Thursday, August 30, 2012
Book review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
NOTE: I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
After all the praising reviews I saw of this novel, I thought that I should read it too. But I can only say that I was disappointed very much. I was expecting a spectacular story, that would grab me from the very first page and would leave me aching for more. Instead, what I got was a poorly told story with no purpose, that left me wondering what was the idea of it at all.
To be honest, the quality of the story sort of improved after the first half was thru, but I do not think that a book could be called good if it's such only from the middle on. I mean, many people will stop reading before they reach the point where the story started to get interesting. I even have friends who gave up reading before they reached that point, and I completely understand them. After all, if a book doesn't grab us from the very beginning, we wouldn't want to waste our time reading on, unsure whether we'd end up liking it at all.
To read the full review, click here.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Waiting on Wednesday #36
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.
My pick this week is:
Title: The Shadow Society
Series: none
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Release date: October 16th, 2012 (hardback)
Summary:
Darcy Jones doesn’t remember anything before the day she was abandoned as a child outside a Chicago firehouse. She has never really belonged anywhere—but she couldn’t have guessed that she comes from an alternate world where the Great Chicago Fire didn’t happen and deadly creatures called Shades terrorize the human population.
Memories begin to haunt Darcy when a new boy arrives at her high school, and he makes her feel both desire and desired in a way she hadn’t thought possible. But Conn’s interest in her is confusing. It doesn’t line up with the way he first looked at her.
As if she were his enemy.
When Conn betrays Darcy, she realizes that she can’t rely on anything—not herself, not the laws of nature, and certainly not him. Darcy decides to infiltrate the Shadow Society and uncover the Shades’ latest terrorist plot. What she finds out will change her world forever . . .
In this smart, compulsively readable novel, master storyteller Marie Rutkoski has crafted an utterly original world, characters you won’t soon forget, and a tale full of intrigue and suspense.
Memories begin to haunt Darcy when a new boy arrives at her high school, and he makes her feel both desire and desired in a way she hadn’t thought possible. But Conn’s interest in her is confusing. It doesn’t line up with the way he first looked at her.
As if she were his enemy.
When Conn betrays Darcy, she realizes that she can’t rely on anything—not herself, not the laws of nature, and certainly not him. Darcy decides to infiltrate the Shadow Society and uncover the Shades’ latest terrorist plot. What she finds out will change her world forever . . .
In this smart, compulsively readable novel, master storyteller Marie Rutkoski has crafted an utterly original world, characters you won’t soon forget, and a tale full of intrigue and suspense.
Why I want to read it:
1) The cover just took my breath away. I love the greenish-blue colors, and they mirror image effect;
2) The mystery behind this Conn character;
3) The Shades - who they are? what they want?
4) This alternate world really pulls me in :)
So how about you? What amazing book are you waiting on this week? 1) The cover just took my breath away. I love the greenish-blue colors, and they mirror image effect;
2) The mystery behind this Conn character;
3) The Shades - who they are? what they want?
4) This alternate world really pulls me in :)
GIVEAWAY REMINDER:
THREE giveaways are currently running on my blog - "Pledged", "The Burning Star" and one of Jane Kindred's books: "The Fallen Queen" or "The Midnight Court". You can check them out and participate here .
Oh, and please leave links to your WOW posts, so I can stop by! Thanks!
Oh, and please leave links to your WOW posts, so I can stop by! Thanks!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Author Interview: Jane Kindred
Alrighty. I am the next stop in The House of Arkhangel'sk blog tour that's been organized by Entangled Publishing. Before you decide to read on, let me warn you that Jane Kindred and her series aren't meant to be read by Young Adults. And believe me when I say there are reasons for that.
Who's Jane Kindred?
And, here's the big surprise! Jane gave me an interview, and is willing go giveaway to one lucky winner, a copy of either one of her House of Arkhangel'sk books. Read on to learn how you can win!
So you see guys, all you need to do to win a copy of either one of Jane's books, is comment! Yes, it's that simple!! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Who's Jane Kindred?
Jane
Kindred began writing fantasy at age 12 in the wayback of a Plymouth
Fury—which, as far as she recalls, never killed anyone…who didn’t have it
coming. She spent her formative years ruining her eyes reading romance novels
in the Tucson sun and watching Star Trek
marathons in the dark. Although she was repeatedly urged to learn a marketable
skill, she received a B.A. in Creative Writing anyway from the University of
Arizona.
She now
writes to the sound of San Francisco foghorns while two cats slowly but surely
edge her off the side of the bed.
About The Fallen Queen, Book One
of The House of Arkhangel’sk:
Until her cousin slaughtered the supernal
family, Anazakia’s father ruled the Heavens, governing noble Host and Fallen
peasants alike. Now Anazakia is the last grand duchess of the House of
Arkhangel’sk, and all she wants is to stay alive.
