Clockwork Princess  in one hand and my other hand at the ready to type my next post. I feel dead due to all the deadlines that have been punching me in the face; however, as no one probably wants to hear about my bruised yet beautiful face, I think it is time to move on to reviewing a book series. In January, I had my brother tell me his thoughts on the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series through a series of questions. As I like to follow a pattern in my life, except for when it comes down to solving a problem with trigonometry as it is a stinking pile of confusing "math," I chose to be like Vogue and ask my brother, a newfound celebrity, fifteen questions about his so called "favorite series from Riordan yet." - - - ⭐A key to understanding who is who:  Nicole is bold  and Nathan is normal, just as it is in real life. 1. What star ratings (out of 5 sta...

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a  smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know.....