Sunday, September 30, 2012

Stacking The Shelves #23

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Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!

This new feature is hosted by Tynga from Tynga's Reviews.

This week I got:
From an online trade:

(Doesn't that look awesome?)
(I've heard so many good things about this one)
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What did you get this week?

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Kids reacting to books in the future

Reaction of teenagers to books in the future

I don't think we're very far from that (please disregard the high tech gadgets from the 80's, of course. LOL). 

Because who needs books when you have swag, right? YOLO... >.>



And that actually reminds me of a part of the movie High School High. Click and see if you agree

Friday, September 28, 2012

#FF - Feature and Follow #33


Feature and Follow is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee's View.
Lovely button by Reading Into Hiding.

Q: What is the BIGGEST word you’ve seen used in a book lately – that made you stop and look it up? Might as well leave the definition & book too.

Okay, so these aren't exactly big words, and I did get the general meaning from the complete phrase, but it's the only thing that I could think of to use as an answer here:

Demon Moon (The Guardians, #2)"(...) To be this pale in real life I'd have to have been the most simpering, lily-livered dandy ever to grace London. I confess I may have been a bit of a dandy, but I never simpered."

That was declared by Colin Ames-Beaumont, british vampire, in the book Demon Moon by Meljean Brook. It has a very unfortunate cover, but turned out to be very entertaining. :)

Let's get to the definitions, then:


* sim·per  (smpr)
v. sim·peredsim·per·ingsim·pers
v.intr.
To smile in a silly, self-conscious, often coy manner.
v.tr.
To utter or express with a silly, self-conscious, often coy smile: simpered a lame excuse.

dan·dy  (dnd)

n. pl. dan·dies
1. A man who affects extreme elegance in clothes and manners; a fop.

lil·y-liv·ered (ll-lvrd)
adj.
Cowardly; timid.

There were many other unconventional words in this book I could have chosen, such as scientific and technical terms, Hindi expressions, and names of indian herbs... but I thought these would be  funnier. :)
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If you're a new follower on GFC or Networked Blogs, please let me know and I will be glad to return the favor. :)

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Pushing the Limits
Pushing the Limits
by Katie McGarry

Published August 3rd 2012 by Mira Ink


No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal. But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.


Mira Ink






Echo's new school therapist seems like a good enough person, but Echo really isn't interested in therapy. She just wants to fix her dead brother's car and get over high school. But to fix said car, she needs money... money her rich father won't give her. So Mrs. Collins, her therapist, suggests a job. A tutoring job. Sounds easy enough, right? Except for the guy she's supposed to tutor....

Noah Hutchins is smoking-hot, super bad boy material. (Heavy emphasis on 'smoking'). He smokes pot, he skips school, he sleeps with a different girl every night, and his stepparents couldn't care less about him... and now he can barely see his brothers, because the State won't allow him visitation privileges. All because he hit his first foster father to stop him from hitting his own biological son. Go figure. Noah used to be the perfect, popular, good guy jock type, but after a fire killed his parents, life has been very different for him. Now he wants custody of his brothers, but to have that, he needs to change. Starting with his attendance and grades, which is why Mrs. Collins, his new social worker/therapist, talks him into being tutored. Like he has time to sit around and have some stupid brainiac tell him how dumb they think he is. 

Noah and Echo are two opposites... with a lot in common. And now they have to decide what they want from their lives. To either keep ignoring the feelings blossoming between them, or to accept them and fight for their right to be happy, and screw what others think of them.

I've been hearing praise for Pushing the Limits for months now... and I have to admit that neither the cover nor the blurb interested me... however, after getting tired of seeing people gushing over it, I decided to -finally- give it a try. And I really enjoyed it!

Echo is a walking, talking bomb, waiting to explode. I wanted her to just remember everything and be free! I loved how her art and talent were incorporated in the story so perfectly, I loved the mythological references, I loved to see her get over things. What I didn't love was how she just took the bullshit her father and so-called friends threw at her. Oh, and she forgave them way too easily... I'm pretty sure I'd still hold a grudge over her father, stepmom AND that bitch Grace. But maybe that's just my black/nonexistent heart talking. No. She really did forgive them way too soon.

Noah was a delight. Such a complex character! So strong, so self-confident, so grown-up, and, yet, so vulnerable and angry. Understandably so, of course. The State really did help make his life even more miserable than it already was after he lost his parents. It was funny seeing how he lost it everytime Echo was around. Very cute to see such a... hard person soften like that. He really needed some luv.