Hunted by Seraph assassins, Anazakia flees
Heaven with two Fallen thieves—fire demon Vasily and air demon Belphagor, each
with their own nefarious agenda—who hide her in the world of Man. The line
between vice and virtue soon blurs, and when Belphagor is imprisoned, the
unexpected passion of Vasily warms her through the Russian winter.
Heaven seems a distant dream, but when Anazakia
learns the truth behind the celestial coup, she will have to return to fight
for the throne—even if it means saving the man who murdered everyone she loved.
The Fallen Queen is available now
at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BAM | The Book Depository | Books On Board | Diesel | IndieBound | Powell’s
Books.
About The Midnight Court, Book Two of The
House of Arkhangel’sk:
The exiled heir to the throne of Heaven, Grand
Duchess Anazakia and her demon companions, Belphagor and Vasily, have made a
comfortable home in the Russian city of Arkhangel’sk, but their domestic bliss
is short lived. When their daughter Ola is taken as a pawn in Heaven’s demon
revolution, the delicate fabric of their unorthodox family is torn
apart—threatening to separate Belphagor and Vasily for good.
Anazakia is prepared to move Heaven and Earth
to get her daughter back from Queen Aeval, risen in Elysium from the ashes of
temporary defeat. But Aeval isn’t the only one seeking Ola’s strange power.
To conquer the forces amassing against them,
Anazakia is prophesied to spill the blood of one close to her heart, while
Vasily’s fire will prove more potent than anyone suspected. In the battle for
supremacy over Heaven’s empire, loyalties will be tested and secrets will be
revealed, but love will reign supernal.
The Midnight Court is available now
in ebook from Amazon | Barnes
& Noble | Books On
Board | Powell’s
Books. Pre-order the paperback edition, available August 30.
And, here's the big surprise! Jane gave me an interview, and is willing go giveaway to one lucky winner, a copy of either one of her House of Arkhangel'sk books. Read on to learn how you can win!
V (a.k.a. Vanya D.): What's
the feeling to have a second book published in a series?
Jane: I’m very
excited that readers of The Fallen Queen
will finally have an opportunity to read The
Midnight Court and find out what’s next for Anazakia, Vasily, and
Belphagor, but I’m also a little anxious, hoping the book will fulfill their
expectations. Every reader brings her own personal experience to a story,
separate from the author’s vision, and as a writer, it can be hard to let go of
the desire to please everyone and just remain true to the story you feel
compelled to tell. I’ve already gotten some very positive reviews for The Midnight Court, but I’ve also seen
one reader who loved the first book but was extremely unhappy with a choice I
made in the second. I feel as if I’ve let that reader down. It’s different from
getting a negative review from a completely new reader; people have vastly
different tastes and what one person absolutely loves, somebody else will hate
with equal passion. But it’s a little heartbreaking to know you’ve disappointed
a fan.
V: What
inspired you to write "The House of Arkhangel'sk"?
Jane: I’ve
always been intrigued by the idea that Grand Duchess Anastasia, the youngest
daughter of the last tsar of Russia, might have survived the brutal execution
of her family at the start of the Bolshevik Revolution. The bodies of two of
the children, the young Tsarevich Alexei and one of his sisters, were missing for
many decades from the mass grave where the others were dumped, leading to
speculation about their survival, and several women over the years have claimed
to be Anastasia. When the last two bodies were finally found and identified a
few years ago by Russian forensic scientists, it came as a devastating blow to
the community of Anastasia devotees around the world who still believed in and
hoped for her survival—and I have to admit, it made me sad to know none of the
family had escaped such a tragic fate. I decided to write a fantasy version of
the story in which my “Anastasia” would survive.
V: Which
of the two installments was more difficult for you to write, The Fallen Queen or The Midnight Court? Why?
Jane: The Midnight Court was a little more of a challenge. I had to
make sure I was including enough information so that new readers who picked up
Book 2 without have read the first installment wouldn’t be confused, and to
refresh the memories of existing readers who might have read The Fallen Queen a while ago, without bogging
the story down with boring info-dump. I also had an important subplot with two
new characters that I wanted to do justice to without taking the focus away
from the main plot and characters. It was a balancing act to get it all to fit
together.
V: There
are a lot of controversial themes in this series. Do you think this would push
readers away?
Jane: Although
Anazakia, the main character, is seventeen at the start of the series, The House of Arkhangel’sk definitely
isn’t YA. It contains adult sexual situations—including m/m romance and BDSM—as
well as some very dark themes that won’t be everybody’s cup of tea. Since my
celestial world parallels that of imperial Russia, and the real-world scenes
take place in modern Russia, there are some scenes that deal with those
realities without any sugar-coating.
I also
took some advice from Stephen King to heart years ago, who tells writers in his
book On Writing to “imagine the worst
possible thing that could happen…then make it ten times worse.” As a person
with major anxiety and post-traumatic stress issues, I can imagine some pretty
awful things, and I have a tendency to push my own comfort level by writing
about what I fear the most. But for readers who aren’t put off by the gritty realities,
the payoff is a tale of romance and fantasy adventure that I hope transcends
the dark moments along the journey.
