Cover Alert! + The Hunger Games Soundtrack News

Some Recent (and maybe not so Recent ) Covers  I've seen around the Net....

Click on Name to be directed to Goodreads

Seraphina

Destiny's Fire

Chosen Ones

Before I Wake

Timepiece

Bitterblue

Girl in the Clockwork Collar 

NEW HUNGER GAMES SONG!!!

When I first found out that Taylor Swift is singing for the soundtrack I was like...HELL NO! I like her but.....for The Hunger Games I wanted someone else.After listening to this song...I take EVERYTHING back.It's perfect!!!  

I'd love to hear your thoughts! On the song and the covers! 

PSSST...Tell me if I missed any new covers!

Review: Tempest by Julie Cross

Tempest (Tempest #1)

by Julie Cross 

Blurb:

The year is 2009.  Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler.  Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

Cover: I LOVE THIS COVER! The main reason I wanted to read this book so badly was because of the AMAZING  cover!

Note: Younger Readers cautioned as the main character is in college so there are some scenes which may not be suitable for younger readers but they are not described in detail.


Links: Amazon,BN,Bookdepository,Flipkart
Release Date: January 17,2012
Source: Netgalley(Thank you St. Martin's Griffin)

My Thoughts:

I'm sorry guys this is one book I CANNOT rate! I'm still hungover this book and cannot get myself to start reading anything else .

Let me just say that WOW what a book! I ALMOST cried when it ended.

The year is 2009...

The main character Jackson is a 19 year old guy who's in college.He seems to be just an average guy but he's not! He can time travel.He doesn't know why and how, but he just knows he can do it.He's trying his best to figure out as much as he can about his ability with the help of his friend, Adam.Just when he's able to figure out some things about his ability... some weird people find him and Holly(his girlfriend) gets shot.The shock of seeing her shot  is almost too much for Jackson and he ends up jumping time-travelling back to 2007.

Jackson was quite a complicated character.I had a hard time figuring him out.You never knew for sure whether he was in love with Holly or not.One thing that was  clear  was the fact that he felt guilty about a lot of things and his guilt is what made him such a humane character.

Even though this book should be categorized as science fiction there were times when I thought I was reading  contemporary fiction as this book deals with so many real problems and real emotions and situations.

Also there's no love triangle.(I thought I should mention that as a LOT of people hate those)

What I liked:

The story is told from Jackson's Point of View.

Usually the story is told from the girls point of view and I liked the fact that I could get into the head of a guy and actually see his motivations .I loved the things he wrote in his journal.They made me smile.

Time Travel

I love reading books that deal with time travel .

Twists

This book was very unpredictable. I tried very hard to predict what would happen but..... after the tenth chapter I just gave up . Believe me, when you start reading this book you want your brain to stop working and just go along for the ride.

The scenes in which he tried to woe Holly

I loved these scenes.I also liked the fact that he didn't try to rush things with her even when he wanted to.

Ending

Even though this is the first book in a series you don't feel like you HAVE to read the next book now. I want to but I don't have to.The ending was.... let's just say *dynamic* .It was also the reason I almost cried.

What I didn't like:

The fact that it was a little hard to follow

Usually the notes I take while reading a novel take up half a page but they took up 4 pages with this one.Usually books that deal with time travel are confusing so it wasn't  a major peeve.

Couldn't connect with the characters

It took me a long time to actually care for some of the characters . I realized that I started caring for most of the characters when 

a)They were dying 

or

b) They almost died.

Motivation behind one particular decision

*MINOR spoiler*

Why didn't Jackson just tell Holly that he was a time traveller in the beginning? Why did he try to cover it up? If he could tell Adam then I really didn't get why he couldn't  tell Holly too.

*Minor spoiler ends*






Overall,I couldn't put this book down  and even though  sometimes I wasn't really satisfied and/or happy with where the story was going ,when I finished the book  I was sad ..... and wanted to read more!This book is different. I will be reading the sequel because I want to find out what happens next.




