Tuesday 12 May 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.
To play along just do the following:
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.
One day, I’ll stop jumping headfirst into new series by authors who I know will have me begging for the next book to be published sooner ... she said as she added another to her growing list.
However, there aren’t many authors with two series underway in which I’m so very impatiently anticipating the next book. I should have known with this one though. Sarah J. Maas is a brilliant storyteller and the mythology she so casually weaves into this wonderful re-imagination (I don’t want to use the term retelling because that would be misleading as there is so much more to it) of the beauty and the beast theme is very thorough and fantastically implemented. I strongly disliked Feyre’s family and the rational part of me will never understand why she didn’t leave them, but my messy heart was totally on board with that and with the forgiveness. It’s in my opinion the skill of a great writer to create a character (or a host of characters) whose actions you would personally never support and comprehend, but which make absolute sense for this character in their context. So yes, I might have guessed the riddle but my background (and that of many readers, even those complainers) is vastly different from Feyre’s. And if I had been brave enough to voice that guess about the solution, is written on a completely different page.
I love the clever foxy Lucien and his grudging but growing acceptance of Feyre; and I am so!intrigued! by the dark and mysterious Rhysand (isn’t that name alone really cool?). And the most amazing thing is that I was expecting a major cliffhanger, as I know the author is capable of them, but the end is actually quite tame. But don’t think that there aren’t still enough open questions that have me chomping at the bit for the next book. Maybe if I barter a week of service each quarter as a house elf?
What would you be willing to trade in for a chance to have any of your upcoming anticipated books right now? Leave suggestions 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 Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.
 |
| A Court of Thorns and Roses – Bloomsbury Children’s Books |
He jerked his chin at the knife. “It’s yours. Don’t bury it in my back, please.”
— Chapter 18
“I realized he wouldn’t have gone with me to save you from Prythian.”
And for her, with that raging, unrelenting heart, it would have been a line in the sand.
— Chapter 30
One day, I’ll stop jumping headfirst into new series by authors who I know will have me begging for the next book to be published sooner ... she said as she added another to her growing list.
However, there aren’t many authors with two series underway in which I’m so very impatiently anticipating the next book. I should have known with this one though. Sarah J. Maas is a brilliant storyteller and the mythology she so casually weaves into this wonderful re-imagination (I don’t want to use the term retelling because that would be misleading as there is so much more to it) of the beauty and the beast theme is very thorough and fantastically implemented. I strongly disliked Feyre’s family and the rational part of me will never understand why she didn’t leave them, but my messy heart was totally on board with that and with the forgiveness. It’s in my opinion the skill of a great writer to create a character (or a host of characters) whose actions you would personally never support and comprehend, but which make absolute sense for this character in their context. So yes, I might have guessed the riddle but my background (and that of many readers, even those complainers) is vastly different from Feyre’s. And if I had been brave enough to voice that guess about the solution, is written on a completely different page.
I love the clever foxy Lucien and his grudging but growing acceptance of Feyre; and I am so!intrigued! by the dark and mysterious Rhysand (isn’t that name alone really cool?). And the most amazing thing is that I was expecting a major cliffhanger, as I know the author is capable of them, but the end is actually quite tame. But don’t think that there aren’t still enough open questions that have me chomping at the bit for the next book. Maybe if I barter a week of service each quarter as a house elf?
What would you be willing to trade in for a chance to have any of your upcoming anticipated books right now? Leave suggestions and teasers in the comments.
Tuesday 5 May 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.
To play along just do the following:
Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien.
It’s children’s book week! Luck has it that work requires me to take a closer look at this beautiful classic. I loved the animated movie when I was younger even if the two stories don’t quite match up (the movie has an element of magic while the book really is a classic animal tale). I adore the writing and especially the little gems of wisdom that are hidden in the text. I think that it is a special talents that allows authors to put these truths in their texts without sounding patronising and not all authors have it. It’s a lovely story with short chapter that you can easily fit in when you only have a short time to read ... if you’re the kind of person who reads while standing in line at the supermarket check-out and the likes for example. And if you have someone to read this book aloud to, all the better! You’ll discover amazing new things about a story when it’s read aloud.
Can you recommend other children’s books classics? Are you doing anything interesting for children’s book week? 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!
Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O’Brien.
 |
| Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH – Puffin Books |
The size of the brain is no measure of its capacity. And well she might recall it, for the crow’s head was double the size of her own.
— Chapter 3
One warm day, she told herself, does not make a summer. No, nor even a spring.
