Friday, April 26, 2013

A bit disappointed by The Reece Malcolm List

The Reece Malcolm List

NOTE: I received the arc through Netgalley.

I don't want to insult anyone, but I must say what I think, so I should say that this book was mediocre, average and closer to 'ok' than 'good'. I gave it an extra star because it was informative on a lot of choir related stuff I didn't know, because there were funny moments that cracked me up, and because it was fast-paced, so it didn't require too much attention.

One thing I definitely liked was the writing style. It was light, and I really liked all the (inclusions), which were sometimes funny to read. In my opinion, those (inclusions) were creative.

I didn't like how unrealistic most of the characters were. I think only Brad felt believable the entire time, and perhaps Reece Malcolm as well, so I liked those two a lot. But besides them... well...let's just say that everyone was either too cliche, or an obvious attempt to escape the cliche.


For full review, please click here.

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #53

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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: Confessions of an almost girlfriend
Series: Confessions, Book #2
Author: Louise Rozett
Release date: June 18th, 2013 by Harlequin Teen

Summary:

Rose Zarelli has big plans for sophomore year—everything is going to be different. This year, she’s going to be the talented singer with the killer voice, the fabulous girl with the fashionista best friend, the brainiac who refuses to let Jamie Forta jerk her around...

...but if she’s not careful, she’s also going to be the sister who misses the signals, the daughter who can only think about her own pain, the “good girl” who finds herself in mid-scandal again (because no good deed goes unpunished) and possibly worst of all...the almost-girlfriend.

When all else fails, stop looking for love and go find yourself.


 Why I want to read it:

I read Confessions of an Angry Girl last year and found it nice, light and quick. This one is promising the same. Besides, I'd love to see how Rose's character continues to grow and mature. And let's not forget this absolutely gorgeous cover :)

So how about you? What amazing book are you waiting on this week?  

Friday, April 19, 2013

Literally a "Walking Disaster" by Jamie McGuire

Walking Disaster (Beautiful, #2)

NOTE: I received this book from Netgalley.

I don't know why I was expecting to be amazed by this novel. After all it's just a POV re-write of Beautiful Disaster. Now, don't get me wrong, it's not that I didn't like it, it's just there's nothing much new in it.

*sigh*

There, I said it.

I guess it's all my fault, having high expectations and all that. But in my opinion, it's either read Beautiful Disaster, or Walking Disaster. Just don't read both. They just overflap most of the time, and it gets sort of boring.

Full review is available through this link.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Book review: 15 Days Without a Head by Dave Cousins

Fifteen Days Without a Head

NOTE: I received the eARC from Netgalley.

For I while I wondered why the heck I'd even requested this book. But when I actually got to it, I realized I'd made a good choice. And the more I read, the more I liked it.

Actually, 15 Days isn't your regular book full of cheesy romance and perfect situations which lead to this absolutely awesome relationship between the characters. On the contrary, this book reeks of originality, funny (in an ironic kind of way) situations, impossible hardships. It's targeting social problems, family problems, and yeah, some romance. And yeah, there's a morale!

In my opinion, what made the book so good were the characters. They had unique personalities, were driven by their thoughts, emotions and life circumstances. All in all, they acted realistic, which felt pretty darn good.

To read more about 15 Days, click here.

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #52

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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: INK
Series: Paper Gods, Book #1
Author: Amanda Sun
Release date: June 25th, 2013 by Harlequin Teen

Summary:

I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.

Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of a girl lying on a bench.

A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness.

And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine.


On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive


 Why I want to read it:

The cover is so gorgeous! And I dunno, the summary has me believing this will turn out to be an awesome story!

So how about you? What amazing book are you waiting on this week?  

Monday, April 15, 2013

Book review: Crimson Frost by Jennifer Estep

Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy, #4)

NOTE: I received this book from Netgalley to review.

Firstly, I would like to say that I requested Crimson Frost before I even started reading this series. So then I decided it was about time I gave it a chance. But, as some of you may remember, and if not, just check out my review of Touch of Frost, the very first book flunked my expectations. I was too disappointed to even express my feelings properly.

So, naturally, I decided that I should just abandon all attempts on the Mythos Academy.

And yet!

And yet, when I saw Crimson Frost on my Netgalley shelf, I thought: "Why the heck not?" I mean, even if it was bad, it couldn't be worse than book one, right?

Truth is, that I was surprised in two exactly opposite ways.

To read more, please follow this link to full review.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Cover reveal: Tremble by Jus Accardo

Wow! It's come time for the third Denazen novel to come out! May 7th is just behind the corner, you guys! And so, Entangled is finally releasing this ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS cover!!!

Here's the Synopsis:

Dez Cross has problems. She’s almost eighteen and on the verge of losing her mind thanks to the drug the Denazen corporation used to enhance her abilities. People close to her have turned their backs on the underground and are now fighting for the wrong side. And then there’s Kale... Things couldn’t get any worse.

