I started this feature here at ASR in order to know your fellow bloggers a little better! If you are interested in being featured please fill out the form.

So hi there! I’m Emily and I’m human who is age fourteen this year. I’m a goose hybrid as well :D (LAWSON!) I live in Singapore, and it’s hot and cold and sometimes rather temperamental. I’m a Christian. And I also love to do archery!

Favorite author?

Carrie Jones. She’s just like Zara in so many ways. And she likes fudgesicles!

Gennifer Albin. Total genius in my opinion, and I love her wit. 

And then there’s Shannon Hale. She’s such a genius too!

Randomness 

 Cats or dogs? 

Dogs! Definitely! Toby my dog wins all :D And I have Ailurophobia. (which is why having the resident cat in my school rubbing itself all over my friends makes me run. Even from my friend.)

 Favorite animal? 

Dogs, Horses and Elephants.

 Coke or Pepsi? 

Coke. Though it’s bad for my teeth and my waistline.

 Favorite TV show? 

Sherlock, Hawaii Five-O and The West Wing (a political drama!)

 Movie? 

The Lord Of The Rings (preciousssssss. Did I mention I can do a like imitation of Gollum?), Avengers (!!!! HAWKEYE :D) and Iron Man 3 (epic. And so scary!!!)

 Color? 

Purple, Blue, Turquoise, Pink

Thanks for being here today, Emily! It was great getting to know you! :)

Find Emily:

Blog | Goodreads

The post Undersea Spotlight: Emily at Fluttereal Flight appeared first on Auntie Spinelli Reads.

Traded (YA Exchange):
Pulse by Patrick Carman

Ordered from Amazon:
The Program by Suzanne Young
School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins
Funko Pop Gizmo! Isn’t he adorable?!

From the library:
Dualed by Elsie Chapman
Furious by Jill Wolfson
Rot & Ruin by Jonathon Maberry

For review:
Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey + swag (for tour)
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (Netgalley) – LOVED IT
Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts (Netgalley)
Unhinged by A.G. Howard – sampler only (Netgalley)
Resist by Sarah Crossan (Edelweiss)

What’s in your mailbox, loverlies? Link me up!

The post Undersea Spoils (29) appeared first on Auntie Spinelli Reads.

June’s feature: Zombies!

Link your PnRC reviews!

The post [PnRC] June is for Zombies: Link your reviews! appeared first on Auntie Spinelli Reads.

They hear the most silent of footsteps.
They are faster than anything you've ever seen.
And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead.

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs.

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.

Rebellious, courageous, and tender, this unforgettable duo will have you on the edge of your seat as you tear through the pulse-pounding narrow escapes and horrifying twists of fate in this thrilling debut from author Demitria Lunetta.

Before was reality; the After, a nightmare.

 In the After was fabulous! The world that Lunetta painted drew me in and I loved it!

I think the driving point in this book was the relationship between Amy and Baby. It was beautiful and real and had me rooting for them to succeed. Amy was very protective of Baby, but Baby was perfectly capable of holding her own as well. I absolutely LOVED the fact that they spoke in sign language! They had their own modified version and could hold entire conversations with nothing but their hands; even when they couldn’t see they could sign into each other’s hands. It was awesome! So there were very few quotations in the first half of the book because the conversations were all in italics. I can’t think of a single other book like that! Very cool.

Another important part: Them. Totally creepy, mindless killing machines. They flock to light and even the smallest sound. How terrible would it be to live in silence? To not even be able to whisper? And sometimes it really struck me how different the world was when Baby was concerned: i.e. She didn’t know what a horse was. It’s something you don’t really think about, and I think that made the world building even better because the author included small things like that.

I have to admit that Amy kind of annoyed me at times. She was rather arrogant and many times I just wanted to slap her. 

So much of who I used to be was about being good in school and having friends who were good in school. We were, to put it simply, arrogant little know-it-alls. But I miss that.

You miss being a bitch? Okay, sure. Just the way she talked about herself and her life Before was enough to make me sure that I would have hated her. And the way she regarded Amber annoyed me, too (even though Amber kinda deserved it). Just because Amber didn’t know how to survive, Amy looked at her as being lesser and unworthy of life. 

…having to deal with a self-centered dimwit can have deadly consequences.

Wow. I mean, I get it. It’s about survival of the fittest. But damn, get off your high horse. The girl can learn. Yet despite all that arrogance, she couldn’t figure things out.

Rice was okay, but he didn’t have much of a personality. He was kinda just there for me. And the romance didn’t do much for me, either…but thankfully it didn’t play a very large role in the story.

You always have to give up some freedoms to live in any society.