— Chapter 4
It’s children’s book week! Luck has it that work requires me to take a closer look at this beautiful classic. I loved the animated movie when I was younger even if the two stories don’t quite match up (the movie has an element of magic while the book really is a classic animal tale). I adore the writing and especially the little gems of wisdom that are hidden in the text. I think that it is a special talents that allows authors to put these truths in their texts without sounding patronising and not all authors have it. It’s a lovely story with short chapter that you can easily fit in when you only have a short time to read ... if you’re the kind of person who reads while standing in line at the supermarket check-out and the likes for example. And if you have someone to read this book aloud to, all the better! You’ll discover amazing new things about a story when it’s read aloud.
Can you recommend other children’s books classics? Are you doing anything interesting for children’s book week? Share thoughts and teasers in the comments!
Tuesday 28 April 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.
To play along just do the following:
Tithe by Holly Black.
Hindsight is always 20/20 – or so it is said. With this in mind I picked up the very first book of an author I have discovered through one of her later works. You know how with bands the original fans often dislike the new fans or claim that their band has gone mainstream and no longer sounds the same? I sure hope that bands are able to develop their style and try new things; and if they acquire a bigger following while they do it, good for them. Why this? Because the new fan of a music band might also flip back to the band’s older works and discover that they probably wouldn’t have liked the music had it stayed that way. With authors this is indeed similar enough to be also very different. This book has now been published over a decade ago and the author is still active. You can already see the fine writing skills in this and if you know her current work, admire the advancement. And now imagine if 10+ years have shaped this difference, how much better will the author be in another 5 years? Musicians play with their style and often return to their roots, but authors, in my experience, usually get better with the more books they write. There is a beauty in the thought of growing with your author from their debut, but if you get a chance to get an outside view to compare and contrast a writing period, that is also quite an interesting experience.
Have you ever gone back to an author’s early work after discovering them through a later book? I imagine that many John Green fans started out with The Fault in Our Stars and only later read Looking for Alaska or Papertowns ... especially now that there is another movie right around the corner.
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!
Tithe by Holly Black.
 |
| Tithe – Margaret K. McElderry Books |
Gristle would have loved this. She had thought that many times since she had left the Shore, six years past. My imaginary friends would have loved this. She’d thought it the first time that she’d seen the city, lit up like never-ending Christmas. But they never came when she was in Philadelphia. And now she was sixteen and felt like she had no imagination left.
— Chapter 1
Kaye kicked a flattened soda can down the street ahead of her. Even she could see that she was going in no good direction, and not just literally.
— Chapter 4
Hindsight is always 20/20 – or so it is said. With this in mind I picked up the very first book of an author I have discovered through one of her later works. You know how with bands the original fans often dislike the new fans or claim that their band has gone mainstream and no longer sounds the same? I sure hope that bands are able to develop their style and try new things; and if they acquire a bigger following while they do it, good for them. Why this? Because the new fan of a music band might also flip back to the band’s older works and discover that they probably wouldn’t have liked the music had it stayed that way. With authors this is indeed similar enough to be also very different. This book has now been published over a decade ago and the author is still active. You can already see the fine writing skills in this and if you know her current work, admire the advancement. And now imagine if 10+ years have shaped this difference, how much better will the author be in another 5 years? Musicians play with their style and often return to their roots, but authors, in my experience, usually get better with the more books they write. There is a beauty in the thought of growing with your author from their debut, but if you get a chance to get an outside view to compare and contrast a writing period, that is also quite an interesting experience.
Have you ever gone back to an author’s early work after discovering them through a later book? I imagine that many John Green fans started out with The Fault in Our Stars and only later read Looking for Alaska or Papertowns ... especially now that there is another movie right around the corner.
Tuesday 21 April 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.
To play along just do the following:
Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder.
I have a growing appreciation for Sisyphus and his never-ending task, but at least mine is a pleasant one of decimating my TBR ... only that whenever I finish one book at least one more has joined the rest of the pile. More likely two or more. But I’m teaching myself to put down books that aren’t doing it for me and decide whether it’s just for now or to give them away entirely. So far it’s mostly a “maybe later” pile next to the TBR, but I’m getting better at it.
This books is definitely not in danger of being put down ... apart from sleep and work, but everything else can wait. I want to know what happened to Kerrick! I dare the book to keep him from me much longer or this will not have a pretty end. And please return him in an acceptable state, preferably before I completely lose it with Avry and the rest of them. Final book in the series and I’m more than curious how this will come to its conclusion. The build-up over the first two books was very promising.
What’s the news regarding your TBR piles? Do you sort them according to mood or simply by chronological order of books being added to the pile? I’d love to hear about your method in the comments along with new books to be added to my pile.
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!
Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder.
 |
| Taste of Darkness – Harlequin Mira |
“But they fight in the name of the creator.”
“I don’t care if they fight in the name of broccoli. The goal remains the same.”
— Chapter 5
And the lesson had been learned. Stop trying to use the Lily to revive the dead or it might just work.
— Chapter 8
I have a growing appreciation for Sisyphus and his never-ending task, but at least mine is a pleasant one of decimating my TBR ... only that whenever I finish one book at least one more has joined the rest of the pile. More likely two or more. But I’m teaching myself to put down books that aren’t doing it for me and decide whether it’s just for now or to give them away entirely. So far it’s mostly a “maybe later” pile next to the TBR, but I’m getting better at it.
This books is definitely not in danger of being put down ... apart from sleep and work, but everything else can wait. I want to know what happened to Kerrick! I dare the book to keep him from me much longer or this will not have a pretty end. And please return him in an acceptable state, preferably before I completely lose it with Avry and the rest of them. Final book in the series and I’m more than curious how this will come to its conclusion. The build-up over the first two books was very promising.
What’s the news regarding your TBR piles? Do you sort them according to mood or simply by chronological order of books being added to the pile? I’d love to hear about your method in the comments along with new books to be added to my pile.
Tuesday 14 April 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.
To play along just do the following:
Sisters of Blood and Spirit by Kady Cross.
Turns out that I’m a sort of visual person after all, because I clicked on it simply based on the cover. But I definitely wouldn’t have it on my reader if that was the only redeeming factor if that’s any consolation. I haven’t read very much of it yet, but the premise of a (so far I think) willing participant in as living-body-snatcher/possession between sisters is a very interesting concept. And considering how often I thought that it would be awesome if someone else could please just live through yet another boring lecture for me, I suppose I wouldn’t be completely disinclined to at least try it ... possibly.
What is the last book you picked up because the cover appealed to you that you then ended up buying? Let’s hear from you 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!
Sisters of Blood and Spirit by Kady Cross.
 |
| Sisters of Blood and Spirit – Harlequin Teen |
Talking out loud to someone no one else could see would make them all think they were right, that I was still crazy. I was supposed to be cured.
— Chapter 1
It was an untruth that the dead had all the answers. We just had different questions.
— Chapter 2
Turns out that I’m a sort of visual person after all, because I clicked on it simply based on the cover. But I definitely wouldn’t have it on my reader if that was the only redeeming factor if that’s any consolation. I haven’t read very much of it yet, but the premise of a (so far I think) willing participant in as living-body-snatcher/possession between sisters is a very interesting concept. And considering how often I thought that it would be awesome if someone else could please just live through yet another boring lecture for me, I suppose I wouldn’t be completely disinclined to at least try it ... possibly.
What is the last book you picked up because the cover appealed to you that you then ended up buying? Let’s hear from you in the comments.
Tuesday 7 April 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.
To play along just do the following:
The Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski.
I love a good second book in a trilogy and wow this one is an amazing second book. The first book ended with an emotional punch which I thought was quite hard to stomach already, but this book is downright an emotional pummelling. At the same time the plot is a gripping roller coaster that will grip you and before you know it you’re racing through the last chapter with your heart in your throat hoping that it will somehow work out but knowing that it can’t possibly. The author has an amazing ability to make you root for her characters and infuse you with hope for their well-being ... and then almost dangling it within reach before yanking it away. I’m so worried for some characters and heart-broken for others and no matter what will happen, even if it’s a happy end it will also be bitter, but can I please have the third book now?
Did you suffer any literary heartbreak over Easter or lots of sweets and sweetness? Also applicable if you didn’t celebrate the egg-festivities. Let’s hear from you 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 Winner’s Crime by Marie Rutkoski.
 |
| The Winner’s Crime – Farrar Straus Giroux |
“Winner take all,” said Arin.
She looked at him. “The Stakes?”
“The truth.”
— Chapter 19
She supposed that it had been lost, and found again. Sometimes things happened that way. But sometimes, Kestrel knew, what’s lost stays lost forever.
— Chapter 37
I love a good second book in a trilogy and wow this one is an amazing second book. The first book ended with an emotional punch which I thought was quite hard to stomach already, but this book is downright an emotional pummelling. At the same time the plot is a gripping roller coaster that will grip you and before you know it you’re racing through the last chapter with your heart in your throat hoping that it will somehow work out but knowing that it can’t possibly. The author has an amazing ability to make you root for her characters and infuse you with hope for their well-being ... and then almost dangling it within reach before yanking it away. I’m so worried for some characters and heart-broken for others and no matter what will happen, even if it’s a happy end it will also be bitter, but can I please have the third book now?
Did you suffer any literary heartbreak over Easter or lots of sweets and sweetness? Also applicable if you didn’t celebrate the egg-festivities. Let’s hear from you in the comments!
