Teaser Tuesday (73)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by  MizB at Should Be Reading

To Participate you:

-Grab your current read

-Open to a random page

-Share two 'teaser' sentences from somewhere on that page

-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS

This week's teaser comes from:

Exile

Author: R.A Salvatore

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Teaser:

But the hunter, the being who had survived a decade in the savage wilds of the Underdark, could not move from the ledge. The hunter, the being who had defeated a basilisk and countless other of this dangerous world's monsters, could not give himself over in the hopes of civilized mercy. The hunter did not understand such concepts.

My Thoughts: This series is just pure awesome and I wish I hadn't waited so long to finally start it! :)

Review: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Along for the Ride

Author: Sarah Dessen

Publication Date: June 16th 2009

Publisher: Viking Juvenile

Genre: Contemporay

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Synopsis:

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

My Thoughts: Sarah Dessen, Sarah Dessen, Sarah Dessen. I'm not sure how much praise I've heard for her, a lot. Everyone seems to love her. So I finally bought some of her books. After asking a friend which one I should start out with, I picked Along for the Ride as my first Sarah Dessen book. It was really, really good!

I have to admit, I felt really bad for Auden. Her parents pretty much didn't pay any attention to her and she ended up becoming and insomniac for it. It's really hard to get out of a routine once you're in it. And once you're used to staying up all night, well that just makes things hard. Auden's parents are divorced and she lives with her mom, but her mom seems to be too busy with grad students to have anything to do with Auden, so she gets sick of it and goes to visit her dad and his new wife, who just had a baby for the summer.

Well her dad's not much better than her mom, worse really in some ways. His wife jut had a baby and he doesn't help at all. Heidi (Auden's stepmother) is really struggling and Auden is the only one who will step up and help out, but she doesn't want Heidi to become dependent on her, so doesn't help all the time. But there were some points where I wanted to strangle her father for being a jerk. Plain and simple.

As far as contemporaries go, this is a pretty good one. Auden grows and changes a lot through out the book, in a good way. Yes, there in a boy, but they help each other get over a few things and it's adorable. Both of them are insomniacs, so the night is theirs. Eli is a really great guy and it was nice to see him finally letting go, but never forgetting, something that wasn't his fault at all. Eli and Auden were meant to be together. I also enjoyed seeing Auden find some girls to be friends with, she didn't have a very normal childhood. So to see things becoming normal for her is great.

Along for the Ride is a great story that will pull at your heart strings! I'm definitely glad I gave Sarah Dessen a chance and can't wait to read more by her!

Review: Lightpoints by Peter Kassan

Lightpoints

Author: Peter Kassan

Publication Date: March 25th, 2013

Publisher: Melange Books

Genre: YA/Paranormal/Romance

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Synopsis:

When Amanda Lindner Nichols, a 24-year-old graphic artist living with her husband in Queens, New York, is revived from a near-death experience, she discovers she perceives everyone around her as points of light—but not with her eyes. She soon learns she can not only perceive the life energy of others, but she can give and take it. With the help of others like her, she brings her husband Chris to the brink of death and back to bestow on him the same remarkable faculty, and they’re the happiest they’ve been. But not for long. All over the world, people who’ve been revived from their own near-death experience at just the right moment discover themselves with these same unusual powers. They find ways to use them—some for good and some for evil. When Amanda and Chris encounter a ruthless group of gangsters with the same faculty, tragedy follows—and Amanda faces the greatest challenge of her life

My Thoughts:  Lightpoints was an interesting read for sure! I definitely enjoyed it, especially since it was so unique. I  liked the idea behind the story, this ability that I want to call super natural but it isn't really, I guess. But I don't think it's an ability  I would ever want to have myself, it sounds overwhelming and like it would take over your life.

Amanda faces death and lives to tell the tale, but she definitely does not come back the same woman. She comes back with the ability to sense all other people as these points of light in her head. Although it gets a little confusing there and it's kind of hard to imagine what the author is describing. They are always referred to as points of light but we are also told they aren't literally points of light and they don't actually see anything. I can understand it, but I can't really envision what it would be like and I wish that had of been a little clearer. But I definitely liked the idea behind it, it was something totally new and it kept me interested  and it made for a good read watching her adapt to her new life, how her new ability grew and changed and what she did to cope with her new life.

The other thing that I really liked about this book, was the little side stories. Amanda isn't the only person who finds themselves burdened with this new faculty. Every other chapter or so we get to read about these other people and what they are doing with their abilities. It was incredibly interesting and the diversity it added to the story was fantastic. We got to see how the exact same abilities could be used for good and bad, and how the exact same thing happening to lots of people can bring about so many different results. I think those little side stories made the book, I really do. I often found myself enjoying them more than Amanda's chapters. It got even better when the stories started to intertwine and Amanda finds herself dealing with someone who feels the need to make the most of their ability in a really bad way.

I would recommend this book, it was an light easy read that was very interesting and unique. I did find it a little repetitive at times and maybe sometimes it was a little slow getting to the point, but overall it was a very decent read and I think you should give it a go.

Teaser Tuesday (72)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by  MizB at Should Be Reading

To Participate you:

-Grab your current read

-Open to a random page

-Share two 'teaser' sentences from somewhere on that page

-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS

This week's teaser comes from:

Homeland

Author: R.A Salvatore

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Teaser:

They live with the belief that anything is acceptable if you can get away with it, that self-gratification is the most important aspect of existence, and that power comes only to she or he who is strong and cunning enough to snatch it from the failing hands of those who no longer deserve it.

My Thoughts: I have been wanting to read this series for so long, I am so glad I finally started it because I am loving it!

Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Author: Jenny Han

Publication Date: May 5th 2009

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Genre: Contemporary

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Synopsis:

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer--they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

My Thoughts: This book came highly recommended to me and it did not disappoint me! This is the perfect summer (or even winter) read. It's got beaches, romance and a main character who is just coming into the age where she's no longer in that awkward stage. You know what I mean, when you're too old to be considered a child and too young to be a young adult. Suddenly everything is becoming right for you. Goodbye awkwardness. And the boys she's been around her whole life? They're noticing!

At first I was kind of confused and wondering what kind of name Belly was. A nickname, durr. I kind of felt bad for Belly, she's been the only girl at the beach house every summer (except one when her best friend showed up) and being surrounded by boys kind of sucks. I know, I have 3 brothers. Lucky for her, they weren't all her brothers, but they mostly looked at her like a little sister, for awhile anyways. But suddenly, once she has grown up, she's a bit more interesting to the boys.

This story isn't all about summer love. There are definitely some points that are going to be tear jerkers for you, there were for me. It's a really great story and I'm very glad that I finally got around to reading it. I don't regret it for a moment. I do need to get around to reading the next book though! I really do! With how things ended, I really want to know what happens next. So if you're like me and have been looking at this one but haven't read it, you should! It's worth the read It's a really great story!

Owl Post (60)

Owl Post is a weekly feature at Owl Read It where we show you what books we've gotten this week, as well as recap reviews posted during the week. It in inspired by The Story Siren's in my mailbox theme.

Jenn's Haul:

Nothing for me again this week.

Meghan's Haul:
This week I was frugal and borrowed two books that I wanted to read from a friend instead of buying them :) I forgot to take a photo so I'll just show cover pictures.

The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon

The Legend of Drizzt Collection 1-3 by R.A Salvatore

Kristal's Haul:

Nothing for me again this week either

***

Reviews from this week:

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
Secret Eater by Ros Jackson
Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards

***

What new reads did you get this week?

Review: Phoenix by Elizabeth Richards

Phoenix
Black City #2

Author: Elizabeth Richards

Publication Date: June 4, 2013

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile

Genre: Dystopian

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Synopsis:

Ash and Natalie are just starting to build a life together when things in the United Sentry States go from bad to worse. Ash and Natalie find themselves at the center of turmoil when dictator Purian Rose threatens Natalie’s life unless Ash votes in favor of Rose’s Law—a law that will send Darklings and other dissenters to a deadly concentration camp known as the Tenth. 

When Ash can’t bring himself to trade Natalie’s life for those of millions of Darklings, her fate is sealed. Enter Elijah Theroux, the handsome Bastet boy Natalie once saved from her mother’s labs, where he’d been experimented on and tortured. It was his venom the Sentry used to create the lethal Golden Haze, the heart of the government conspiracy that led to Black City’s uprising and Ash’s rebirth as the Phoenix, the face of the rebellion. Elijah is back and Ash doesn’t like him; it’s clear he’s taken with Natalie, and Ash fears she may have feelings for him as well. 

But Elijah also may have the answer to taking down Purian Rose for good—a powerful weapon called the Ora. Ash, Natalie and Elijah just have to escape Black City undetected to find it. But fleeing the city and finding this weapon (if it even exists) are easier said than done, and the quest could tear Ash and Natalie apart, even pushing them into the arms of others. 

This enthralling sequel to Black City is just as absorbing, delicious and steamy as the first book, leaving readers hungry for the series conclusion.

My Thoughts:  I can't believe I waited so long to read this series.  I love the cover of Black City and just kept going back to it, but it was always side-tracked by something else.  I am so glad that I finally decided to pick this series up and give it a go.

