Books Like Stars

Book Blast: Extracted by Tyler H. Jolley & Sherry D. Ficklin

2013-10-24T07:16:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the war. The Tesla Institute is a premier academy that trains young time travelers called Rifters. Created by Nicola Tesla, the Institute seeks special individuals who can help preserve the time stream against those who try to alter it. The Hollows is a rogue band of Rifters who tear through time with little care for the consequences. Armed with their own group of lost teens--their only desire to find Tesla and put an end to his corruption of the time stream. Torn between them are Lex and Ember, two Rifters with no memories of their life before joining the time war. When Lex's girlfriend dies during a mission, the only way he can save her is to retrieve the Dox, a piece of tech which allows Rifters to re-enter their own timeline without collapsing the time stream. But the Dox is hidden deep within the Telsa Institute, which means Lex must go into the enemy camp. It's there he meets Ember, and the past that was stolen from them both comes flooding back. Now armed with the truth of who they are, Lex and Ember must work together to save the future before the battle for time destroys them both again.

MEET THE AUTHORS!

Tyler H. Jolley is a sci-fi/fantasy author and full-time orthodontist, periodontist (see: Overachiever). He divides his spare time between writing, reading, mountain biking, and camping with his family. Sherry D. Ficklin is a full-time writer and internet radio show host with more mouth then good sense. She has a serious book addiction, but continually refuses treatment, much to her husband’s chagrin.Tyler and Sherry met one fateful day and bonded over their love for books, science
fiction, and donuts. Their first co-written novel came shortly after. Now, they still do all those other things, but also go to various steampunk conventions and events under the guise of ‘research’. They can often be found lurking on the Lost Imperials Facebook page or over on the official website, www.thelostimperials.com.

PRE-ORDER NOW!

Preorder link US amazon: http://amzn.to/14JLNuA
Preorder link UK amazon: http://amzn.to/17o8zZp
Preorder link b&n: http://bit.ly/13SCJ3P

ENTER TO WIN A KINDLE PAPERWHITE!

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Late To My Own Blogoversary Giveaway

2013-08-21T21:40:00.000-04:00

According to my calendar this post is about 10 days late. But I've been so busy lately I haven't had a chance to do anything. I haven't really even had a chance to squeeze in time to read. Which sucks. Now I think of all those times when I had nothing to do and could've read whenever and still didn't...I could kick myself now for not taking advantage of that freedom. Having a full time job, a kid, a new boyfriend plus trying to make other big life changes doesn't leave much space for the things I want to do with my little blog...and that makes me sad.

Okay, enough of me whining. This is supposed to be a happy blog post (which I'm hastily writing 15 minutes before I have to run out the door).

This is my third year still blogging. Not full time. Barely part-time at this point but I'M STILL HERE. There were times when I wanted to quit. When this all felt pointless, like, who the hell is out there reading this blah? But at the end of the day I still love the blogging world. I love being able to say "I only discovered this book because such-and-such blog reviewed it". I have discovered amazing authors being in this book-loving community and I want to stay part of it if I can.

Having a busier schedule now just means I have to push myself a little harder to keep this blog going. Which hopefully I will. So a big big big big big round of THANKSSSSS to my followers and to the bloggers who I follow: you guys make me wanna be here :)

These are the ARCs I'm giving away:

Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Giveaway Info:

I will randomly choose one winner for each book (4 books = 4 winners).

You can enter to win all four books if you'd like but just know you can't win them all. Even if you have 50 entries. After you win, your name will be deleted.

Don't cheat. Don't underestimate me. I will find out. Just don't do it.

On the form below, the first entry MUST CONTAIN THE NAME OF THE BOOK YOU WANT TO WIN. If you're entering to win more than one book, separate the titles with a comma (ex: The Dream Thieves, Rose Under Fire, etc).

US Only

Must be 13+

You don't have to be follower but it will make me smile if you do :)

And of course, good luck! And thank you for entering!

Confused at all? Email me

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Good News, Bad News & Winners

2013-07-24T09:57:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone!

My blog has always been on the quiet side but lately it's been more like dead.

But that's because I found a new job! (the good news)

YAY!!!

but...

