Not Just Nonsense

Early Review: Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

2012-05-31T10:50:00.001-03:00

Expected publication: June 5th 2012 by Feiwel & Friends

Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

A huge store isn’t the worst place to be stranded. There’s food and water, bedding and books. But what if it’s not safe to leave? Emmy Laybourne had us from the get-go with her utterly fresh and fast-paced debut.

Six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids are trapped together in a chain superstore. Together they build a refuge for themselves inside, while outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapon spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia

Publication Date: June 5th 2012

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Format: eARC, 294 pages

Series: no

Source: Netgalley

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My review

Dean and his brother Alex are late for the bus. And as they run for it, they can never imagine this might be the last time they'll see their parents. On the way to school a terrible hail storm hits the city. But this isn't ordinary hail. These are enormous balls, heavy enough to start breaking the windows and making dents in the roof of the school buses. The students are hurt and there a couple of casualties, but eventualy they end up in the momentary safety of the inside of a superstore. There are kids from fifth grade to high school seniors. And they have to fend for themselves until help comes. If it ever will.

Inside the store are fourteen people: Dean, who is in love with super athlete Astrid, whom is dating Jake, the hot jock. Niko, the boy scout, likes Josie, the girl with a serious head concussion who eventually gets better and hooks up with Brayden, the jerk. And then there is Sahalia, the thirteen year-old that wants to be a grown-up and Alex, the pre-adolescent tech genious. And the six little kids who all want their momies.

The Network, which has never gone down, is not working. So there is no contact with the outside world. Their only source of information from the outside comes from an old slim TV, that is considered completely outdated, but, unlike everything else, works without The Network. That's how they discover that there's been an 8.2 earthquake, the biggest volcano eruption and tsunami ever documented and, if that wasn't bad enough, that there has been a leak of chemical warfare compounds from NORAD. A chemical leak that forms a very thick cloud all over the city and, if inhaled, causes different reactions depending on the blood type of the individual. Blood type O can become bloodthirsty, losing their minds and killing anything in sight. Blood type A can have blisters all over their bodies, which can make them hemorrhage to death. Blood type AB can hallucinate and blood type B can have no reactions on the outside at all, but become sterile.

After a few days go by and they start to accept that maube nobody is coming, the teens begin to argue about who is in charge and who makes the decisions. Should they enjoy their days and play and have fun with all the store has available? Or should they organize everything, calcute how long their provisions will last, control the electric power to last longer, etc? It was fascinating to see them react to the problems that kept coming up and find the solutions. To see them deal with the issues at hand, see them deal with the very difficult small kids and with each other.

The book showed some kinds of situations you never even imagine can ever happen, so it's good to know what is possible to do with the items at hand and how to act if certain circumstances ever come up. It may be fiction, but, however unlikely, not everything there is impossible.

I really, really enjoyed the book as a whole. There was never a dull moment, everything that happened was exciting and surprising and intriguing and made you want more and more and more... but the ending was SO very frustrating. I wish there was an epilogue or something, so we know what really happens, how it really ends. From the first sentence I knew I would really enjoy this book. And I wasn't wrong. But even though I was seriously stirred up by the plot and the characters and everything, I just wasn't satisfied with the ending at all. But I really recommend it!! Monument 14 is amazingly creative, absurdly engaging.

If you like post-apocalyptic and dystopian YAs with a strong survival theme, some romance and drama thrown in the mix, you'll really enjoy Monument 14.

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

Teaser Tuesday #25

2012-05-29T09:44:00.000-03:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read

       • Open to a random page
      • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
      • Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

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

"Sometimes I wonder if there's something wrong with me. Perhaps I've spent too long in the company of my literary romantic heroes, and consequently my ideals and expectations are far too high."
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

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That quote hits so close to home it's scary. O.o

Oh, man. This book... it has such great scenes and such stupid/badly written ones. The characters are so... not-believable most of the time, but sometimes they feel almost touchable. But one thing is for sure: The author can certainly write great sex scenes (especially the 'vanilla' ones, in my opinion. Quite, QUITE hot.). Even if the rest of the 400 and so pages are pure fanfic/amateur style. I'm looking forward to watching the movie adaptation. It will probably be better than the book. ('cause it can't possibly be worse.). LOL.

It's not that bad, really... it's just not very good. But people don't really read it for the story... so it's all good. :P

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #23

2012-05-28T10:51:00.000-03:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey.

