Tuesday, 7 June 2016
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.
To play along just do the following:
The Last Star by Rick Yancey.
It is quite possible that literature has taught me to be a cautious pessimist. Or maybe a high-functioning pessimist. I no longer just open a book and start a new story (or continue it), but rather I’m approaching it with an underlying question along the lines of “okay, how are you going to blow everything up in my face?”. This is not a bad thing, because if I wanted to, I’m certain I could find books that go straight from A to B without so much as trying to mess with me. Big if I wanted to.
So I got this book final book in the trilogy and if you’ve read the previous two, you remember that everything is already pretty glum and how will this ever be nearing something that can be described as sort of okay. And I think I’m still in the part where everything it is pretty much going downhill fast, possibly backwards. At the moment I’m not sure how this is supposed to be turned around. Maybe it isn’t and this is headed towards a big finale of apocalyptic destruction. Which in itself is from a certain point of view the only happy end possible.
And this is also where I realised that I’m not as pessimistic as I thought, because I’m still trying to figure out how this could be turned around to a somewhat positive outcome. At what point is post-apocalyptic so far gone that the previous state cannot be restored and the only feasible way is forward to begin from scratch rather than backward to rebuild?
Are you a literary optimist or pessimist. Or something else altogether? Let’s hear from you in the comments along with your teasers.
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 Last Star by Rick Yancey.
 |
| The Last Star – G.P. Putnam’s Sons |
And she would leap, a fearless launch into empty space, because he wasn’t just her father—he was Daddy. He would catch her; he would not let her fall.
— Prologue
I should have known he was going to save me by betraying me: He’d been doing it from the beginning.
— Chapter 4
It is quite possible that literature has taught me to be a cautious pessimist. Or maybe a high-functioning pessimist. I no longer just open a book and start a new story (or continue it), but rather I’m approaching it with an underlying question along the lines of “okay, how are you going to blow everything up in my face?”. This is not a bad thing, because if I wanted to, I’m certain I could find books that go straight from A to B without so much as trying to mess with me. Big if I wanted to.
So I got this book final book in the trilogy and if you’ve read the previous two, you remember that everything is already pretty glum and how will this ever be nearing something that can be described as sort of okay. And I think I’m still in the part where everything it is pretty much going downhill fast, possibly backwards. At the moment I’m not sure how this is supposed to be turned around. Maybe it isn’t and this is headed towards a big finale of apocalyptic destruction. Which in itself is from a certain point of view the only happy end possible.
And this is also where I realised that I’m not as pessimistic as I thought, because I’m still trying to figure out how this could be turned around to a somewhat positive outcome. At what point is post-apocalyptic so far gone that the previous state cannot be restored and the only feasible way is forward to begin from scratch rather than backward to rebuild?
Are you a literary optimist or pessimist. Or something else altogether? Let’s hear from you in the comments along with your teasers.
Tuesday, 31 May 2016
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.
To play along just do the following:
Soldier by Julie Kagawa.
I started this book under the impression that this would be the final book in a trilogy, but when I was about halfway through I began to realise that there were way to many loose ends to be even remotely done in the number of pages I had ahead of me. With a new to me author that might have been the case, but as this is my third (fourth, if you count the Iron Fey parts separately) series from Julia Kagawa, I felt confident in my assessment that there was more to come. I just hadn’t gotten the memo. And luckily I was right and there are two more books planned as of now.
I’ll be honest and say there there are parts in this book that I didn’t care about as much as others. But I think that is to be expected from a book with multiple narrators, especially if all of them are a first person narration, which is quite challenging to write I imagine. However, Julie Kagawa manages to give all her narrators a distinct feel so that the reader never forgets who is talking at the moment. And even the non narrating characters. Can I just say that I love Jade and can I please get more of that?
When I looked up if there are going to be more books in the series I was also made aware that there would be a major cliffhanger at the end of this book (then I quickly clicked away because the only thing worse than spoilers are spoilers you caused for yourself). And ... I feel that the term cliffhanger needs to be adjusted for certain authors or that there needs to be a word that more accurately describes the situation. Like when a good author lets you dangle from a moderate cliff then these authors leave you clinging to the cliffs of Kalaupapa ... or something like that.
So while I’m cliff clinging for dear life let me ask you if you had instances of surprise not-final-books in the past. If so, were they pleasant or not so pleasant surprises? Share thoughts and teasers 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!
Soldier by Julie Kagawa.
 |
| Soldier – HarlequinTeen |
I was sore, confused, overwhelmed and felt I could bite something with very little provocation. “I’ll be fine. I’m going to lie down and growl at anything that asks me questions.”
— Chapter 21
“You’re injured.” She shook her head. “Why are you standing here talking to me? Go tell the monks to take care of that. I did not come all this way, across two oceans, to watch you die of blood loss.”
— Chapter 23
I started this book under the impression that this would be the final book in a trilogy, but when I was about halfway through I began to realise that there were way to many loose ends to be even remotely done in the number of pages I had ahead of me. With a new to me author that might have been the case, but as this is my third (fourth, if you count the Iron Fey parts separately) series from Julia Kagawa, I felt confident in my assessment that there was more to come. I just hadn’t gotten the memo. And luckily I was right and there are two more books planned as of now.