I like mature YA's liek this one becuase they don't try to pretend teenagers are saints, all pure and nice. No, they freaking fight, curse, drink, use drugs, and, OMG! O.O They have sex. Yup. Echo remained a virgin throughout the book, sure, but this was still a lot more believable than most YA's out there... but I guess that's what parents want, right? To pretend nothing like that is happening. If books don't have those things in them, then surely they don't happen in real life... Yeah, right. :P

Aaaaaaanyway, I digress. I really liked this book, with characters with real-life problems and feelings.... if not for some weak moments and stupid decisions from Echo, of course. I was also surprised to find out this one is a series. From the way the book ended, I would have never expected it to be. Things wrapped-up so nicely... but I might still check the next book.

If you like realist fiction with your YA, then you'll really enjoy Pushing the Limits.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Monday, September 24, 2012

Best Book Ever!

Best book ever!
I need to get a copy for my future children. :) Along with a gun, of course. 

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Stacking The Shelves #22

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Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!

This new feature is hosted by Tynga from Tynga's Reviews.

This week I got:
From an online trade:

Oh, and mom got me this lovely mug with all my favorite memes. *-* So pretty!!!
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What did you get this week?

When My Parents Said 'Let's Buy You A New Bookshelf'

When My Parents Said Let's Buy A New Bookshelf To You
LMAO!!! Been there. And still am. :P

Friday, September 21, 2012

#FF - Feature and Follow #32


Feature and Follow is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee's View.
Lovely button by Reading Into Hiding.

 Q: What hyped up book do you think was worth all the talk?Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits, #1)Shadow and Bone (The Grisha, #1)
Oooh, I have been anxiously waiting for this question. :P
I was quite surprised with all the hype around Shadow and Bone and Pushing the Limits. I actually hesitated to join in for a couple of months... until, against my better judgement and fear of being disappointed, I went to Netgalley and gave them a chance.
Boy, was I right to risk it. I just LOVED Shadow and Bone and quite enjoyed Pushing the Limits. :)

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If you're a new follower on GFC or Networked Blogs, please let me know and I will be glad to return the favor. :)

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Early Review: Velveteen by Daniel Marks

Velveteen (Velveteen, #1)
Velveteen (Velveteen #1)
by Daniel Marks


Expected publication: October 9th 2012 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers


Velveteen Monroe is dead. At 16, she was kidnapped and murdered by a madman named Bonesaw. But that’s not the problem.

The problem is she landed in purgatory. And while it’s not a fiery inferno, it’s certainly no heaven. It’s gray, ashen, and crumbling more and more by the day, and everyone has a job to do. Which doesn’t leave Velveteen much time to do anything about what’s really on her mind.

Bonesaw.

Velveteen aches to deliver the bloody punishment her killer deserves. And she’s figured out just how to do it. She’ll haunt him for the rest of his days.

It’ll be brutal... and awesome.

But crossing the divide between the living and the dead has devastating consequences. Velveteen’s obsessive haunting cracks the foundations of purgatory and jeopardizes her very soul. A risk she’s willing to take—except fate has just given her reason to stick around: an unreasonably hot and completely off-limits coworker.

Velveteen can’t help herself when it comes to breaking rules... or getting revenge. And she just might be angry enough to take everyone down with her.


Delacorte Books

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My Review


First line: When Velveteen Monrow pictured Bonesaw's house -and she did, more often than could be considered healthy- blood striped the paint a muddy reddish-brown, internal organs floated in jars of formaldehyde, and great big taxidermy crows leered from branches that twisted from the wall like palsied arms.

Last line: Again.

Favorite quote: Could he actually be a decent guy?
Hard to imagine.
He was pretty to look at, though, she thought. Boys weren't objectified nearly enough, and turnabout is always fair play.


Sixteen year-old Velveteen Monroe was murdered by the psychopath/looks-like-the-boy-next-door Bonesaw. Now she's stuck in purgatory for who knows how long. There she is the leader of the Salvage team, i.e., they 'salvage souls  that don't have any business in the daylight'. She works as a body thief, and really enjoys her job. But Velvet won't be able to really rest in purgatory until she can have her revenge on her killer. 

When she finds a hidden crack through the veil between the world of the living and the dead, she goes for it. She starts to haunt him. And that is the WORST thing she could ever do. Haunting is against the law. It's pretty much the only serious offense a soul can be charged with in purgatory... which is why she's keeping it a secret from everyone.

Every once in a while, something triggers small parts of her memory back. Memories from those days. Her days at the mercy of Bonesaw. Bloody, painful scenes that makes us hurt, too. And they just serve to reinforce her decision to make him suffer as much as possible. 