Until, of course, they do. Denazen is about to start a new trial—this one called Domination—and it works. But that means out with the old and in with the new. The order has been given to terminate all remnants of the second trial—including Dez. The good news is that there’s a survivor from the original trial. A woman whose blood may hold the cure for the second generation of Supremacy kids' defects. But the underground Sixes aren’t the only ones who know about her.



Dez's father is willing to throw away everything he has to keep Dez from getting the cure—including the one thing that might tear her apart from the inside out.

Also, I've got this hot, fabulous excerpt to share with you. Read on!

I told them you wouldn’t come alone. Yet here you are,” Kale’s dark voice said from the doorway. “You’re an odd one.”
You don’t realize it, but coming from you, that’s kinda funny,” I said, swallowing hard and turning to face him. The light from the hall lit the entire right side of his face, leaving the left cloaked in darkness. Two sides of the same dangerous coin. I wanted to back away but resisted, meeting his gaze straight on. My Kale was in there somewhere—and he could sense weakness. “Did you kill her?”

“She’s dead.”

“I figured as much,” I said, jaw tense. Another step closer. “But I’m asking if you did it.” 

He cocked his head to the left and I could see his expression. Confusion. “You asked the same thing about the other girl. Why does it matter?”
“Because it does. It matters to you, too. You just don’t remember.”
He took another step. Inches. He was inches from me now, the warmth from his body radiating like the sun. Every one of my muscles plunged into an all-out war with my heart. Common sense screamed for me to match his steps forward with ones away. Keep your distance—he’s dangerous!
My heart wanted to move closer. I wanted this to all be nothing more than a bad dream.
“I feel like...when I look at you—” He shook his head and placed a hand on either side of me, up against the mattress, and brought his face close to mine. For the longest moment all he did was stare. When he did speak, there was so much rage in his voice. “You stabbed me. When that didn’t do the trick, you pushed me from the bridge. I’m asking you why?”
“I never did that, Kale. No one’s ever pushed you from a bridge as far as I know. I promise. As for the scar, yeah. You were stabbed. Alex did it.”
“You’re lying, Kiernan.”
“I’m not. And my name is Dez,” I said, voice cracking under the weight of his words. “Deznee.” I wasn’t ready to give up, so I went with what had always worked for me. Something insane.
Pushing forward, I crushed my lips to his, wrapping both arms around his neck to lock him in place. He didn’t resist and, to my surprise, didn’t shove me away. Instead, after a moment, he responded, his lips moving fervently with mine.
The kiss only lasted a few moments. I was the one who broke it, pulling away as the clouds passed, allowing the moonlight to shine through the bedroom window once again. For a second, neither of us said a word. His cheeks glistened with my tears, making it look like he’d been crying, too, as he stared—eyes wide and mouth agape—like he’d never seen me before.
For a crazy, insane moment, time froze. I thought maybe the kiss had done the trick. That this time the princess had woken the prince. He looked at me with a mix of shock and awe, the tiniest hint of my Kale gleamed through. My heart pounded so loudly I could barely hear anything else. It was there. I could see the spark in his eyes. “Kale?”
But it didn’t last. Or maybe it hadn’t been there at all. Maybe I wanted to see it so badly that I imagined the whole thing.
His lips parted and the corners tilted upward just a hair. “Roz is right. You are crazy.”

Find Jus Accardo





Find Tremble





Thursday, April 11, 2013

Book review: Obsidian Mirror by Catherine Fisher

The Obsidian Mirror
NOTE: I received this book from Netgalley to review.

I'd heard lots of awesome things about Catherine Fisher, so I requested this book, all excited and full of great expectations. But to be honest, I was a bit disappointed.

Firstly, until about half way through, nothing really interesting happened. We were just introduced to the characters and some of the circumstances. Nothing special, nothing to grab my attention. Perhaps that's why it took me an entire week to finish this novel. It just didn't do it for me.

Secondly, the mysteries around which everything was revolving, weren't something absolutely out of the blue. No one really behaved outside of their character, which bored me. I mean, I would've wanted to see someone growing out of themselves by the end of the story, but no.

My full review, can be viewed here.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #51

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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: Spirit
Series: The Elemental Series, Book #3
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Release date: May 28th, 2013 by K Teen

Summary:

With power comes enemies. Lots of them.

Hunter Garrity just wants to be left alone. He’s learned the hard way that his unusual abilities come at a price. And he can’t seem to afford any allies.

He’s up to his neck in hostiles. His grandfather, spoiling for a fight. The Merrick brothers, who think he ratted them out. Calla, the scheming psycho who wants to use him as bait.

Then there’s Kate Sullivan, the new girl at school. She’s not hostile. She’s bold. Funny. Hot. But she’s got an agenda, too.

With supposedly secret powers rippling to the surface everywhere around him, Hunter knows something ugly is about to go down. But finding out what means he’ll have to find someone he can trust…


 Why I want to read it:

Gosh, I can't believe I haven't gotten to this hot, hot, HOT guy series yet! Well, obviously, I want to see what the fuss in these books is all about. So I guess I won't be waiting anymore! :)

So how about you? What amazing book are you waiting on this week?  