V: Do you
think there are things you've forgotten to mention in either book? What may
they be?
I
wouldn’t say there’s anything I’ve forgotten, but there are a few things that
are deliberately not fully explained in these first two books in the series.
Most of them will be wrapped up in the final book of the trilogy, but there may
be one or two things left open-ended for readers to discover more about in the
follow-up trilogy I’m currently working on. There may also be some stand-alone
companion shorts about Belphagor and Vasily, exploring their history, if I get
time to write them. :)
Thanks
for having me on YA Story Teller
today and for the great questions! As a thank-you to your readers, I’d like to
give away an ebook copy of either Book 1 or Book 2 to a commenter.
So you see guys, all you need to do to win a copy of either one of Jane's books, is comment! Yes, it's that simple!! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Monday, August 27, 2012
Cover reveal: NATURALS by Tiffany Truitt
Hello my awesome followers! I hope you had a great weekend, because it's Monday again! And today I've got this beautiful book cover to share with you:
Blurb:
Tess is finally safe from the reach of the Council, now that she is living in the Middlelands with the rebel Isolationists. With James having returned to Templeton, she easily falls back into her friendship with Henry, though her newfound knowledge of Robert’s chosen one status still stings. Even surrounded by people, Tess has never felt more alone. So she’s thrilled when James returns to the settlement, demanding to see Tess — until she finds out that it’s because her sister, Louisa, has been recruited into Tess’s old position at Templeton, and that the dangerously sadistic chosen one George has taken an interest in her.
NATURALS is the second book in The Lost Souls trilogy, and follows the dystopian hit CHOSEN ONES.
My thoughts:
To be honest, I haven't yet read "The Chosen Ones" and I totally regret it. Because this looks like an incredible continuation to the saga!! Just look at this beautiful cover and read the enthralling synopsis and tell me you don't think so! I will definitely make sure I get this dystopian trilogy in my READ list :)
Tess is finally safe from the reach of the Council, now that she is living in the Middlelands with the rebel Isolationists. With James having returned to Templeton, she easily falls back into her friendship with Henry, though her newfound knowledge of Robert’s chosen one status still stings. Even surrounded by people, Tess has never felt more alone. So she’s thrilled when James returns to the settlement, demanding to see Tess — until she finds out that it’s because her sister, Louisa, has been recruited into Tess’s old position at Templeton, and that the dangerously sadistic chosen one George has taken an interest in her.
NATURALS is the second book in The Lost Souls trilogy, and follows the dystopian hit CHOSEN ONES.
My thoughts:
To be honest, I haven't yet read "The Chosen Ones" and I totally regret it. Because this looks like an incredible continuation to the saga!! Just look at this beautiful cover and read the enthralling synopsis and tell me you don't think so! I will definitely make sure I get this dystopian trilogy in my READ list :)
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Two short book reviews: Godly non-fiction
NOTE: I received this book from Netgalley upon request.
Right, so I did request this book, but I had no idea it was intended only for boys. So it was a bit awkward that I was reading it. I mean, it was directed at boys, perhaps ages 12-17 or something. It dealt with problems like family, school, anger, attitude issues and such and how a boy is to find a way to manage them while staying faithful to God.
To read full review please click here.
NOTE: I received this book from Netgalley upon request.
Okay, so since this isn't a book of fiction, there isn't all that much to say about it. I mean, there's no story to discuss, or characters to praise. Basically, what I mean to say is that this review will be a rather short one.
I did like the concept of the book, and I liked the fact that it wasn't setting up rules. It was like a guide to girls ages 13-19 (and perhaps even older) on how to not compromise with their beliefs, on what guys like in a girl, and what God wants His girls to be like.
To read full review please click here.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Follow Friday #28
Follow Me Friday is a book meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.
#FF is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort
between bloggers. In order to join in the fun, all you need is well . .
. A book blog :)
The question this week is:
Worst cover? What is the worst cover of a book that you've read and loved?
My answer:
Umm, that's a really tough one. I couldn't think of such a book off the top of my head. So I had to go to Goodreads and scroll down my read list. Guess what? All the books that I've ended up loving have cute covers. Dunno how that happened.
There were a couple of books with hideous covers, but they ended up in the dnf category, or got rated at or below 3 stars. So I can't count them.
Well, what's your answer?
Also, I want to remind you about the 2 giveaways that are going on at the moment. One is of "Pledged" and the other of "The Burning Star". Please visit The Giveaways Page for more information and the Rafflecopter links.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Blog tour: Pledged by Gwynneth White
I know there's been a lot of noise about this book in the blogging world, and today is my turn to share with you a couple of excerpts from it. If you want to win a copy of it, sign up for the giveaway on my GIVEAWAY page :) Happy reading, ya'll!
