"Waiting On" Wednesday #13

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.


Right now what I really want to read is:

Blackbirds (Miriam Black #1)

by Chuck Wendig 

Expected publication: April 24th 2012 by Angry Robot 

Miriam Black knows when you will die. She’s foreseen hundreds of car crashes, heart attacks, strokes, and suicides.
But when Miriam hitches a ride with Louis Darling and shakes his hand, she sees that in thirty days Louis will be murdered while he calls her name. Louis will die because he met her, and she will be the next victim.
No matter what she does she can’t save Louis. But if she wants to stay alive, she’ll have to try.

____________________________


 This cover is to die for, right? And the story sounds even better! 


What are you waiting on this week?

Teaser Tuesday #13

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as 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 any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.

"I took a moment to enjoy the familiar library scent before approaching the counter. I'd always loved the smell of old books and records and could happily immerse myself for hours in musty archives." 

At 3% of The Kingdom by Amanda Stevens

What's your teaser this week?

Review: Putting Boys on the Ledge by Stephanie Rowe

Putting Boys on the Ledge 
(A Girlfriend's Guide To Boys #1)
by Stephanie Rowe

Meet Blueberry Waller, whose name is the only interesting thing about her life. Until now.

Not only is Blue dealing with the worst name in the world, crazy parents and a clingy younger sister, she just got a part in the school play. And now she’s acting with Heath Cavendish, total crush-worthy senior. He would never give a second look to a girl like Blue. Except he has.

Her friends say Blue should play it cool, put Heath on the Ledge so she can keep the upper hand. Trouble is, she doesn’t know how to be clever around boys. Thankfully her pal Colin offers his help in teaching her how to get the guy. But he’s just being a good friend. Isn’t he?

Suddenly the wallflower is getting all the attention. But will being in the spotlight keep Blue from making the right decisions...for her?

A Girlfriend’s Guide to Boys: For these four friends, understanding the world of boys is only half the battle.

Genre: Young Adult, Romance

Publication Date: October 31st 2011

Publisher: TKA Distribution

Format: eARC, ? pages 

Series: yes

Source: Netgalley

__________________________

My Review

Blueberry Waller is fourteen-years-old and has just learned from her friends about putting boys on The Ledge. The Ledge is an emotional place, it's about making boys suffer and putting girls in control. Instead of having him blowing you off and making you feel bad, you do it first. You should always keep him teetering close to The Ledge so he never treats you badly. Especially if you like him and he likes you.

But when she meets hottie senior Heath Cavindish on her first day of high school during musical tryouts, the last she wants is to put him on The Ledge. She just wants him to like her. A lot. She has a lot of internal dialogues and totally feaks out over the smallest things. But, surprisingly enough, she gets Heath's attention, and he invites her to a party. There, things start to get a bit more spicy than Blue is ready for, and when he tries to kiss her, Blue freaks out over not knowing how to kiss and walks out on him. Which, obviously, just makes him want her more.

Her friends convince her that the only way to learn how to kiss is to practice, and so they suggest she practice it with nice boy Colin Bradshaw, who is taking care of all the animals at her place while she's busy with theater. Colin seems happy enough to help... and Blue enjoys it much more than she expected... and ends up very excited to try it out with Heath, much to Colin's dismay.

But then Blue's friends start to mention a few stories about Heath's reputation, and when Blue finally sees him for who he really is... she sees Colin with another girl, and realizes maybe she's been missing what was right under her nose.

It was nice to see Blue growing up throughout the book. I also liked to see the previews of the other books in the series with Blue's friends, which were all very interesting and different for each other.

I thought this was a very cute, short book, perfect for young audiences. The story has a very strong sense of friendship and family in it, and the romance was quite innocent and lovely. It was a very light, pleasant read.

*I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #11

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey. 

Welcome to It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading?  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I'm Currently Reading:



Finished:




Reviews posted:
Pure (Pure #1) by Julianna Baggott
After the Snow by S.D. Crockett, Sophie Crockett

Next Reads:


What are you reading this week?

In My Mailbox #13

In My Mailbox is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Story Siren.

(terrible pic, sorry)

This was my only new physical book this week. I swapped it online.


From Netgalley (for review) I got:




What did you get this week?

