These Buzz Books are one of my favorite ways to build my "To Read" pile.
This particular edition was no exception. I found myself enchanted immediately by almost all of the covers, but in particular: Dream Me, Roar, and Future Threat.

There were several story lines that led me to seek out my own copy of the book immediately.

Emily Barr's The One Memory of Flora Banks is the preview that most captivated me. The story of a girl who goes on a grand adventure in spite of only being able to retain one memory. I can hardly wait to get my hands on a copy.

The other book that most grabbed my attention was Definitions of Indefinable things. I was hooked by the end of the previews first line. "Nothing made me want to get hit by a bus more than Tuesday night happy pill (see: Zoloft) runs."

I am excited to start tackling the titles from this Buzz Book!

I enjoyed this sampler. Most of the samples of the books caught my interest. There were only a couple that I didn't care for. I am most excited to read the full version of Geekerella by Ashley Poston. I was also excited to see that one of my favorite indie authors, Elizabeth Briggs, has a traditionally published book coming out. I enjoyed the sample of her book, future Threat, quite a lot.

I really appreciate these collections! They are super helpful.

I really do love seeing these samplers go up every couple of months so I can get a taste for what's coming out soon/what I can currently request on NetGalley.

I'm so glad that I decided to read this. Some of the books I had heard of and put on my tbr and some other I hadn't but now want to read. I hope to find one with 2018 books. This has really gotten me so excited to read a lot of books.

So many books I'm excited for in 2018 sadly most of them didn't make it into this booklet.

I'm excited for:

February Release
Rebels Like Us by Liz Reinhardt

April Release
Defintions of Indefinable Things by Whitney Taylor
Gem & Dixie by Sara Zarr

May release
The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

March Release
Piper Parish by Kayla Cargan
Love the Diary format of this one.

June Release
Aftercare Instructions by Bonnie Pipkin
I really like reading realistic fiction right now and this one seems like a very important read.

Great sampler, I definitely added to my wishlist after reading some of this! Thank you!

Ooooh, I need to find one of these for next year's books. I loved this!

Basically, this is a compilation of forthcoming titles (although I read this at the END of 2017, so they aren't forthcoming anymore) that are anticipated to have a lot of good buzz.

Plus it includes SAMPLES! I love this. It really helps me decide whether or not I want to commit to spending time reading the entire book.

*I received a free digital copy of this book via NetGalley and Publishers Lunch in exchange for an honest review.*

I mean what can you say about samplers and excerpts, it did it's job and got me interested.

Nice light hearted easy going weekend read I enjoyed reading it before bed.

When I first received a copy of this book I started reading at random but unfortunately  nothing really captured my attention.   Consequently, it sat unfinished on my shelf.      Just recently I revisited my shelf and again started flicking through it.     Naturally this time everything I started reading captured my attention and I didn't want to stop at the excerpt.   My loss.  By now, these books are no longer available for request so I'll be adding a number of them to my TBR.      Either way, I'm so glad I found these titles.    My lesson is clear.     If I ever happen to be fortunate enough to obtain another Buzz Books I'll read the blurb for each excerpt and instead of reading at random I'll begin with those that appeal the most.   It's a great concept and I'm disappointed with myself for dashing my chances first time around.

This was one of my favorite editions so far because it included several books that I am looking forward to reading. Some I have but haven't read and others I will be looking for. These are the books included in this edition:

"Flame in the Mist" Renee Ahdieh
"The One Memory of Flora Banks" Emily Barr
"Dream Me" Kathryn Berla
"Future Threat" Elizabeth Briggs
"Piper Perish" Kayla Cagan
"Roar" Cora Carmack
"This is Really Happening" Erin Chack
"Dividing Eden" Joelle Charbonneau
"Spirit Quest" Jennifer Frick-Ruppert
"The Black Witch" Laurie Ann Forest
"How to be a Supervillan" Michael Fry
"The End of Our Story" Meg Haston
"Laugh Out Loud" James Patterson & Chris Grabenstein
"Aftercare Instructions" Bonnie Pipkin
"Geekerella" Ashley Poston
"Rebels Like Us" Liz Reinhardt
"Definitions of Indefinable Things" Whitney Taylor
"Gem & Dixie" Sara Zarr

A tiny assortment of many 2017 publications. "Flame in the Mist" and "The one memory of Flora Banks" are surely among my favorites ♥ I can not wait to read them!