First off, I want to really just thank the author for making such a fantastic world.  I haven't been more involved with a dystopian universe since I read The Hunger Games.  I was appalled at the state and conditions of Black City and the blatant discrimination, disregard for life and attempted genocide that these books really portray.  It sucked me in and left my emotions in turmoil for both Black City and Phoenix.

I also want to applaud Elizabeth Richards for not making either book predictable.  With all of the dystopian novels released (especially in the YA genre) nowadays it is hard to keep them fresh and full of surprises. Both Black City and Phoenix caught me off guard on multiple occasions and I could never figure out where we were going to end up - but boy, was it a fun ride.

At first, I wasn't sure what to make of both Ash and Natalie as characters.  It took me a chapter or two to warm up to them.  Now, I couldn't picture my fan-girl couplings without a dose of Natalie and Ash.  They are both fearless and fiercely protective of their friends, family and especially each other. I can't sing either of their praises more - they are perfectly imperfect and developed.

I absolutely love this series.  I can't wait for the third book to come out. I would follow this series through twenty books if I could convince Elizabeth Richards to write that many.  I love the characters and loathe the villains.  It is perfect.  Read it if you haven't picked it up yet - you will not be disappointed!

Review: The Secret Eater by Ros Jackson

The Secret Eater

Author: Ros Jackson

Publication Date: July 15th, 2013

Publisher: Self-Published

Genre: YA/Fantasy

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Synopsis:

Kenssie is a demon who feeds from secrets. Lately pickings have been slim, and she has grown so weak that her shield of invisibility is slipping. As the servant of a demon who eats embarrassment she already feels like she's the laughing stock of the demonic world. But the scorn of someone who thinks that Hawaiian shirts are the height of cool is the least of her worries. A powerful fear demon is dead set on making her his slave, a position that carries seriously short life expectancy. She has no friends. No powers. No clue. Her only hope of escaping a life of terror lies in stealing a grimoire she's never seen from the clutches of a vindictive group of master demons.

My Thoughts: I always feel quite terrible when I read through a review book and don't enjoy it. But I have to do my part as a book reviewer and be honest, since that is what an Author expects when sending out copies of their books. It definitely wasn't a terrible or completely un-enjoyable book, and I'm sure there are readers out there who will enjoy it. But it wasn't for me and don't worry I will explain why.

The entire book felt to me as if it had been pretty hastily thrown together. There was quite a bit happening, so it wasn't boring or anything like that. I enjoy a fast paced book  but this one was a little bit too fast for me. Just as I was starting to get used to a certain scenario or grasping what was going on, things were changing and moving on to something else. It wasn't necessarily hard to follow, but it was hard to get into the story or attached to the characters when everything was flying by so quickly.

Nothing was explained too clearly during the story. We can grasp the main idea which you get from the synopsis above, but we  pretty much hit the ground running in this story with no time for catch up or back story or even just more information about how these characters work. The plot line just seemed to be lacking in depth, and quite a few events just didn't really make sense to me. I found it to be kind of flat and stitched together with a few characters thrown in there that we don't really get the chance to know at all.

It definitely makes for a quick read with only 10 chapters, and none of them being very large. So if you're looking for a quick fantasy fix or a light read in between books, then this might work for you. Fantasy and paranormal are usually a soft spot for me and it's not hard to get me hooked on such a book, but unfortunately this book just didn't do it for me. I found it to be anti-climatic with an abrupt ending that left me feeling confused. That being said I know there will be others who will like it and find all the strong points that I missed.

Waiting on Wednesday (71)

Waiting on Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly awaiting.

The Dream Thieves

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Expected Publication Date: September 17th, 2013

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Synopsis:

Now that the ley lines around Cabeswater have been woken, nothing for Ronan, Gansey, Blue, and Adam will be the same. Ronan, for one, is falling more and more deeply into his dreams, and his dreams are intruding more and more into waking life. Meanwhile, some very sinister people are looking for some of the same pieces of the Cabeswater puzzle that Gansey is after...

My Thoughts: I'm a huge huge fan of Maggie Stiefvater and have just completely loved everything she has written thus far. So it's definitely easy to say that I cannot freaking wait for this sequel to The Raven Boys to come out!!!

Teaser Tuesday (71)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by  MizB at Should Be Reading

To Participate you:

-Grab your current read

-Open to a random page

-Share two 'teaser' sentences from somewhere on that page

-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS

This week's teaser comes from:

Lightpoints

Author: Peter Kassan

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Teaser:

With each moment, more and more points appeared, and the ones she had already noticed grew larger, brighter, and more intense. It was like lying on the ground on a mountaintop on a moonless, cloudless night as the stars come out.

My Thoughts: I am enjoying this book, that is kind of about people with abilities that seem supernatural but really aren't. I guess it's hard to explain but it makes for a pretty interesting read!

