Teaser Tuesday: The Young Elites by Marie Lu

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 Young Elites by Marie Lu.

The Young Elites –
G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Be true to yourself, Violetta once told me when I was trying in vain to win Father over. But that’s something everyone says and no one means. No one wants you to be yourself. They want you to be the version of yourself that they like.
— Chapter 8

They were the best of friends as long as they did not know they were supposed to be enemies. The truth would do its damage soon enough.
— Chapter 21

Here is how my reading of this book went: Last Thursday night I read the first few chapters but had to stop because, curse you reality, sleeping at work is frowned upon. I finished reading at approximately 2:30 am on Saturday in a state of disillusion that was not just caused by the late hour. But the disillusion was decidedly positive!
Marie Lu has done it again. After the Legend series this one takes a decidedly darker turn but still shows her expert way of creating multi-layered, complex characters and great world-building skills. Adelina is an interesting character, who is haunted not just by her ghosts but also by her own personality. The reader can hardly fault her for her actions and the origin of her darkness is comprehensible enough. And Raffaele is one of my favourite new characters of the year. I want a friend like him.
I still don’t know what to think about ... the thing ... that happened towards the end. And what I actually want to happen next because there are a lot of options and at the moment neither of them seem like a particularly good idea. Good thing that I now have a year before the next book to make up my mind ... and that’s about the only good thing of that wait.

We’re nearing the end of the year so naturally there are a lot of best-of lists cropping up at the moment. Are you listing any best-ofs? Share ideas and teasers in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith

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 Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith.

The Geography of You and Me –
Poppy

Sometimes it seemed as if his whole life was an exercise in waiting; not waiting to leave, exactly, but simply waiting to go. He felt like one of those fish that had the capacity to grow in unimaginable ways if only the tank were big enough.
— Chapter 4

But there’s no such thing as a completely fresh start. Everything new arrives on the heels of something old, and every beginning comes at the cost of an ending.
— Chapter 36

When I was younger there were always two sayings that I couldn’t quite figure out how both of them could exist at the same time: “Distance makes the heart grow fonder” and “Out of sight, out of mind.” I always kept asking myself which is it? For this novel, it’s definitely absence ... or rather distance, because even if there is half the world between them, they’re never really far from each other. Jennifer E. Smith writes happy books that don’t scream happiness at you from the very beginning and that’s what I probably appreciate most about them. If a book has the claim to be contemporary, I want it to have a make-believe reality that makes sense. As someone who has been stuck in a small lift more often than she likes to count (damn you, insufficient university funds!), it makes a lot of sense that you can feel connected to the person you were stuck with. (Always a great conversation starter that “Seems like I’m stuck with you then” line ... not really.) And since travelling is one of my other favourite things, this story is a perfect reading balm for dreary autumn days. Works also for any other kind of weather but the sun hasn’t come out at all today so please excuse the light depressive turn. Fact is, this book has quite a bit of sunshine between its pages.

We switched back to standard time this weekend and thus have early nightfall from now on, time to cosy up with books! Where is your favourite reading spot? Take a blanket and share your teasers in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall

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!

A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall.

A Little Something Different –
Swoon Reads

They sit there in the window of the coffee shop for almost an hour, not talking much, but looking at each other over the tops of their books, flirting somehow even without words.
It would be gross if it weren’t adorable.
— Chapter 5.11

“We’re going to find that boy and make him talk to you.”
“That sounds awfully threatening,” she says.
“Okay, so we’ll stake out a table with a good view over by the balcony and you can watch him from afar.”
— Chapter 6.8

Love stories can be sweet or cavity-threateningly sugary. Or they can be a little different. On the bill, this is your average boy and girl go to the same college, share a class, and over the course of a few months get to know each other well enough to start dating. Nothing too special. Of course, there is the necessary misunderstanding, the various tripping hazards, and a more or less dark secret from the past. I would have put this down in any other scenario were it not for the clever hook: The story is told from multiple perspectives but those of the couple. There is the brother, the best friend, the grumpy barista, the reluctant classmate ... a bench (I didn’t know there was so much to say about butts sitting on wood) and a squirrel. And a few others. It’s a very cute idea to show a couple in the stages of getting to that point of becoming an item with everyone but the two of them realising that they would be great together. Or maybe they realise it but the readers don’t know because they’re not in their heads. Usually you have the frustrating perspective of one person guessing what the other thinks about them. Now you have the entertainingly frustrating complete ignorance of their inner life.
I would have liked for this story and concept to be more developed. Right now it felt like quickly jotted down scenes that could be developed into something bigger ... the overall effect is that of a slightly malnourished novel where the lanky frame it could have grown into is still visible. Overall an entertaining, quick read.