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

I'm Currently Reading:

Fifty Shades of
Grey
(more like Fifty Shades of weird, boring and TOO long and fanfic-like.)

Finished:

Generation Dead (I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. :)
Unleashed (don't even get me started on this-... this- ARGH!)
Land of the Living (Torturously boring)

Reviews posted:

Early Review: All These Lives by Sarah Wylie

Next Reads:

Blackwood
(I'll find time for this one this week. I have to!)
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Well, what are you reading this week? Let me know. :)
Mine was a particularly slow week because I was part of a student Congress that took four (reading) days of my life, so I couldn't read much. LOL.

Stacking the Shelves #5

2012-05-27T09:45:00.000-03:00

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

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

This week I got:

From an online store:

Gone
(I've been meaning to read this one for a while.)
Nightshade

(Love this new cover!)

For review, from Netgalley I got:

Precisely Terminated
Skylark
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What did you get this week?

#FF - Feature and Follow #24

2012-05-25T00:13:00.000-03:00

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

Q: Activity! Dreamcast your current read.

At this exact moment I am 'between reads' (just finished something and it's too late in the night to start another), so maybe I'll go with my forever favorite, Acheron. (Yup, this is yet another excuse to gush over that delicious - though fictitious - man)

So, to cast Acheron we need someone incredibly, delightfully, surprisingly and 'Godly' tall, strong and hot... the one person who comes to mind RIGHT now is (surprise, surprise!) CHRIS HEMSWORTH!!!

Seriously now, you guys. Just look at those ~~arms~~ eyes. Isn't he absolutely dreamy???

Since this is my cast/my movie, I won't even bother choosing other characters. As a matter of fact, the rest of the movie doesn't really matter to me at all, as long as Chris is in it.

(And that goes for Snow White and the Huntsman, too. Yes, Chris, I'll even bear to watch that ~~weirdo~~ Kristen JUST because of you, babe.)

But tell me! What book did you cast? :)

If you're a new follower, please let me know so I can return the follow.

You can follow by GFC, Networked Blogs or any other way you feel like.

Early Review: All These Lives by Sarah Wylie

2012-05-24T10:11:00.001-03:00

All These Lives
by Sarah Wylie

Expected publication: June 5th 2012 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Sixteen-year-old Dani is convinced she has nine lives. As a child she twice walked away from situations where she should have died. But Dani’s twin, Jena, isn’t so lucky. She has cancer and might not even be able to keep her one life. Dani’s father is in denial. Her mother is trying to hold it together and prove everything’s normal. And Jena is wasting away.

To cope, Dani sets out to rid herself of all her extra lives. Maybe they’ll be released into the universe and someone who wants to live more than she does will get one. Someone like Jena. But just when Dani finds herself at the breaking point, she’s faced with a startling realization. Maybe she doesn’t have nine lives after all. Maybe she really only ever had one.

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Publication Date: June 5th 2012

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Format: eARC, 245 pages

Series: no

Source: Netgalley

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My Review

First line: This is how it feels to die: It starts from outside and works its way in.

Last line: She looks a lot like my sister.

Favorite quote: "Most people think the biggest sacrifice, the greatest act of love you can give is to die for someone.

And probably it is.

But Sometimes it is the opposite.

The biggest thing you can do for someone is to live."

Sixteen-year-old Dani has survived a couple of situations in which she was very close to dying during her younger years, and she also remembers her mother telling her, in a playful way, that she takes after herself. That she is the girl with nine lives. Now, she's older and has to see her fraternal twin, Jana, go through the most horrible treatments for cancer. She can't even help by donating her marrow, because, incredibly enough, they're not compatible.

But Dani is convinced she can help in another way. She has nine lives. Enough lives to spare. So she decides she'll throw a few of them up into the universe, hoping her sister will be able to 'capture' them and get better. But by doing so, she manages to push away the few friends she still has and to convince everyone she's trying to kill herself. But they don't understand. She's just trying to save her sister.

Her parents are trying very hard to act like things are normal, like nothing much has changed, but everything has. Jena specially. Dani can hardly recognize her sister anymore. She's so small, so weak, so sick and defeated. The smallest fever can bring her down, and she has almost daily visits to the hospital. At school, Jana's old friends act like she never even existed, and Dani can't stand that. So she finds comfort in teasing/bullying her classmate Jack when she feels like talking or just hanging out with her only friend, Lauren, (who just can't shut up) when she feels like losing herself in her thoughts.