THREE SHORT EXCERPTS FROM
PLEDGED
By
GWYNNETH WHITE
We have chosen the
following excerpts to give your readers a glimpse into the lives of the main
characters in Pledged, namely: Seth
and Erin, Jared and Sophia, and Caleb and Talitha.
EXCERPT ONE: Meet
Seth and Erin . . .
Despite the heat, Seth felt icy.
Dread could do that to him. Or so he had recently discovered. Deep breathing
usually calmed him, so he sucked in a lungful of desert air and told himself to
relax. It didn’t help. By the time he’d walked from the aircraft to the
immigration hall he’d ripped off a jagged piece of thumbnail, already bitten
raw. He handed his US passport to the Botswanan border official, and, after a
frown, and a stamp, he joined the crowd at the baggage carousel. Botswana in
southern Africa was the last place on earth he’d ever have picked for a holiday
destination. But he wasn’t here on holiday. Not even close.
His backpack was slow
in coming. Tired from his long-haul flight from New York, he leaned against the
wall and closed his eyes. Almost as if to mock him, the hated vision that had
brought him to Botswana burst into his mind. In an instant he was back in
ancient times, watching a man he knew only as Gideon. As usual, Gideon was huddled
on a windswept hill with his band of hopeless soldiers, waiting to be
slaughtered by a huge army gathered in the valley below.
Seth snapped his eyes
open to stop the battle from waging in his mind. It wasn’t that he was
particularly squeamish; he’d watched enough movies to iron clad his stomach
against gory visuals. But no movie had ever left him icy with dread the way
Gideon’s battle did. And the reason for that was simple. The moment the visions
had started, he had known that the war, fought so long ago in a place he’d
never heard of, was far from over. And, as reluctant as he was, he too was
being enlisted to fight in a cause he didn’t understand or want.
He forced himself to
focus on the present: Erin, who waited for him in the arrivals hall; his
brother Kyle, whom he’d come to Botswana to visit; Kyle’s expedition to find
the Lost City of the Kalahari . . .
He ripped off another
piece of fingernail. Thinking about the search for the Lost City was almost as
bad as the war-vision. I hope Kyle never
finds the damned place. He slapped his hand on his thigh. Enough! Grabbing his backpack off the
carousel, he set his face into a smile and strode into the arrivals hall.
The first hurdle was
finding Erin. She was due to arrive an hour earlier on a flight from Cape Town
in South Africa, one of Botswana’s neighbours. He’d never met her, although
they had spoken over the phone once. Then she’d described herself as “a short,
seventeen-year-old (a year younger than him) with a mass of ginger hair.” She’d
sounded nice. Meeting her was the one ray of brightness in this otherwise dark
picture.
He stopped to scan the
crowd. A petite girl with shoulder length, reddish-blonde curls, dressed in
skinny jeans and a purple blouse, immediately caught his eye. It had to be
Erin. Nice legs. What’s it with girls that they always under-sell themselves? He
studied her face with his artist’s eye.
Vermeer would’ve killed to paint her. Suddenly wishing he didn’t look so
grimy after his three plane-changes, he walked over to join her. “Hi, I’m Seth.
You’ve got to be Erin. My brother’s just married your sister Izzy.”
“And after only
knowing each other for about a week.”
Her dimpled grin was
infectious, making him crack his trademark crooked smile. “Madness.”
“Mysterious.” Erin
cocked her head to one side, seemingly appraising him. He knew he had been
accurate when he’d told her he was tall and dark-haired. But what he had failed
to mention was what girls had often said they liked about him: his strong,
angular face, softened by expressive brown eyes. He watched her eyes rove over
his grey Muse: Resistance t-shirt, taking in his broad shoulders and chest. From
there they darted down his black camo-pants to his boots. Amused by her blatant
assessment, he cocked his head to one side, watching her. Suddenly Erin giggled
– was she embarrassed? – and picked up her bag.
“We’ve yet another
plane to catch. My fourth in the last twenty-four hours,” Seth said, hoping to
explain away his rumpled appearance. “To a place called Maun.”
“So we do. Let the
adventure begin.”
***
EXCERPT TWO: Meet
Jared and Sophia . . .
Jared nodded at Sophia
and Kezeah without any sign of recognition. With two of his Pledged up front
and two at their rear, he marched them down the corridor to a flight of stairs.
Once at the bottom, he ducked beneath an archway, opening onto to a gloomy,
narrow tunnel. Erin, never keen on dark, claustrophobic spaces, took a deep
breath and paused.
“C’mon,” Seth said.
“The sooner we walk through it, the quicker we get to the other side.”
“What happens if
what’s on the other side is even worse?”
“Then you’ll know for
sure that the dead guys are leading this expedition,” Seth said, wanting to
deny the painful burning in his heart that reconnected him with a cursed Jared.
He grabbed Erin’s arm and pulled her into the passage.
They’d taken no more
than two tentative steps along the uneven floor when Sophia stopped. “Commander,
I am not walking through this
snake-hole!”
