Monday, December 31, 2012

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #44




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:
The River KnowsThe Hard Stuff

Finished:

Full Moon Rising (Riley Jenson Guardian, #1)Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #1)Poison Study (Study, #1)The Uninvited GuestsSexy Beast (Sexy Beast #1)The Hunted (Includes: Vikings Underground, #1)


Next Reads:
Hunted
______________

What are you reading this week?

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Stacking The Shelves #36

STSmall


Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!

This new feature is hosted by Tynga from Tynga's Reviews.

This week I got:
From an online trade/giveaways:


I traded for this one. I loved Levithan's (and Cohn's) Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, so I thought I'd give this one a try. ;)
Under the Never Sky
Thank you so much, Rachel! ;)
Switched ARC
Thank you very much, Kelsey Sutton! *-*

____________________

What did you get this week?

Thursday, December 27, 2012

God damn it, Hufflepuff!

God damn it Hufflepuff!
"You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,
And unafraid of toil".
-The Sorting Hat.


But that one seems to be true, too. LOL.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Special X-Mas Review: Parallel Visions by Cheryl Rainfield

Parallel Visions (A Teen Psychic Novel, #1)
Parallel Visions (A Teen Psychic Novel #1)
by Cheryl Rainfield

Visions can kill you. Would you risk your life to save someone else’s?

Kate sees psychic visions of the future and the past—but only when she's having an asthma attack. When she "sees" her sister being beaten, she needs more visions to try to save her, along with a suicidal classmate—but triggering her asthma could kill her. Parallel Visions is the story of one brave, caring girl whose unusual gifts put her own life in danger.

A new YA fantasy from the award-winning author of SCARS and HUNTED.


Rain and Sun Press

________________________________

My Review


Parallel Visions is a wonderful, intense, quick read! I chose to post it today because it's very emotional. It deals with family issues and shows the protagonist overcoming obstacles and finding happiness by being herself. If that's not Christmas-sy, then I don't know what is. :) So here it goes:

Kate suffers from asthma. That means she always has to be careful fo her surroundings, always avoiding places with too much dust, pollen, smoke, well, pretty much anything with strong smells or fumes that might trigger off an asthma attack. Because of that, Kate also has to avoid strenuous activities. In other words, she misses a lot of school, and running with her classmates during Phys ED is pretty much out of question... not that THAT would stop her from trying to hang out with Gil, the kind-hearted and yummy guy from her school. Having asthma really sucks, especially when you have an attack in front of the guy you like and your class keeps standing there, staring at you while you try to stay alive. 

But you know what makes it even worse? Having visions while you're trying to desperately breathe in some oxygen while your airways are closing. Visions of the past and the future. Visions you feel bound to avoid happening, even knowing that no one will believe what you're saying will happen. Kate is very much used to that. However, this time it envolves people very close to her. Her own sister, Jenna, who is being abused and controled by her husband, and denying it; and Gil's sister, a depressed homosexual girl who was gang-raped and is now planning on committing suicide. Kate has a lot on her hands, trying to protect the people she cares about... but who'll protect her from those who want to stop her?

As if high school alone wasn't bad enough.

I was sucked into this story immediately! I never met anyone suffering from asthma, but I certainly herad a lot about it. I can't even imagine how terrible it must be, to be always short of breath, or constantly coughing and depending on medicine. How very helpless it must be. But Kate reminds us that it is not the end of the world. She doesn't let herself be dimished by it, even if her sister blames her for being an 'attention whore', keeing their parents all to herself, and when people would overreact everytime she had an attack, trying to keep her sheltered and protected, but failing to notice that they were, in fact, smothering her. Oh, and I have to say it: it was so unnerving when people wouldn't believe her visions, even with all the believable things she kept pointing out! ARGH!!! I just wanted to shake her parents. LOL.

All in all, this made for a fantastic read! My only problem with it was that it was too short! I really can't wait for the next book, I want to see more of Gil!!! ;)

I would like to thank the author, the lovely Cheryl Rainfield. for giving me the chance to read and review her most recently published book. It was just as incredibly intriguing and intense as Scars. *-*

Give this one a chance, Paranormal YA, fans. It's not just another pretty cover (even if it HAS a pretty cover).

Merry Christmas, everyone!!!

And, since the world didn't end.... Happy New Year to you all!

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Stacking The Shelves #35


STSmall


Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!

This new feature is hosted by Tynga from Tynga's Reviews.

This week I got:
From the Book Depository:


Oh, my beauty, my precioussssssss.... you are finally here. *-*
Oh, my beauty, my precioussssssss.... you are finally here. *-* ² 

The Knife of Never Letting Go
Thank you, Chantaal!

