Okay, so I totally stole this idea from Sara at Forever 17 Books, who got the idea from an article on Babble called Judging a Book by Its Cover: A 6-year-old Guesses What Classic Novels Are All About. I just discovered her lovely segment, and I immediately requested forced my own four-year-old daughter Katie to provide me with some of her own cover art artwork and then asked her what she thought the book was about.
This week, Katie gave me her take on the following book:
"I think the girl with blue and red hair went walking outside and two butterflies got by her eyes and made her a mask."
Cover Art
Asunder as envisioned by Katiebug
I really liked the cover for Incarnate but I think this cover is even more stunning. I've only had this book on my shelf for a week or so, but Katie loves flowers and butterflies, so it was only a matter of time before she discovered this one and asked to recreate it. =)
Have you read this book? What do you think of Katie's guess at the premise? Did your little darling create a work of art based on a book this week? If so, be sure to link up with Sara over at Forever 17 Books.
During the Debut Author Giveaway Hop, participating blogs will be featuring books written by authors whose works were published for the first time in 2012. I've discovered a lot of great reads this year, just from new authors alone, and I welcome you to do the same via this giveaway hop!
I'm spotlighting one of the very first debuts I read this year -- my review can be found here -- and it's one of my favorites because of how unique the story is:
Title: Incarnate
Author: Jodi Meadows
Series: Newsoul
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Publication Date: January 31, 2012
New soul
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.
No soul
Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?
Heart
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?
Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.
So, you're wondering about the prize, right? Well, I just so happen to have an extra ARC...AND some swag, including a signed bookplate! You know the drill: fill out the Rafflecopter form, US residents only, 48 hours to respond to the email announcing the winner, yada, yada, yada. So get to it!
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's WoW selection is...
Title: Asunder
Author: Jodi Meadows
Series: 2nd book in the Newsoul series
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: January 2013
DARKSOULS Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.
SHADOWS Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
LOVE Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.
In this second book in the Incarnate trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.
Why I'm waiting: I was completely in awe of the story Jodi Meadows weaved inIncarnate. It was so unique and spell-binding, and yet it had touches of the familiar, making it seem as if I was reconnecting with an old friend. The reader isn't much closer to discovering the truth behind Ana's emergence as a Newsoul at the end of Incarnate than we were in the beginning of the story, so I'm anxious to see where the author plans to take this story. Also. I just want that gorgeous cover on my shelf. NOW. Seriously. I know I am too often and too easily swayed by a book with a pretty cover, but just look at it!
What are you waiting on this week? Share it in the comments!
Also, check back later today because I'll be posting a giveaway for my ARC of Incarnate! Not sure if it's for you? Check out my review!
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Publication Date: January 31, 2012 Source: ARC from the publisher
New soul
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.
No soul
Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?
Heart
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?
Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.
I loved Incarnate. I love the whole idea of reincarnation and soul mates. Add to that dragons and sylph and other mythical creatures, and you’ve got a book that I would have read in one sitting, had work and sleep not interfered.
This is the kind of book you need an open mind for. The premise is very unique, which means the author has to explain A LOT. And, understandably, she doesn’t explain everything in this book since it’s only the first in a series. But the world that’s been built up to this point is phenomenal. One does have to make some assumptions about the setting of Incarnate, such as what planet, when, or what dimension this story takes place in – at least for the time being – but I think that those with a more active imagination will consider this a flight of fancy and can overlook the more minor details.
The cast of characters in Incarnate was well-fleshed out, and I think that they were described well enough that should I run across them on the street, I’d recognize them immediately. Ana is a newsoul, though she disparagingly refers to herself as a nosoul throughout the entirety of the book because she was raised by her crass and unloving mother to believe that she had no soul and would therefore not be reincarnated upon death. She is the first of her kind, and no one really knows what to do with her. For the most part, she is ostracized for being different, but there are some who either take pity on her or simply don’t feel that she should be made an example of, especially considering her birth and resulting newsoul status is through no fault of her own. Sam is her most strident supporter, and he quickly becomes her closest friend and companion, once she allows him to get close to her.