Jared turned back to
look at her. With none of the fear or diffidence Erin and Seth expected from a
boy with limited to exposure to girls – especially beautiful ones – he
answered, “Of course, my lady. You’re from Norin, where I understand you live
in grass huts.” He gave a sardonic smile. “But don’t despair, you’ll soon get
used to bricks. Even our own Outcasts have learnt not to flinch at the sight of
them.” He continued down the passage.
Seth’s mouth dropped at Jared’s rudeness;
this was so foreign to the Jared he had seen just moments ago in his vision. It
just added to his anger at Reuel’s Curse.
The Pledged at
Sophia’s rear prodded her back; she gave him a fierce look and started walking.
For Seth and Sophia,
both taller than Erin and Kezeah, negotiating the tortuous twists and turns of
the tunnel was no easy matter. Stooping, cursing each time they bumped their
heads on the rough ceiling, they struggled after Jared, but he kept up the
merciless pace until they reached a dark staircase.
Her temper now as
short as her breath, Sophia stopped walking and locked her arms across her
chest. “Having just cracked my skull open, you now expect me to scramble up
those treacherous stairs too. No doubt hoping I’ll fall and break my neck.
Well, forget it. I’m not moving.”
“Sophia!” Kezeah
whispered, jabbing her in the ribs as she stepped gingerly onto the first
narrow step.
Sophia ignored her.
“Only savages and rats live in places like this.”
Jared’s
eyes narrowed. “Savages and rats, you say, my lady?”
Sophia set her face
into a cold stare, locking her hypnotic blue eyes on his.
He surprised her by
holding her gaze. “I hate to disappoint you, my lady, but Lord Rustus, Lord of
the Household, under the direction of the Overlord himself, has chosen your
apartment. Surely you don’t question their judgment in this matter?”
“As a
matter of fact, I do.”
“In
that case, I’ll gladly pass on your concerns. If that’s what you really want.”
“Enough,
Sophia. This isn’t a fight you can win.” Sophia’s Guardian had joined
them.
***
EXCERPT THREE: Meet Caleb and Talitha . . .
Erin flicked her hair
behind her ear and watched Caleb straighten his clothing. He took a deep breath
and entered the hut. They followed right after him, drifting through the closed
door as if it didn’t exist. Seth laughed, holding his hand up to Erin for a
high-five – until he noticed that
Caleb’s Gefallen had also wafted into
the cabin with them. Even though he had no idea how to defend Erin from a ghost,
he stepped in front of her to protect her. But the wraith ignored them and
sailed over to Caleb.
A tall, blonde-haired girl with
almond-shaped brown eyes was waiting for Caleb. For Erin, the recognition was
instantaneous; it was Talitha. “She’s so beautiful!”
“She’s okay,” Seth replied, looking her
over critically. “But I don’t think Caleb’s here for her looks.”
“What’s
that supposed to mean?”
“You
said yourself that Caleb’s a good-looking guy. I bet he could have any girl he
wants around here.”
Erin frowned; then she
smiled as understanding dawned. “So, in guy-talk, you’re saying he loves her?”
Seth chuckled as he
picked up Erin’s hand and put it on his heart. “Tell me what you’re feeling?”
Erin gasped at a
disconcerting pulse thrumming in Seth’s chest, over-riding his own heartbeat.
“It’s . . . no . . . It’s not possible.”
“I’ll bet it is. It’s Caleb’s heart beating.”
“How do you know it’s
him? It could be Talitha.”
“It started the moment
I saw him. It’s like it’s there to stop me denying that he and I were once
friends. And I was watching Talitha when he walked in. She smiled, and it felt
as if someone had just shot a thousand volts through him.”
“It’s amazing you’re
so connected that you can feel him.”
Seth wasn’t so sure he
agreed; it made being here just a little too real.
Erin felt her own
heart and could faintly discern Talitha’s heartbeat; it was nowhere near as
strong as the thump in Seth’s chest, but then, she figured, she wasn’t in
denial the way he was.
They fell into silence as Caleb opened his
arms to embrace Talitha. She draped her arms around his neck, twisting the dark
curls tumbling onto his shoulders. He kissed the nape of her throat and ran his
lips up her neck, over her chin to her mouth.
“This is awkward,”
Erin murmured, looking away.
“You don’t say. All
this way just to watch them making out.”
These excerpts are
issued by Swallow Press for use by bloggers participating in launch and blog
tour of Pledged by Gwynneth White.
Any queries can be addressed to Andrew at sethanderin@swallowpress.com
Book Review: Dark Side of Night by Amanda Day
I received this book from the author, in exchange for my honest review. So, here goes..
The first half of the book was very very slow paced. There were times when I thought that it just wasn't for me, because it felt like it wasn't moving at all. Even though there was plenty of action, I think that some of it was unnecessary.
Also, there was too much internal dialogue, flashbacks and information repetition. Some of that could've been edited out, because it wasn't relevant.
