Monday, April 22, 2013

New YA Releases: April 21st - 27th



It's time for another round of new YA  titles releasing within the week! There are so many awesome-looking books coming out and I for one am very excited to get my hands on some of them. 
I know you're dreading the start of a new week so I hope this helps to get you through it. :)

Click on the title link for the summary and to be directed to the book's GoodReads page.
Quintana of Charyn (Lumatere Chronicles, #3)
Release date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository
The Elite (The Selection, #2)
Release date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: Harper Teen
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Darius & Twig
Release date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: Amistad Press
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository
How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True
Release date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: Harper Teen/Balzer & Bray
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository
The Silver Dream: An Interworld Novel
Release date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: Harper Teen
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository
Crush (Crash, #3)
Release date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

The Rules (Project Paper Doll, #1)
Release date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository
Exile (Mercy, #2)
Release date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository


Spirit's Chosen (Spirit's Princess, #2)
Release date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository
Natural Born Angel (Immortal City, #2)
Release date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository







Manicpixiedreamgirl
Release date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository
The Obsidian Mirror
Release date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: Dial
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository





Chosen at Nightfall (Shadow Falls, #5)
Release date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository











Unbreakable (Unraveling, #2)
Release date: April 23rd, 2013
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository
















Which of these new releases are you most excited to read? Feel free to share them in the comments! 

And while you're here, check out our Summer Reads Giveaway and enter for a chance to win a book from our reading piles. Have a great week!


Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday: More Than This and Just Like Fate

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

Here are my WoW picks this week (click title for the Goodreads page):

More Than This
Release date: September 10th, 2013
Publisher: Candlewick
Pre-Order: Amazon | Book Depository
From two-time Carnegie Medal winner Patrick Ness comes an enthralling and provocative new novel chronicling the life — or perhaps afterlife — of a teen trapped in a crumbling, abandoned world. 

A boy named Seth drowns, desperate and alone in his final moments, losing his life as the pounding sea claims him. But then he wakes. He is naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. How is that possible? He remembers dying, his bones breaking, his skull dashed upon the rocks. So how is he here? And where is this place? It looks like the suburban English town where he lived as a child, before an unthinkable tragedy happened and his family moved to America. But the neighborhood around his old house is overgrown, covered in dust, and completely abandoned. What’s going on? And why is it that whenever he closes his eyes, he falls prey to vivid, agonizing memories that seem more real than the world around him? Seth begins a search for answers, hoping that he might not be alone, that this might not be the hell he fears it to be, that there might be more than just this. . . .

PATRICK NESS HAS A NEW BOOK! HOORAAAH!! If you're a longtime follower of our blog, you probably know how much I love ALL his books. My first ever review (if I can call it that) was of Chaos Walking trilogy and hearing anything about it and A Monster Calls anywhere on the internetz brings out the fangirl in me.
So yeah...anything he writes, I read.

Just Like Fate
Release date: August 27th, 2013
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pre-Order: Amazon | Book Depository
Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline's been at Gram's bedside since her stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape--both her family and the reality of Gram's failing health. So when Caroline's best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: stay by Gram's side, or go to the party and live her life. 

The consequence of this one decision will split Caroline's fate into two seperate paths--and she's about to live them both. 

Friendships are tested and family drama hits an all-new high as Caroline attempts to rebuild old relationships, and even make a few new ones. If she stays, her longtime crush, Joel, might finally notice her, but if she goes, Chris, the charming college boy, might prove to be everything she's ever wanted. 

Though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending...
This reminds me a lot of Pivot Point, which I really loved. I've been looking for similar books and Goodreads stirred me in Just Like Fate's direction. Can't wait to read this! I wish I didn't have to wait so long.


Monday, April 15, 2013

2013 Summer Reads + Giveaway!

IT'S SUMMMEEEER!!!
image source link

Yes! It’s that time of the year again. Two months of basking in the sun, lying by the pool and walking along the beach. Morning run with best friends, lazy afternoons and movie and series marathons. Not to mention long nights sans homework and pressure from school. Who doesn’t love a long break after ten months of studying? Definitely not us.

One of the best things about summer though, is MORE READING TIME. We can finally curl up with good–and bad–books whenever we want and not feel guilty. Unwinding is even sweeter this time around, now that we have survived our second year in college.

And since our reading time had been scarce, we're playing catch up with our TBR pile which has grown humongous over time. The three of us set up a (realistic) goal to finish some unread books on our shelf and decided to share them with you. Some of them have been lying untouched for more than a year… so we can’t wait to get started and accomplish our goal.

Without further ado, I present to you our summer reading pile!


Dea
One of the books which have been collecting dust on my shelf for over a year is Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. It falls under the books-I-had-to-buy-but-are-still-waiting-to-be-picked-up category. It was at the top of my wish list, but I am was too much of a coward to pick it up! It has a taboo subject matter so I’m expecting tears and heartbreak after reading it.

My reluctance goes for every book that has a sad ending *cough*Before I Fall*cough*. It’s pretty ridiculous since most of my favorites broke my heart anyway.

Among my pile, I’m most looking forward to reading The Immortal Rules, Through the Ever Night, Every Day, Code Name Verity, and Days of Blood and Starlight. I have three of Ellen Hopkins’ books (Tricks is the missing one in the picture) but haven’t read a single one. That has to change! I hope I’d enjoy her books as much as my friends did.

