Tuesday 31 July 2012

Teaser Tuesday: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To 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!  

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Simon & Schuster Children's
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer -
Simon & Schuster BFYR


One little joke involving hemorrhagic fever and they brand you 'unstable'.
-- Chapter 7
I decided not to tell her about my little adventure today; if she watched me any closer, she’d turn into the Eye of Sauron.
-- Chapter 15




If you asked why it took me so long to start this book, I couldn’t for the life of me give you a plausible reason. I’ll also tell you that the book confuses me at times and not in an entirely mystery pleasing way. But! I want to know what really happened. And yes, I want more Noah. And Jamie, I like the crazy best friend. Sue me. Actually, please don’t. I’d rather you join me in waiting for the sequel ... and share your teasers.

Wednesday 25 July 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s can’t wait to read selection is
Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake.
Publication Date UK: September 26th, US: October 23rd 2012

 
Beautiful Redemption - Razorbill


Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?
Ethan Wate always dreamed of leaving the stifling Southern town of Gatlin.
But he never dreamt that finding love with Lena Duchannes would drive him away. Lena is a Caster girl whose supernatural powers unveiled a secretive and cursed side of Gatlin, so powerful it forced him to make a terrible sacrifice.
Now Ethan must find a way to return to Lena - and Gatlin - as she vows to do whatever it takes to get him back. Even if it means trusting old enemies or risking their loved ones' lives.
Can Ethan and Lena rewrite their fate and their spellbinding love story in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series?
Synopsis from goodreads.com

As the synopsis say, this is the last of four books in the Caster Chronicles. And I am so glad that there is a fourth book since the series was originally announced as a trilogy. That end would otherwise have been devastating. Nothing against series without happy-endings but I hope there is one for Ethan and Lena.

Which book are you excited about this week?

Tuesday 24 July 2012

Teaser Tuesday: Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To 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!  

Blood Red Road by Moira Young.

Blood Red Road -
Margaret K. McElderry Books

I cain't speak. Cain't breathe. Lugh's gone. Gone. My golden heart is gone.
I kneel in the dust. The tears roll down my face. An a hard red rain starts to fall.
-- page 32

Jack, I says.
He stands there, his arms crossed over his chest, his hat down low over his eyes. He smiles his lopsided smile. My stupid stummick does a flip.
-- page 243


Actually, I bought this book for somebody else. But then it stood there, waiting and waiting, so I just had to start. :)  And the story got me hooked, even if the writing style is a bit difficult as Saba is using her dialect all throughout the book. But you get used to it.
Then there's Jack. I liked that cheeky daredevil from the start and hope he stays for a while. ;)
Unfortunately until now I didn't fully understand the world, Saba is living in. It's all a bit hazy. Luckily Blood Red Road is just the beginning of the Dust Lands Trilogy with much to explore in the next books.

What's it that you're reading this week? Tease us in the comments!

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s can’t wait to read selection is
Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake.
Publication Date: August 7th 2012

 
Girl of Nightmares - Tor Teen
It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.
His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live--not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.
Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.
Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.
Synopsis from goodreads.com

Confession: I was absolutely afraid of reading the first book, Anna Dressed in Blood. I mean, a title like that doesn’t exactly promise rainbows and fluffy kittens. In retrospect I’m so glad that I read it. Sure, there are parts that I wouldn’t like to see in movies (because images are way more scary than words--and now that I said this the next book will probably eat me alive) but the story and the idea are both fascinating and I love the writing and just about everything else. So I’m not so patiently awaiting the sequel ... and I’ll heed the author’s advice and read it with the oven gloves on (fingernails, if you know what I mean).

Anything you can hardly wait to get your hands on this week?

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Teaser Tuesday: The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To 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!  

 The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer.