However, she starts to slightly waver in her decision when she rescues her fifty-seventh soul: a very handsome, very sweet young guy named Nick. Nick seems to quickly gain everybody's sympathy and friendship, especially from those that are part of her Salvage team, which he soon joins. Velvet is torn between feeling jealous about him becoming so close and dear to her best friends so quickly, and being happy that he is such a good influence to them. Oh, and she can't decide exactly how she feels about him. Annoyed? Absolutely. Attracted? Well... yes! Uncomfortable? That's for sure. Thankful? Sometimes. :P

As if trying not to fall for her newest rescued soul while doing her best to haunt and drive her killer to commit suicide wasn't hard enough, now there's a revolution starting underground, and every single one of Velvet's mentors are acting suspiciously... 

The first chapter of Velveteen really sucks you in. It's very abrupt, very raw, very shocking. It's awesome. But then things slow down. Excessively. There were moments I almost gave the book up, things were so dull... then we get to the middle of the book. And that's when things get interesting. From middle to end, I got totally caught up into it again. I have to say it was worth the waiting. ;)

This is a very different book from the usual YAs out there. It way, after all, written by a guy, even if the main character IS a girl. It somehow just made her more believable, in my opinion. The same goes for her relationship with Nick. Teenagers (and, let's face it, adults, too) aren't nice and cuddly, YA writers! They are mean, horny, and selfish. Even if they do have their good moments. And reality isn't all about cute romance, butterflies and happy endings. The world is NOT a nice place. And Daniel Marks was able to capture every single realistic aspect (while still making it very readable, if slightly gruesome) in this fantastical/paranormal tale. Velveteen rocked.

If you're looking for something different and refreshing, with an imperfect and bloodthirsty heroine (repeatedly called a super bitch) and a very cool, very crushable hero, then you'll go bananas over Velveteen, just like yours truly.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

I know that I am... are you? (Book Sniffers Anonymous)

I'm a book sniffer, are you?
I do that all the time (except with very old or moldy books, of course). Surely I'm not the only one. LOL. I specially love the new ones... the smell of a book 'fresh from the oven print' is my favorite.
My friends make fun of me for it, though. I am NOT ashamed to say I do it!

Book sniffers, UNITE!!!

Teaser Tuesday #38




Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as 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 any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.


Dark Side of Dawn (Nightmare Chronicles, #2)
"I wasn't very good at the bike thing. Really, it was just dangerous to trust two skinny little wheels and spindly brakes with the considerably uncoordinated woman that is me."

Dark Side of Dawn (Nightmare Chronicles #2)
by Kathryn Smith 

Page 100 of the paperback edition.

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LOL!!! That quote was just SO me, I had to choose it.
Oh, and that cover is so misleading! There is actually quite a lot of -interesting- stuff going on, serious stuff, not sexual at all! There is murder, rape, mythology, mystery, drama... WOW.
And the few steamy scenes are very discreet. It's the second book in a series, but I haven't read the first one and don't feel the need to. However, I do WANT to read it now, I'm enjoying the second one so much. :P
Guys, give this one a try!!!

Monday, September 17, 2012

New bookish religion

New religion
Oh, the irony of this... do you guys remember all that ruckus some parents made over their children reading these books about evil, dark forces and the devil's magic? LOL. If reading Harry Potter is evil, then I am so going to hell.

And, yes, today I turn 21 years old, so I'm feeling pretty bold. :P
(Would you like to give me a simple gift? Then would you please follow the blog anyway you can? 
Be it GFC, Networked Blogs, or e-mail, everybody loves new followers. 
Let me know and I'll follow you back. :D )

Let me know what you think about the HP thing.

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Stacking The Shelves #21

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Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!

This new feature is hosted by Tynga from Tynga's Reviews.

This week I got:
From an online trade:

(Sorry for the crappy pic.)
(Such a beautiful cover. *-* And it sounds very good, too. Yup, I still have the dystopian fever.)
(I've read it and enjoyed it, so when the opportunity to have a -hard- copy came up, I went for it.)
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What did you get this week?

Portal Bookends

Portal Bookends
Oooh, that looks like a fun thing to add to a bookshelf. :)
Mine already has so much useless stuff... one more wouldn't hurt.

Friday, September 14, 2012

#FF - Feature and Follow #31


Feature and Follow is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee's View.
Lovely button by Reading Into Hiding.


Q: What hyped up book do you think was not worth all the talk?

I really don't want to instigate people's killing instincts any more than I normally do, but if I have to be honest, I'll just say it:

Starcrossed (Starcrossed, #1)Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)I can't understand all the hype that surged over Throne of Glass. I mean, it was an okay book, but... seriously? Normally I love books like that, with awesome heroines and weird heroes... but this one? Not so much.

Another silly book that, in my opinion got WAY too much marketing promotion was Starcrossed. I couldn't even get through the first chapter! O.o Sure, the author is very attractive, the premise is awesome and the cover is GORGEOUS. But the content... meh.