Monday, April 8, 2013

Book review: Touch of Power and Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder

Touch of Power (Healer, #1)

I hadn't read any of Maria V. Snyder's books prior to this one, but if they're all as captivating and hypnotizing as Touch of Power, then I'm definitely going to fix this mistake.

That is to say, I LOVED THIS BOOK!

It was the type of high fantasy that gives you wings and makes you fly. Kind of like Red Bull.

The story was written, clearly, by a talented author. A pro no less. I enjoyed the storytelling style very much. It was fluid and just perfect for a picky reader like me. The story itself was enchanting. Nothing was missing or misplaced, which means that the author spent a whole lot of time planning things to be just right. Also, something that I appreciated, was that Ms. Snyder didn't hesitate to injure or hurt or even sacrifice her characters for the sake of the story. This made it all sound so realistic, it felt like I was living alongside the characters.

Full review is available here.


Scent of Magic (Healer, #2)

NOTE: I received an e-copy of the book from Netgalley and physical ARC by MIRA INK. Thanks!

A fantastic sequel to A Touch of Power! Maria V. Snyder has a wonderful way with words that captures the reader's mind and doesn't let go.

Same awesome characters sharing the same brilliant story met me from page one and held my attention until the very end. Scent of Magic was even better than Touch of Power, with such breathtaking cliffhanger, with memorable battles, opening unthought of possibilities.

Ever since Kerrick and Avry parted ways, the story became even more complicated. Not only did they have to deal with their separate assignments, but they also had to somehow deal with the fact that they won't be together for the time being. There was of course, the possibility that one or both of them won't make it to meet again.

Complete review is available here.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Book review: Hooked by Liz Fichera

Hooked (Hooked, #1)
NOTE: I received this book from Netgalley.

I should say that this is the very first book I read, where the sport wasn't football, or soccer. I'd certainly not read a book about golf, so I was totally confused by all the special terms - holes, clubs, score keeping, etc. All that aside, I must say that the story was rather nice. The author has addressed several types of conflicts:

-race-based (Native American vs. Caucasian)
-gender-based (a girl on an all boy golf team)
-friend-friend (do you stand by your friends no matter how wrong they are, or do you stand by what's right?)
-parent-child(how the parents' expectations or disappointment can and do affect - sometimes to the point of ruining - a child's life)

With all that said, I need to say a bit about the characters, too. So here goes:

To read full review, please click here.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Book review: Falling Into You by Jasinda Wilder

Falling Into You (Falling, #1)

Well, let me say that this novel is just HOT HOT HOT!! I don't know what's gotten into me with these New Adult novels, but it's got something to do with a going down spiral and I don't seem to be able to stop reading them.

Any. Way.

So, what did I think of Falling Into You? It was one of the better ones out there. The writing was at a good level, though there were some present/past tense inconsistencies. Still though, I gotta hand it to the author - she's got a good style. Flowing. Present.

Now let me just say that I liked both the pre- and post- parts, but in a different way.

To see full review, please click here.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #50

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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: Screwed
Series: none
Author: Laurie Plissner
Release date: May 18th, 2013

Summary:

Grace was the girl who always did everything right, until the night she fell for a boy's sleazy line and became pregnant. Nick couldn't care less about pretty math-geek Grace or the baby he fathered. He's had a dozen girls like her, and he'll have a dozen more. When Grace confesses to her super-religious, strait-laced parents, they deliver a shocker: They've scheduled an abortion. All they want is to pretend this never happened.

When Grace balks, they literally throw her out in the street. A rich, elderly neighbor takes her in, and, with the help of the friendship she needs in Charlie, the old woman's great-nephew, she must make the toughest choice of her young life. The people she believed in were only playing a role, while others, in an unlikely way, are true heroes.

Grace can never have the life she planned, but she has one chance to be the person she will have to live with for the rest of her life. Her choice will cost her, big time, either way--and no one can make it except her.(


 Why I want to read it:

1) I'm on a contemporary reading spree, and I just can't find it in me to stop
2) The story is dealing with lots of today's problems it seems
3) Grace sounds like a character I would like to know

So how about you? What amazing book are you waiting on this week?  

Book review: The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke

The Assassin's Curse (The Assassin's Curse, #1)
I received this book from Netgalley.

Well, I think this was a good story, written in a lousy way. Either that, or the target audience wasn't 16+, but 10+ instead. However, I don't see how tat could be possible since there was crud and offensive language throughout, as well as bloody action scenes.

I can say that the story has potential, but the way it's written doesn't do it justice.

At any rate, I love pirate stories and assassin stories. Seeing them put together in one place felt sort of nice. However, the characters were quite base, there was no depth to them, which was sad.

I was repulsed by Annanna's use of language a lot. Sure, she was a pirate, raised around vulgar brutes and their manners, or lack of, has rubbed off on her, but... I just didn't like it. I did like her inner voice however, even though at times it just sounded silly.

Full review is available here.