Wednesday 26 February 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: The Forever Song - Julie Kagawa




Brought to you by Breaking the Spine






This week I am awaiting The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa
Expected publication: April 15th 2014 by Harlequin Teen

VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS 

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster? 

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer. 

MONSTER 

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie. 

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone




Why am I waiting?

It's Julie Kagawa! I enjoyed her Iron Fey series immensely and can't wait to read more. And don't you just love the Australian cover!?








Friday 21 February 2014

Pretty Revealing (2)

Oh My Goodness! There are just so many cover reveals this week! And these are just the ones that I'm interested in!! And hope you are too!

In this weeks instalment of Pretty Revealing there seems to be a bit of a dark feel.


First off we have The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter from her White Rabbit Chronicles.




 Next we have Blackbird by Anna Carey, this is the first of two books





The Fall by Bethany Griffin which is a standalone.


Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan, book three of The Lynburn Legacy




Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers, book 3 of Her Fair Assassin


Invaded by Melissa Landers, book two of Alienated
Not the final cover! But it is following suit with Alienated, the two main characters are now on each others planets so they've swapped worlds on the cover! 



Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes book 3 of Falling Kingdoms



This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, book two of Starbound
So this is not the final cover! How can it be, it's not yet got that must have now like These Broken Stars did!




 Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White
 I know nothing about this book, I just want it like all of Kiersten's books. Aren't the birds flying off the cup just beautiful


Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo book 3 of The Grisha


As always I really like when sequels have matching covers, it's just a must for me! I don't like when my series are miss matched on my shelf.
I'll keep an eye out for more reveals coming out

What do you think of this weeks cover reveals?
Do they give you the grabby hands too?!





Wednesday 19 February 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Ruins - Dan Wells


Brought to you by Breaking The Spine




This week I am awaiting the release of Ruins by Dan Wells, book three of the Partials Sequence.

Kira, Samm, and Marcus fight to prevent a final war between Partials and humans in the gripping final installment in the Partials Sequence, a series that combines the thrilling action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Blade Runner and The Stand.

There is no avoiding it—the war to decide the fate of both humans and Partials is at hand. Both sides hold in their possession a weapon that could destroy the other, and Kira Walker has precious little time to prevent that from happening. She has one chance to save both species and the world with them, but it will only come at great personal cost.



Why am I waiting?

Yet another series that I have been following and waiting for. Gimme now!



Net Galley

I just signed up at netgalley.com to see how it all works. 



I admit I was curious. Still am, always will be, topics may vary.


Anyway, made a profile for myself, then found a book I wanted to read, and clicked on the request button to see what was necessary to fill out a request for this book. 







Only to find clicking the button just once is all it takes! 







Apparently it's all in the profile! So now I have to go back and make sure it is going to make people want to say yet to me! 


Since I am very new to bloggerville as a reviewer it may take a while, but that's part of life, and I look forward to the day that I get my first advanced read!




Monday 17 February 2014

Alienated - Melissa Landers

Title:        Alienated
Series:      Alienated
#:                   1
Author:    Melissa Landers


Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. 

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class. 

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.



I've never read a book on alien exchange programs before, or well much on aliens actually. But I liked the idea which made me pick up this book. 


It was easy to keep reading and I didn't want to put down this book, the story was always moving it kept me locked and focused at all times. I found the story easy to keep up with and the writing easy to read and follow.


While reading this book you get to switch between Cara and Aelyx's perspectives giving you a clear understanding on both characters, their thoughts, feelings and what they want. 

I liked Cara straight away, bum bearing scene and all. But Aelyx, or the A-licker, took a while for me to warm towards, from gagging on chocolate to being a smart ass it took a while for me to care about what happened to him, his alien friends or his planet.

I like reading books about aliens and the future or alternate worlds, because then you can make whatever technology or rules you like. In this story our aliens were very advanced because they made a breeding program and then only the good genes were reproduced and they were even grown outside of wombs.