What do you think of the idea of the many different points of view? Would such a concept interest you? Share opinions and teasers in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday: The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas

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 Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas.

The Perilous Sea –
Balzer + Bray

“You might be the scariest girl I have ever met,” he told her.
“Let’s not be dramatic,” she said drily. “I’m the only girl you can remember ever meeting.”
— Chapter 19

“May I remind you that you are speaking to someone capable of smiting you with a thunderbolt?”
“Is there any point to flirting with a girl who is not capable of that?”
— Chapter 21

This is not the same book as last week though it does have a very similar title. It’s also the second book in a trilogy. And there are changes in the narration from the first book as well. The content, however, is very different! I could have done a reading relay with several titles I have a the moment ... several Sea, some Trial and one with Fire ... but I digress (could be an interesting idea for a challenge though: Read only books in succession that share a word in their title.).
The beginning of this book was very frustrating for me, but I think that was the intention as I kept wondering how in the world the characters got to that place and why. And as can be assumed the book told the story in a backwards fashion with the two story lines neatly coming together towards the end. Thus a lot of ground was covered while hardly any time passed. I liked the alternating chapters of present “what the heck happened?”and past “how the heck will they get to where they are?” You get to know the characters a lot better and on a more diverse scale than you did in the first book and I think this expansion of character knowledge will benefit the trilogy as a whole. So a solid job on the second book. If you like witty banter between characters, you should definitely look into this.

Have you found yourself surrounded by books with similar titles? Share books and teasers in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey

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 Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey.

The Infinite Sea –
G.P. Putnam’s Sons

You never know when the truth will come home. You can’t choose the time. The time chooses you. I’d had days to face the truth that now faced me in that cold, black space, and I’d refused. I wouldn’t go there. So the truth decided to come to me.
— Chapter 13

I didn’t think it was a promise at the time. I told myself it wasn’t. Told him it wasn’t. But there’re the things we tell ourselves about the truth, and there’re the things the truth tells about us.
— Chapter 76

Here’s a truth about my reading habits: I dislike narrator changes within a series, or changes of perspective ... and especially focal changes and changes in voice within a book. It’s fine when multiple perspectives are introduced in the first book, but I have a hard time warming up to new perspectives in a second book. Or if there’s suddenly another I-narrator ... or no longer an I-narrator at all. I hope you get the idea. I like continuity ... and my favourites from book one.
Here’s another truth about my reading habits: They totally and completely change if the book can persuade them to do so.
With this book those changes actually went so far that I was annoyed when my former favourite narrator got some page time because I so badly wanted to know what was happening to the other one. Luckily, this didn’t last long and I still like my former favourite, but now I have new characters to like! And I think that this is a thing that grows when it’s divided: Liking characters. Also makes the reader more vulnerable, but who said that reading was cuddly and safe? But damn you (in the kindest possible way), Rick Yancey, for that twist ... or the other one! Still reeling. Just saying.
I understand why many people who loved the first book might not like the second, because it is so very different in plot development and pace. The writing is the same. Very deep and revealing. And beautiful even if the subject itself is anything but. Second books can do one of two things: continue in the trajectory of the first book, which can be very rewarding, but also hard, or cut out a completely new path, which isn’t any less difficult, but can also lead to amazing results. And the more I think about it, the more I think this sequel executed the second of those options rather well.

Do you have reading habits that you gladly throw out the window for the right book? Let’s hear about them and share your teasers in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

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!

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas.

Heir of Fire – Bloomsbury
Children’s Books

His silence demanded information for information – a fair trade. She sighed. “Let’s just say it was fear and necessity and impressively deep-rooted survival instincts.”
— Chapter 22

Men didn’t build more armies and forge more weapons without having plans to use them. And they certainly didn’t hand out bits of mind-controlling jewelry unless they wanted absolute dominion.
— Chapter 24

I should stop being surprised by this series, by its twists and turns and unexpected developments. The fact that I haven’t also shouldn’t surprise me any longer. The basic story line is unassuming enough, but the layers Sarah J. Maas adds to it make it quite extraordinary. There is not a single character whose motives you should disregard. Second-guess every single detail and especially what you thought you’d figured out. And don’t even think of hoping for one thing or the other. Even if it might look like something is headed in a certain direction, the story will almost certainly prepare an undercurrent to the complete opposite. All very vague and maybe a bit cryptic, but you absolutely need to discover this series for yourself.

