Waiting on Wednesday: Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

"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: Lair of Dreams
Author: Libba Bray
Series: The Diviners, book #2
Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR
Publication Date: April 22, 2014

After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O'Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. Now that the world knows of her ability to "read" objects, and therefore, read the past, she has become a media darling, earning the title, "America's Sweetheart Seer." But not everyone is so accepting of the Diviners' abilities...

Meanwhile, mysterious deaths have been turning up in the city, victims of an unknown sleeping sickness. Can the Diviners descend into the dreamworld and catch a killer?

I am decidedly not in favor of this cover change, specifically because the change makes the series look ho hum and run-of-the-mill when it is most certainly not.  However, I am still anticipating this book with just as much fervor as when I put down The Diviners.  I adored Evie and company and I can't wait to see what hijinks ensue in this next installment.

     vs.  

Now that you know what I'm dying to read, what are you waiting on this week?  Feel free to share it in the comments or leave a link so I can stop by!

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Labels: cover redesigns, diviners, favorites, hachette, libba bray, must-read, waiting on wednesday (wow)

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Turn-Offs

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the awesome ladies at The Broke and the Bookish.  Apparently, they are overly fond of list-making and love to share their bookish lists with the rest of us book nerds.  =)  I'm game.

This week's list features our Top Ten Book Turn-Offs.
You know...when you're reading and then something happens to completely turn you off -- cheating, absent parents, multiple POVS, etc.  In no particular order, here are my bookish turn-offs:

1. Insta-love - I've been there...but in all honesty, it was insta-lust, which is so much more believable.  I didn't believe that me and my husband were meant to be, that it was love at first sight.  It just turned out that the insta-lust actually developed into something more.  I think it's perfectly fine to show the instant attraction between two characters, but it can't just be that that carries the relationship forward in the story.
2. Romantic triangles or quadrangles or really any kind of relationship that doesn't make sense - First of all, I hate the lack of diversity in this category.  It's always two boys vying for the same girl's heart.  I know there are exceptions...but not many.  Secondly, you don't need the added stress of relationship drama to make a book interesting.  A good storyline can actually suffer from the use of such a convention.
3. Absentee parents/families - I know this is so that the youngsters in the story have more freedom more often than not, but I actually prefer when the characters have to be sneaky to get away with stuff...like the rest of us did/do.  I adore when a family is present and accounted for in a YA novel, and I often point it out in my reviews because it's something of a rarity these days.
4. Lengthy descriptions of character appearances - Maybe it's just because I really like breaking down that fourth wall and putting myself in the story, but the less I know about a character's appearance, the better.  Unless it's crucial to the story...as in, they only have one eye or a vestigial tail.  Those characteristics are beyond interesting...def talk those features up.  =)  But I don't need to read two pages describing just how green a character's eyes are to get the point.
5. Tons of pop culture references -  I'd much rather a book maintain some semblance of timelessness than be bombarded with references to current technology or bands of the minute or name brands that are currently trendy.  Don't date your book, unless of course, you're writing a period piece where that kind of info might be relevant to the story.  But just throwing those things into the story for the sake of making it easier to relate to is a big turn off for me.
6. Made up swear words - Frex.  Bleep.  Shuck.  I don't mind cursing.  They're just words...we give them the power that they have.  And cutesier words have the same connotation, just with a little less bite.  I don't even mind if the profanity is implied...just don't replace it with your own made up word.
7. Guy smells - How many times do I have to read that a guy smells like sandalwood and wild forest or that he smells of manly sweat?  Some smells are nice and some are not and let's just leave it at that, okay?
8. Repetition - Some authors tend to wear out the same word throughout a book or even over the course of a series.  Ever heard of a thesaurus?  I mean, I have favorite words, but I don't try to work them into every conversation.  Same goes for turns of phrase.  Keep it to a minimum...I shouldn't see the same phrasing three times in a novel unless it's part of a spell or something.  I tend to make a game of this...giving tally marks for repetitive phrases or words.  (Hint:  the more you have, the worse off you are.)
9. Stereotypes and clichés - This one's pretty obvious, but just be original.  I'm tired of the mean girls, the jocks, the nerds and every over-used cliché in between.
10. Weird or unpronounceable names - This is actually quite common in fantasy novels, and in that respect, I'm okay with it.  An author creating their own world should be at liberty to create some crazy names to go along with it.  But it's becoming more frequent in contemporary literature, as well. I get it...you want your character to stand out and apart from everyone else.  How about instead of that strange name, you give them a personality?