New Hope was a full blown dystopian society. I suppose to live in harmony in a post-apocalyptic world there’d have to be some sort of control, but this town took it to the extreme. Pregnancy is a requirement, and you have no choice who you have children with. If you didn’t conform, you were drugged and thrown in a mental ward. It was insane! 

In the last half, the story was laced with intermittent flashbacks. It made it super intriguing because all you get is snippets of Amy being in the hospital, drugged to oblivion for some horrible misdemeanor that she supposedly committed. But you have no idea what it is because even she doesn’t know! It was brilliantly done and had me gobbling up the story to find answers.

And oh boy, did I get answers. There’s a major twist in the story! I never would have guessed going into this novel.

Favorite character: Kay. She was badass!

Plot: 5/5
Writing style: 4.5/5
Originality: 4.5/5
Characters: 4/5
World-building: 5/5
Pace: 5/5
Cover: 4.5/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5 starfish

The post Review: In the After by Demitria Lunetta appeared first on Auntie Spinelli Reads.

I started this feature here at ASR in order to know your fellow bloggers a little better! If you are interested in being featured please fill out the form.

[Janhvi] (On left in the picture) Hey, I’m Janhvi. I’m 20 and a student from India. I love reading and discovering new books which eventually led me into blogging with my best friend, Sarika. I always love to read about happy endings. I love romance. I love chocolates and ice cream. I enjoy watching movies and can be occasionally found day dreaming.

[Sarika] (On right in the picture) Hi, I’m Sarika, a 20 year old student from India. I am a proud Potterhead. I breathe Harry Potter. Aside from that, I have completed my Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Politics and I plan to do my Masters in French. Reading and blogging are my passions. I love drawing, food and music by Boys Like Girls. Fashion and sports interest me and people in general fascinate me.

Favorite author?

[Janhvi] Again, I have a long list but if I had to pick one it would be Gena Showalter.

[Sarika] J. K. Rowling (Always!)

Randomness 

 Cats or dogs? 

Janhvi: Please don’t kill me yet but I’m not a fan of animals, so none.

Sarika: Dogs! I don’t remember a time without a pet dog at home.

 Favorite animal? 

Janhvi: I can feel the death glares, but it’s still none for me.

Sarika: Elephants.

 Coke or Pepsi? 

Janhvi: Coke.

Sarika: Pepsi.

 Favorite TV show? 

Janhvi: Castle, Modern Family, 2 Broke Girls, The Vampire Diaries.

Sarika: I’m not very fond of the TV, but I like watching Masterchef Australia and The Big Bang Theory. 

 Movie? 

Janhvi: The Proposal, Ocean’s Eleven, The Bourne Ultimatum and Bollywood movies I would go for Wake Up Sid, Cocktail, English Vinglish.

Sarika: Harry Potter movies (particularly Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) and a couple of Bollywood movies (Bluffmaster!, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Dil Chahta Hai).

 Color? 

Janhvi: Blue all the way.

Sarika: All? No? Okay. Grey.

Thanks for being here today, ladies! It was great getting to know you! :)

Find Janhvi:

Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest 

Find Sarika:

Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest | Tumblr

The post Undersea Spotlight: Janhvi and Sarika at The Readdicts appeared first on Auntie Spinelli Reads.

For generations, Spinsters have been called by Arras’s Manipulation Services to work the looms and determine what people eat, where they live, how many children they have, and even when they die. Gifted with the rare ability to weave time with matter, Adelice is exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But once you become a Spinster, there is no turning back. Now caught in a web of lies and intrigue, Adelice must decide who to trust: her kind mentor, Enora; the handsome and mysterious valet Jost; or the charismatic Guild ambassador Cormac Patton. They each have secrets, but Adelice is about to unravel the deadliest one of all, a sinister truth that could destroy reality as she knows it.

In a powerful and original debut about a world where the Guild decides everything, one extraordinary girl dares to defy the power of men and the boundaries of love.

I’m not really sure what to think of this book overall. I had a lot of issues with the world building, but it was so unique I couldn’t help but enjoy it anyway.

I had a very difficult time in the beginning because I was really struggling to understand all of the terms and trying to envision the world. Things were not explained very well at all. I had a hard time picturing anything in my head, and thinking about it made my brain hurt. Arras, the Guild, Stream, complants, rebound, motocarriage (kinda speaks for itself, but still. A description would have been nice), digifile…I picked up on the meanings eventually, but a brief description could have painted a picture in my head rather than confusing me. I shouldn’t be just figuring out what important terms are when I’m halfway through the book.

I don’t think I started actually getting into this book until the scene with the first ‘ripping.’ That was almost 100 pages in. The beginning was a bit rough for me because I was having trouble with the world building, and frankly I was bored. Extremely. So bored, in fact, that I almost considered putting it down. I’m glad I stuck with it though – it didn’t wow me, but the last half was much better.

I have to admit I liked the idea of it, though! Everyone was controlled by threads in a loom…and that made up the whole world. Again, I had some trouble grasping it, but it was still a pretty awesome concept. The fact that it’s completely unlike anything I’ve ever read before makes it stand out, and I’m more likely to remember it even though I didn’t love it. 

I can see how some people would have problems with it being rather misogynistic. But it worked for me. It didn’t really bother me because it was convincing that this was the way they lived. I mean seriously guys, you can tell just by reading the synopsis (which I got straight from the cover flap because it’s better than the Goodreads one) – ‘power of men,’ and the line about privilege and beauty. The men and women are segregated, and women are pretty much raised to be tested for being a Spinster. The only line that irked me was this: 

“Actually, you don’t see many women out from behind the desk these days. Not without their husbands.”

It annoyed me, but I think that was the intent. Because it really conveyed that misogynist society. 

The characters were meh. I didn’t really care much about any of them. Adelice was alright – she didn’t wow me, but I admit that she earned my grudging respect with this line:

“Fetish? Big word.” He raised one eyebrow at me, challenging me to explain how a pure Eligible knows a word like that. I want to tell him that unlike the other simpering idiots here I’ve actually read a book or two in my life.

I did really like Cormac for some reason. I’m very curious about him! I hope to see more of him in the next book!

The love triangle really irked me, though. Adelice kissed Erik, then 30 pages later she kissed Jost and was thinking about them at the same time, like she could have them both. There was no guilt or feeling of wrongness for playing both guys. These are the kind of love triangles that ruin my enjoyment of the story!

There was one revelation regarding character identities that should have been a shock, but I found myself sadly unsurprised. The ending, on the other hand…I must admit that’s what saved this book for me! The cliffhanger was killer epic and it left me dying to know what happens!

Plot: 3.5/5
Writing style: 3.5/5
Originality: 5/5
Characters: 3/5
World-building: 2.5/5
Pace: 3/5
Cover: 3.5/5

Overall rating: 3.5/5 starfish

The post Review: Crewel by Gennifer Albin appeared first on Auntie Spinelli Reads.

Eileen is one of my favorite bloggers, and happens to be an honorary member of the Merp Squad (also including Inky, Nikki, Annabelle, and myself). This beautiful chica is SUPER smart and down to earth. When I first started talking to her I had no idea she was so young because she acts so mature! She’s such a positive and bubbly person, is talented with music, and is an all around AWESOME girl! She’s a fantabulous friend and I can always count on her to lift my spirits when I’m down because she’s so upbeat. So she deserves the very best for her birthday!
I have made delicious cupcakes for you, Leeny! Here they are:

Disclaimer: Ok so I didn’t actually make them. But they’re pretty!

I luff yeww!!!!! I hope you have the bestest birthday EVARRR. And get lots of books. :)

And now, head on over to Fiction Freak for the next stop in Eileen’s birthday bash!

The post Happy Birthday Eileen! appeared first on Auntie Spinelli Reads.

Charm and Strange by Stephanie Kuehn
Published by St. Martin’s Griffin (6.11.2013)
Buy from: Amazon
Add to Goodreads

Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself. 

He’s part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.

He’s part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable. 

Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present. 

Before the sun rises, he’ll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths—that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying.

    “I don’t need to talk to a counselor,” I say, a little louder than I intend. My head begins to buzz the way it does when I get overexcited. It’s not good for me to get upset.
    “Okay,” he says.
    I hate this. The buzzing grows louder. I am a living hive of dread. The memories, those images I don’t want, are swarming around inside me, looking for a way, any way, to get out…
    “I need to go,” I mumble. “To the biology lab.”
    “You ever read that article I sent you? About-”
    “Sea quarks,” I manage feebly. “Yeah, thanks for that.”
    I know he wants me to stay and talk because that’s what we did last year. We talked. Not about my grief or my anger or my guilt over how my siblings died like martyrs cast against wicked ways. Those are the things I never talk about. No, we talked about matter – most notably quarks, those tiniest possible components of everything. They came in six flavors, you know: up, down, top, bottom, charm, and strange. I’ll admit those talks really helped me, and when I read about the sea quarks, I understood why. They contain particles of matter and antimatter, and where the two touch exists this constant stream of creation and annihilation. Scientists call this place ‘the sea,’ and it’s what pitches inside of me as I hurry away from Mr. Byles, ignoring his furrowed brow, his worried frown.
    I am of the sea.
    I am of instability.
    I am of harsh, choppy waves roiling with all the up-ness, down-ness, top-ness, bottom-ness, contained within my being.
    I am of charm and strange.
    Annihilation.
    Creation.
    Annihilation.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Charm and Strange Blog Tour: Excerpt + Giveaway appeared first on Auntie Spinelli Reads.

