Top Ten Tuesday: Inspirational/Thought-Provoking Book Quotes

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl in which we create bookish lists about everything from our favorite characters to love triangles and everything in between!

This Week's Theme: Inspirational/Thought-Provoking Book Quotes!

For today's post, I compiled ten different inspirational or thought provoking quotes that I've found in books throughout the years. They're in no particular order and not ranked my importance -- they're all near and dear to my heart! So without further ado, let's get into it.

1. “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” 
-Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

2. “Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.” 
― Dr. Seuss (A true classic and one of my favorites!)

3. “There is never a time or place for true love. It happens accidentally, in a heartbeat, in a single flashing, throbbing moment.” 
― Sarah Dessen, The Truth About Forever

4. “Life is an awful, ugly place to not have a best friend.” 
― Sarah Dessen, Someone Like You

5. “When adults say, "Teenagers think they are invincible" with that sly, stupid smile on their faces, they don't know how right they are. We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken. We think that we are invincible because we are. We cannot be born, and we cannot die. Like all energy, we can only change shapes and sizes and manifestations. They forget that when they get old. They get scared of losing and failing. But that part of us greater than the sum of our parts cannot begin and cannot end, and so it cannot fail.” 
― John Green, Looking for Alaska

6. “I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end.” 
― Gilda Radner

7.  “Tell me, what is it you plan to do  with your one wild and precious life?” 
― Mary Oliver

8. “I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes...you're Doing Something.” 
― Neil Gaiman

9. “Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” 
― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

10. “Living in that childish wonder is a most beautiful feeling - I can so well remember it. There was always something more - behind and beyond everything - to me, the golden spectacles were very, very big.” 
― Kate Greenaway

So those are ten inspirational and thought-provoking book quotes that I've found over the years! What are yours? Comment down below and let me know!


ARC Review: Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

Title: Aurora Rising
(The Aurora Cycle #1)
Author: Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff 
Genre: Science Fiction 
Source: Random House via NetGalley 
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 7th 2019

Summary: 
The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…: A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm, A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates, A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder, An alien warrior with anger management issuesA tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering. And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy. They're not the heroes we deserve. They're just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.

It's been a solid three days since I finished Aurora Rising and I still don't have words. Well, I have words. They just aren't professional enough for the blog. Because currently my brain is: ASDFGHJKL and basically my emotions are all over the damn place. To say that Aurora Rising exceeded all of my expectations is the understatement of the year. Whether you are new to Jay and Amie's writing or you are already familiar with the writing duo from the Illuminae Files, their newest novel does not disappoint. 

After rescuing Aurora O'Malley from the Fold and her impending death Tyler Jones misses out on recruiting the squad of his dreams. Instead he is stuck with the recruits that nobody wants. Aurora Rising is told from the POVs of each of the squad mates: Tyler, Scarlett, Cat, Aurora, Kal, Zila and Finian. Each character has their own unique voice and their own internal battle as they race across the galaxy to stop an impending war and seek answers to the lost Octavia Colony and keep Aurora out of the hands of the authorities who are bent on killing her. 

Tyler: I really really loved Tyler's character growth from the beginning to the end of the novel. We see him and his anger towards having to have the bottom of the barrel recruits. But through out the book we see how his views of each of his squad mates change and how he learns that each has their own individual asset that they bring to the squad. 

Aurora: The girl who started it all. After being in cryo-freeze for 200+ years Aurora was expecting to wake up on the Octavia Colony and not in a cell on an intergalactic space academy. But soon things are turned upside down when the authorities want her, and we learn that Aurora plays a bigger role in the sake of the universe then just being 216 years old. 

Scarlett: Scalett is Tyler's older sister and complete sarcastic wise ass and I loved every moment of reading from her POV. A lot of times we see characters go from weak to strong, but not Scarlett. She was strong from the moment you meet her. I loved the fact that everyone just embraces the fact that Scarlett has dated A LOT of guys. No one shames her for her and she doesn't shame herself. I absolutely love that! Also, do I smell a crush brewing? 

Kaliis "Kal": Kal is one of the alien species that we get to meet in this book. After his home planet is destroyed he joins Aurora Academy to make a difference for himself and his species. Kal was one of those characters that grew on me, the more you got to know him the more you understood why he behaves the way he does. I am really excited to see where Jay and Amie are going to take Kal in the next book. 