And, yes, as her closest companion, Ana ends up spending the majority of her time in Sam’s company, and as is the way with these things, feelings of more than friendship blossom. The love story is a familiar one in young adult novels: naïve girl falls for much, much older man-boy, and in order to protect the girl, the guy tries to keep his distance and keep his feelings in check...to no avail. The guy always ends up falling for the girl in the end. The romance in Incarnate is much the same, but it’s still unbelievably sweet, and it progresses gradually.
The reincarnation aspect of the book is fascinating. It’s been going on for 5000 years, but with the sudden appearance of Ana, everyone begins to wonder if she’s a fluke or if her birth means the beginning of the end of reincarnation. It’s also interesting how many times the citizens of this world have been reincarnated, and that they keep their memories from previous incarnations. Stranger still is the idea that soul mates can transcend individual lifetimes, and though they may be different sexes or ages, they are still inevitably drawn to each other in the next life. Essentially, they’re all building on previous lives, not starting over each time. Well, everyone except Ana.
I really wanted to give this one the full five stars because I really did enjoy every minute I was reading it. But there were a couple of things that bothered me. First off, I really dislike the word stupid. It just carries such a negative connotation, no matter the manner in which it is used. And the word was repeated a lot throughout Incarnate. I just feel there are many, better alternatives to this word. Also, I felt that it showed no faith in the reader that the origin of the book’s title had to be pointed out in the text, rather than leaving us to infer how the title came to be.
Aside from that, this story was simply lovely, and I am already counting the days till book two is released. Rarely have I read such an inventive and imaginative story, and I was blown away with how it was all executed. This novel was one of my top picks for 2012 debuts and deservedly so.
In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a weekly meme where we all get to brag about the books and swag we got in the mail, for review, won in contests, etc.
I know, I know. I've already read, or am currently reading, three of these titles. What can I say? I like pretty books, and I like how they look on my shelves. Plus, I'm a little obsessive-compulsive, and I need to have complete series on my shelves, preferably in the same format as other titles in the series, but I'll take what I can get sometimes.
So...what was waiting for you in your mailbox this week?
I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
Friday, February 15, 2013
Judging a Book By Its Cover #14: A Kid's Perspective on Asunder by Jodi Meadows
Okay, so I totally stole this idea from Sara at Forever 17 Books, who got the idea from an article on Babble called Judging a Book by Its Cover: A 6-year-old Guesses What Classic Novels Are All About. I just discovered her lovely segment, and I immediately
requestedforced my own four-year-old daughter Katie to provide me with some of her own cover art artwork and then asked her what she thought the book was about.This week, Katie gave me her take on the following book:
Have you read this book? What do you think of Katie's guess at the premise? Did your little darling create a work of art based on a book this week? If so, be sure to link up with Sara over at Forever 17 Books.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Debut Author Giveaway Hop
During the Debut Author Giveaway Hop, participating blogs will be featuring books written by authors whose works were published for the first time in 2012. I've discovered a lot of great reads this year, just from new authors alone, and I welcome you to do the same via this giveaway hop!
I'm spotlighting one of the very first debuts I read this year -- my review can be found here -- and it's one of my favorites because of how unique the story is:
Publication Date: January 31, 2012
No soul
Heart
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?
Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.
So, you're wondering about the prize, right? Well, I just so happen to have an extra ARC...AND some swag, including a signed bookplate! You know the drill: fill out the Rafflecopter form, US residents only, 48 hours to respond to the email announcing the winner, yada, yada, yada. So get to it!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Now that you've entered on my stop, go check out the other debut author offerings on the rest of the hop:
Thanks for entering & good luck!
Waiting on Wednesday: Asunder by Jodi Meadows
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's WoW selection is...
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.
SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.
In this second book in the Incarnate trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.
Why I'm waiting: I was completely in awe of the story Jodi Meadows weaved in Incarnate. It was so unique and spell-binding, and yet it had touches of the familiar, making it seem as if I was reconnecting with an old friend. The reader isn't much closer to discovering the truth behind Ana's emergence as a Newsoul at the end of Incarnate than we were in the beginning of the story, so I'm anxious to see where the author plans to take this story. Also. I just want that gorgeous cover on my shelf. NOW. Seriously. I know I am too often and too easily swayed by a book with a pretty cover, but just look at it!
