Waiting on Wednesday ~ Dorothy Must Die

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Dorothy Must Die (Dorothy Must Die #1)

by Danielle Paige
published by Harper Teen
genre: YA, fantasy, retelling,
expected release date: April 1, 2014

Summary (Goodreads): I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened?
Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission:
Remove the Tin Woodman's heart.
Steal the Scarecrow's brain.
Take the Lion's courage.
Then and only then—Dorothy must die!

**I'm always interested in retellings and this sounds like it could be a good one.

New Releases ~ week of 1/13/2014

*All links go to Goodreads

A Dark and Stormy Knit by Anne Canadeo (#6 Black Sheep Knitting Mystery)

A Kiss of Lies by Bronwen Evans (#1 Disgraced Lords)
A Little Bit of Hot by Elle Kennedy (#9.5 Out of Uniform)
Bonfire Beach by Lily Everett (#1 Billionaire Bachelors)
Dawn of Swords by David Dalglish (#1 Breaking World)
Drew + Fable Forever by Monica Murphy (#3.5 Drew + Fable)
Ex-Purgatory by Peter Clines (#4 Ex-Heroes)
Forever Wicked by Shayla Black (#7.6 Wicked Lovers)
Going Rogue by Robin Benway (#2 AKA - Also Known As)
Gooney Bird and All Her Charms by Lois Lowry (#6 Gooney Bird)
He Drank, and Saw the Spider by Alex Bledsoe (#5 Eddie LaCrosse Mystery)
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (#2 Miss Peregrine)
Lead Me On by Lexxie Couper (#6 Heart of Fame)

Stormbringer by Shannon Delany (#2 Weather Witch)
The Blood Promise by Mark Pryor (#3 Hugo Marston)
The Calling by Suzanne Woods Fisher (#2 Inn at Eagle Hill)
The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley (#6 Flavia de Luce Mystery)
The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley (#1 Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne)
The Polaris Protocol by Brad Taylor (#5 Pike Logan)
White Trash Love Song by Teresa Mummert (#3 White Trash Trilogy)

Review ~ Welcome to the Jungle

Welcome to the Jungle

by Jim Butcher

illustrated by Ardian Syaf

genre: Adult, graphic novel, fantasy,

Summary (Goodreads): When the supernatural world spins out of control, when the police can’t handle what goes bump in the night, when monsters come screaming out of nightmares and into the mean streets, there’s just one man to call: Harry Dresden, the only professional wizard in the Chicago phone book. A police consultant and private investigator, Dresden has to walk the dangerous line between the world of night and the light of day.

Now Harry Dresden is investigating a brutal mauling at the Lincoln Park Zoo that has left a security guard dead and many questions unanswered. As an investigator of the supernatural, he senses that there’s more to this case than a simple animal attack, and as Dresden searches for clues to figure out who is really behind the crime, he finds himself next on the victim list, and being hunted by creatures that won’t leave much more than a stain if they catch him.

Written exclusively for comics by Jim Butcher, The Dresden Files: Welcome to the Jungle is a brand-new story that’s sure to enchant readers with a blend of gripping mystery and fantastic adventure.

My Thoughts: This is a prequel to the Dresden File series of books. Jim Butcher says in the intro that when he is writing the books he pictures them in graphic form. It was interesting to see the story the way he does.
The characters were pretty close to what you expect if you know the series. The only one that was off for me was Karen Murphy, not sure quite what was wrong but she didn't look right to me.
This is a nice intro to the world and some of the main characters along with a new story for people familiar with the series.

Rating: 4

Blog Update ~ Arctic Mess

I'm sure you're all aware of the cold and snow that has come down from the North Pole and crippled many places including Michigan where I am. I've been dealing with frozen pipes and no water for three days now hoping the plumber actually makes it here soon.
The kids are finally going back to school and hopefully I can get everything back in order. I'm going to try and get another post up this week but if not everything should be on schedule for next week.

Happy Reading and Stay Warm!

2013 Wrap Up Post

I have been setting a reading goal on Goodreads for the past several years of 150. I usually come close but not this year. I ended the year with only 90 books read. I will say while my numbers were down, due to several reading slumps, the majority of my books were 3.5 ratings and above. I was putting a lot of books down and starting new ones instead of forcing myself to read something I wasn't enjoying.

Stats for 2013
First Book Read: The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan
Last Book Read: The Problem Child by Michael Buckley (book)
                           Welcome to the Jungle by Jim Butcher (graphic novel)
Longest Book: Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Here's a list of all my 4.5-5 star reads this year.

The only challenge I've signed up for so far in 2014 is the Goodreads challenge. Signed up for 150 again. Hoping to either finally beat it or get much closer than this year.

Have a Great and Happy Reading Year in 2014!