Sunday, March 31, 2013

Best of the Bunch- March 2013

Best of the Bunch is a monthly meme hosted by Always Lost in Stories on the last day of every month. The aim of this meme is to share the best book that we have read or reviewed in that month and give it out Best of the Bunch award.

This month I read:
Witch Fire by Laura Powell (review to come)
Almost Home: Helping Kids Move from Homelessness to Hope by









I haven't done a Best of the Bunch in forever but I decided to start again. I absolutely loved Clockwork Princess. It was by far the best book I read all month. I didn't read that much this month. I'd like to blame that on school work but I was actually trying to catch up on all the Doctor Who episodes before next season.

New look!

Hey there! If you're someone who's visited my blog before then you've probably noticed that it looks a bit different. I've been wanted to change my blog's look for awhile now, but I never could quite find what I was looking for. I searched for a very long time (ok maybe only a couple months, but that seems like a long time). Then I saw a post Emma from Never Judge A Book By Its Cover made about a graphic website she was starting. I was instantly curious about it and when I looked at a few of her designs I loved them!

So I asked Emma if she could make me a button and a header for my blog and I'm very happy with how they turned out! Thanks so much to Emma at The Graphicness!

Before:

After:
I don't think I have to post an After picture of the header. But now I have a button!


So what do you think?

New Releases: March 31- April 6

Here's this week's new releases:

 Spellbinding by Maya Gold
(April 1st)

My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi
(April 2nd)

Walking Disaster by Jamie McGuire
(April 2nd)

The Collector by Victoria Scott
(April 2nd)

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers
(April 2nd)

White Lines by

Friday, March 29, 2013

Feature & Follow #33

Feature and Follow is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet new people and gain more followers in the book blogging community.

Q: Tell us about the most emotional scene you've ever read in a book - and how did you react?

A: Probably the end of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. I was sobbing so much at the end of it. The last couple Harry Potter books had me crying a lot too. Oh and the end of Clockwork Princess. It was just too much and so bittersweet.

What about you?
Please follow and leave a link to your post so I can follow back!

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #35

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly Meme. It's hosted on Breaking the Spine. It spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick:
My Life After Now
by Jessica Verdi
Release date: April 2nd 2013

Lucy just had the worst week ever. Seriously, mega bad. And suddenly, it's all too much—she wants out. Out of her house, out of her head, out of her life. She wants to be a whole new Lucy. So she does something the old Lucy would never dream of.

And now her life will never be the same. Now, how will she be able to have a boyfriend? What will she tell her friends? How will she face her family?

Now her life is completely different...every moment is a gift. Because now she might not have many moments left.
 

Monday, March 25, 2013

Words for the Week #7

“I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”
― Marilyn Monroe

Sunday, March 24, 2013

New Releases: March 24-30

Here's this week's new releases:

 If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch
(March 26th)

With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent
(March 26th)

Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt
(March 26th)

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Review: Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Requiem by Lauren Oliver
Published: March 5, 2013
Publisher:
HarperCollins
Pages: 391
Series:
Delirium #3
Source: Bought
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.

But we are still here.

And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.

Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.

But we have chosen a different road.

And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.

We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

My Review: I was so nervous about starting Requiem because of all the mixed reviews I've seen for it. So many people were disappointed by it and I didn't want to be disappointed by it so I put off reading it for as long as I could. When I finally picked it up I finished it in a day. It definitely wasn't my favorite out of the series but I still really enjoyed it.

There will be a few spoilers for the first two books in the series so proceed with caution.

I forgot how easy it is to get lost in Lauren Oliver's writing. It's so beautiful that I almost finished the book in one sitting. I thought the alternating points of view would be kind of annoying since I was only interested in Lena at first but after reading a few chapters from Hana's POV I started to really enjoy it. I know that many readers really don't like Hana (and there's a good reason for that) but I actually really liked how she grew as a character.