EXTRA: This book is written by a 2012 debut author !

Giveaway + Excerpt : Dark Seeker

Smashwords | Facebook | Amazon | Author's Website | Goodreads

Dark Seeker (Seeker #1)

by Taryn Browning 

For 17-year-old Seeker, Janie Grey, ridding the Baltimore streets of the undead is an inherited duty passed down from her Cherokee ancestors. Seeker Training Lesson #1: Never trust the undead. After her father’s tragic death, Janie creates her own life lesson: Love isn’t worth the risk. Both lessons are easy to follow until she encounters the flawed Kai Sterdam. At first, she believes he is the hybrid she is trained to hunt. But, when he has human traits, she determines she doesn’t know what he is. As Janie’s intrigue over who Kai is pushes her deeper into his mysterious past, she discovers a shocking truth that is even more harrowing than the evil they are up against. It’s a secret Kai wants to keep hidden, especially from Janie.

Here's an excerpt from this book....

There had been a rash of unexplained deaths in the area. Janie figured the murders had to do with the growing population of Daychildren. Ever since she reached the age to Seek, more and more had been born. True vamps were usually not a problem anymore. They seemed to be evolving, wanting to live among the human world without issue. They looked down upon demons. Most vampires had no interest in drinking a demon’s filthy blood, let alone changing a demon into a vampire, creating the vampire/demon half-breed known as Daychildren.

“Find any?” Kai said. Janie jumped off the curb, tripping on a crack in the asphalt. She righted herself. He started to laugh. “It just kills you that you can’t feel me coming.”

“What do you want?” Letting her heart return to its proper place outside of her throat, Janie reached for her dagger.

“Whoa, you don’t need that. I’m not going to hurt you. I could’ve already killed you.” Kai put his hands out. “You’re still alive, aren’t you?”

“Is this fun for you? Some kind of game?” Janie retrieved the blade from her boot. She didn’t trust him.

“Your eye looks awful.” He pointed to her bruised face.

Janie stared at the three jagged scars lining his forearm. White lines appeared where new tissue had formed. Judging by their location, they appeared to be defensive wounds, as if he were protecting his face from something or someone. She thought it odd. Vampires, or Daychildren, in Kai’s case, didn’t scar. Their bodies healed quickly without leaving a mark. She guessed the scars had formed during his human days.

She ignored his comment about her eye. “You know I have to kill you. It’s my job.” Her eyes flicked to his waist. His scythe glistened under the light of an overhead lamp post. Thirty degrees outside, and he wore a T-shirt. Lucky for him, Daychildren didn’t feel temperature. Janie, on the other hand, could feel every bit of the biting cold, and she shivered.

Kai nodded, ignoring her. He looked in the direction of the parking garage. “Did you hear that?”

“What?” Janie clenched her jaw. He distracted her. She couldn’t do her job with him around. “If you’d stop talking to me, I could listen.” She held her breath and focused into the distance. A girl screamed.

“The parking garage.” Kai jumped off the curb and took off in a blur.

“Uh—he’s too fast.” Janie shoved her dagger back into her boot and raced into a full sprint toward the garage. She ducked under the arm gate and curved up the ramp. She arrived at the first floor and stood in between the rows of cars, listening for any sound. The screaming had stopped, but Janie’s skin still crawled.

Interested??

GIVEAWAY#1

You can win an ecopy of this book by leaving a thoughtful comment on this post.Please leave a way for me to contact you or your entry will be disqualified.Winner will have 48 hours to reply to my email.

ENDS 1/8.

Giveaway #2

(a.k.a Grand Prize Giveaway)

If you comment on every post that is part of the tour you can win the things that are shown in that picture!

SEE SCHEDULE and more details about grand prize here

This giveaway ENDS 12/31.

