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.

Teaser Tuesday: Perfect Lies by Kiersten White

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!

Perfect Lies by Kiersten White.

Perfect Lies – HarperTeen

But when I’m asleep, no one can listen to my thoughts. I’m still afraid to sleep—too many ghosts peering creeping condemning.
— Chapter 1

I knew she would fix everything, I knew she would find a way to our future.
Two minutes ago I knew she was going to kill me.
— Chapter 2

There are days when I’m happy that I don’t have any siblings who depend on me to save the day or who I could put under such a pressure not to disappoint my hope. And then there are days when I think that this is an awesome feeling to have that sort of power or to be able to trust someone so much. After the first book, the two interestingly talented sisters were left in quite a situation and I am curious to find out what happens next.

How is your sibling situation? Good/mixed/depends/bad/none? Let’s hear from you in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: The Demon’s Lexicon 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!

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan.

The Demon’s Lexicon –
Simon & Schuster Children's UK

The pipe under the sink was leaking again. It wouldn’t have been so bad, except that Nick kept his favorite sword under the sink.
— Chapter 1

There are several witty and funny headings ready for what just happened, but the reality is that I was completely uninspired by my current reads to pick a teaser and then I started (not so) absently browsing and miraculously (as it happens) ended up on my trusted book retailer site. And while I was wondering which book to pick, I thought about books I desperately want to read ... like Sarah Rees Brennan’s Unmade, which isn’t out until September. Next thing I know, my kobo is updating with my latest purchase ... must be the Irish elves at work ... or something. But honestly, those first two sentences are sort of perfect and if I can’t trust my fragile reader’s heart into the hands of ... oh, wait, what have I done?! (For the record: I know what I did and I’m perfectly fine with it ... more than that, should have done this much earlier) *walks happily glum into certain despair*

What are your latest impulse buys? Or do you have an iron-clad purchase regimen? Let’s hear from you in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: Infinite by Jodi Meadows

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!

Infinite by Jodi Meadows.

Infinite – Katherine Tegen Books

We could put off real life until dawn.
“If you steal all the blankets, you’ll be sorry.”
— Chapter 2

“If it wasn’t the end of the world, it’d be something else. Maybe not this big or terrible, but there are always events in life that can make you unhappy if you let them.”
— Chapter 12

Third and final book in a series, so as usual I won’t say anything about the content. Just one thing: I hadn’t realised until just now how much of this series consists of dialogue. The second and especially the third more than the first as Ana is coming out of her shell, but now there's so much talking! It makes sense with a first person narrator. Either I never thought about it or noticed until now or this book is almost overwhelmingly heavy on the dialogue part. The series most likely won’t feature in my favourites of all time, but I liked the idea of the story about reincarnation and its mechanics quite a bit ... the defining love-story somehow never quite caught me. Possibly because I don’t connect to music as strongly as the two characters do. Still very much a romantic story with pretty words and sentiments, not to forget the great character development visible in Ana over the course of the trilogy.

What are you reading this week? Share your teasers in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke

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!

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke.

Between the Devil
and the Deep Blue Sea – Dial

And I prayed to Freddie about the Devil. I asked her to keep my hand out of this. I asked her to keep me safe from evil. But, for all my praying, the Devil still found me.
— Chapter 1

Our town was small enough that I never developed a healthy fear of strangers. To me, they were exciting things, gift-wrapped and full of possibilities, the sweet smell of somewhere else wafting from them like perfume. And so River West, stranger, didn’t stir in me any sort of fear ... only a rush of excitement, like how I felt right before a really big storm hit, when the air crackled with expectation.
— Chapter 2

Is there anyone else who thinks this cover looks like the younger brother of Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep? Must be the font. I haven’t read either of the two Shining novels (nightmares don’t need to be encouraged any further, thank you), but I don’t doubt that there are these King-esque leanings and that the comparison of the two is not not uncalled for ... I mean it’s probably not as much horror as King (as I said, I haven’t read him), but for a book of this length there’s a good dose of thrill and mystery. And it’s quite graphic ... not in the steamy department (it’s comparatively tame there actually). The writing is beautiful in a descriptive, soft, flowing way that makes you picture warm summers with iced tea, but you still know that the water is probably ice cold and full of flesh-eating monsters. I enjoyed the beginning more than the middle and the end is sort of closed but also open so that I’ll have a look at the sequel. After some reading with less visceral imagery. Oh hey there, double entendre ...

I found myself in this sentence: “My habit of reading more than I socialized made me use odd, awkward words without thinking.” How about you? Do you pick up words from your readings and use them to the amazement of your colloquists? Teasers and stories are welcome in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: Pivot Point by Kasie West

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!

Pivot Point by Kasie West.

Pivot Point – HarperTeen

My father was a human lie detector—although my mom didn’t like it when I called him that; the technical term was Discerner—and he could immediately tell if I lied. He said he could even tell when I planned to lie. Irritating.
— Chapter 1

“I don’t know. I try not to take Rowan too seriously. It’s been my downfall many times.”
— Chapter 16

So here’s a marketing thing that totally got me, and I’m not ashamed to admit it: Epic Read’s offer of the whole book online for the duration of the weekend before last. And the really good news is that the sequel is already out as well! There are advantages of discovering a series late(r). But seriously, as much as I dread decisions sometimes, this ability to determine the outcome in advance would probably cripple me. I love to read about it though. The word definitions at the beginning of each chapter are quite fun as well and add a nice touch to the book.

How are your decision-making abilities? Let's hear from you in the comments and share your teaser choice of the week.

Teaser Tuesday: The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen

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 Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen.

