Tuesday, 9 July 2013

Teaser Tuesday: Ink by Amanda Sun

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!

Ink by Amanda Sun.

Ink – HarlequinTeen

There’s a saying in Japan, and it has to do with cherry-blossom viewing — hana yori dango — Dumplings over flowers. It basically means that someone should value needs over wants, substance over appearance.
— Chapter 3

He was drawing a dragon, long and angular, and it wriggled on the page like a snake, like the scrap I had picked up that day. The sun glinted on its mouth full of shiny teeth and my whole body went cold.
— Chapter 10


I’m not an artist but I have seen drawings that looked real enough to jump right off the page. The idea that this could somehow happen is equal parts awesome and terrifying. What I really love about this book are all the distinctly Japanese references, customs, and habits that at least to me who has never been to Japan seem real and well-researched. Even if I wished that the Japanese glossary was more easily accessible when reading the eBook. And as a former cultural studies student I appreciate the "find your identity and define yourself via othering". But don’t worry it’s definitely not a case study situation but a really interesting story and refreshingly "other".

Would a setting in a culture that you possibly cannot relate to immediately make you hesitate to pick up a book or rather make you more interested in it? Sound off in the comments and share your Tuesday pick.

Wednesday, 3 July 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: Fake ID by Lamar Giles

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
Fake ID by Lamar Giles.
Publication Date: January 21st 2014

Fake ID - HarperCollins
Nick Pearson is pretending to be someone he isn’t. Not high school pretending. Witness Protection pretending. And the #1 rule is “stay low-key”. But, when his sole friend Eli dies in the school’s journalism room under mysterious circumstances, and Nick stumbles upon the conspiracy Eli planned on exposing, staying low-key takes a backseat to staying alive.

Newspaper Nerd Eli had a secret, an in-the-works story codenamed “Whispertown”. And it’s got a lot of folks interested. Like corrupt cops, the town’s shady mayor, and certain high-ranking government officials. Teaming with Eli’s estranged (and gorgeous) sister, Nick sets out to unravel the mystery and still maintain his cover. He’ll have to use all the deviant skills he’s gained from his racketeering dad, assassin godfather, and their Serbian gangster boss to find the truth. However, each clue brings him closer to answers he may not want. Whispertown is bigger than he could have ever imagined, and in its shadow stands a killer…a killer Nick fears may be his own father.
Synopsis from goodreads.com.

When I chanced across Fake ID on goodreads, I immediately wanted to throw my self-imposed no-buying-books-this-month rule over board. Fortunate for my purse, much less so for me, there's quite a wait for this book's release. The synopsis however promises a thrilling read with Nick trying to solve his best friend's murder whilst keeping his witness protection cover. Secrets, suspense and mystery all rolled into one; that's surely worth the wait.

Have you picked up a book you came across purely by chance lately? Tell us in the comments along with your waiting on choice.

Tuesday, 2 July 2013

Teaser Tuesday: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

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!

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.

Anna and the French Kiss –
Dutton

Who sends their kid to boarding school? It’s so Hogwarts. Only mine doesn’t have cute boy wizards or magic candy or flying lessons.
— Chapter 1

I gesture at my pajama bottoms. “I’m not exactly dressed for it.”
“Come on, Anna. Do we honestly have to go through this again?”
I give him a doubtful look, and the unicorn pillow flies at my head.
— Chapter 7


I totally blame this one on the YA Crush Tournament over at the YA-Sisterhood, even if Étienne was voted out in the first round and even if my personal favourite is quite a different crush altogether (no, I’m not going to jinx it). Nevertheless, this is a really cute and fun read, which also helps in alleviating wanderlust if you don’t have a vacation planned in the near future.

Do you have your summer vacation planned (or winter if you happen to live in the southern hemisphere)? And if so, how many books are you taking?

Wednesday, 26 June 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: Indelible by Dawn Metcalf

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
Indelible by Dawn Metcalf.
Publication Date: July 30th 2013

Indelible – Harlequin Teen

Some things are permanent.

Indelible.

And they cannot be changed back.

Joy Malone learns this the night she sees a stranger with all-black eyes across a crowded room—right before the mystery boy tries to cut out her eye. Instead, the wound accidentally marks her as property of Indelible Ink, and this dangerous mistake thrusts Joy into an incomprehensible world—a world of monsters at the window, glowing girls on the doorstep, and a life that will never be the same.

Now, Joy must pretend to be Ink’s chosen one—his helper, his love, his something for the foreseeable future...and failure to be convincing means a painful death for them both. Swept into a world of monsters, illusion, immortal honor and revenge, Joy discovers that sometimes, there are no mistakes.

Somewhere between reality and myth lies…

THE TWIXT
Synopsis from goodreads.com

Sure, who doesn’t want to meet their potential significant other by way of them almost cutting out your eye and disfiguring your face in the process? There are certainly worse methods ... I think ... As you can probably guess, I’m not too sure about this one, but somehow I kept thinking about it and finally added it to Mt. TBR. It’s an interesting base to start from and I’m quite curious how the author fared with the execution.

Any strange ways of meeting people in your books? Share the books you’re curious about this week in the comments.

Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Teaser Tuesday: Faking It by Cora Carmack

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!

Faking It by Cora Carmack

Faking It -
William Morrow


“My name is Cade Winston—MFA student, volunteer, mom-hugger, and your boyfriend for the next twenty-four hours. It’s nice to meet you.”
-- Page 36

A laugh pushed its way past the pain that lived in my lungs, and escaped from my throat. “Golden Boy and Angry Girl.”
“We should make a comic book about our adventures.”
-- Page 132


This is book two in a series and focuses on a minor character from the first book, Losing It. Cade is a twenty-two-year-old drama school student, who gets talked into becoming Max's boyfriend for the time her parents are in town. Naturally, that is not as easy as it sounds. I really like Cade the Golden Boy and Max the Angry Girl and totally support the comic book idea! ;) The chapters alternate between their different points of view, which makes it easier for the reader to see their motivations.It is beautiful to see the contrast between what they think the other is like and how they really are.

Which books are you reading right now? Leave us a comment along with your teaser.