Tuesday 9 December 2014
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To play along just do the following:
The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.
I like challenging books. And I like books that need time to develop their theory. And I really like books that have a strong underlying network of clues that, if decoded, explains everything. With this final instalment of the Mara Dyer trilogy there are two options for me: It’s not been long enough for me to think about and come to a conclusion, or there was too much time between books that I missed vital details ... I refuse to believe that the hints weren’t there and that I sat there at the end with a complete “what the heck just happened” for nothing because it made no sense.
The previous two books, and this one as well, have a great way of playing with your concept of right and wrong, real and unreal, while always staying grounded in their basic principles. I admire how the author has created such a complex theory and framework for all of it to work and I already know that I will come back to the books and dissect them to find all the hidden hints, links, and meanings. Because I will understand everything about them and not just the basics, dang it!
Do you think that book series suffer when you have too much time between their publication dates? Do you re-read before a new book in a series comes out? Share your 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!
The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.
 |
| The Retribution of Mara Dyer – Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers |
“The freaks shall inherit the earth.”
“I don’t think that’s how democracy works.”
“Democracy is overrated.”
“Spoken like a true dictator.”
— Chapter 26
I’d done things—things I regretted and things I didn’t. I was too old to blame them on being young. My family had been too good to me for me to blame it on them. I’d made my choices by myself. Some of them had been wrong, but they were my choices. I owned them. No one else.
— Chapter 59
I like challenging books. And I like books that need time to develop their theory. And I really like books that have a strong underlying network of clues that, if decoded, explains everything. With this final instalment of the Mara Dyer trilogy there are two options for me: It’s not been long enough for me to think about and come to a conclusion, or there was too much time between books that I missed vital details ... I refuse to believe that the hints weren’t there and that I sat there at the end with a complete “what the heck just happened” for nothing because it made no sense.
The previous two books, and this one as well, have a great way of playing with your concept of right and wrong, real and unreal, while always staying grounded in their basic principles. I admire how the author has created such a complex theory and framework for all of it to work and I already know that I will come back to the books and dissect them to find all the hidden hints, links, and meanings. Because I will understand everything about them and not just the basics, dang it!
Do you think that book series suffer when you have too much time between their publication dates? Do you re-read before a new book in a series comes out? Share your thoughts and teasers in the comments!
Tuesday 2 December 2014
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To play along just do the following:
The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare.
Here’s what I should know by now but still struggle with: Reading in public is not something I should do if there is any chance of emotional turmoil ... and with these two authors that was obviously going to be the case. Mind you, this time I didn’t burst into tears (progress!), I just started arguing with the book and people maybe thought that I was a little demented. I had a lot of fun with this book and enjoyed the characters and story, the humour and the twisty twist that twists.
I have a severe dislike for all those supposed reviewers who have likened this to a certain seven-book-phenomenon-boy while obviously not having read the book. Or who discredit it because of the authors or whatever. No one is forcing anyone to read anything (well apart from school, but those books live and die with the teacher ... mostly). Books – and their authors – should never be objects of hate. Everyone is free to dislike a book or author, but that’s about it. No reason to be nasty about it or make others feel like they couldn’t possibly like something because that would clearly mean they had no taste.
I for my part am very much looking forward to discovering how this cursed business and the twist will work out. I understand that for this age group the book had to traditionally be a bit shorter, but I really wished that it could have been longer to add a little more detail and flesh out the world and its characters, which I’m sure will happen over the course of the following books. (A gentle reminder that the phenomenon-boy also took quite a while to grow into his characteristics ... I don’t recall him or his friends being fully formed characters in the first book. And rightly so, at eleven. That’s all the comparison I’m going to draw at this point.)
Is there a cooperation of two of you favourite authors that you would like to see? Or maybe it already exists? Share ideas 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!
The Iron Trial by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare.
 |
| The Iron Trial – Scholastic Press |
They all yelled in excitement. Tamara yelled because she was happy, Aaron yelled because he liked it when other people were happy, and Call yelled because he was sure they were going to die.
— Chapter 10
“I see your future. One of you will fail. One of you will die. And one of you is already dead.”
— Chapter 14
Here’s what I should know by now but still struggle with: Reading in public is not something I should do if there is any chance of emotional turmoil ... and with these two authors that was obviously going to be the case. Mind you, this time I didn’t burst into tears (progress!), I just started arguing with the book and people maybe thought that I was a little demented. I had a lot of fun with this book and enjoyed the characters and story, the humour and the twisty twist that twists.
I have a severe dislike for all those supposed reviewers who have likened this to a certain seven-book-phenomenon-boy while obviously not having read the book. Or who discredit it because of the authors or whatever. No one is forcing anyone to read anything (well apart from school, but those books live and die with the teacher ... mostly). Books – and their authors – should never be objects of hate. Everyone is free to dislike a book or author, but that’s about it. No reason to be nasty about it or make others feel like they couldn’t possibly like something because that would clearly mean they had no taste.