____________________

What did you get this week?

Thursday, December 20, 2012

A (VERY) Serious Review: The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins

This is an academic Review I had to write for college. My Professor wished for us to publish it, so here I am, publishing it. Sort of. This is a very formal, very serious review, so don't you guys get used to it. LOL. It was a LOT of hard work. Hopefully it'll get me a good grade. Now, if you feel like it, read it and let me know what you think. ;)


Review: The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins.
COLLINS, S. Hunger Games. 1st edition. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008.


       Hundreds of books out there feature many different social problems, such as poverty, starvation, the effects of war, and oppressing governments. The Hunger Games also features such issues, but in a way no other book has ever done so before.

     The Hunger Games is a Young adult novel by American writer Suzanne Collins, and was originally published by Scholastic in the United States on September 14th, 2008. It was then translated into over 26 languages, and publishing rights have been sold in over 38 territories. The novel is the first in a trilogy, followed by Catching Fire (2009) and Mockingjay (2010). A film adaptation, directed by Gary Ross and co-written and co-produced by Collins herself, was released in 2012. Shortly after the release of the movie was announced, the trilogy joined the list of Banned Books, coming in at #3 on the list. The wildly popular ‘Hunger Games’ trilogy joined such perennial favorites as ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ and ‘Brave New World,’ the latter of which was published 80 years ago.

       Collins was inspired to start writing the trilogy while channel surfing between reality TV programming and actual war coverage. She admits to a significant influence from the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur. The myth tells how in punishment for past deeds, Athens periodically had to send seven youths and seven maidens to Crete, where they were thrown in the Labyrinth and devoured by the monstrous Minotaur. Set in a miserable future, Hunger Games joins a growing wave in the Market of best-sellers: that of the dystopian/anti-utopian and post-apocalyptic novels. The Hunger Games takes place in a nation known as Panem, established in North America after the destruction of the continent's civilization by an unknown apocalyptic event. The nation consists of the wealthy Capitol and twelve surrounding, poorer districts, united under the Capitol's control.

     As punishment for a past rebellion against the Capitol, in which a 13th district was destroyed, one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 from each district are selected by an annual lottery to participate in the Hunger Games, an event in which the participants (or "tributes") must fight to the death in an outdoor arena controlled by the Capitol, until only one individual remains. The story is narrated by 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, a girl from District 12 who volunteers for the 74th annual Hunger Games in place of her younger sister, Primrose. The male tribute chosen from District 12 is Peeta Mellark, a former schoolmate of Katniss who once gave her bread from his family's bakery when her family was starving.

    The Hunger Games tackles issues like severe poverty, starvation, tyrannical oppression, economical contrast, and the effects of war, among others. The main themes are government control, propaganda and personal independence. Collins criticizes a society that cares more about the spectacle of The Hunger Games than about the lives lost to it, in a disturbingly well-portrayed new version of ‘Bread and Circuses’ (from Latin: panem et circenses). In fact, the name of the country, Panem, originates from the latin expression that describes a populace that no longer values civic virtues and the public life. It connotes the triviality and frivolity that is strongly present throughout the book. The thematic of Collins’ books have been compared to other famous literary works, such as George Orwell’s 1984’s ‘Big Brother’, Koushun Takami’s Battle Royale, and even Shakespeare's Julius Caesar.

     The book is organized in 27 chapters, but divided into three main parts: ‘The Tributes’, chapter 1 to 9, ‘The Games’, chapter 10 to 18, and the third and last part, named ‘The Victors’, goes from chapter 19 to 27. The narrative of the book presents readers with logical and chronological sequences, and natural and transparent language, which makes use of many figures of speech, favoring metaphors, prosopopoeia, and oxymorons, among countless others. The main character, our heroine Katniss Everdeen, is the representation of the post-modern female. She goes against most stereotypes by being portrayed as a strong, smart, gun-wielding, alpha provider. But, at the same time, she is an attractive, maternal adolescent, forced to mature into the roles of both mother and father due to various circumstances.

     The Hunger Games is like a ride on a –terrifyingly- exciting roller-coaster. It manages to bring out every single emotion from its readers. We get to meet the characters and their personal dramatic pasts, which starts to create a connection, and when we least expect it… we find ourselves really caring about them. Collins makes us care for all of her fictional characters, even the ‘bad guys’, once we get to know them better. It is impossible not to just lose yourself in her world. When you start to think that maybe all is lost, the events take on an unexpected turn and we get what we want… only to find out we never really had it from the start. It’s a highly unnerving, dizzying and strongly addicting read.