Finian: I found Finian to basically be the male version of Scarlett. In short: Finian is a brilliant wise ass. He is the other alien species that we are introduced to in Aurora Rising. After over coming a virus when he was a child Finian has to wear a mechanical exoskeleton to function in his day to day life. I found to crack up at a lot of the things he said. I enjoyed seeing Finian grow throughout the novel and overcome some of his limitations. 

Cat: I didn't realize how much I loved Cat's character until the final chapters of Aurora Rising. Cat is hard core and isn't going to take shit from anyone. We see through her chapters how she is in love with Tyler but how they could never be together because he is her superior officer. I am intrigued to see where Cat's character is going in the next book considering the end of Aurora Rising

Zila: I LOVED Zila's character. I related to her on a deeper level on how she doesn't have a group to fall back on. I also really loved the fondness she had for shooting her squad mates at the most inconvenient times. But Zila gets shit done and I am so ready to see her in book two. I just wish there were more chapters in her POV. 

There is so much I want to talk about but I can't because of spoilers. *sobs* 

I really loved how the story is seamless. Amie and Jay said that they each wrote specific characters but you can't tell who wrote who. A lot of times in books that are co-written they don't flow seamlessly and you can tell the difference in writing styles. In Aurora Rising you can't tell the difference and I loved that. 

Each chapter held unexpected surprises that moved the story forward in cool and unbelievably cool ways. Though the ending ripped my heart out, it was interesting the see the different alien species and the massive "Oh shit!" moment at the climax of the story. Overall I really loved Aurora Rising and I can't wait to see what this writing duo has in store for Squad 312! 



Interview with 2019 Debut Mason Deaver!


In 2019 our goal is to work with as many debut authors as possible and spread the word about their debut novels. Follow us this year as we pick the mind of the 2019 debuts and chat with them. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats and more!
Last year, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Mason Deaver and their novel I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST, and we have been interested in it ever since. We are so excited to have Mason on the blog today to answer some of our questions! 

About Mason! 
Mason Deaver
Mason Deaver is a non-binary author and librarian in a small town in North Carolina where the word ‘y’all’ is used in abundance. When they aren’t writing or working, they’re typically found in their kitchen baking something that’s bad for them, or out in their garden complaining the toad that likes to dig holes around their hydrangeas. 
Keep up with Mason: Website / Twitter / Goodreads 

Interview!

The Book Bratz: First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?
Mason: It’s a pretty scary thing. There are all these new things I’m learning about publishing and actually being a writer. Things I never really dreamed about having to do or know. Twitter has become a whole different animal since the book was announced. It’s been fun, but definitely a learning experience. 
The Book Bratz: In your opinion, what is the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?
Mason: This is interesting because I feel like a lot of this changes from book to book. While I only have one book coming out, I’ve worked on four different projects since I Wish You All the Best was finished. But I really think I can say without a doubt my favorite part is dialogue. I love writing snarky or nervous characters. Characters that want to be charismatic but fail hard, or interactions that hold so much more than either character may know. The hardest part is trickier because that really does differ from book to book. With I Wish You All the Best it was finding the right voice for the story, and then figuring out the best way to tell that. With other projects it’s been tone, sometimes it’s emotional age of the character, or whether the story is dark enough or light enough in the right places. I guess a good way to make a long story short is to say: balance. Finding the balance of a story is definitely the hardest part. 

The Book Bratz: Now let's talk about I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST. What made you want to write this story?
Mason: So, I started writing I Wish You All the Best and it was a very different story about two boys in college trying to start their lives. But that wasn’t really working for me, so I put it away and over the course of a few months started thinking more and more about it. Around that time, I’d come out (mostly just to myself) as non-binary. It was a tough journey, but once I’d sort of come to terms with what I was doing, I realized how easy my journey might’ve been if I had characters in YA to relate to. But there were little to no non-binary narratives in Young Adult, and even less actually written by non-binary authors. I wanted to fix that. I reworked the story, set it in high school, made Ben a non-binary teenager who struggles with coming out and finding a place they fit in the world.

The Book Bratz: Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the most difficult?
Mason: Nathan, without a doubt. He’s so nice and snarky and funny and just such a dweeb. Nathan is a lot of the heart of this book, he provides a foil to Ben, and he’s just so endearing and helpful that he’s almost a pain in the ass to Ben at first. Their dynamic is 100% my favorite thing ever. Ben might’ve been the hardest. A lot of Ben is me. They have a lot of my anxiety, my depression, and my gender. Because Ben was that outlet, and while writing them, I was right in the middle of figuring all that out. Ben is like a mouthpiece for that time in my life, which was super hard to figure out and put out there for people to read. 