I for my part am very much looking forward to discovering how this cursed business and the twist will work out. I understand that for this age group the book had to traditionally be a bit shorter, but I really wished that it could have been longer to add a little more detail and flesh out the world and its characters, which I’m sure will happen over the course of the following books. (A gentle reminder that the phenomenon-boy also took quite a while to grow into his characteristics ... I don’t recall him or his friends being fully formed characters in the first book. And rightly so, at eleven. That’s all the comparison I’m going to draw at this point.)
Is there a cooperation of two of you favourite authors that you would like to see? Or maybe it already exists? Share ideas and teasers in the comments.
Tuesday 25 November 2014
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To play along just do the following:
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins.
First things first: It’s pronounced Eye-la ... like the first syllable of island. And now that we have that out of the way, secondly a confession: I still like Anna and the French Kiss best out of this series, but that is simple bias for the fish-out-of-water-experience the protagonist has in that book. Isla is firmly settled into her boarding school life and thus you won’t get the beautiful exploration phase of Paris in this book. Here you get the equally beautiful phase of two people quite freely admitting that they like each other and then encounter obstacles and manage them. I liked that the two didn’t have lengthy “does the other person like me at all moments” but that this story addresses the “does the other person love and accept me enough to overcome these problems”.
And the cameos of the other two couples cleverly gave both of them a great conclusion. I couldn’t stop smiling when I read that part. There were other parts of this book when I had to put it down and walk away for a few moments for love to hate this reasons, but I basically read this book in one sitting. An engrossing feel-good read with none of the shallow vapidity.
You can read this book without having read the other two books. But if you plan on reading those as well, I strongly recommend that you read them in order.
No creative question this week, just plain asking you to share your teasers in the comments. And if you celebrate this week: happy Thanksgiving to you!
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!
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins.
 |
| Isla and the Happily Ever After – Dutton Children’s Books |
I am hard on myself. But isn’t it better to be honest about these things before someone else can use them against you? Before someone else can break your heart? Isn’t it better to break it yourself? I thought honesty made people strong.
— Chapter 27
“Ugh, then who cares? You won’t lose anything you haven’t already lost.” She flicks a snowflake from the tip of my nose. “For once in your life, listen to your younger sister. She’s taller, and she knows better than you.”
— Chapter 30
First things first: It’s pronounced Eye-la ... like the first syllable of island. And now that we have that out of the way, secondly a confession: I still like Anna and the French Kiss best out of this series, but that is simple bias for the fish-out-of-water-experience the protagonist has in that book. Isla is firmly settled into her boarding school life and thus you won’t get the beautiful exploration phase of Paris in this book. Here you get the equally beautiful phase of two people quite freely admitting that they like each other and then encounter obstacles and manage them. I liked that the two didn’t have lengthy “does the other person like me at all moments” but that this story addresses the “does the other person love and accept me enough to overcome these problems”.
And the cameos of the other two couples cleverly gave both of them a great conclusion. I couldn’t stop smiling when I read that part. There were other parts of this book when I had to put it down and walk away for a few moments for love to hate this reasons, but I basically read this book in one sitting. An engrossing feel-good read with none of the shallow vapidity.
You can read this book without having read the other two books. But if you plan on reading those as well, I strongly recommend that you read them in order.
No creative question this week, just plain asking you to share your teasers in the comments. And if you celebrate this week: happy Thanksgiving to you!
Tuesday 18 November 2014
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To play along just do the following:
Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan.
As I’m currently reading a few books that won’t be out until late next year and I don’t quite want to tease you too badly, I picked up a random favourite author ... and look, I got a 2 for 1 deal! You might have noticed that I absolutely adore Sarah Rees Brennan and would possibly read a shopping list she wrote with similar enthusiasm to her other writings because I can’t imagine that it would be dull. In this book Sarah and Justine Larbalestier combine their genius to poke some good-natured fun at vampires and their often doe-eyed love interests. All in the name of saving humanity and rational thinking ... or something like that. And on top of that you get a really cool main character in a story that can be read as quite thought-provoking. But I dare you not to laugh or chuckle at least once while you’re reading.
Would you be the one who dates a vampire or the one who tries to convince the friend that there are more viable options? Share ideas 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!
Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan.
 |
| Team Human – HarperTeen |
Let’s examine what a prize that is one more time: no more direct sunlight ever again, no more laughter. You get eternity, but you don’t have the sense of humor to enjoy it! Also, vampires don’t eat food. You never get to eat chocolate again. Ever.
I’d rather die.
— Chapter 4
But I couldn’t tell Cathy about Francis’s undead love-weasel ways. Anyway, this was more proof that Francis really was too old for her.
It truly was for her own good.
Agreeing with Francis gave me a stomachache, so I sat there and made a face.