Tuesday 31 March 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.
To play along just do the following:
Before the Fall: Arrival by Ally Carter.
There is hardly a better way to encourage readers to buy a book than by giving them a short snipped of the background story and then telling them that there is more. At least if this short appetiser is well-written. And for that purpose this story does its job exceptionally well. I’m quite certain that you will be able to read the main series without this background knowledge, but if you’re uncertain about the author and want to have a peek if you like the writing and basic story layout, this will give you an excellent idea of what it’s all about.
What is your stance on prequel shorts and the like? Do you like having additional information or does it clutter up a series unnecessarily? Let’s hear about your opinions 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!
Before the Fall: Arrival by Ally Carter.
 |
| Before the Fall: Arrival – Scholastic Press |
The woman who sat beside me on the plane is trembling and whispering to the people beside her, no doubt telling them that I had seemed so normal.
Dangerous psychos always seem so normal.
— Chapter 1
For the first time he’s not looking at me like I’m dangerous. He’s looking at me like I’m broken.
It’s a look I know too well.
— Chapter 1
There is hardly a better way to encourage readers to buy a book than by giving them a short snipped of the background story and then telling them that there is more. At least if this short appetiser is well-written. And for that purpose this story does its job exceptionally well. I’m quite certain that you will be able to read the main series without this background knowledge, but if you’re uncertain about the author and want to have a peek if you like the writing and basic story layout, this will give you an excellent idea of what it’s all about.
What is your stance on prequel shorts and the like? Do you like having additional information or does it clutter up a series unnecessarily? Let’s hear about your opinions and teasers in the comments.
Tuesday 24 March 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.
To play along just do the following:
The Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead.
Slight contrast programme to last week, but even I (especially) can’t read the heavy stuff all the time. Sometimes I need fluff and romance and sweet happy ends ... with some plot and everything still in moderation and with logic, if at all possible, most of the time. As this is the end of the series and in fact the end of the Vampire Academy universe (for now at least) there are certain expectations as to what will have to happen in this book. Some might call it fan service, but I think that there will still be a great deal of thing happening before that final chapter. I’m curious how the author will tie up the plot and say goodbye to the characters. I imagine that it wasn’t easy after 12 books in that universe.
Is there a series that has accompanied you for the better part of a decade (or longer)? Did it come to a conclusion you were satisfied with? Let’s hear from you 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 Ruby Circle by Richelle Mead.
 |
| The Ruby Circle – Razorbill |
“What?” My mother-in-law’s voice came out extra shrill to my ears. “That creature’s staying?” It figured. Her daughter-in-law transforming into an animal? No problem. Having to take care of a cat? Crisis.
— Chapter 2
“Is he right?” I asked quietly, once we’d put some distance between the guest cabin and us.
“That I’m a terrible liar? No. I’m a fantastic liar.”
— Chapter 10
Slight contrast programme to last week, but even I (especially) can’t read the heavy stuff all the time. Sometimes I need fluff and romance and sweet happy ends ... with some plot and everything still in moderation and with logic, if at all possible, most of the time. As this is the end of the series and in fact the end of the Vampire Academy universe (for now at least) there are certain expectations as to what will have to happen in this book. Some might call it fan service, but I think that there will still be a great deal of thing happening before that final chapter. I’m curious how the author will tie up the plot and say goodbye to the characters. I imagine that it wasn’t easy after 12 books in that universe.
Is there a series that has accompanied you for the better part of a decade (or longer)? Did it come to a conclusion you were satisfied with? Let’s hear from you in the comments.
Tuesday 17 March 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.
To play along just do the following:
Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein.
My first Elizabeth Wein book was Code Name Verity which totally blindsided me and then utterly destroyed me with feelings. So going in for this companion, I already expected this to wreck me again ... and it did, just not in the way I thought I had prepared myself for. I admired the bravery and friendship in Verity, which was very much about individual resistance and personal acts of fighting and I don’t know what else to say ... if you haven’t read Verity, I am urging you to do so. And after you’ve recovered, come back for Rose.
This book perfectly highlights the desperate fight for hope and survival and showcases the little victories among so much fear and loss on the bigger scale of prisoner groups within the organised industrial mass murder. It shows the brutality and efficiency of Nazi prisoner warfare from the very limited but still gruesome point of view of a prisoner who fared comparatively well, all things considered. And still it made my heart ache how humans could do this to other humans ... and possibly still can, who knows what’s going on behind certain front lines, it makes me sick and (like Rose) so mad that people can become so inhuman. With just a very few carefully selected words Elizabeth Wein manages to make the characters in her books come to live in all their devastating, seemingly hopeless beauty and devastating cruelty alike. I sobbed for a character I had known for only a few paragraphs when it became clear that she wouldn’t survive, not just because I liked her, but also because it illustrates the unfairness and randomness of these deaths.