The Book Bratz: Were there any scenes, characters, or plot points in the original story that you took out after rounds of editing?
Mason: Oh yes. I’ve already told you the original plot, the college setting. But that was all before I was even agented or had critique partners reading it. There’s this student art gallery scene in the book that was a lot more elaborate and ‘big’ that I changed because it didn’t make sense. There was a fight scene for Nathan that we cut because it seemed unfair to Nathan to put him through that, and while I believe Nathan is a protective soul, I don’t think he’d actually do that. Really, it’s just small stuff after that. There was an art-sharing website where Ben was one of the most popular users. Mariam, Ben’s friend on the internet who is now a big internet personality was originally an in-person best friend. I should probably go back and find an old draft and reread it, but that sounds incredibly painful and I don’t know if I can do that to myself.

The Book Bratz: What do you hope that readers will take away from reading I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST?
Mason:That they aren’t alone. I know what it’s like to be struggling with things all by yourself, so I hope that readers (especially teen readers) know that they aren’t alone. They aren’t the only people dealing with these issues, and that it’s okay to seek out or find a support system. In fact, that’s probably one of the best things that you can do. Especially if it’s made up of similar people dealing with similar problems.

The Book Bratz: Do you plan on returning to the world of I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST in the future, or do you have other ideas in store? Can you tell us anything about them?
Mason: Oh boy. So, the short answer is no. Ben and Nathan’s story has been told, and I don’t feel the need to explore anything further there. That isn’t to say they won’t appear in another book *wink wink* but their story is done. I’m a big fan of the happily ever after and I don’t want to write another story to risk their relationship. Other books? I’ve got plenty of those in the works. Unfortunately I have a brain that won’t stop. And that sounds like a blessing at first but it’s the worst because I’m juggling too many stories and ideas that I just can’t work on yet. I can’t really talk about anything specific right now, but I’m working on a middle grade, and an actual book 2 is on the way. I’ve got other ideas rumbling around  but I can’t give you any more details than that, I do have to keep some secrets. 

About I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST!

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Title: I Wish You All The Best
Author: Mason Deaver
Publisher: Push
Publication Date: May 14th, 2019 

Summary: When Ben De Backer comes out to their parents as nonbinary, they're thrown out of their house and forced to move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah, and her husband, Thomas, whom Ben has never even met. Struggling with an anxiety disorder compounded by their parents' rejection, they come out only to Hannah, Thomas, and their therapist and try to keep a low profile in a new school. But Ben's attempts to survive the last half of senior year unnoticed are thwarted when Nathan Allan, a funny and charismatic student, decides to take Ben under his wing. As Ben and Nathan's friendship grows, their feelings for each other begin to change, and what started as a disastrous turn of events looks like it might just be a chance to start a happier new life.

Thank you so much to Mason for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST and can't wait for it to be out in the world on May 14th


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Adults in YA: Why We Still Read, Part 4


If you're an avid YA reader, there's no way you've escaped hearing about the stigma that surrounds the genre -- the fact that people who read YA even though they're older than the "targeted market" are often seen as immature, nostalgic, or stuck in their younger years. Recently, after our university newspaper posted an opinion piece in which the writer talked about how we all need to "read our age" -- meaning, basically, that we should break away from YA and focus on the classics such as Dickens -- we decided to send out a Tweet and ask if there were any other YA readers that were over 18 out there. Not to start trouble or stir up angry feelings, but just to see -- just how many "out of the age range" YA readers are there? Our Tweet was as follows:


SOS! 🗣 Do you read YA even though you’re 18+? If you do, please DM us or reply to this Tweet — we have a post idea, and we need your help! #replytweet

— The Book Bratz (@thebookbratz) March 14, 2019

Well, it's safe to say the response we got was absolutely overwhelming. We got nearly 1,000 people over the age of 18 who wanted to tell us why they still read YA even though they're past the "marketable" age-range for the genre. We had so many amazing responses that we wanted to take the time to share them all with you -- but since there are so many, it turns out that we had to make it a series! For 10 whole weeks, we're going to be sharing 10 reasons (100 in total!) why "older" YA readers stick with the genre, and why it's important to them. So without further ado, here are 10 readers above the age of 18 who explained to us why they still read YA:



I read YA because it has one of the most unique and diverse stories that I have ever read. YA lets in so many marginalized authors who bring never before heard stories with them. This lets me and so many others seeing themselves in stories, which brings validation and power to people who didn't have it before. 
-@Lizzy_reads

As a 25 year old woman, a mother of two children, and a wife, I refuse to put a restriction on the books I read, regardless of their targeted audience. I am able to enjoy a middle grade novel, an adult thriller, or a young adult fantasy all the same. The reason for this is because I love a well rounded story, great characters, and a healthy dose of hope in the novels I read. I primarily gravitate towards young adult fantasy because I live in a world of political despair and it brings me joy to read about young people overcoming the odds and changing their world for the better. In my opinion, the only point in reading is to enjoy yourself and read what makes you happy. 
-@lunalestrange90

I'm eighteen and I still read YA because as I grew out of middle grade books I knew I wanted to keep reading, and YA gave me not only good books, but some of the most influential books I wouldn't have read otherwise. There are so many good YA books coming out all the time, I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. 
-@abbieg779 

I read young adult novels because they are what inspired me to be a writer, reading them at my age now brings back the magic I felt when I was younger. I read them because they're not edgy, or dark. They're funny, and heartwarming. I read young adult novels because adulthood is hard, and sometimes it's nice to remember what it was like before maturity made everything so dull. 
-@iamlaineslater

I read YA books (specifically of the fantasy/magic fiction genre) because of many things. Partly because, to me, the writing and creativity levels of YA books far exceed those of adult books. In my opinion, YA books are infinitely more interesting. They allow the reader to journey to a magical world to escape from the real world for a while. I started reading YA when I was 12 and I still read it to this day. I don’t need to “grow up” and read things my age, because YA books are written for everyone, regardless of how old the main characters are. Anyone can read YA and appreciate the brilliance and imagination that goes into writing such engaging books. “Young adult” does not mean an age limit. 
-@hogwartsgrad_7

I am 32 years old and I read a solid mixture of both YA and adult fiction, in all genres (though I prefer SFF). There are many reasons I still read YA despite being well out of range of its target audience. YA books tend to be fast-paced page-turners, as well as very concept-heavy, which makes them fun to read! They're also heavy on emotion, something that gets sacrificed in a lot of the adult epic fantasies I've read. Therefore, it's easy to connect with the characters and care about the outcome of the story. 
-@SerraSwift

I think it is important that everyone reads what they enjoy. If people are forced or expected to read a book they are not interested in, it could put them off of reading.  I read all sorts of books from many different genres on various apps, actual "real" books or my Kindle. I’ve always loved reading, could read before I started school and even used to help my teacher listen to my classmates read!  Since my grandson came to live with me aged 8, four years ago, I have read many children’s books with, and to him, rereading some books I read as a child. Now he is 12 and is an excellent reader and he says “You should read this, Nanny,” and sometimes I do! I find reading books aimed at  young teens is a nice escape from reality; often having to use imagination which I think we can, as adults lose. Children’s and young teen’s books can still be a challenge, just in a different way! 
-@dorestgirlie

I’m 42 years old, and I’m a reader. Although I read a lot and from various genres, fantasy is my top favorite. When browsing for good fantasy, I visit both sides of the bookstore: adult and YA. The YA section can no longer be discounted by lovers of fantasy: there are plenty of highly-imaginative, original and well-written works, and if the synopsis sounds good, I don’t care what shelf the book sits on. Also, YA books usually have sharper dialogue and less explicit violence, and these both go in the plus column, as far as I’m concerned. 
-@BookishExpat

I didn't read during my adolescent years or during my twenties until I rediscovered my love of reading after turning thirty. I felt as though I missed out on something quite remarkable, discovering new worlds through fiction. So when I returned to reading through Twilight and then discovered The Hunger Games, [I continued] to be captivated by the range of narratives within young adult. 
-@divabooknerd 

I still read YA because YA books reached out to me as a teen; a few years ago during a tough time. I grew up with these authors that spoke to me through their stories. To this day, they still do wonders for me. I have had the privilege to meet so many amazing people (both teens and adults), which has truly enhanced me as a person. 
-@zainabjabak

What are your thoughts about reading YA past the "age-appropriate" market? If you have something else to add on this topic, feel free to comment down below and share your opinions! Also be on the lookout for another post next week, where we share even more thoughts from other 18+ YA readers!

