Teaser Tuesday: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

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!

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.

Shadow and Bone –
Henry Holt BYR

I was so furious I wanted to smack him on the back of his head. And if I hadn’t seen him cut a man in half, I might have done just that. I settled for glaring at the space between his shoulder blades as I followed him up the hill.
— Chapter 5

And there’s nothing wrong with being a lizard either. Unless you were born to be a hawk.
— Chapter 12

So, why am I teasing from this book when the sequel, Siege and Storm, has just been published? Firstly, because I have not yet read enough of it to pick any page in the book without potentially spoiling myself. And secondly, because I really enjoyed the first book and on the off-chance that you haven’t heard of it yet, I wanted to introduce you to the trilogy without sending you right towards the synopsis of book two, which is highly spoilery in itself. You can get a look at the writing style and the general mood of this setting by reading this tale, which is set in the same universe but not directly related to the main plot. And a confession: I’m really glad that I’ll only have to wait between book 2 and book 3 now. The end of book 1 is not a nasty cliffhanger per se, but there are just so many (even kind of) cliffs a girl can hang from.

Share your teasers in the comments and let us know what you’re reading this week.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Night Itself by Zoë Marriott

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
The Night Itself by Zoë Marriott.
Publication Date: July 4th 2013

The Night Itself - Walker Books

When fifteen year old Mio Yamato furtively sneaks the katana - an ancestral Japanese sword - out of its hiding place in her parent's attic to help liven up her Christmas party costume, she has no idea of the darkness she is about to unleash on modern day London, or the family secrets that she is going to uncover.

The paralysing paranoia that descends on her before she gets to her friend's party is her first clue. The vivid and terrifying visions that nearly get her killed are a pretty good warning too.

The giant nine-tailed cat demon that comes after the sword and tries to rip her throat out? Overkill.

Seconds away from becoming kitty-food, Mio is saved by Shinobu, a mysterious warrior boy. But it's already too late. Mio has ruptured the veil between the mortal realm and the Underworld, and now the gods and monsters of ancient Japan stalk the streets of London, searching for her and the sword. 

With the help of her best friend Jack, a fox spirit named Hikaru - and the devoted protection of the betwitchingly familiar Shinobu - Mio attempts to discover the true nature of the sword and its connection to the Yamato family. Because if she doesn't learn how to control the katana's incredible powers, she's in danger of being overwhelmed by them. And if she can't keep the sword safe from the terrible creatures who want it for their own, she'll lose not only her own life... but the love of a lifetime.

Synopsis from goodreads.com.

I'm not very familiar with Japanese stories outside of a manga or anime, so this book will be new territory for me and I'm so very, very curious. The synopsis sounds promising: ancient Japanese monsters prowling the modern world, a sword with incredible power and a love story. Moreover I like the mix of ancient history and a modern setting. The setting being London is just the icing on the cake.

Do you like a mix of ancient and modern in your books as well? Leave us a comment with what you're waiting on this week.

Teaser Tuesday: Goddess by Josephine Angelini

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!

Goddess by Josephine Angelini.

Goddess –
Macmillan Children’s Books

She’d been married to the guy once, and from the snippets that Helen could vaguely recall, neither of them had been too happy about that fact even though they had tried their best to make it work. Sort of like being permanently handcuffed to someone that you love, but who also really annoys you.
— Chapter 5

“You brought yourself here. I can’t make you come here; all I can do is leave the door open for you.”
— Chapter 11

I just realised that I internally referred to 2012 as “the year of sequels”. Consequently, this year deserves a similar moniker, but somehow “the year of final books in trilogies” doesn’t have the same ring to it. (I’m open for suggestions). And I finally managed to complete a trilogy with all three books in the same format/size/cover design. This doesn’t seem like much of an achievement, but I somehow managed to collect the oddest mixtures in all my other series. So ... minor yay. Notice how I’m not talking about the book? Final book in trilogy and therefore spoiler minefield mindset. I think the end is on par with the rest of the series and provides a great source of entertainment. Maybe not if you asked Homer or Sophocles ... but the opinion of long-dead Greeks is often overrated anyway.

Are you finishing up a series this week? Share your teasers in the comments.

Waiting on Wednesday: Born of Illusion by Teri Brown

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
Born of Illusion by Teri Brown.
Publication Date: June 11th 2013

Born of Illusion - Balzer & Bray

Anna Van Housen is thirteen the first time she breaks her mother out of jail. By sixteen she’s street smart and savvy, assisting her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, and easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums and mentalists in 1920’s New York City. Handcuffs and sleight of hand illusions have never been much of a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her true gifts secret from her opportunistic mother, who will stop at nothing to gain her ambition of becoming the most famous medium who ever lived. But when a strange, serious young man moves into the flat downstairs, introducing her to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, he threatens to reveal the secrets Anna has fought so hard to keep, forcing her to face the truth about her past. Could the stories her mother has told her really be true? Could she really be the illegitimate daughter of the greatest magician of all?

Synopsis from goodreads.com.

  

The 1920s and New York paired with magic - sounds like a great premise for an exciting story. Anna seems a fascinating character too: clever and talented, with a secret ability, even her mother doesn't know about. Then there's the father missing from the picture from whom she might have inherited that ability. I wonder who he might be and what happened that he's not around for his daughter. Also, to what end does a secret society study people's gifts? I'm not much of a historical fiction reader, but I make an exception for the Roaring Twenties, especially when there is a mystery involved. :)

Are you waiting on historical fiction this week as well? Leave us a comment.

Teaser Tuesday: How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

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!

How My Summer Went Up in Flames by Jennifer Salvato Doktorski.

How My Summer Went Up In Flames
- Simon Pulse

I walk into the kitchen and begin opening cabinets in search of the perfect snack to calm me down. Let’s see. Temporary restraining order . . . I bypass the pretzels and head straight for the Double Stuf Oreos.
-- Page 5


“Sorry. Logan is just such a jerk. He’s pissing me off.”
“Yeah, that’s why you’ll be in love with him by the time we hit the Pennsylvania-Virginia border,” Matty half mumbles.
-- Page 52

I needed something funny this week and How My Summer Went Up In Flames seemed perfect. Main character Rosie's perky personality and dry humour makes me laugh. She already messes up the ridiculously tight road trip itinerary her three "dorky" travel companions came up with in chapter four, which tells me that there is more to come. Moreover, I wonder if Matty is right with his comment or if she may surprise even her best friend. I'm looking forward to see what this girl has up her sleeve that even she doesn't know.

What are you in the mood for this week? Leave us a comment along with your teaser.