Wednesday 25 April 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (#7)


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine,
which spotlights upcoming books we can't wait to read.


My WoW for this week is:

Black City by Elizabeth Richards


Goodreads Summary:
A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war. In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable--they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash's long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they're caught, they'll be executed--but their feelings are too strong. When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

My thoughts:
I love the cover for this book. It's so eye catching. I read the first chapter online and was immediately hooked. Can't wait to read the rest of it but it's not out until November! :'( I can't wait that long! 

Expected Release Date: November 13th 2012


What book are you waiting for?


Yvonne

Tuesday 24 April 2012

Teaser Tuesday (#7)



Hosted by Should Be Reading

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can 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!

So today my teaser comes from The Conduit by Stacey Rourke:


"'As for you.' Grams turned to me with narrow, pondering eyes. Her hands rested on her hips. 'I know you have all the grace of a two-legged race horse, so what the heck do you do for fun?'
Ahh, nothing like the loving banter of family. Just gives me warm fuzzy feelings."


"Hanks entire crew watched me out the window not even bothering to hide their laughter. Could even one of them offer me a ride home? No way! Turns out chivalry isn't dead, it's just busy laughing and pointing."





Leave me a link in the comments section to your Teaser Tuesday post :)



Yvonne

Thursday 19 April 2012

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (#6)


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine,
which spotlights upcoming books we can't wait to read.


My WoW for this week is:

The Raven Boys (Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater


Goodreads Summary:
“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of theShiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.


My thoughts:
I love all of Maggie's books so I am super excited for another one! And this one sounds really good! Plus I love the cover

Expected Release Date: September 18th 2012


What book are you waiting for?


Yvonne

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Tuesday 17 April 2012

REVIEW - The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Immortal Rules
Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: Blood of Eden #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release date: April 24th 2012
Genres: YA Paranormal
Links: Goodreads / Book Depository
Source: NetGalley

Summary:
In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.


5/5

This book was so unlike Kagawa's other books. Not in a bad way mind you. I loved it! It was dark and edgy and had me hooked from the very first page. I am not the biggest vampire lover but I absolutely loved this book! It was a unique take on a genre that has been over done and it was such a refreshing change from all the other vampire books out there.

Our main character is one kick ass chick. Allie is independent and does whatever she can to survive in a world ruled by vampires. One night while out scavenging for food, she is attacked by rabids (basically zombie vampires) and is left for dead. She is found by Kanin, a vampire, who offers her the chance to live, but as a vampire. Dying, Allie struggles to decide what to do. She hates vampires but she doesn't want to die. So she becomes that which she despises. We follow Allie as she struggles to come to terms with what she is and as she fights to hold on to whatever bit of humanity she can. The book is divided in to three parts. The first part focuses on the human Allie and we learn about what has happened to society. The second part we see Allie learning how to be a vampire. This part I found really interesting. We learn about how the vampires are they way they are, how they survive and how they're made. We learn along side Allie, and we feel her despair as she fears turning into the monster that vampires are seen as. My heart broke for her. She has gone through so much in her life that you wonder how she can on the way she is. But she is a born survivalist and when it comes down to it, she will do all that she can to live. She is so strong and I admired that so much about her. The third part I can't really talk about without giving stuff away but all I can say is is that is was action-packed and exciting.

The story itself is engaging, fast-paced and there is never a dull moment. Kagawa does a fantastic job at capturing this almost post-apocalyptic world. The opening scene leaves you with no doubt about what you can expect to find further on. The romance I thought was very well done. The fact that we don't come across Zeke until about half way through I thought was a great idea. The main focus was not on the romance but it was still a key element of the story. I really liked Zeke. He was the opposite of Allie in the sense that he tries to see the good in everyone and so I felt he was a perfect match for her. Also, no love triangle or insta-love in sight! :D

I don't know what else I can tell you without ruining the story. The only thing I can say is that if like me you loved The Iron Fey series then I am sure you will love this just as much. The ending left me dying for more so I am so excited to see where the story will go from here. 