If next week's question is about the hyped up books that DID live up to the all the talk, I have some fantastic winners lined up here.Both of them got me from the first sentence.
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Okay, then. If you're not incredibly mad right now, and actually want to start following me, please let me know so I can return the favor. ;)

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Early Review: Yesterday by C.K. Kelly Martin

Yesterday 
Yesterday
by C.K. Kelly Martin

Expected publication: September 25th 2012 by Random House, Inc

THEN: The formation of the UNA, the high threat of eco-terrorism, the mammoth rates of unemployment and subsequent escape into a world of virtual reality are things any student can read about in their 21st century textbooks and part of the normal background noise to Freya Kallas's life. Until that world starts to crumble.

NOW: It's 1985. Freya Kallas has just moved across the world and into a new life. On the outside, she fits in at her new high school, but Freya feels nothing but removed. Her mother blames it on the grief over her father's death, but how does that explain the headaches and why do her memories feel so foggy?

When Freya lays eyes on Garren Lowe, she can't get him out of her head. She's sure that she knows him, despite his insistence that they've never met. As Freya follows her instincts and pushes towards hidden truths, the two of them unveil a strange and dangerous world where their days may be numbered.

Unsure who to trust, Freya and Garren go on the run from powerful forces determined to tear them apart and keep them from discovering the truth about their shared pasts (and futures), her visions, and the time and place they really came from.
Random House

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My Review

It's the year of 1985 and Freya Kallas has returned to Canada after her diplomat father died in an accident. Freya has been having very strange headaches all day and even stranger dreams at night. Her dreams feel more real to her than her real life does. Almost everything she experiences feel like it's happening for the first time, and that her other memories are quite... not memorable. It's almost as if they are fake memories. Her sister doesn't feel like her sister. She can see and feel things before they happen. Her life doesn't feel like her own. But how? Why?

When she sees a very familiar guy walking on the street she decides to follow him and try to discover why she feels so deeply like she knows him. Garren Lowe doesn't recognize her and thinks she's completely insane, but when they start to find many strange things in common between them, they agree that something must up. Something very big.

And when they start asking too many questions, the men in black with weapons come for them. Suddenly Freya and Garren are on the run, and they can't trust anyone but themselves. A visit to a hypnotist uncovers much more than they could ever have imagined. They came from the future. A future where technology controls everything and everyone and  ecoterrorism is a great threat to citizens. But why were they sent to the past? And why are people trying so hard to erase that knowledge form their minds?

Weeeell....That has got to be one of the most boring books I have ever read. I was bored out of my mind. It was a struggle not to just put it down. The heroine is absolutely soulless and uninteresting. Things go veeeeery slow, nothing is ever said or explained about the situation, and not much happens at all until the very middle of the book. >.> Everything is do dull. I was expecting a nice, crazy future in a dystopian society, but we see nothing of it until we're over halfway through the book. And even then, we don't see this world. We're just told about them. 

Gah, it really pisses me off when authors do that. I can't even begin to express how much. DON'T TELL, SHOW! This book could have been so much better. Better planned and executed. But the way it is now... it's just a waste of pages. Really, I couldn't bring myself to care about Freya at all. Not even for one moment. I wanted to know what happened, why things changed so much after that very strange prologue and confusing first chapters... but you have to survive over 200 pages until things start to get even remotely interesting. It's exasperating. 

I have to say, that dark, creepy cover and intense blurb really fooled me. I felt like I found the wrong book inside of that cool cover.

If you like slow books that build-up, not very active characters and don't mind being told about what happens instead of seeing it, then you should give Yesterday a chance. The futuristic dystopian world was quite interesting.

* I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.* 

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

"Spoiler Alert" troll billboard

Harry Potter "Spoiler Alert" troll billboard
There's always someone to ruin the surprise... even if it is just a bit late. LOL.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Teaser Tuesday #37



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as 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 any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.


The Duke of Shadows
"It is not proper, you being closeted up here with him--"
"Delphinia, don't be absurd. I am so firmly on the shelf that the maids are tempted to dust me."

The Duke of Shadows
by Meredith Duran


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Oh, man. This book. THIS book. Is. Awesome. The war, the English, the Indians, they are all so well portrayed!!! I'm almost done with it and I only started it yesterday. :)

Monday, September 10, 2012

Who needs a bookshelf when you can do this?

Who needs a bookshelf when you can do this?
I would rather still get a bookshelf, but... nice try, I guess. LOL. I don't think you'll be re-reading any of those from the middle and lower parts anytime soon, though. :3

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #35




It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey
Welcome to It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading?  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I'm Currently Reading:
The Duke of Shadows

Finished:
Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1)Dark Curse (Carpathians, #19)Storm (Elemental, #1)Shift (Shade, #2)Simply Insatiable (House of Pleasure #5)


Next Reads:
Gone (Gone, #1)

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What are you reading this week?