Well, that wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be.  ;0)  Apparently, I have quite a few literary gripes that turn me off.  Each on it's own isn't a deal-breaker, but put more than a couple in the same book, and all bets are off.

What turns you off when you're reading?

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Labels: reading turn-offs, top ten tuesday

Teaser Tuesday #77: Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

Teaser Tuesday 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!

Here's what I'm teasing this week:

Title: Untold
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Series: The Lynburn Legacy, book #2
Publisher: Random House BFYR
Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Source: purchased
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Free from bonds, but not each other...

It’s time to choose sides… On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren’t the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she’s now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?’

My teaser:

    "I wasn't following you home so I could break into your house and steal your underwear," Jared pointed out.  "There are sorcerers killing people in this town.  I wanted to make sure you got home safe."

- p. 147

Well, at least it sounds like Jared is being his normal self.  I was afraid things would continue to be painfully awkward between him and Kami for the duration of this book after the events that unfolded in Unspoken. Speaking of, I am terribly unhappy with the cover change for this series.  The other cover was just...so unique.  This new design is woefully unimaginative.

What are you teasing this week?  Share it in the comments or leave a link so I can visit!

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Labels: favorites, gothic mystery, magic, must-read, random house, sarah rees brennan, teaser tuesday, the lynburn legacy

Movie Monday #16: Pitch Perfect

We all delight in seeing our favorite books brought to life on the big screen.  We cringe at casting.  We scoff at release dates.  All the while, we're gearing up to see if the director's vision lives up to the world we've conceived in our own imaginations.  Sometimes it does...and sometimes it doesn't.  We could lament the movies that don't measure up, or we could return to the books for a re-read, possibly with a slightly different mind-set.  All's fair when it comes to artistic vision, right?





This week, I'm featuring the following adaptation:

Title: Pitch Perfect
Director: Jason Moore
Stars: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Skylar Astin
Release date: October 5, 2012
Based on: Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate A Cappella Glory by Mickey Rapkin

Beca, a freshman at Barden University, is cajoled into joining The Bellas, her school's all-girls singing group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition.
-----------------------------------
The Barden Bellas are a collegiate, all-girls a cappella singing group thriving on female pop songs and their perfect looks. After a disastrous failing at last year's finals, they are forced to regroup. Among the new recruits is freshman Beca, an independent, aspiring DJ with no interest in the college life. But after she meets Jesse, from the rival all-male a cappella group, Beca has a new outlook and takes it upon herself to help the Bellas find their new look and sound and get back into the competition.

So, I finally watched Pitch Perfect over the weekend.  I've had it DVRd for a couple months, probably, and after Natalie's glowing review, I knew I had to see it, despite my lack of enthusiasm for the show Glee, which I assumed is what this movie would be like.  But it wasn't, at least not as far as I can tell.  Honestly, I've tried to watch Glee a few times, but I just don't get the draw.

Anyway, it wasn't until I was putting together this post that I realized this movie was actually based on a book.  One I've never heard of, but whatever.  It was actually pretty hilarious.  Campy, but hilarious.

[Their bus starts to sputter and slow]
Aubrey: What the hell?
Fat Amy: It's pretty cool, actually... I think we're just running out of gas.
Aubrey: No, that can't be! You just filled the tank!
Fat Amy: Yeah, I did! And yet, maybe I didn't, because I got hit by flying Mexican food.
[the bus sputters to a stop]
Fat Amy: And we're out.
Aubrey: A-ca-scuse me?
Fat Amy: A-ca-believe it! 

