Monday, July 16, 2012

Hiatus

Hey, guys. I'm going to be taking a break from blogging for a couple weeks for personal reasons.

Happy reading!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Stacking the Shelves #4

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where you share what books you obtained over the week.

The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

What books did you get this week?

Thursday, July 12, 2012

What's Next? (1)

What's Next? is a meme hosted by IceyBooks where you ask your followers which book you should read next.

Goodreads Summary
Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the world’s population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanity’s time is running out.

When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friend’s pregnancy, she’s determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the war’s origin that she never knew to ask.

Combining the fast-paced action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Battlestar GalacticaPartials is a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question—one where our sense of humanity is both our greatest liability, and our only hope for survival.


Goodreads Summary
Clary Fray just wishes that her life would go back to normal. But what's normal when you're a demon-slaying Shadowhunter, your mother is in a magically induced coma, and you can suddenly see Downworlders like werewolves, vampires, and faeries? If Clary left the world of the Shadowhunters behind, it would mean more time with her best friend, Simon, who's becoming more than a friend. But the Shadowhunting world isn't ready to let her go — especially her handsome, infuriating, newfound brother, Jace. And Clary's only chance to help her mother is to track down rogue Shadowhunter Valentine, who is probably insane, certainly evil — and also her father.

To complicate matters, someone in New York City is murdering Downworlder children. Is Valentine behind the killings — and if he is, what is he trying to do? When the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, is stolen, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives to investigate and zooms right in on Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to help their father?

In this breathtaking sequel to City of Bones, Cassandra Clare lures her readers back into the dark grip of New York City's Downworld, where love is never safe and power becomes the deadliest temptation.


Which one should I read first?

Wednesday, July 11, 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: Pulse
Author: Patrick Carman
Release Date: February 28, 2013

Goodreads Summary
From New York Times bestselling author Patrick Carman, a teen fantasy-adventure of epic proportions. In 2051, some teens have a “pulse,” the power to move objects with their minds. Compulsively readable, with thrilling action scenes and a tender love story.

The year is 2051, and the world is still recognizable. With the help of her mysterious classmate Dylan Gilmore, Faith Daniels discovers that she can move objects with her mind. This telekinetic ability is called a “pulse,” and Dylan has the talent, too.

In riveting action scenes, Faith demonstrates her ability to use her pulse against a group of telekinesis masters so powerful they will flatten their enemies by uprooting street lights, moving boulders, and changing the course of a hurtling hammer so that it becomes a deadly weapon. But even with great talent, the mind—and the heart—can be difficult to control. If Faith wants to join forces with Dylan and save the world, she’ll have to harness the power of both.

Patrick Carman’s Pulse trilogy is a stunning, action-filled triumph about the power of the mind—and the power of love.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Monday, July 9, 2012

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Book: Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
# of Pages: 356 (Hardcover)
Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads Summary
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.(

My Thoughts:
Alina is an orphan who finds herself thrown into the world of the Grisha after an incident in the Shadow Fold. The Grisha are an extraordinary group of people with special powers that can be both impressive and dangerous. 

Alina is an awesome protagonist. She is strong and brave and very likable. I was very intrigued by the Darkling with his mysterious nature and charm. On the other hand, there's Mal. He is sweet and a great friend to Alina. I admit I do not know which one I like better.

Bardugo does a wonderful job of depicting the world of the Grisha. I liked learning about the different rankings and various powers of the Grisha. I am also very curious about Genya.

Shadow and Bone is an original and incredibly amazing book. I cannot recommend it enough.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Stacking the Shelves #3

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where you share what books you obtained over the week.

Bought
Insignia by S.J. Kincaid Goodreads

Borrowed
Black Hills by Nora Roberts Goodreads

Wednesday, July 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: The Casual Vacancy
Author: J.K. Rowling
Release Date: September 27

Goodreads Summary
When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the 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?

A big novel about a small town, The Casual Vacancy is J. K. Rowling’s first novel for adults. It is the work of a storyteller like no other.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Sunday, July 1, 2012

June Wrap Up & July Reading List


What I read in June
The Vanishing Game by Kate Kae Myers
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
Stunning by Sara Shepard
Legacy Lost by Anna Banks
Dress Your Marines in White by Emmy Laybourne
Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
The Witch of Duva by Leigh Bardugo
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent

July Reading List
Partials by Dan Wells
City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
Plague by Michael Grant
Black Hills by Nora Roberts
Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
Eve of Destruction by Patrick Carman
Two Truths and a Lie by Sara Shepard
The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

What are you reading this month?