Thursday, January 31, 2013
Random Reads #62, January 31st
Third Sentence Thursday #77, January 31st
Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme which likes to watch fireworks especially while eating a cookie!
1) Take the book you are currently reading and open it to a random page. Share the third full sentence on that page. (If there isn’t a third one – like at the end of a chapter or a blank page – you can share the third sentence of the book or just choose another random page.) Feel free to share more than one sentence, if you feel the need to do so.
2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)
3) Post a link to your sentence at Words I Write Crazy (This Blog)
4) Visit one or two of the other blogs to check out their third sentences!
"I took off, ashamed somehow that my presence was distracting them from their marital strife." Zero-by Tom Leveen, page 34.
What are your guy's 3rd lines? Link up below!
"I took off, ashamed somehow that my presence was distracting them from their marital strife." Zero-by Tom Leveen, page 34.
What are your guy's 3rd lines? Link up below!
Will the Time Come #87, January 31th
Every Thursday I am going to list a book which I really want to read/keep meaning to get to. These are mostly books which have been on my shelf for awhile now but don't have to be, maybe you got it two weeks ago and really want to read it! Thanks to Jodie from Books for Company for this meme!
Want to Join?
-Pick a book you have been meaning to read
-Do a post telling us about the book
-Link the post up in the linky
-Visit the other blogs
Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.
Why the time hasn't come yet...
Well, it didn't really have any points last year, but now it will, what with this post, and that it's a SAC Book! What about you guys? Happy reading!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Matt Archer: Blade's Edge: Guest Post and Review
Today I'd like to welcome over Kendra Knightly, author of Matt Archer: Blade's Edge, over for a guest post!
The Little Writer Who Could
One of my favorite stories as a little kid was The Little Engine That Could. I wasn’t very big for my age, nor fast, agile or tough. But I was persistent. If something interested me, I’d drive my parents crazy until we went to the library so I could read up on the subject. I was probably the foremost 6-year-old expert on Jacques Cousteau. Yeah, I was weird like that. Still am, to some extent, but most writers love research, so I know I’m not alone.
What drew me to the Little Engine was the fact that he wasn’t the biggest or the fastest but, even when he got teased, he stayed on course despite the perceived adversity. In the end, what did he do? He pulled those carts up the mountain when no one else could.
Writing, as a journey, is a lot like the Little Engine’s trip up the mountain. It’s hard work. Brain strain, writer’s cramp, writer’s block, piles of unwashed laundry, deleted words, blunt critique--all of it comes with the territory. Add in everyday concerns like paying the bills, taking care of your home and being there for your family, and it’s tough to keep going sometimes. That mountain looks like Everest from the bottom and seems to grow even as you climb. Two steps forward, one step back.
That’s where the Little Engine’s mentality has to kick in, except I’d take it a step further. Not “I think I can,” but “I know I can, and I will!” Expect failure, and that’s what you’ll get. So why not expect to succeed? Tell yourself, “It’s hard, it’s killing my mind, it hurts my heart, but when I’m finished, by God, it’ll be AWESOME!”
Take it in small pieces. Think of that mountain as a series of short hills. Climb a bit, then rest. Set your climbing pins. Tie in. Then get ready to climb the next part. In the end, you’ll look back at your finished “mountain” and I say, “I did that!”
And it’s AWESOME!
From Goodreads:
When Matt Archer was fourteen, he discovered monsters are real. As if that wasn't enough to go on for a few decades, Matt also found out that he'd been chosen to hunt those monsters--with a sentient, supernatural knife. Now fifteen, Matt has spent the last year working with a clandestine military unit, trying to rid the world of monsters, demons and other vicious creatures, all while keeping it a secret from nearly everyone he knows back home in Billings.
Including his mom.
Add in a new girlfriend, family secrets, sibling drama and enough homework to sink an aircraft carrier, and Matt's life has become more complicated than he ever imagined. Worse, the knife has developed some very definite opinions about Matt's personal life and it interferes in his business whenever it wants. More and more, Matt's coming to realize that sharing brain-space with a spirit kind of sucks.
