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....

Such a Rush

by Jennifer Echols 

 A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.     

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business — until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers — and the consequences could be deadly.

Expected publication: July 10th 2012 by MTV Books

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Sounds good ..NO?

The Waiting Sky

by Lara Zielin

One summer chasing tornadoes could finally change Jane's life for the better

Seventeen-year-old Jane McAllister can't quite admit her mother's alcoholism is spiraling dangerously out of control until she drives drunk, nearly killing them and Jane's best friend.

Jane has only one place to turn: her older brother Ethan, who left the problems at home years ago for college. A summer with him and his tornado-chasing buddies may just provide the time and space Jane needs to figure out her life and whether it still includes her mother. But she struggles with her anger at Ethan for leaving home and feels guilty--is she also abandoning her mom just when she needs Jane most? The carefree trip turned journey of self-discovery quickly becomes more than Jane bargained for, especially when the devilishly handsome Max steps into the picture.

 Expected publication: August 2nd 2012 by Putnam Juvenile

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The cover <3

and Tornado chasing? Count me in 

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING ON?




Don't forget to enter the various INTERNATIONAL giveaways listed above

The Women Of Harry Potter

I love this video!

Review:The Immortal Rules

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)

by Julie Kagawa 

 Blurb:

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity. 

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

Source: Netgalley(Thanks Harlequin Teen )


Note: Younger Teens proceed with caution due to some gory scenes and loads of fighting.


My Thoughts:


I finished reading this book AGES ago but.....
I just couldn't get myself to review it because I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either.I had a very similar reaction to The Iron King but one plus point of The Iron King was that I couldn't put it down from the start but The Immortal Rules was a book that at times I had to force myself to read.


This might have something to do with the fact that I just couldn't connect with the characters.Even though the main character, Allison Sekemoto was a really strong character I just couldn't warm up to her...
Kanin was another character that for a long time I just  couldn't figure out .How did he fit into the story?Was he going to be a love interest? What was his story ? But after some time all I could think was...

Why you got to be so mean?

 He was ruthlessly mean and I just couldn't get myself to like him.I also loathed Allison's supposed "Best-friend".How can a strong sensible girl be friends with such a dirt-bag? I was very happy when due to some reason she left him.Zeke was the only character I actually cared about and could connect to(for some time) but he was like an-anti-vampire-fanatic. Which made me sad even though he had a good reason to be one.

The Story

I had a very hard time understanding what the story was about.When I had  picked it up I had thought it was a paranormal (read vampire) romance but It's not .Then I came to a conclusion that it was a dystopian but the main character didn't try to change the inequality problem or try to make a difference in the current system so I was a little confused(because that's what usually happens in dystopians don't you think so?) .After finishing it I can safely say that it's a dystopian that focuses on the self discovery of the main character but it took me a long time to figure it out.

Another thing I did not enjoy was the fact that as soon as I started to like a character He/She somehow disappeared,got killed or went POOF!

The pacing of the book was also a little too slow for me.

Aside from what I've stated above the novel did hold my attention and in the end I was engaged but I felt that this novel could have been much better.I have a feeling BOOK #2 is going to be much better.

Overall,this was an action packed book with different characters and a good story.I'm looking forward to reading book #2

My Rating:

2.5-3 /5

Giving it a range between 2.5 and 3 stars.

Note: This book features a sneak peak into The Lost Prince(Iron Fey Spinoff series) and I have to say the sneak peak has me dying for The Lost Prince.Ethan has become a bad-ass.

On reviewing Adult Novels

You all know that I review only Young Adult fiction on this blog and sometimes I review some middle grade novels that I love or find interesting but I do read adult fiction.I love Sophie Kinsella but all her novels are classified as Adult also some Meg Cabot novels that are classified as adult are amazing but I don't review them on this blog.At first I didn't post my thoughts about them because I felt that I shouldn't but as time has progressed I feel as if I CAN'T post my thoughts on them.

BUT...

I want to change this.There are just some novels YOU HAVE  NEED to talk about(You get what I'm saying?)
Also I feel like I need to broaden my reading horizons..


I blog about books I have read and about 5%  approx. of what I read is Adult fiction.It's not a HUGE part of my life but I feel as if some of my adult readers and young adult readers who are JUST turning into adults NEED to pick up these novels.I couldn't resist posting a review of the Shadow Reader even though it isn't classified as YA(It's Urban Fantasy).


This does not mean I will only review adult novels.It also DOESN'T imply that I'm open to accepting review requests only for adult novels. I am EXTREMELY selective of the adult books I read as I read very few.Only if the author is on my favorite author list (Like Rachel Vincent ,Jennifer Armentrout etc.) or if I've already read adult books written by the author(Eg.Sophie Kinsella, Meg Cabot etc.)  will I consider reviewing the book.I WILL NOT REVIEW EROTIC FICTION on this blog but I am willing to post the review on Amazon on Goodreads.

If I don't like the novel and there is a LOT of mature content in it I will not post the review on the blog.I will rate it on Goodreads and Amazon though.

I am aware that most of the people who follow me are young adults so to make sure that they are aware that the novel is not for Young Adults I will always put this Badge:

before the review.I will also mention if there is YA crossover potential.(just see this review).[A lot of adult novels have even less content than YA ones ]

I hope that you will support me in this decision as blogging is supposed to be about expressing oneself and I want to spread the love of reading through this platform.

IF you have any problems or suggestions about this change do not hesitate to voice them in the comments.I will definitely read them ALL.

Giveaway:Suffocate by S.R.Johannes

May 21st has gone by and guess what that means?

S.R. Johannes’ Suffocate is available !

Suffocate is the first novelette in THE BREATHLESS series. It is a 15,000 word young adult thriller that combines the dystopic and science fiction genres.

Here’s a little about the novelette…

“For centuries, the world outside the Biome has been unlivable. Today, marks the first time anyone will attempt to leave the suffocating ecosphere. Eria is not worried because her scientist father has successfully tested the new Bio-Suit many times. It's a celebratory day until something goes horribly wrong. In the midst of tragedy, Eria uncovers a deep conspiracy that affects the very air she breathes. 

If those responsible find out what she knows, they won't stop hunting her until she takes her last breath.”

The 2nd novella in the series, CHOKE, is scheduled for Fall 2012. The 3rd, EXHALE, is scheduled for Winter 2013.

You can purchase Suffocate for only 99 cents at

Amazon

B&N

Also you can add it on Goodreads! - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13648347-suffocate

And in case you were wondering here is a bit about the author –

S.R. Johannes is author of the Amazon Bestseller Untraceable and a current nominee of the Georgia Author of the Year in the Young Adult category. After earning an MBA and working in corporate america, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She lives in Atlanta Georgia with her goldendoodle Charley (notice he is listed first :), her British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world.  You can find her hanging out online and visit her at srjohannes.com

Twitter- https://twitter.com/#!/srjohannes

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/srjohannes

Pinterest- http://pinterest.com/srjohannes/

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5235537.S_R_Johannes

Tweet about it!

“Today is the release of @srjohannes’  novelette, Suffocate! Check it out on Young Readers”

GIVEAWAY

The author has kindly offered me an ecopy of Suffocate to give away on the blog..

SO ALL you have to do to enter is 

• Comment on this post with a way for me to contact you
• Tweet link to this giveaway or help spread the word through twitter about this book  for an extra entry and leave the link in a separate comment.

Rules:

• Giveaway is INTERNATIONAL
• You have 48 hrs to reply to email sent if you are the winner.
• ENDS  6/29

Massive Cover Alert (#2) !

It's been ages since I've posted covers so it looks like this massive post is going to have to make up for it!

Click on image to go to Goodreads and read the blurb

^Mature YA and Adult

^Adult

^Adult book by Jennifer Armentrout

^Cover redesign

^Might be Adult.Not sure

Some covers spotted @Dazzling Reads.(Love your Cover Dazzle meme Natalia :)

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

ANY COVERS OR BOOKS CAUGHT YOUR EYE?

Master of the Veil Book Blast- $100 GC GIVEAWAY!

Blurb:

Life can't get much better for Sam Lock. Popular, good-looking, and with a future as a professional football player. every guy at Stanton High School wishes he were Sam. That is, until his championship football game, when Sam accidentally links with an ancient source of energy known as the Veil and reveals his potential to become a powerful sorcerer. Sam is whisked off to Atlas Crown, a community of sorcerers who utilize the Veil as a part of everyday life. Once there, he trains beside a mute boy who speaks through music, an eternal sage who's the eyes and ears of the Veil, and a beautiful girl who's pretty sure Sam's an idiot. As it becomes clear Sam's meant for power magic-the most feared and misunderstood form of sorcery-people beyond Atlas Crown learn of his dangerous potential. An exiled group of power sorcerers are eager to recruit Sam, believing that he is destined to help them achieve their long-held goal. If they succeed, they could bring about the downfall of not only Atlas Crown. but all humankind.







Book Trailer

Character Interview

Super short character bios:

Sam Lock: High school football star. Popular, sociable, and knows nothing about magic… yet.

Daphne Sunder: Beautiful, intelligent, and one of the most popular young sorcerers in Atlas Crown.

Cassiella Pyx: Shy, kind, and sort of nerdy. Even though she keeps a low profile, she is also one of the more powerful young sorcerers.

Glissandro Thicket: Glissandro is a young, mute sorcerer who speaks magically through music. He uses the horn of a skull-wolf to create his musical language. He also keeps to himself.

Petir LaVink: Grumpy young sorcerer. He hates outsiders. VERY good at magic.

Rona Rono: Teaches the best young sorcerers in Atlas Crown (Daphne, Cassiella, Glissandro, and Petir). Was a tribal king in Africa before he was brought to Atlas Crown.

May: Liaison from Atlas Crown to the outside world. 

Dan asked: “What’s your favorite thing to do?”

Sam Lock: (Picks at his football jersey) Seriously?

Daphne: Well, me and my girlfriends love to go to the hot springs and relax. (She shrugs) And it doesn’t hurt that there’s usually some cute guys there.

Glissandro: The Tinker Hut. You should see all the magical contraptions he has. Buttons that change the fabric of your robe, dancing figures, detectors, little globes that you shake and it snows around you. And there’s always something new.

Cassiella: I like the library.

Rona Rono: I teach. There’s nothing I like more. The first time one of my students drapes* an object, well, there’s no better feeling.

*Draping is a magical technique that involves wrapping the Veil around something to give it magical properties.

 After the interview, the characters shared their thoughts on meeting Dan(the author) :

Sam Lock: He’s kind of small. I doubt he’d be very good on the field. He’s not like the son of a coach or something, is he? Oh. He’s a writer? Yeah, that makes more sense. So why did I meet with him?

Daphne Sunder: I guess he seems nice. Not my type. It’s not his fault though, I just wouldn’t ever date a flathand*.

*A flathand is someone who cannot connect with the Veil.

Cassiella Pyx: I really like blue eyes (at this point in the interview, Cassiella blushes). Don’t tell him I said that!

Glissandro Thicket: He kept mentioning saxophone? What’s a saxophone?

Rona Rono: (Shakes his head) He seems to have the right heart, but She [The Veil] hasn’t chosen him. It’s too bad. I would have loved to teach him. 

LINKS:

BOOK TRAILER
BLOG
GOODREADS
FACEBOOK
AMAZON LINK
BN LINK
TWITTER


Author Daniel A. Cohen

Daniel A. Cohen was just your average business student. Microeconomics, finance, marketing… you name it, he had to do a PowerPoint presentation on it. One dark and stormy night, he was bitten by the radioactive realization that memorizing business jargon could possibly be the most boring activity known to man.



After gaining eagle-eye vision, abs that could grate cheese, and a talent for imagining things (including his cheese-grating abs), he wrote his first novel and began his epic battle against the formidable business jargon. He continues to fight the good fight by playing saxophone and writing YA fantasy, forever hoping his Veil trilogy will help inspire others to join his cause.

Giveaway Details

Author Daniel Cohen is offering one lucky person a $100 Amazon.com Gift Card.

Last day to enter is May 31st

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

[Blog Tour:Spectral]...Thoughts on Love Triangles

Today I have the author of Spectral i.e.Shannon Duffy telling us her thoughts on .....

LOVE TRIANGLES 

Thoughts on love triangles:

I do think writing a love triangle can be tricky because I never wanted anyone to think that Jewel is fickle or whatever. But, in reality, love triangles happen—emotions get mixed up, hearts are unsure, and different circumstances come into play that can make you second guess everything. Add to that, being a teenager and it can be even harder. I remember my teen years very well, and well, romance can be so all consuming and emotional.

It was important for me to make it so that Jewel had a reason to doubt one of the guy’s true intentions, and therefore, second guess her heart and her ability to make the right choice. As a reader, we are in her head, so therefore we’re supposed to doubt one of the guys, too. So, I’m hoping that people can relate to her decisions and confusion. But, it’s not long before Jewel realizes where her heart truly belongs, and in the end she figures things out.

                                         

Thanks for inviting me to your blog today.

~Shannon

Spectral Summary

Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe — the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.

As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.