Check Out The Previous Posts:

Part One
Part Two

Part Three

Review: Shadow Me by Tahereh Mafi

Title: Shadow Me (Shatter Me #4.5)
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Genre: Dystopian 
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: March 5th 2019
eBook, 69 pages

Summary: 
Fan favorite character Kenji Kishimoto narrates this gripping companion novella to Tahereh Mafi’s New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, set during the explosive events in Restore Me! Juliette is still reeling from Warner's betrayal, and Kenji is trying to balance his friendship with her with his responsibilities as a leader of the resistance against the Reestablishment. Things get even more interesting when an unexpected person from Omega Point’s past surfaces. The ending of Restore Me left readers gasping, and this novella full of Kenji’s signature sass and big heart is the perfect story to tide fans over until Defy Me, the shocking fifth book in the Shatter Me series, hits shelves in April 2019.

***THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF RESTORE ME. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ RESTORE ME AND DO NOT WANT IT TO BE SPOILED FOR YOU, PLEASE DO NOT READ ON!*** 

Excuse my while I shriek until I can read Defy Me. If you are new to The Book Bratz you should know that all three of us are HUGE Shatter Me fans and are totally obsessed with Warner. After Restore Me's explosive ending (ha, see what I did there?) we were left scrambling to gather ourselves and pretend that we were okay. Then, we learned that our favorite side character was getting his own novella and for a little while that patched the hole Mafi had left in our hearts. 

I'm lonely but I’m not alone. My body works, my brain works, I’m alive. It’s a good life. I have to make a conscious effort to remember that. To choose to be happy every day. If I didn’t, I think my own pain would’ve killed me a long time ago.

I really loved being in Kenji's head and seeing his POV on a lot of the things that are going down. Kenji puts on such a happy-go-lucky face and seems all independent and Mafi just made me want to cry for him. I JUST WANT KENJI TO FIND HAPPINESS, OKAY!? We see how Kenji longs for a relationship or someone to connect with on a deeper level. We also get to see a little bit into Kenji and Castle's past, though brief it gives me hope that it will be talked about more in the next two books. 

I’m so happy for my friends. I love them, even when they piss me off. I care about them. I want their joy. But it still hurts a little when it feels like, everywhere I look, everyone seems to have someone. Everyone but me.

Let's get down to why I been screaming and texting Emily and Jessica in all capital letters since I read Shadow Me. At the end of Restore Me, Juliette is captured and shipped off to another country. But before that, she accidentally slaughters a room of 600 people. WTF. This is why we have been screaming over a year, because everyone is going to be out for Juliette now and poor Warner. Have I mentioned that we LOVE Warner? In Shadow Me we see this exact scene from a new perspective. This scene isn't as black and white as Mafi made it seem. In my opinion, this scene from Kenji's POV is brilliant.  

Maybe it sounds weird to say, but I know I could love the shit out of someone. I feel it, in my heart. This capacity to love. To be romantic and passionate. Like it’s a superpower I have. A gift, even.

Why am I shrieking at how this novella ended? Because. Shadow Me is is essential to read if you plan to continue on in the Shatter Me series. It holds some secrets and ties some loose ends up that we saw in Restore Me. There is also something *SUPER* important that happens that is going to play a huge role in Defy Me

Well friends, thanks for reading me rant/vent/review/sob session for another Tahereh Mafi book. Once again, she managed to put me in my feels. I can't wait for Defy Me






Waiting On Wednesday: The Haunted by Danielle Vega


"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking The Spine where we highlight some of the upcoming books we can't wait to read! 

This week Amber is waiting on..... 


Title: The Haunted 
Author: Danielle Vega
Genre: Horror, Fantasy 
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication Date: June 4th 2019
Summary: 
From Danielle Vega, YA’s answer to Stephen King, comes a new paranormal novel about dark family secrets, deep-seated vengeance, and the horrifying truth that evil often lurks in the unlikeliest of places Hendricks Becker-O’Malley is new in town, and she’s bringing baggage with her. With a dark and wild past, Hendricks doesn’t think the small town her parents moved her to has much to offer her in terms of excitement. She plans on laying low, but when she’s suddenly welcomed into the popular crowd at school, things don’t go as expected. Hendricks learns from her new friends that the fixer-upper her parents are so excited about is notorious in town. Local legend says it’s haunted. Hendricks doesn’t believe it. Until she’s forced to. Blood-curdling screams erupt from the basement, her little brother wakes up covered in scratches, and something, or someone pushes her dad down the stairs. With help from the mysterious boy next door, Hendricks makes it her mission to take down the ghosts . . . if they don’t take her first.