The Runaway King – Scholastic Press

I had arrived early for my own assassination.
— Chapter 1

Fixed on his eyes, I said, “Do you laugh at me?”
He was quiet for a moment and finally the tension drained from him. “No, Jaron,” he said darkly. “I curse you with every breath I exhale. But I do not laugh.”
— Chapter 5

Being early to my own assassination is something that could definitely happen to me as I’m constantly early. While some people need to be told a time 15 minutes before you actually want to meet, I could use a time 15 minutes after that ... but no one ever does that. Why would they? And no, please don’t start this with me now, it won’t end well. Anyway, I don’t know how this sequel to The False Prince slipped past me, but I’m rectifying this now as a contrast programme to reading a bunch of Adam Blade’s Deep Dive (strictly for professional purposes, even if they have some entertaining aspects ... if you’re looking for something to give to your eight-year-old).

Are you the early bird out to catch the worm or the clever worm who knows that the early ones get eaten? Let me know along with your teaser in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: Boys, Bears and A Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald

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!

Boys, Bears and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald.

Boys, Bears and A Serious
Pair of Hiking Boots – Candlewick Press

“What did I even do?”
“Besides have a major freak-out last night?”
— Chapter 9

Fiona rolls her eyes and tries to push past me, but I stand firm in the middle of the dark road. Jeremiah B. Coombes would probably tell me to flee the wild beast and retreat to safety, but I’m sick of tolerating all her crap. No more.
— Chapter 20

I am so not a winter person. Sure, some snow for Christmas, but this sticky, wet, and cold weather with crystallising fog and literally days of no sunshine at all? Not my thing. So what’s better than some light reading that most would dub summer entertainment? ... she said while still stuck in the trilogy from last week. But I read this recently and thought I’d keep these teasers for some dreary weather. It has some interesting aspects and a good range of not uninteresting guys, but you have to accept it as a light and fun read. But who says that everything you read has to be of profound critically appraised literary value?

Do you have any winter-escape-recommendations? Share them with your teaser in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

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 Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness.

The Knife of Never Letting Go –
Walker

You cheat even if you don’t mean to and everybody means to.
And then one day Mayor Prentiss decided to burn all the books, every single one of them, even the ones in men’s homes, cuz apparently books were detrimental as well
— Chapter 2

A knife says yes or no, cut or not, die or don’t. A knife takes a decision out of your hand and puts it in the world and it never goes back again.
— Chapter 8

Suddenly I sat there with a 1000+ pages trilogy and I can’t quite say how that happened. I’ll have to admit that the sheer size of it is daunting, especially considering that my grammar-perfectionist brain is silently suffer-struggling against the writing. Maybe if I didn’t know more about English language rules than I probably do about my native language ... maybe not. I’m not far enough along to say anything substantial about the book or the series apart from mentioning that the style is definitely something of an acquired taste and that the idea puts an interesting spin on the dystopian theme. (I also realise that I’m somewhat late to the party as the first book was published in 2008 and already received a bunch of prizes.)

Let me know if you have read the Chaos Walking trilogy and what you thought about it. And let’s hear about your teasers in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: This Is What Happy Looks Like 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!

This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith.

This Is What Happy Looks Like –
Poppy

Childhood memories were like airplane luggage; no matter how far you were traveling or how long you needed them to last, you were only ever allowed two bags. And while those bags might hold a few hazy recollections—a diner with a jukebox at the table, being pushed on a swing set, the way it felt to be picked up and spun around—it didn’t seem enough to last a whole lifetime.
— Chapter 7

He didn’t want to be half asleep the first time he kissed Ellie. For that, he wanted to be wide awake.
— Chapter 10

How many spam mails do you get ... should I say per day or per week? In my case, I would have to say per week because that’s about as often as I check mine to see if I missed something. And with that I’m more than unlikely to find myself in a story like this. Well that and the fact that my address isn’t a slightly obscure combination of letters and numbers. But imagine you got a legitimate not spam mail from a stranger. Would you be curious about the content? Would you write back?
This is a really cute and nonthreatening romance. A falling-in-love-story. Maybe a little too forced at some points in terms of plot, but that’s quite easy to accept within the overall feel of the book. And the writing is beautiful. A great comfort-read which I would have loved to go on for a little longer, if only for the reason that I didn’t want to leave the two protagonists to themselves just yet, to see more of their happiness.

Have you ever missent an email (and did you get a reply)? Or have you responded to a missent email? Tell me about your email stories or just your teaser choice in the comments.

Teaser Tuesday: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

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!

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell.

Eleanor & Park –
St. Martin’s Press

Park noticed the new girl at about the same time everybody else did. She was standing at the front of the bus, next to the first available seat.
— Chapter 1

There was something about the music on that tape. It felt different. Like, it set her lungs and her stomach on edge. There was something exciting about it, and something nervous. It made Eleanor feel like everything, like the world, wasn’t what she’d thought it was. And that was a good thing. That was the greatest thing.
— Chapter 2

Welcome back and a slightly belated happy 2014. I hope the first couple of weeks have treated you well enough. I had everything on my mind but the Internet for the past week, but I hope you’ll forgive me. I read this over the break because I’d heard so many good things about it. And it is good. The writing is beautiful and the characters are just so likable in their outcast way. It also has the amazing 80s charm complete with mix tapes and vinyl records. I liked it a lot, very much so. I believe in this love story: it’s not elaborate or achingly sweet or over the top incredible, but very realistic and sweet and ... I don’t want to say wholesome because that would make it sound like healthy food, but it is so refreshingly not love at first sight. I understand why so many love it. This book deserves to be loved.

What did you read the last few weeks? Let’s hear from you in the comments with your teasers.