Please check out the other giveaways going on at this blog too! Links can be seen at the top :)

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to highlight upcoming releases we're anxiously awaiting! This week I am waiting on....

Above

by Leah Bobet

 Blurb:

Matthew has loved Ariel from the moment he found her in the tunnels, her bee's wings falling away. They live in Safe, an underground refuge for those fleeing the city Above--like Whisper, who speaks to ghosts, and Jack Flash, who can shoot lightning from his fingers. 

But one terrifying night, an old enemy invades Safe with an army of shadows, and only Matthew, Ariel, and a few friends escape Above. As Matthew unravels the mystery of Safe's history and the shadows' attack, he realizes he must find a way to remake his home--not just for himself, but for Ariel, who needs him more than ever before

Expected publication: April 1st 2012 by Arthur A. Levine Books

Add to goodreads

What's not to like in this book? cover is amazing and the blurb looks so good!!!

Getting Over Garrett Delaney

by Abby McDonald 

Blurb:
Can a twelve-step program help Sadie kick her unrequited crush for good? Abby McDonald serves up her trademark wit and wisdom in a hilarious new novel. 

Seventeen-year-old Sadie is in love: epic, heartfelt, and utterly onesided. The object of her obsession - ahem, affection - is her best friend, Garrett Delaney, who has been oblivious to Sadie's feelings ever since he sauntered into her life and wowed her with his passion for Proust (not to mention his deep-blue eyes). For two long, painful years, Sadie has been Garrett's constant companion, sharing his taste in everything from tragic Russian literature to art films to '80s indie rock - all to no avail. But when Garrett leaves for a summer literary retreat, Sadie is sure that the absence will make his heart grow fonder - until he calls to say he's fallen in love. With some other girl! A heartbroken Sadie realizes that she's finally had enough. It's time for total Garrett detox! Aided by a barista job, an eclectic crew of new friends (including the hunky chef, Josh), and a customized selfhelp guide, Sadie embarks on a summer of personal reinvention full of laughter, mortifying meltdowns, and a double shot of love.
Expected publication: January 24th 2012 by Candlewick Press
Add to Goodreads
It's time I started reading contemporary fiction! Plus,I think this one would be nice and fun!

Fracture

by Megan Miranda 

 Blurb:

By the time Delaney Maxwell was pulled from a Maine lake’s icy waters by her best friend, Decker Phillips, her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. 

But somehow Delaney survived—despite the brain scans that show irreparable damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be fine, but she knows she’s far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can’t control or explain, Delaney now finds herself drawn to the dying, and when she meets Troy Varga, a boy who recently emerged from a coma with the same abilities, she is relieved to share this strange new existence. Unsure if her altered brain is predicting death or causing it, Delaney must figure out if their gift is a miracle, a freak of nature—or something else much more frightening…

Expected publication: January 17th 2012 by Walker & Company

ADD to goodreads

A book by a 2012 debut author,that has been getting rave reviews! 

What are you waiting on?

Teaser Tuesday: Everneath

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's teaser is from

"Mythology," he commented,looking over my shoulder,reading from the top of the chapter."I could help you with that,you know.If you'd let me.""I'm sure you could,"I mumbled "You were there."

-8% of E-galley.(Not from final version.Subject to change)

And another one....

"It's ok,Nik.If it makes you feel better,if it means you're close to me,I'll do anything for you.""But it's not real."

 -48% of E-galley

Feel free to share your teasers!

Giveaway + Excerpt : Coexist

Today I have an excerpt from the book Coexist by Julia Crane....

Coexist (Keegan's Chronicles #1)

by Julia Crane

blurb:

Sixteen-year-old Keegan is struggling to keep her huge secret from her friends--she's an elf, descended from a long line of elves that live in secrecy alongside humans. In elfin society, mates are predetermined but not allowed to meet until they are eighteen. Against tradition, Keegan's brother Thaddeus told her Rourk's name because his visions warned him she'd need Rourk's protection, especially since Keegan will play a key role in the coming war between the dark and light elves. 

