All the things I found on the internet this week that made me swoon, giggle, or just wish I had a time machine so I could travel to the future. Enjoy!
First off, Julie Kagawa released the back cover of The Iron Knight. So, side by side, here's what the front and back of the cover will look like.
Prince Ash
Yummy!!!
Puck
Next up, we have an announcement coming from J.K. Rowling regarding Pottermore.com. Keep an eye on the owls for more info: J K Rowling Announces.
Veronica Roth just released the title of the follow-up to Divergent on her site this week:
I loved Divergent. I'd even go so far as to say it's my favorite dystopian yet. And that's saying a lot because there have been a lot of good reads in that genre in recent years! I'll be waiting with bated breath for the release of the cover.
I am soooo excited to read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs! It was released last week to rave reviews, and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. From all accounts, this is one book you'll need the hardcover to actually appreciate because the eerie story is also interspersed with vintage photographs, like the one's Jacob find in the story.
In case you're still skeptical, here's the trailer for the novel, followed by a video made by the author himself, wherein he searches for the home of one Miss Peregrine:
A couple of other things to note:
You can find a teaser of by Vera Brosgol here. Looks to be a very entertaining debut (graphic) novel!
Also of interest, Andrea Cramer's agent posted this little tidbit on his Tumblr: "The cover to Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer was spotted in the wild on Amazon. If you have the original Nightshade cover, send an e-mail to Penguin (yrmarketing@us.penguingroup.com) and they’ll send you a new dust jacket so your hardcovers will match." It's like they know how obsessive-compulsive some of us are about our book covers or something, right?!? He also posted the cover for Bloodrose:
Did you find anything interesting on the internets this week?? Do tell!
Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.
Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.
Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.
Review:
Another great 2011 debut novel. And yet another fantastic start to another awesome trilogy.
Hereafter is the story of a girl who dies but seems doomed to haunt the river in which she met her death. Until she saves a boy from drowning in that same river, that is, and they fall for each other while trying to unravel the mystery of her death.
I liked this book, I really did, but here's the unfortunate reason why I just couldn't justify giving it that 5th star: the love story itself. Yes, it was beautiful and tragic and all the things I adore in a good love story. But it was also so very unrealistic in the way it developed. I mean, I don't know many people who, when told that they are standing face-to-face with a ghost, would a) believe that statement without question or proof and b) not balk at the idea and be completely accepting of that fact. Sure, an open-minded person could come to terms with it--especially after said ghost saved one's life--and could grow to love the ghost of a person, but this story was insta-love and that always grinds my gears a bit.
That said, the story itself was intriguing. Along with ghost-girl and lover-boy, there's an evil, sexy ghost guy vying for ghost-girl's soul. Trust that he's up to no good. Then there's lover-boy's witchy grandmother who would like nothing more than to exorcize ghost-girl. But most importantly, the story centers around finding out who ghost-girl is and how she died and why she's no longer walking around in the daze that she's known for the last decade or so.
It was definitely an enjoyable read and an amazing first book. Here's the trailer to entice you further:
Next up for review**:
**I desperately want to read my copy of Passion by Lauren Kate, but how often do you stumble across a series that's already complete? So, being the obsessive-compulsive girl that I am, I'll finish The Forest of Hands and Teeth series first. =D
Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.
The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.
Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.
But there is a cost.
The Keeper likes to keep things.
Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.
Review:
Sometimes, I'm glad I missed out on a lot of the fairy tales when I was younger. (Don't get me wrong, what I missed in fairy tales, my dad made up with sci-fi.) But this book was a complete surprise for me because of it. I mean, yes, it's pretty obvious who the bad guy is, and that he's definitely up to no good even though his appearance seems genial, but not knowing the story already really helped suck me in.
Of course, the writing helped, too. The author's prose just flowed so smoothly throughout the novel, endearing the twelve dancing sisters to my heart as if they were my own. The way they spoke to each other and teased each other reminded me so much of my own sisters. It was so genuine, which led me to believe that the author had grown up in a large family. (According to the inside flap in the back, she did.)
The beautiful cover is enchanting in itself, but the story takes on a life of its own. It takes place in the time of kings and queens and marvelous balls with fancy dancing, when it was acceptable to believe in magic but not for a young lady to remain in a gentleman's company unescorted. It's set in a magical palace with beautiful, overgrown gardens and secret passageways.
Entwined is a story of magic and secrets and breathtaking romance, and above all, dancing. Oh, how I sometimes wish I'd lived in a time of such magnificent dancing! If you enjoy the allure of a well-told fairy tale, this is one book that is not to be missed.
Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.
As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.