*I received an eARC copy from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*



Monday 16 April 2012

No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop (Int)



So as you can tell by the name, this is a no strings attached, no hoops to jump through hop. There are no requirements to enter the giveaway, all that is needed is your name and email. If you want to follow the blog that would be very much appreciated but it is not necessary :)

So what's up for grabs you ask? Well I have decided to offer up a book of your choice up to the value of €10 from the Book Depository. This is open to everyone that the Book Depository ships to. If you are unsure you can check HERE


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Wednesday 11 April 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (#5)


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine,
which spotlights upcoming books we can't wait to read.


My WoW for this week is:

Barely Breathing (The Breathing Series #2) by Rebecca Donovan


Goodreads Summary:
Emma’s struggle with an abusive home life came to a heart pounding conclusion in the final chapters of Reason to Breathe. Now everyone in Weslyn knows Emma’s secret, but Carol can’t hurt Emma anymore. Some are still haunted by the horror of that night, and some must face the repercussions of their choices. Fans of Rebecca Donovan’s debut novel will discover there’s still much to learn about Emma’s life.





My thoughts:
Reason to Breathe was one of the best books I have ever read! Never has a book made me cry has hard. When I finished book 1 I was a mess! I didn't want it to have ended like that so I went straight on the authors website to see if there would be a second book. Needless to say I cried with happiness when I found out there would be. Since then I have been impatiently waiting for its release. Now that it is only around the corner, I am biting my nails in anticipation for what is to come. If you haven't read this series yet then you are seriously missing out!

Expected Release Date: May 1st 2012


What book are you waiting for?


Yvonne

Tuesday 10 April 2012

REVIEW - Wander Dust by Michelle Warren

Title: Wander Dust 
Author: Michelle Warren
Series: The Seraphina Parrish Trilogy #1
Release date: November 3rd 2011
Genres: YA Fantasy/Time Travel
Links: Goodreads / Amazon
Source: Ecopy from Author

Summary:
Ever since her sixteenth birthday, strange things keep happening to Seraphina Parrish. 

The Lady in Black… burns Sera’s memories. 

Unexplainable Premonitions… catapult her to other cities. 

The Grungy Gang… wants to kill her. 

And a beautiful, mysterious boy… stalks her. 

But when Sera moves to Chicago, and her aunt reveals their family connection to a centuries old, secret society, she is immediately thrust into an unbelievable fantasy world, leading her on a quest to unravel the mysteries that plague her. In the end, their meanings crash into an epic struggle of loyalty and betrayal, and she’ll be forced to choose between the boy who has stolen her heart and the thing she desires most. 

Wander Dust is the breathtaking fantasy that will catapult you through a story of time, adventure, and love.




4/5

This was a fun and exciting read. I really enjoyed it. It had a unique story line with a great cast of characters. Sera finds out that she is a Wanderer, someone who can time travel. When I started the book I was a bit wary that I would get confused with all the time travel stuff but Warren kept it simple enough and so was easy to follow. I loved all the different settings that the story takes place in. The way Warren describes each setting made it feel like you were actually there yourself. I loved Sera as a character. She was a rebel, always finding new ways to annoy her father and never one for abiding by the rules. She was independent and stood up for herself. I enjoyed following her as she searches for the answers to the many questions she has about who she is. There was a love story so that made the romantic side of me very happy. Bishop was a great love interest and I can't wait to see more of him in book two.

The twist at the end was very well done. I kind of saw it coming but I don't think others would, it was so well written. The cliffhanger will have you begging for book two.

So overall a unique, fast-paced read with plenty of mystery, action and magic. Looking forward to seeing what awaits us in book two :)

*I received an ecopy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*



Teaser Tuesday (#6)


Hosted by Should Be Reading

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can 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!

So today my teaser comes from The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa:


“We are vampires, Kanin had told me, on one of our last nights together. It makes no difference who we are, where we came from. Princes, Masters and rabids alike, we are monsters, cut off from humanity. They will never trust us. They will never accept us. We hide in their midst and walk among them, but we are forever separate.
Damned. Alone. You don’t understand now, but you will. There will come a time when the road before you splits, and you must decide your path. Will you choose to become a demon with a human face, or will you fight your demon until the end of time, knowing you will forever struggle alone?” 










Leave me a link in the comments section to your Teaser Tuesday post :)



Yvonne