My mom says "hi" btw :))
 

Riz

I just finished reading City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare. She's one of my favorite authors so it would be a great pleasure to meet her in person. The book just completely made me itch to read Clockwork Princess and City of Heavenly Fire. Plenty of theories have been formed in my mind and I'm really intrigued of what's going to happen next. My next anticipated read would be Clockwork Princess. I know it's not included in the picture because I just borrowed it as soon as I reached the last page of CoLS. There are so many books aside from those above which I will read on e-format this summer...thus, this is going to be one busy summer.

Happy Reading Teen Readers! Enjoy your summer/spring or whatever season you're experiencing.

Mary Ann
I must say I've been in a looong hiatus. Not just on blogging but also in reading books (what?!) and that leaves me with books unread on my shelf. Now that I'm back (yeah!) I'm most excited to read the Uglies series. I think it's pretty interesting and intriguing to read and start a book in which all characters are not as beautiful as the ones we often read in YA. Of course I also really want to start The Warrior Heir as well. I mean the author is really awesome when it comes to writing and world-building (I loved Seven Realms yeah ;D).

I think I've got a nice book haul to read and that is exactly what I'm going to do NOW :))
This, of course doesn’t include eBooks which we chose not to count for I’m sure they’re a lot more than our physical reading pile.

Anyway, our giveaway for a signed copy of UNRAVEL ME by Tahereh Mafi and A MONSTER CALLS by Patrick Ness has ended last Wednesday. I've already picked a winner and emailed him. Congratulations again Von! Thank you so much to everyone who entered. 

Didn't win? Don't fret because we're having a giveaway at the end of this post AND an epic giveaway in the near future. Our blogoversary is next month and awesome prizes are being prepared just for you gorgeous people. 





In the meantime, you can enter for a chance to win a book off our piles! Please check out the giveaway rules below. Good luck!!
Giveaway
  • ONE winner will win a book of choice from our Summer Reading Pile to be ordered via Amazon or TBD.
  • Enter via Rafflecopter form below.
  • Open Internationally
  • Open to participants 13 years old and above. Otherwise, please have your parents' permission.
  • Giveaway ends on May 15th at 11:59 pm EST
  • Winner will be notified via email and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be drawn.


Thursday, April 11, 2013

Review: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer


Scarlet (Lunar Chronicles, #2)
Genre: YA Dystopia/Sci-Fi
Paperback: 452 pages
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: February 5th, 2013
Buy NowBuy This Book from Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
The fates of Cinder and Scarlet collide as a Lunar threat spreads across the Earth...

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.

Review

WHOA. What an awesome sequel to the much beloved and inventive Cinder!

This enchanting follow-up introduced us to new characters: Scarlet, whose grandmother inexplicably went missing, and a street fighter and mysterious new guy in town, Wolf. The police dismiss the case of Scarlet’s grandmother and announce that the woman has either left of free will or committed suicide. Knowing her grand-mere, Scarlet is convinced that she had been kidnapped, and albeit reluctant to trust Wolf, accepts his help to go on a mission to save grand-mere.

While the story is (very) loosely based on Little Red Riding Hood, it is merged with the original and main plot. It picks up shortly after the events in the first book and Cinder is on the run with another escapee named Captain Thorne. 

To be honest, I was worried about starting Scarlet because 1.) I thought there will be little of Cinder and Kai and we will only see them when their story connects with Scarlet and Wolf’s 2.) I’m still not sure about retellings in general, even though Marissa has already established herself in her smashing debut.

What do I know? Being nervous was a waste of energy because I had nothing to be worried about. Cinder and Scarlet both take center stage as the mystery of grand-mere’s abduction and how it links with Princess Selene unfolds. Their sides were told alternatingly along with a few chapters from Kai’s perspective, and I am satisfied with the way Marissa handled this dual perspective. It gave us ample opportunity to get to know the determined and loyal Scarlet and witness the development in Cinder’s character. She has become stronger and even more remarkable in this book. And in some way her reluctance to use her Lunar abilities endears her more to me.

Marissa also created additional new characters which makes Scarlet a grander read. Thorne had been the source of comic relief and numerous snorts from me. He is a kind of character who will charm you with his sense of humor and silly attitude. There was a scene in chapter 10 involving Thorne and his ship talking – that one was EPIC and had me laughing out loud! Let’s also not forget the handsome, brooding and mysterious Wolf. Yep, he is the quintessential bad boy (at least in the look and aura department) who will steal Scarlet’s heart and yours.

Other characters in the previous book were present as well. I was right about Prince Kai though. His time in the limelight was minimal – which does not bother me as I thought it would. But the chapters he appeared in were enough to show the readers how he’s dealing with everything (a.k.a Queen Levana) as the new emperor of Eastern Commonwealth. Poor Kai carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. This alone makes me anxious and excited for when he and Cinder cross paths again.

I can’t believe I ever doubted Marissa Meyer. I loved Cinder but there’s a reason why I didn't give it a perfect ratingScarlet however, proved to be a solid installment; there’s no sophomore slump here! In fact, I think it’s better than the first one because the setting was expanded and the plot moved along at a much swifter pace. Before I know it, I’m already halfway through with no indication of stopping. It is THAT unputdownable.

Overall, Scarlet is a stunning sequel to what is becoming one of my favorite series! I can’t wait for what Ms. Meyer has in store for us in the third book. It will feature Rapunzel and Cinder in the SAHARA DESERT. How exciting is that?!



Author Bio
I live in Tacoma, Washington, with my fiancé and our two cats. In addition to my slight obsession with books and writing, I'm big on road-tripping, wine-tasting, and hunting for antiques. I'm represented by Jill Grinberg.

CINDER, my debut novel, is a futuristic re-envisioning of Cinderella in which Cinder is a cyborg mechanic. Release date: 3 Jan 2012.
Follow her on these sites: Website||Twitter|| Goodreads





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