Monthly Recap: May 2013

This was a pretty slow month for reading. I was doing pretty good at the start, but slowed down near the end because of finals. But I am now done with school and ready to blog all summer long.

Books Read:

1. Monsters of Men- Patrick Ness
2. My Life Next Door- Huntley Fitzpatrick
3. Sweet Venom- Tera Lynn Childs
4. Rebel Heart- Moira Young
5. Dead Silence- Kimberly Derting
6. The Alchemyst- Michael Scott

Books Reviewed:

1. Unravel Me- Tahereh Mafi

Waiting on Wednesday: Gameboard of the Gods

Waiting on Wednesday's is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Gameboard of the Gods
Richelle Mead
Age of X #1
June 4, 2013

In a futuristic world nearly destroyed by religious extremists, Justin March lives in exile after failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims. But Justin is given a second chance when Mae Koskinen comes to bring him back to the Republic of United North America (RUNA). Raised in an aristocratic caste, Mae is now a member of the military’s most elite and terrifying tier, a soldier with enhanced reflexes and skills.

When Justin and Mae are assigned to work together to solve a string of ritualistic murders, they soon realize that their discoveries have exposed them to terrible danger. As their investigation races forward, unknown enemies and powers greater than they can imagine are gathering in the shadows, ready to reclaim the world in which humans are merely game pieces on their board.

Gameboard of the Gods, the first installment of Richelle Mead’s Age of X series, will have all the elements that have made her YA Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series such megasuccesses: sexy, irresistible characters; romantic and mythological intrigue; and relentless action and suspense.

Why I can't wait: I loved Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series, so I'm hoping this one is great too!

The Tale of Mally Biddle: Author Interview

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The Tale of Mally Biddle 
M.L. LeGette 
 When Mally Biddle agreed to spy upon the King of Lenzar and his overbearing knights she knew she was heading into danger. She didn't know she'd find a family unlike any other. Posing as a servant in Bosc Castle, Mally serves tea and tends fires for the most dangerous men in the kingdom. Her goal is to learn the truth of what happened sixteen years ago, when the infant princess met her death ... a death that is surrounded by more questions than answers. Along her search for the truth, Mally meets the energized Lita Stump, the strict and matriarchal Meriyal Boyd, and the opinionated Archibald Diggleby. Then of course there are the knights: Leon Gibbs who is slicker than a greased hog, Adrian Bayard, hot tempered and violent, and the worst of the lot: Sir Illius Molick, Captain of the Knights. And then there is Maud, a mysterious woman who just might know everything...

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Amazon Kindle

Review: Unravel Me

Unravel Me
Shatter Me #2
Tahereh Mafi

tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

Stacking The Shelves: The Pledge, The Alchemyst, and Beautiful Creatures

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's a great way to show other people the books that you've bought or received for the past week! 

The Pledge

Kimberly Derting

If I Should Die

Amy Plum

The Alchemyst

Michael Scott

Geektastic

Various Authors

Beautiful Creatures

Kami Garcia & Margret Stohl

Radiance

Alyson Noel

Red Glove

Holly Black

Have you read any of these? What did you think?

School's Out!

Yay! I am officially out of school for the summer. Finals are over and I can focus much more on this blog. I have a bunch of plans in my mind I can't wait to experiment with. I am looking forward to a summer of blogging!

Lets Talk: Mid-Series Cover Changes

One of my biggest pet peeves about books is when an author changes the covers of thier books before the series is done. UGH! I like the series' on my shelf to have matching covers. When they change the covers it just looks messy. And sometimes I will decide to have all matching hardbacks in a series, but they only have the new cover of the first book in paperback. Really? Really, publishing companies? And also they take the old covers out of circulation, so even if you wanted the old cover in a hardback you couldn't have it! Gah! This just frustrates me so much. So much.

Now, I am not saying the new covers always look bad of anything. I mean sometimes they look better than the original, or I might like both covers equally. Don't get me wrong though there are some covers that looked beautiful, but the new ones are just not as pretty like the Across the Universe Trilogy. The first and second books are so pretty with the galaxy and all of that but the new covers just don't reach the bar for me.