What are you waiting on this week? Share it in the comments!
Also, check back later today because I'll be posting a giveaway for my ARC of Incarnate! Not sure if it's for you? Check out my review!
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Publication Date: January 31, 2012
Source: ARC from the publisher
No soul
Heart
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?
Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.
I loved Incarnate. I love the whole idea of reincarnation and soul mates. Add to that dragons and sylph and other mythical creatures, and you’ve got a book that I would have read in one sitting, had work and sleep not interfered.
This is the kind of book you need an open mind for. The premise is very unique, which means the author has to explain A LOT. And, understandably, she doesn’t explain everything in this book since it’s only the first in a series. But the world that’s been built up to this point is phenomenal. One does have to make some assumptions about the setting of Incarnate, such as what planet, when, or what dimension this story takes place in – at least for the time being – but I think that those with a more active imagination will consider this a flight of fancy and can overlook the more minor details.
The cast of characters in Incarnate was well-fleshed out, and I think that they were described well enough that should I run across them on the street, I’d recognize them immediately. Ana is a newsoul, though she disparagingly refers to herself as a nosoul throughout the entirety of the book because she was raised by her crass and unloving mother to believe that she had no soul and would therefore not be reincarnated upon death. She is the first of her kind, and no one really knows what to do with her. For the most part, she is ostracized for being different, but there are some who either take pity on her or simply don’t feel that she should be made an example of, especially considering her birth and resulting newsoul status is through no fault of her own. Sam is her most strident supporter, and he quickly becomes her closest friend and companion, once she allows him to get close to her.
And, yes, as her closest companion, Ana ends up spending the majority of her time in Sam’s company, and as is the way with these things, feelings of more than friendship blossom. The love story is a familiar one in young adult novels: naïve girl falls for much, much older man-boy, and in order to protect the girl, the guy tries to keep his distance and keep his feelings in check...to no avail. The guy always ends up falling for the girl in the end. The romance in Incarnate is much the same, but it’s still unbelievably sweet, and it progresses gradually.
The reincarnation aspect of the book is fascinating. It’s been going on for 5000 years, but with the sudden appearance of Ana, everyone begins to wonder if she’s a fluke or if her birth means the beginning of the end of reincarnation. It’s also interesting how many times the citizens of this world have been reincarnated, and that they keep their memories from previous incarnations. Stranger still is the idea that soul mates can transcend individual lifetimes, and though they may be different sexes or ages, they are still inevitably drawn to each other in the next life. Essentially, they’re all building on previous lives, not starting over each time. Well, everyone except Ana.
I really wanted to give this one the full five stars because I really did enjoy every minute I was reading it. But there were a couple of things that bothered me. First off, I really dislike the word stupid. It just carries such a negative connotation, no matter the manner in which it is used. And the word was repeated a lot throughout Incarnate. I just feel there are many, better alternatives to this word. Also, I felt that it showed no faith in the reader that the origin of the book’s title had to be pointed out in the text, rather than leaving us to infer how the title came to be.
Aside from that, this story was simply lovely, and I am already counting the days till book two is released. Rarely have I read such an inventive and imaginative story, and I was blown away with how it was all executed. This novel was one of my top picks for 2012 debuts and deservedly so.
Rating:
And without further ado, the trailer:
Sunday, February 5, 2012
In My Mailbox #17
In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It's a weekly meme where we all get to brag about the books and swag we got in the mail, for review, won in contests, etc.
Won:
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows - from Jen at I Read Banned Books, signed by author + swag
Purchased:
A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate
I know, I know. I've already read, or am currently reading, three of these titles. What can I say? I like pretty books, and I like how they look on my shelves. Plus, I'm a little obsessive-compulsive, and I need to have complete series on my shelves, preferably in the same format as other titles in the series, but I'll take what I can get sometimes.
So...what was waiting for you in your mailbox this week?
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starryeyedjen
- I work with numbers by day, and I'm a mommy and avid reader by night. I'm a self-proclaimed Spreadsheet Queen, and I'll read anything you put in front of me. I seriously love all the books! And I adore audiobooks, too!
View my complete profile