On My Wishlist #4

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where we list all the books we desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming.

Tramps Like Us, Vol. 14Yayoi Ogawa

Publication Date: February 5, 2008 by TokyoPop

The final volume of Tramps Like Us marks the end of Sumire and Momo...but the beginning of Sumire and Takeshi as Momo sheds his pet status and becomes Sumire's love. But the first step in their newfound relationship will not be easy as Sumire undergoes the make-or-break task of meeting Takeshi's family! Will the "Demon Sister Quartet" live up to their name? Or will Sumire charm her way into their hearts?

_____________________

This manga has been on my Wishlist for a while now. It's out of print, which is very frustrating. I have yet to find a  good used copy (that's not too expensive). :(


What's on your wishlist?

Review: After the Snow by S.D. Crockett, Sophie Crockett

After the Snow
by S.D. Crockett, Sophie Crockett


Fifteen-year-old Willo was out hunting when the trucks came and took his family away. Left alone in the snow, Willo becomes determined to find and rescue his family, and he knows just who to talk with to learn where they are. He plans to head across the mountains and make Farmer Geraint tell him where his family has gone.

But on the way across the mountain, he finds Mary, a refugee from the city, whose father is lost and who is starving to death. The smart thing to do would be to leave her alone -- he doesn't have enough supplies for two or the time to take care of a girl -- but Willo just can't do it. However, with the world trapped in an ice age, the odds of them surviving on their own are not good. And even if he does manage to keep Mary safe, what about finding his family?

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia

Publication Date: March 27th 2012

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Format: eARC, 304 pages 

Series: no

Source: Netgalley


_______________________

My Review

Willo is the only one left. While he was out hunting hares, the government came and took his family away. He needs to find them, and in order to do that, he needs to travel deep into the snow to find their closest 'neighbor', the farmer Geraint, and ask for an explanation. 

On his way there he finds a small house he thinks is abandoned, but inside are two starving kids, waiting for their father to return. Willo sees a dead body outside the hosue and knows his father won't be coming back... but he can't save them. They won't make it. It'd be like 'throwing food to the snow'. A waste of effort. So he leaves them, promising to return, never really meaning it... but he does come back, stricken with guilt. The younger brother has perished and there are dangerously hungry wolves eating the body outside the house... and wanting to eat him. The girl, Mary, is almost delirious with cold and hunger, but allows him to take her away. They are attacked by the wolves, but fight back with fire, just barely making it out alive with all their body parts.

Willo intends to take her to the city and come back to question Geraint, but they are chased by  famished 'stealers' and happen upon a truck with city people. They take them in and save them from the stealers... but Willo and Mary have no papers. They can't make it into the city without papers. But with a little help from the most friendly (or less aggressive) workers inside the truck, they make it to the city unnoticed. There, Willo is out of his element, but Mary takes over, finding food and shelter, but he can't stay there. He needs to find out more about what happened to his father... and, boy, is he surprised to know he never really knew his father at all.

If you're looking forward to a well explained story, with a clear, entertaining narrative and maybe even some romance, you'll be just as disappointed as I was with After the Snow.

The book has a beautiful cover, a very promising synopsis and does a great job in acclimatizing us to the harsh winter on the mountains and city (it made me cold and bothered just by reading them)... but, unfortunately, the story is bland and, very often, confusing. The main character, Willo, narrates the story and has terrible English, which takes some getting used to. It certainly didn't help me like him more and it took quite a chunk of my attention from the plot. I considered giving up the reading a few times, like a lot of reviewers did, but I persevered. And things did get a bit better, but they still didn't weren't very worth my effort, I'm sorry to say. :(

How the apocalyptic situation came to be wasn't made very clear at all, there was just a vague mention of strong climate changes due to polution. Like in all dystopians, the government wants to control everything and smash the opposition, but even those things don't appear too much in the book, which could have made things more interesting, or, at least, easier to understand. As a matter of fact, nothing very exciting happens until the very few last pages... unless you consider the wolf attack (to me, it was the best scene in the whole thing). That was when I thought maybe some romance would blossom and give the readers something to hope for... buuuut.... nope, nothing.