 Also the Shatter Me seires. I loved the first cover, but I don't really like the new covers. Nope, I think they should have stuck with the first one.

Another change would be the Immortal Rules series. I liked the first book's cover, and I like the new cover too. The only problem is I don't think they are selling the new cover for the first book in hardback!

Well. No matter how much we complain, I don't think this will stop. Most of the time I know they change the covers to try to appeal to a broader audience, but most times I don't feel like they need to. And the cover not matching isn't enough for me not to get a book in a series I love, but it will always bug me..

How do you feel about mid series cover changes? Does it annoy you or do you just not care?

Trail of Bones: Author Interview

Tour Schedule

Trail of Bones
Chris Salisbury

Ready for a new adventure? Are you a fan of fantasy, young adult, science fiction and action stories?

“No mercy, No rules - Welcome to the Trail of Bones!”

Run with Purpose – battle cry of the Shade Wolves

Magnus, the runt of a litter of Shade Wolves, wants nothing more than to be a loyal, strong member of the pack. But when an ancient enemy threatens his friends and family, he faces a choice that could tear him from all he's known and loved. Born in captivity, the giant panther Kelor knows nothing but suffering and loss. He struggles to find his place in this world of terror, and he battles to protect his family without succumbing to the darkness lurking inside him. Falling captive to the evil Warden, the two are forced to fight in the battle of the beasts known as 'The Trail of Bones'. How will Kelor and Magnus learn to work together? How will they escape a fate of despair and death? How will their choices affect their comrades? Their enemies? And the forgotten magic that could doom all life of their world? Let the adventures begin!

A fun, exciting, clean read for teens, young adults, adults and readers of all ages. Pick up your copy of this fantasy adventure today!

Are you a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Robert Jordan, Orson Scott Card, Jim Butcher and other fantasy and science fiction authors? You’ll feel right at home with Trail of Bones. This fantasy story offers a strong moral message, suspense, action, and mystery, in a world full of magic, unlikely heroes, and devious villains.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Book of Broken Hearts

Waiting on Wednesday's is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Book of Broken Hearts
Sarah Ockler
May 21, 2013

Jude has learned a lot from her older sisters, but the most important thing is this: The Vargas brothers are notorious heartbreakers. She’s seen the tears and disasters that dating a Vargas boy can cause, and she swore an oath—with candles and a contract and everything—to never have anything to do with one.

Now Jude is the only sister still living at home, and she’s spending the summer helping her ailing father restore his vintage motorcycle—which means hiring a mechanic to help out. Is it Jude’s fault he happens to be cute? And surprisingly sweet? And a Vargas?

Jude tells herself it’s strictly bike business with Emilio. Her sisters will never find out, and Jude can spot those flirty little Vargas tricks a mile away—no way would she fall for them. But Jude’s defenses are crumbling, and if history is destined to repeat itself, she’s speeding toward some serious heartbreak…unless her sisters were wrong?

Jude may have taken an oath, but she’s beginning to think that when it comes to love, some promises might be worth breaking.

Why I can't wait: I read Twenty Boy Summer also by Sarah Ockler and really liked it, so I wanted to try another one of her books.

Random Reads #3: May 2013

Random Reads is a monthly meme hosted by I’m Loving Books. This is a meme where you randomly select a book off of your TBR shelf and read it within the month. It’s a fun idea to get you reading things that have been lying around for a while. I ran across this meme and thought is was a great idea. I have a lot of books on my TBR pile and often have a heard time deciding what to read next, and a lot of the time books get forgotten about. I am using my "books-i-own-and-have-not-read-yet" shelf instead of my whole TBR list, so that I can get through some of the books that have been sitting on my shelf collecting dust.

I used random.org to generate a number and then I choose the book that corresponded to that number on my good reads TBR list.

#50 is What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell

Quote Unquote: Delirium

Quote Unquote is a series of posts of my favorite quotes from certain books. Today I am doing Delirium by Lauren Oliver. I loved this whole series. Lauren Oliver's writing is just so beautiful!

