Waitin On Wednesday 8/29/11

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at breaking the spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

After Obsession
by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel
Publication Date: September 5, 2011

Aimee and Alan have secrets. Both teens have unusual pasts, and abilities they prefer to keep hidden. But when they meet each other for the first time, in a cold Maine town, they can’t stop their secrets from spilling out. Strange things have been happening lately, and they both feel strongly that something, or someone, is haunting them. They’re wrong. Despite their unusual history and powers, it’s neither Aimee nor Alan who is truly haunted. It’s Alan’s cousin Courtney who, in a desperate plea to find her missing father, has invited a demon into her life—and into her body. Only together can Aimee and Alan exorcise the ghost. And they have to move quickly, before it devours not just Courtney, but everything around her…. Filled with heart-pounding romance, paranormal activity, and rich teen characters to love—and introducing an exciting new YA voice in Steven Wedel—this novel is exactly what Carrie Jones fans have been waiting for. Meet your next obsession. 

Nevermore by Kelly Creagh

#1 in Nevermore Series
Published in 2010 by Atheneum
5 Stars

Goodreads Review
Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. 

Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look. 

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. 

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. 

Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares. 

His life depends on it.


Review:  Nevermore is an interesting love story that starts off as more of a contemporary romance where opposites attract and ends in a crazy paranormal adventure that will leave the reader more than a little freaked out but still begging for more.  Nevermore is a dark romance inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's life and writing that creates a unique and inventive novel.


My favorite part of Nevermore was the characters Isobel and Varen.  I loved them on their own and I loved their relationship.  I really liked Varen because he wasn't a perfect protector that loved Isobel to the point of being a freaky stalker.  He was mysterious and sexy while still being real.  There was no pretense that he was some amazing god-like savior and his attraction to Isobel was genuine without being melodramatic.  Once he starts to let Isobel in you realize that a lot of Varen's scary goth exterior was more of a front and he had a very shy and sensitive personality.  Plus I think goth boys are pretty sexy.  I also really liked Isobel who was smart and independent and actually took action and tried to get some shit done.  So many "heroines" in YA paranormal romances are damsels in distress who can barely stand up without the support of their heroic man.  I loved how she did what she thought was right and didn't give into peer pressure even though it might hurt her social status.  


The writing in Nevermore was very well done, especially the romantic tension.  All of the buildup throughout the book was well executed, but I wanted more kissing!  There was NOT ENOUGH making out for my taste (and we all know how much I love a hot make out session lol).


I really didn't like Isobel's family, especially her dad.  He was really cool and normal except when it came to Varen.  I didn't understand why he was so cool with her jerk-off ex boyfriend but immediately hated Varen when he didn't even know him.  That drove me more than a little bonkerdoodles.  I also didn't like the cliffhanger ending.  Things took such a crazy turn in the last quarter of the book that I felt like there needed to be more of a well rounded ending so I wasn't left confused about what just happened.  There's a difference between a cliff hanger ending that leaves me wanting to read more because I loved the book so much and a cliff hanger ending that leaves me wanting to read more because I had no idea what was going on for the past fifty pages.  


Overall Nevermore is a unique love story that morphs into a very creepy paranormal adventure.  Inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Nevermore is a Gothic romance you are sure to never forget.

Teaser Tuesday 8/30/11

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title & author so others can add the book to their TBR list

The Scorpio Races (ARC) by Maggie Stiefvater

As we charge across the sand, the magic in her calls to me, insidious.  Precious little of my bare skin touches her - a wrist against her neck, perhaps, though my leg is guarded inside my boots.  But still, her pulse hums through me.  Lulling me to trust.  Compelling me to join her in the sea.

Top Ten Tuesday 8/30/11: Top Ten Books on My Fall TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish.  This meme was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish.  We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new top ten list complete with one of our bloggers' answers.  Everyone is welcome to join.  All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND post a comment on our post with a link to your Top Ten Tuesday post to share with us and all those who are participating.  If you don't have a blog, just post your answers in the comments.

TOP TEN BOOKS ON MY FALL TO BE READ LIST

1. Dead Rules by Randy Russell - I have an ARC of this and I want to read it so I can do a giveaway.
   
   
2. Blood Promise and Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead - I LOVED the first three Vampire Academy books and I want to continue the series.
   
   
3. The Sweep Series - I've heard awesome things about this series and I want to start it.
   
   
4. The Iron Daughter and The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa - I loved the Iron King and I want to continue the series.
   
   
5. The Mortal Instrument Series - I have all four books and haven't read any of them.  I'm really interested in seeing what the hype is all about.
   
   
6. The Morganville Vampires vol. 1 & 2 by Rachel Cain - I've heard really good things about this series and I'm interested to read the bindups I have.
   
   
7. Ruined bindup by Simone Elkeles - This is very highly rated and it sounds really good.
   
   
8. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - A very emotional book that I'm really interested in reading.
   
   
9. Deadline by Mira Grant - I really liked Feed and I'm anxious to continue the series.
   
   
10. Impulse by Ellen Hopkins - A lot of people agree this is her best book so I want to start with it.

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Published in 2003 by Harcourt, Inc.
4 stars

Goodreads Review
When Henry meets Clare, he is twenty-eight and she is twenty. Henry has never met Clare before; Clare has known Henry since she was six. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. Henry and Clare's attempts to live normal lives are threatened by a force they can neither prevent nor control, making their passionate love story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable. The Time Traveler's Wife is a story of fate, hope and belief, and more than that, it's about the power of love to endure beyond the bounds of time.


Review:  The Time Traveler's Wife is a unique love story that uses a fantasy premise of unintentional time travel to analyze completely real topics of death, infertility, loss, and love.  The non-linear timeline is a wonderful and interesting way to tell this rare love story.


I read somewhere that this book was like two books crammed into one.  One book was an amazing love story that could move you to tears and the other book was a boring list of grocery items, punk bands, book titles, and abstract painters.  I think this book just tried to be too much all at once.  I little more careful editing to cut out some of the sulfurous detail would have made this book a home run.

As it is The Time Traveler's Wife is still a great romance that really touched me.  I really liked how the time travel added a new dimension to their relationship.  Claire knows what has happened and Henry knows what will.  I also really liked the aspects of this book that dealt with child bearing and infertility.  I thought that was really interesting and it dealt with those topics in a very strong way.  I also really liked Alba and her interactions with Henry.  She was my favorite character; touching, sweet, and gentle with her parents.

Overall The Time Traveler's Wife is a beautiful love story that sometimes gets bogged down in the details.  I still highly recommend it for anyone interested in an adult novel that deals with all of the pain and happiness associated with loving someone.

Sidenote, I listened to the audio book and I thought it was really well done.  The actor for Henry was especially talented.  I really enjoyed the emotion shown in the audio book.

Another sidenote, the movie was a great adaptation of this book.  It took all of the important parts and made a great representation of the heart of the book.  Well done.

Off the Shelf #3

  Hello everyone and welcome to Off the Shelf!  This is my way of sharing any new books I receive or buy as well as let you all know what my reading plans are for the week and what I hope to get off my TBR shelf.

Finished Reading:

Possess by Gretchen McNeil

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Currently Reading:

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Up Next:

Dead Rules by Randy Russell

Shadowflame by Dianne Sylvan

 #2 in the Shadow World Series
Published in 2011 by Ace
4 Stars

Goodreads Review
Spread throughout the dark corners of our world lies the Shadow World, a society of vampires who feed off the living. In Austin, Texas, one woman must find her place within that world, before she loses everything...

It's been three months since musician Miranda Grey became a vampire and married David Solomon, Prime of the South. As Queen, Miranda must quickly come to terms with her new role and learn how to negotiate the treacherous waters of Signet politics, inevitably making dangerous enemies along the way.