Which book has surprised you recently with an unexpected plot twist? Share your reads and teasers in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: Unmade 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!

Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan.

Unmade – Random House Books
for Young Readers

Kami saw why so many teenagers who had adventures in books were interestingly tragic orphans. Parents were a real buzzkill, adventure-wise.
— Chapter 13

She wanted to be the person she was, and not the person anyone, including herself, had ever thought she should be.
— Chapter  24

There are not enough adjectives in this language to encompass how much I adore Sarah Rees Brennan ... and not just because she’s a seriously cool lady who gives out totally confusing spoilers (still a bit shaken after I reached a certain number and kept thinking that there would not be another occurrence of that phrase and that was just so!wrong!). Right, were was I? Final book in this amazing trilogy that I especially love because of its wonderful, spunky, witty, funny, independent, brave, clever (insert more adjectives here) heroine. And secondary characters who are not secondary at all. I’d probably be scared to death by Angela, but I’d give a lot to have her on my side. I love how Kami is the one who initiates action, who cannot and will not accept things as they are, and who will go to Cambridge because she is not only clever but also knows how to apply this cleverness. Even if due to loyalty reasons I still think Oxford is much better ... Perfect conclusion to Kami’s story with just the right amount of pain, sadness, and joy (if there is more I’d still be first in line to read it).
I have so many quotes bookmarked because they’re incredibly true and fitting. Especially regarding what happens to another certain someone. And about identity and self-consciousness. “Why be broken, when you can be gold?” ... This certainly is gold.

What are qualities you admire in a strong literary heroine? Share examples and teasers in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: The Boy in the Smoke by Maureen Johnson

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 Boy in the Smoke by Maureen Johnson.

The Boy in the Smoke –
Hot Key Books

Was this actually happening? Was his father threatening him, physically, here on the Eton parking grounds?
— Chapter 2

Things change. Never act as if situations won’t change.
— Chapter 2

You don’t need to have read the Shades of London series (but seriously why haven’t you?) to enjoy this short story. And if you have read them (and currently suffer from the really mean cliffhanger) then you get some neat additional information about a certain character. And the best part? You can read this story online for free if you click here.

Teaser Tuesday: Rain 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!

Rain by Amanda Sun.

Rain – Harlequin Teen

So the goal of the creepy goth cult was to save the world, feed the hungry, clothe the poor? That didn’t sound so bad.
“That’s it? You don’t want to take over the world or something?”
Jun grinned. “Do I look like some crazy dictator?”
“Looks can be deceiving.”
— Chapter 3

“Hey,” he panted.
“‘Hey’?” I repeated. “You collapse at my door and you say ‘hey’?”
— Chapter 14

How many countries have you travelled to (in books)? You can easily add Japan to that list with this series, learn a ton of vocabulary, and get a highly enjoyable story to boot. This is the second book in the series and contrary to quite a few series with second book syndrome this one really picks up the pace. Sure, there are some aspects of second book syndrome related to the love-interest situation, but I actually think that this is utilised in a way that makes sense. Such an interesting story universe; I’m already curious about the next book ... fingers crossed that the last chapter won’t throw me for a loop (too badly, a little might be okay ... maybe).

What’s your favourite read from a culture that is completely foreign to yours? Share recommendations and teasers in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: Life by Committee by Corey Ann Haydu

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!

Life by Committee by Corey Ann Haydu.

Life by Committee –
Katherine Tegen Books

But we don’t share that special history of hot chocolate stands, snowball fights, pig Latin conversations, chocolate chip cookie baking competitions.
That said, she has also never told me I am going in the wrong direction as a person, so she wins.
— Chapter 2

I love her for it. For the words she chooses and the secret way she whispers them into my ear. But she’s looking at me like she gets me, and there’s nothing lonelier than the fact that she doesn’t.
— Chapter 6

By now, everyone on the Internet has heard of someone who fell victim to it in some way. Or they have heard the warnings to consider what they share and so on. But (there’s always a but) then there are people who think those rules don’t apply to them, who think they’ll be careful, that the place they’re frequenting is safe ... only to find out that that’s definitely not the case. At least I suspect that the main character of this book will discover this in her not too distant future. I don’t know if I would have been similarly naïve when I was sixteen. I’d like to think not. At the moment the set-up feels very much like it’s rearing up to be a cautionary tale in terms of Internet safety ... to be perfectly honest I’m not too much invested in Tabitha’s fate as I think she’s got it coming for her. Yes, I pitied her at the beginning for losing friends over a non-issue, but then things went downhill rather quickly. Might have a happy-end, might not ... both would be fine and fit the purpose.