This year, there are a lot of ceremonies and memorial events for the liberation of the concentration camps and the end of World War II in general and while I don’t feel responsible for a war and crimes a generation older than my grandparents caused, I still think that it is important to remember and to bear witness. I think Rose or Verity would be a amazing school reads (or just important literature anyway, considering how school reading lists are selected), but sadly enough no German publisher has picked them up ... possibly for fear of there being too much aviation talk and condemnation of Germans in it, even if neither is the case.
I was lucky to be able to visit a reading by an Auschwitz survivor and to experience this amazing person still alive. Because the reality is that these people are dying of old age, but books like this can help to ensure that what they had to endure will never be forgotten. And hopefully also help that something like this will never happen again.
What are you reading this week? Let’s hear from you 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!
Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein.
 |
| Rose Under Fire – Disney Hyperion |
It is just incredible that you can notice something like this when your face is so cold you can’t feel it any more, and you know perfectly well you are surrounded by death and the only way to stay alive is to endure the howling wind and stay on course. And still the sky is beautiful.
— Part 1, Chapter 3
I have scars that show and scars that don’t.
— Part 3, Chapter 2.2
My first Elizabeth Wein book was Code Name Verity which totally blindsided me and then utterly destroyed me with feelings. So going in for this companion, I already expected this to wreck me again ... and it did, just not in the way I thought I had prepared myself for. I admired the bravery and friendship in Verity, which was very much about individual resistance and personal acts of fighting and I don’t know what else to say ... if you haven’t read Verity, I am urging you to do so. And after you’ve recovered, come back for Rose.
This book perfectly highlights the desperate fight for hope and survival and showcases the little victories among so much fear and loss on the bigger scale of prisoner groups within the organised industrial mass murder. It shows the brutality and efficiency of Nazi prisoner warfare from the very limited but still gruesome point of view of a prisoner who fared comparatively well, all things considered. And still it made my heart ache how humans could do this to other humans ... and possibly still can, who knows what’s going on behind certain front lines, it makes me sick and (like Rose) so mad that people can become so inhuman. With just a very few carefully selected words Elizabeth Wein manages to make the characters in her books come to live in all their devastating, seemingly hopeless beauty and devastating cruelty alike. I sobbed for a character I had known for only a few paragraphs when it became clear that she wouldn’t survive, not just because I liked her, but also because it illustrates the unfairness and randomness of these deaths.
This year, there are a lot of ceremonies and memorial events for the liberation of the concentration camps and the end of World War II in general and while I don’t feel responsible for a war and crimes a generation older than my grandparents caused, I still think that it is important to remember and to bear witness. I think Rose or Verity would be a amazing school reads (or just important literature anyway, considering how school reading lists are selected), but sadly enough no German publisher has picked them up ... possibly for fear of there being too much aviation talk and condemnation of Germans in it, even if neither is the case.
I was lucky to be able to visit a reading by an Auschwitz survivor and to experience this amazing person still alive. Because the reality is that these people are dying of old age, but books like this can help to ensure that what they had to endure will never be forgotten. And hopefully also help that something like this will never happen again.
What are you reading this week? Let’s hear from you in the comments.
Tuesday 10 March 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To play along just do the following:
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.
Life isn’t about reaching the end in pristine condition with nary a scratch. Or so they say. If that is the case, I’d like to argue that neither is reading. You shouldn’t expect to reach the end of a book without having accepted some emotional punches in one way or another. This book is an especially adventurous reading rollercoaster. When you think you have figured out the motives of everyone they’ll more than likely blow up in your face. Anyone can betray anyone, as it says in the book ... and true to their word, they will. Even those who you think are a safe bet. A brilliant story with maybe one too many twist for me at the very end, but I’m more than excited to find out more in the next book.
Which book made you doubt your character understanding skills? Would you recommend it or rather say that it was causing you too much whiplash? Share your experiences 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!
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard.
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| Red Queen – HarperTeen |
One day he’ll realize I'm his enemy, and all this will be a far-gone memory. But not yet.
— Chapter 14
I can’t believe I didn’t see him for what he was from the beginning: a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And now I’m the sheep pretending to be a wolf.