This, I liked.
Then not long after I read this book I watched Man of Steel, and I got to thinking, that's similar to the book I just read, on Superman's home planet they have this breeding program based on genes and breeding for a purpose, (i.e. bred to be a soldier) having no choice in what you do when you grow up. And they weren't born naturally either.
I couldn't help but think of the similarities.
But that is the only bad point I have.

I thought the story wrapped up nicely at the end. Yes there is a book two, but sometimes I like to have an open ending like this one, room for my brain to imagine what it wants.


4 out of 5

Sunday 16 February 2014

Weekly Ramblings (3)


As you can see my new little blog has gone quiet. And I am sorry about this to who ever visits me to check in. But when I started this I wasn't working and I had the time to read and read and read which I loved, but now I work and work and sometimes read.



Unfortunately work is a must, rent and bills n such must be paid. My job is physically and emotionally demanding, (some may disagree) which leaves little energy left at the end of the day. I tried reading one night after work and almost ended up needing a nose job!
So a balance would be nice, where I can do both.
I know some blogs I follow have also had/have this problem, I just don't know which ones and don't have the time to find them. 
If you have any suggestions (not going to work doesn't count), or how you fit in all the things of life with your blog I would love to hear them.

Friday 14 February 2014

Pretty Revealing

Here are some covers that I have come across in the last week that have recently been revealed

Aren't they all just gorgeous

First up we have Deliverance by C J Redwine the third and last book (Yay) in her Deception trilogy



 Keeping in line with the rest of the series we have our star on the front in a new pose. I really like this cover and can't wait to read these ones.

Next is Echoes of Us by Kat Zhang the third book in her Hybrid Chronicles



The half faces always have me wondering what the rest of the face looks like, what are they hiding. They've kept the same theme with all the covers (yay).


The Dark World by Cara Lynn Shultz the first book of the series Dark World


I am drawn to this cover every time I see it. The double cityscape and the title on the side lining up with the head is just, I don't know really, but I keep looking at it, and the dark colours are a plus.


Burn by Julianna Baggott the third and last book in her Pure series


I haven't actually seen the rest of the covers in this series yet. This one just caught my attention and thought I'd share (I don't think it's a reveal either, it's out already.)

 And last we have Unraveled by Gennifer Albin, book 3 in the Crewel World series


I really really like this colour green, and I am not normally a fan of green. This book matches the rest of the series, which I like to see


Well until the next batch of covers I wish to show off is ready….

Wednesday 12 February 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Dorothy Must Die - Danielle Paige



Brought to you by Breaking The Spine



This week I am eagerly awaiting the release of Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?

Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.

What happened?
Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.

My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission:
Remove the Tin Woodman's heart.
Steal the Scarecrow's brain.
Take the Lion's courage.
Then and only then—Dorothy must die!


Why am I waiting for this?
I've always loved the Wizard of Oz, and I will take any excuse to go back there, even if it's to kill Dorothy. Plus I added it to my fairy tale challenge and I've come to really like the retelling stories I've read so far, so can't wait for another.


Sunday 9 February 2014

Cruel Beauty

Title:        Cruel Beauty
Author:    Rosamund Hodge

Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.

Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love



Isn't the cover just beautiful. A staircase going round and round into a rose. Who makes these pretty covers? They sure do know how to make people keep looking at them.

I really enjoyed this read. This is my second fairy tale retelling, and I wish to keep them coming, if you know more then send me some recommendations.

This story is beautifully written, everything just flowed together, the words, the story, I could easily keep reading if the story was longer. And I wish it was longer, there were a lot of jumps in the book in time where I would have liked more story, instead we have Nyx going from hating where she is to almost instantly being in love.

I liked the infusion of ancient myths within the story, they were nicely placed into the story so that it wasn't just an info dump. 

I really liked Nyx's character, her warring thoughts and personality, even with knowing that she is being sacrificed over her sister she still stays strong.

"If one of us had to die, it ought to be the one with poison in her heart"
Overall a good read, that I will pass on to friends to read. often.

4 out of 5 stars


I eagerly await Rosamund Hodge next release: Gilded Ashes out in April!