How do you feel about books that have a very vocal moral as their base? Share your thoughts and teasers in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: The Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove

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 Glass Sentence by S.E. Grove.

The Glass Sentence –
Viking Juvenile

He was imprisoned in a cage, and he was made a spectacle to everyone around him. And yet, for all that, he surveyed the crowd as if they and not he were the spectacle.
— Chapter 2

Immense love is almost always enough to sustain a child. But it does not always provide the logistical and practical necessities, including a steady supply of clean clothes and an understanding that toddlers can become bored with certain aspects of adult life, such as two-hour university lectures on the glaciation of the Eerie Sea.
— Chapter 3

I’m almost definitely not far enough into the story to have a grasp on what is going on ... and that is even before the main plot gets going. On a certain level I understand that different parts of the world have been thrown back in time. However, I don’t quite get why the parts that are more advanced (and by advanced I mean end of 19th century) don’t support the other parts and allow them to catch up faster. Granted, that way Shakespeare and friends might never be (have been?) born, but their texts already exist ... it's slightly confusing. I’m also not sure what this losing track of time means exactly, but I’m certain there will be an explanation. At the very least it is a very interesting concept in a historical setting and I hope that there is more to come.

Are you currently reading something that hasn’t quite opened up to you? Share your experience and teasers in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday: Let’s Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

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!

Let’s Get Lost by Adi Alsaid.

Let’s Get Lost – Harlequin Teen

With his eyes closed, Hudson could reduce the world to a single engine and nothing more; a world where he could not only name every little part but knew what it was for, how it worked, how to fix it.
— Chapter 1.1

It was not in the script—in any version of the script Elliot had envisioned for tonight— for her to give him one of those smiles that he’d fallen in love with in the first place, and then walk away. But that’s exactly what she did.
— Chapter 3.1

Have you ever had an incident of strange connections? That for example the friend of a friend’s cousin turned out to be one of your colleagues? This book is not quite like that, but the interconnectedness of the individual stories hinges on one character who maddeningly enough is not your focal character. So this is the person you should know the most about simple because you read about her more than about the others. However, more or less the opposite is the case and you get to piece together most of her story through the observation of others. A very interesting concept which is a little challenging if you’re an instant knowledge type of reader. Very worth it though in my opinion as I like to imagine how other characters perceive the actual person narrating the story.

Let me know about strange connections you discovered and share your teaser picks in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

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!

Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead.

Silver Shadows – Razorbill

“Evil and deception are not our ways,” the voice said. “We relish in light and honesty.”
Liars, liars, I thought.
— Chapter 1

“The people I know don’t casually eat shrimp off their best china in one hand while drinking champagne in the other.”
“Technically,” I said, “those are prawns, not shrimp, and I’m sure that’s actually her mother’s second-best china.”
— Chapter 6

Right now I have no idea how this is going to end well ... supposedly that’s the idea of a seemingly hopeless situation. The author does this pretty well, I must say. As much as I like Adrian, but I don’t particularly like his approach to dealing with the situation. It fits the character, but if he was my friend there would already have been an intervention. Maybe not the best idea with a vampire, but who knows. We’ll see how they get Sydney out of there. Hopefully soon. And then deal with the lying liars who lie. Also hopefully.

Which character from a book would you like to be friends with? Share (imaginary) friends and your teasers in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday: What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick

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!

What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick.

What I Thought Was True
– Dial Books for Young Readers

What “all” does she want to know? The kind of “all” I tell Viv is different from the “all” I tell Mom, so God knows what the “all” is to someone who might want to employ me, and ...
— Chapter 5

“You were the one who told me to watch out!”
“I know.” She hunches her shoulders, shivering a little as another chilly breeze comes off the water. “It’s just maybe . . . maybe you’re watching out for the wrong things.”
— Chapter 11

It is almost too tempting to say that this is a typical Huntley Fitzpatrick, except for the fact that this is only her second book (as far as I’m aware – if not, I want to know the titles of her other books, please). The summery familiar feeling already greets you on the first page, like the place you’ve been going to for ages and which always promises you the best possible holiday. It’s a little different than with My Life Next Door in the sense that you don’t get the feeling that you know the main character because there is this event which everyone is aware of apart from the reader. It is hinted at very heavily though and I only wondered how it all fit together. If summer is taking a break where you are, you can at least have a little summer in your book. But be aware that where there is sun there is also the danger of sunburn. This book is decidedly not a fluffy summer romance. Like a well-prepared North Sea tourist, it has put on layers.