Lastly, the ending wasn't all that captivating. It was more weird than anything else.
But.
If you want to read the full review, click here.
The first half of the book was very very slow paced. There were times when I thought that it just wasn't for me, because it felt like it wasn't moving at all. Even though there was plenty of action, I think that some of it was unnecessary.
Also, there was too much internal dialogue, flashbacks and information repetition. Some of that could've been edited out, because it wasn't relevant.
Lastly, the ending wasn't all that captivating. It was more weird than anything else.
But.
If you want to read the full review, click here.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Waiting on Wednesday #35
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.
My pick this week is:
Title: Dominion
Series: Guardian Angels, book 1
Author: Melody Manful
Release date: August 20th, 2012 (paperback)
August 25th, 2012 (on KINDLE)
August 25th, 2012 (on KINDLE)
Summary:
I Dare You.
Look Over Your Shoulders.
Do You See Them?
They are behind you...
They are always behind you.
Abigail Cells had a nightmare the day before she met Gideon, the new guy in school who has every girl drooling just to be near him. In her nightmare, she was murdered by a magical creature. As she gets to know Gideon, she begins to remember pieces of her nightmare, and was shocked when Gideon turned out to be the creature from her nightmare. Who is Gideon really, should Abby allow herself to fall completely for him, or is he the next disaster waiting to happen?
Look Over Your Shoulders.
Do You See Them?
They are behind you...
They are always behind you.
Abigail Cells had a nightmare the day before she met Gideon, the new guy in school who has every girl drooling just to be near him. In her nightmare, she was murdered by a magical creature. As she gets to know Gideon, she begins to remember pieces of her nightmare, and was shocked when Gideon turned out to be the creature from her nightmare. Who is Gideon really, should Abby allow herself to fall completely for him, or is he the next disaster waiting to happen?
Why I want to read it:
1) The cover looks gorgeous. True, it's a bit more cartoon-like than realistic, but hey, it's pretty!
2) I'm a sucker for angel/demon stories, and this one seems to be just right there in that genre.
So how about you? What amazing book are you waiting on this week? 1) The cover looks gorgeous. True, it's a bit more cartoon-like than realistic, but hey, it's pretty!
2) I'm a sucker for angel/demon stories, and this one seems to be just right there in that genre.
GIVEAWAY REMINDER:
Two giveaways are currently running on my blog. You can check them out and participate here
Oh, and please leave links to your WOW posts, so I can stop by! Thanks!
Oh, and please leave links to your WOW posts, so I can stop by! Thanks!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
In her shoes ~24~
Every Tuesday I will pick a character I've read about recently, perhaps
even the week before, and try putting myself in her shoes. What things
would I do differently? What have I learned from her behavior? That kind
of thing. You are welcome to participate if you want, just please link
back, so we could build a nice community of followers. Thanks!!! :)
What fun! It's Tuesday again and I have another special girl to share with you! Her name is Cyan, and she's the lead female in the novel Dark Side of Night by Amanda Day.
So, who's Cyan? She's a warrior against evil. She's the light's sword against darkness. She's tough, she's experienced and she's got loads of anger piled in her soul.
She's also an ordinary girl with strong emotions, who's been hurt more than once and never wants to feel pain again. But who can say when love would come knocking on you're door? And when it does, would you be able to push it away just so you could preserve yourself from the eventual pain of heartbreak?
I loved Cyan for the strong personality that she had. I really liked her passion for protecting the good, the light, the hope, while firmly believing that she's a monster as well.
What I didn't like about her was that she was way too stubborn in pushing Oscar away. Sure, she'd been thru a lot. And I do mean A LOT. But still, when a great, honest guy comes your way... well... you don't let him go. EVER.
Cyan's my pick, who's yours?
What fun! It's Tuesday again and I have another special girl to share with you! Her name is Cyan, and she's the lead female in the novel Dark Side of Night by Amanda Day.
So, who's Cyan? She's a warrior against evil. She's the light's sword against darkness. She's tough, she's experienced and she's got loads of anger piled in her soul.
She's also an ordinary girl with strong emotions, who's been hurt more than once and never wants to feel pain again. But who can say when love would come knocking on you're door? And when it does, would you be able to push it away just so you could preserve yourself from the eventual pain of heartbreak?
I loved Cyan for the strong personality that she had. I really liked her passion for protecting the good, the light, the hope, while firmly believing that she's a monster as well.
What I didn't like about her was that she was way too stubborn in pushing Oscar away. Sure, she'd been thru a lot. And I do mean A LOT. But still, when a great, honest guy comes your way... well... you don't let him go. EVER.
Cyan's my pick, who's yours?
Monday, August 20, 2012
Cover Reveal: Conjure by Lea Nolan
Today is a great day. You know why? Because Entangled has finally released the cover of CONJURE by Lea Nolan. Here it is, and please don't tell me you don't find it pretty. It's simply GORGEOUS!!!!
And here's the summary:
Be careful what you search for…
Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry--hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.