(here comes the bad news)

The hours are long and I have so much to learn, so I don't have time for reading :(

I'm not putting my blog on hiatus again, just give me a little time and I'll start posting again.

Right now I'm working my way through Battle Royale. I told myself I would put it to the side for awhile and read something else but it hasn't happened yet. I really like the story but this book is wayyyyy too long.

The next book I'm starting is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee)
I.Can't.Wait.

The winner of Crown of Midnight is:

Ashley from The Quiet Concert

Thanks everyone for entering :)

Check back next month for more giveaways!

ARC Giveaway: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

2013-07-12T13:34:00.000-04:00

I'm having a great week and in a really good mood so I'm having a giveaway :)

An ARC of

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Mass

Rules:

Ends on 7/19

13 and over to enter

US only

Not responsible for lost packages

any questions: email me

good luck :)

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Book Blast: Breaking Glass by Lisa Amowitz

2013-07-06T10:34:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone! Last week I had the pleasure of reading Lisa Amowitz's debut novel, Breaking Glass and loved it! And she's having a huge giveaway to celebrate the release of her new book:

BREAKING GLASS from Spencer Hill Press, July 2013
by Lisa Amowitz

On the night seventeen-year-old Jeremy Glass winds up in the hospital with a broken leg and a blood alcohol level well above the legal limit, his secret crush, Susannah, disappears. When he begins receiving messages from her from beyond the grave, he’s not sure whether they’re real or if he’s losing his grip on reality. Clue by clue, he gets closer to unraveling the mystery, and soon realizes he must discover the truth or become the next victim himself.

Add it on Goodreads
Support an Indie Bookstore
Buy it from Barnes & Noble
Buy it from Amazon

About the Author:

Lisa Amowitz was born in Queens and raised in the wilds of Long Island, New York where she climbed trees, thought small creatures lived under rocks and studied ant hills. And drew. A lot.
When she hit her teens, she realized that Long Island was too small for her and she needed to escape. So she went to college in Pittsburgh. Go figure.
On leaving college, Lisa became a graphic designer living in New York City. She eventually married her husband of a zillion years, had two lovely children, and was swept away to a fairy tale life in the Bronx, where, unbelievably there are more trees and wilderness than her hometown. She can see the Hudson River from her kitchen window.
Lisa has been a professor of Graphic Design at her beloved Bronx Community College where she has been tormenting and cajoling students for nearly seventeen years. She started writing eight years ago because she wanted something to illustrate, but somehow, instead ended up writing YA. Probably because her mind is too dark and twisted for small children.
BREAKING GLASS which will be released in July, 2013 from Spencer Hill Press, is her first published work. VISION, the first of the Finder series will be released in 2014, along with an unnamed sequel in the following year. LIFE AND BETH will also be released in the near future, along with graphic novel style art.

Find Lisa on Facebook
Follow Lisa on Twitter

The giveaway items are:

* A custom pendant (like the one the character wears in the story)
* Two signed ARCs of Breaking Glass
* original work of Breaking Glass related art created and signed by the author

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Check out the illustrated preview of Breaking Glass, Shards!

(click the book cover)

DNF: Ink by Amanda Sun

2013-07-01T21:13:00.000-04:00

ink
amanda sun web | twitter | fb
series: the paper gods #1
pages: 377
pub: june 2013; harlequin teen
cover love: ♥♥♥♥♥

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive. goodreads

I was really drawn to the premise of Ink when I picked up a copy at BEA. I was interested in the Japanese myths and the idea of art coming to life. However, after about a hundred pages of Ink, I was none too impressed and had to give it up for several reasons:

The mysterious bad boy with an attitude problem and the new girl who can't refuse getting wrapped up in him...been there, done that. I didn't exactly buy the reason that Katie was sent to Japan either. Your mother just passed away and your grandfather is sick so you're sent thousands of miles away to a foreign country? It just didn't seem like a justifiable reason for me to believe.