How is you summer coming along? We have the sometimes entertaining but often rather disrupting thunder storms at the moment among a mixture of sunny days and “blergh-weather”. Share teasers and spots of perfect summer in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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!

Don’t Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout.

Don’t Look Back –
Disney Hyperion

Even if I couldn’t remember who I was, everyone else would never forget. No matter how badly I wanted to ignore the person I used to be, I couldn’t escape a past I didn’t remember.
— Chapter 7

She had immediately protected me. No questions. No hesitation.
— Chapter 27

Would you like some suspense with your light romance, Miss? That’s exactly the kind you question that would precede the serving of this book. For a Jennifer L. Armentrout, the romance was almost tame even by YA standards, but the crime part is a new angle coming from her and I find that I enjoy that side of her. Granted, I had a very early suspicion of the motivation for the murder and also a very narrow list of suspects. However, the main character was believable enough in her amnesia to take a while to connect the dots. Though she could have done the same much earlier and I don’t think that being a sheltered bad princess is an excuse for being blind to something so glaringly obvious ... Still a nice read as an introduction to contemporary suspense reads and especially if you already enough the author’s writing.

Do you have recommendations for books that gently introduce new readers to a new-to-them genre without breaking out the big guns? I for example would never jump head first into a crime novel, but maybe if I eased into them. Let me know about your thoughts in the comments along with your teasers.

Teaser Tuesday: The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

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 Book of Life by Deborah Harkness.

The Book of Life –
Headline

From that moment my aunt and the house were in an all-out battle for supremacy.
The house was winning, thanks to its chief weapon: Fleetwood Mac.
— Chapter 11

“Do we happen to know of any megalomaniacs with an interest in vampire genetics? Oh, wait, we know two of them”.
— Chapter 14

I am not finished reading and I need to get back to the last 150 pages asap so just quickly this: Deborah Harkness is a witch of word-magic. And I mean this in the most positive way possible. This book has me laughing tears as well as bawling them. I’m currently in the “everything is going to hell in a hand basket stage”, which is also the overall theme of the trilogy, but this never seems unnecessarily cruel or overstated. I fear for all my favourite characters, but not in the they’re all going to die sense. It’s the equally devastating emotional punch I dread. This book is amazing in being able to amaze you and in being absolutely fantastic. I already know that the trilogy will need a thorough re-read (after I’ve coped with this conclusion) to catch all the clever foreshadowing and connections. An exceptional book by a truly gifted writer.

Have you followed the All Souls trilogy? I mainly picked up the first book because it featured my university's city of Oxford ... and after the first page I couldn’t imagine putting the book down. How about you? Share your teasers and stories in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens

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!

Murder Most Unladylike by Robin Stevens.

Murder Most Unladylike –
Corgi Childrens

Murders, unfortunately, always come with murderers attached.
— Chapter 1-6

I still remember that first meeting – it would be hard to forget it. It was the first time I’d ever stepped onto a Games field, and incidentally also the first time I truly thought I might die. 
— Chapter 2-5

I snoozed on the release date of this one. Shame on me, really. This is such a fun read, if you’re only the tiniest bit partial to British humour and detective stories. Daisy is determined to be the next detective wonder and Hazel reluctantly accepts the role as Dr Watson to Daisy’s Sherlock. All this in the delightful setting of a 1930ies boarding school for girls of affluent parents. I enjoyed this story a lot, especially guessing along who the murderer might be and why they did it. This is a very clever book definitely aimed at a younger audience with an inclination towards mystery. I would like to accompany Hazel on her next adventure, which Daisy will inadvertently steer them into.

The end of the World Cup finally means more reading time for me. I desperately have to catch up on some books I neglected during the past weeks. And then there is this highly anticipated tome The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness, which comes out tomorrow and which will mean that I’ll drop everything to read this first.
Do you interrupt your reading of one book to read something else or do you finish your current book before you start something new?

Teaser Tuesday: After the End by Amy Plum

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!

After the End by Amy Plum.