She also hangs out with bad boy Spencer, who seems to like her quite a bit, but quickly manages to push him away when she decides to crash his Harley for one of her soul 'deliveries'. Even though she still goes to school and random auditions to please her parents, Dani has really given up on studying and acting. Both things she used to be very good at. But now she has other priorities in life. Like trying to lose her lives.

I loved this cover. From the minute I saw it I knew I had to read this book. And it was SO good! I normally try to avoid much drama, but Danielle was such a complex character. She's trying so hard to pretend she's okay, that she's not freaking out on the inside about the possibility of losing her sister any day now. On the outside she tries to look like a very funny, very carefree person, (and she has some really great humorous quotes! Cracked me up quite a bit), but we can see she's trying too hard. I really, really liked her. And Jana, the poor girl, was so sweet, also trying to hide how pissed and depressed she was about the disease. They broke my heart.

I'm not one for very dramatic and sad books, but once in a while a gem like this attracts me and I can't help but let it take over my life for a couple of hours. Probably because I always forget that after all the suffering, they usually leave me a feeling like having one's soul somewhat... lighter.

Sarah Wylie is a very talented writer. She sucks you into the story, she honestly makes you care about the characters and feel what they're feeling. There's no better way to read a story than to feel like you're part of it. Too bad we can't change it.

If you like your YA with realistic fiction, dramatic family issues and very well-written characters and situations, you'll be blown away by All these Lives.

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

Teaser Tuesday / Recommendation #24

2012-05-22T10:41:00.000-03:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read

       • Open to a random page
      • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
      • Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

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

“Yes. Reyn is our resident horse master. He has an excellent seat."

I grinned. "I've noticed."

Reyn's face tightened and Nell flushed, looking embarrassed. "It's an equestrian term."

"Really? I thought you were talking about his ass.”

_________________________

This book was so much better than I could have ever expected. Really, I thought it would be kind of boring or just too juvenile, or something. Well, it shut me up pretty nicely. It was fantastic!!! Much more people should give it a try. It's very, very worth it. And I was NOT payed to say that. :)

What's your teaser this week?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #22

2012-05-21T10:58:00.001-03:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey.

Reviews posted:

Early Review: Lethal Rider

Next Reads:

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What are you reading this week?

Stacking the Shelves #4

2012-05-20T10:12:00.003-03:00

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

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

This week I got:

From an online store:

Enthralled

(That's my first YA anthology. I hope it's good)

Succubus Revealed

(I loved it so much I had to get a physical copy.)

For review, from Netgalley I got:

The Unquiet
(And read it already! Very good!)
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What did you get this week?

#FF - Feature and Follow #23

2012-05-18T10:36:00.001-03:00

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

Q: Summer Break is upon us! What would be the perfect vacation spot for you to catch up on your reading & relax?

I would love to visit Scotland and/or Ireland. They both look so, so beautiful!! And I hear the people there are really nice. :) I'd probably end up doing more than just reaidng, though.Oh, and the plane travels alone would be perfect time for reading. LOL.

______________________

Where would you like to go to relax and read?

If you are a new follower, please let me know so I can return the favor.
(You may follow the blog by GFC, Networked Blogs or e-mail.)

Early Review: Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #3) by Larissa Ione

2012-05-17T10:18:00.000-03:00

Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #3)
by Larissa Ione

May 22nd 2012 by Grand Central Publishing

Thanatos, the most deadly Horseman of the Apocalypse, has endured thousands of years of celibacy to prevent the end of days. But just one night with the wickedly sexy Aegis Guardian, Regan Cooper, shatters centuries of resolve. Yet their passion comes with a price. And Thanatos must face a truth more terrifying than an apocalypse-he's about to become a father.

Demon-slayer Regan Matthews never imagined herself the maternal type, but with the fate of the world hanging in the balance she had no choice but to seduce Thanatos and bear his child. Now, as the final battle draws closer and his rage at being betrayed is overshadowed by an undeniable passion for the mother of his child, Thanatos has a life-shattering realization: To save the world, he must sacrifice the only thing he's ever wanted-a family.