Review:
Starcrossed is a beautiful, heart-wrenching story steeped in Greek mythology. It's loosely based on The Iliad by Homer, the story of the fall of Troy, a story I loved the moment I read it in high school. Reading Starcrossed actually made me want to go back and re-read The Iliad and brush up on the rest of my Greek mythology.
The story was addictive and hooked me from the onset. It was fast-paced and there were never any lulls in the action. I was simply unable to put the book down. (My husband noticed my vacant stare at dinner last night and said, "You want to get back home to your book, don't you?") Yeah, it's that good. The writing was beautiful, not overly descriptive but enough to make me want to visit Nantucket, the backdrop for the story.
I'm a sucker for well-thought out characters. They need to have depth, and I don't want all of their secrets and motivations laid out in the text of the book for me. I want to learn about their strengths and their imperfections as the character's relationships develop in the story. The author accomplished this beautifully and made me fall in love with all of the characters, not just Lucas. She even made me doubt that the 'bad guy' was entirely evil. I love that, that her characters weren't inherently virtuous or malevolent, that even a murderer could wrestle with himself before committing another heinous act.
I thoroughly enjoyed the relationships and friendships that developed in Starcrossed, especially the love story between Helen and Lucas, despite the whole hate-at-first-sight thing. I think their relationship progressed perfectly, though I understand that many will fervently disagree with that statement since they did go from hating each other to loving each other in the span of a book. But from my own experience with love-at-almost-first-sight, I never really feel that love can be too rushed in a story, no matter the age of the characters. Those kinds of feelings mature at their own rate, and considering the circumstances facing the characters in Starcrossed, I don't think those feelings were hurried. It's not like Helen and Lucas went from hate to instantly loving each other. It was really more like this: I hate you, I don't hate you, let's be friends, I'm holding your hand, I really like you but we can't be together, and then I love you but we can't be together. They truly are star-crossed lovers with the Fates determining the outcome. Their relationship matures while Helen learns the truth of who she really is and has to come to terms with that while trying to maintain some semblance of a normal life.
I also enjoyed the importance family played in the story and found myself chuckling more than a few times at the normalcy of the family dynamic, despite how not normal it all was. It's definitely a novel that I wouldn't mind letting my daughter read when she was old enough to do so.
Overall, Starcrossed was an engaging, sometimes intense, read. This is a fantastic debut novel, and I can't wait to read the next installment, called Dreamless, due out next year.
And if that doesn't convince you to read this book, here's the trailer:
Title: Solstice Author: P. J. Hoover Series: n/a Publisher: independently published by author Publication Date: May 4, 2011 Links:Amazon | Goodreads Rating:
From Goodreads:
Where Mythology and Dystopia meet...
Piper’s world is dying. Global warming kills every living thing on Earth, and each day brings hotter temperatures and heat bubbles which threaten to destroy humanity. Amid this Global Heating Crisis, Piper lives with her mother who suffocates her more than the chaotic climate. When her mother is called away to meet the father Piper has been running from her entire life, Piper seizes an opportunity for freedom.
But when Piper discovers a world of mythology she never knew existed, she realizes her world is not the only one in crisis. While Gods battle for control of the Underworld, Piper's life spirals into turmoil, and she struggles to find answers to secrets kept from her since birth. And though she’s drawn to her classmate Shayne, he may be more than he claims. Piper has to choose whom she can trust and how she can save the people she loves even if it means the end of everything she’s ever known.
SOLSTICE is P.J. Hoover's debut YA novel and is the first front-list novel to be independently published by an Andrea Brown Literary Agency author.
Review:
Wow. I was really excited to read this story, but I'll admit that I had doubts as to how the author was going to tie mythology into a dystopian-themed novel. Consider those doubts assuaged. This is more of a mythology-themed novel with a dystopian setting, and the author threaded the mythology into the storyline seamlessly.
Ah, the setting. How apropos is it that I started reading this story on my Memorial Day trip to Austin, TX -- my second home after Dallas -- the very city that is home to the main character? And how very clever for the author to use the overwhelming Texas heat as the apocalyptic threat. I felt right at home from the very first chapter. But the heat isn't just limited to Texas or even the U.S.; no, it's a global threat, one that no one knows or understands how it came to pass.
The author also created a very relatable character in Piper. In the beginning, she's just an average girl who's led a very sheltered life thanks to her overbearing mother and lack of a father figure, but that all changes when she opens a mysterious gift on her 18th birthday and learns that things are not as they seem and that her life is not what she once thought.
If you remember your mythology from school, you'll probably be quicker to figure out what actually happened to the Earth and even to Piper. The author provides hints, but even with those, I felt the overwhelming desire to reference my copy of Edith Hamilton's Mythology. I think the mythology of this novel, rather than the dystopian elements, were what pulled me in and kept me reading late into the night.