When stories of decimated towns and hordes of zombies start pouring into the Pentagon from Afghanistan, Matt knows he'll be called up soon. Between the new mission and the knife's increasing control over his mind, Matt wonders if he'll survive long enough to take his driver's exam.
My Review:
Man, was this a fantastic book! The action kept up, and the various plot lines kept things interesting, and there were funny parts, and there were parts that ripped out my heart. Especially the break up! The end when they were talking about whether Matt was up to the job, well, Matt showed them!
So I just had to read this book! I loved the first book and novella, they were so good. So yeah, getting the chance to read this book-and for review, on top of that-was really fantastic! Just made reading this book all the more better!
Things are more complicated. There have been losses, and the darkness is becoming stronger, and Matt, while young, seems to be the best at fighting the bad stuff. And that leads to some hard decisions, but there's more to the series, so more bad stuff, but hopefully more good stuff!
I can't wait for the next book, because man, things have to get a bit better, because while getting rid of the monsters, they weren't doing anything to track why the monsters were there, like Matt wanted, and then tie that with what happened in this book, with his mom and brother finding out what he does...yeah. So good!
I really, really, really enjoyed reading this book, it was so freaking good, and I can't wait for the next one, so I suggest you guys check it out, and the first book and the novella!
Author: Kendra C. Highley
Series: Matt Archer #2
Read: January 17th, 2012
Source: Reading Addiction Blog Tour Review Copy
Published: December 27th 2012
Special Tour Discount:
Matt Archer: Monster Hunter – Free! Use coupon code XF23B via Smashwords
Matt Archer: Blade’s Edge—25% off! Use coupon code UD38J via Smashwords
Coupons are good from the start of the tour through February 10, 2013.
Bio:
Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to two self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most important job.
Kendra believes chocolate is a basic human right, running a 10k is harder than it sounds, and that everyone should learn to drive a stick-shift. She loves monsters, vacations, baking and listening to bad electronica.
More information about the Matt Archer universe, works in progress and the nature of the Higgs Boson* can be found at www.kendrachighley.com
(*Yeah…not really. We’ll let the scientists handle that part.)
The Little Writer Who Could
One of my favorite stories as a little kid was The Little Engine That Could. I wasn’t very big for my age, nor fast, agile or tough. But I was persistent. If something interested me, I’d drive my parents crazy until we went to the library so I could read up on the subject. I was probably the foremost 6-year-old expert on Jacques Cousteau. Yeah, I was weird like that. Still am, to some extent, but most writers love research, so I know I’m not alone.
What drew me to the Little Engine was the fact that he wasn’t the biggest or the fastest but, even when he got teased, he stayed on course despite the perceived adversity. In the end, what did he do? He pulled those carts up the mountain when no one else could.
Writing, as a journey, is a lot like the Little Engine’s trip up the mountain. It’s hard work. Brain strain, writer’s cramp, writer’s block, piles of unwashed laundry, deleted words, blunt critique--all of it comes with the territory. Add in everyday concerns like paying the bills, taking care of your home and being there for your family, and it’s tough to keep going sometimes. That mountain looks like Everest from the bottom and seems to grow even as you climb. Two steps forward, one step back.
That’s where the Little Engine’s mentality has to kick in, except I’d take it a step further. Not “I think I can,” but “I know I can, and I will!” Expect failure, and that’s what you’ll get. So why not expect to succeed? Tell yourself, “It’s hard, it’s killing my mind, it hurts my heart, but when I’m finished, by God, it’ll be AWESOME!”
Take it in small pieces. Think of that mountain as a series of short hills. Climb a bit, then rest. Set your climbing pins. Tie in. Then get ready to climb the next part. In the end, you’ll look back at your finished “mountain” and I say, “I did that!”
And it’s AWESOME!
When Matt Archer was fourteen, he discovered monsters are real. As if that wasn't enough to go on for a few decades, Matt also found out that he'd been chosen to hunt those monsters--with a sentient, supernatural knife. Now fifteen, Matt has spent the last year working with a clandestine military unit, trying to rid the world of monsters, demons and other vicious creatures, all while keeping it a secret from nearly everyone he knows back home in Billings.
