Tuesday, 8 April 2014

Teaser Tuesday: The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski

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 Winners’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski.

The Winner’s Curse –
Farrar Straus Giroux


He knew the law of such things: people in brightly lit places cannot see into the dark.
— Chapter 8

“It turns out that I am a coward.”
Arin shook his head. “It’s harder to live.”
Yes. It was. Kestrel had known there would be no escape tonight, and probably not for some time to come.
— Chapter 29



It’s been a while since I had a (one-sided) discussion with a book about ending right where it does ... it went something like this:
Julika nears the end of the book, the remaining pages get fewer and fewer but the characters are not in a position Julika would want to leave them in. Last page, Julika: “No. Nonononono. Not there not now.” Book ends. “There must be pages missing. Right? Somewhere?” No further pages turn up. Julika has a mild whinge tantrum.
Thankfully, there will be more books because this is so not over! It could be and it would be heart-breaking, but if I had to, I could maybe at some point accept it. I so very much enjoyed the world Marie Rutkoski has developed and the people she placed in it. I could also have chosen to tease you with the several mentions of different kinds of smiles, which I thought were very cool and so cleverly scattered throughout the story, which adds another layer of depth and perception. Maybe it’s the former literature student talking, but these details make me appreciate a book so much more when I notice these things that speak of a carefully planned writing and thought-process.
Anyway, I so so cannot wait for the next part of this. Go and read the (sort of) prequel story, Bridge of Snow, fall in love with the writing, and then go read this book!

Do you keep an eye out for plot-devices? Do you have a book where such a thing made you appreciate the story more? Share them in comments, along with your teaser.

Tuesday, 1 April 2014

Teaser Tueasday: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

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!

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.

Beauty Queens – Scholastic Press

And so our tale begins with a sudden fall from blue skies, with screams and prayers and a camera crew bravely recording every bit of the turbulence and drama: What a lucky break for their show!
— Prologue

“I am team captain. And I say we’re doing our pageant prep first, according to plan. Priorities.”
“Shouldn’t our priorities be food, shelter, and rescue?”
— Chapter 6


After I was finished with university, I promised myself something along the lines of “No more books with footnotes!” But some promises are made to be broken, because otherwise I’d have to miss out on quite a few books.
Parts of this are so absurd that they’re actually too real and at the same time hilariously funny. In a holding up a mirror and laugh before you run screaming sort of way. It’s great humour and I’m enjoying this a lot. But I’ll have to say that I first tried reading the book on my reader and on there, footnotes are a pain. That’s a problem to be solved. Until then: real books. Or the desktop app solution in this case.

Footnotes can be a topic of strong feelings – do you have any thoughts? Love them, like them, hate them? Let’s hear from you in the comments. And no, none of this is an April Fool’s ... happy April, everyone.

Tuesday, 25 March 2014

Teaser Tuesday: Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

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!

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi.

Into the Still Blue – Harper


Then I remember this is all we have. Real is all that’s left.
— Chapter 9

“What you should worry about is the fact that they’re forcing a workhorse to be a racehorse.”
“I liked it better when I didn’t understand him,” Roar said.
— Chapter 27




When I read the first book, Through the Ever Night, that was a week or so before the announcement of Google Glass, which weirdly sounded like a prototype of the SmartEye technology used in this series ... oddly disturbing. But luckily for us, Google doesn’t seem to work too quickly on perfecting this thing. At least not to a point of dystopian proportions. Nevertheless, I’m halfway through this and I already know that I’ll miss these characters. Fingers crossed that I’ll get to miss them in a good way and not that-other-sad-way. What I really like about this series is that the people in it deal (or don’t deal) with feelings and problems instead of those plopping up as plot devices and then vanishing when it’s convenient. It’s not a centre-stage story arc but still a prominent theme and I think it’s depicted extremely well.

Did any of your books ever follow you into real life like the Google Glass announcement? Share your stories and teasers in the comments.

Tuesday, 18 March 2014

Teaser Tuesday: Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

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!

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White.

Perfect Lies – HarperTeen

But when I’m asleep, no one can listen to my thoughts. I’m still afraid to sleep—too many ghosts peering creeping condemning.
— Chapter 1

I knew she would fix everything, I knew she would find a way to our future.
Two minutes ago I knew she was going to kill me.
— Chapter 2



There are days when I’m happy that I don’t have any siblings who depend on me to save the day or who I could put under such a pressure not to disappoint my hope. And then there are days when I think that this is an awesome feeling to have that sort of power or to be able to trust someone so much. After the first book, the two interestingly talented sisters were left in quite a situation and I am curious to find out what happens next.

How is your sibling situation? Good/mixed/depends/bad/none? Let’s hear from you in the comments.

Tuesday, 11 March 2014

Teaser Tuesday: The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

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 Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan.

The Demon’s Lexicon –
Simon & Schuster Children's UK




The pipe under the sink was leaking again. It wouldn’t have been so bad, except that Nick kept his favorite sword under the sink.
— Chapter 1






There are several witty and funny headings ready for what just happened, but the reality is that I was completely uninspired by my current reads to pick a teaser and then I started (not so) absently browsing and miraculously (as it happens) ended up on my trusted book retailer site. And while I was wondering which book to pick, I thought about books I desperately want to read ... like Sarah Rees Brennan’s Unmade, which isn’t out until September. Next thing I know, my kobo is updating with my latest purchase ... must be the Irish elves at work ... or something. But honestly, those first two sentences are sort of perfect and if I can’t trust my fragile reader’s heart into the hands of ... oh, wait, what have I done?! (For the record: I know what I did and I’m perfectly fine with it ... more than that, should have done this much earlier) *walks happily glum into certain despair*

What are your latest impulse buys? Or do you have an iron-clad purchase regimen? Let’s hear from you in the comments.