This novel is thrilling, full of secrets, desires, choices, and danger. It left me completely satisfied but still hoping to learn more about Piper's world and the choices she makes.
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, June 17, 2011
Teasers, Pleasers & Other Fun Stuffs...#2
In case you're still skeptical, here's the trailer for the novel, followed by a video made by the author himself, wherein he searches for the home of one Miss Peregrine:
You can find a teaser of
Also of interest, Andrea Cramer's agent posted this little tidbit on his Tumblr: "The cover to Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer was spotted in the wild on Amazon. If you have the original Nightshade cover, send an e-mail to Penguin (yrmarketing@us.penguingroup.com) and they’ll send you a new dust jacket so your hardcovers will match." It's like they know how obsessive-compulsive some of us are about our book covers or something, right?!? He also posted the cover for Bloodrose:
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Review: Hereafter (Hereafter #1) by Tara Hudson
Author: Tara Hudson
Series: Hereafter
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: June 7, 2011
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Rating:
From Goodreads:
Can there truly be love after death?
Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.
Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever.
Thrilling and evocative, with moments of pure pleasure, Hereafter is a sensation you won't want to miss.
Another great 2011 debut novel. And yet another fantastic start to another awesome trilogy.
Hereafter is the story of a girl who dies but seems doomed to haunt the river in which she met her death. Until she saves a boy from drowning in that same river, that is, and they fall for each other while trying to unravel the mystery of her death.
I liked this book, I really did, but here's the unfortunate reason why I just couldn't justify giving it that 5th star: the love story itself. Yes, it was beautiful and tragic and all the things I adore in a good love story. But it was also so very unrealistic in the way it developed. I mean, I don't know many people who, when told that they are standing face-to-face with a ghost, would a) believe that statement without question or proof and b) not balk at the idea and be completely accepting of that fact. Sure, an open-minded person could come to terms with it--especially after said ghost saved one's life--and could grow to love the ghost of a person, but this story was insta-love and that always grinds my gears a bit.
That said, the story itself was intriguing. Along with ghost-girl and lover-boy, there's an evil, sexy ghost guy vying for ghost-girl's soul. Trust that he's up to no good. Then there's lover-boy's witchy grandmother who would like nothing more than to exorcize ghost-girl. But most importantly, the story centers around finding out who ghost-girl is and how she died and why she's no longer walking around in the daze that she's known for the last decade or so.
It was definitely an enjoyable read and an amazing first book. Here's the trailer to entice you further:
Next up for review**:
**I desperately want to read my copy of Passion by Lauren Kate, but how often do you stumble across a series that's already complete? So, being the obsessive-compulsive girl that I am, I'll finish The Forest of Hands and Teeth series first. =D
Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon
Author: Heather Dixon
Series: n/a
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication Date: March 29, 2011
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Rating:
From Goodreads:
Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.
The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.
Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.
But there is a cost.
The Keeper likes to keep things.
Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.
Sometimes, I'm glad I missed out on a lot of the fairy tales when I was younger. (Don't get me wrong, what I missed in fairy tales, my dad made up with sci-fi.) But this book was a complete surprise for me because of it. I mean, yes, it's pretty obvious who the bad guy is, and that he's definitely up to no good even though his appearance seems genial, but not knowing the story already really helped suck me in.
Of course, the writing helped, too. The author's prose just flowed so smoothly throughout the novel, endearing the twelve dancing sisters to my heart as if they were my own. The way they spoke to each other and teased each other reminded me so much of my own sisters. It was so genuine, which led me to believe that the author had grown up in a large family. (According to the inside flap in the back, she did.)
The beautiful cover is enchanting in itself, but the story takes on a life of its own. It takes place in the time of kings and queens and marvelous balls with fancy dancing, when it was acceptable to believe in magic but not for a young lady to remain in a gentleman's company unescorted. It's set in a magical palace with beautiful, overgrown gardens and secret passageways.
Entwined is a story of magic and secrets and breathtaking romance, and above all, dancing. Oh, how I sometimes wish I'd lived in a time of such magnificent dancing! If you enjoy the allure of a well-told fairy tale, this is one book that is not to be missed.
Next up for review:
Review: Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1) by Josephine Angelini
Author: Josephine Angelini
Series: Starcrossed
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: May 31, 2011
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Rating:
From Goodreads:
How do you defy destiny?
Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.
As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.
Starcrossed is a beautiful, heart-wrenching story steeped in Greek mythology. It's loosely based on The Iliad by Homer, the story of the fall of Troy, a story I loved the moment I read it in high school. Reading Starcrossed actually made me want to go back and re-read The Iliad and brush up on the rest of my Greek mythology.
