Tuesday, 8 January 2013
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To play along just do the following:
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor.
My teaser comes from the sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which was an amazing read. Whereas the first book had two perspectives from which to tell the story, Days of Blood and Starlight has three: Karou, Akiva and Zuzana. I like Zuzana the most; she is feisty and funny and a loyal friend to Karou. The teaser is taken from Karou's part though, because its tone reflects the tone of the book until now: dark, brooding, full of doubts - only broken by Zuzana's optimism. I'm still at the beginning and, as I'm afraid for the characters, it's not so easy for me to continue. There are difficult times ahead, but Zuzana is my (star-)light.
Which books are you reading right now? Tease us in the comments!
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!
Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor.
 |
| Days of Blood and Starlight - Little, Brown |
He looked very tired, his eyes heavy-lidded, but he mustered a smile.
"All ready?" he asked her.
She nodded and lit the incense.
"Good girl."
She bristled at the words and the caressing tone in which he spoke them. Am I? she wondered as she sank to her knees to raise the dead.
-- Page 70
My teaser comes from the sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone, which was an amazing read. Whereas the first book had two perspectives from which to tell the story, Days of Blood and Starlight has three: Karou, Akiva and Zuzana. I like Zuzana the most; she is feisty and funny and a loyal friend to Karou. The teaser is taken from Karou's part though, because its tone reflects the tone of the book until now: dark, brooding, full of doubts - only broken by Zuzana's optimism. I'm still at the beginning and, as I'm afraid for the characters, it's not so easy for me to continue. There are difficult times ahead, but Zuzana is my (star-)light.
Which books are you reading right now? Tease us in the comments!
Sunday, 6 January 2013
Happy New Year, everyone! Diana and I hope that all of you had a great start of the year and that it will treat you kindly. And, of course, that we will all discover great books this year. As a sort of attunement we have compiled a little preview of what we are looking forward to in the coming months.
Have you set yourself a challenge of how many books you want to read this year? And which titles are on your “definite read” list?
I probably have said this before somewhere, but the idea of this book is totally new to me and I’m so excited about its realisation. The girl named Dusty is a Nightmare – personified, not metaphorical (I hope) – and she’s got to find a murderer in the dreams of a human boy and outside them. A murder mystery with an exceptional magical background and a love story – just the right combination for me. :) Expected publication: March 5th.
By now I have read a bit of Gaiman’s work – including some of his comics – and I can say for certain that I never know what to expect of the books before reading. I read them nonetheless because I like the way Neil Gaiman creates his magical worlds, intertwining them with reality, and the way he tells his stories. This is exactly how I feel about The Ocean at the End of the Lane. The synopsis doesn’t tell me much, but I’m sure there’s magic somewhere and maybe one or three mystical creatures. That’s a good start. Expected publication: June 18th.
I read Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan in nearly one sitting and it was fabulous - until the end, which I just couldn’t get along with. So I wish for Untold, which doesn’t have a cover or a synopsis yet, to at least explain a bit of the ending and maybe start to mend what is broken. I have no certain idea in which direction the story might go now, but that makes it more exciting. Expected publication: August 29th.
The Name of the Star was one of my favourite books in 2011. Back then, the sequel was still announced for 2012. Then it got pushed to January, then February 2013 ... The Waiting Game is not one I enjoy, but I’m fairly certain that this one is worth waiting for. And now it is not too long. Barring unexpected circumstances, which you probably have to take into consideration ... seeing that it is Maureen Johnson. Expected publication: February 26th.
This souldn’t come as a surprise for you. Both, Diana and I are waiting for this very much. (She got Untold for her list and I got this one for mine, fair sharing and all ;) .) As this is the last book in the series, I’m having mixed feelings about it. Theories that we have speculated about since book one are going to be proven or disproven and I’m sure that Cassie has quite a few surprises in store for us as well. Still, I don’t want to say goodbye to the Shadowhunters of Victorian London, even if we get to keep Magnus. Expected publication: March 19th.
If there is one thing I’m a little put off about, it’s that the publisher changed the cover design of this series after the first book. Even if I understand the explanation why they did it ... and don’t get me wrong, I really like the new design. And after all, it’s still the content that counts. I’m very curious about the direction is sequel is going to take. I have a few theories and hopes, but I certainly don’t want to jinx them. Expected publication: April 23rd.
Have you set yourself a challenge of how many books you want to read this year? And which titles are on your “definite read” list?
Diana’s picks:
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| The Nightmare Affair – Mindee Arnett |
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| The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Neil Gaiman |
I read Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan in nearly one sitting and it was fabulous - until the end, which I just couldn’t get along with. So I wish for Untold, which doesn’t have a cover or a synopsis yet, to at least explain a bit of the ending and maybe start to mend what is broken. I have no certain idea in which direction the story might go now, but that makes it more exciting. Expected publication: August 29th.