After the End – HarperTeen

“Juneau, you can’t be perfect. You’re going to be clan Sage, not our sole protector.”
“I’d rather be prepared to do both,” I respond.
— Chapter 1

Death by ponytail. It could happen.
— Chapter 4

Just a quick note about this as I’ve just started reading. These two scenes are from the two protagonists of the novel and with just a few words you already know the sort of person the are, or at least project to be on the surface. That’s very skillful writing and I admire Amy Plum a lot, especially when I see how much she has evolved during her first trilogy alone. I love watching writers grow with their books and this is definitely the case here. The whole idea of the story is an interesting concept and I’m looking forward to seeing Juneau stumble through not-at-all-post-apocalyptic modern day ... and meet and clash with Miles.

Do you have an author whose development you’ve followed from their debut? Let me know about them and share your teasers in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: Ruin and Rising 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!

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo.

Ruin and Rising –
Henry Holt and Co.

“Everyone okay?” Mal asked.
“Never better,” said Genya shakily.
David raised his hand. “I’ve been better.”
— Chapter 5

“Are you going to make a habit of winning arguments? It’s very unbecoming.”
“Was this an argument?”
“Obviously not. I don’t lose arguments.”
— Chapter 8

There are two things tearing on my nerves at the moment. One is the football world cup where I’m part of a heavily fought betting game and the other is this book. And not only my poor nerves, but also my poor heart! This book will happily dangle everything you ever wanted before your very nose and then either reveal it as deadly poisonous or burn it to ashes. I still have quite a bit to go so I also still have hope ... which I by now presume to be a dangerous thing. Because even if the teasers sound light-hearted and fun, which there is also a bit of, there is also the very opposite of it.
Some books demand a considerable amount of space in your life and you gladly give it, while other books simply install themselves there and you find yourself wondering when that happened but can’t find it in you to be unhappy about it. This series more or less stole into my reading pile at first and now I simultaneously can’t wait for the conclusion and don’t want to reach the end ... because of said suspicions about certain hopes. Damn you, Leigh Bardugo, you word magician.

Are you following the world cup or staying as far away from it as possible? If the latter, which books are with you? And if the former, what are you reading between the games? Teasers and opinions are welcome in the comments. Also tips about the championship.

Teaser Tuesday: The Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel

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 Break-Up Artist by Philip Siegel.

The Break-Up Artist –
Harlequin Teen

I should throw the slippers out like I’ve done with the rest of my memories from that train wreck of a friendship, but I won’t. I never do. I keep them here, in plain sight, a perpetual reminder of why I do this.
— Chapter 1

“Are you serious?”
She glares at me with the fire of a thousand tanning booths. I’ll take that as a yes.
— Chapter 13

Summer is here and with it numerous summer comedies and light romances. This one has an interesting premise insofar as that the snarky narrator starts out as a romantic grump convinced that relationships are meant to be broken. I’ll venture a guess and say that this will have changed by the end of the story. Just how this will happen is not quite clear at this point. Sure, there is the potential guy to convince her otherwise but there is not that much going on there yet.

Do you read according to seasons? At work I’m reading slightly asynchronous and currently have Christmas stories on my table. So Summer reads are definitely necessary to prevent me from humming Jingle Bells in 30 degree weather.

Teaser Tuesday: Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

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!

Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins.

Sweet Reckoning –
HarperTeen

Was that really how they saw me? A dangerous demon assassin? Actually, I kind of liked that image.
— Chapter 22

“Father.” Kai clutched the phone tighter and his eyes hit mine, filled with more torment than I’d ever seen. “I’ve got her.”
— Chapter 24

Back from vacation, didn’t think that I’d be too knackered last week for a post. Sorry about that. I also finished City of Heavenly Fire while I was away and absolutely loved it. Perfect end for the series and too many great lines to choose from ... also possible spoilers.
This is also the end of a trilogy. I must confess that I had to look at my reading log to remember what’s going on. But I found my way back into it and now I’m curious how it will play out. Of course I’m rooting for the protagonists’ love story. However, I’m also quite interested in how Anna is supposed to fulfil the task set before her. Let’s hope that the casualty count at the end won’t be too high.

How many books do you take with you when you go on vacation? I generally have to buy books while away. Not necessarily because I’ve run out but it’s like a compulsion. Share your thoughts and teasers in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa

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 Forever Song by Julie Kagawa.

The Forever Song –
Harlequin Teen

“Would it kill you to have a little faith in your older brother?”
“It might.”
— Chapter 4

He smiled, and it turned my blood to ice. “Sing for me, Allie,” he crooned, in a voice that was all too familiar. “Sing for us, and make it a glorious song.”
— Chapter 7

Trilogy conclusion, and what a ride this series was ... or is, seeing that I’m not quite done and expect quite a firework for this one. I mean this is Julie Kagawa and she is a master heart-string-player, emotion juggler, and anticipation tamer. The last cliffhanger at the end of the second book was just brutal and so far this book has lived up to that potential. Sometimes knowing more than the protagonist is a kind of torture as well. And that trap was everything I hoped and feared it would be.
I’m still not quite on board with the impersonal covers. They are lovely but I loved the original cover of the first book with Allison on it. Nevertheless, the content matters more and that obviously stayed the same. Little warning though: If you’re squeamish regarding blood, you might want to stay away from this.