Genre: Young Adult, Steampunk

Publication Date: May 1st 2012
Publisher: Amulet Books

Format: eARC, 368 pages

Series: ?

Source: Netgalley

_______________________________________________________

My Review:

First line: Regan Matthews was going to die

Last line: Too spoilery.

Favorite quote: From virgin to dad in zero to sixty.

Guardian Regan Matthews is pregnant and almost ready to deliver. Normally women in her situation would be thrilled, counting the minutes and preparing everything for the new arrival... but hers is a quite different situation.

First of all, her baby was conceived in a very unorthodox way, one that made the father-to-be freak out and decide to kill her. So now she's in hiding and he's in an induced 'coma' of sorts, thanks to his siblings. A very strange situation, indeed. But it gets weirder. How? Well, the father is Thanatos, the Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse. A.k.a Death, if his Seal breaks.

And in Thanatos' mind, Regan, an OCD Aegis Guardian and psychometric empath with other gifts, has tried to purposefully break his Seal. After drugging him with an aphrodisiac and trapping him in his own body with one of her abilities. Practically 'raping' him to end the world. Even if he did enjoy it immensely and wants to do it again, he's still majorly pissed off and wanted to kill her. Until he found out she was pregnant with his baby, of course. He did get pissed off all over again when she told him they wouldn't be raising the baby.

Regan feels terrible for what happened that day. She really regrets it, but she was drugged as well, by one of Than's vampires, and didn't notice that Thanatos was 'restrained' by her powers at all. She also was not aware that there was a possibility os his Seal breaking and releasing the Apocalypse on Earth. As a matter of fact, she was made to believe quite the contrary. And now she's knocked up by a very, very mad Horseman. Very hot, too. Who wants her to make up for the eight months in which he was trapped by his siblings so as not to kill many people with his rage. And he wants her to make up for this time sexually. While they try to understand each other, his brother, whose Seal broke and is now known as Pestilence, is wreaking havoc all around the world. And he wants to kill his baby.

Oh, man. I've been waiting patiently to read this gem for months now!!! Thanatos is the perfect example of the wounded, flawed hero. And super hot and damaged. How can a girl not go crazy over that?

It was kind weird to read about a man going on about how his virginity/his seed/his innocence were stolen, though. You usually expect a heroine to whine about that kind of thing. LOL. But it was completely understandable. He wasn't overly whiny about it, thankfully. Just indignant for a while. Then things became much more interesting.

Larissa Ione always manages to surprise me with the depth of her characters and the twists in all of her plots. When you finally think you're getting something... everything changes. LOL. It should be frustrating, but it's really refreshing. Thanatos has been my favorite character ever since the first book in the series, so I was in absolute heaven just reading more and more about him. He suffered so much... it felt good to see him finally find some happiness.

Also, her angels are very different from what we are used to expect from angels, so that, too, is quite fascinating to read about. No perfect little goody-shoes in these books. They are good, of course, but even they are not perfect... and even their goodness can go bad. LOL.

But I particularly want to see more of Harvester. She gives me very mixed feelings. Oh, and I'm dying to know what really went on in Reaper's past. And what awaits him in the future... The curiosity is burning me up!

Not to mention that I want to see more of Reseph/Pestilence. Like, right NOW. You are killing me, Mrs. Ione!!! In a good way, obviously. Sort of. LOL. That first chapter only served to make me squirm! December, come quick. :X

If you don't mind some spoilers, check out the synopsis for Rogue Rider. It sounds like it will be out-of-this-world good. :)

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

Dirty Little Secret #14

2012-05-17T10:08:00.003-03:00

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by us at Under the Covers. Every Thursday we get to know other bloggers and our readers more intimately by asking them a question hoping to reveal their dirty little secrets. We hope that you will all join us!

This week's question:

If you could read one book again for the first time,

which one would you pick and why?

Oh. You mean, in order to relive all the awesomeness, the surprises and backstabbings and the excitement all over again, like it was the actual first time? Well, I'd definitely go with my favorite of this year, which is still quite fresh in my heart and mind:

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

This book is also known as The Gathering Dark. :)

It was seriously, incredibly, amazingly good. I cannot stress it enough.
Ok, ok... that's enough. :P

What book would you choose?

"Waiting On" Wednesday #24

2012-05-16T10:08:00.000-03:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Right now what I really want to read is:

Arise (Hereafter #2)
by Tara Hudson

Expected publication: June 5th 2012 by Harper Collins

Amelia—still caught between life and death—must fight for every moment of her relationship with the human boy Joshua. They can hardly even kiss without Amelia accidentally dematerializing. Looking for answers, they go to visit some of Joshua’s Seer relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia ends up with more questions than answers…and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can never have a future together.Wandering through the French Quarter, Amelia meets other in-between ghosts, and begins to seriously consider joining them. And then she meets Gabrielle. Somehow, against impossible odds, Gaby has found a way to live a sort of half-life...a half-life for which Amelia would pay any price. Torn between two worlds, Amelia must choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the netherworld choose for her.

___________________________

I really enjoyed Hereafter, so now I'm looking forward to reading this sequel. :) Hopefully it will be just as good!

Great cover, too, huh? It will go beautifully with the first one. (Yup. I'm such a cover whore...).

What are you waiting on?

Teaser Tuesday #23

2012-05-15T10:59:00.000-03:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read

       • Open to a random page
      • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
      • Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

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

"You got that right. It's indicative of an aneurysm, get it? Brain bleed? Nothing good, in other words. But you got better while I watched. Which is impossible."
"About as impossible as you still walking around alive. And I told you, I'm a quick healer. Got anything to eat around here?"
"I'm supposed to feed you now? After you tried to kill me?"
"I'm hungry," he whined.
"Tell it to the judge." She reached for the phone, found it gone, then spotted the pieces of the handset all over the floor.

Derik's Bane by MaryJanice Davidson

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Some people hate MaryJanice's work because she's just so light, funny and quick with her stories... but I love her especially for that. Sometimes less is more. :) Which means, to me, that sometimes less narrative and just plain quick, witty dialogues do it for me. :P
There isn't ONE story she wrote that I didn't like, but, obviously, I have my favorites (The werewolves and Betsy Taylor).
She's not that famous yet, either. But you can check her out here. She's hilarious. And a genius. And I was NOT payed to gush over her like that. At all. LOL.

What's your teaser this week?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #21

2012-05-14T12:01:00.001-03:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey.

Reviews posted:

Early Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Early Review: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brow

Next Reads:

Shift
_______________________________

What are you reading this week?

Stacking the Shelves #3

2012-05-12T22:29:00.001-03:00

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

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

This week I got:

From an online swap:

Unleashed
(I thought it'd have the pretty blue cover, but... better than no book.)
Ashes
(I've been dying to read this one! Love the creepy cover.)
Academy 7
(More dystopia!)

For review, from Netgalley I got:

Blackbirds
Glitch
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They all look so good, don't they?

What did you get this week?

Early Review: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brow

2012-05-12T10:02:00.000-03:00

Lies Beneath (Lies Beneath #1)

by Anne Greenwood Brow

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistible good looks and charm on unsuspecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publication Date: June 12th 2012

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Format: eARC, 303 pages

Series: yes

Source: Netgalley
________________________________

My Review

First line: I hadn't killed anyone all winter, and I have to say I felt pretty good about that.

Last line: The memory of her kisss was still fresh on my lips and I knew, with Lily, I was both free and imprisoned for all eternity.

Calder White is a merman. He hasn't killed anyone all winter, but he's almost literally dying to. Real merpeople are nothing like the movies and books wanted us believe. They need to feed on human emotions, and in order to do that they drag humans to the bottom of the sea and suck them dry, absorbing their 'light' into themselves.

During winter Calder prefers warmer climates, like the Bahamian and Caribbean beaches... but as the snow starts to melt in the US, he feels the need to migrate and rejoin the sisters he's always trying to avoid. Even though it's still April, they start to nag him to come home already, because they finally found the target they've looking for for 30 years. Jason Hancock.

Thirty years ago Tom Hancok was attacked by Calder's mother, but he was able to escape her and resurfaced, begging her to spare him. Not used to her prey ever surviving an attack, she offered to turn him into a merman, but he said no. She then offered to let him go, if he promised to bring his son to her. He agreed, not knowing that by doing that, he was signing a mermaid contract, binding her to him and his promise. As soon as he set foot on earth again, he grabbed his family and ran away. Calder's mother followed his car all across the shore, desperate to make him fulfill his promise, until she lost sight of him and got caught into a fishing net and died.

Now Calder and his sisters have to settle her debt. They need to kill Tom Hancock's son, Jason. And the only way to get to Jason is to approach his daughters.

Calder gets closer to Lily, the older daughter who likes victorian poetry and weird clothes. And who doesn't seem to like him much, despite his natural predator beauty. She's not even affected by his hypnosis.

Lily thinks he's weird. And he kind of is... he makes her skin crawl with electricity when he touches her, he always talks too much, but never says anything about himsel, nobody seems to know much about him or his family... and he stalks her, to try and find out more about her family, their secrets and how to get closer to them and lure his father into the water to find his death. He stalks her a lot. He watches her from inside her wardrobe, from inside the lake outside her house, from the hammock outside her window... he has enhanced hearing and always eavesdrops on her conversations. He doesn't feel guilty for killing humans to survive, he talks to corpses and pretends they talk back... he is very weird, indeed, for a human. And that's probably why many readers didn't like him. But that's the thing. He's not human. He's a supernatural being, and to him, his behavior is completely normal. And as I kept reading, I started to understand him better. Or at least try to.

As the story approaches its climax, Calder finds out that not everything involving his mother's death was as it seemed... that maybe the reason his mother wanted Tom Hancock's son wasn't to feed on him. And that same reason might explain why Lily appears to be so special herself.

I liked that, unlike most YA heroines, it took Lily quite a while to warm up to Calder, what with him appearing out of nowhere and wanting to get closer to her so quickly, wanting to know everything about her and her family and never telling her much about himself. She got defensive and suspicious, like a normal girl would. She made him work hard for it, and while doing that, she started to fall for him. And him, for her. When he finally realized it, he had fallen in love with the daughter of the man he wanted to kill.

And Lily, the poor thing. She not found herself in love with a mythical creature, she also discovers that his sisters would kill her in the blink of an eye, and that the only reason he got closer to her in the first place was so he could get to her father and kill him.

You see, I didn't love the book, but I did like it a lot, and I will search for the sequel when it comes out. It was a very creative, fresh read. Something different from the rest of the paranormal books. I especially liked the male POV.

If you like unusual YA books, with a strong male as the main character and a very reluctant heroine, budding romance and lots of action scenes under water, that's your book.

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

#FF - Feature and Follow #22

2012-05-10T23:34:00.000-03:00

Feature and Follow is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee's View.

Q: This Sunday in the U.S. is Mother’s Day, in celebration, what are some of your favorite books with strong mother/child relationships?

It will be Mother's day here, too. :)

You know, I can't think of many moms that really stood out in books for me. I have noticed that usually fathers are more 'present' and 'influential' to daughters in books than mothers. That's too bad...I do remember one book that made me LOL about mom and daughter relationship, though. It was Hex Hall.

Here's one of my favorite quotes:

“Good luck explaining to God that you used to spank one of his heavenly beings."

Mom gave a startled laugh.

"Sophie!"

"What? You did. I hope you like hot weather, Mom, that's all I'm saying.”

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What was your answer?
Oh, and if you're a new follower, please let me know and I'll follow back. :)

Early Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

2012-05-09T21:50:00.000-03:00

Shadow and Bone
(The Grisha Trilogy #1)
by Leigh Bardugo

Expected publication: June 5th 2012 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Publication Date: June 5th 2012

Publisher: BYR

Format: eARC, 368 pages

Series: yes

Source: Netgalley

_________________________________

My Review:

After blogging for a while you start to learn not to expect much from books that create a lot of fuss and receive tons of 5 star ratings (In my case, much like The Immortal Rules and Everneath did before publication).

So, when I saw over 150 5 star ratings for Shadow and Bone on Goodreads I was a bit afraid of what I'd think of it...

What I came up with was:

Oh. Dear. Lawd.

That was the best book I've read in loooong while! Definitely the best I've read this year, for sure! (This is the 99th book I have read in 2012).

I know I haven't been especially eloquent so far, but that's what usually happens when you enjoy a book this much. You love it so, SO much you can't even put it into words.

But let's try expressing it with images:

and:

These can be translated as:

"This is so freaking awesome!" *-*,

and:

"NO, I can't be that close to the ending already! I only just started it! Where did the time go???" :((

Okay, enough nonsense. For now.

First line: "The servants called them malenchki, little ghosts, because they were the smallest and the youngest, and because they haunted the Duke's house like giggling phantoms, darting in and out of rooms, hiding in cupboards to eavesdrop, sneaking into the kitchen to steal the last of the summer peaches."

Last line: (too spoilery).

Favorite quote: "I'd catch myself just walking around to find you, not for any reason, just out of habit, because I'd seen something that I wanted to tell you about or because I wanted to hear your voice. And then I'd realize that you weren't there anymore, and every time, every single time, it was like having the wind knocked out of me."

Alina Starkov and Malyen Oretsev were both orphans that grew up together at a nice Duke's orphanage. When they were old enough, they left to train for their military service. Alina as a cartographer and Mal as a tracker. But their regiment had to first cross the Shadow Fold before they could get to the Sea.

Alina is completely in love with her childhood friend, but Mal hardly even seems to notice her anymore. He has become very handsome and popular with girls, and Alina... well, she's become taller, but still looks like she did as a child. Skinny, pale and ghost-like.

Along for the ride to the Shadow Fold are the Grisha, practitioners of the 'Small Science'. They are people who have special powers and are treated like royalty. They are also very attractive.

As soon as they get to the Fold and darkness engulfs them, the volcra attack. They are horrendous beasts with a thirst for human flesh. The Grisha and the soldiers try to attack them as best they can, but there are still many casualties.

When a volcra gets too close to Alina, Mal rushes over to protect her, receiving a very serious injury to the chest. Alina throws herself over him to try and shield him from the volcra hovering close by, but when the volcra reaches for her, Alina feels something inside her shift and then suddenly there is light. Brilliant, magnificent light all around them. And the volcra can't fly away fast enough. Alina passes out.

The minute she comes to she knows something is wrong. First of all, there are rifles pointed to her head. People are looking at her strangely. And the Darkling, the most powerful and oldest Grisha around wants to see her. He claims that she is a Sun Summoner. And the only hope to end the wars and destroy the Fold. No pressure, right?

Alina can't wrap her head around being Grisha. She is nothing like them! They're beautiful, she's not. They have been studying the 'Grisha ways' ever since they were 5-years-old, and she hasn't. But most importantly... she is one of a kind. Just like the Darkling.

Now Alina has to learn how to control how powers and pay very close attention to the people around her. Are they friend or foe? Should she trust them? Shouls she believe everything they say? Should she allow herself to fall for one of them? And, is Mal still alive? Does he hate her now? Does she care?

Oh, man. Now that was a good read.

Don't you just love it when nothing is as you first expected? Leigh Bardugo is a complete genius! Her writing is enrapturing, her characters captivating, and the plot is absolutely mind-boggling! There is NEVER a boring moment. NEVER, I say!!! (Okay, I'll go easy with the iltalics and bolds from now on, I promise). When you finally start to get things (especially the russian vocab) and like certain characters... BAM! They slap you in the face with betrayal! (Alina's face, I mean.). :P

And as you get closer to the end, you have to control yourself not to blow up from all the tension. Or pluck all your hair off. Or scream with frustration. Oh, and no matter how intense things get, you have to remember to blink. (I had to apply teardrops more times than I can count, simply because I just wanted to take everything in as fast as I could, and all the blinking was totally slowing me down. LOL.).

Really, the only thing I still have to say to you is: Go ahead and pre-order this baby right now! You will not regret it. :)

If you enjoy great books with tons of adventure, fantasy magic AND sweet romance, then the odds are: you'll go bananas over Shadow and Bone, just like I did.

* I was lucky enough to receive an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

"Waiting On" Wednesday #23

2012-05-09T10:36:00.000-03:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Right now what I really want to read is:

Crewel
by Gennifer Albin
Publication date: October 16th, 2012

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

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That sounds slightly creepy, huh? I really want to see what this Spinster thing is all about. :)

What are you waiting on this week?

Teaser Tuesday #22

2012-05-08T10:47:00.000-03:00

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read

       • Open to a random page
      • Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
      • Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

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

Lethal Rider

by Larissa Ione

Expected publication: June 1st 2012 by Piatkus Books

"Ever since he'd been cursed as the Horseman who would become Death when his Seal broke, he'd believed that his Seal was his virginity.

He'd guarded his dick like it was the freaking Hope Diamond.

He might have been an unínned grenade ready to blow with sexual need, but dammit, he'd kept himself all virginal and shit."

________________

You have got to love Ione's writing style. It's a LOL a minute. :)

What's your teaser this week?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #20

2012-05-07T09:47:00.000-03:00

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey.

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

I'm Currently Reading:

Lethal Rider
(Isn't that the hottest cover EVER?? I must meet this magnificent Paul Marron guy. Perfect Thanatos. *-*)

Finished:

Reviews posted:

Review: Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig
Early Review: Death by Petticoat by Mary Miley

Next Reads:

The Unquiet

What are you reading this week?

Stacking the Shelves #2

2012-05-06T11:06:00.001-03:00

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

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

This week I got:

Going completely against my New Year's resolution and disregarding a promise to myself, I bought new books. Yup. You without sin, throw a stone first, blah, blah. LOL. :P

Strictly Taboo

Hunting Lila

For review, from Netgalley I got:

Shift
Blackwood

Hunting Lila was very good! I'll post my gushing review soon enough. :)
And Shift and Blackwood sound fantastic, don't they?
______________________________

What did you get this week?

Early Review: Death by Petticoat by Mary Miley Theobald

2012-05-05T10:26:00.000-03:00

Death by Petticoat:

American History Myths Debunked

Mary Miley Theobald

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Every day stories from American history that are not true are repeated in museums and classrooms across the country. Some are outright fabrications; others contain a kernel of truth that has been embellished over the years. Collaborating with The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Mary Miley Theobald has uncovered the truth behind many widely repeated myth-understandings in our history including:

• Hat makers really were driven mad. They were poisoned by the mercury used in making hats from furs. Their symptoms included hallucinations, tremors, and twitching, which looked like insanity to people of the 17th and 18th centuries—and the phrase “mad as a hatter” came about.

• The idea that portrait painters gave discounts if their subjects posed with one hand inside the vest (so they didn’t have to paint fingers and leading to the saying that something “costs an arm and a leg”) is strictly myth. It isn’t likely that Napoleon, King George III, or George Washington were concerned about getting a discount from their portrait painters.

• Pregnant women secluded themselves indoors, uneven stairs were made to trip up burglars, people bathed once a year, women had tiny waists, apprenticeships lasted seven years—Death by Petticoat reveals the truth about these hysterical historical myth-understandings.

Genre: Nonfiction

Publication Date: June 5th 2012

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Format: eARC, 160 pages

Series: no

Source: Netgalley

___________________________________

My Review

First line: Burning to death sounds gruesomw, and there were some instances in which women died of burns when theur long skirts, or petticoats, came too close to hearth fires.

Last line: In the back room, women could socialize, buy takeout, or eat the popular free lunch - free, that is, with the purchase of a drink.

Favorite quote: Armchairs were an indication of status and were reserved for the head of the household or other important people.This is a very short, very funny book filled with myths and curiosities of American History. It was very interesting to read more about how people lived at that time and how many of the unfounded myths came about.

The author is highly amusing in her way to expose silly and absurd myths and the truth behind them, but it's too bad there were so little of them and such short explanations. The book made them clearer and easier to comprehend, but in the end they came out sounding a bit trivial, without very much depth into actual history. But I'm not a historian, so I had fun and learned quite a few things.

It's a great book for when you need to kill some time or just before going to bed. A very light, funny and informative read.

So, if you are wondering if men were shorter back then, if people didn't bathe, if potatoes and tomatoes were considered poisonous by early colonists, if women ate arsenic to lighten their complexions and were not allowed to use the front door of taverns or if cooks used spices to mask the flavor and odors of rotting food, this is your book to read and find out. ;)

It will make for some great conversation topics and ice-breakers.

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

#FF - Feature and Follow #21

2012-05-04T10:30:00.001-03:00

Feature and Follow is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee's View.

Q: What is one thing you wish you could tell your favorite author?

Dear Sherrilyn Kenyon,

I know you probably don't need money, but if that's what it takes for you to give me Acheron Parthenopaeus' real address, I promise I'll find a way.

I mean, nobody really needs two kidneys, right? Or lungs, I suppose. :P

And, even though that came out sounding very 'stalker-like', I promise to take very good care of him. My bed is really comfy and the chains are lined with velvet, so... wait, did I just write that? I meant that... that... um, how much did you say you want, again?

_______________

What would you tell your favorite author?
Oh, and if you're a new follower, please let me know and I'll follow back. :)