Julika’s picks:
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| The Madness Underneath – Maureen Johnson |
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| Clockwork Princess – Cassandra Clare |
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| The Eternity Cure – Julie Kagawa |
Saturday, 22 December 2012
As the year draws to a close, it seems like a worthwhile endeavour to reflect upon the books we read and loved this year. We really couldn’t narrow it down to a top 10 and why not present 12 favourites of 2012 (and even that was hard enough)? However, this list is not a ranking among these books, because that would have been impossible ... and Diana and I wanted to avoid a Christmas quarrel. So we each picked six and present them in order of their publication. Click on the covers to get to the books’ GoodReads pages.
Merry Christmas, everyone! Have a few peaceful days, lots of bookish presents, and we hope to see you in 2013. And if you like, share a few of your favourites in the comments.
As book one in a trilogy, Incarnate concentrates on character development. Main character Ana stands out differently, because she is new in a society where everyone knows each other. New, imperfect, afraid - and she brings change. What I liked most was the tender love story between Ana and Sam, which builds upon literature, music, and art.
A Robin Hood story from the point of view of Scarlet, a young woman with a secret past that only Robin knows about. This change in perspective was what made the novel so fascinating for me. Even though it’s written in first person, the mystery around Scarlet was unravelled step by step, like a puzzle. I would have loved a sequel to this book, because there’s so much potential which could not be met just with one book.
Black Heart is the final book in the Curse Workers trilogy and it is the best last book of a series I’ve read so far. The main character, Cassel Sharpe, comes to a conclusion about his life that seems very natural to me, but I was even fonder of the little twist at the end. Wonderfully unexpected.
Here is a mystery about a book, which is paid in blood. The story shocked me a few times with unexpected twists and turns and became unpredictable to me, which I liked a lot. Also, a large part of the story takes place in the old city of Prague - a favourite city of mine concerning history and mystery.
It’s not often that I like books where there’s nothing supernatural to the story, but Pushing the Limits got to me. The romance between the two very different main characters is very delicate. There are pain and fear to deal with and a lot of lines to be crossed for them to trust each other. Beautifully written, it was an amazing read.
New York in the Golden Twenties, plus a magic murder mystery to be solved. When I got over the fact that it’s really playing in the 1920s, I absolutely fell into the story and only came back out again after the last page was turned.
There isn’t much that can be said about this book that hasn’t been said already. The possibly most frequently used phrase: A book about cancer that is not a cancer book, because cancer books suck. And this book definitely doesn’t.
Just when I thought that everything that could possibly be written about vampires has been written (and then some), Julie Kagawa proved me wrong. I love Alison (and Zeke) and will only wait patiently for book two for a lack of other options.
There are a few authors that will make me drop everything and vanish into my reading cave once I get my hands on their books. Cassandra Clare is one of them and everyone who dares to disturb me during my reading does so at their own peril. City of Lost Souls was one of my most anticipated books of 2012 and it didn’t let me down. It’s only fault is that the final book is still so far off.
Vampires, witches, and Victorian London (and other places)! A Discovery of Witches was one of my surprise favourite books of 2011 and even though I found the beginning of this second book difficult to get into, it definitely makes my list of favourite books of this year. If you have only one bone in your body that appreciates well-researched historical novels, you are missing something amazing if you don’t read Deborah Harkness.
I’ll confess that I only picked up Unspoken because Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson were talking about it so highly. And am I ever glad that I did! Even if the end made me want to hurt the author. I mean that as an absolute compliment, because apparently I prefer authors who like to feast on their readers’ despair.
The Caster Chronicles is probably one of those series that has to grow on its readers. At least I can’t imagine that it would cause quite the frenzy that other series do, but maybe I’m going to be surprised once the first movie hits the cinemas. As the final book in the series, I thought it was a great conclusion to a wonderful storyline. I am very much looking forward to the authors’ future projects as well.
Merry Christmas, everyone! Have a few peaceful days, lots of bookish presents, and we hope to see you in 2013. And if you like, share a few of your favourites in the comments.
