Tuesday, 7 May 2013

Teaser Tuesday: Coraline by Neil Gaiman

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!

Coraline by Neil Gaiman.

Coraline – HarperFestival


There was nothing in the corner. Nothing but the old door that opened onto the brick wall. She was sure that her mother had shut the door, but now it was ever so slightly open. Just a crack.
— Chapter 1

In danger? thought Coraline to herself. It sounded exciting. It didn’t sound like a bad thing. Not really.
— Chapter 2


Neil Gaiman has got a way of intertwining myths so closely with reality that you sometimes don’t know where one ends and the other begins. I discovered this, reading all of his novels, besides Coraline. So I finally thought it was time to pick up the book about this small, inquisitive girl, who is ready to explore the world.
I’m not deep into the story yet, but I already like Coraline’s clear way of seeing the world around her. When she finds a doorway to another reality and starts scouting it out, I just want to go exploring with her and see what hides behind it, never mind the danger.

Do you have a favourite author, whose every book you (want to) read? Leave us a comment along with your teaser.

Wednesday, 1 May 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: Red by Alison Cherry

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
Red by Alison Cherry.
Publication Date: October 8th 2013

Red -
Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Felicity St. John has it all—loyal best friends, a hot guy, and artistic talent. And she’s right on track to win the Miss Scarlet pageant. Her perfect life is possible because of just one thing: her long, wavy, coppery red hair.

Having red hair is all that matters in Scarletville. Redheads hold all the power—and everybody knows it. That’s why Felicity is scared down to her roots when she receives an anonymous note:

I know your secret.

Because Felicity is a big fake. Her hair color comes straight out of a bottle. And if anyone discovered the truth, she’d be a social outcast faster than she could say "strawberry blond." Her mother would disown her, her friends would shun her, and her boyfriend would dump her. And forget about winning that pageant crown and the prize money that comes with it—money that would allow her to fulfill her dream of going to art school.

Felicity isn’t about to let someone blackmail her life away. But just how far is she willing to go to protect her red cred?
Synopsis form goodreads.com.

I'm fond of red hair since reading Anne of Green Gables years ago, which is one of my favourite classics and the reasons Red caught my eye. In Felicity's life, everything you can acomplish depends on your hair colour. So trying to be accepted into that society with the help of hair dye is understandable. But is it really worth it to not be your true self for society? And shouldn't her family and friends love her regardless, even without the red hair? Also, who's the blackmailer and what's the motivation? I like that mystery spin to the story and wonder what Felicty will do about it. Maybe it's time, she showed her true colours.

Which books are you waiting on this Wednesday? Leave us a comment.

Tuesday, 30 April 2013

Teaser Tuesday: The Eternity Cure 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 Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa.

The Eternity Cure – Harlequin Teen

Dawn was a couple hours away. I could cover a lot of ground before then, so I started off once more, heading down the road toward an unknown destination. Chasing a shadow.
Knowing we were running out of time.
— Chapter 1

“I’ve been around a lot longer than you. I’ve seen my share of cocky vampires who think they’re invincible. Until I rip their heads off.”
— Chapter 5


Why yes, I stayed up until after midnight to see the book magically appear. And then I left everything else be and started reading ... I’m not too far in yet, but I can already say that this is just as amazing as the first book, if not even more so. The only sort of problems are that I am awfully afraid to finish this book since I anticipate an #evilauthor ending and I’ve got an inkling that the next book will be a while off again.

Do you have books that you couldn’t wait to get your hands on and then realised while reading that you for whatever reasons don’t really want to know the end just yet?

Wednesday, 24 April 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: Icons by 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
Icons by Margareth Stohl.
Publication Date: May 7th 2013.

Icons – Little, Brown Books

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.
Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.
She's different. She survived. Why?
When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.
Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.
Synopsis from goodreads.com

I recall that I said that dystopias seem to take over my reading and waiting list. I try to limit this, but I will happily make an exception for Margaret Stohl. And this also sounds more like post-apocalypse rather than dystopia (yes, I’m fishing for excuses, but I think that these two are different categories).

Is there a genre that dominates your reading lists voluntarily or accidentally? Tell us in the comments along with your Waiting On pick of the week!

Tuesday, 23 April 2013

Teaser Tuesday: Fragments by Dan Wells

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!

Fragments by Dan Wells.

Fragments – Balzer + Bray

That was where she’d first met Samm – well, not “met him” so much as “knocked him unconscious and captured him.” It was strange how much things had changed since then. If she had Samm here, now ... Well, things would be a lot easier, for one thing
— Chapter 5

As the crowd roared in fear and confusion, as the reality of of the situation sank into him, Marcus realized that it didn’t matter. He wasn’t ready to sacrifice anyone; he’d rather go down fighting than sell his soul for peace.
— Chapter 6

This is the sequel to Partials, which I thought was absolutely amazing ... even with that not so minor hiccup at the end that made me once again question my luck in choosing favourite characters. But apart from that it definitely was one of my lucky finds of 2012.
It took me a while to get into this sequel and I think I can identify the changes in perspective as the main reason. I was used to Kira as the focal point, but now that the group is split up, I see that it makes sense to have various points of view. I just had to get used to it first. Pesky, human nature that gets used to things so easily. :)

Have you ever been irritated by narrator changes? Share your experience in the comments along with your teasers!