Including his mom.
Add in a new girlfriend, family secrets, sibling drama and enough homework to sink an aircraft carrier, and Matt's life has become more complicated than he ever imagined. Worse, the knife has developed some very definite opinions about Matt's personal life and it interferes in his business whenever it wants. More and more, Matt's coming to realize that sharing brain-space with a spirit kind of sucks.
When stories of decimated towns and hordes of zombies start pouring into the Pentagon from Afghanistan, Matt knows he'll be called up soon. Between the new mission and the knife's increasing control over his mind, Matt wonders if he'll survive long enough to take his driver's exam.
My Review:
Man, was this a fantastic book! The action kept up, and the various plot lines kept things interesting, and there were funny parts, and there were parts that ripped out my heart. Especially the break up! The end when they were talking about whether Matt was up to the job, well, Matt showed them!
So I just had to read this book! I loved the first book and novella, they were so good. So yeah, getting the chance to read this book-and for review, on top of that-was really fantastic! Just made reading this book all the more better!
Things are more complicated. There have been losses, and the darkness is becoming stronger, and Matt, while young, seems to be the best at fighting the bad stuff. And that leads to some hard decisions, but there's more to the series, so more bad stuff, but hopefully more good stuff!
I can't wait for the next book, because man, things have to get a bit better, because while getting rid of the monsters, they weren't doing anything to track why the monsters were there, like Matt wanted, and then tie that with what happened in this book, with his mom and brother finding out what he does...yeah. So good!
I really, really, really enjoyed reading this book, it was so freaking good, and I can't wait for the next one, so I suggest you guys check it out, and the first book and the novella!
Author: Kendra C. Highley
Series: Matt Archer #2
Read: January 17th, 2012
Source: Reading Addiction Blog Tour Review Copy
Published: December 27th 2012
 |
| 5/5 Hearts |
 |
| 5/5 Books |
 |
| 5/5 Stars |
Special Tour Discount:
Matt Archer: Monster Hunter – Free! Use coupon code XF23B via Smashwords
Matt Archer: Blade’s Edge—25% off! Use coupon code UD38J via Smashwords
Coupons are good from the start of the tour through February 10, 2013.
Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to two self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most important job.
Kendra believes chocolate is a basic human right, running a 10k is harder than it sounds, and that everyone should learn to drive a stick-shift. She loves monsters, vacations, baking and listening to bad electronica.
More information about the Matt Archer universe, works in progress and the nature of the Higgs Boson* can be found at www.kendrachighley.com
(*Yeah…not really. We’ll let the scientists handle that part.)
Contact and Buy AKA Links:
Stops on the Tour:
January 28 - Reading Addiction Blog Tours - Meet and Greet
January 29 - Known to Read - Review/Guest Post
January 30 - Words I Write Crazy - Review/Guest Post
January 31 - Kinx book Nook - Review/Guest Post
February 1 - Solitary Bookworm - Review
February 2 - Twinsie Talk Book Reviews - Review/Interview
February 3 - Andi's YA Book Reviews - Review
February 4 - The Adventures Within - Review/Guest Post
February 5 - My Reading Addiction - Review
February 6 - My Cozie Corner - Review
February 7 - Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews - Review/Interview
February 8 - RABT Reviews - Review
WWW Wednesday #95, January 30th
To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Thanks to MizB of Should Be Writing for starting and hosting this meme!
I'm currently reading Ladies in Waiting, which is very enjoyable, though the ending seems pretty sad.
I finished reading Desperately Seeking a Duke, which was fantastic, can't wait to read more of the series!
I'm going to be reading Renegade, which sound so good, and yeah, can't wait!
What are you guys reading? Happy reading!
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?
Thanks to MizB of Should Be Writing for starting and hosting this meme!
What are you guys reading? Happy reading!
Waiting on Wednesday #91, January 30th
Expected Publication: March 5th 2013
From Goodreads:
Eden is dying. For real, this time.
She is crumbling to ash, and an unnatural plague is ravaging mortals and immortals alike. With both Heaven and Hell out to destroy her, Eden can no longer tell the difference between good and evil.
Friends become enemies. And enemies are everywhere.
But don't underestimate Eden. She'll fight for her life, for the lives of those she loves, and for every life she has ever touched.
She'll fight for revenge. For redemption. For—just maybe—the chance to be mortal again.
Everything began with forbidden love.
What will be sacrificed at the bitter end?
I can't wait for this book to come out! Loved the first 2 books, and I want to see how it's going to play out! What are your guy's picks? Happy reading!
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Teaser Tuesday #95, January 29th
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Today's teaser comes from Changeling by Philippa Gregory, page 89.
"Enough of this. My damned sister was a sinner, a heretic, a witch, and now a thief."
That's a heck of a thing to say about your sister! And pretty awful! What about you guys? Happy reading!
•Grab your current read
•Open to a random page
•Share two (2) "teaser"sentences from somewhere on that page
•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Today's teaser comes from Changeling by Philippa Gregory, page 89.
"Enough of this. My damned sister was a sinner, a heretic, a witch, and now a thief."
That's a heck of a thing to say about your sister! And pretty awful! What about you guys? Happy reading!
Monday, January 28, 2013
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #86, January 28th
What happened in the past week:
Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #85
Teaser Tuesday #94
WWW Wednesday #94
WOW #90
Will the Time Come #86
Third Sentence Thursday #77
Random Reads #61
First Lines Friday #82
The Reward Challenge Round 66 Part 1
Follow Friday #64
In My Mailbox #86
Week 4 Reviews:
One Foot in the Grave
At Grave's End
Destined for an Early Grave
This Side of the Grave
One Grave at a Time
Home for the Holidays
Succubus on Top
Touch of Darkness
Claimed by Shadow
Embrace the Night
Curse the Dawn
Hunt the Moon
Uses For Boys
The Blood Gospel
A Shimmer of Angels
BZRK
The Disenchantments
Random:
E-Book Questionnaire
We Have the Cover of The Darkest Craving!!!
OK, so I got 21 posts in 7 days, and man, did I read a lot of books over the weekend! But they were just so great! What about you guys? Happy reading!
So this week I want to read Foretold, 52 Reasons to Hate My Father, Breaking Beautiful, First Drop of Crimson, Eternal Kiss of Darkness, Valkyrie Rising, The Darkest Minds, Breathe, Changeling, Desperately Seeking a Duke, House at the End of the Street, Ladies in Waiting, Tempest Unleashed, Renegade, Zero, The Raven Boys, So Close to You, Succubus Dreams, Succubus Heat, Succubus Shadows, Succubus Revealed, Rivals and Retribution, Midnight City, Sweetly, The Liar Society, Lullaby, Storm Born, Thorn Queen, Iron Crowned, and Shadow Heir.
Meanwhile, up in Atlanta, it’s quickly becoming clear that Heaven may have won a battle, but the war is far from over. Riley and Beck face a stormy future, as Lucifer's ex-right-hand-man, Sartael, proves himself to be more resilient than anyone thought. He has Atlanta in his grip and is about to begin a brutal war with the prince of Hell. As the seconds tick down toward a final confrontation, it's up to Riley and the man she loves to finally defeat their old enemy, or lose everything they've fought for.
He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human--even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the nightmare together . . .
Because once the first crimson drop falls, they will both be lost.
Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she's only imagined in her worst nightmares.
At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he'd seen it all. Then Kira appears, this fearless, beautiful . . . human who braved death to rescue him. Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.
But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose either the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.
What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.
Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.
When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.
When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.
Alina has been stealing for a long time. She's a little jittery, but not terrified. All she knows is that she's never been caught before. If she's careful, it'll be easy. If she's careful.
Quinn should be worried about Alina and a bit afraid for himself, too, but even though this is dangerous, it's also the most interesting thing to happen to him in ages. It isn't every day that the girl of your dreams asks you to rescue her.
Bea wants to tell him that none of this is fair; they'd planned a trip together, the two of them, and she'd hoped he'd discover her out here, not another girl.
And as they walk into the Outlands with two days' worth of oxygen in their tanks, everything they believe will be shattered. Will they be able to make it back? Will they want to?
But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into their secluded little world, she’s forced to come to a startling realization: everything she knows is a lie.
Her memories have been altered.
Her mind and body aren’t under her own control.
And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.
Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb... and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.
. . .which should be a good thing. But lately, thanks to her foul mood over breaking up with bestselling writer Seth Mortensen, she's been so wicked that Seattle's über-demon Jerome, decides to "outsource " Georgina to a rival—and have her spy for him in the process.
Being exiled to the frozen north—okay, Vancouver—and leaving Seth in the cozy clutches of his new girlfriend is unpleasant enough. Then Jerome is kidnapped, and all immortals under his control mysteriously lose their powers. One bright spot: with her life-sucking ability gone, there's nothing to keep Georgina from getting down and dirty with Seth—nothing apart from his girlfriend that is. Now, as the supernatural population starts turning on itself, a newly mortal Georgina must rescue her boss and figure out who's been playing them—or all hell will break loose. . .
Helping to plan her ex-boyfriend's wedding is a different story. Georgina isn't sure which is worse -- that Seth is marrying another woman, or that Georgina has to run all over Seattle trying on bridesmaid dresses. Still, there are distractions. Georgina's roommate, Roman, is cluttering her apartment with sexual tension. Then there's Simone, the new succubus in town, who's intent on corrupting Seth.
But the real danger lies in the mysterious force that's visiting her thoughts, trying to draw her into a dark, otherworldly realm. Sooner or later, Georgina knows she'll be too weak to resist. And when that happens, she'll discover who she can trust, who she can't -- and that Hell is far from the worst place to spend eternity...
The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina's allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell's most valuable assets, but if there's any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it—no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won't include the one man she's risking everything for. . .
Eugenie Markham is a powerful shaman who does a brisk trade banishing spirits and fey who cross into the mortal world. Mercenary, yes, but a girl's got to eat. Her most recent case, however, is enough to ruin her appetite. Hired to find a teenager who has been taken to the Otherworld, Eugenie comes face to face with a startling prophecy—one that uncovers dark secrets about her past and claims that Eugenie's first-born will threaten the future of the world as she knows it.
Now Eugenie is a hot target for every ambitious demon and Otherworldy ne'er-do-well, and the ones who don't want to knock her up want her dead. Eugenie handles a Glock as smoothly as she wields a wand, but she needs some formidable allies for a job like this. She finds them in Dorian, a seductive fairy king with a taste for bondage, and Kiyo, a gorgeous shape-shifter who redefines animal attraction. But with enemies growing bolder and time running out, Eugenie realizes that the greatest danger is yet to come, and it lies in the dark powers that are stirring to life within her...
Eugenie has spilled plenty of fey blood in her time, but this enemy is shrewd, subtle, and nursing a very personal grudge. And the men in her life aren't making things any easier. Her boyfriend Kiyo is preoccupied with his pregnant ex, and sexy fey king Dorian always poses a dangerous distraction. With or without their help, Eugenie must venture deep into the Otherworld and trust in an unpredictable power she can barely control. Reluctant queen or not, Eugenie has sworn to do her duty--even if it means facing the darkest--and deadliest--side of her nature. . .
Who Eugenie can trust is the hardest part. Fairy king Dorian has his own agenda for aiding her search. And Kiyo, her shape-shifter ex-boyfriend, has every reason to betray her along the way. To control the Crown's ever-consuming powers, Eugenie will have to confront an unimaginable temptation - one that will put her soul and the fate of two worlds in mortal peril...
The spell-driven source of the blight isn't the only challenge to Eugenie's instincts. Fairy king Dorian is sacrificing everything to help, but Eugenie can't trust the synergy drawing them back together. The uneasy truce between her and her shape shifter ex-lover Kiyo is endangered by secrets he can't—or won't—reveal. And as a formidable force rises to also threaten the human world, Eugenie must use her own cursed fate as a weapon—and risk the ultimate sacrifice. . .
Sunday, January 27, 2013
In My Mailbox #86, January 27th-January Week 4
In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren to talk about the books we got in the mailbox or inbox as the case may be!
So I got:
Something, that still not putting them in when it was originally posted! What about you guys? Happy reading!
So I got:
Something, that still not putting them in when it was originally posted! What about you guys? Happy reading!
We Have a Cover for The Darkest Craving!!!
Yes! We have a cover for The Darkest Craving by Gena Showalter!
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Week 4 Review: The Disenchantments
Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall.
But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next?
Morris Award–finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.
My Review:
This was a really fantastic book! That Colby and Bev have had this plan for son long, and then Bev backs out of it. But they still have to spend some major time together. And that sucks for Colby. And this is the journey that they all go on!
Questions like, why is this happening, why didn't you tell me, those kinds of things, were a pretty big part of this book. Because this was sprung on Colby, and yet, Bev had known beforehand, there's a time thing with college applications and such. But Bev kept that from Colby.
This book only really takes place over the course of the week, but even in that short time span, well, these character do change and grow, and for me, this book was about growing up, realizing that hey, things aren't always going to go the way that I want to.
Sure, this book had some sad, down points, but, the cover, with the rainbow, it shows that the journey is a good thing, and maybe the unexpected will come around, and it did in that ending, with someone new coming along with Colby for the Europe trip, which is pretty cool!
I enjoyed this book a ton, it was a really great book to read!
Author: Nina LaCour
Read: January 25th, 2013
Source: Library
Reason Why: Sounded really good! And it's a JFF Book and a WTC Book!
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books
Published: February 12th 2012
|
| 5/5 Hearts |
|
| 3/5 Books |
|
| 3/5 Stars |
Week 4 Review: BZRK
Love The Hunger Games? Action-adventure thrillers with a dystopian twist? BZRK (Berserk) by Michael Grant, New York Times best-selling author of the GONE series, ramps up the action and suspense to a whole new level of excitement.
Set in the near future, BZRK is the story of a war for control of the human mind. Charles and Benjamin Armstrong, conjoined twins and owners of the Armstrong Fancy Gifts Corporation, have a goal: to turn the world into their vision of utopia. No wars, no conflict, no hunger. And no free will. Opposing them is a guerrilla group of teens, code name BZRK, who are fighting to protect the right to be messed up, to be human. This is no ordinary war, though. Weapons are deployed on the nano-level. The battleground is the human brain. And there are no stalemates here: It's victory . . . or madness.
BZRK unfolds with hurricane force around core themes of conspiracy and mystery, insanity and changing realities, engagement and empowerment, and the larger impact of personal choice. Which side would you choose? How far would you go to win?
My Review:
I didn't enjoy this series as much as the Gone series, but this was a pretty interesting and entertaining book! And really creepy, to have those microscopic machines that could be controlled by a human, machines capable of getting inside of your body...and those are the good guys!
We got a multitude of POV's in this book, mainly from the two new recruits to BZRK, but then a few others, like from Charles and Benjamin, which was just a really weird part of the book! But it was great to see so much of the world!
So I really enjoyed the test that the guy had to go through, multitasking, playing two separate games at one time, to test to see if he could do it. And it's a bit scary that he can, because again, machines, well, controlling them, and then what your body is doing...yeah.
That ending! Where they could've won the game, the battle, but they decided to spare the twins, because it would be pretty cruel to kill them in cold blood. Bet that's going to come back and haunt them! But they did make the right decision!
I did enjoy this book, it was just a different kind of book!
Author: Michael Grant
Series: BZRK #1
Read: January 25th, 2013
Source: Library
Reason Why: I enjoy the Gone series, so I had to check it out, and it's a 2013 Dystopia Book!
