Tuesday 27 May 2014

Teaser Tuesday: The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

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 Forever Song by Julie Kagawa.

The Forever Song –
Harlequin Teen


“Would it kill you to have a little faith in your older brother?”
“It might.”
— Chapter 4

He smiled, and it turned my blood to ice. “Sing for me, Allie,” he crooned, in a voice that was all too familiar. “Sing for us, and make it a glorious song.”
— Chapter 7



Trilogy conclusion, and what a ride this series was ... or is, seeing that I’m not quite done and expect quite a firework for this one. I mean this is Julie Kagawa and she is a master heart-string-player, emotion juggler, and anticipation tamer. The last cliffhanger at the end of the second book was just brutal and so far this book has lived up to that potential. Sometimes knowing more than the protagonist is a kind of torture as well. And that trap was everything I hoped and feared it would be.
I’m still not quite on board with the impersonal covers. They are lovely but I loved the original cover of the first book with Allison on it. Nevertheless, the content matters more and that obviously stayed the same. Little warning though: If you’re squeamish regarding blood, you might want to stay away from this.

There probably won’t be a TT next week as I’ll be on vacation. There will be books, but no internet. Until then I want to know how you feel about blood and maybe a little gore in books. Does it affect you, do you try to avoid it? Let’s hear from you in the comments and please share your teasers.

Tuesday 20 May 2014

Teaser Tuesday: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

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 Maze Runner by James Dashner.

The Maze Runner –
Delacorte Press


And yet he didn’t know where he came from, or how he’d gotten inside the dark lift, or who his parents were. He didn’t even know his last name.
— Chapter 1

To survive the buggin’ Maze, you gotta be smart, quick, strong. Gotta be a decision maker, know the right amount of risk to take. Can’t be reckless, can’t be timid, either.
— Chapter 15



Keeping up with the theme of reading book/series almost everyone else has already finished, this week is also a preparation for the movie ... and this is not completely unrelated to seeing the trailer. But the book before movie rule applies.
I’m not that far along yet, but I already get the feeling that this world is very complex and will keep me on my toes to get everything. And yet I still have the feeling that I already missed some foreshadowing. Reviews indicate that it’s a pretty clear cut of either loving or not finishing the book, there doesn’t seem to be much room in between. I’m quite curious to find out where I’ll fit in. There are a few signs of thinks I dislike, such as artificial withholding of answers as well as the not really comprehensible proto-language the kids in the maze have adopted. I hope this will bother me less as the book goes on.

Do you watch movies based on books before you read the book (if you’re aware of there being a book in the first place)? Sound off in comments and share your teasers.

Tuesday 13 May 2014

Teaser Tuesday: Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder

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!

Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder.

Scent of Magic – Harlequin Mira

He kept his flat expression, and I knew I’d get more cooperation from the cave’s stone walls. Too bad for him that I didn’t need his approval.
— Chapter 1

Kerrick’s first instinct was to say no. However, he’d learned...or rather, Avry had taught him...that just because he said no didn’t mean the other person would listen. She certainly hadn’t.
— Chapter 4.5



The quotes seem like parts of a matched pair, which is funny, because I completely picked them at random. But who am I to argue with the trickster fate of book-choices ... it was, after all only by accident that I picked up the first book in the series (and was then reminded by a dear friend about reading the sequels). On to that!
This series has a slightly different (I’m hesitant to say more mature for several reasons) target audience, which is not so much apparent in the plot itself, but in the overall mood. It’s hard to grasp, apart from the clearly older protagonists. And by older I mean closer to 30 than to 15. Other than that, they struggle with similar problems. Like me wanting to shake some sense into them to talk a little more to each other. So this clearly doesn’t get (much) better with age. I’m curious to find out how the story of these characters continues.

One positive thing about almost forgetting this series is that I won’t have to wait for the final book to publish as it’s already available ... a small reprieve from so many other cliffhangers looming at the moment. Do you have sequels in your TBR where you won’t have to wait for the final book? Share thoughts and teasers in the comment section!

Tuesday 6 May 2014

Teaser Tuesday: Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

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!

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor.

Dreams of Gods & Monsters –
Little, Brown & Company

“We have so many enemies, Lisseth,” said Karou, keeping her voice light. “Most of them are our birthright, inherited like a duty, but the ones we make for ourselves are special. We should choose them with care.”
— Chapter 6

She herself had never known cold. It gave every appearance of unpleasantness. Weak, she thought, still watching the human pair, but there was another word lurking, defying it. Fearless.
— Chapter 14



My copy of this book must have taken a detour through Eretz before it came to me ... books need adventures, too! But now that I have it I will never ever let it go. (She said and hoped that the end would not make her regret this claim. Which it won’t if the first 120 pages are any indication.)
The book immediately sucked me in and transported me into its reality of angel warriors and revenant fighters and I can’t wait to find out how it all comes together and resolves. Hopefully in a not-too-devastating way, but we have I think already established that I as a reader appreciate literary (not literal) torture to a certain degree. Just based on the list of favourite authors ...
Anyway, I adore the characters of this story, beginning with Zuzana to Issa to Liraz and of course Karou and Akiva (though at the moment I want to shake those two ... communication is key? Maybe?). I’m racing and savouring at the same time, if such a thing is possible, because I want to know as soon as I can, but I also want to enjoy and breathe in the wonderful and rich writing. And I don’t want it to end, even if it must.

Are you flying through your current read or meandering through it? Have you ever tried regulating your reading pace? Share teasers and opinions in the comments!