Although Young Adult books are not my most favoured genre, I have been slowly getting into them more of late. At the moment I tend to enjoy the sound of some but others just don't sound like they're for me. I do want to get more into reading them though as I do enjoy the ones I do read. That's where this redource comes in - by reading the excerpts I can know almost for certain that I will be able to read it in full and have a positive reaction. As always, a great selection and an unrivalled sampler.

I looked through the offering and enjoyed the snippets from the upcoming releasese

The books which this catalogue, if you can call it that, were amazing. From the authors to the stories itselves, I personally enjoyed every little thing about these. Definitely keeping an eye out on some of them! There was a lot of variety, and options to choose from. Regardless, some of the books I didn’t really care about. I thought either the description wasn’t good or it was flat out uninteresting. Overall, the books talked about were pretty interesting and I’ll see if I can give my students some of them.

Looking forward to reading more than just the preview for some of these

I enjoyed reading the previews of the YA Spring/Summer collection. I definitely added some books to my TBR list & sent some requests on NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy.

Buzz Books previews are always amazing for getting you hooked on a book and leaves you frothing at the mouth wanting more.

Published in January?!? Well, I knew I delayed in reading this book, but I didn’t realise it was that long!!
Ms4Tune enjoyed a sample set like this some time ago and it encouraged me to try one for myself. It wasn’t until after I’d been accepted for it that I realised it was perhaps not something I would enjoy, all those start-stops! Took me forever to build up to reading it though! I’ve already read three of the books and own another 2!

Renee Ahdieh – Flame in the Mist

This is a mulan retelling! This is a story I’ve already read an enjoyed. It seems to be set in some kind of alternate Japan though I think.

Emily Barr – The One Memory of Flora Banks

I don’t really like stories where one friend goes out with/kisses another’s boy/girlfriend etc even if they’d split first. It’s a fuzzy moral line and I really don’t know what to do with those. I didn’t quite realise that this is what this book was about, I just thought the boy was a boy, not a friend’s boyfriend.
This excerpt was pretty good though! Which is lucky as I own this book! I’d hoped to have read this book before now, but it might be some time now before I get to it. I look forward to reading it though, Why does she remember?!?
This is a contemporary story.

Kathryn Berla – Dream Me

The summery of this sounded odd to me – according to the notes I made when I read about this one. I classed it as an urban fantasy/sci-fi story and thought that it reminded me of what I remembered of Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout and Neptune’s Tears by Susan Waggoner. This extract didn’t really cover anything from the synopsis, it was just the setting up of both their worlds. It was interesting but a little too familiar for me.

Elizabeth Briggs – Future Threat

This was a sequel and now I know the plot of book one… You might not actually need to read it at all to read this book, it’s got a really good recap going on – probably very annoying for those who’ve just read the first though, I’m sure.
I ended up REALLY curious about their ‘future selves’ but there’s the old “she’s the problem” cliche that will only end in tears.
This is a time hopping Sci-fi.

Kayla Cagan – Piper Perish

I don’t read many contemporary books but I feel that this is a little cliche – it opens with a break up.
I was NOT impressed with this. One character deeming another to have ‘too much class’ to be gay?! Uh, no thanks.
This was one of the longer excerpts and was almost a story in itself.
Piper is whiny, self-centred and annoying. Not to mention her attitude towards people was just grrrr. I can perhaps see her point of views, but her inability to see anyone else’s aggravated me.

Cora Carmack – Roar

I’ve read this one.
It’s a slow starting fantasy but when I got to the end I’d enjoyed it more than I was expecting to.

Erin Chack – This is really Happening

This is a memoir and I don’t really read memoirs – or any non fiction at all to be honest. I have 4 memoirs on my selves waiting to be read.
This was written well however and I thought that Sean was a sweetheart!