Diana’s picks:
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| Incarnate – Jodie Meadows |
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| Scarlet – A.C. Gaughen |
A Robin Hood story from the point of view of Scarlet, a young woman with a secret past that only Robin knows about. This change in perspective was what made the novel so fascinating for me. Even though it’s written in first person, the mystery around Scarlet was unravelled step by step, like a puzzle. I would have loved a sequel to this book, because there’s so much potential which could not be met just with one book.
 |
| Black Heart – Holly Black |
Black Heart is the final book in the Curse Workers trilogy and it is the best last book of a series I’ve read so far. The main character, Cassel Sharpe, comes to a conclusion about his life that seems very natural to me, but I was even fonder of the little twist at the end. Wonderfully unexpected.
 |
| The Book of Blood and Shadow – Robin Wassermann |
Here is a mystery about a book, which is paid in blood. The story shocked me a few times with unexpected twists and turns and became unpredictable to me, which I liked a lot. Also, a large part of the story takes place in the old city of Prague - a favourite city of mine concerning history and mystery.
 |
| Pushing the Limits – Katie McGarry |
It’s not often that I like books where there’s nothing supernatural to the story, but Pushing the Limits got to me. The romance between the two very different main characters is very delicate. There are pain and fear to deal with and a lot of lines to be crossed for them to trust each other. Beautifully written, it was an amazing read.
 |
| The Diviners – Libba Bray |
New York in the Golden Twenties, plus a magic murder mystery to be solved. When I got over the fact that it’s really playing in the 1920s, I absolutely fell into the story and only came back out again after the last page was turned.
Julika’s picks:
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| The Fault in Our Stars – John Green |
 |
| The Immortal Rules – Julie Kagawa |
Just when I thought that everything that could possibly be written about vampires has been written (and then some), Julie Kagawa proved me wrong. I love Alison (and Zeke) and will only wait patiently for book two for a lack of other options.
 |
| City of Lost Souls – Cassandra Clare |
 |
| Shadow of Night – Deborah Harkness |
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| Unspoken – Sarah Rees Brennan |
I’ll confess that I only picked up Unspoken because Cassandra Clare and Maureen Johnson were talking about it so highly. And am I ever glad that I did! Even if the end made me want to hurt the author. I mean that as an absolute compliment, because apparently I prefer authors who like to feast on their readers’ despair.
 |
| Beautiful Redemption – Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl |
The Caster Chronicles is probably one of those series that has to grow on its readers. At least I can’t imagine that it would cause quite the frenzy that other series do, but maybe I’m going to be surprised once the first movie hits the cinemas. As the final book in the series, I thought it was a great conclusion to a wonderful storyline. I am very much looking forward to the authors’ future projects as well.
Wednesday, 19 December 2012
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
Asunder by Jodi Meadows
Publication Date: January 29th 2013.
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| Asunder - Katherine Tegen Books |
DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.
SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.
Synopsis from goodreads.com
The first book in this series, Incarnate, was one of the best ones for me this year. I read it immediately after it was published and simply loved it. Main character Ana is hopefully up to whatever it is thrown at her in this sequel: darkness, distrust and love. The last one sounds the hardest for someone who doesn't know love to begin with. Moreover, I'm curious how she will handle the changes in the city Heart, many of which she caused. But my favourite character is gentle, talented Sam, whom I waited so long already to read about again.
Which book did you choose this week? Leave us a comment.
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To play along just do the following:
Summer Knight by Jim Butcher.
Summer Knight is book four in the Dresden Files, a series about Harry Dresden - the only wizard listed in Chicago's telephone book. He's tall, wears black and works as a private investigator for supernatural stuff in the mortal world: vampires, faeries, demons - you name it. Dresden works with a spirit named Bob, has a cynical voice and tells his sories in the first person.
In Summer Knight, he has to find the murderer of the Summer Queen's knight, try not to get too entangled in faerie debts and maybe surviving the clash of the summer and the winter faerie courts would be good as well. Full of suspense, mystery and wisecracks - I'm enjoying this book very much.
Which book are you reading today? Tease us in the comments.
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!
Summer Knight by Jim Butcher.
 |
| Summer Knight - Roc |
“We have to find *** and stop her. Save the girl.”
“Or what happens?” Billy asked.
“Badness.”
“Kaboom badness?”
I shook my head. “Mostly longer term than that.”
“Like what?”
“How do you feel about ice ages?”
-- Chapter 29
Summer Knight is book four in the Dresden Files, a series about Harry Dresden - the only wizard listed in Chicago's telephone book. He's tall, wears black and works as a private investigator for supernatural stuff in the mortal world: vampires, faeries, demons - you name it. Dresden works with a spirit named Bob, has a cynical voice and tells his sories in the first person.
In Summer Knight, he has to find the murderer of the Summer Queen's knight, try not to get too entangled in faerie debts and maybe surviving the clash of the summer and the winter faerie courts would be good as well. Full of suspense, mystery and wisecracks - I'm enjoying this book very much.
Which book are you reading today? Tease us in the comments.
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