The story was addictive and hooked me from the onset. It was fast-paced and there were never any lulls in the action. I was simply unable to put the book down. (My husband noticed my vacant stare at dinner last night and said, "You want to get back home to your book, don't you?") Yeah, it's that good. The writing was beautiful, not overly descriptive but enough to make me want to visit Nantucket, the backdrop for the story.
I'm a sucker for well-thought out characters. They need to have depth, and I don't want all of their secrets and motivations laid out in the text of the book for me. I want to learn about their strengths and their imperfections as the character's relationships develop in the story. The author accomplished this beautifully and made me fall in love with all of the characters, not just Lucas. She even made me doubt that the 'bad guy' was entirely evil. I love that, that her characters weren't inherently virtuous or malevolent, that even a murderer could wrestle with himself before committing another heinous act.
I thoroughly enjoyed the relationships and friendships that developed in Starcrossed, especially the love story between Helen and Lucas, despite the whole hate-at-first-sight thing. I think their relationship progressed perfectly, though I understand that many will fervently disagree with that statement since they did go from hating each other to loving each other in the span of a book. But from my own experience with love-at-almost-first-sight, I never really feel that love can be too rushed in a story, no matter the age of the characters. Those kinds of feelings mature at their own rate, and considering the circumstances facing the characters in Starcrossed, I don't think those feelings were hurried. It's not like Helen and Lucas went from hate to instantly loving each other. It was really more like this: I hate you, I don't hate you, let's be friends, I'm holding your hand, I really like you but we can't be together, and then I love you but we can't be together. They truly are star-crossed lovers with the Fates determining the outcome. Their relationship matures while Helen learns the truth of who she really is and has to come to terms with that while trying to maintain some semblance of a normal life.
I also enjoyed the importance family played in the story and found myself chuckling more than a few times at the normalcy of the family dynamic, despite how not normal it all was. It's definitely a novel that I wouldn't mind letting my daughter read when she was old enough to do so.
Overall, Starcrossed was an engaging, sometimes intense, read. This is a fantastic debut novel, and I can't wait to read the next installment, called Dreamless, due out next year.
And if that doesn't convince you to read this book, here's the trailer:
Next up for review:
Review: Solstice by P. J. Hoover
Author: P. J. Hoover
Series: n/a
Publisher: independently published by author
Publication Date: May 4, 2011
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Rating:
From Goodreads:
Where Mythology and Dystopia meet...
Piper’s world is dying. Global warming kills every living thing on Earth, and each day brings hotter temperatures and heat bubbles which threaten to destroy humanity. Amid this Global Heating Crisis, Piper lives with her mother who suffocates her more than the chaotic climate. When her mother is called away to meet the father Piper has been running from her entire life, Piper seizes an opportunity for freedom.
But when Piper discovers a world of mythology she never knew existed, she realizes her world is not the only one in crisis. While Gods battle for control of the Underworld, Piper's life spirals into turmoil, and she struggles to find answers to secrets kept from her since birth. And though she’s drawn to her classmate Shayne, he may be more than he claims. Piper has to choose whom she can trust and how she can save the people she loves even if it means the end of everything she’s ever known.
SOLSTICE is P.J. Hoover's debut YA novel and is the first front-list novel to be independently published by an Andrea Brown Literary Agency author.
Wow. I was really excited to read this story, but I'll admit that I had doubts as to how the author was going to tie mythology into a dystopian-themed novel. Consider those doubts assuaged. This is more of a mythology-themed novel with a dystopian setting, and the author threaded the mythology into the storyline seamlessly.
Ah, the setting. How apropos is it that I started reading this story on my Memorial Day trip to Austin, TX -- my second home after Dallas -- the very city that is home to the main character? And how very clever for the author to use the overwhelming Texas heat as the apocalyptic threat. I felt right at home from the very first chapter. But the heat isn't just limited to Texas or even the U.S.; no, it's a global threat, one that no one knows or understands how it came to pass.
The author also created a very relatable character in Piper. In the beginning, she's just an average girl who's led a very sheltered life thanks to her overbearing mother and lack of a father figure, but that all changes when she opens a mysterious gift on her 18th birthday and learns that things are not as they seem and that her life is not what she once thought.
If you remember your mythology from school, you'll probably be quicker to figure out what actually happened to the Earth and even to Piper. The author provides hints, but even with those, I felt the overwhelming desire to reference my copy of Edith Hamilton's Mythology. I think the mythology of this novel, rather than the dystopian elements, were what pulled me in and kept me reading late into the night.
This novel is thrilling, full of secrets, desires, choices, and danger. It left me completely satisfied but still hoping to learn more about Piper's world and the choices she makes.
Next up for review:
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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