 I haven't read a good horror book in so long and it seems like The Haunted is going to fix that. I am a sucker for hauntings but there aren't many good horror books out there from my searching. June can't come fast enough! 




What are you waiting on this week? Leave your links so we can stop back! 

Top Ten Tuesday: The First Ten Books I Reviewed!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl in which we create bookish lists about everything from our favorite characters to love triangles and everything in between!

This week's theme: (First Ten) Books I Reviewed

The post is making me cringe, not because it is a bad prompt. It is amazing and I love it. But because I choose not to look at my old reviews for a reason, I was 15 didn't know one thing about reviewing books and still had only a small view of the world. I've grown a lot as a person, reader and reviewer in the past five years and reading through some of these and cringing because of how bad they are not even because the review is bad but because I didn't understand trigger warnings and post formatting. 

Here are the first 10 reviews that I (Amber) posted on The Book Bratz! 


    

1. Born at Midnight by C.C.Hunter - Reviewed on: 5/4/13
2. The Program by Suzanne Young - Reviewed on: 6/14/13
3. The Hallow by Jessica Verday - Reviewed on: 6/23/13
4. Crushed by Sarah Shepard - Reviewed on: 6/23/13
5. Juliette Immortal by Stacey Jay - Reviewed on: 6/27/13

    

6. Forgotten by Sarah J. Pepper - Reviewed on: 8/3/13
7. Soul Thief by Jana Oliver - Reviewed on: 8/15/13
8. The Taking by Kimberly Derting - Reviewed on: 5/19/14
9. The Revealed by Jessica Hickam - Reviewed on: 5/21/14
10. Unchained by J. Lynn - Reviewed on: 5/29/14

What a trip down memory lane this was! What were some of your first book reviews? Leave the link to your TTT so we can stop back! 





5 Exclusive Quotes From Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon!


The cover to Gravemaidens by Kelly Coon was recently revealed by Underlined and it is stunning! We've been working with Kelly closely on, an interview post and as part of her street team, for a while now, so we are super excited for today's post! Today we are celebrating Kelly's beautiful cover by revealing some exclusive quotes from the novel! 


"Three Chosen Maidens. Two Lovely Sisters. One Dark Tradition."




"The river is wideThe river is deepI take their souls to earn my keep"-From the Boatman's refrain: 



"The field of the dead would keep its secrets buried."




"Beauty is a sacrifice."


Kammani to her sister, Nanaea:



I had so much fun making these graphics and now I am even more excited for Gravemaidens! (If that was even possible!) Make sure if you share the to instagram/twitter that you tag Kelly and The Book Bratz! 





About GRAVEMAIDENS!
Title: Gravemaidens (Gravemaidens #1)
Author: Kelly Coon
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Delacorte Presss
Publication Date: October 29th, 2019
Summary: The Lugal is dying, and that is everything. Because if he dies, Kammani’s little sister, Nanaea, dies, too. She’s been chosen as one of three Sacred Maidens who will be buried alive to serve the king in the afterlife. It’s an honor. A sacred tradition. And Nanaea is thrilled to have been chosen. But Kammani, a 16-year-old healer’s apprentice, who’s been healing the sick with her father for the past ten years, recognizes the “honor” for what it really is: a death sentence. A trip across the river in the arms of the Boatman, the skeletal conduit between this life and the next. And she cannot let her little sister go. That would be yet another failure in a family riddled with regret. Her mission? Heal the Lugal in her father’s stead, since he has gone missing. The problem? She is determined to right her past mistakes alone, but doesn’t recognize that accepting the help of those who love her and being helpless are not the same thing at all.
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About Kelly!

YA author Kelly Coon is an editor for Blue Ocean Brain, a member of the Washington Post Talent Network, a former high school English teacher, ACT test prep book author, and a wicked karaoke singer in training. She adores giving female characters the chance to flex their muscles and use their brains, and wishes every story got the happy ending she's living near Tampa with her three sons, dashingly handsome husband, and a rescue pup who will steal your sandwich. GRAVEMAIDENS is her debut novel.


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Thanks for stopping by and I can't wait to help Kelly celebrate Gravemaidens in the upcoming months!