As if complicated vampire politics and a rising music career weren't enough, an enigmatic but powerful force from David's past appears, leaving a wake of chaos and uncertainty for the Pair's fledgling relationship. Miranda begins to realize how little she really knows about her husband. But when an assassin begins targeting her friends and allies, the Pair must track down the killer, even as their lives hang in the balance...

Review:  Shadowflame is an exciting second installation that introduces us to the politics of the shadow world and some of the history behind this society.  It also focuses on sexuality and how it is not so cut and dry and that there are many shades of grey when discussing lust verses love.

I want to talk about all of the things I loved about this book.  First is Sylvan's writing style.  Once again she delivers a book that is full of snappy dialogue and sarcastic humor as well as some really awesome nerdy references tossed in.  She writes with true ease and skill that makes reading anything she writes a complete joy.

I also really identified with David in this book.  I have been in a very similar situation as him and I thought Sylvan captured the sense of desperation and guilt very well.  I found it totally believable and relateable.  I really liked the overall theme of having sexual attraction to both sexes and being able to be in love with more than one person at the same time.  I think that love and sexuality cannot be penned into a heterosexual and monogamous box that so many people try to stuff themselves into, and I really appreciated Sylvan tackling this rather taboo issues with realistic honesty.

I also really loved the murder mystery aspect of this book.  There was no major info dump, clues and facts were revealed at a good pace that kept me guessing without frustrating me with lack of information or overwhelming me with too much. The action sequences were very well done and I really liked reading about the technology and David and Miranda's psychic powers that were used to try and solve the mystery.

The only aspect that I didn't like was that David's sexual past seemed to come out of the blue.  I don't care what Kat says, but I never once picked up on his "swishy" nature in the first book.  I found his past relationships a bit difficult to believe because it seemed rather random to me.  I think if it has been alluded to more in the first book I would have been a lot more accepting of the events that took place in Shadowflame.

Overall Shadowflame is a great second book that begins to introduce the extensive pasts of the characters and vampire society and how it affects their present.  Traditional roles for both men and women are challenged as the characters struggle to come to terms with their pasts.

Possess by Gretchen McNeil + Giveaway! (CLOSED)

Published August 23, 2011 by Baizer + Bray - ARC
5 Stars
DAC 2011

Goodreads Review
Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

Review:  Possess is one of those rare books that has it all: a likable heroine, a thrilling story, lots of great humor, and some very steamy romance.  The plot is a perfect balance of charming banter and creepy demonic possession.  Possess is always interesting, covering all of the plot points well with clear description and interesting writing style that will have readers jumping to read the next page.

First I have a lot of cover love for Possess.  It's what initially drew me to this story.  The cover art and title font fit the book perfectly and really add to the experience of reading Possess.

The best part about possess is the writing style.  It's conversational and even though it's in third person there were a lot of interjections that really added to the story and the overall tone of the book.  Also, the make out scenes in the book were spicy and hot and I loved them.  Possess is constructed well with a plot that moves along and is well supported by the characters.  There is also a clear beginning, middle, and end which a lot of authors seem to neglect.  There wasn't a cliff hanger ending, it felt complete and whole.  However, the ending did leave some room for a sequel if McNeil ever feels like dipping back into Bridget's world, which I sincerely hope she does. 

Bridget is a great character who is well rounded and realistic.  She makes mistakes but learns from them.  Her voice is clear and it is sassy, sarcastic, and full of awesome.  Bridget and her gay BFF Hector would differently be my friends in real life.  I also really liked the love interest Matt Quinn.  He was so sweet and gentle with Bridget  and he never gave up on her.  I also really liked their teenage romance scenes.  That was some HOT making out and I was into it.

This book isn't all fun and games though.  There are some majorly creepy events taking place.  I have always been fascinated by demonic mythology and exorcisms.  The journey Bridget goes on as she tries to find out about her dead father's past and control her special powers is exciting and dangerous.  I thought the descriptions of the possessions and the battles with the demons were very well done and quite scary.  I also loved the explanation of why the demons were there, their objective, and how to defeat them.  The mythology was well explained and very interesting.  I was really invested in this story and could not put the book down because I had to know what was next.

Overall Possess is a creepy mystery that has a funny and intriguing voice and is a complete book that will appeal to many different readers.  Possess appeals with a mysterious plot, snappy dialogue,  and freaky ass possessed dolls.

The giveaway is closed, congratulations to DevvourBookReviews!

Waiting on Wednesday 8/24/2011

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at breaking the spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:


Bloodlines
by Richelle Mead
Publication Date: August 23, 2011


From Goodreads

The first book in Richelle Mead's brand-new teen fiction series - set in the same world as Vampire Academy.

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

Teaser Tuesday 8/23/11

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title & author so others can add the book to their TBR list

In honor of her book birthday today's teaser comes from Gretchen McNeil's Possess which hits stores today!  Keep your eyes out for a review and giveaway later this week!

 Don't engage the creepy dolls possessed by Satan who are now all staring at you.  Just pretend they aren't there.  Bridget closed her eyes.  Please don't let a Chucky doll lunge at me with a freaking butcher's knife.  Please, please, please.

What happened next was almost worse.

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

#1 in Dustlands Series

Published in 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry

5 Stars
DAC 2011

Goodreads Review
Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story. Moira Young is one of the most promising and startling new voices in teen fiction.

Review:  Blood Red Road is an action packed debut novel that is sure to excite readers and have them jumping for more.  Blood Red Road is like a combination of Mad Max and The Road Warrior and The Road by Cormac McCarthy; thrilling kill-or-be-killed post-apocalyptic narratives that had me on the edge of my seat.  I literally could not put this book down (I've gotten pretty good at doing everything one handed...cooking, brushing my teeth, showering...).

One of the most interesting aspects of Blood Red Road is the writing style.  This book is written in the dialect of the narrator without softening her harsh voice or using quotation marks.  While it may be difficult at first, I found myself completely engrossed in the experience of reading this language after only a few pages.   I think the language really lends to the overall feel of the book and helps the reader become fully immersed in Saba's bleak world.

The action in this book is fantastically written.  There is a little bit of everything.  High speed chases, cage fighting, fire and explosions, fist fights, knife fights, and oh yeah, human sacrifice.  These action sequences are everything they should be, exciting, dangerous, and unpredictable.   The setting of the book is also fantasticlly described and takes place in a whole variety of terrain.  The land is dangerout and brutal, and so are the people who live in it.

The slower parts of the book were also very well done.  The growth of Saba throughout this books is fantastically handled.  In this book she grows into her own independent self and also learns how to trust her instincts and appreciate the people who are willling to help her.  There are also some very well done romantic aspects that aren't overplayed.  They are subtle and provide a nice break from all of the hardcore action.

The very best aspect of this book is that it is an introduction to the series while still being a complete and full story within itself.  There is a distinct beginning, middle, and end with problems that are encountered and resolved by the end of the book while at the same time introducing a greater story arc that will be carried throughout the series.  This is a difficult task to accomplish and I think that many first books in a series fall short of that goal.  Blood Red Road achieves this effortlessly. 

Overall Blood Red Road is a thrilling science fiction novel that is a stand out among the recent crop of YA dystopian novels.   Blood Red Road is a satisfying adventure novel set in a gritty world that will have your heart pounding with every page.

Oh also, did I mention GIANT KILLER WORMS OF DOOM!?  Because they're in this book too.

Off the Shelf #2

  Hello everyone and welcome to Off the Shelf!  This is my way of sharing any new books I receive or buy as well as let you all know what my reading plans are for the week and what I hope to get off my TBR shelf.

Finished Reading:

Sweet Venom (ARC) by Tera Lynn Childs

The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Currently Reading:

Possess (ARC) by Gretchen McNeil

Up Next:

Carrier of the Mark (ARC) by Leigh Fallon