I had some issues with all the Japanese terms and phrases. There's tons of them. There's a glossary in the back and TRUST ME, you will need it to follow along. I also couldn't get passed the fact that Katie's friends' dialogue sounded exactly how fluent Americans speak, yet they are supposed to be speaking Japanese. But then they weren't at times...I don't know, the book is very confusing about when the characters are and aren't speaking English and Japanese but it all sounded very American, therefore not believable (at least to me).

I'm sure Ink will be a very successful debut and have lots of fans; it just wasn't for me.

June Random Reads

2013-06-06T09:45:00.002-04:00

Random Reads is a meme hosted by I'm Loving Books where we pick a random book from our shelf to read within the month.

Still trying to catch up on my reading schedule, I managed to finish The Mayfair Moon (meh) and now starting my May Random Read pick, The Vincent Boys. It should be a fast read.

My June pick is:

#18

Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

I've been DYING to read this!!!

It's a longgggggg book (over 600 pages) but it seems like that type of story that keeps you turning the pages. We shall see...

The Mayfair Moon by J.A. Redmerski

2013-06-05T18:50:00.000-04:00

the mayfair moon
j.a. redmerski web | twitter | fb
series: the darkwoods trilogy #1
pages: 367
pub: jan. 2012; self-published
cover love: ♥♥♥♥

After a nightmarish encounter with a werewolf, seventeen-year-old Adria Dawson loses her sister, but gains the love of a mysterious young man and his legendary family.

Strange and tragic things begin to happen in the small town of Hallowell, Maine: residents come down with an unexplainable ‘illness’ and some disappear. In the midst of everything, Isaac Mayfair is adamant about keeping Adria safe, even from her sister whom he has warned her to stay away from.

As unspeakable secrets unfold all around Adria, impossible choices become hers to bear. Ultimately, no matter what path she takes, her life and the lives of those she loves will be in peril. As she learns about the werewolf world she also learns why her place in it will change the destinies of many. goodreads

my thoughts:

So I literally just finished The Mayfair Moon and to be honest it wasn't what I was expecting at all.

After Adria and her older sister are traumatized and seriously injured during a run-in with some werewolves and the blame falls on their stepfather, they are sent to live with their Aunt and Uncle in Maine. While staying there she tries to deal with her sister's withdrawn and rebellious behavior, makes some new friends and attracts the attention of two werewolf families who have been feuding since the dawn of time...

Yea, that pretty much sums up this book.

The Mayfair Moon was very...Twilighty. Maybe even a bit worse because at least Twilight was entertaining. Adria and Issac fall (or more like trip) into this insta-love fest and I was just bored to tears but managed to finish it because I didn't want to DNF another book. Adria bothered the hell out of me, she worried too much about stepping on other people's toes or being too critical. There was nothing interesting about her. Or Issac except for the fact he's a wolf with a hot bod. Sorry, I did not enjoy this book. I felt it could've been much better.

I will not be continuing the Darkwoods series but am looking forward to reading Redmerski's novel, The Edge of Never. Hopefully that book is more my cup of tea :)

Always Book Tipsy: BEA 2013

2013-06-03T18:17:00.000-04:00

LOL, thanks to SourceBooks this is my new favorite line :)

Now, usually I'll write up a post saying I'll be attending BEA but this year I didn't have a chance to. I was (and still am) dealing with so much and wasn't sure it would be a good idea to go this time.

But I decided to say SCREW IT! and go :)

And of course I'm glad I did.

Sooooo...Book Expo 2013:

How was it?

As always expected it was crowded and noisy. Hectic and exciting. And filled to the brim with books.

What was the best part?

The books duhhhhh. LOL. And the bloggers, librarians and authors I did get to meet.

I'd like to give some quick shoutouts to:

Tania from Literary Cravings and Shanese, the B00ki3. It was great seeing you ladies again :)

Briana from BAM Book Reviews. We've got to stop meeting on the last day! Next year, we're gunna pair up.

Mary from BookHounds. It was so nice to meet you :)

And to Olivia, The Reader Enchantress. I didn't get to meet you but I met your Dad and he was so nice.

Did I get all the books and meet all the authors I set out to?

No.

Really? You didn't stand on alllll the autograph lines and be present at every book drop?

Nope. I think it's impossible (unless you have friends to hold your spot) to get every book you want. You can't be there for everything and have to make a choice about what you really want. And this year, BEA seemed more unpredictable than the previous time I attended. There were many books I would've missed out on because they weren't listed on the BEA website. You just had to keep your eyes peeled, ears open and be in the right place at the right time.

I missed out on many books because I was feeling very under the weather and couldn't be bothered with waiting on lines. So if a book I wanted had a huge line wrapping around corners I'd just walk away.

Did I come home with a TON of books?

Compared to last year, no, not really.

I was wayyyyy more cautious with what I brought home this time. It can be tempting with books lying all around to just grab, grab, grab. Like I said, I wasn't feeling very good and it would've been more stressful to drag books home I wasn't interested in.

I'm not going list every book I got, but here are the ones I was most excited for:

Fangirl (squeeeeeeeeeee), The Dream Thieves, The Infinite Moment of Us, The Boyfriend App, Wild Cards, Somebody Up There Hates You, Into That Forest, Twelve-Fingered Boy, The Beginning of Everything, Tumble & Fall, Water Keep, Vicious Deep, Dare You To.

What was my "It" book?

Everybody has that one book (or books) they can't leave BEA without. For me last year it was The Raven Boys & The Curiosities. This year it was Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I stood in line for over an hour to meet her.

Did I find any books I didn't know about before BEA?

Yes, I found a couple.

Just walking by booths and talking to reps I discovered some books that I wouldn't have known about otherwise. Water Keep, Tumble and Fall, Extracted, Love Rehab, Eggplant Alley, If I Ever Get Out of Here, Reason to Breathe, and Ink.

The hardest book to find?

Somebody Up There Hates You by Hollis Seamon. It's silly but I couldn't find booth. OMG, I was going around in circles looking Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill. And yes, I had the map. I did find it eventually.

The best cookbook?

There's always a bunch of cookbooks to take home but Homemade Summer was my favorite.

It has beautiful pictures and small anecdotes from the author, Yvette Van Boven and some really delicious recipes.

Did I get any books for my blog?

Yes, I picked up books for giveaways but not many. Some I know you guys will enjoy. Like Crown of Midnight and Wild Cards. Remember to check back here for the giveaways.

Regardless of how I was feeling, I still had a great time at the BookExpo. It's amazing to go and be part of such a huge industry and learn just how much goes into promoting a book. It's also nice to meet the faces behind the book blogs I follow and discover new ones. I look forward to reading all the new books I got and hope I enjoy them :)

Spring Fling Giveaway Winner!

2013-05-22T12:12:00.000-04:00

The winner of The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise is:

Sarah P.

Congratulations!

Thanks everyone for entering!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

2013-05-20T17:45:00.000-04:00

eleanor & park
rainbow rowell web | twitter | fb
series: no
pages: 325
pub: feb. 2013; st. martin's press (macmillan)
cover love: ♥♥♥♥♥

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under. goodreads

my thoughts:

finally!!! A book I could finish. I thank Eleanor and Park and Rainbow Rowell for breaking my dnf streak. The streak I blame firmly on John Green's TFioS. I was getting worried I'd never get out that slump. But happily this book pulled me out of it :)

Simply put, reading Eleanor & Park was like taking a much needed breath of fresh air.

Here we have two main characters: a half-Asian/half-white comic book nerd from a well to do family and a poor plus-sized, flaming red-haired Scottish/Danish girl that fall for each other. And, without expecting to, change each others lives. You don't see this type of diversity very often in the genre I love so much (YA) and it's very much appreciated when you do come across it. I loved that the book took place in the 80s (my time) and that it wasn't overly nostalgic. The romance between Eleanor and Park was sweet and believable. They were both so awkward that together they just made sense. I really had a soft spot in my heart for Eleanor though. She reminded me so much of myself at that age. Insecure and kind of bitter. And never being able to imagine any guy wanting to be a boyfriend. And definitely not knowing what the hell to do with one once you got one. LOL. I wish this book was published when I was sixteen.

That ending though...

adjfdifdskkdfsdskdf!!! How could it end so abruptly?

:(

Not cool...

But I still loved loved loved this book anyway! Even if I'll always have to wonder...

Fan of the book? Check out Eleanor & Park's playlist and wallpapers.

May Random Reads

2013-05-20T14:48:00.001-04:00

Random Reads is a meme hosted by I'm Loving Books where we pick a random book from our shelf to read within the month.

Sadly I'm still behind on my reading (it's gunna take eight books to get me back on schedule) and didn't get a chance to read The Mayfair Moon in April. I'm starting it now and hopefully I can also finish my May pick before the month is over :)

Abbi Glines, I've heard so much about her books but I never read any of them.

The Vincent Boys has been on my ASAP list for awhile and glad I'm finally getting the chance to read it. And I have the uncut version so hopefully it's full of hot steamy make out scenes (love those).

Have you read it? Is it good? Bad? So so?

Spring Fling Giveaway Hop: The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise

2013-05-01T00:10:00.000-04:00

Hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Eve’s Fan Garden

Hello lovelies and thanks for stopping by my blog for the hop.

For the Spring Fling, I'll be giving away one copy of:

In The Boyfriend App by Katie Sise, super-smart, somewhat geeky Audrey McCarthy can’t wait to get out of high school. Her father’s death and the transformation of her one-time BFF, Blake Dawkins, into her worst nightmare have her longing for the new start college will bring.

But college takes money. So Audrey decides she has to win the competition for the best app designed by a high schooler—and the $200,000 that comes with it. She develops something she calls the Boyfriend App, and suddenly she’s the talk of the school and getting kissed by the hottest boys around. But can the Boyfriend App bring Audrey true love?

So the rules are:

-Have to be 13 or older to enter

-You have to live in the U.S.

-You don't have to be a follower but it's always very much absolutely appreciated :)

-Giveaway ends on May 7th

Just fill out the form below

Thanks for entering!

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TTT: Books I Thought I'd Like MORE/LESS Than I Did

2013-04-23T10:57:00.002-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke & The Bookish

Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like More/Less Than I Did

While choosing books for both sides, I discovered all the books on my "more than" list are books that were outside my comfort zone and wouldn't have read unless forced to...so thanks to my friends and my teachers :)

Books I thought I'd like less:

1) Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling - This series was so mainstream I made it my business to avoid reading it. Everything inside me was screaming that I would hate Harry Potter, a little boy riding around on a broom...yeah...I was wrong...so wrong, dead wrong. I LOVE HARRY POTTER!

2) The Help by Kathryn Stockett - I didn't think I'd like this book because the author wrote the words exactly the way the characters spoke and I usually have a hard time connecting with books like that but The Help was an exception. This book is so emotional and funny. It's not YA but if you get a chance to read it, pick it up.

3) Bumped by Megan McCafferty - Another book I didn't think I'd like because of the dialect. The author makes up her own lingo for the characters to speak and I just didn't get the humor. But after awhile I caught on and yeah, it was actually pretty good.

4) Kindred by Octavia Butler - I had to read this in college and I just did not want to. The premise was cool: a black woman from the 70s travels back in time to the south, pre-Civil War. I tend to shy away from slavery books. I don't like reading about racism, I went through enough of it growing up with a white dad and a black mom. But Kindred was excellent. It was gritty and harsh but it wasn't a book I could've missed out on reading and glad my teacher assigned it.

5) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - Another book I was assigned in college that I wanted to stay away from. A book set in Afghanistan and war and all that, no, no, no, not for me. The Kite Runner ended up being one of the best books I ever read. It made me cry. It was amazing. AMAZING.

Books I thought I'd like more:

6) Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas - I thought this book would be like The Hunger Games except with castles, assassins and magic. But it was mostly fluff. Pretty dresses and balls and ZzZzZz...

7) Across the Universe by Beth Revis - A lot of people loved this book but I just couldn't understand why it was so popular. When I read the summary I thought I'd like it but this one couldn't hold my interest. The insta-love, the weird orgies going on in public, the sloppy rushed plot...nope, wasn't for me.

8) Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia - Amazon claimed this book was "a hidden gem". This was the book not to be missed, it's all anybody talked about. I liked what I read on the blurb and gave it a try. I liked the idea of Castors, witches that can go to the light or the dark side of magic. But this book was about 500 pages and most of it was the main characters making out and many references to How To Kill a Mockingbird.

9) Fathomless by Jackson Pearce - I love Jackson Pearce's fairytale retelling series. Sisters Red and Sweetly were really good and I went to BEA last year to meet her and get a copy of Fathomless. I unfortunately didn't get the opportunity to meet Miss Pearce but I did get the book. But...it just didn't live up to the prior two. I'm hoping the next one, Cold Spell is much better though. Keeping my fingers crossed.

10) Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - Yes, I loved The Hunger Games. Loved Catching Fire. But I did have trouble with Mockingjay. Most of the book felt like filler, just a bridge to the ending of a series. But what an ending it was. That ending was memorable and my favorite part of the book.

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DNF: Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

2013-04-16T13:20:00.000-04:00

born wicked
jessica spotswood web | twitter | fb
series: the cahill witch chronicles #1
pages: 330
pub: feb. 2012; putnam juvenile
cover love: ♥♥♥♥♥

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other. goodreads

my thoughts:

Really, it was so painful to put Born Wicked in the DNF pile. I was so infatuated with that cover (it's soooo gorgeous) and it was written beautifully but I felt like the story was going nowhere interesting. I went into this book thinking there'd be witchcraft, spells, etc. but sadly that wasn't the case. The supernatural elements took a major backseat to Cate's other problems (marriage and her sisters). I decided to give up around page 120, after skimming through the next fifty or so pages and still not finding anything worth continuing.

April Random Reads

2013-04-08T11:14:00.000-04:00

Random Reads is a meme hosted by I'm Loving Books where we pick a random book from our shelf to read within the month.

In March I was slacking on my books (life was getting in the way of reading), but I still managed to finish my random read pick for that month, The Peculiars.

Now on to the next one:

The Mayfair Moon by J.A. Redmerski

Thanks to many great reviews of The Mayfair Moon ending up in my Goodreads feed, I decided to buy it. It's a werewolf book, which aren't always a fave of mine unless they stand out from the rest. And this book seemed like it might. Anybody read it?

I'm on BlogLovin!

2013-04-05T10:44:00.000-04:00

In light of the future disappearance of Google Reader coming, I've signed up my blog at Bloglovin.

You can follow me here:

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

TTT: Books I HAD To Buy But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread

2013-03-19T21:28:00.000-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke & The Bookish

Top Ten Books I HAD To Buy...But Are Still Sitting On My Shelf Unread

sorry this post is so late, I was feeling very under the weather today.

so here are the top ten books that I was dying to buy but have still managed NOT to read yet.

(just looking at this pile makes me feel guilty)

Delirium - Lauren Oliver

Linger - Maggie Stiefvater

Enshadowed - Kelly Creagh

Insurgent - Veronica Roth

The Future of Us - Jay Asher

The False Prince - Jennifer A. Nielsen

Graffiti Moon - Cath Crowley

Paper Towns - John Green

Paper Valentine - Brenna Yovanoff

Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell

I'm going to try and read some of these this year but I'm guessing many of you are saying the same thing about your own Top Ten...

Did you have any of these books on your list too?
Do you feel bad that you shove them to the side?
Are you going to try and read them this year?

Google Reader is Going Bye Bye (say it ain't so)

2013-03-19T20:36:00.000-04:00

Google has made the decision (as idiotic as it is) to do away with their Google Reader feature. As soon as I read this bad news, I went into full blown panic mode because I didn't know what that meant for my blog as well as all the blogs I subscribe to.

From what I know your blog subscriptions will not be affected by this. If you follow my blog, you will still receive my posts in your feed. What Google is telling us, is that we have to find somewhere else to read our subscriptions :\

I am so pissed. Google continues to lose points with me.

So where should you go for your new feed reader?

I highly recommend Feedly. I use the app on my iPhone (also available for Android, Safari & Firefox) and it's super easy to use (just log in with your Google Account and your feed appears).

Please read Mission to Read's post on moving to Feedly from Google Reader or to check out some other feed readers she recommends.

Goodbye Google Reader, I'll miss you :(

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

2013-03-16T17:59:00.001-04:00

the fault in our stars
john green web | twitter | fb
series: no
pages: 313
pub: jan. 2012; dutton juvenile
cover love: ♥♥♥♥

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 13, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind. goodreads

So I decided not to review TFIOS the way I usually would review a book. Without a doubt, it's an incredible piece of literature, (we all know this) so I'll save myself the effort of trying to explain the what's and why's that made it incredible (because nothing I say will do the book justice anyway) and just give you the basics on how I felt while reading it:

* Up until page 71, I didn't really like/get/understand what was so great about TFIOS. I know, you must think I'm a crazy no-soul of a person but I just couldn't get engrossed in the story.

* After page 72, TFIOS started to grow on me. ALOT.

* I never wanted to smack a character so hard in my whole life than when I was reading pages 191-193, particularly when that son of a bitch Van Houten cruelly expresses his opinion on fictional characters:

"This childish idea that the author of a novel has some special insight into the characters of a novel...it's ridiculous. That novel was composed of scratches on a page, dear. The characters inhabiting it have no life outside of those scratches. What happened to them? They all ceased to exist the moment the novel ended."

As a lover of books, especially fiction, characters are to me as real as air or a person sitting on a train next to me. And for someone to say they are mere scratches on paper just stabs my heart over and over again.

* Page 214 is where I had my "HOLY SHIT OH GOD NO" moment.

* From pages 215 - 247, all I did was ponder my existence and why this world is so fucked up. And wanted to grab Mr. Green by the shirt and ask him why he was doing this to me. And to them.

* I read the last paragraph about 20 times:

"She is so beautiful. You don't get tired of looking at her. You never worry if she is smarter than you: You know she is. She is funny without ever being mean. I love her. I am so lucky to love her, Van Houten. You don't get to choose if you get hurt in this world, old man, but you do have some say in who hurts you. I like my choices. I hope she likes hers."

* John Green is a genius. He seriously is. The man knows how to get in here (points to heart) and squeeze.

TTT: Series I'd Like To Start But Haven't Yet

2013-03-05T11:16:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke & The Bookish

Top Ten Series I'd Like To Start But Haven't Yet

There are always going to be those series that you hear so much about but seem to never, ever get the chance to begin. Here are mine:

Melina Marchetta is a beautiful writer (read Jellicoe Road and loved it) and I know I have to read every last book she's ever written.

I haven't had a chance to watch the TV series either but the books sound quite interesting, don't they?

Had my eye on this unique Australian series for awhile but haven't had the opportunity to start them. Maybe this year I'll get around to it.

A victorian steampunk/paranormal series I've seen around. I've read a sample of the first book and seems like something I wouldn't read normally but still want to try.

Another series I wouldn't necessarily pick up either but every review I've read about it has been making me curious. Plus I really enjoyed Blood Red Road by Moira Young and they seem very similar.

I've read Cassandra Clare's TMI series and have Clockwork Angel sitting on the shelves waiting for me but I haven't found the time to read it yet.

Ok, who hasn't heard of this series? I keep meaning to get the first book but...

I bought the first three books at a clearance sale but ask me if I've read them yet? Nope.

I see the Morganville Vampires series everywhere but never think it's a good time to start them. Maybe it's because the series is so long (I think they go up to 14 and still more to come).

Another great series (or so I've heard). I got the third book, The Gray Wolf Throne from BEA and I know I'll start this series eventually.

Are any of these series in your top ten? Let me know.

March Random Reads

2013-03-01T18:02:00.000-05:00

Random Reads is a meme hosted by I'm Loving Books where we pick a random book from our shelf to read within the month.

So last month was my first time participating in Random Reads and my pick was The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I'm just starting it today, I'm a little backed up on my reading schedule. I'm nervous about starting TFiOS, it's gotten some pretty amazing feedback since its release and the hype is putting pressure on me to love it or be deemed an alien with no soul. So keep your fingers crossed for me :)

It's time to pick my random read for March and once again I'm picking from my ASAP pile (the pile of books I own and absolutely must read right now) and the lucky book is:

The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann

This middle grade book is the author's debut and the title describes it perfectly. The synopsis describes it as "part murder mystery, part gothic fantasy, part steampunk adventure." Can't wait to read it!

DNF: Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

2013-03-01T16:32:00.000-05:00

tiger's curse
colleen houck web | twitter | fb
series: the tiger saga #1
pages: 403
pub: jan. 2011; sterling publishing
cover love: ♥♥♥♥♥

Passion. Fate. Loyalty.

Would you risk it all to change your destiny?

The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.goodreads

I wanted to read this book for a long time and I'm kinda mad at myself for giving up on it. Usually I don't stop reading books even if I'm not enjoying them as much as I'd hoped. But sometimes I just can't bring myself to finish certain ones and I don't review books I don't finish. That seems a little unfair. I picked this book up because I was fond of the idea of ancient curses, spells needing to be broken and would've enjoyed the exotic descriptions of India. Sadly, Tiger's Curse didn't do much for me. I really couldn't get passed the writing and Kelsey's personality (what little of it she did have). She's supposedly seventeen and a high school graduate but she acted and spoke like a twelve year old girl. I glanced over some of the upcoming chapters but still didn't see much to make me keep reading so I had to make the decision to put this one to the side...for good.

I really wanted to like Tiger's Curse but we had to break-up. There was just no chemistry between us.

Winner: Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

2013-03-01T14:54:00.000-05:00

The winner of Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff from my Valentine's Day giveaway is:

Beckie from Bittersweet Enchantment

(please go check out her blog)

Thanks everyone for entering!

Ashfall by Mike Mullin

2013-03-01T14:05:00.000-05:00

ashfall
mike mullin web | twitter | fb
series: ashfall #1
pages: 466
pub: sept. 2011; tanglewood press
cover love: ♥♥♥

Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don’t realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano, so large that the caldera can only be seen by plane or satellite. And by some scientific measurements, it could be overdue for an eruption.

For Alex, being left alone for the weekend means having the freedom to play computer games and hang out with his friends without hassle from his mother. Then the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, plunging his hometown into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence. Alex begins a harrowing trek to seach for his family and finds help in Darla, a travel partner he meets along the way. Together they must find the strength and skills to survive and outlast an epic disaster. goodreads

my thoughts

Ashfall ended up surprising the hell out of me. At first I didn't think I was going to like it. The premise was right up my alley. I tend to be drawn to dystopians that have the possibility of becoming a sad, scary and disturbing reality for us. Which is exactly what's portrayed in this book.

The supervolcano that erupts and wrecks environmental havoc across some of the United States actually exists. It's called the Yellowstone Caldera and it's resides in Wyoming and it's over one million years and could blow at any time (well, probably not in our lifetime, so don't worry about it).

But in Ashfall, this supervolcano does erupt and its force is so strong, the eruption can be heard all the way in Iowa, where our main character, Alex, lives. Automatically, the power goes down, ash is falling like snow and loud booms coming from the exploding volcano continue for several days after the explosion. Alex is with neighbors when this happens, his family away in Illinois visiting his uncle. Alex decides, against all the odds, that he's going to travel (on skis) to reunite with his family.

Like I said, I was iffy about Ashfall. Even for a book going straight into the action, it seemed very slow and long in the beginning. I wasn't a huge fan of Alex's narrative voice and I hated the fact that he kept using exact numbering to describe how big or small or far something was (the drop was 56ft to the ground, the barge was 40ft away, the rope was 16 inches long, etc). But around 100 pages it started to grow on me. Alex had few moments of peace and quiet on his journey to Illinois. He encounters a number of distresses including thieving gangs and starvation. But I was impressed with his determination to stay alive and focused which leads him to shelter and his first love, Darla. I really loved the fact that the book had gritty moments, some authors will shy away or gloss over bloody scenes or children dying but I'm glad Mike Mullin didn't, it gave his story an edge and kept it realistic.

Even though it had its dry spots, Ashfall kept me interested and was a great start for Mike Mullin. I'm sure the next installment, Ashen Winter, will bring even more excitement and turmoil into Alex's life.