On a cool autumn night, Annaliese Rose Gordon stumbled out of the woods and into a high school party. She was screaming. Drenched in blood. Then she vanished.

A year later, Annaliese is found wandering down a road hundreds of miles away. She doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know how she got there. She only knows one thing: She is not the real Annaliese Rose Gordon.

Now Annaliese is haunted by strange visions and broken memories. Memories of a reckless, desperate wish . . . a bloody razor . . . and the faces of other girls who disappeared. Piece by piece, Annaliese's fractured memories come together to reveal a violent, endless cycle that she will never escape—unless she can unlock the twisted secrets of her past.

Another Little Piece was dark and rather twisted, and I think that’s why I enjoyed it. It was kinda f*cked up at times, and sometimes I wondered what the heck I was reading, but in a good way! 

Every time I found another piece of the past, I wasn’t remembering it so much as reliving it.

I like the way the story was told, with little snippets of flashbacks mixed in with the present. I saw a lot of complaints that it was confusing, but it worked for me. It kept me intrigued, wondering what the hell happened to Annaliese, and with each piece of memory I became more and more involved. This made the pacing very fast – because it’s a mystery and a thriller, you can’t help but turning pages in desire for the truth.

There were some more serious aspects to the story because it touched (a little) on tough subjects like rape and homosexuality. I was surprised at these elements, but again it wasn’t a bad thing. Fluffy reads are great, but sometimes I need to read something dark and gritty! 

There were also some major WTFery moments where I was just like, uhhhhhmmmm……. Like when Anna was just chilling and smoking a cigarette, then exhales a plume of smoke and puts out the burning cigarette on her thigh and is totally emotionless about it. Or when she looked at someone and thought: 

It didn’t resemble sweat so much as the juices dripping from the crisped and cracking skin of a roasted chicken. I wanted to sink my teeth into him.

I thought it was interesting how Anna always referred to Annaliese’s mom and dad as ‘the mom’ and ‘the dad.’ Every single time. I got so used to it that I stopped noticing it after a while. But it helped to convey that she truly didn’t believe that she was Annaliese, even when she couldn’t remember her past. She felt like an impostor.

The characters were pretty good. I liked Anna and I enjoyed following the journey she took in finding herself. I loved Dex! The romance was sweet – even though it moved a little fast, it wasn’t in a bad way. Eric creeped me out! He was slimy and I couldn’t stand him.

I don’t want to say too much about this one because I don’t want to give it away, but I loved the background story. Again, probably just because it was so twisted. All of the girls and the Physician, the spell and the promise. Especially the ritual! The first scene regarding it I was like whaa did she just…? She did! That’s a little bit sick, dude…

It was kinda awesome though! I haven’t read anything like it before. I do recommend giving it a try, especially if you’re a fan of horror or twisted paranormal stories. This book isn’t for everyone, and I can see how some might not enjoy it. I think it’s hit or miss, but it was a hit for me!

Sometimes it was just so fucking wonderful to be alive.

“Things happen in life. Things don’t go the way you plan. And when they do, it doesn’t feel the way you thought it would.”

Plot: 4.5/5 
Writing style: 4/5 
Originality: 5/5 
Characters: 3.5/5 
Pace: 5/5 
Cover: 4/5 

Overall rating: 4/5 starfish

The post Review: Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn appeared first on Auntie Spinelli Reads.

I started this feature here at ASR in order to know your fellow bloggers a little better! If you are interested in being featured please fill out the form.

Meet Emily!

Favorite author?

Sarah Rees Brennan and Maggie Stiefvater (I also love both of these authors blogs!)

Randomness 

 Cats or dogs? 
Cats!! I have 2 and I’m working on becoming a crazy cat lady.

 Favorite animal? 
ALL THE ANIMALS! My Mom used to call me Elmyra from the Looney Toons (Ok, she still calls me that). I was the child who brought home stray animals of all types. (This is Elmyra for those too young to remember her)

 Coke or Pepsi? 
COKE!

 Favorite TV show? 
I really love Supernatural and Doctor Who.

 Movie? 
Zoolander.

 Color? 
It changes every day but today I really like Turquoise.

Thanks for being here today, Emily! It was great getting to know you! :)

Find Emily:

Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook

The post Undersea Spotlight: Emily at Falling for YA appeared first on Auntie Spinelli Reads.