— Chapter 9
As I’m currently reading a few books that won’t be out until late next year and I don’t quite want to tease you too badly, I picked up a random favourite author ... and look, I got a 2 for 1 deal! You might have noticed that I absolutely adore Sarah Rees Brennan and would possibly read a shopping list she wrote with similar enthusiasm to her other writings because I can’t imagine that it would be dull. In this book Sarah and Justine Larbalestier combine their genius to poke some good-natured fun at vampires and their often doe-eyed love interests. All in the name of saving humanity and rational thinking ... or something like that. And on top of that you get a really cool main character in a story that can be read as quite thought-provoking. But I dare you not to laugh or chuckle at least once while you’re reading.
Would you be the one who dates a vampire or the one who tries to convince the friend that there are more viable options? Share ideas and teasers in the comments.
Tuesday 11 November 2014
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To play along just do the following:
The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan.
The story how Rick Riordan first entered my reading-consciousness is in itself quite entertaining ... or so I think. It all started a few years ago with Christmas approaching and my best friend asking me what I wanted – or rather, which book I wanted – she knows me quite well, after all. I hadn’t really thought about presents for myself (an eternal problem for said best friend) and so I scrolled through book recommendations of a certain unnamed online retailer. I had recently bought something or other about Greek mythology and I kept getting recommendations about this Percy Jackson guy ... I told my friend that she could choose between a list and threw Percy on there as well. And for a reason I don’t know she purchased a boxed set of the first three books. I read them all over Christmas break and then made my tutoring kid (reluctant reader if you’ve ever seen one) read them (in English, which I was coaching him in). He loved them and we found out that there were two more books to be published ... I had never seen this boy so anxious for me to bring him a reading assignment. I also had to explain that there is a certain amount of waiting involved between two books because the next might not be written yet. And seem patient to wait even if I was anything but.
Fast forward to today: My former pupil no longer needs my help but he just finished the book and we had a really good chat about it. Not in English, but at least he read it in English (good thing his impatience won against waiting for the translation). We both loved the book and are happy/sad to see the conclusion of this series. Percy and the other Demigods have accompanied us through quite a few years and it’s a little bit like saying farewell to really good friends. The finale was almost everything I hoped it would be. Close enough to perfection to be called perfect. There is the matter of Apollo, which I’m uncertain about and which might need some clearing up, but maybe that’s just me. I would have loved to see a bit more of some characters, but I understand why I didn’t and that’s okay. I don’t know if there is any more to tell about the Greek (and Roman) demigod world, yet I hope that this isn’t the last we’ve seen of them. In that sense: αντίο and vale, demigods.
Do you have stories of how a book/author/series entered your life? Share them 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 Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan.
 |
| The Blood of Olympus – Disney Hyperion |
“Of course we’re not cool! You’re as bad as Jason! I’m trying to resent you for being all perfect and hero-y and whatnot. Then you go and act like a standup guy. How am I supposed to hate you if you apologize and promise to help and stuff?”
— Chapter 12
Your voice is your identity, he’d told Reyna. If you don’t use it, you’re halfway to Asphodel already.
He hated when his own advice applied to himself.
— Chapter 29
The story how Rick Riordan first entered my reading-consciousness is in itself quite entertaining ... or so I think. It all started a few years ago with Christmas approaching and my best friend asking me what I wanted – or rather, which book I wanted – she knows me quite well, after all. I hadn’t really thought about presents for myself (an eternal problem for said best friend) and so I scrolled through book recommendations of a certain unnamed online retailer. I had recently bought something or other about Greek mythology and I kept getting recommendations about this Percy Jackson guy ... I told my friend that she could choose between a list and threw Percy on there as well. And for a reason I don’t know she purchased a boxed set of the first three books. I read them all over Christmas break and then made my tutoring kid (reluctant reader if you’ve ever seen one) read them (in English, which I was coaching him in). He loved them and we found out that there were two more books to be published ... I had never seen this boy so anxious for me to bring him a reading assignment. I also had to explain that there is a certain amount of waiting involved between two books because the next might not be written yet. And seem patient to wait even if I was anything but.
Fast forward to today: My former pupil no longer needs my help but he just finished the book and we had a really good chat about it. Not in English, but at least he read it in English (good thing his impatience won against waiting for the translation). We both loved the book and are happy/sad to see the conclusion of this series. Percy and the other Demigods have accompanied us through quite a few years and it’s a little bit like saying farewell to really good friends. The finale was almost everything I hoped it would be. Close enough to perfection to be called perfect. There is the matter of Apollo, which I’m uncertain about and which might need some clearing up, but maybe that’s just me. I would have loved to see a bit more of some characters, but I understand why I didn’t and that’s okay. I don’t know if there is any more to tell about the Greek (and Roman) demigod world, yet I hope that this isn’t the last we’ve seen of them. In that sense: αντίο and vale, demigods.
Do you have stories of how a book/author/series entered your life? Share them along with your teasers.
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