What really made this movie for me was the characters and the actors who portrayed them so raucously.  I liked the two nice kid main characters, played by Anna Kendrick and Skylar Astin.  I kind of love everything I've seen Anna Kendrick in -- even that one series.  But the most fun came when Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids) or Adam DeVine (Workaholics) had screen time.  They are over-the-top and had me laughing hysterically, which also made me glad no one was around to see the giggle-snorts.

It was also fun seeing Elizabeth Banks as one of the commentators for the competition that the a cappella groups attend, and I even believe I saw her name listed in the credits as a producer.  I adore this woman's affection for the young adult genre in general.

This movie is full of witty dialogue, girl-bonding, and a sweet romance that never felt saccharin or took center stage.  (Pun intended.)  Pitch Perfect is what Glee wishes it could be.  I'll be keeping this one on hand when I need a good laugh.

Have you read the book?  Did you even know there was a book?  What do you think about it being made into a film?  Have you seen the movie or do you have any plans to?

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Labels: funfunfun, movie mondays, movie reviews, pitch perfect

In My Mailbox #101

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 still haven't gotten around to reorganizing my bookshelves, and I've taken in a lot of new books lately, so I think it's time.  It's supposed to be pretty nice with a few showers sprinkled in here this weekend, so I think I'll open the windows and welcome the fall weather into my library/office.  =)  I'll also be putting out the fall decorations (finally) and hopefully I'll get to Katie's bookshelf and doing a little cleaning up there, as well.  They start their reading program at school this coming week, so it seems like the perfect time.

For Review:

Thank you, Harlequin Teen & Netgalley!!!

Crash into You by Katie McGarry
Pawn by Aimee Carter

Purchased:

Untold by Sarah Rees-Brennan
Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young
Shadows by Paula Weston - I've already read this, but I loved it so much I had to buy a finished copy (review)


If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Where She Went by Gayle Forman

I caved and bought these audiobooks.  They're relatively short, but I've heard amazing things about this author and this series, plus the first book is being adapted for film, so I have to read/listen to it before then.  :D


Won/Gifted/Other:

And these are all of my now signed and/or Maggie-doodled books, after the signing on Wednesday.  She had a ton to autograph and yet she still took the time to doodle a horse in my HC of The Scorpio Races.  =) (I'm sure she did that for everyone who had a copy of the book, but still...awfully nice of her.)


So, that's my haul.  How about you?  What did you get this week?

The Week in Review:

Reviews:

• Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
• Rampant by Diana Peterfreund (audio)

Current Giveaways:  Banned Books Week Hop (ends TONIGHT!) and SIGNED copy of The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

Promotional/Discussion Posts:  Banned Books Week, The Great Goodreads Debate & the Maggie Stiefvater signing at Half Price Books

Jen's Currently Reading/Listening To:

Finishing up Never Fade and For Darkness Shows the Stars, both of which are awesome.  Then I think I'm going to start Fractured by Sarah Fine.  Maybe.  It depends on what I'm in the mood for then, I guess.  :D

I'm pretty excited to start this series.  I went ahead and bought both books on audio, just because I know I'm going to love it.  It'll probably be the same with her other series when I get to it.  :)

The Week Ahead:

Reviews:   Never Fade and For Darkness Shows the Stars...and probably If I Stay and Where She Went.  Also, I'm really going to try to get my reviews for Haze and World After written this weekend, especially since the friend who let me borrow Haze really wants to borrow my ARC of World After.  :) Though, the review for World After won't post until closer to the pub date, at the publisher's request.  Sorry!

Ends tonight!!!

Win a SIGNED copy of The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater!

Like honest reviews & giveaways?  Be sure to follow us on Bloglovin' so you never miss out!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!

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Labels: in my mailbox (imm)