I’ll be honest and say there there are parts in this book that I didn’t care about as much as others. But I think that is to be expected from a book with multiple narrators, especially if all of them are a first person narration, which is quite challenging to write I imagine. However, Julie Kagawa manages to give all her narrators a distinct feel so that the reader never forgets who is talking at the moment. And even the non narrating characters. Can I just say that I love Jade and can I please get more of that?
When I looked up if there are going to be more books in the series I was also made aware that there would be a major cliffhanger at the end of this book (then I quickly clicked away because the only thing worse than spoilers are spoilers you caused for yourself). And ... I feel that the term cliffhanger needs to be adjusted for certain authors or that there needs to be a word that more accurately describes the situation. Like when a good author lets you dangle from a moderate cliff then these authors leave you clinging to the cliffs of Kalaupapa ... or something like that.
So while I’m cliff clinging for dear life let me ask you if you had instances of surprise not-final-books in the past. If so, were they pleasant or not so pleasant surprises? Share thoughts and teasers in the comments!
Tuesday, 24 May 2016
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.
To play along just do the following:
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater.
Why do readers not believe authors when they tell you at the very beginning of a series that they are going to kill a character? Or when they do it again throughout the series? Right up to the beginning of the last book? Because of the thing with feathers (and not ravens, contrary to what the title might suggest). We readers love to fall for the lost cause; and what clever move to define the most lost cause among lost causes very early on. But really who of them is the most lost? You could also argue for the undead dead boy. Or the nightmare dreamer. Or the untaught magician. Or the cursed psychic who wants to fall in love. It's all equally horrible and very much on a slippery precipice. Add to that Maggie Stiefvater’s truly addictive writing and you'll understand why this book is worth reading in one sitting.
The previous three books added so many layers that I possibly lost sight of a few of them. In an ideal world I’d re-read the series once I’ve finished it to catch all of them. But so many books so little time! I have a few series I want to re-read in their entirety once they are out, maybe I'll carefully place this one among them.
Are you prone to route for the lost cause? Which broken hero are you holding out hope for? Share them along with your teasers 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!
The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater.
 |
| The Raven King – Scholastic Children’s Books |
It was easier to tell hero from villain when the stakes were only life and death. Everything in between gets harder.
— Chapter 11
He was a book, and he was holding his final pages, and he wanted to get to the end to find out how it went, and he didn't want it to be over.
— Chapter 55
Why do readers not believe authors when they tell you at the very beginning of a series that they are going to kill a character? Or when they do it again throughout the series? Right up to the beginning of the last book? Because of the thing with feathers (and not ravens, contrary to what the title might suggest). We readers love to fall for the lost cause; and what clever move to define the most lost cause among lost causes very early on. But really who of them is the most lost? You could also argue for the undead dead boy. Or the nightmare dreamer. Or the untaught magician. Or the cursed psychic who wants to fall in love. It's all equally horrible and very much on a slippery precipice. Add to that Maggie Stiefvater’s truly addictive writing and you'll understand why this book is worth reading in one sitting.
The previous three books added so many layers that I possibly lost sight of a few of them. In an ideal world I’d re-read the series once I’ve finished it to catch all of them. But so many books so little time! I have a few series I want to re-read in their entirety once they are out, maybe I'll carefully place this one among them.
Are you prone to route for the lost cause? Which broken hero are you holding out hope for? Share them along with your teasers in the comments.
Tuesday, 17 May 2016
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.
To play along just do the following:
The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi.
Before I say anything about this book, let me vent one general grievance I have: Why is it that every time a specific type of tree is mentioned in a book chances are at about 80% that this tree species is a pine? Maybe I’m being ridiculous, but I feel haunted by pines. There are so many other lovely trees and if you absolutely need a coniferous type why not choose larch or fir or cedar for a change? Sorry, rant over.
Other than being the last book in a row with haunting pine trees, this was a really lovely story that provided a nice one-session-read for a gloomy afternoon. I really appreciated the interweaving of Greek mythology (which is played at but if you’re not a mythology geek you can still enjoy the story) with Indian folktales and culture. Though I would have liked a sort of glossary at the end about all the different types of Otherworld creatures. This is also blessedly a standalone with a planned companion, but if you want you can put the book aside and not miss anything because the plot is perfectly wrapped up in this one book.
I will admit that I enjoyed the second part of the book a little more where Kamala, the demon horse, enters the scene. She’s my secret hero of the book and if I ever own a horse again, I want her to be as spirited and witty as Kamala. Maybe without the flesh-eating tendencies, but I could work around that. The first half is nice and all, and I possibly wouldn’t sent Amar away if he came to rescue me from a forced fake marriage ceremony, but between his beautiful notions on justice and fate and Kamala’s crazy sharp wit and repartee there would be no contest.
If you had to choose between a sensuous, secretive love-interest and a quick-witted, loyal but possibly demonic best friend, what would you do? Share your choices and teasers in the comment.
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 Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi.
 |
| The Star-Touched Queen – St. Martin’s Griffin |
Memory is a riddled thing. I would caution you from making promises you cannot keep.