In a nutshell, the story just didn't grab my attention. During most of the book I thought Willo had some kind of psychological problem (using a dog's skull and skin and talking to an imaginary dog spirit all the time didn't help much), the use of his flawed English makes you think he is much older than he really is -even though I knew this was a Young Adult- and the ending seemed rushed and somehow incomplete to me. 

All in all, it's worth giving a try. We all have different tastes, so you might end up loving it. :)

*The publisher was kind enough to allow me to review this book in advance through Netgalley.*


Have you read After the Snow? What are your thoughts on it? If not, what do you expect? Please leave a comment and let me know. :)

Dirty Little Secret #9

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by us at Under the Covers. Every Thursday we get to know other bloggers and our readers more intimately by asking them a question hoping to reveal their dirty little secrets. We hope that you will all join us!


This week's question: 

"It's lent and time to give up your favourite things for 40 days and 40 nights (or sneak some when no one is looking!) What series of books would you have to give up, and why?"

I would rather not give up on books... can I give up on some kinds of food? LOL. Alright, alright... maybe I'd have to let Rachel Caine's books go for a while. (I read her whole Succubus series in three days, I was so into it!). It's time for a detox session. :P

What about you? What favorite series would you give up?

"Waiting On" Wednesday #12

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.


Right now what I really want to read is:

Thumped (Bumped #2)by Megan McCafferty 

Expected publication: April 24th 2012 by Balzer + Bray 

THE CONCLUSION TO ONE OF THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT NOVELS OF LAST YEAR 

It’s been thirty-five weeks since twin sisters Harmony and Melody went their separate ways. And now their story has become irresistible: twins separated at birth, each due to deliver twins…on the same day! 

Married to Ram and living in Goodside, Harmony spends her time trying to fit back into the community she once believed in. But she can’t forget about Jondoe, the guy she fell for under the strangest of circumstances. 

To her adoring fans, Melody has achieved everything: a major contract and a coupling with the hottest bump prospect around. But this image is costing her the one guy she really wants. 

The girls’ every move is analyzed by millions of fans eagerly counting down to “Double Double Due Date.” They’re two of the most powerful teen girls on the planet, and they could do only one thing to make them even more famous: 

Tell the truth.

______________________________


I remember that I didn't really love the first volume, but, still, I'm quite curious about what happens in this one. :)


What are you waiting on this week?

Review: Pure (Pure #1) by Julianna Baggott

Pure (Pure #1)

by Julianna Baggott

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . . 

Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run. 

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . . 

There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her. 

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia

Publication Date: February 8th 2012

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Format: eARC, 448 pages 

Series:yes

Source: Netgalley

_____________________________

My Review

It's been nine years since The Detonations. The skies are filled with blackened clouds and the air is thick with ash and dust, maing it dangerous to breathe. After the bombs, nothing was the same. Everything was either partially or completely destroyed. The water was black with deadly chemicals. Those that did survive had lost limbs and other body parts, or had gained new, bizarre ones. But not those inside the Dome. They were safe. And, at first, were the only hope for those outside.

Pressia Belze lives with her grandfather, her only remaining family, in the backroom of a burned out barbershop. But he's getting old and forgetful, unfit to take care of himself... and Pressia is about to turn 16, which means the ORS is coming for her soon. They'll take her away and train her to kill by using live targets. Who are the targets? Anyone who was too deformed by the bombs.

Pressia wonders about life inside the Dome. Do 16-year-olds have birthday parties, with cake, gifts and music? Well, she certainly does not. Life would be so much different if she were inside the Dome... if she were a Pure. But would it really be better than her life outside? She used to think so, until meets an actual Pure.

Partridge has lost his mother when she failed to enter the Dome by trying to help others. Later on, he lost his brother, who killed himself because of the pressure. He only has his father, a very important man inside the Dome, but he doesn't seem to care much about him at all. Life inside the Dome starts to bother him more and more, and when he finds his mother's old tokens, he starts to wonder if she is really dead, like his father says. What if she's still out there? 

He starts to plan an escape... and when he does get out there, he's surprised to find out that maybe not all he was taught inside the classroom was true. When Pressia, also a runaway, saves his life, he asks for help with the search. She introduces him to Bradwell, a 'friend' who can help, and then they go to the old street where his house used to be. They look for clues for his mother's whereabouts, and discover she might actually be alive... but the ORS manages to capture Pressia, and now it's his turn to save her.