There probably won’t be a TT next week as I’ll be on vacation. There will be books, but no internet. Until then I want to know how you feel about blood and maybe a little gore in books. Does it affect you, do you try to avoid it? Let’s hear from you in the comments and please share your teasers.

Teaser Tuesday: The Maze Runner by James Dashner

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 Maze Runner by James Dashner.

The Maze Runner –
Delacorte Press

And yet he didn’t know where he came from, or how he’d gotten inside the dark lift, or who his parents were. He didn’t even know his last name.
— Chapter 1

To survive the buggin’ Maze, you gotta be smart, quick, strong. Gotta be a decision maker, know the right amount of risk to take. Can’t be reckless, can’t be timid, either.
— Chapter 15

Keeping up with the theme of reading book/series almost everyone else has already finished, this week is also a preparation for the movie ... and this is not completely unrelated to seeing the trailer. But the book before movie rule applies.
I’m not that far along yet, but I already get the feeling that this world is very complex and will keep me on my toes to get everything. And yet I still have the feeling that I already missed some foreshadowing. Reviews indicate that it’s a pretty clear cut of either loving or not finishing the book, there doesn’t seem to be much room in between. I’m quite curious to find out where I’ll fit in. There are a few signs of thinks I dislike, such as artificial withholding of answers as well as the not really comprehensible proto-language the kids in the maze have adopted. I hope this will bother me less as the book goes on.

Do you watch movies based on books before you read the book (if you’re aware of there being a book in the first place)? Sound off in comments and share your teasers.

Teaser Tuesday: Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder

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!

Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder.

Scent of Magic – Harlequin Mira

He kept his flat expression, and I knew I’d get more cooperation from the cave’s stone walls. Too bad for him that I didn’t need his approval.
— Chapter 1

Kerrick’s first instinct was to say no. However, he’d learned...or rather, Avry had taught him...that just because he said no didn’t mean the other person would listen. She certainly hadn’t.
— Chapter 4.5

The quotes seem like parts of a matched pair, which is funny, because I completely picked them at random. But who am I to argue with the trickster fate of book-choices ... it was, after all only by accident that I picked up the first book in the series (and was then reminded by a dear friend about reading the sequels). On to that!
This series has a slightly different (I’m hesitant to say more mature for several reasons) target audience, which is not so much apparent in the plot itself, but in the overall mood. It’s hard to grasp, apart from the clearly older protagonists. And by older I mean closer to 30 than to 15. Other than that, they struggle with similar problems. Like me wanting to shake some sense into them to talk a little more to each other. So this clearly doesn’t get (much) better with age. I’m curious to find out how the story of these characters continues.

One positive thing about almost forgetting this series is that I won’t have to wait for the final book to publish as it’s already available ... a small reprieve from so many other cliffhangers looming at the moment. Do you have sequels in your TBR where you won’t have to wait for the final book? Share thoughts and teasers in the comment section!

Teaser Tuesday: Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor

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!

Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor.

Dreams of Gods & Monsters –
Little, Brown & Company

“We have so many enemies, Lisseth,” said Karou, keeping her voice light. “Most of them are our birthright, inherited like a duty, but the ones we make for ourselves are special. We should choose them with care.”
— Chapter 6

She herself had never known cold. It gave every appearance of unpleasantness. Weak, she thought, still watching the human pair, but there was another word lurking, defying it. Fearless.
— Chapter 14

My copy of this book must have taken a detour through Eretz before it came to me ... books need adventures, too! But now that I have it I will never ever let it go. (She said and hoped that the end would not make her regret this claim. Which it won’t if the first 120 pages are any indication.)
The book immediately sucked me in and transported me into its reality of angel warriors and revenant fighters and I can’t wait to find out how it all comes together and resolves. Hopefully in a not-too-devastating way, but we have I think already established that I as a reader appreciate literary (not literal) torture to a certain degree. Just based on the list of favourite authors ...
Anyway, I adore the characters of this story, beginning with Zuzana to Issa to Liraz and of course Karou and Akiva (though at the moment I want to shake those two ... communication is key? Maybe?). I’m racing and savouring at the same time, if such a thing is possible, because I want to know as soon as I can, but I also want to enjoy and breathe in the wonderful and rich writing. And I don’t want it to end, even if it must.