      Even if I did not agree with some of the decisions the main leads made, and found some parts to be more violent than we usually expect from a Young Adult book, The Hunger Games made for an absolutely amazing read. There is never a dull-moment and it is impossible to put this book down. It is highly advisable that you acquire the other volumes of the series, for you will not want to stop until you have read it all.


Sources:


Biography of Suzanne Collins. Available at: <http://suzannecollinsbooks.com/bio.htm>. Acesso em 20 de maio de 2012.

COLLINS, S. Hunger Games. 1st edition. New York: Scholastic Press, 2008.

FERREIRA, A. C.; SOUZA GROSSI, Y. de. A narrativa na trama da subjetividade: perspectivas e desafios. Economia & Gestão, Belo Horizonte, v. 2, n. 3, p. 120-134, 2002.

GANCHO, C. V. Como Analisar Narrativas. 7ª edição. São Paulo: Ática, 2002.

KJOS, Berit. ‘Hunger games’ the orwellian theme behind the movie. Crossroad, March 26. 2012. Available at: <http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/2012/3-hunger-games-movie.htm>. Accessed on: Sep 28 2012.

MESQUITA, S. N. de. O enredo. 4ª edição São Paulo: Ática, 2006.

SAMPSON, Mike. ‘The hunger games’ joins the top 10 “banned books” list. Screen Crush, April 10, 2012. Available at: <http://screencrush.com/the-hunger-games-banned/ >. Accessed on: Sep 28 2012.

Monday, December 17, 2012

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #43




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:
The Ideal Wife (The Ideal Wife #1)

Finished:
The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie (Highland Pleasures, #1)MischiefAffairThe Taming of the Shrew



Next Reads:
Left for Dead: The Untold Story of the Greatest Disaster in Modern Sailing History
______________

I had a very slow week this week. :)
What are you reading this week?

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Stacking The Shelves #34


STSmall


Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!

This new feature is hosted by Tynga from Tynga's Reviews.

This week I got:
From an online trade:


The Predicteds
More dystopia!!! *-*
Poison Study
I've been after this one for a looong time!
Dark Needs at Night's Edge
I am having a Kresley Cole phase, now. LOL. She rocks. EVERYTHING she writes is FAN-fugging-TASTIC.
Paper Towns
I am NOT a Green girl, apparently. This one sucked for me. Sorry, fans! :(
Legend
I finally got a copy!!! ;) Yay.

____________________

I LOVE my new babies. *-*
What did you get this week?

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Mini-Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss
Anna and the French Kiss
by Stephanie Perkins


Published December 2nd 2010 by Dutton

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home. As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

Dutton
_________________________________

My Review

I started this book a couple of weeks ago. It didn't instantly grab my attention, so I put it aside and read a handful of other books until I finally came back to it.
For the first 1/3 of this book I honestly had trouble figuring out what people saw in it. Really. So much fuss for this? >.> Until I realized that I had fallen for Etienne without even noticing.

Yup. I read this one right after finishing Twenties Girl, which means I still had some feelings remaining in my heart due to the PMS and all that (LOL), so I sort of cried while reading this one, too. Embarrassing enough, I even felt my heart tightening when Anna and Etienne kept hurting each other.... very emo, believe me, I am aware. Damn you, hormones!

But I digress. Oh, Paris. Your magic got to me. Suddenly I could relate to Anna (and started to crave a trip to those lovely tourist attractions) and wanted Etienne for myself.

This one was a lovely, light read that, at the same time, managed to approach some very serious issues, such as divorces, controlling and unloving parents, the tale of first love, the difficulty in ending a relationship because it's 'safe', how to forgive your friends and accept your flaws/admit your mistakes, and, of course, trying to find your place in the world. See, I told you my PMS made me sentimental. It apparently also makes me philosophical. But don't get used it to it.

Anna and the French kiss was an adorable read, and now I have to go and look for 'Lola and the Boy Next Door'. I hear it's just as cute. :P

P.S: Totally out of topic here, but don't you LOVE Perkins' blue highlights in this picture??? *-* I so wish I could pull it off.

Stephanie Perkins

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Monday, December 10, 2012

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #42




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:
Affair

Finished in the last two weeks:
BalefireNaughty: A Black Door NovelNight SpellOriginFinding Sky (Benedicts, #1)Don't Look Back (Lake/March, # 2)To Tame a Highland WarriorFantasylandBeauty (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #20.5)

Next Reads:
The Beach
______________

What are you reading this week?