YOU GUYS! You know how some cover reveals you are all like meh? I have no interest in that book so who cares. YO! This book, The Crown Of Embers sequel to The Girl Of Fire And Thorns by Rae Carson is actually a cover I care a lot about! And so today, Rae tweeted the cover and so I asked her permission if I could post about the cover AND SHE SAID YES!!

So without further ado

The Book Cover of Crown And Embers by Rae Carson:

The Crown Of Embers

And further sleuthing on the Harper Collins catalogue brought me to the AWESOME SUMMARY of The Crown Of Embers:

“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. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.”

OH MY GOD YOU GUYS I AM SO EXCITED I CANNOT FREAKIN WAIT! The Crown Of Embers by Rae Carson releases September 18, 2012. And yo, I am waiting with baited breath. OH MY GOD. Get yer preorder on.

And yo, I love this cover. I love the summary. And I am fricken dying to read The Crown Of Embers now. What do you think?

“I never thought about how important the sky was until I didn’t have one…”

I was captivated by the premise of Across The Universe by Beth Revis from the first time I picked it up while book shopping at a soon-to-be closing local bookstore. The two quotes on the back cover of the hardcover edition just seemed to pull me in and I knew that whenever I decided to read Across The Universe, I was going to be going on an adventure. It actually didn’t take me very long to decide to read it either. I bought Across The Universe in mid-January and started reading it in mid-February. As April will tell you, this is a record for me, as I have piles of books that are currently in my TBR pile. Many of which have been there for more time than they ever deserved to be.

Across The Universe

Anyway, enough about me, let’s talk about Across The Universe by Beth Revis. The basic premise of Across The Universe is that Amy Martin and her parents are bound for a new planet in cryo tanks on the spaceship Godspeed. They are supposed to be frozen for the entire three hundred year journey to the new planet however; she is prematurely awakened in a murder attempt, and is forced to enter a new world where nothing is as she remembered it on earth. The world within the spaceship is ruled by manipulation and deception and those in power will do whatever it takes to keep their secrets hidden and a constant level of ‘peace’ upon the ship, including removing the ‘problem’ of Amy herself. Struggling to survive and keep her sanity in this new place, Amy befriends the ships future leader, Elder, and together they work at discovering the hidden secrets of the ship, and the hidden agenda of those running it. But can Amy really trust Elder? Or is he just like the others in power on the ship?

Frex.  I love Across The Universe by Beth Revis. The main character, Amy, kicks ass. Even though, she’s scared about so many things that are occurring on the ship after the wakes up, she still attempts to be strong and does her best to hold her own against people who want to destroy her.  Another reason that I love her beyond her strength as a character is her connection to Earth, and how she has a character makes you realize and feel that the monotheistic and complacent attitude aboard the ship is just so wrong. I also adore Elder. The ship is the only place he’s ever known but, he is drawn to the world outside it, and there is something within him telling him that the world that he has been living in is wrong. Meeting Amy helps push those internal concerns to the forefront of Elder’s mind, and reading what he does with them and how he interacts with her and the others around him because of them, is simply page-turning goodness!

Besides the characters, another thing that made Across The Universe a page turner is the beautiful imagery and creative scenery that is presented by Beth Revis.  The spaceship Godspeed does not actually exist but when you are reading Across The Universe, it almost feels as if it does. The manipulation of the Earth scenery aboard the ship is both compelling and thought provoking as it does make you question the things that you actually take for granted here on Earth. The isolated society aboard the ship also makes you question what one may be willing to sacrifice in order to just simply survive. With my background in psychology (and a bit of sociology), I love books that make you think while allowing you still enjoy coming alone for the ride.  Simply put, I cannot say enough about Across The Universe by Beth Revis and I cannot wait to read the sequel A Million Suns very, very, soon!

Disclosure: Purchased Copy

Other reviews of Across The Universe by Beth Revis:

Gone With The Words
YA Bibliophile
Hitting On Girls In Bookstores
For Love And Books

Stay tuned for April’s recap of the Breathless Reads signing posting later today with a chance to win a signed copy of Across The Universe!

