Tuesday 19 September 2017
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab.
Ever since I can remember, London has been one of my favourite places in the world even before I could explain why ... I still can’t quite pinpoint it. So whenever London is a central place in a story that’s certain to get me to pick up the book at some point. And here there are actually several Londons. The more the better! And also with magic, intrigue, mystery, a really interesting couple of leading characters, and an overall fascinating plot construct.
For various and mostly external reasons it took me a while to dive into this book. It is very accessible through its interesting characters and universe, but apparently I needed some time to acclimatise to these new surroundings. It really helped when one of the characters was also thrown into a new to her world and had to learn about its different and various rules. Maybe Lila was a little too accepting of all of it for my taste, but I could understand where it came from, because it fit well with her overall character. It will be really interesting to see how she adapts to her new reality in the following books. I really hope that this will play a role.
Which book setting is a guaranteed pick up reason for you? And have you been to that place in person or just as a reader? Share destinations 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!
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab.
 |
| A Darker Shade of Magic – Titan Books |
“I said Rhy forgave them.” Kell pushed to his feet. “I never said I did.”
— Part X – II
“I apologize for anything I might have done. I was not myself.”
“I apologize for shooting you in the leg,” said Lila. “I was myself entirely.”
— Part XIV – III
Ever since I can remember, London has been one of my favourite places in the world even before I could explain why ... I still can’t quite pinpoint it. So whenever London is a central place in a story that’s certain to get me to pick up the book at some point. And here there are actually several Londons. The more the better! And also with magic, intrigue, mystery, a really interesting couple of leading characters, and an overall fascinating plot construct.
For various and mostly external reasons it took me a while to dive into this book. It is very accessible through its interesting characters and universe, but apparently I needed some time to acclimatise to these new surroundings. It really helped when one of the characters was also thrown into a new to her world and had to learn about its different and various rules. Maybe Lila was a little too accepting of all of it for my taste, but I could understand where it came from, because it fit well with her overall character. It will be really interesting to see how she adapts to her new reality in the following books. I really hope that this will play a role.
Which book setting is a guaranteed pick up reason for you? And have you been to that place in person or just as a reader? Share destinations and teasers in the comments!
Tuesday 12 September 2017
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan.
Do I need to say that Sarah Rees Brennan is one of my instant-buy-no-questions-asked and also drop-everything-else-and-read-immediately (if my idiot self hadn’t accidentally ordered the book right to the city I was leaving for two weeks when it arrived) authors? If you didn’t know before, now you do. And this book is SO!WORTH!IT! ... if you are like me and one of your teachers reprimanded you early on that irony and sarcasm are (apparently) part of a language not spoken by everyone and please stop tormenting other pupils with it. Which I did immediately ... right along with becoming a star athlete and after I got rid of my pesky language nerdishness. If you’ve read only one page of this book (the first chapter is available here), you’ll see why Elliot is the sort of main character I fell for instantly
There is so much to love about this ingenious, wonderful book: Elves! Harpies! Mermaids! Oh, and totally likeable but still to be kept away to some extent humans, I suppose. Surprisingly no witches or other magical magic. A big adventure of (not) fighting wars with (swords, bow and arrow) pen, paper, words and wit. And during that also managing growing up, falling in love, finding friends, and making other big discoveries (some of which are really spoiler-y and I’m almost bursting with glee just thinking about them). One of the best things is the clever and humorous not really subtle but still not in your face running commentary on society and gender expectations. I’m so obscenely in love with the narrative style, it’s almost absurd. I had so many snort-giggle-laugh moments even if it really shouldn’t be funny but it is just because of that. Don’t get me wrong there are also really heart-wrenching and anxious sad parts ... wouldn’t be Sarah Rees Brennan without them.
Maybe you’ve read this story when it was free on the internet, but don’t be fooled this version is everything you didn’t think this story also needed and then some. Plus: if you get a physical copy you can hug it while sighing contentedly. It’s so pretty! And I totally plan on getting it signed ... no idea how I’ll manage that, as Germany is sort of off track in terms of English language author tours. But I will ... there, I said it and so I shall. In the meantime, I hope for many more books where this one came from. And I’ll keep pushing this book into the hands of anyone who knows and tolerates me.
Do you have authors that make you pause whatever else you’re reading and get their new releases? Share your loves 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!
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan.
 |
| In Other Lands – Big Mouth House |
You will never find me in trouble. You will find me in the library. If you can remember where that is.
— Part 2
This immunity toward sarcasm must mean Dale had such a peaceful life. It also meant he and Elliot were basically speaking different languages.
— Part 4
Do I need to say that Sarah Rees Brennan is one of my instant-buy-no-questions-asked and also drop-everything-else-and-read-immediately (if my idiot self hadn’t accidentally ordered the book right to the city I was leaving for two weeks when it arrived) authors? If you didn’t know before, now you do. And this book is SO!WORTH!IT! ... if you are like me and one of your teachers reprimanded you early on that irony and sarcasm are (apparently) part of a language not spoken by everyone and please stop tormenting other pupils with it. Which I did immediately ... right along with becoming a star athlete and after I got rid of my pesky language nerdishness. If you’ve read only one page of this book (the first chapter is available here), you’ll see why Elliot is the sort of main character I fell for instantly
There is so much to love about this ingenious, wonderful book: Elves! Harpies! Mermaids! Oh, and totally likeable but still to be kept away to some extent humans, I suppose. Surprisingly no witches or other magical magic. A big adventure of (not) fighting wars with (swords, bow and arrow) pen, paper, words and wit. And during that also managing growing up, falling in love, finding friends, and making other big discoveries (some of which are really spoiler-y and I’m almost bursting with glee just thinking about them). One of the best things is the clever and humorous not really subtle but still not in your face running commentary on society and gender expectations. I’m so obscenely in love with the narrative style, it’s almost absurd. I had so many snort-giggle-laugh moments even if it really shouldn’t be funny but it is just because of that. Don’t get me wrong there are also really heart-wrenching and anxious sad parts ... wouldn’t be Sarah Rees Brennan without them.
Maybe you’ve read this story when it was free on the internet, but don’t be fooled this version is everything you didn’t think this story also needed and then some. Plus: if you get a physical copy you can hug it while sighing contentedly. It’s so pretty! And I totally plan on getting it signed ... no idea how I’ll manage that, as Germany is sort of off track in terms of English language author tours. But I will ... there, I said it and so I shall. In the meantime, I hope for many more books where this one came from. And I’ll keep pushing this book into the hands of anyone who knows and tolerates me.
Do you have authors that make you pause whatever else you’re reading and get their new releases? Share your loves and teasers in the comments.
Tuesday 5 September 2017
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:
Wesley James Ruined My Life by Jennifer Honeybourn.
Holding a grudge can be an art form. Or a bad habit. Or a really big misunderstanding. And sometimes it’s a safety blanket and a shield. The protagonist Quinn certainly has the art form part of this down and the other options didn’t just spring to mind out of nowhere either. This was a quick and entertaining read which also touched upon some heavier topics like trust and loss and other family issues. I liked how there wasn’t just the one big thing dominating the whole book but rather a number of things adding up around this one central issue. I forget who said it (and am too lazy to look it up right now) but books have it way harder than real life because they have to be realistic and make sense ... and when does life ever revolve around just one really big plot point? But in contrast to real life I somehow expect these issues to be somewhat resolved by the end of the book in a satisfying and not glossed over manner. So books really have to pass a higher bar than real life.
Of course the danger of such a multitude of issues is that in order to fit them into a manageable length something else has to fall by the wayside. In this case I have the feeling that the secondary characters had to carry the brunt of the cut. There are quite a few of them and they all have some really interesting aspects and backgrounds, but they felt a little flat to me. This doesn’t distract from the overall enjoyability of the book, but this is the rare case where I think another 50 or so pages would have done the book a big service in terms of depth and character development. But I also realise that this might not be the ambition and in that case, this really fits the bill of an entertaining, romantic, summery read.
Are you someone who holds grudges? I’ll admit that I have been known to do so on occasion (I’m still not over the fact that someone “lost” me in the middle of Alice’s Labyrinth in Disney Land when I was five ... just saying.) Share your teasers (and grudges if you like) 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!
Wesley James Ruined My Life by Jennifer Honeybourn.
 |
| Wesley James Ruined My Life – Swoon Reads |
“Yes, well, that was the plan.” The smile hasn’t slipped from his face, but he won’t meet my eyes.
— Chapter 13
“You’re blinded by his stupidly handsome face.”
“Ha! I knew you thought he was cute.”
— Chapter 17
Holding a grudge can be an art form. Or a bad habit. Or a really big misunderstanding. And sometimes it’s a safety blanket and a shield. The protagonist Quinn certainly has the art form part of this down and the other options didn’t just spring to mind out of nowhere either. This was a quick and entertaining read which also touched upon some heavier topics like trust and loss and other family issues. I liked how there wasn’t just the one big thing dominating the whole book but rather a number of things adding up around this one central issue. I forget who said it (and am too lazy to look it up right now) but books have it way harder than real life because they have to be realistic and make sense ... and when does life ever revolve around just one really big plot point? But in contrast to real life I somehow expect these issues to be somewhat resolved by the end of the book in a satisfying and not glossed over manner. So books really have to pass a higher bar than real life.
Of course the danger of such a multitude of issues is that in order to fit them into a manageable length something else has to fall by the wayside. In this case I have the feeling that the secondary characters had to carry the brunt of the cut. There are quite a few of them and they all have some really interesting aspects and backgrounds, but they felt a little flat to me. This doesn’t distract from the overall enjoyability of the book, but this is the rare case where I think another 50 or so pages would have done the book a big service in terms of depth and character development. But I also realise that this might not be the ambition and in that case, this really fits the bill of an entertaining, romantic, summery read.
Are you someone who holds grudges? I’ll admit that I have been known to do so on occasion (I’m still not over the fact that someone “lost” me in the middle of Alice’s Labyrinth in Disney Land when I was five ... just saying.) Share your teasers (and grudges if you like) in the comments.
Tuesday 29 August 2017
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:
The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson.
How little and how much can you say about the second book in an extremely close-knit trilogy with a staggering number of layers and secrets that on the one hand conveys the art of this kind of story telling while also preserving the secrets and twists? Because it makes a very big difference if you read the first book with too much knowledge. (I know this because I had to skim through Kiss of Deception before starting this one to jog my memory a bit and just knowing who is who in terms of two central characters changed my perspective quite a bit. It’s so much fun just to speculate about their identities.)
This second book opens up the world quite a bit to a whole new part of the continent and also further introduces political intrigues on top of personal ones. Add to that the history of this fictional world and the layers and possible ramifications go through the roof. If you’ve read the novella as well and realise the misunderstandings due to time, distance, and perspective, you gain another layer ... add the personal deceptions and lies and the times you want to throw these characters into a cell and only let them out when they’ve talked it out become immeasurable.
A wonderful second book that not only lives up to the first but also lays a great foundation for a high-heart-rate finale.
Sometimes the narrator of a book is unreliable, but sometimes it’s just the narration itself that adds to the mystery through its information management. Which book has stayed on your mind because of its narrative style recently? 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 Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson.
 |
| The Heart of Betrayal – Henry Holt and Company |
“As you command, Komizar. I will sleep well tonight if I must slit my own throat to do it.”
He smiled. “I think we’re beginning to understand each other at last.”
— Chapter 36
“The rules of reason build towers that reach past the treetops. The rules of trust build towers that reach past the stars.”
— Chapter 47
How little and how much can you say about the second book in an extremely close-knit trilogy with a staggering number of layers and secrets that on the one hand conveys the art of this kind of story telling while also preserving the secrets and twists? Because it makes a very big difference if you read the first book with too much knowledge. (I know this because I had to skim through Kiss of Deception before starting this one to jog my memory a bit and just knowing who is who in terms of two central characters changed my perspective quite a bit. It’s so much fun just to speculate about their identities.)
This second book opens up the world quite a bit to a whole new part of the continent and also further introduces political intrigues on top of personal ones. Add to that the history of this fictional world and the layers and possible ramifications go through the roof. If you’ve read the novella as well and realise the misunderstandings due to time, distance, and perspective, you gain another layer ... add the personal deceptions and lies and the times you want to throw these characters into a cell and only let them out when they’ve talked it out become immeasurable.
A wonderful second book that not only lives up to the first but also lays a great foundation for a high-heart-rate finale.
Sometimes the narrator of a book is unreliable, but sometimes it’s just the narration itself that adds to the mystery through its information management. Which book has stayed on your mind because of its narrative style recently? Share your thoughts and teasers in the comments!
Tuesday 22 August 2017
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon.
There has been so much positive buzz about this book. Or it seems to me like that at least. Let me add to that a little. This is a cute girl meets boy, they connect, have some obstacles, but ultimately fall in love story. You can leave it at that and have a very pleasant read, just like hundreds of other books and movies. So why is this one of the books that gets talked about? Because, a little sad as it is, there is the added cultural background that is still enough of a novelty that it gets to be specifically addressed. At the same time for this books it is so intricately woven into the whole plot that there is at no point a moment to question it or to feel alienated. Because at the surface and all the way down these teenage characters have the same problems of finding themselves and their place in life and society as everyone else. And their path is riddled with hilarious and sometimes baffling detours.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and wll recommend it to anyone in search of a well-crafted romantic read with a little backbone.
Summer holidays are slowly winding down here although I feel that the weather at least has cheated me out of at least three weeks. At least my summer reads have mostly held up their end of the deal. How do you feel about seasonal reads that deliver on anything but their season relevance? Share thoughts and teasers in the comments.
To play along just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon.
 |
| When Dimple Met Rishi – Simon Pulse |
“So what if your art’s not practical? If you love it, you should do it. What’s the point of anything otherwise?”
— Chapter 10
“I feel like I need to speak out, because if no one speaks out, if no one says, This is me, this is what I believe in, and this is why I’m different, and this is why that’s okay, then what’s the point? What’s the point of living in this beautiful, great melting pot where everyone can dare to be anything they want to be?”
— Chapter 21
There has been so much positive buzz about this book. Or it seems to me like that at least. Let me add to that a little. This is a cute girl meets boy, they connect, have some obstacles, but ultimately fall in love story. You can leave it at that and have a very pleasant read, just like hundreds of other books and movies. So why is this one of the books that gets talked about? Because, a little sad as it is, there is the added cultural background that is still enough of a novelty that it gets to be specifically addressed. At the same time for this books it is so intricately woven into the whole plot that there is at no point a moment to question it or to feel alienated. Because at the surface and all the way down these teenage characters have the same problems of finding themselves and their place in life and society as everyone else. And their path is riddled with hilarious and sometimes baffling detours.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story and wll recommend it to anyone in search of a well-crafted romantic read with a little backbone.
Summer holidays are slowly winding down here although I feel that the weather at least has cheated me out of at least three weeks. At least my summer reads have mostly held up their end of the deal. How do you feel about seasonal reads that deliver on anything but their season relevance? Share thoughts and teasers in the comments.
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