~“It's so strange how life works: You want something and you wait and wait and feel like it's taking forever to come. Then it happens and it's over and all you want to do is curl back up in that moment before things changed.” 

~“I love you. Remember. They cannot take it” 

~“Love: a single word, a wispy thing, a word no bigger or longer than an edge. That's what it is: an edge; a razor. It draws up through the center of your life, cutting everything in two. Before and after. The rest of the world falls away on either side.” 

First Lines #1: Sweet Venom & Ten

The first line or couple of lines set a tone for a book. They can pull you in or make you put the book down. I am going to start to do a series of posts with first lines that got me hooked.

Sweet Venom
Tera Lynn Childs

"Hydra's have a distinctive odor. It's somewhere between the acid tang of burning hair and a boat full of rotting fish. You can smell it from a mile away. Well, you can't. I can."

Ten

Gretchen McNeil

"Minnie's face was deathly pale. She stared straight ahead, eyes fixed on the back of the stained cloth seat, and bit her bottom lip so hard that Meg was afraid she would draw blood."

Waiting on Wednesday: The Moon and More

Waiting on Wednesday's is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Moon and More
Sarah Dessen
June 4, 2013

Luke is the perfect boyfriend: handsome, kind, fun. He and Emaline have been together all through high school in Colby, the beach town where they both grew up. But now, in the summer before college, Emaline wonders if perfect is good enough.

Enter Theo, a super-ambitious outsider, a New Yorker assisting on a documentary film about a reclusive local artist. Theo's sophisticated, exciting, and, best of all, he thinks Emaline is much too smart for Colby.

Emaline's mostly-absentee father, too, thinks Emaline should have a bigger life, and he's convinced that an Ivy League education is the only route to realizing her potential. Emaline is attracted to the bright future that Theo and her father promise. But she also clings to the deep roots of her loving mother, stepfather, and sisters. Can she ignore the pull of the happily familiar world of Colby?

Emaline wants the moon and more, but how can she balance where she comes from with where she's going?

(Summary from Goodreads)

Tell Me Something Tuesday: Books for Summer

Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Heidi @ Rainy Day Ramblings. There is a new discussion question each week. You can find all the details on her page.

Summer is coming. What are some of your most anticipated books for the summer season?

For June the main two books I am excited for are Siege and Storm and The Moon and More. Click on the names for a link to them on Goodreads. Siege and Storm is the squeal to Shadow and Bone. I loved that book and I am hoping to love this one too. The Moon and More is by Sarah Dessen. Enough said, right?

Back Before Dark: Author Interview & Giveaway

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Back Before Dark
Tim Shoemaker

Taken!
A detour through the park leads Cooper, Gordy, Hiro, and Lunk straight into a trap, and Gordy is abducted! For the kidnapper, it's all a game, a way to settle an old score, with no one getting hurt. But evil has a way of escalating, and once his identity is discovered, the rules change. Despite the best of police efforts, the hours tick by without a clue or a ransom call, leaving everyone to their own fears. Gordy is gone. Cooper descends deeper into a living nightmare, imagining the worst for his best friend and cousin. Hours stretch into days, and talks of a memorial service begin to surface. But Cooper still feels his cousin is alive and develops a reckless plan, changing all the rules. Now the one who set out to rescue his friend needs to be rescued himself. Sometimes rescuing a friend from darkness means going in after them.

Author Interview

1. Hey there! Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself?
I’ve been happily married over 33 years, have three grown sons, and two-daughter-in-laws. I worked all my life in the photo industry up until 2004, when I closed our one-hour photo and studio lab. I’ve been writing and speaking ever since. My wife and I still do volunteer work with youth and are very active in our church. I have a deep desire to help kids grow to be men and women of character and integrity.

2. If you could go anywhere in the world where would you go?
Ooohhh, don’t tempt me. I suppose it would depend on the season, but right now—at this minute—I’d like to go to Disneyworld and bring a bunch of family and friends with me. I know, you may not think it sounds exotic enough. But there’s something magical about walking down Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. It sounds like a wonderful vacation to me after a busy winter. And someday I’d like to travel parts of Europe with my wife—and maybe even the Holy Land.

