Saturday, April 28, 2012

Book Haul


The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Partials by Dan Wells

For my Nook
Elemental by Brigid Kemmerer
(I have already read this and it is really good.)

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Book: Defiance
Author: C.J. Redwine
Release Date: August 28

Goodreads Summary
Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.(

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Sunday, April 22, 2012

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Book: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
# of Pages: 313 (Hardcover)
Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Summary
Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.


My Thoughts: There are really no words to describe this book adequately. The only thing that comes to mind is brilliant. I liked the writing and the humor. But most of all, I loved Hazel and Augustus. They are both such strong, passionate characters and I enjoyed getting to know them.

This is one of the best books that I have read this year.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Book: Slide
Author: Jill Hathaway
# of Pages: 186 (Ebook)
Challenges: 2012 Ebook Challenge
Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Summary
Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.


My Thoughts: What a fantastic book! I am a huge fan of mysteries and this book did not disappoint. Vee is very unique with her pink hair and her ability to "slide" into other people. Rollins and Zane are both great characters, though I do like Rollins a bit more than Zane. I liked the fast pace of the story, and I absolutely loved the ending.

The mystery, the awesome characters, and a little romance make this a great read. And I was very happy to hear that there is going to be a sequel!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

J.K. Rowling's New Book

As most of you have probably already heard, the title and release date of J.K Rowling's new book were announced today.

The title is The Casual Vacancy, and it will be coming out September 27. '

Summary:
When Barry Fairweather dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. 

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. 

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems. 

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

I am soooo excited! It sounds amazing.

Lies by Michael Grant

Book: Lies (Gone #3)
Author: Michael Grant
# of Pages: 447 (Paperback)
Rating: 4 stars

Goodreads Summary
It's been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.                                                                                                                                             It happens in one night. A girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach; and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead. Sam and Caine defeated him along with the Darkness--or so they thought.
                                                                                                                                                                     As Perdido Beach burns, battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. And all the while deadly rumors are raging like the fire itself, spread by the prophetess Orsay and her companion, Nerezza. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. Conditions are worse than ever and kids are desperate to get out. But are they desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?

My Thoughts: Things in the FAYZ are getting worse. Zil and his band of anti-freaks are desperate for power. Sam is haunted by his experience with Drake. And rumors are going around causing chaos and terror.

For me, the two characters that stood out were Edilio and Quinn. Edilio finally gets gets a chance to be a leader. Though we do not see too much of Quinn, I could tell that his character has grown a lot since the first book. I wonder if either of them are going to develop any supernatural pawers.

Dark and thrilling, this book kept me reading well into the night.

Saturday, April 7, 2012

In My Mailbox


IMM is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Fear by Michael Grant

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

For my Nook
The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Friday, April 6, 2012

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Book: The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey #2)
Author: Julie Kagawa
# of Pages: 359 (Paperback)
Challenge: 2012 TBR Pile Challenge
Rating: 2.5 stars

Goodreads Summary
Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.
Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.
My Thoughts: Meghan is in the Winter Court when the Scepter of the Seasons is stolen. The Winter fey believe the Summer fey are behind it an prepare for war. But Meghan knows the truth, and she is determined to help retrieve the scepter before things turn ugly.

I like the world of the Nevernever and find the creatures that dwell there fascinating. I'm also a big fan of Puck and his sense of humor.

The thing that I disliked most about this book was Meghan. She was stubborn and whiny. She would not listen to what anyone had to say, and she was constantly obsessing over Ash. For the most part, she does not pay much attention to Puck, but depends on him to get her out of trouble. She does not even try to get herself out of unpleasant situations.

The book dragged. I actually stopped reading it at one point not intending to finish it. I did finish it, but I had to push myself in order to do so.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Book: Eve of Destruction (Dark Eden #2)
Author: Patrick Carman
Release Date: April 24

Goodreads Summary
Will Besting and the other teens who were “cured” at Fort Eden are still experiencing the strange signs of aging
that were a part of their recovery. Now they are being called back to Fort Eden because Mrs. Goring is dying, and
for some reason she wants to see the seven teens together again.

But once Will and the others arrive at Fort Eden, they find themselves ensnared in a dangerous plan to finally end
the reign of Rainsford. Will must lead the group through a perilous underground trap masterminded by two devious
souls. Can he outwit both Rainsford and Goring and find a new cure?
Patrick Carman’s Dark Eden 2: Eve of Destruction is another terrifying journey into the depths of fear, love, revenge,
and—ultimately—redemption.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Sunday, April 1, 2012

April Reading List


This month I'm hoping to read:

Lies by Michael Grant
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Slide by Jill Hathaway
Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready