"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by breakingthespine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week's most anticipated book is:
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Release Date: June 19th 2012
Here is the summary from Leigh's blog:
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near-impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one unlikely refugee. Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life– a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha… and the secrets of her heart.
Release Date: October 1st 2011
Number of Pages: 304 Pages
Sixteen-year-old Riley Williams has been able to see ghosts since the car crash that took her mother’s life and shattered her family. Guilt-ridden over the belief that she’s somehow responsible for her mom’s death, Riley is desperate to see her mother’s elusive spirit to gain her forgiveness.
When her father moves the family to Scotland so they can all start over, Riley believes her life couldn’t get worse––that is until the ghost of nineteen-year-old Ian MacKinnon catches her purposely cutting herself. An uneasy truce quickly turns into friendship, and soon Riley’s falling hard for Ian.
Riley believes her gift could help Ian end the curse that has kept him tied to the land for centuries, but that would mean letting him go forever and she’s not sure she is strong enough to do that. As if her life wasn’t complicated enough, the spirit of the woman who killed Ian returns and she’ll stop at nothing to keep Riley from helping Ian find eternal peace.
I HAVE NO WORDS! I mean I even took one day to sort my feelings and thoughts on this book before writing a review, and I still can't describe how good this book was. The book takes place in Scotland, which just gives the story more charm. J.A. Templeton picked the best place for this book, Scotland's old cities fits perfectly with the story. I mean, ghosts and old castles and inns = perfect match.
Riley could be a real person, she was so well-written and genuine. Sometimes I felt like she was coming out of the book, yes she felt really that real. After the car crash, which killed her mother, Riley went through a hard phase. She believes it is her fault that her mother died, so she starts to cut herself to take away the pain inside. Oh and to top it all she can see ghosts after the accident. The worst part is that her mother never comes to visit. Riley then has to move to Scotland with her family so they can have a chance to start over. There she meets the ghost of nineteen-year-old (plus 200 years roaming the earth) and hottie, Ian. After such a long time being alone and having no one to talk to, Riley finds in Ian a good friend. Well until she falls head over heels in love with him, that is. But could this relationship have a future?
In the beginning I kind of hated Riley's brother Shane, but with time he grew on me. Whereas in the beginning he was a pain in the *butt*, in the end he was one of the sweetest guys in the book. He blamed Riley for moving their family to Scotland and treated her badly. But after some events (read the book!) he changes and is really sweet. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Shane opens up to Riley about his feelings towards the accident and Riley's guilt. So sweet, I wished I had a brother so that he could be that nice to me!
Riley's and Shane's friends were also real and typical characters. You could meet any of those types of people in your school. I loved reading this book and thinking: wow this characters is really like this person I know. I think when a writer writes such genuine characters, you can connect better to the story, and this book is totally the case. You can associate with any of the characters, especially Riley.
Now to the bad girl. Laria is completely crazy! She is a ghost too, but in life she was in love with Ian. Unfortunately for her he was promised to another girl and only saw Laria as a friend and maid. She worked for his family in the castle and knew she didn't have a chance with him, but that didn't stop her. She got involved with the Dark Arts and poisoned Ian because she couldn't get her way. And only poisoning was not enough for her, she cursed him too so that he had to roam the earth forever. Until Riley came to ruin her revenge, which only got her madder. She torments Riley and her family to get Riley to give up helping Ian and prevent them from being together. Oh and she will provide some nightmares !
I have to admit that at first I thought this book would be like The Mediator by Meg Cabot. I don't know if you read this series but the story in Mediator is really similar, but the outcome totally different. And I must say I loved the difference! This book should totally get more attention, since it definitely made my list of best books this year. It's not like other books in which the romance is so obvious and going to end well no matter the obstacles in the way. The Deepest Cut has everything you want in a book: romance, supernatural aspects, genuine characters, great main characters, a hot love interest, amazing plot and good unfolding of events. It will make you deriously addicted to it and you will probably be up all night like me reading it!
The Paperplanes blog is doing an amazing giveaway! You have the chance to win 2 awesome books there, and some of them have not been released yet. The giveaway will end January 28th, so there is still plenty of time to go participate and maybe win two book to read in January! And if the blog reaches 250 followers, you will have the chance to win 3 books..so don't waste time and go participate!
The YA Sisterhood blog is trying to find out the ultimate favorite heroine!
I'm going to vote for Izzy and for Karou! You should too!
If Izzy wins, Cassie Clare will post a teaser for City of Lost Souls!! That's enough for me! And anyway Izzy is such a great character. She is tough and can hold her own against anything, but still has a feminine side. She shows that she can feel like any other girl at her age. I totally think she deserves to win after everything she went through in COG and COFA! #TEAM IZZY!
Karou should also win. She is such a great heroine! She has blue hair, hello?! That's so cool. And wants peace in her world between the angels and the Chimaera. And I believe completely that she will do it! She loves the Chimaera and Akiva, but she doesn't let her feelings come between her better judgement. And she lives in Prague, she is so refreshing! Daughter of Smoke and Bone was one of my favorite books in 2011, and Karou one of the best heroines. Mara is great too, but Karou is more of a heroine! #TEAM KAROU!
A love so strong, even eternity can’t separate them.
Evie Starling has lived a relatively uneventful life hanging out with friends, gossiping about boys, and driving her 1966 Mustang. All of that changes when she moves to Gunnison, Colorado, to start college and meets two mysterious men.
For centuries, Alex Night and Emil Stone have yearned for Evie—but they each have their own reasons for wanting to be with her. When both men claim to be her soul mate and tell her about an unbelievable past, Evie learns that she’s not the person she thought she was. Soon, Evie finds herself in the middle of an age-old battle between the Amaranthine Society—the soul protectors, and the Daevos Resistance—the soul destroyers. With a past she doesn’t understand, and a future rife with danger, Evie has to decide who she can trust. But Alex and Emil aren’t the only ones who want Evie, and her soul is about to become the rope in an eternal tug-of-war
There were so many things I loved about this book that I don't even know where to start. I loved the cover, and I guess at first only bought it because of it, but fortunately Eternal Starling wasn't one of those books with a pretty cover and awful plot. The story also got me deliriously addicted.
Evie just moved to Gunnison, Colorado. She always had bad luck in relationships, and after a specially bad one she decides to go to college in another city. She enjoys hiking and one day she gets lost, but of course she is found by none other than a beautiful boy. Evie falls almost instantly in love with Alex and she can't help but think he feels somehow familiar to her. They start dating, but soon after that they break-up (I won't tell you what happens, you have to read the book!). Then Emil comes along. Another gorgeous boy, who also claims to be her soulmate. But I have to say I had a hard time getting past the instant romance. Everything went so fast from the moment Evie met Alex (by the way it happened in chapter one!)
I find it so rare to read a book, in which both male characters in a love triangle are lovable. Emil actually was in my black list when he came along, but now after finishing the book I can't choose! I totally understand Evie's struggle to pick one of them. And she can't pick one of them for centuries, so you get that it really is kind of difficult to pick one. They are both gorgeous, sweet and funny but also jealous of one another. Who will Evie pick? Unfortunately we will have to wait for the sequel. It is a trilogy by the way :)
Evie was also a *awesome* main character. She is pretty independent, has a 1966 GT Ford Mustang (I love Mustangs) and she totally can hold her own. She had a hard time believing in that soul mate stuff at first, but then accepted it not making a lot of drama. Her parents were really nice, and I really enjoyed getting to know them a bit better. I thought they would only appear as background characters. And when both Emil and Alex turn up in their family trip, well that was a situation I would not want to be in! But her parents supported her and took it easy when both boys appeared.
Evie's friends Jas and Zach were also great characters. They were a nice change from the whole romantic side of the book. Zach was funny and so sweet to Evie, and Jas was such a great friend! I had to laugh every time she acted like my best friend would in that situation.
I really really enjoyed reading this book. Sure it had some flaws, but they were easy to forget after reading the awesomeness of this book! The plot was different from many soul mate stories and I found it refreshing that it was difficult to decide who was better between Alex and Emil. I can't recommend this book enough and can't wait for the next one! So tell me, if you have read this book, are you Team Emil or Team Alex?
Some awesome authors are participating in this auction to help abused and neglected animals.
You can bid on signed books Cassandra Clare, Beth Revis, Carrie Ryan, Lauren Oliver, and many more! Click Here! to go to Christine Johnson's website. She was the one who got the idea, and she has the links to the individual auctions on her website.
Buy books for a good cause!
Release Date: December 6h 2011
Number of Pages: 741 Pages
Felicity Walker believes in true love. That's why she applies for a gig at the matchmaking company Cupid's Hollow. But when Felicity gets the job, she learns that she isn't just a matchmaker...she's a cupid! (There's more than one of them, you know.) Armed with a hot pink, tricked-out PDA infused with the latest in cupid magic (love arrows shot through email), Felicity works to meet her quota of successful matches. But the path to love is not always a straight shot...
I was a bit alarmed by the number of pages of Struck, but then I found out that this book is actually 3 books in 1. That means that the whole trilogy was put together in one book. And I think that is awesome! I didn't have to wait to read what would happen next (sure, that takes a bit of the fun away), but the cliffhangers weren't that bad anyway. This book was what I needed after reading lots of paranormal books with lots of drama and romance. It is funny, sweet and easy to read. I finished it after only two days!
I loved all characters, they were real and genuine and sweet. The cupid touch also goes well with the story and its characters. It was funny how Felicity deals with her job as a cupid and sometimes makes a mess out of it. She goes through some really embarrassing moments, and I couldn't help being embarrassed with her, too! Her love interest, Derek, is so sweet and is even responsible for some of the biggest surprises in this book. Her best friends, Andy and Maya, were funny and good friends, I think their friendship was really well-written, realistic and even a bit enviable!
I would recommend this book for those of you who like Meg Cabot or Sophie Kinsella. There were some laugh-out-loud moments, while some of them were sweet and romantic. I had a great time reading it and I'll probably read it again sometime soon!
Release Date : 8th December 2011
Number of Pages: 336 Pages
Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.
Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.
At the beginning of the book Lenzi starts to hear voices and see things. Having a dad who was a schizophrenic, she thinks the disease got her, too. And at first it seems that way, but after meeting Alden who says she isn not crazy and gives another explanation to this weird voices, she starts to believe it, too. She is a reincarnated Speaker, someone who can talk with the dead.
I liked Alden, but I thought he was maybe too nice. He has been her Protector for centuries now, and a Protector never does anything wrong or something to annoy the Speaker. I just had the feeling he could have been better written. I just didn't like him as much as other love interests. Zak, her boyfriend, was an annoyance. I disliked him from the first time he made an appearance. He is jealous and has a temper and downright aggressive. Lenzi was the best character for me. But even she didn't manage to grab me. The only thing that go me going in this book was the plot. I enjoyed the story a lot, it has mystery, drama and romance, the things I like most in a book.
The romance was well-buit. I liked how fate play a big part in this book. Lenzi was Rose in her part lives but she can't remember anything, which she actually should be able to. Alden loved Rose, but does he love Lenzi if she can't remember being Rose? Lenzi asks herself this question a lot in the book, and I think that is realistic that they don't jump in a relationship so early. I also liked that Lenzi sometimes has some visions about her life as Rose, and that we actually get to know why she has no recollection of her past life.
I would also like to know more about the organization that controls every Speaker and Protector. In Shattered Souls this organization was more in the background and we only get a glimpse of it in the last chapters. Hopefully we will find out more about it in the next book.
I enjoyed this book, I won't lie that I expected more of it, but it was a good read. I think I would totally read the sequel if it has one, because I think the sequel will be more promising. People who enjoyed reading The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting or even The Mediator by Meg Cabot will enjoy reading this book.
Summary: Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.
After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.
Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.
What is Ethan? I am still curious, and I read this book 4 days ago. P.T. Michelle has a way to keep you hanging and guessing long after you've finished this book. I was hooked from the moment I read this summary. I asked myself how I would feel like if I could see my future day every night. And after reading this book I realized it's no picnic. After dreaming something she couldn't ignore, she interferes with the natural order of things. Fate wasn't so happy about it and keeps trying to take Nara out of the picture. Maybe by interfering, she made everything worse, or did she? She meets Ethan, this beautiful but quiet boy. But he is not what he appears to be. By the end of the book, I still have no idea what he is and I can't wait to find out! The story was a bit slow and a bit confusing in the beginning but after a few chapters it picked up the pace and I couldn't stop reading to find out more. It's a perfect mix of romance, paranormal and mystery. I recommend this book for those of you who enjoyed reading The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, as I found some similarities between both books. To get this book on amazon, click here!
Release Date: November 29th Number of Pages: 305 pages
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.
Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.
I totally agree with this last sentence! This book was a pleasant surprise. I was just searching for something to read and I came across this book as a recommendation from amazon. I read the summary and I just had to read it. I'm addicted to dystopia and I asked myself how had I not read something about this book earlier! It was love at first page. I couldn't stop reading it, the story was so fresh, the characters so real and different. I loved how Marie Lu shows us both sides of the story. June is an extremely intelligent girl, who enjoys the perks of living in the rich side of the Republic. Day, on the other side, is a criminal, who tries to help his poor family and at the same time attempts to weaken the Republic. The story is told between Day's and June's point of view. One day at a mission, June's brother Metias gets killed. The government puts the blame on Day. A few days later Day and June meet. As the story unfolds, I couldn't keep myself from reading it at school or staying up so late at night. It makes you addicted! You see how June's feelings change towards her so beloved Republic throughout the book and the reader will feel it with her, too. I loved the romance, it was like a version of Romeo and Juliet (both being from different living standards and still falling in love) but the difference is: they were tricked into meeting each other. The Republic will really do anything to keep its horrible secrets. But I won't give away more details, you will have to read the book for yourself to find out more! The secundary characters were really well-written and they were easy to like. Day's little friend, Tess, is so sweet and I liked her a lot. I was a bit sad because of Ollie, June's dog. I can't believe he was left behind :( !! Hopefully he will make an appearance in future books.
Marie Lu's writing is amazing. I have no words. I loved how small things you really didn't waste a second thought about, turn out to be important pieces of evidence in the end. This book will surprise you constantly. Legend caught me off guard; for I really didn't think it would be such a great book and that I would enjoy it this much. This sentence really sums it all up: Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills!
This book is without a doubt one of the best of 2011 for me. I can't wait to read the sequel, which will be released Fall 2012.
The trailer for The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers has been released. The book will only come out on December 27th. I can't wait to get my hands on it! Do you want to read this book after watching this trailer?
Heello! I just got some news today about a ya heroine tournament on the ya sisterhood blog. Lots of heroines are competing against each other to win as best young adult heroine. If you wish to cast a vote, go to: http://ya-sisterhood.blogspot.com/p/summer-crushin-tournament.html
The finale will be on January 6th. The next match will be on December 3rd, so don't forget to vote for your favorite heroine!
ps: If you are a fan of the Mortal Instruments or the Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare, she promised to post a teaser for one of the her next books: City of Lost Souls or Clockwork Princess. For each mini-round won she will share a spoiler. If Clary or Isabelle win, she will write the greenhouse scene from Jace's point of view (I always wanted to read that!) and if Tessa wins she will give us options to choose from the Clockwork world! So let's cast some votes, please :)
Significance: Release Date: June 12th 2011
Accordance: Release Date: September 15th 2011
A book that will keep you hooked from page one! Now to the summary:
Maggie is a seventeen year old girl who's had a bad year. Her mom left, her dad is depressed, she's graduating, barely, and her boyfriend of almost three years dumped her for a college football schalorship. Lately she thinks life is all about hanging on by a thread and is gripping tight with everything she has. Then she meets Caleb. She saves his life and instantly knows there's something about him that's intriguing but she is supposed to be on her way to a date with his cousin. But things change when they touch, sparks ignite. Literally. They imprint with each other and she sees their future life together flash before her eyes. She learns that not only is she his soul mate, and can feel his heartbeat in her chest, but there is a whole other world of people with gifts and abilities that she never knew existed. She herself is experiencing supernatural changes unlike anything she's ever felt before and she needs the touch of his skin to survive. Now, not only has her dad come out of his depression to be a father again, and a pain as well, but Caleb's enemies know he's imprinted and are after Maggie to stop them both from gaining their abilities and take her from him. Can Caleb save her or will they be forced to live without each other after just finding one another?
So I decided to review Significance and its sequel at once. I read the first one so fast and the second one starts right where the first one left off, so I didn't feel like they were two books and not a really long one ;). The story is really unique with a touch of supernatural in it. The love story will probrably fill your twilight withdrawl and you will be asking for more in no time! Maggie is a strong character and she shows her strength from the very beginning. She had a difficult year and went through some hard stuff, but she holds her own and doesn't mope. The romance starts really early in the story. But you shouldn't think that because the love story takes off in the beginning that the book will be boring. Crane did an awesome job with the plot. The characters are really well written and real. Leaving aside the paranormal side of the story, this book describes some everyday-life problems like getting your father to accept your boyfriend or deal with a parent that left you behind. The romance can be sometimer over the top, but you get used to it and understand why it must be like that. Caleb and Maggie imprinted, that means they are soulmates and are going to receive their new abilities real soon, much to the unhappiness of the other clans of Aces (people who can imprint). For sometime now no one has imprinted with another person, turning this new match between Maggie and Caleb into something really special. Throughout both books they must face a lot of problems and it seems like it will never stop, which keeps this book exciting instead of tedious. Maggie and her Significant share their thoughts and I couldn't help sometimes but think this was a good idea of Crane to keep us informed about both Maggie and Caleb thoughts on something. Albeit having imprinted on Caleb, Maggie still has some reservations about Caleb's feelings being fake or just because of the imprint. I found it interesting how she leads with that, not wanting to go to fast in a relationship they know will last forever.
I enjoyed this book a lot, I had some reservations of my own at first thinking that this book would only be about a girl and a guy handling their relationship problems, but this book is more than just their romance. However this book had some mistakes in it, but otherwise it was enthralling. The third book of the series will come out April 2012. Can't wait!