Pure has a very interesting story, and gives us a very frightening look into what could actually happen if there was a Nuclear war. 

There's a girl with a doll head molded to her hand, a guy with birds stuck to his back and a Pure, together in search for the truth. Sounds pretty good, right? But while you're reading, you start to have SO many questions! You just want to know, so, so bad, about what really happened before, why was it necessary and who was behind it all!? But it takes a while to find out. A looong while. The story starts to drag a bit. And... oh, dear. I just couldn't bring myself to really care about the characters...We're introduced to so many! Sometimes it feelt like a lot of superflous stuff was happening... and that the book had more pages than were necessary, I guess. Maybe those things (and people) will make more sense in the next books? Who knows? 

If you like your young adult dystopia with a post apocalyptic setting and a quite realistic possibility of the future, you should give Pure a try.

*I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Teaser Tuesday #12

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as 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 any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.

"Typical Seth. He co­uld wri­te sex sce­nes that set the pa­ge on fi­re or di­alo­gue clever eno­ugh to imp­ress even me. Ma­ke him vo­ca­li­ze any of it, and he cho­ked up."

What's your teaser this week?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #10

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey. 

Welcome to It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading?  This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!

I'm Currently Reading:


Finished:

Published Reviews:
Waltz of Seduction by Natasha Blackthorne
A Match Made in High School by Kristin Walker
Twice Tempted by a Rogue by Tessa Dare

Next Reads:





What are you reading this week?

In My Mailbox #12

In My Mailbox is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Story Siren.


From Netgalley (for review), this week I got:

And... yup, that's pretty much it. LOL. I'm keeping my word. I still haven't bought any books this year. :)
(I have so many books to read from last year!)


What did you get this week?

Review: Twice Tempted by a Rogue by Tessa Dare / Reading Romances February Challenge

This month I chose a book that happened to fulfill a couple of the options given:

-Read a book that has a predominantly color “red” cover, that has a kissing/embracing couple on its cover, or whose title has either the following words: kiss, heart or love.

and:
-Read a Historical Fiction (not limited to Historical Romance) – read a book that takes place in some notable period of history.

Twice Tempted by a Rogue

(Stud Club #2)
Tessa Dare
  
The daring members of the Stud Club are reckless gamblers and no strangers to risk—until love raises the stakes in Twice Tempted by a Rogue.

Luck is a double-edged sword for brooding war hero Rhys St. Maur. His death wish went unanswered on the battlefield, while fate allowed the murder of his good friend in the elite gentlemen’s society known as the Stud Club. Out of options, Rhys returns to his ancestral home on the moors of Devonshire, expecting anything but a chance at redemption in the arms of a beautiful innkeeper who dares him to take on the demons of his past—and the sweet temptation of a woman’s love.

Meredith Maddox believes in hard work, not fate, and romance isn’t part of her plan. But when Rhys returns, battle-scarred, world-weary, and more dangerously attractive than ever, the lovely widow is torn between determination and desire. As a deep mystery and dangerous smugglers threaten much more than their passionate reckoning, Meredith discovers that she must trust everything to a wager her heart placed long ago.

Genre: Adult, Historical

Publication Date: June 2010

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Format: paperback, 363 pages 

Series: yes

Source: bought

Heroine: Slim, dark hair, gray eyes

Hero: Tall, muscled, dark hair and eyes

_____________________________

My Review

I really enjoyed One Dance With a Duke, so I went back to the book store and got Twice Tempted by a Rogue, hoping it would be just as good, but it was even better! It's surprising (and a bit disappointing) that this author is still not very famous, because her writing is just fantastic. :)

Rhys St. Maur has survived every disgrace thrown his way in life by Fate. His luck is a thing of wonder. After spending years away from home, he returns to the moor of Devonshire as a war hero with an infinite number of scars, inside and out. He hopes to redeem himself by making the village profitable again, giving work and a way to survive to everyone who still lives there. After all, that is his job as the new Lord of Ashworth. Problem is, nobody wants him there, and they make it very clear, with angry mobs, threats and just plain trouble.

But Meredith Maddox may just be the only exception. When he meets little ol' Merry Lane again, a girl was once nothing more than freckles and bone, but is now a beautiful and independent widowed innkeeper, he suddenly decides to marry her.