Joelle Charbonneau – Dividing Eden

I received this in my June Mark The Page book box and I hadn’t heard of it.
Sibling rivalry is not something I like to read about, especially when it’s forced. It makes it so much worse when they’re close too so this isn’t a book I’d have chosen for myself.
It has a good start, mysterious and world building without info dumping. I’m already on Carys’s side….
It’s a fantasy story I’ll certainly give a chance to

Jennifer Frick – Ruppert – The Legend of Skyco

It was interesting to read about a culture different from my own. It’s written in first person and written well but it’s not my kind of book.
I don’t know enough to know whether this is a historically inspired book or if it’s complete fiction.

Laurie Ann Forest – The Black Witch

This fantasy starts with the ‘meant to have power but doesn’t’ trope. But it was actually well written and engrossing. It reminded me of the Obsidian Mountain series by Mercedes Lackey – (while that was hard to get into the pay off was fantastic) the deep misunderstanding that is going on here and the naive MC. I’m quite interested in reading this one!

Michael Fry – How to be a Supervillian

This is the first of the two teen books promised.
It’s full of drawings which was interesting. It’s funny but again involves choosing between people. I’ve never read captain underpants but it feels like that kind of book. It’s written by a cartoonist and makes a good transition from picture books to full books, or even the kind of book for those who also require a visual with their words.

Meg Haston – The End of Our Story

This mysterious contemporary starts with a reformed relationship and the MC wants out of town. (At this point I was getting annoyed at all the samey openings.) She did something and her best friend turned boyfriend is now speaking to her anymore. He seemed rather nice but I guess the key word is SEEMED. Though she knew him/them for 8 years and spent so much time with them an saw NO SIGN of a temper? Or perhaps she did? They synopsis and/or extract don’t let on. I’m curious about the murder but I really don’t think I’m curious enough to read it.

James Patterson and Chris Grabenstien – Lough Out Loud

This has the same feel as How To Be A SuperVillian and is the second teen book.
It’s an interesting concept about a boy with a big idea and the drive to go for it.
Not the sort of book I’d like, the writing style is not a favourite. It’s one of those that says “I’ll tell you something…” and then tells you everything BUT the thing.

Bonnie Pipkin – Aftercare Instructions

I think this contemporary story would be a very good book for people who like to read about real-world ‘small’ issues. Gen was abandoned by her boyfriend after an abortion. I can’t fathom someone doing this at all and I really don’t like him for doing it. What’s worse is that there are actually people out there like him.
I thought that the ‘play’ bits would be really annoying but it’s actually a really created way of showing flashbacks.
There are other issues going on too of course, obviously something we’ll be told of within the storyline, possibly involving a jealous girl?
I’m curious and I like the way it’s set out but I really won’t be able to deal with the guy.

Ashley Poston – Geekerella

I’ve read this book too and I really enjoyed this contemporary retelling of a fairytale (can you guess which one?!)
It reminded me of Galaxy Quest – but without the actual aliens…

Liz Reinhardt – Rebels Like Us

Break up, blah blah, moves to a new town, blah blah, a town across the country etc etc.
It DOES sort of poke fun at itself for being so stereotypical though. It has a nice, if generic intro but it will focus on racism which makes me uncomfortable – as it should, of course – and I don’t like to feel uncomfortable.
If that’s your kind of book then give this one a go maybe?

Whitney Taylor – Definitions of Indefinable Things

This covers depression and has no sign of any cliches I know!
No new people, no moves, just a meet cure in the prescription line! It was a well introduced contemporary story.
I think this was one of the shortest ones.

Sara Zarr – Gem & Dixie

She’s had to take care of her sister and her sister’s doing fine now, but she isn’t and her sister really isn’t helping!
That really annoyed me, the younger sister seemed completely oblivious! It’s almost as though they live in two different worlds.
I can see that giving her sister up would do her so much good but she loves her and I really don’t think that I’d be able to really read this happily.

Conclusion:

I got on better with this than I thought I would the stopping and starting didn’t bother me all that much and I got to explore books I wouldn’t usually have tried out. The ones that stick are 16 and 12, aside from one I already own.
These stories cover a lof of important subjects that need far more attention than they currently have. There’s also a lot of bailing men in them and some other characters that I don’t like either.

I might be tempted to read another Buzz Books again as the experience was a lot better than I thought it would be.