Hosted by Debz Bookshelf

Wednesday 5 February 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Sweet Reckoning - Wendy Higgins



Brought to you by Breaking the Spine



This week I am awaiting the release of Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

Evil is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their oppressive ways.

The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous—especially as faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends Anna’s great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide how much she’s prepared to risk.

In the most sensual and fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph together one last time to fight for their freedom



Why am I Waiting?
This is the last book of the Trilogy. I have been watching these books since the first one was released and can't wait to read them.


Tuesday 4 February 2014

A Kiss In Time

Title:   A Kiss In Time
Author: Alex Flinn

Talia fell under a spell...Jack broke the curse.

I was told to beware the accursed spindle, but it was so enchanting, so hypnotic...

I was looking for a little adventure the day I ditched my tour group. But finding a comatose town, with a hot-looking chick asleep in it, was so not what I had in mind.

I awakened in the same place but in another time—to a stranger's soft kiss.

I couldn't help kissing her. Sometimes you just have to kiss someone. I didn't know this would happen.

Now I am in dire trouble because my father, the king, says I have brought ruin upon our country. I have no choice but to run away with this commoner!

Now I'm stuck with a bratty princess and a trunk full of her jewels...The good news: My parents will freak!

Think you have dating issues? Try locking lips with a snoozing stunner who turns out to be 316 years old. Can a kiss transcend all—even time?


This is my first ever Fairy Tale Retelling, and it's going towards my 2014 Fairy Tales Retold Reading Challenge that I decided to take part in not long ago. I was going through my books looking for my copy of Everneath when I came across this book that I didn't remember owning. 



This book was very easy to read and get hooked into. With this being the first page I couldn't help but wonder and want to read more.



"What is that?" she points to the numbers on the shirt."The year. Old Navy puts the year on all their flag t-shirts. It's sort of a racket, I guess--you have to buy a new one every year.""Thatis  the.. year?" she looks sort of sick. Her face is suddenly almost the same colour green as her eyes. she begins to sob again "oh, my . . . oh, no" She crumples back onto the floor, as she was when i first saw her. "It cannot be true. It cannot."I kneel beside her "What's the matter now? I thought you were fine."She looks at me and then starts screaming"Fine? Fine? I have been asleep nearly three hundred years!"


This book focuses on two main characters, Jack and Talia, switching between the two points of view throughout. It has plenty of humour, what with having woken up 300 years later to a new world and knowing nothing about electricity and such. It flows easily and is a very quick light read.


At first, my thoughts of Talia were all negative, that she's a spoilt princess, and a bit up herself, I am very glad that her character grew up quite a lot! And Jack, Talia said it herself, what do you do if everything you're doing is boring? I'm glad that both of these characters grew up, yes they're only 16 and 17 but they were behaving much younger and too arrogant in the beginning. 
The ending was like all fairy tales, I suppose they had to all live happily ever after, but I guess I just wanted more.

4 out of 5





Sunday 2 February 2014

Weekly Ramblings (2)

Spelling and punctuation in published books is important!

If I am stuck in a good book reading a long and I come across a spelling error it's like hitting a speed bump, except instead of just flying over it I have to replay it over and over again until it makes sense. 

Some simple mistakes are when authors type "though" instead of "through" I had this happen 2 or 3 times in the fallen series (yes these were proper finished physical copies)

Or we can walk past the 'shame' tree like Rose did in one of the Vampire Academy books. or 'had they had they come across it sooner' I don't know where this is from, but many times people don't realise when they do that because Word won't pick it up as an error, they won't pick up any of these as errors actually because it's the wrong word not a misspelt word.

(did a google search and stole a picture that says it…)

And I was tired, and I made comments on blogs, and I typed the wrong 'there', and I can't edit my comment!


The Vampire Academy movie is finally almost here, but because I am in Australia I get to wait even longer! It won't be showing until March 6th here. 



But I just want to watch it now! I read this series about 3 years ago, maybe that extra month is saying 'read me again' 

anyway, on with the new week!