Spectral web site, GoodReads page,

Amazon,Nook,iBookstore,Google,Smashwords,PDF buy link

Shannon Duffy's Bio: Shannon Duffy writes young adult and middle grade fiction. She grew up on the beautiful east coast of Canada and now lives in Ontario, Canada. She is the mom of one boy, Gabriel, her angel. She loves writing, reading, working out, soccer, and the sport of champions-shopping. She is the author of the young adult paranormal romance, SPECTRAL. Her upcoming middle grade fantasy novel, GABRIEL STONE AND THE DIVINITY OF VALTA is scheduled for a January 2013 release. 
Shannon Duffy's Facebook,Shannon Duffy's Twitter,Shannon Duffy's Website,Shannon Duffy's Blog,GoodReads

Review: The Selection

The Selection (The Selection #1)

by Kiera Cass 

 BLURB:

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon. 

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.


Source: Edelweiss (Thank You HarperCollins! )


My Thoughts:


Warning:This review is going to be long :)


First the concept:


I've seen one or two episodes of The Bachelor and I always thought the idea to be preposterous. A girl would have to be VERY desperate to actually want to compete against other women for a guy,I might have found it believable if the guy was SWOONWORTHY and really HOT and if all the females that were competing for him were average or ugly but all of the contestants have mostly been really gorgeous and can easily manage to snap any guy they want.


So,I always thought that they were all doing it for fame or money.


Even though in this The Selection (that's what they call the lottery/contest) is very similar to the concept in The Bachelor, I found it to be much more realistic and believable than the show.WHY?


Firstly,because the guy's a Prince( of course people would fight to marry one !)

Secondly,there was money involved and everyone who was poor applied for the contest because of the money( They were pretty upfront about it )

Thirdly,people were willing to compete because of the power and status they would get if they won .You became famous as soon as you got selected.Not TV famous but the whole-world-thinks-you're-super-stars -or-royal-family-famous.So I wasn't really appalled by the fact that SO MANY people applied for a chance to be on The Selection.

Now let's talk Characters:

America Singer's reasons for applying for the Selection were realistic .She's POOR! One thing I really liked about her was the fact that she didn't want to let  fame change her.Also,I loved how upfront she was with Maxton(a.k.a The Bachelor).When she met him for the first time..Best line:

"I'm here for the food."

I liked her for almost 90% of the book.In the last 10% she was starting to show signs of becoming another  Bella Swan  irritating female.

[I'm not sure! I like you Guy A but I now have feelings for.... You know what I'm getting at ]

I liked the scenes in which she was alone with Aspen[HOTNESS] and I liked her conversations with Max and really enjoyed the time she spent with him.She opened Maxton's eyes to a whole new world.

I DID NOT LIKE the scenes in which both the guys were in the same setting/place  because the love triangle seemed forced to me.[AM I MAKING SENSE? trying not to give away spoilers.]

I'm crossing my fingers that the love triangle doesn't ruin the next book in the series.

Also the ending of this one was pretty abrupt

Overall,I really enjoyed this novel ,It's not a light read but I had fun reading it.I can find quite a few faults in this book but I rate books on the basis of how much I enjoyed them and not on literary excellence.

This book is not for everyone though.

Note:I have absolutely NO IDEA why they have compared this to The Hunger Games.This book is nothing like it and frankly if I would have picked this book up expecting it to be like The Hunger Games I would have been very disappointed!

My Rating:

4/5

Enjoyed !

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....

For Darkness Shows the Stars

by Diana Peterfreund 

Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot’s estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret—one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she’s faced with a choice: cling to what she’s been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she’s ever loved, even if she’s lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

Expected publication: June 12th 2012 by Balzer + Bray 

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The Last Guardian (Artemis Fowl #8)

by Eoin Colfer

Seemingly nothing in this world daunts the young criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl. In the fairy world, however, there is a small thing that has gotten under his skin on more than one occasion: Opal Koboi. In The Last Guardian, the evil pixie is wreaking havoc yet again. This time his arch rival has somehow reanimated dead fairy warriors who were buried in the grounds of Fowl Manor. Their spirits have possessed Artemis’s little brothers, making his siblings even more annoying than usual. The warriors don’t seem to realize that the battle they were fighting when they died—a battle against Artemis—is long over. Artemis has until sunrise to get the spirits to vacate his brothers and go back into the earth where they belong. Can he count on a certain LEPrecon fairy to join him in what could well be his last stand?

New York Times best-selling author and comic genius Eoin Colfer will leave Artemis Fowl fans gasping up to the very end of this thrilling finale to the blockbuster series.

Expected publication: July 10th 2012 by Hyperion Book CH

Add to Goodreads

I LOVE THIS SERIES! This is supposed to be the LAST book! I cannot believe I'm going to say bye to Artemis..I've been reading about him since before middle school!!

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING ON?