— Chapter 24
Life isn’t about reaching the end in pristine condition with nary a scratch. Or so they say. If that is the case, I’d like to argue that neither is reading. You shouldn’t expect to reach the end of a book without having accepted some emotional punches in one way or another. This book is an especially adventurous reading rollercoaster. When you think you have figured out the motives of everyone they’ll more than likely blow up in your face. Anyone can betray anyone, as it says in the book ... and true to their word, they will. Even those who you think are a safe bet. A brilliant story with maybe one too many twist for me at the very end, but I’m more than excited to find out more in the next book.
Which book made you doubt your character understanding skills? Would you recommend it or rather say that it was causing you too much whiplash? Share your experiences and teasers in the comments.
Tuesday 3 March 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To play along just do the following:
The Faerie Queen by Kiki Hamilton.
Onwards with conquering the Mount TBR! I have tackled a series of which I enjoyed the first book and then somehow didn’t get around to the sequels ... but now tackled is exactly the right description as I read all three back to back. Many series don’t hold up to such a reading marathon as they (often necessarily) need to be a bit repetitive to remind the reader of important background information an so on. In this series these repetitive elements are there if you know to look for them, but otherwise they are quite cleverly hidden in the text.
I love all things London, even the smoke-stained coal and poverty historical settings, at least to read about them ... possibly not so much in reality. And even if the setting more and more shifts from the city in the progression of the series, the overall feeling of the place still remains in the nature and behaviour of the characters. This series is for you if you like duckling to swan stories with some historical touches and don’t mind folktale faerie (not cute-sy Tinkerbell) magic backgrounds.
Do you have any finished series slumbering in your reading pile? Share them along with your teasers (and maybe tell me how you plan on reading them – all at once or in-between other books?).
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 Faerie Queen by Kiki Hamilton.
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| The Faerie Queen – Fair Wind Books |
Destiny is simply the intersection of hard work and opportunity – nothing more, nothing less. If you put your mind to something with the intent of pursuing the goal at all cost – you create your own destiny.
— Chapter 15
Wasn’t it you who said “better alive in Faerie than dead forever?” The boy won’t last much longer.
— Chapter 17
Onwards with conquering the Mount TBR! I have tackled a series of which I enjoyed the first book and then somehow didn’t get around to the sequels ... but now tackled is exactly the right description as I read all three back to back. Many series don’t hold up to such a reading marathon as they (often necessarily) need to be a bit repetitive to remind the reader of important background information an so on. In this series these repetitive elements are there if you know to look for them, but otherwise they are quite cleverly hidden in the text.
I love all things London, even the smoke-stained coal and poverty historical settings, at least to read about them ... possibly not so much in reality. And even if the setting more and more shifts from the city in the progression of the series, the overall feeling of the place still remains in the nature and behaviour of the characters. This series is for you if you like duckling to swan stories with some historical touches and don’t mind folktale faerie (not cute-sy Tinkerbell) magic backgrounds.
Do you have any finished series slumbering in your reading pile? Share them along with your teasers (and maybe tell me how you plan on reading them – all at once or in-between other books?).
Tuesday 24 February 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To play along just do the following:
Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan.
Even the longest of train journeys can be somewhat improved by good stories, but I probably shouldn’t jinx it – my track record with trains is epically bad. I’ve missed the Shadowhunter world quite a bit so I suppose you could have given me a Nephilim phone book and I would have enjoyed reading it ... but this was so much better! I hadn’t realised that a certain warlock had so much snark in her. I especially loved that discovery. There were many moments when I must have made sounds of amusement, because my seat neighbour at one point first tried to read over my shoulder and then asked me what the funny book was. I must admit that I was a bit stumped because how do you explain a between books e-short set in a thoroughly established book universe without alienating said neighbour? I think I did a fairly good job, because in the end she asked me to write down the title of the first book. I would have had her sold on Untold as well, but alas that one is not available in German, which is horrific, if you asked me ...
Have you ever been asked by a stranger what you were reading? Or have you asked a stranger about their books? That would be an interesting sort of “week’s assignment” ... hmm ... would anyone like to try that? Let’s hear from you 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!
Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan.
 |
| Welcome to Shadowhunter Academy – Margaret K. McElderry Books |
People said things like that, without thinking of potential nightmare scenarios or horrific conditions, the whole world changing and love slipping away. None of them ever dreamed love would be tested, and fail.
— 4 %
“Moreover, in the interest of thoroughness I must tell you there is a problem with the food supplies.”
Catarina raised an ivory eyebrow.
“What’s the problem with the food supplies?”
“There aren’t any food supplies.”
“That is a problem.”