Are you flying through your current read or meandering through it? Have you ever tried regulating your reading pace? Share teasers and opinions in the comments!

Teaser Tueasday: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

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!

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi.

Ignite me – Harper

I have to start over now; face the world alone again. I have to make one final choice: give up or go on.
So I get to my feet.
— Chapter 2

“If you’d seen the devastation the way that I did, you wouldn’t be saying such things. Hope will break your heart all over again.”
— Chapter 3

Let me get this out of the way first: I want these covers in high resolution poster size. I’d probably start to feel watched pretty soon, but I think they are amazing. I don’t necessarily think that they’re the perfect match for the story but they definitely animate you to pick up the book. Mission accomplished.
Now the book. I always need a few pages to get used to Juliette’s narrative voice, even if I only stop reading in between chapters ... which is one of the reasons that I finish these books in only a few sittings (the other is that it is a very compelling read that has you glued to the book). The narration is very stream of consciousness like or at least with very little filter. I haven’t yet come across crossed out parts, which were very prominent in the first book, but less so as the story progressed.
At the moment it’s all very angst-y and potentially involves a triangular shape thing, because I know more than the characters due to the novellas. (Side note: I’m not sure how I feel about this novellas to provide information pertinent to the main plot thing. On the one hand the more to read the better but on the other hand it seems to become a common/expected feature ... and it clearly favours the eReading community). These novellas also shed different light on characters and make you feel decidedly different about them. The reading experience is a completely different one if your sympathies are so severely influenced. I can say this quite confidently because I’m trying to reason the merits of a certain character with someone who hasn’t read the additional stories. It’s quite interesting, but at the moment also very frustrating for both of us.

What are your thoughts on eNovellas and the novella trend in general? Sound off in the comments and share your teasers along with your opinion.

Teaser Tuesday: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

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!

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge.

Cruel Beauty – Balzer + Bray

“Well, I’m already hoping there could be a dinner where you don’t try to stab me with your fork,” he said.
“You might need to make your peace with disappointment.”
— Chapter 5

Then I let go and forced a smile. “I wasn’t born to be saved.”
— Chapter 10

Usually, fairy tales are a Christmas thing, but why not Beauty and the Beast for Easter? The cover alone is all sorts of clever and interesting. Yes, it’s a rose, but what resonates inside the book are the stairs and the red dress ... well and the thorny and deceiving qualities of the flower.
Stopping short of letting this become an image analysis (really not my area of expertise) this story has some fun dialogue between a not-so-pure-at-heart Beauty and her not-quite-so-beastly Beast. Very clever to mark the Beast primarily by his character and not to much his appearance. And of course the influences of Greek and Roman mythology and several nods to T.S. Elliot had me smiling several times (and guessing in the slightly wrong direction in the beginning). The end was a bit too quick and clean for me compared to the more fleshed out beginning.
Nevertheless, this is a fun field day for hunters of intertextual connections as well as it is an entertaining read if you are looking for an innocent and pretty love story with some bumps along the way.

How did you spend the Easter Weekend? I consumed way too many chocolate eggs and quite a few pages. Let’s hear from you in comments.

Teaser Tuesday: The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

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 Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas.

The Burning Sky –
Balzer + Bray

She chewed on the inside of her cheek for a minute. Then she pulled on a pair of thick gloves and grabbed the cauldron.
What did she have to lose?
— Chapter 1

“Smite that cauldron, will you? I haven’t got all day!”
— Chapter 1

Teasers from the same chapter and the first at that. I could be ashamed ... but seeing that the current alternative is either something that won’t be published until 2015 or from a Children’s Primary School Lexicon (which is astonishingly comprehensive and detailed but doesn’t make for an entertaining read) it is the book I started between coming home and food.
And I must say, after those 20 or something pages I’m already quite hooked. I don’t understand everything yet, but that seems intentional. (Also: there are end notes ... this is becoming a habit) I only know already that I want one of those flying horse-dragon-things.
Now that I have alienated enough people with weird ramblings about this book please excuse me, I’ll have to get back to the possibly smitten cauldron. As I said, it is still a bit strange. But a good strange, I think.

Let me wish you a happy Easter in advance if you celebrate ... maybe the Bunny will bring some reading material other than the chocolate wrappings. Tell me what you’re reading in the comments.

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.

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.

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.