When a strange girl appears, bent on revenge; demon dogs become a threat; and Jack turns into a walking skeleton; Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends--are lost forever.
And here's the summary:
Be careful what you search for…
Emma Guthrie expects this summer to be like any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry--hot and steamy with plenty of beach time alongside her best friend and secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and Emma’s ever-present twin brother, Jack. But then a mysterious eighteenth-century message in a bottle surfaces, revealing a hidden pirate bounty. Lured by the adventure, the trio discovers the treasure and unwittingly unleashes an ancient Gullah curse that attacks Jack with the wicked flesh-eating Creep and promises to steal Cooper’s soul on his approaching sixteenth birthday.
When a strange girl appears, bent on revenge; demon dogs become a threat; and Jack turns into a walking skeleton; Emma has no choice but to learn hoodoo magic to undo the hex, all before summer—and her friends--are lost forever.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Book Review: Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire
NOTE: I received this eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I LOVED "Beautiful Disaster" from cover to cover. It was a total emotional roller coaster that left me in a state of stupor for hours. I was a complete wreck, not knowing whether to cry or laugh in hysterics.
I only have one suggestion to make though.... "Beautiful Disaster" is in no way a YOUNG ADULT book. It's very much an ADULT book, even though the main character is a 19-year old girl. There were lots of expletives, there were several sex scenes... you get the idea. So no, I wouldn't recommend this book to a teenager.
But, nonetheless, it was amazing. It was one of the books that I truly enjoyed reading this year, and I'm even going to place it in a to re-read folder.
To read full review please click here.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Follow Friday #27
Follow Me Friday is a book meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.
#FF is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort
between bloggers. In order to join in the fun, all you need is well . .
. A book blog :)
The question this week is:
What blogger inspires you? It can be any kind, it doesn't have to be a book blog.
My answer:
To be honest, I don't spend too much time browsing the blogging world - time just isn't enough, you know? But there are a couple of book blogs that I do stop by. K-Books is one of them, Some Like it Paranormal and others I'm not sure I can name off the top of my head.
Also, I want to remind you about the 2 giveaways that are going on at the moment. One is of "Pledged" and the other of "The Burning Star". Please visit The Giveaways Page for more information and the Rafflecopter links.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
"The Burning Star" by Jessie Lane: an Excerpt
Today I want to share with you guys an excerpt of this new novel that's been going around the blogs. It's called "The Burning Star" and it's co-authored by Crystal Leo and Melissa Pahl, who go by the name of Crystal Leo. They're also giving away an e-copy of their book to one lucky winner, so sign up for the giveaway below!
Happy reading ya'll!
Excerpt:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Happy reading ya'll!
Excerpt:
I stood there frozen knowing that I would probably die because of
this wretched creature. All of a sudden I saw the quick movement of an arm
bringing down the point of the knife slicing towards the large creature’s
skull. The animal’s enraged screams ripped through the woods around us. My
brain tried to analyze what was happening before me I stood as still as a
statue and watched as the monster started crumbling away. That’s right, I said crumbling.
Like something that had been burnt from the inside out and then fell apart, it
was just disintegrating into nothing. This can’t be real. I looked up from the
ashes into the face of an angel. No, he’s not an angel, he’s just a guy right?
He was staring at me like he had just seen me sprout a second head and I was
staring at him like I was about to scream again and that’s when I fainted. At
least I didn’t scream again, right?
When I opened my eyes to see his two ethereal blue eyes staring back
into mine my head felt like it might split in two from a raging headache. “Are
you okay?” his strong but sweet voice whispered.
But before I could stop myself from saying anything ridiculous I
replied, “Are you an angel? Did I finally die and go to heaven?”
He
bellowed a laugh and I blushed a shade that was more than likely lobster red. I
really just didn’t say that did I? Stupid, stupid, stupid Kay. I smacked myself
in the forehead and tried to hide my face. That’s a great way to make a first
impression to an extremely hot guy. Let’s just faint like an air headed girl,
which I am not, and then wake up asking stupid questions. And then that’s when
it hit me. The past few moments of events flooded my brain again and I started
to panic. “Wait, wait a minute! What was that thing and how in the world did it
just, just…”
“The
dog? I’m sorry to tell you I had to cut it with my knife to scare it away. It wasn’t
a mortal wound though. He took off through the woods in an escape. Sorry if you’re
one of those animal lovers, but I was afraid it might kill one of us.”
I
shook my head to try and clear it. “No, no, no, no. That was no dog. Well I
mean, it was at first, but then it became something else. It was black, and
huge, and had those red eyes…” And before I finished my sentence I looked up at
him to see complete shock and amazement on his face. I had never seen anyone
look so bewildered. “Don’t look at me like that! I know what I saw! Now what
was that thing and what happened to it at the end. It didn’t run off, I saw you
kill it. And I would point to the body to prove it, but it; well it fell apart
or something.”