3. Peanut Butter or Nutella?
Definitely peanut butter. Not the kind with the nuts—just give the creamy stuff. And spread it on really thick. Skippy is still the brand of choice for me. Sometimes I pull out the jar… and grab a spoon. It’s that good.

Stacking the Shelves: Prophecy, Rebels, and Falling Kingdoms

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's a great way to show other people the books that you've bought or received for the past week!

Library:

Being Henry David

Cal Armistead

Falling Kingdoms

Morgan Rhodes

Fever

Lauren DeStefano

Foretold

Various Authors

My Life Next Door

Huntley Fitzpatrick

Paper Valentine

Brenda Yovanoff

Rebel Heart

Moira Young

Sweet Venom

Tera Lynn Childs

Ten

Gretchen McNeil

Have you read any of these? What did you think?

January Black: Author Interview & Giveaway

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January Black
Wendy S Russo
Sixteen-year-old genius Matty Ducayn has never fit in on The Hill, an ordered place seriously lacking a sense of humor. After his school’s headmaster expels him for a small act of mischief, Matty’s future looks grim until King Hadrian comes to his rescue with a challenge: answer a question for a master’s diploma. More than a second chance, this means freedom. Masters can choose where they work, a rarity among Regents, and the question is simple. What was January Black? It’s a ship. Everyone knows that. Hadrian rejects that answer, though, and Matty becomes compelled by curiosity and pride to solve the puzzle. When his search for an answer turns up long-buried state secrets, Matty’s journey becomes a collision course with a deadly royal decree. He's been set up to fail, which forces him to choose. Run for his life with the challenge lost...or call the king’s bluff.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Amazon Kindle

 Interview with Wendy Russo

1.Hello! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I'm writer in wife/mom clothing. I enjoy books, listening to music, and gardening, which I'm not very good at. I was raised in Wyoming, and my parents still live there. I have a brother, a nephew, and four nieces. My son just turned five in January, and he may well be smarter than me.

2. Describe yourself in three words.

Quiet. Searching. Complicated.

Fields of Elysium: Author Interview & Giveaway

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Fields of Elysium
A.B. Whelan
How can love mend a heart full of hate? Small town girl, Molly Bennett, moves to Los Angeles where she becomes an outsider while attending Beverly Hills High School. It seems life cannot be any more dreadful. Then one day after school, something magical happens. On a secluded hike in the Hollywood Hills, Molly chases her disobedient mutt and only friend into a hidden cavern. She stumbles upon a strange glimmering gateway that transports her to Arkana, a planet that is the cradle of an advanced human race. There, teenagers navigate amazing flying vehicles, compete in perilous games for glory, and possess supernatural powers. While Molly tries to wrap her mind around this unbelievable discovery, she meets the alluring and mysterious Victor Sorren. He is a Sentinel Apprentice, whose hatred toward people from Earth is beyond understanding. Yet every time Victor unpredictably saves Molly's life, his heart draws closer to hers, no matter how much he tries to fight against it. It further complicates things that their growing friendship is strictly forbidden. Earth people are prohibited in Arkana, yet Molly continues to cross through the portal to Arkana to see Victor. Torn between their double lives, they go down a dangerous path, from where there is no return and multiple endings. Fields of Elysium is a suspenseful, romantic tale full of forbidden secrets, unimaginable danger, deception, and the never-ending fight for true love.

Interview with A.B. Whelan

~Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a Hungarian-born American writer; a computer engineer dork who looks like a bimbo; an outdoor soccer mom who loves to cook and bake; an anti-shopper who goes crazy in a book store; a reckless person who always has to do something new, yet is capable of sitting in front of a computer and writing for hours. Sounds crazy, right?

~What is something you cannot live without?

Sunshine.

Waiting on Wednesday: Invisibility

Waiting on Wednesday's is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Invisibility
Andrea Cremer & David Levithan
May 7, 2013

Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth.

Why I can't wait: I love Andrea Cremer's Nightshdae series and Dash & Lily's Book of Dares which David Levithan co-wrote. And seriously? This just sounds awesome!