Meredith believes Rhys wants to try and make things right for the village, but she's also sure that he'll leave just as abruptly as he appeared. She's been in love with him ever since they were just teens and she used to help her father out in old Lord Ashworth's stables. Now she has the chance to seduce him... but he comes up with this marriage nonsense and how he wants to wait until their wedding night! (even if itkills him).

In this second volume of the Stud Club mystery, we see more of the still unsolved murder of Leo Chatwick. Julian Bellamy has located the only witness, the whore Cora, who ends up staying at The Three Hounds, Meredith's inn, for protection. The girl turns out to be more helpful than Merry expected her to be.

The funniest thing about the book is the title. 'Twice Tempted by a Rogue'. Sure, here Meredith has her second chance with Rhys, but it's actually her who does most of the tempting during the first half of the book. LOL. The poor guy was doing his best to save themselves until theit wedding night, but the girl sure made things harder. Quite literally. LOL!!! Sorry, sorry...

I'm not really that big a fan of historicals, but once in a while I find a wonderful gem like this one. Rhys is such a dear character, he makes you want to take him in his arms and try to cure all his wounds... he's now one of my favorite characters ever. And Meredith is so, so strong. She's done everything she had to do to survive, and never depended on anyone else but herself. It was lovely to see how the two of them came to be together, accept each other's dreams and plans and just... be happy.

 If you like heart-touching romance, pure fun, mystery and lots tension (of all kinds), then try Twice Tempted by a Rogue. You'll enjoy it, I'm sure.

On My Wishlist #3

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where we list all the books we desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming.


The Raft by S.A. Bodeen

Expected publication: August 21st 2012 by Feiwel & Friends

On her flight back to Midway the cargo plane hits nasty weather, and goes down. It’s just Robie, the pilot, and Max, a co-pilot she’s never met till this flight, on board. Robie is pulled aboard a raft by Max, who is injured and slipping in and out of consciousness. They have a bag of candy and very little water between them. When they finally reach an island that seems abandoned, Robie hopes they’ll be found quickly. But she’s not sure she was even on the flight manifest. Her parents must be looking for her…aren’t they?

_________________

I love survival stories, so I'm really looking forward to this one . ;) Hopefully the publisher will allow me to reviw it from Netgalley!

#FF: Feature & Follow #11

Follow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee's View.

Q: BeefcakeandBabes Asks: I like unique names for characters and am looking forward to coming up with some when I start writing. What’s the most unique character name you’ve come across?

I couldn't waste this opportunity to mention Acheron ("Then he shall be named Acheron, for the river of woe. Like the river of the Underworld, his journey will be long, dark, and enduring. He will be able to give life and to take it. He will travel through life alone and abandoned, ever seeking kindness and ever finding cruelty. May the gods have mercy on you, little one. No one else ever will."). So sad... oh, boy, I just love him so much! *-*

I'm really crazy about the sidhe names in Merry Gentry's books, too. There's Galen, Mistral, Amatheon, Adair, Caswyn, Sholto, Nicca, Andais, Blaec, Usna, Abeloec, Nerys, Taranis, Fflur, Maelgwn... most of them have Galic roots, and they all fit the characters perfectly. I think they're very pretty. Hard to pronounce, but pretty nonetheless. :)

Oh, and there's 'Hannen'. It's probably one of the weirdest (first) names I 've ever seen. He's from The Heart of Hannen, which is a pretty good book.

What are your unique names? :)

If you follow, please comment to let me know and I'll be happy to return the favor. :)

The Time Will Come #2

The Time Will Come is a fantastic meme hosted by Books For Company where we can feature those poor books that we bought, put on the shelf, and haven't (yet!) read.


All you have to do is:
- Pick a book you have been meaning to read
- Do a post to tell us about the book
- Link the post in the linky
- Visit the other blogs!

This week my poor abandoned children are:

The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series
In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. They are The Black Dagger Brotherhood. 

___________

Man, I should have started this series already... I mean, I was so sure I'd love it that I bought them all at once (though I didn't find the box set, the picture is just for illustration. LOL. Too bad). I'll have to find some time to read at least the first one. Soon. ;)

What about you? What's been on your shelves for a while that you haven't read yet?