And
in just a split second the shock had disappeared from his handsome face and was
replaced by something more masked and calculating. “I’m sorry. You’re quite mistaken.
I didn’t kill it. I only wounded it. And it was a dog. Are you sure you didn’t
hit your head or something? I’m afraid you might be having some kind of
hallucinations of some kind.” Somehow, when he said it, it didn’t seem as scary
or grotesque as it did when I played what I thought I saw back in my head.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Waiting on Wednesday #34
My pick this week is:
Title: River's Recruit
Series: Sanctuary Series, book 1
Series: Sanctuary Series, book 1
Author: Charlotte Abel
Release date: Fall, 2012
Summary:
Devastated
by the death of his identical twin, Jonathan McKnight flees into the
Sawatch Mountain Wilderness. He seeks redemption, but all he finds is
trouble … and a beautiful young woman named River that belongs to a
primitive and dangerous cult.
Jonathan wants to rescue River and take her back to his world. River wants to recruit him. Fate has other plans for both of them.
Want to know more? Read the excerpt here.
Jonathan wants to rescue River and take her back to his world. River wants to recruit him. Fate has other plans for both of them.
Want to know more? Read the excerpt here.
Why I want to read it:
1) Because Charlotte Abel is a very skilled writer. I loved her Channie series, and am really intrigued by this new one;
2) Did you read that excerpt? Well what are you waiting for???
GIVEAWAY REMINDER:
One giveaway is currently running at my blog. You can check it out and participate here
Oh, and please leave links to your WOW posts, so I can stop by! Thanks!
Oh, and please leave links to your WOW posts, so I can stop by! Thanks!
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
In her shoes ~22~
Every Tuesday I will pick a character I've read about recently, perhaps
even the week before, and try putting myself in her shoes. What things
would I do differently? What have I learned from her behavior? That kind
of thing. You are welcome to participate if you want, just please link
back, so we could build a nice community of followers. Thanks!!! :)
Today I want to share with you one awesome female. Some people might consider her foolish, but I think she's brave and kind and most of all, loving.
Her name is Abby Abernathy, from Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster novel.
Let me tell you about Abby... she's got a past that she ran away from. A past with a hateful father who used her for his benefit, and then hated her for 'failing' him. A past with a drunk mother, who nobody even wants to talk about.
In my book, Abby should be an emotional wreck - unstable, irresponsible, and completely out there. But she's none of those things. She's even forgiving towards her father, and caring enough to put her own life on the line to save his.
True, she makes some poor choices, but which nineteen year old girl doesn't?
She's real, she's got her head on her shoulders, and she makes it so that no one and nothing would bring her down. She's her own person, making her own decisions. Failing sometimes, yes, but also soaring at others.
I wouldn't change one thing about her character. Not even her stubbornness - because sometimes to be stubborn may preserve you from a lot of pain.
That was Abby. Who's your girl this week?
Today I want to share with you one awesome female. Some people might consider her foolish, but I think she's brave and kind and most of all, loving.
Her name is Abby Abernathy, from Jamie McGuire's Beautiful Disaster novel.
Let me tell you about Abby... she's got a past that she ran away from. A past with a hateful father who used her for his benefit, and then hated her for 'failing' him. A past with a drunk mother, who nobody even wants to talk about.
In my book, Abby should be an emotional wreck - unstable, irresponsible, and completely out there. But she's none of those things. She's even forgiving towards her father, and caring enough to put her own life on the line to save his.
True, she makes some poor choices, but which nineteen year old girl doesn't?
She's real, she's got her head on her shoulders, and she makes it so that no one and nothing would bring her down. She's her own person, making her own decisions. Failing sometimes, yes, but also soaring at others.
I wouldn't change one thing about her character. Not even her stubbornness - because sometimes to be stubborn may preserve you from a lot of pain.
That was Abby. Who's your girl this week?
Monday, August 13, 2012
Book review: Inbetween by Tara Fuller
NOTE: I received the arc of this book from Netgalley.
I was very very excited about Inbetween because I'd heard some awesome things about it. And when I actually got it from Netgalley, I was super joyful!
The beginning was a bit slow to my taste, but once the story picked up pace, it became enthralling to the point where I couldn't put the book down until I was done with it. Unfortunately the end came way too fast. I breezed through Inbetween as if it were a 200 page book!!! Yes, it was really good! And boy, what a cliffhanger!
To read the full review, please click here.
Book review: Dead of Night by Lynn Viehl
NOTE: I received this title from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
When I requested Dead of Night, I had no idea that it was the second installment in a series. Then I started reading it, and was still in the dark up till page fifty something, when it finally clicked. I considered dropping the book, since I had no idea what happened in the previous one, but then decided to go on and see if it was finishable.
Turns out it was. I not only finished it with no difficulty understanding any previous events, but I also enjoyed it. The story was interesting, though a bit too slow paced to my liking, and I can say with a hand over my heart that it deserved my rating.
To see full review please click here.
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