— Chapter 11
“How do I curse them?” Wouldn’t be a useless skill to have, all things considered.
“Oh, I don’t know. You could set me on them?” Kamala smiled and her eyes flashed red.
I cringed. Horses should not smile.
— Chapter 21
Before I say anything about this book, let me vent one general grievance I have: Why is it that every time a specific type of tree is mentioned in a book chances are at about 80% that this tree species is a pine? Maybe I’m being ridiculous, but I feel haunted by pines. There are so many other lovely trees and if you absolutely need a coniferous type why not choose larch or fir or cedar for a change? Sorry, rant over.
Other than being the last book in a row with haunting pine trees, this was a really lovely story that provided a nice one-session-read for a gloomy afternoon. I really appreciated the interweaving of Greek mythology (which is played at but if you’re not a mythology geek you can still enjoy the story) with Indian folktales and culture. Though I would have liked a sort of glossary at the end about all the different types of Otherworld creatures. This is also blessedly a standalone with a planned companion, but if you want you can put the book aside and not miss anything because the plot is perfectly wrapped up in this one book.
I will admit that I enjoyed the second part of the book a little more where Kamala, the demon horse, enters the scene. She’s my secret hero of the book and if I ever own a horse again, I want her to be as spirited and witty as Kamala. Maybe without the flesh-eating tendencies, but I could work around that. The first half is nice and all, and I possibly wouldn’t sent Amar away if he came to rescue me from a forced fake marriage ceremony, but between his beautiful notions on justice and fate and Kamala’s crazy sharp wit and repartee there would be no contest.
If you had to choose between a sensuous, secretive love-interest and a quick-witted, loyal but possibly demonic best friend, what would you do? Share your choices and teasers in the comment.
Tuesday, 10 May 2016
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.
To play along just do the following:
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas.
It is usually due to one of two reasons why I can’t or won’t talk too much about a book’s content: Either it didn’t click for me or I loved it entirely too much and I don’t want anyone to be spoilt the chance to read and love it for the first time. The latter is completely true for this book, multiplied by the fact that I also don’t want to spoil anything about the first equally amazing book in the trilogy.
Maybe some reading observations: I was suspecting (hoping or praying really) at the end of book one that something might be afoot and even though that became obvious pretty quickly I was still invested in how and when it would happen. And the way there was such a delight to read with wonderful storytelling and perfectly executed plot manoeuvres. I haven’t giggle-snorted at a book for quite a while. And it has been even longer that I threw my book down at some point and started weeping like there was no tomorrow because it really hurt so bad. I know that at the end of book two in a trilogy not all can be well, but that twist completely wrecked me and if that had been a cliffhanger I don’t know what would have happened. I don’t think that I’d have survived the wait with my heart intact.
So if you’re into anything fae or retellings or amazing love tales... or just into honest to goodness epically well-crafted stories and haven’t heard of or read A Court of Thorns and Roses (Book one) or Sarah’s equally magnificent Throne of Glass series, I urge you to drop everything and “get thee to a bookish place of your choice”.
A little Shakespeare allusion hasn’t ever hurt anyone, right? Not like being so enchanted by a book that you more than suffered with the characters. What is the last book that has made you feel like the floor had been ripped out right under your feet? Share them along with your teasers 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!
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas.
 |
| A Court of Mist and Fury – Bloomsbury Children’s Books |
I love my people, and my family. Do not think I wouldn’t become a monster to keep them protected.
— Chapter 17
He thinks he’ll be remembered as the villain in the story. But I forgot to tell him that the villain is usually the person who locks up the maiden and throws away the key.
— Chapter 43
It is usually due to one of two reasons why I can’t or won’t talk too much about a book’s content: Either it didn’t click for me or I loved it entirely too much and I don’t want anyone to be spoilt the chance to read and love it for the first time. The latter is completely true for this book, multiplied by the fact that I also don’t want to spoil anything about the first equally amazing book in the trilogy.
Maybe some reading observations: I was suspecting (hoping or praying really) at the end of book one that something might be afoot and even though that became obvious pretty quickly I was still invested in how and when it would happen. And the way there was such a delight to read with wonderful storytelling and perfectly executed plot manoeuvres. I haven’t giggle-snorted at a book for quite a while. And it has been even longer that I threw my book down at some point and started weeping like there was no tomorrow because it really hurt so bad. I know that at the end of book two in a trilogy not all can be well, but that twist completely wrecked me and if that had been a cliffhanger I don’t know what would have happened. I don’t think that I’d have survived the wait with my heart intact.
So if you’re into anything fae or retellings or amazing love tales... or just into honest to goodness epically well-crafted stories and haven’t heard of or read A Court of Thorns and Roses (Book one) or Sarah’s equally magnificent Throne of Glass series, I urge you to drop everything and “get thee to a bookish place of your choice”.
A little Shakespeare allusion hasn’t ever hurt anyone, right? Not like being so enchanted by a book that you more than suffered with the characters. What is the last book that has made you feel like the floor had been ripped out right under your feet? Share them along with your teasers in the comments.
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