Yo, I swear Jessica Spotswood must have read my brain or something, because you guys alternate fantasy history about the Salem Witch Trials is EXACTLY the sort of book I want to read and what is delivered by Born Wicked — Spotswood’s debut novel and the first of a trilogy –The Cahill Witch Chronicles.

Born Wicked

When Cate Cahill’s mother dies, she swears to protect her sisters. You see, Cate and her sisters Tess and Maura are witches. Being a witch is outlawed by the patriarchal society in which they live which is run by a powerful  group of religious men known as The Brotherhood. Not to mention, Cate has to choose between marriage and joining the Sisterhood by her birthday which is in six months. Girl can’t catch a break.

OMG. YOU GUYS. YOU GUYS. I just want to wave my arms around and yell about all of the cool things involved in Jessica Spotswood’s world building within Born Wicked. The alternate history is legit. I mean, I’m the kid that perked up in history class. So I just love Born Wicked’s re-imagining of the past. I loved how Spotswood shows the issue of patriarchy and how it totally sucks to be subjugated by men who are scared of women.

And yo, I fricken LOVED Cate Cahill. I loved how she always has her sisters’ backs. How she tries desperately to do the right thing. How she sacrifices for her sisters, even though Maura is too much of a brat to appreciate it. ALSO Cate’s feelings for the wrong boy — Finn Belastra? SWOON CITY!! Seriously slow burn is going on here. And you guys we get my favorite thing to read — seeing Cate’s feelings evolve and change for Finn, when she notices she has a crush and just a touch on the arm is electrifying. Meltypants. That is all. Meltypants.

I had the pleasure of listening to Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood on audiobook. It is produced by Penguin Audio and is narrated by Nicole Sudhaus and is 8 hours and 55 minutes unabridged. Nicole Sudhaus has a very feminine, soft voice which I wasn’t in love with at first. HOWEVER, it actually really works for the story and sounds like you’d expect a proper young lady from early American history recounting her story to sound.

Disclosure: Received for review from the publisher.

Other reviews of Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood:

YA Bibliophile
Tales Of A Ravenous Reader
The Reading Date
Forever Young Adult
Hobbitsies

In My Mailbox, for those of you who are totally new to book blogging or have never visited a book blog before, is a meme started by Kristi at The Story Siren, where we show off the awesome new books we got during the week then go visit a billion other blogs to see what books they got during the week. In all, a super fun community builder.

Dual New Books

For Review:

Girl Meets Boy: Because There Are Two Sides To Every Story edited by Kelly Milner Halls (Vine) — I’ve already started reading this, it’s not bad so far.

The Wicked And The Just by J. Anderson Coats (Vine) – You guys I am so excited for this book! It is YA historical fiction set in Medieval Wales. FUCKYEAHWALES. Yo. Also a 2012 Debut!

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama (Netgalley) – This book has garnered amazing reviews SO FAR and okay I can check out a mermaid book for those kind of reviews.

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks (Netgalley) – Might as well roll with these ocean/mermaid type books.

Y’all, book blogging is a huge, monumental task to take on by yourself. Like many of you, I bust ass to put out rocking content every single day, occasionally taking a weekend day off or a holiday from posting. Sometimes, I’d like that pressure to ease up. And yo, apparently somebody up in the sky has delivered, because I have a new member joining my team, my very dear friend Allison L.

Is This The Sea World? I'm on the left Allison is on the right with the blonde hair

Okay, so sometimes it is REALLY scary telling people you know in real life about your book blog. And while it is nothing like a baby or anything, I still have that kind of ugly baby fear — you know you get scared people might think your baby is ugly. Or maybe  I am just shallow? ANYWAYS. Allison was one of the first people to read and check out Good Books And Good Wine in my real life. And, what do you know, she’s been very supportive of it, occasionally popping on to comment from time to time. Also, she lets me drag her to book signings and the like. AND when I say OMG OMG OMG READ THIS BOOK, she actually does it. So, Allison and I have been talking and I was like, bro, you are so much smarter than me, what with your master’s degree and all and your sensible way of thinking. And Allison is all like, I know. And I’m like, so will you join Good Books And Good Wine? I would love to have you as a co-blogger. And Allison is all like, LET’S DO THIS. And then she’s like here are some reviews. And I’m like OH MY GOD I HATE YOU. Because she is intelligent with her writing in a way that I am not. And so, I’d love it if you all gave Allison a very warm welcome.

Allison at Disney World

A little bit of background on Allison and I: We’ve known each other since like fifth or sixth grade — elementary school was kind of a blur, when we met at this thing our school did called Saturday Schoolyard. We were both in the program for book lovers. Of course. I vividly remember us reading about Lily’s purple plastic purse. Our friendship solidified throughout the upcoming years as we had similar friends. She did marching band and was actually good at it. I joined too, junior year of high school and was bad at it. We had various adventures including the one time my parents went away for the night and left me with no supervision. Eventually we went to college and Allison transferred over to my college, which let me tell you was AWESOME. I mean, Allison and I had class together and she would often be the one to be like, dude you cannot skip class today! Yep, Allison is responsible and NOT flakey. THEN our friendship went up to the level of 11 when we took a road trip to Florida. And you know how on road trips you either get closer with your friends or you decide you secretly hate them? Allison and I got even CLOSER as friends. Anyways, now that we are adults and living like 45 minutes apart we still get together every now and then and talk books and meet authors and eat awesome food. And so, I can’t think of a better person to invite to co-blog at Good Books And Good Wine than my girl, Allison.

Allison The Smart Cookie

I used to be the type of person who said I only run if being chased. I never got into exercising and working out until college. Anyways, to cut to the chase, I’ve been working on Couch To 5K- taking a long break when my knees hurt just to walk. Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall entered my vision at about this time and I promptly put the audiobook on hold at my library.

Born To Run

Born To Run by Christopher McDougall opens with the author experiencing pains in his foot after running and looking to doctors to fix it and be able to run again. Various doctors tell him he shouldn’t run any more. So, Christopher McDougall ignores his doctor and searches for a solution on his own. His search leads him to the world of ultra running and eventually to a reclusive Mexican tribe, the Tarahumara, who run long distances barefoot and actually outrun their prey.

Born To Run is a fascinating look at the unadulterated joy of running, peppered with criticism of the athletic shoe industry. Apparently running shoes are bad for you and barefoot running will prevent injury. I was SO surprised by this that I actually ended up spending time on the Vibram Five Finger Running Shoe website looking at a new pair.  I know that is weird. But, I think that Born To Run by Christopher McDougall will appeal to athletic non-fiction fans.

I listened to the unabridged audio of BornTo Run produced by Listening Library and narrated by Fred Sanders. The audiobook is 11 hours and 9 minutes long. Sanders  sounded to me like one of my dad’s smart drinking buddies. Seriously, you know those middle aged guys with interesting stories to tell over beers — that is what he sounds like, which DEFINITELY appeals to me. I will state that Born To Run may not appeal to an audio beginner, but I do recommend this to experienced audiophiles looking to branch out of their comfort zones.

Disclosure: Borrowed from my local library.

Other reviews of Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall:

Helen’s Book Blog
Let’s eat Grandpa!

After finishing The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas, I had to immediately let my contemporary loving friends know how great it is. I practically burst into song with praises for The Survival Kit. You see, on first glass at the description, a reader might thing blah, joust another grief book, but I’m here to say with ALL my wisdom – don’t dismiss The Survival Kit. Donna Freitas’s style is similar to Sarah Dessen and honestly The Survival Kit is such a tender book, I loved it.

The Survival Kit

Rose’s mother died of cancer over the summer. Bereft, Rose finds herself unable to enjoy the same things she did before – music, her boyfriend Chris, cheerleading. Overcome by grief, Rose looks for a favorite dress of her mother’s and finds a survival kit there — with tools to help Rose move past her pain. What ensues is a touching read with unexpected characters, swoons, and yes, some tears.

Yo, I am ALL about a quiet character driven novel. The Survival Kit is one of those books. I thought I would dislike Rose because she’s an it-girl. But you guys, she’s genuine. And then her cheerleader friends I thought would be mean and backbiting. NOPE. Oh, you guys, I feel for Rose’s BFF Krupa, an Indian girl who gave just the right amount of space and tough love.

THEN there is Will, the landscaper hockey player boy who captivates Rose. He’s far from perfect, but brings the swoons hardcore. What I love about him is that he is absolutely not a dick. I hate that I have to point that out about a character, but okay, yes he does some things that I personally, would not do, but when it comes down to it, he’s a great male character.

The plot of The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas isn’t action, action, action – but one drive by the personal growth of the characters. I had deep emotions for the characters – which I think comes from how real The Survival Kit feels. Authentic emotions feel the page. I did not feel manipulated into tears. Instead, I cheered whenever Rose would figure out what an item from her survival kit was for, and whenever her support system would come together. I love that. I like reading a book where I am not constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. And maybe, I make it sound boring because it’s not dramarama, BUT if you are reading for emotions and connections, The Survival Kit  has you covered.

If you are like me and love quiet, character driven books, just place a hold on The Survival Kit at your library or order it. SERIOUSLY CONTEMPORARY GOLD UP IN HURRRR.

Disclosure: Borrowed from my local library.

Other review of The Survival Kit by Donna Freitas:

GReads!
The Reading Housewives Of Indiana
The Reading Date
Tripping Books
The Allure Of Books

The One And Only Ivan is quite a departure from Katherine Applegate’s Animorphs series, allowing for Applegate’s writing to truly shine in this middle grade break out novel. Ivan is a silver back gorilla who has lived in captivity as a feature at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall And Video Arcade for 27 years. He is resigned to his fate. Until one day a baby elephant named Ruby arrives and Ivan must make a change.

The One And Only Ivan

Katherine Appelgate uses an unusual writing style in The One And Only Ivan. It is told from the first person point of view of Ivan. Ivan is not one to waste words and feels that humans talk too much. The prose is sparse and is very close to being free verse. The style absolutely works for the story and does not feel gimmicky.

The One And Only Ivan has a stellar cast of characters. One roots for Ivan and hopes he will leave The Big Top Mall. The best thing, however, about Ivan is seeing his interactions with the other characters. We get to see how much Ivan cares about his friends: Bob, the free dog, Stella the old elephant with the vast memory and young, stubborn Ruby. Even the humans are interesting characters  – not all of them are portrayed as bad.

The book effortlessly weaves themes of captivity and animal mistreatment. One can see how for the elephants, the mall is not nearly as spacious for them – it’s not an ideal living situation. Ivan’s boredom from his captivity intersects with his discovery of art — and how the ways he uses art mark his changes. THEN we also get themes of principles and sticking to one’s convictions, all wrapped up in a wonderful package.

The One And Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is a quiet read, but absolutely recommended to young animal lovers. It is full of heart and a touching, affecting story.

Disclosure: Received for review via Amazon Vine.

Other reviews of The One And Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate:

Abby The Librarian
Krazy Karyn’s Books And More

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the Broke And The Bookish and was created by Jamie at The Perpetual Page Turner.

You ever play the burning building game? You know when you ask someone — if you were in a fire and you could only save X amount of items what would you save? This week’s Top Ten Tuesday topic is pretty much a book lover’s version of that game.

The Top 10 Books I Would Save From A Burning Building:

1. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling

I've caught the golden snitch!

Why? The Harry Potter books have SO MUCH sentimental value for me. My Harry Potter books were actually gifted to me for Christmas, and since I rarely get books as presents, they mean a lot.

2. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

The Phantom Tollbooth

Why? My copy is battered and old and has seen me through so many tough times and good times and old romances and current romance. It just means A LOT to me.

3.To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee leatherbound B&N edition

To Kill A Mocking Bird

Why? Even though it is the B&N edition and not worth a whole lot, I think the leatherbound edition of To Kill A Mockingbird is the most gorgeous of all my editions (I have 4 copies).

4. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief

Why? Although I could just buy another copy, and I have purchased multiple copies, there is no way in hell I would let The Book Thief burn up in a fire. It just would not feel right.

5. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Revolution

Why? My copy is a signed first edition and again, has sentimental value because that was from the first launch party I ever attended.

6. The Knife Of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

The Knife of Never Letting Go

Why? The characters within, Todd and Manchee and Viola are too precious to lose.

7. The Mists Of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

The Mists Of Avalon

Why? I have the most beautiful hardcover edition of The Mists Of Avalon and I would just hate to have to hunt for another edition and know that I would definitely have to pay much more than what I originally paid.

8. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver signed copy

Before I Fall

Why? I have two copies of Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. One is the hardback I bought when it first came out, that I use for lending and YAvangelism. The other is a signed hardback that means a lot to me.

9. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Why? My copy has seen a lot of hands and traveled through many people. It’s weird, but sometimes I think books that have been read by many people, a physical copy I mean, means A LOT. Like, it doesn’t change the content inside passing the book around, but it definitely impacts the readers, that one physical book and I like having that sort of evidence, that MY book was passed around by non-YA readers who actually gave it a chance. That is dumb, yes. BUT important to ME.

10. The Once And Future King by TH White hardback edition

The Once And Future King

Why? I have two copies of The Once And Future King, one is softcover and one is hardcover. The hardcover edition is exactly the same cover and everything of the original copy I read which was borrowed from the library. And again, weird habit of mine, but I love owning the same cover/same edition that I originally read, as opposed to whatever new or updated edition it is. I am very sentimental, I suppose.

The stakes are high in Partials by Dan Wells. The year is 2076, 99% of humanity has died. The humans left have gathered on Long Island. A baby is born every day, but none live longer than a day or two thanks to the RM virus. Kira Walker, main character, is a determined young medic who will go to any length to find a cure for RM.

Partials

Partials by Dan Wells is an intense and thrilling read. It is understandably fast passed – as Kira’s goal to find a cure becomes a race against time. There is SO much action – from the scavenging missions to potential revolution. I rarely found myself bored while reading Partials. As a reader, one can’t help but root for Kira and the remaining humans – as they try to survive against horrible odds.

Dan Wells is a skilled world builder. Partials features a nuanced society where most of the people are not explicitly good or bad, but shades of grey. Partials shows a post-apocalytpic world and how civilization might look when only 1% of the human population is left. There’s a rebel group – The Voice, and then the leaders of society -the Senate- and outside of Long Island – the Partials, genetically engineered people. As readers we are privy to the struggle for power and Wells explores where ruling power is truly derived from. It’s fascinating to see how these factions intersect and play off each other.

In the middle of these power struggles is Kira Walker. She’s a well developed character with much to admire. Her traits are among my favorites and what I seek out when I read. Kira is self-sacrificing, sarcastic, intelligent, and brace. Yet she is not without vulnerability. Kira is not a fighting machine. She is very much a three dimensional character. Plus the cast of characters surrounding Kira is wonderful – from her love interest Marcus who actually does not treat her like a possession, to her scavenging crew to the mysterious Senate leaders who seem stuck in the past. I loved that the cast of characters were well-rounded and had clearly defined personalities. None of the characters seemed to blend with each other. There is zero blandness in Partials.

If you like films and books with viral outbreaks, enjoy science fiction and the current post-apocalyptic fare – Partials by Dan Wells might be just the ticket for you.

Disclosure: Received for review via Amazon Vine.

Other Reviews of Partials by Dan Wells:

Miss Remmers’ Reviews
Justin’s Book Blog
Good Choice Reading