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Published: January 1st 2012
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 3/5 Books |
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| 3/5 Stars |
Week 4 Review: A Shimmer of Angels
Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it's more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can't admit to seeing?
My Review:
Oh, this was a really fantastic book! I enjoyed this world where Rayna can see angels, because while it's something that has seriously complicated her life, that doesn't meant that she's going to stand there, and do nothing. Really brave of her do try and save her friends from angels!
I really like the cover! Well, not everything about it, because it's a bit simple-ish. But I love those colours, they're just so pretty, and they just pop, and they draw the eye to it! I wish that there were a few things that were different, but I do really love the colours!
Because of her ability, she's had a pretty hard time in life. And now she's having a fresh start, but the same problem is there-seeing the angels. And what they're up to, here, is pretty bad! And Rayna is about the only one who can actually do something about it!
There was the love triangle, of her, Cam, and Kade, both of whom are angels, but angels playing for different teams, since Kade is a fallen angel. And I really enjoyed the dynamic there, though I wish that she'd treated Kade better, since he treated her better then Cam treated her!
Really great book, and with that ending, I really want the sequel!
Author: Lisa M. Basso
Series: Angel Sight #1
Read: January 25th, 2013
Source: NetGalley
Reason Why: Sounded like a great book, and it's a DAC Book!
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC
Expected Publication: January 29th 2013
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 3/5 Books |
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| 3.5/5 Stars |
Week 4 Review: The Blood Gospel
An earthquake in Masada, Israel, kills hundreds and reveals a tomb buried in the heart of the mountain. A trio of investigators—Sergeant Jordan Stone, a military forensic expert; Father Rhun Korza, a Vatican priest; and Dr. Erin Granger, a brilliant but disillusioned archaeologist—are sent to explore the macabre discovery, a subterranean temple holding the crucified body of a mummified girl.
But a brutal attack at the site sets the three on the run, thrusting them into a race to recover what was once preserved in the tomb’s sarcophagus: a book rumored to have been written by Christ’s own hand, a tome that is said to hold the secrets to His divinity. But the enemy who hounds them is like no other, a force of ancient evil directed by a leader of impossible ambitions and incalculable cunning.
From crumbling tombs to splendorous churches, Erin and her two companions must confront a past that traces back thousands of years, to a time when ungodly beasts hunted the dark spaces of the world, to a moment in history when Christ made a miraculous offer, a pact of salvation for those who were damned for eternity.
Here is a novel that is explosive in its revelation of a secret history. Why do Catholic priests wear pectoral crosses? Why are they sworn to celibacy? Why do the monks hide their countenances under hoods? And why does Catholicism insist that the consecration of wine during Mass results in its transformation to Christ’s own blood? The answers to all go back to a secret sect within the Vatican, one whispered as rumor but whose very existence was painted for all to see by Rembrandt himself, a shadowy order known simply as the Sanguines.
In the end, be warned: some books should never be found, never opened—until now.
My Review:
I enjoyed this book so much! I didn't expect too, too much, because while James Rollins is a really great author, and I now know Rebecca Cantrell is one, too, in writing, two brains might not be better than one because then they might argue or something. But this book was just awesome!
This world, it's very detailed, dark and lush! I enjoyed being in so much, and I'm so glad that it's a series, because yeah, there were a lot of things that I just want to know more about! And we're going to get the chance, so yeah!
These characters, from Erin, the archaeologist who's dad was a religious fanatic, Jordan Stone, the soldier who is an investigator and keeps the group together, and Rhun Korza the Catholic priest-who is actually an Sanguine.
Just the idea of the Order of the Sanguines being buried in the Catholic Church, well, mostly, is the fact that it could have happened. And that a lot of their rites are kinda weird, and when looked through this lens, could have a double purpose!
I just loved that cliffhanger at the end, and now I really just want to read more, a lot happened in that ending!
Authors: James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell
Series: The Order of the Sanguines #1
Read: January 24th, 2013
Source: Bought
Reason Why: I love anything by James Rollins! And it's a Reward Challenge Book!
Publisher: William-Morrow
Published: January 8th 2013
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
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