The Last Guardian - Disney Hyperion

Artemis Fowl, once self-proclaimed teenage criminal mastermind, now prefers the term juvenile genius. Apparently he has changed. (Note to self: harrumph.)
- Chapter 1
'Have you heard of the theory of relativity?'
Artemis blinked. 'Is this a joke? I have travelled through time, Doctor. I think I know a little something about relativity.'
'No. Not that theory [...]'
- Chapter 1

Eoin Colfer's eighth - and final - book in the Artemis Fowl series, The Last Guardian, arrived only yesterday in audio book format. Like all other books of this series, I own both the paperback and audio book, but this time, I started listening first and will read it later. It's a great experience listening to Nathaniel Parker reading the book, even if it takes much longer. If you can get your hands on the audio version, try it! Parker is a genius in giving the characters their own distinct voices, much like the German Rufus Beck.
I won't say much concerning the content, only that I hope the dwarf Mulch Diggums is going to make an appearance soon. He's my favourite character - and very funny. ;)
For those of you, who are not familiar with the series, you can find out more here.

What are your current reads? Tease us in the comments!

Wednesday 11 July 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s can’t wait to read selection is
Hidden by Sophie Jordan.
Publication Date: September 11th 2012

Hidden - HarperTEEN
Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning....
Synopsis from goodreads.com

Hidden is the third book in Sophie Jordan's Firelight Trilogy.
Jacinda, shape-shifting descendant of dragons, meets Will, a hunter out to kill her kind. They fall in love and thus the trouble begins.
I read and re-read the first book several times and loved the strong main characters Jacinda and Will. Who I didn't get along with well were her sister Tamra and her supposed bond Cassian. That was a problem for me in book two, where both play more important roles. At the end, I had to admit that I liked them more and more and I am now curious how they're going to pull off the rescue of Cassian's sister, Miram, in book three since Jacinda feels responsible for her being captured. What will happen if they don't succeed?
As the synopsis suggests there are questions to be answered in this book and I'm not sure if I'll like the answers. Still, I can't wait for September to plunge into the story again!

Have you started Firelight yet? What are you waiting on this week?

Tuesday 10 July 2012

Teaser Tuesday: Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To 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!  

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini.

Dreamless - Macmillan



Don’t waste a perfectly good act of heroism with a bad one of your own!
-- Chapter 8
Demigods don’t get the flu or the sniffles. They go mad.
-- Chapter 9




As far as sequels go this one is delivering on its promises. I liked Starcrossed well enough and Dreamless improves on most of the things that I criticised in the first book. Well, apart from the fact that everyone is too busy suffering to do some maths, but I suppose that would defeat the purpose of one of the major plot points. Ancient mythology with a modern twist? Sign me up anytime.

In case you were wondering: The cover in this post is the UK edition. If you know the US cover, tell me which one you like better. I’m still undecided.

Wednesday 4 July 2012

Waiting on Wednesday: The Diviners by Libba Bray

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

This week’s can’t wait to read selection is
The Diviners by Libba Bray.
Publication Date: September 18th 2012


The Diviners - Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."
When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.

Synopsis from Goodreads.com
 
I will admit that not only had the cover much to do with me choosing this book for WoW this week, but the use of language had me laughing already while reading the synospis. So how could I not choose it? ;) A murder mystery, combined with a witty, secret power whielding main character. How intriguing!

Let's hear what you are waiting on this week.

Tuesday 3 July 2012

Teaser Tuesday: Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To 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!  

Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari.

Ashes, Ashes - Scholstic


The Hell Gate. The question was, were you entering hell going in or coming out? As far as she was concerned, the jury was still out on that one.
-- Chapter 5
From the direction of the road, a figure appeared out of the shadows. [...] It was Del.
-- Chapter 12



So, Ashes, Ashes ... I like the scenario (me and my thing for post-apocalypse again) but I’ve not really connected to the characters yet. Perhaps this book will surprise me, I surely hope it’ll try! Just please, no more detailed descriptions of killing and boiling turtles.

What are you reading today?