— 24 %
Even the longest of train journeys can be somewhat improved by good stories, but I probably shouldn’t jinx it – my track record with trains is epically bad. I’ve missed the Shadowhunter world quite a bit so I suppose you could have given me a Nephilim phone book and I would have enjoyed reading it ... but this was so much better! I hadn’t realised that a certain warlock had so much snark in her. I especially loved that discovery. There were many moments when I must have made sounds of amusement, because my seat neighbour at one point first tried to read over my shoulder and then asked me what the funny book was. I must admit that I was a bit stumped because how do you explain a between books e-short set in a thoroughly established book universe without alienating said neighbour? I think I did a fairly good job, because in the end she asked me to write down the title of the first book. I would have had her sold on Untold as well, but alas that one is not available in German, which is horrific, if you asked me ...
Have you ever been asked by a stranger what you were reading? Or have you asked a stranger about their books? That would be an interesting sort of “week’s assignment” ... hmm ... would anyone like to try that? Let’s hear from you in the comments!
Tuesday 17 February 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To play along just do the following:
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch.
Usually, I’m the person recommending books (and then occasionally pestering, if the book has been read yet). This book was recommended to me by no one other than my mother. In the very subtle way of mothers that I don’t have to read this, but I’d probably miss something if I didn’t. And I don’t know about your mothers, but mine is quite often right about things. Books especially. This story will probably haunt me for a while, in an absolutely positive way, because while the topic is certainly quite dark, the writing is the very opposite. Beautifully told and with such a force that once you get used to the language you will have a heard time to put this down before you know how it all fits together and if it turns out okay. I know that I’ll be spreading the recommendation of this book for quite a while. But be warned that the content is not light at all. I’m not a fan of warning labels on books and I think that the cover in this case will serve to deter the reader looking for a light and fun read, because they won’t find it in this hauntingly dark beauty of a story.
What is your latest book that was recommended to you and that you will now in turn keep recommending to others? Share them and your 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!
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch.
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| If You Find Me – St. Martin’s Griffin |
I take my hand back, like a leaf letting go. It hurts too much to hang on. So why does it hurt so much to let go?
— Chapter 11
My life’s a tangle of past and present, like two separate puzzles with their pieces tumbled together. Nothing fits.
— Chapter 12
Usually, I’m the person recommending books (and then occasionally pestering, if the book has been read yet). This book was recommended to me by no one other than my mother. In the very subtle way of mothers that I don’t have to read this, but I’d probably miss something if I didn’t. And I don’t know about your mothers, but mine is quite often right about things. Books especially. This story will probably haunt me for a while, in an absolutely positive way, because while the topic is certainly quite dark, the writing is the very opposite. Beautifully told and with such a force that once you get used to the language you will have a heard time to put this down before you know how it all fits together and if it turns out okay. I know that I’ll be spreading the recommendation of this book for quite a while. But be warned that the content is not light at all. I’m not a fan of warning labels on books and I think that the cover in this case will serve to deter the reader looking for a light and fun read, because they won’t find it in this hauntingly dark beauty of a story.
What is your latest book that was recommended to you and that you will now in turn keep recommending to others? Share them and your teasers in the comments.
Tuesday 10 February 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To play along just do the following:
The Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson.
“But those are two teasers from the very beginning of the book (don’t you dare spoil the cliffhanger)”, you’ll say. “I know!”, I’ll say. “Why?”, you’ll ask. “Because that’s about as far as the preview will let me and my book hasn’t arrived yet”, I’ll reply. And because you don’t want to hear me whining about the unfairness of not living somewhere where books like this are just sitting on a shelf waiting to be picked up as soon as they are published, we’ll have to make do with what we have. But rest assured that this book will be in my possession soon and then I’ll maybe come up for air after I’ve solved the ending of the previous book. I must say that I really appreciate that the publisher maintained the original design even though the series changed publishing homes. I’ll also say that I quite like the US design, but I started this in the UK and I’m stubborn enough to have this series matching. The other idea was that the UK version would be out five days before the US but this meant absolutely nothing because forces are conspiring against me. I just hope that the cliffhanger won’t be that bad and that the next book won’t take quite as long to publish. Health and such permitting.
Plans are made to be thrown out the window ... which bookish plan did you recently (have to) abandon? Let’s hear from you 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 Shadow Cabinet by Maureen Johnson.
 |
| The Shadow Cabinet – Hot Key Books |
“I agree completely, dear sister. It’s decided, then. You’re coming with us. We have far better books.”
— Prologue
I saw it coming, like a big, flat wave off the shoreline, a wall of water about to crash down and take me away forever. I was not going to let that happen.
— Chapter 1
“But those are two teasers from the very beginning of the book (don’t you dare spoil the cliffhanger)”, you’ll say. “I know!”, I’ll say. “Why?”, you’ll ask. “Because that’s about as far as the preview will let me and my book hasn’t arrived yet”, I’ll reply. And because you don’t want to hear me whining about the unfairness of not living somewhere where books like this are just sitting on a shelf waiting to be picked up as soon as they are published, we’ll have to make do with what we have. But rest assured that this book will be in my possession soon and then I’ll maybe come up for air after I’ve solved the ending of the previous book. I must say that I really appreciate that the publisher maintained the original design even though the series changed publishing homes. I’ll also say that I quite like the US design, but I started this in the UK and I’m stubborn enough to have this series matching. The other idea was that the UK version would be out five days before the US but this meant absolutely nothing because forces are conspiring against me. I just hope that the cliffhanger won’t be that bad and that the next book won’t take quite as long to publish. Health and such permitting.
Plans are made to be thrown out the window ... which bookish plan did you recently (have to) abandon? Let’s hear from you in the comments.
Tuesday 3 February 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To play along just do the following:
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black.
How is it already February? Anyone see where the first month of the year went? The good news is that finally a new Holly Black has arrived. Reader, I love it! (And I’m possibly going a little insane/Jane Eyre ... which is basically the same thing.) Holly Black has a way with words that repeatedly impresses me and never fails to throw in some slightly dark humour. Other authors might have put the first teaser earlier in the story to create suspense, but there is already enough foreshadowing there without spelling it out that it becomes really powerful where it is now.
I know quite a few people who needed time to appreciate this writing style and these kind of stories the author tells ... some are still in the process, I’m not giving up to convince them. If you haven’t read a book by Holly Black yet, this is a really good one to start.
Do you have an author you like that other people sometimes don’t immediately find access to, but you keep trying? Share experiences 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 Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black.
 |
| The Darkest Part of the Forest – Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
Once, there was a girl who vowed she would save everyone in the world, but forgot herself.
— Chapter 21
Well fine, then. I could send you out to win my favor. Possibly on a quest involving bringing a large mug of coffee and a doughnut. Or the wholesale slaughter of all my enemies. I haven't decided which.
— Chapter 22
How is it already February? Anyone see where the first month of the year went? The good news is that finally a new Holly Black has arrived. Reader, I love it! (And I’m possibly going a little insane/Jane Eyre ... which is basically the same thing.) Holly Black has a way with words that repeatedly impresses me and never fails to throw in some slightly dark humour. Other authors might have put the first teaser earlier in the story to create suspense, but there is already enough foreshadowing there without spelling it out that it becomes really powerful where it is now.
I know quite a few people who needed time to appreciate this writing style and these kind of stories the author tells ... some are still in the process, I’m not giving up to convince them. If you haven’t read a book by Holly Black yet, this is a really good one to start.
Do you have an author you like that other people sometimes don’t immediately find access to, but you keep trying? Share experiences and teasers in the comments!
Tuesday 27 January 2015
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
To play along just do the following:
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry.
In an attempt to reduce the towering Mt. TBR (don’t judge, I’m proudly below 300 books right now) I picked up this recommendation from Summer 2012. Not at all a light summer read, but still swoon-worthy and actually quite gripping. I’ll admit to surprised glances at the clock and to almost missing my bus stop. Sorry boss, I needed to finish one more chapter and public transport didn’t want to wait ... that would have worked out perfectly I’m sure.
There are a few factors in this book that are in serious danger of inducing heavy eye-rolls, but maybe I’m too mellow right now or it’s handled really well. But we’ll see what those two sort-of crazy birds will get into in the last quarter of the book.
How is you TBR faring? Mine is a presence in my life who should contribute to paying the bills. Or at least take out the trash. Let’s hear from you 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!
Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry.
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| Pushing the Limits – Harlequin Teen |
Sometimes when you see the line, you think it’s a good idea to cross it – until you do.
— Noah
You can live life to please everyone else or please yourself. Come next fall, I’ll be living large at the University of Florida and forgetting that I ever made friends with people like Grace. I’ve made my decision. What’s yours?
— Echo
In an attempt to reduce the towering Mt. TBR (don’t judge, I’m proudly below 300 books right now) I picked up this recommendation from Summer 2012. Not at all a light summer read, but still swoon-worthy and actually quite gripping. I’ll admit to surprised glances at the clock and to almost missing my bus stop. Sorry boss, I needed to finish one more chapter and public transport didn’t want to wait ... that would have worked out perfectly I’m sure.
There are a few factors in this book that are in serious danger of inducing heavy eye-rolls, but maybe I’m too mellow right now or it’s handled really well. But we’ll see what those two sort-of crazy birds will get into in the last quarter of the book.
How is you TBR faring? Mine is a presence in my life who should contribute to paying the bills. Or at least take out the trash. Let’s hear from you in the comments.
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