Rourk finds himself drawn to Keegan's side every time she thinks his name. He wants to talk to her but remains in the shadows, silently guarding her every time she mentally beckons him. A twist of fate thrusts the two of them together when Rourk is forced to step up his protection and make his presence known. An ancient prophecy deeply entwines Keegan's family and the future of their society. Somehow they must find a way to thwart fate and win the battle...without losing Keegan. With war brewing, and dark forces aligning, will Keegan and Rourk ever have the life together that they both desire?

Links: Amazon,BN,Bookdepository,Flipkart,Goodreads,Author

Here's the excerpt....

From a distance, Rourk was staring with a grim expression on his handsome face.

What was that exchange all about and who was the dark elf?

He had to make a choice. He could continue to follow the girls or go inside and talk to the dark elf. As much as it pained him to watch Keegan walk away, he quickly advanced into the building. He needed to know if she was in danger.

Rourk scanned the room, but he did not see the dark elf anywhere. Where could she have gone? Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply as he felt the coldness wash over him. He saw her with his mind’s eye. The dark elf had taken the back door and was walking casually down the alley. It was times like this when he was grateful to be a descendent of a great warrior. He’d trained his whole life for his calling—from the time he got out of bed in the morning until the time he went to sleep at night. Hell, he even dreamed about the techniques he’d learned. He needed to put them to good use.

Silently he advanced. He was now the hunter, and she, his prey.

Sounds Interesting doesn't it? Well then you guys are in for a treat!

GIVEAWAY

I am  offering an ebook copy of Coexist. All you have to do is comment on this post! PLEASE leave a way for me to contact you in the comment.Ends by January 2, 2012 . 

                      Click here to see the Keegan's Chronicles Tour Schedule...

About the Author

Julia crane is the author of the Coexist: Keegan’s Chronicles. She has a bachelors degree in criminal justice. Julia has believed in magical creatures since the day her grandmother first told her an Irish tale. Growing up her mother greatly encouraged reading and using your imagination. Although she’s spent most of her life on the US east coast, she currently lives in Dubai with her husband and three children.

Where you can find Julia:

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Review:Shade

Shade (Shade #1)

by Jeri Smith-Ready

 Blurb:

Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

Source: Won from Brooke Reports. (YOU'RE AWESOME BROOKE!!!!)

Links: Amazon,Bookdepository,BN,Flipkart

Note:Not recommended for younger readers due to some drug use and other scenes.

My Thoughts:

This book starts off with a bang! The author doesn't waste time by explaining things in the beginning but that doesn't mean that you're lost due to the complicated storyline.

I was afraid to pick up this book because I'd heard such good things about it ,but I shouldn't have been worried.This book is as good as everyone keeps saying it is! 

I have to say by the end of this book ,I realized why Zachery got to the finals of the YA crush tournament.He is one awesome character! I love patient guys and I have to say this guy is just...WOW! I'm team Zachery guys! Team Zachery all the way!Logan's hot and all but somehow he came off as self centered and a little bit of a jerk...just like any other normal guy .Zachery breaks the mold people!He breaks the mold!HE IS AWESOME!

*I needs to  listen to some Scottish accents!*

I liked Aura she wasn't perfect but she's been through a lot! This is one heroine I can deal with.She doesn't whine.My only complaint is the fact that she's not sarcastic if she was , she'd be in my list of best heroines of all times.She does take some pretty bad decisions(according to me) so you might want to smack her but you don't hate her!

Logan is one character I just couldn't put my finger on.Sometimes I thought he was hot and sometimes I just thought he was a whiny wannabe and sometimes I thought he was just cute.

Overall the story is interesting and I would read this one for Zach again! 

I'm not going to pick up the next book till Shine comes out though,even though this one ends in a cliffhanger!

My Rating:4/5 STARS

GOOD!

The first song I listened to as soon as I finished this book: