The Daily Prophecy

Review 159. Rae Carson – The crown of Embers.

2013-05-20T14:30:00.002+02:00

Title: The crown of Embers.
Author: Rae Carson.
Pages: 410.
Published: September 18th 2012.
Publisher: Greenwillow Books.
ISBN: 0062026518 (ISBN13: 9780062026514)
Sort: Part two of ‘Fire and Thorns.’
Part 1: The girl of fire and thorns.
Part 0.5: The shadow cats.
Challenge(s): Bingo.

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds.

Rating: 5+ out 5. Favorite!

There is something magical about Carson’s writing-style. I absolutely loved The girl of fire and thorns and I also liked The shadow cats, so I had high expectations for this book. And boy, did it deliver! From the moment I started to read this book, I was hooked. There is something about Carson’s world-building and characters that works for me. From now on, I will buy everything Rae Carson writes, because I’m in love with her writing-style. This review contains no spoilers for The girl of fire and thorns.
Click to read the complete post -->

Fairytale News 10. About DNF.

2013-05-18T11:47:00.000+02:00

This is a 'new' meme I came up with. I will be talking about everything that has to do with reading. From pretty new covers to discussions about books. I will post them randomly.

This is something new I like to start and it will be part of my Fairytale news. There are many different discussions posts out there and I thought it would be fun to share my opinion now and then. So *drum rolls* I want to introduce to you:
Click to read the complete post -->

Review 158. Brodi Ashton – Everbound.

2013-05-16T10:00:00.000+02:00

Title: Everbound.
Author: Brodi Ashton.
Pages: 358.
Published: January 22nd 2013.
Publisher: Balzer + Bray.
ISBN: 0062071165 (ISBN13: 9780062071163)
Sort: Part two of ‘Everneath.’
Review part 1. Everneath.
Challenge(s): Bingo.

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away. Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself. Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The thing is: if I love the first book, I’m excited and scared for the second one at the same time. Most of them suffer from the second-book-is-lame-syndrome and it always spoils the excitement I felt after the first one. That is not the case with Everbound and that is prove for me that Ashton knows how to write a good, interesting story. You can read the summary if you haven’t read Everneath yet. My summary gives about the same information as the blurb.
Click to read the complete post -->

Review 157. Dan Wells – Fragments.

2013-05-14T18:02:00.000+02:00

Title: Fragments.
Author: Dan Wells.
Pages: 564.
Published: February 26th 2013.
Publisher: Balzer + Bray.
ISBN: 0062071076 (ISBN13: 9780062071071)
Sort: Part two of ‘Partials Sequence.’
Review 1: Partials.
Challenge(s): Dystopian & Bingo.

Kira Walker has found the cure for RM, but the battle for the survival of humans and Partials is just beginning. Kira has left East Meadow in a desperate search for clues to who she is. That the Partials themselves hold the cure for RM in their blood cannot be a coincidence--it must be part of a larger plan, a plan that involves Kira, a plan that could save both races. Her companions are Afa Demoux, an unhinged drifter and former employee of ParaGen, and Samm and Heron, the Partials who betrayed her and saved her life, the only ones who know her secret. But can she trust them? Meanwhile, back on Long Island, what's left of humanity is gearing up for war with the Partials, and Marcus knows his only hope is to delay them until Kira returns. But Kira's journey will take her deep into the overgrown wasteland of post apocalyptic America, and Kira and Marcus both will discover that their greatest enemy may be one they didn't even know existed.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

I was excited about this book. I liked Partials a lot, especially the medical background of the RM virus. This book was just.. nothing like that. There are spoilers in the summary part if you haven’t read Partials, but you can read the spoiler-free review where I talk about my likes and dislikes.

Click to read the complete post -->

Bout of Books.

2013-05-13T23:25:00.003+02:00

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team.

My bloglovin' account is filled with posts about Bout of Books, so I decided to take a look at this read-a-thon. It sounds like fun and I definitely want to read some more books this week. Hence, my very late sign up post. I'm going to set my goal on reading 4/5 books. I'm not sure yet which books I'm going to read, but these are candidates:

If you want to stay updated, you can check my complete read-a-thon page right here: Read-a-thon challenges and I will be editing this post with my progress.

Let's have some fun!

Click to read the complete post -->

Showcase Sunday 30.

2013-05-12T11:37:00.001+02:00

Hosted by: Books, biscuits and tea.

I managed to grab these four books for a bargain at my local bookstore:

Sandy Williams - The shattered dark. Part 2, but I couldn't resist it.
Philippa Ballantine - Geist. I've been eyeing this series for a while, because the covers are gorgeous and it sounds interesting. Part 1.
Kerry Schafer - Between. I like dragons. Part 1.

Gail Carriger - Blameless. Part 3 of the Parasol Protectorate. I'm planning to buy the second book soon, so I can continue. I really liked Soulless.

And Harlequin Teen accepted my request on Netgalley for The eternity cure - Julie Kagawa. I'm so excited! The immortal rules is one of my favorite books from 2012.

Leave a link to your haul!

Review 156. Debra Driza – Mila 2.0

2013-05-10T12:41:00.002+02:00

Title: Mila 2.0.
Author: Debra Driza.
Pages: 480.
Published: March 12th 2013.
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books.
ISBN: 0062090364 (ISBN13: 9780062090362)
Sort: Part one of “Mila 2.0”
Challenge(s): Dystopian & Bingo.
Source: Netgalley & Publisher.

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past—that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do. Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

Rating: 2 out of 5, because I feel generous. My first rating was 1 out of 5.

I feel misled. This is what the blurb also says:
”Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence. A bold debut and the first book in a Bourne Identity-style trilogy that combines heart-pounding action with a riveting exploration of what it really means to be human.”I think even Disney gave me more heart-pounding action. This story isn’t a thrilling debut about an android. It’s about a whiny, angsty girl who happens to be a android, but she has more feelings than the average teenager. Hardly anything happens except for running, some fighting and a lot of crying. There were so many situations where I wanted to slam my head against a wall. I’ll walk you through:

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WoW 38. Retellings: Scarlet in snow & Unhinged.

2013-05-08T10:00:00.000+02:00

Hosted by: Breaking the spine.

Sophie Masson - Scarlet in the snow.
May 1st 2013 by Random House

I know it's already published, but I hardly heard anything about this book and it sounds awesome. I thought I should share it with other fairytale lovers out there!

A deserted mansion. Empty picture frames. A perfect red rose in a snowy garden. There is rich and powerful magic here, and a mystery to unravel.. When Natasha is forced to take shelter from a sudden, terrible blizzard, she is lucky to see a mansion looming out of the snow. So begins an extraordinary adventure that will see Natasha plunged deep into the heart of a mystery. She begins to realize she has stumbled onto a great tragedy - a spell of revenge laid on the young man the Beast once was, devised by a powerful sorcerer. But even if she can break the spell, the Beast she has now come to love will be snatched from her. Natasha will have a long journey, and many ordeals, ahead of her before there can be a happy ending. Inspired by two beautiful Russian fairytales - The Scarlet Flower (the Russian version of Beauty and the Beast) and Fenist the Falcon, Scarlet in the Snow is a beguiling mix of magic, romance, adventure and mystery.

& I'm waiting for A.G Howard - Unhinged, after loving Splintered.
January 2014 by Amulet.

As prom and graduation creep closer, Alyssa juggles Morpheus’s unsettling presence in her real world with trying to tell Jeb the truth about a past he’s forgotten. Glimpses of Wonderland start to bleed through her art and into her world in very disturbing ways, and Morpheus warns that Queen Red won’t be far behind. If Alyssa stays in the human realm, she could endanger Jeb, her parents, and everyone she loves. But if she steps through the rabbit hole again, she'll face a deadly battle that could cost more than just her head.

Review 155. Kiersten White – Endlessly.

2013-05-06T20:59:00.000+02:00

Title: Endlessly.
Author: Kiersten White.
Pages: 385.
Published: July 24th 2012.
Publisher: HarperTeen.
ISBN: 0061985880 (ISBN13: 9780061985881)
Challenge: Bingo.
Sort: Last book in the Paranormalcy series.
Part 1. Paranormalcy. Part 2. Supernaturally.

Evie's paranormal past keeps coming back to haunt her. A new director at the International Paranormal Containment Agency wants to drag her back to headquarters. The Dark Faerie Queen is torturing humans in her poisonous realm. And supernatural creatures keep insisting that Evie is the only one who can save them from a mysterious, perilous fate. The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its fate rests solely in Evie's hands. So much for normal.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

There are no spoilers for the other books.

I’m trying to finish as many series as possible this year. Have you ever realised how many series there are? I’ve made a list with all the series I’ve read in 2011 and 2012: I’m stressed! So many! Some of them aren’t complete yet, but I hope to reduce my amount by finishing many completed series.

I liked Paranormalcy & Supernaturally and this is the perfect conclusion. This is how you end a series! I can’t tell a lot about it, so you’ll have to do it with this vague description:

Evie is forced to return to IPCA by the new director, but she is enjoying her life as a normal teenager. That is until Lend is kidnapped by The Dark Faerie Queen from the Unseelie court. Evie decides to accept Reth’s and Jack’s help to get him back. In the mean time, Paranormals are asking her to open a gate for them. They want to return to their own world. Can Evie save Lend and is the ready to make a gate?

Evie was a good character, but I liked her more in Paranormalcy. She was a bit more whiny now, always busy with her and Lend. She was completely focused on saving him, but she was ignorant for other problems. Her mood swings were annoying too. She hates Reth, then she likes him, then she hates him so much she likes him – make up your mind!

So, conclusion: a good ending for this series, but nothing too special.

Showcase Sunday 29.

2013-05-05T10:00:00.000+02:00

Hosted by: Books, biscuits and tea.

I have a huge haul to show you today! Queen’s day, birthday presents and Netgalley/Edelweiss approvals. So let’s get started.

Like I said, we recently had our last Queen’s Day and I bought some great stuff there! I bought many new dvd’s (another addiction) and of course books!
I will use the covers I bought, which means that some of them are in Dutch. The translation to English can be found in the links.

Click to read the complete post -->

Early Review 154. Alex Flinn – Towering.

2013-05-02T10:48:00.004+02:00

Title: Towering.
Author: Alex Flinn.
Pages: 304.
Published: May 14th 2013 (first published April 24th 2013)
Publisher: HarperTeen.
ISBN: 0062024175 (ISBN13: 9780062024176)
Sort: Part 3 of ‘Kendra Chronicles.’
Part 1: Beastly.
Part 2: Bewitching.
Challenge(s): Fairytales & Bingo.
Source: Edelweiss & Publisher.

Rachel is trapped in a tower, held hostage by a woman she’s always called Mama. Her golden hair is growing rapidly, and to pass the time, she watches the snow fall and sings songs from her childhood, hoping someone, anyone, will hear her. Wyatt needs time to reflect or, better yet, forget about what happened to his best friend, Tyler. That’s why he’s been shipped off to the Adirondacks in the dead of winter to live with the oldest lady in town. Either that, or no one he knows ever wants to see him again. Dani disappeared seventeen years ago without a trace, but she left behind a journal that’s never been read, not even by her overbearing mother…until now.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

The first thing I need to say is: why is this part of the Kendra chronicles? I really don’t get it. Kendra has nothing to do with this book and it doesn’t have any connection with Beastly and Bewitching. Strange.. And it was good, but was it as good as I expected? Not really.

EDIT: Alex Flinn posted this comment on my review on Goodreads:
Thanks for the review. I apologize for any confusion about Kendra. This book is a standalone book and was never meant to be part of any "series." In truth, even Bewitching is a standalone book in that you don't have to read Beastly to read it (The Kendra Chronicles was meant to be a SUBTITLE, not a series title). Apparently, someone not associated with my publisher posted on Goodreads that Towering was about Kendra. If you look at the book or the e-book, you can see that it's not. Perils of the information age. Sorry.

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Top 10 Tuesday (29)

2013-04-30T00:04:00.002+02:00

Today, it's our last Queen's day! (Netherlands) Her son takes the throne and they decided to change it to King's day. It's always a lot of fun. Everyone is dressed in orange and there are fairs everywhere. I always love to visit them together with my boyfriend and we end up with piles of good, cheap stuff. Yeey, this is a day I always look forward to.

This meme is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

Top Ten Tags That Instantly Make Me Buy/Pick Up A Book.

1. Fairytale (retellings). I don't think that this is surprising ;)
2. Dystopian. Everything that has to do with the destruction of earth and the society we know sounds interesting to me.
3. Scientific/Medical. I love experiments, because it is something that fits my interest. I'm doing a medical study for a reason.
4. Fantasy/Magic. You got to love a good fantasy story.
5. Tudors, especially Anne Boleyn; Historical fiction. There is just something about this period that fascinates me.
6. Asylum/Boarding schools. Great settings.
7. Victorian/Steampunk.
8. Vampires/Zombies/witches: paranormal. I still like them.
9. Juliet Marillier. If someone compare a book with this author, it's an instant read for me. I adore her work.
10. Mythology.

Leave a link to your instant-buy-words.

Review 153. Jessica Day George – Sun & Moon, Ice & Snow.

2013-04-28T02:03:00.000+02:00

Title: Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow.
Author: Jessica Day George.
Pages: 336.
Published: January 8th 2008.
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's.
ISBN: 1599901099 (ISBN13: 9781599901091)
Sort: Stand-alone.
Challenge(s): Fairytales.
Other books:-Princess 1: Princess of the midnight ball.
-Princess 2: Princess of Glass.

Blessed—or cursed—with an ability to understand animals, the Lass (as she’s known to her family) has always been an oddball. And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn’t hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servants. Only a gruelling journey on the backs of the four winds will reveal the truth: the bear is really a prince who’s been enchanted by a troll queen, and the Lass must come up with a way to free him before he’s forced to marry a troll princess.

Rating: 4 out of 5. Favorite!

Finally! I’m starting to find the good retellings again. I loved her other series, so I was excited to give this one a try. I’ve never read anything about this fairytale before and I liked it. I'm definitely going to hunt down some more retellings and I hope to read the original story soon.

Click to read the complete post -->

Review 152. Emily McKay – The farm.

2013-04-26T15:41:00.001+02:00

Title: The Farm.
Author: Emily McKay.
Pages: 420.
Published: December 4th 2012.
Publisher: Berkley Trade.
ISBN: 0425257800 (ISBN13: 9780425257807)
Sort: Part 1 of ‘The Farm’
Challenge(s): Dystopian, paranormal, zombie & Bingo.
Source: Birthday present.

Life was different in the Before: before vampires began devouring humans in a swarm across America; before the surviving young people were rounded up and quarantined. These days, we know what those quarantines are—holding pens where human blood is turned into more food for the unread monsters, known as Ticks. Surrounded by electrical fences, most kids try to survive the Farms by turning on each other… And when trust is a thing of the past, escape is nearly impossible. Lily and her twin sister Mel have a plan. Though Mel can barely communicate, her autism helps her notice things no one else notices—like the portion of electrical fence that gets turned off every night. Getting across won’t be easy, but as Lily gathers what they need to escape, a familiar face appears out of nowhere, offering to help… Carter was a schoolmate of Lily’s in the Before. Managing to evade capture until now, he has valuable knowledge of the outside world. But like everyone on the Farm, Carter has his own agenda, and he knows that behind the Ticks is an even more dangerous threat to the human race...

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

This book surprised me. There are still original vampire stories! I liked this approach of the zombie-like bloodsuckers. The characters were a bit questionable, but the dark world-building made up for it.

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WoW 37.

2013-04-24T19:09:00.000+02:00

Hosted by: Breaking the spine.

Jessica Khoury - Vitro.
January 14th 2014 by Razorbill.

On a remote island in the Pacific, Corpus scientists have taken test tube embryos and given them life. These beings--the Vitros--have knowledge and abilities most humans can only dream of. But they also have one enormous flaw. Sophie Crue is determined to visit Skin Island and find her mother, a scientist who left Sophie behind years ago. She enlists hunky charter pilot Jim Julien to take her there. But once on the island, Sophie and Jim encounter more than they bargained for, including a charming, brilliant Vitro named Nicholas and an innocent, newly awoken one named Lux. In a race for their lives, Sophie and Jim are about to discover what happens when science stretches too far beyond its reach.

I'm so so so so so excited for this book! It sounds like my cup of tea :D It's going to be a long wait.

Victoria Lamb - Witchfall.

July 4th 2013 by Corgi Childrens

London, 1554. At the court of Mary Tudor, life is safe for no one. The jealous, embittered queen sees enemies all around her, and the infamous Spanish Inquisition holds the court in its merciless grip. But Meg Lytton has more reason to be afraid than most - for Meg is a witch, and exposure would mean certain death. Even more perilous, Meg is secretly betrothed to the young priest Alejandro de Castillo; a relationship which they must hide at all costs. In the service of the queen's sister, Princess Elizabeth, Meg tries to use her powers to foretell her mistress's future. But when a spell goes terribly wrong, and Meg begins to have horrifying dreams, she fears she has released a dark spirit into the world, intent on harming her and those around her.

Review 151. Kate Danley – The woodcutter.

2013-04-22T18:54:00.002+02:00

Title: The woodcutter.
Author: Kate Danley.
Pages: 334.
Published: October 14th 2010 (first published January 1st 2010)
Publisher: Createspace.
ISBN: 1453876146 (ISBN13: 9781453876145)
Sort: Stand alone.
Challenge(s): Fairytales.

Cinderella is dead and one of Odin's hellhounds has gone rogue. The Woodcutter, protector of peace between the Twelve Kingdoms of Man and the Realm of Faerie, is charged with finding the beast and returning him to the Wild Hunt. Unfortunately, it seems the forces of evil have other plans. It is a race against time as the Woodcutter travels east of the sun and west of the moon, up beanstalks and down to the bowels of the earth to unravel a mystery that can only be described as Grimm

Rating: 4.5 out of 5. Favorite.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I thought it sounded interesting and I quite liked the cover, so I decided to give it a shot. I’m so happy I did, because it was a wonderful story. I fell in love with the fairytale world Danley created and all her magnificent characters. Be prepared to enter the Twelve Kingdoms filled with a mixture of different fairytales! The story, characters and world-building is so layered and it’s hard to explain the story without giving spoilers. This is the best I can do:

Click to read the complete post -->

Showcase Sunday 28.

2013-04-21T10:25:00.003+02:00

Hosted by: Books, biscuits and tea.

Yet again, some books I found for bargain prices. They were 1.25 euro a piece, so I couldn't resist them. My series are finally completed with the first book, so I can start them. Perhaps you can remember this showcase: books for free? I own two very cheap series now (despite the fact that House of Night seems endless) I've heard great things about Vampire Academy and mixed things about House of Night, so I'm curious. I can always give them back to the charity where I got them :)

Richelle Mead - Vampire Academy 1: Vampire Academy.

P.C Cast & Kristin Cast - House of Night 1: Marked.

P.C Cast & Kristin Cast - House of Night 3: Chosen.

Netgalley was also kind to me. Two books were already available to read (Scrap and Blood between queens. I hope I can read it as a stand-alone, because Goodreads says it's part 5..) I liked Between two thorns and I'm in love with the covers from the series, so I decided to give the second book Any Ohter name a shot.

and I got an ARC from Teresa Ort's 'The year of the great seventh'

That's it for this week! Leave a link to your haul :)

Review 150. J.M Barrie – Peter Pan.

2013-04-19T14:27:00.000+02:00

Title: Peter Pan.
Author: J.M Barrie.
Pages: 185.
Published: January 1st 1995 (first published 1911)
Publisher: Penguin Books.
ISBN: 0140621415 (ISBN13: 9780140621419)
Sort: Stand alone.
Challenge(s): Fairytales.
Source: Gutenberg.org
Rating: 3 out of 5.

The boy who refuses to grow up teaches Wendy and her younger brothers how to fly. Then it's off to magical Neverland for adventures with mermaids, Indians, and wicked Captain Hook and his pirate crew.

It was Friday night. Mr and Mrs Darling were dining out. Nana had been tied up in the backyard. The poor dog was barking, for she could smell danger. And she was right - this was the night that Peter Pan would take the Darling children on the most breath-taking adventure of their lives, to a place called Neverland, a strange country where the lost boys live and never grow up, a land with mermaids, fairies and pirates - and of course the terrible, evil, Captain Hook.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I’m almost ashamed to admit that I’ve never read Peter Pan before. I like the Disney movie version and I absolutely love the retelling from Jodi Lynn Anderson called Tiger Lily. So it was about time to read this one! This is one of the classics I had on my list for this year.

I think everybody knows the story of the famous Peter Pan. I always liked the part where he loses his shadow – and how he is trying to stick it back to his body. This is his first meeting with Wendy. He takes the Darling children to his country Neverland, where he lives with his lost boys. Peter Pan is doomed to live forever (he doesn’t agree with me, though. Peter doesn’t want to grow up) Wendy soon becomes their mother and the three children are slowly starting to forget about their own parents. They have a lot of adventures, of course with Captain Hook. He hates Peter after the boy took his hand and he is always on the run for the ticking crocodile.

I actually didn’t like Peter. He was a strange character. Always boosting about things that never happened or he completely forgets about his new adventures. He can be very unkind. The ending surprised me and I feel sad for him; I don’t think he has any idea what he is actually missing.. Wendy was nice (although I hated her in Tiger Lily) and I like how she is acting as a mother. The lost boys were fun and I love Hook. It’s funny how jealous Tinkerbell is and she has a quite nasty temper. I completely forgot about her mean nature, because she has such a sweet spirit in her own Disney movies.
T
his book was definitely one I had to read, but I don’t think I’m going to re-read it. It was just okay and interesting for one time.

Thanks!

2013-04-17T22:26:00.003+02:00

Thank you all for the "Happy Birthdays" I finally got into the mood when I arrived with my sister at Bagel & Beans. We got the "Sweet special" and it was delicious! From the right bottom all the way against the clock: Blueberry muffin, date cake, some cream cheese, brownie, strawberry jam, cheesecake, bagel with cinnamon & raisins, carrot cake and some candy hearts sprinkled over the dish :D I got freshly squeezed strawberry juice as well, yum! We couldn't eat everything, so I took the muffin and a piece of the date cake with me for my boyfriend. Haha.

I was happy that I got some presents after all. My sister bought a necklace and bracelet today. I got to pick them, so I went for the chuncky chain bracelet with two colors and a necklace with a side way cross (couldn't find a picture).

From my mother in law I received Tess Gerritsen - Last to die (you see the Dutch cover, because I have all her books in this edition)

And I got an awesome English flag case from my sister in law. I've been looking for a case for a while now, so perfect timing (and a little help from my boyfriend who knows my taste :D)
And as a surprise, my father gave me a small Disney purse for my collection. Sweet <3

That's it. I hope to show you a lot of books somewhere around May 4th ;)

WoW 36. It's my birthday!

2013-04-17T00:29:00.001+02:00

Hosted by: Breaking the spine.

I've been so busy! I had a birthday party and on top of that, I'm busy with a presentation and I have an exam coming up on Friday. BUT, it's also my birthday today! I'm starting to feel old, haha. I can't believe how time flies, because I still feel like I'm 16 years.. Wake up Mel, 22 already. I used to love birthdays, but I don't have that feeling anymore.

I don't think I'll be getting any presents today; I'm going to celebrate it together with my sister in a party for family (May 4th) and a separate one for friends :) Luckily for me, my sister and me are both free from school today. We are going to have a High Tea together, I can't wait! I hope I get a little bit of happy-birthday-feeling.

I'm going to share some interesting book titles I've found a while ago.

Click to read the complete post -->

Review 149. Patrick W. Carr – A cast of stones.

2013-04-14T00:48:00.002+02:00

Title: A cast of Stones.
Author: Patrick W. Carr.
Pages: 432.
Published: February 1st 2013.
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
ISBN: 0764210432 (ISBN13: 9780764210433)
Sort: Part 1 of ‘The staff and the sword.’
Challenge(s): Bingo.
Source: Netgalley & Publisher.

In the backwater village of Callowford, Errol Stone's search for a drink is interrupted by a church messenger who arrives with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Desperate for coin, Errol volunteers to deliver them but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travellers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom. Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom's dynasty is near an end and a new king must be selected. As tension and danger mount, Errol must leave behind his drunkenness and grief, learn to fight, and come to know his God in order to survive a journey to discover his destiny.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I haven’t read a fantasy book in a while and A cast of stones definitely reminded me of my love for adult fantasy. I was surprised when I saw that it’s a Christian fiction book, according to Goodreads. There is a special system when it comes to the Church, but the influence of Christendom never bothered me. The book did started a bit slow, but the pleasant writing-style was good enough to grab my attention.

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Feature & Follow (21)

2013-04-12T13:05:00.004+02:00

Alison can read.

Q: We are about to see a lot of posts & tweets about reader conventions, RT, BEA, ALA and many more are starting soon. Which one would you love to attend? Where and why?

I wish I could go to BEA, but that is not something I can do any time soon. I live in The Netherlands and I am a poor student, unfortunately. I would love to attend so I can meet other bloggers! And wouldn't it be great to see all those authors? The fact that you can get (signed) copies from new books is awesome too, I'm not going to lie about that. I definitely wish we had conventions like that over here :)

If you follow, let me know in the comments. Please: only follow if you are truly interested in my blog :)

Review 148. Maureen McGowan – Cinderella.

2013-04-10T22:34:00.000+02:00

Title: Cinderella: Ninja warrior.
Author: Maureen McGowan.
Pages: 309.
Published: April 1st 2011.Publisher: Silver Dolphin Books.
ISBN: 1607102552 (ISBN13: 9781607102557)
Sort: Part one of ‘Twisted tales’
Challenge(s): Fairytales.

In this fast-paced story full of adventure and romance, Cinderella is more than just a servant girl waiting for her prince—she's a tough, fearless girl who is capable of taking charge of a dangerous situation. Seeking to escape the clutches of her evil stepmother, Cinderella perfects her ninja skills and magic talents in secret, waiting for the day when she can break free and live happily ever after. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Cinderella and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read

Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

You can see that I have some bad luck with fairytales lately, but this one was definitely not THAT bad. The low rating is based on the fact that there were too many unbelievable lucky situations and I didn’t connect with the characters.

Cinderella lives with the witch and her two daughters, Agatha & Gwendolyn, after the death of her father. She has one friend: a cat called Max. She is trapped in her house, forced to do all the chores without any appreciation for her hard work. Cinderella did inherited some magic from her deceased mother and she is practicing it every day – together with her Ninja skills. I wished these skills were better explored, but they didn’t add anything to the story in my opinion.

One day, Ty (a royal messenger) invites them all for the special ball. The prince is going to pick one lucky girl to marry him. It is from the beginning very clear who Ty is and I didn’t get the chemistry between Ty and Cinderella. Most scenes were actually cringe worthy and the dialogues were hilarious. Ty is instantly flirting with Cinderella and he practically falls in love with her from the moment he sees her. Yeah, very believable. If it only was that easy huh ;)

It is very easy to predict how this story is going to end, so I will skip that. One thing I liked about this book was the fact you got to pick your own path. There are 8 routes you can take and it was fun to decided Cinderella’s choices. I appreciated the original approach and the way the author created different storylines.

While my rating of 2.5 looks bad, it wasn’t such a horrible book. It’s based on several little things I disliked and it wouldn’t be honest to other books to give it more flowers.

Reverse Author Interviews.

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Hosted by: Book munchies.

Text from their blog: Here at Book Munchies, we enjoy reading other author interviews and see them often featured on quite a number of book blogs. But a thought came to us, those authors never get to ask us anything; we’re always the ones doing the asking. But what if there was something they wanted to know about us? So, Book Munchies has been working to gather questions from a variety of authors about a good mix of topics.

When I got an email from Book Munchies about this event, I knew I had to participate. I haven’t seen anything like this before and it sounded like so much fun. Today, I am going to answer Marissa Meyer’s questions. It’s so awesome, because I love Cinder & Scarlet.

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Review 147. Melissa Marr – Faery Tales & Nightmares.

2013-04-07T19:28:00.001+02:00

Title: Faery Tales & Nightmares.
Author: Melissa Marr.
Pages: 418.
Published: February 21st 2012 (first published February 2nd 2012)
Publisher: HarperCollins.
ISBN: 0061852716 (ISBN13: 9780061852718)
Sort: Stand alone, anthology.
Challenge(s): Paranormal.

Dangerous promises and beguiling threats swirl together in a dozen stories of enchantments dark and light by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr. Uncanny and unexpected creatures appear from behind bushes, rise from beneath the seas, or manifest from seasonal storms to pursue the objects of their attention—with amorous or sinister intent—relentlessly. From the gentle tones of a storyteller’s cadences to the terror of a blood sacrifice, tales of favorite characters from Marr’s Wicked Lovely novels mix with accounts of new characters for readers to fall in love with...or to fear. Lush, seductive, and chilling, Melissa Marr’s stories revel in the unseen magic that infuses the world as we know it. Table of Contents: "Where Nightmares Walk" "Winter's Kiss" "Transition" "Love Struck" "Old Habits" "Stopping Time" "The Art of Waiting" "Flesh for Comfort" "The Sleeping Girl and the Summer King" "Cotton Candy Skies" "Unexpected Family" "Merely Mortal"

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Like you might now, I’m not such a fan of anthologies. I prefer long stories where I can bond with characters, so this book surprised me! Marissa did a great job in spinning stories with a fairytale feeling.

Where nightmares walk was strange. It’s only 2 pages long and there is hardly anything to say about it. My expectations dropped down, but I’m happy to say that Winter’s kiss made me excited again. It’s a fairytale about a girl whose breathe freezes everything around her. She can’t find her place in this world, until she is visited by an ice bear. This meeting is about to change her life. This was one of my favorite stories. Transition is a vampire story and it was a bit strange. It gave me a “meh” feeling. Love struck was great on the other hand. It’s about a Selkie boy called Murrin who is trying to win the love of his true match Alana.

Old habits, Cotton Candy Skies, Stopping time and Unexpected family were hard to follow. These stories belong to the Wicked Lovely series and I couldn’t understand it. I will return to this anthology after reading the series. The art of waiting was interesting, you have to see it for yourself. Flesh for comfort was bizarre, in a good way! It gave me the creeps. The sleeping girl and the Summer king was my other favorite story. It’s about a girl who gets to choose; living forever with the Summer King or ruling the Winter. Fairytale feeling! Merely Mortal was sweet, about the love between the Winter queen and a fairy who became mortal after saving her life.

This book was definitely enjoyable and I think I’m going to take a look at her series. Her writing-style was pleasant enough.