Review: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Author: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Publication Date: May 23rd 2006

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Genre: Contemporary

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Synopsis:

t all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date. This he said/she said romance told by YA stars Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is a sexy, funny roller coaster of a story about one date over one very long night, with two teenagers, both recovering from broken hearts, who are just trying to figure out who they want to be—and where the next great band is playing.

My Thoughts: I have to admit, I watched the movie for this book way before reading it. When the movie first came out I didn't realize that it was based on a book, so I watched it before reading it. Well it's probably a good thing I did because if I had of read this first, I wouldn't have watched the movie. This is one of those rare cases where the movie is actually better than the book for me. Like way better.

For some reason, even though this book is only 183 pages, which would make you think it was fast paced, I found it really slow. I was wondering when anything was going to happen. Another thing that bothered me? I'm not sure how many times this book says "fuck" or some variety of it, but it was way too many times. Wait, scratch that, I looked it up and someone has it counted as 335 f-bombs in the 183 pages that this book is. Yeah, at least almost twice per page. Now I don't exactly have the cleanest mouth out there, but that just seems a bit ridiculous to me.

I dunno, maybe it's just me, but I did finish the book and it was okay. I definitely won't be reading it again and it's not the first book I'd recommend to someone. I might tell them to watch the movie, it at least was censored. Sometime too much swearing is a bad thing. I don't care if the characters are in New York and if that's what it's like, it doesn't make for an enjoyable read. Plus the insta love thing that was going on? Not really that believable for me, especially when the two of them were still obsessing over their ex's, because they were. How can you claim to be falling in love with someone when you can't stop thinking about and comparing them to someone else. Nope, not really insta love for me, more like raging teenage hormones.

If you're interested in this one, I say skip the book and watch the movie. More like 1.5 Owls, not two.

Owl Post (59)

Owl Post is a weekly feature at Owl Read It where we show you what books we've gotten this week, as well as recap reviews posted during the week. It in inspired by The Story Siren's in my mailbox theme.

Jenn's Haul:

Nothing for me again this week.

Meghan's Haul:

Bought:

Lullaby by Amanda Hocking

Masque of Red Death by Bethany Griffin

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

Seeking Whom He May Devour by Fred Vargas

Cider House Rules by John Irving

Kristal's Haul:

Nothing for me again this week. I have been working too much to go anywhere :(

***

Reviews from this week:

The Mockingbird by Daisy Whitney

Rory by Ciye Cho

Awaken by Meg Cabot

***

What new reads did you get this week?

Review: Awaken by Meg Cabot

Awaken
Abandon Trilogy #3

Author: Meg Cabot

Publication Date: July 2, 2013

Publisher: Point

Genre: Mythology

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Synopsis:

Death has her in his clutches. She doesn’t want him to let go.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera knew by accepting the love of John Hayden, she’d be forced to live forever in the one place she’s always dreaded most: the Underworld. The sacrifice seemed worth it, though, because it meant she could be with the boy she loves.

But now her happiness — and safety — are threatened, all because the Furies have discovered that John has broken one of their strictest rules: He revived a human soul.

If the balance between life and death isn’t fixed, both the Underworld and Pierce’s home back on earth will be wiped away. But there’s only one way to restore order. Someone has to die

My Thoughts: I have been following this series and eagerly anticipating this final novel for awhile. If you follow my reviews you will know that I am ga-ga for mythology and I love Persephone and Hades based books.  Most of my favourites right now are at least somewhat based on the star-crossed couple from Hell (or Hades, rather).

This novel is the last of the Abandon Trilogy from Meg Cabot.  In it, Pierce Oliviera finally accepts her role in John's life and in the underworld.  However, the Furies have something else entirely in mind.  The Fates have mysteriously disappeared and the Furies are running wild causing havoc in both the Underworld and on the surfaces on Isla Huesos. Together, John and Pierce have to figure out how they are going to save both of their worlds.

In truth, I liked the previous two books in this series a lot more in comparison to this one.  At times, this one seemed to come to a dead creep and then pick up and go a mile a minute.  The pacing was strange at times and infuriating at others.  There were a lot of moments were I just kind of stared at the novel incredulously and wondered: "Did that just happen?", and not in a good way.  There were a couple of aspects thrown in (like Thanatos) that I just thought was a little bit of an overkill and pointless to the plot other than maybe to save a character I had no interest in in the first place and to use up a chapter or two.

Other than that, I did enjoy it though.  I felt like it tied up the loose ends of the series well and I still read it in one sitting. It makes me sad that the story of John and Pierce has come to an end and that I won't have anymore books about them in the future, but it seemed like that was a good place to end the series.  If you haven't yet checked out the Abandon Trilogy, I certainly suggest that you do.  It is definitely worth your time.