My main problem with the book was Lena. I liked how she was no longer afraid of the disease and that she actually fought for freedom, but I couldn't stand her relationship with Julian. To me, Julian never had a chance once Alex came back at the very end of Pandemonium. But every single time something went wrong with Alex, Lena would go to Julian for comfort which isn't really fair to him since she was upset that she was no longer in a relationship with Alex.

I liked all of the other characters and I especially enjoyed the second half of the book. The first half of the book was mostly Lena and the group planning what they are going to do. The second half was them actually fighting for what they believe in so of course it's going to be more exciting.

There's a twist in this book, but if you've read the novella Hana then it isn't a twist. I haven't read the novella but someone told me what happened so I wasn't surprised by the twist, but that didn't bother me too much. The ending was left pretty open, but I actually liked that. I know many people were upset about the ending, but I like imagining what happens with Lena, Alex, Julian, and the others.

Stacking The Shelves #29

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and here you can find all the books I've recently received that I'm stacking my shelves with!

Bought:

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

I loved it to bits. I wanted to make it last until the weekend but that plan didn't work out too well. If you want you can read my review.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Review: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Published: March 19, 2013
Publisher:
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Pages: 568
Series:
The Infernal Devices #3
Source: Bought
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Infernal Devices will never stop coming

Tessa Gray should be happy--aren't all brides happy? Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows beings to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute. A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plants to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmian needs only one last item to complete his plan.

He needs Tessa.

Charlotte Branwell, head of the Institute, is desperate to find Mortmain before he strikes. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her. For though Tessa and Jem are engaged, Will is still in love with her.

The last words of a dying Shadowhunter provide the clue that might lead Tessa and her friends to Mortmain. But their small group cannot stand alone, and the powerful Consul doubts that Mortmain is coming. Deserted by allies, the Shadowhunters find themselves trapped when Mortmain seizes the medicine that keeps Jem alive. With his best friend at death's door, Will must risk everything to save the girl they both love.

To buy Will time, the warlock Magnus Bane joins with Henry Branwell to create a device that could help defeat Mortmain. As they all work to save Tessa and the future of the Shadowhunters that resides with her, Tessa realizes that the only person who can save her is herself--for in the dicovery of her own true nature, Tessa could become more powerful than she ever dreamed possible. But can a lone girl even one who can command the power of angels, face down an entire army?

Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment, and the tangled threads of love and loss intertwine as the Shadowhunters are pushed to the very brink of destruction in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy.

My Review: I can't believe it's over. This series has been one of my favorites for the past couple years and it's always been in the back of my mind. So now that it's over I'm not sure what to do with myself. Guess I'll just have to read some more books.

I'm going to try to make this as spoiler free as possible.

"You know that feeling," she said, "when you are reading a book, and you know that it is going to be a tragedy; you can feel the cold and darkness coming, see the net drawing close around the characters who live and breathe on the pages. But you are tied to the story as if bring dragged behind a carriage, and you cannot let go or turn the course aside."

That quote from the book basically sums up my feelings while I was reading. There was no way this book could have ended without some sort of heartbreak. And believe me the ending was so heartbreaking but also so sweet.

The characters were absolutely amazing and so realistic. I cared about all of them (which is very rare since I'm kind of picky about the characters I like). But all of them were unique and had their own story that made them who they were. After risking so much, I was so glad that most of them got their happy endings.

The love triangle in this book is how a love triangle should be written. Many books have love triangles but most of them are nothing like the Will-Tessa-Jem love triangle. I actually liked both guys in the love triangle (I ship Will and Tessa but I still love Jem). Loving both guys is just a recipe for heartbreak.

The relationships between all the characters was also another part of the book that I love. Will and Jem's friendship made them like brothers and it was so heartbreaking when Will or Jem would think of when they were children or the adventures they had. I sobbed whenever Will thought of the first time he met Jem.

Even though Tessa can't fight like the Shadowhunters she's still powerful in her own way. I loved how she was so determined and willing to give anything to protect the people that she loves. I'm definitely going to miss her as a main character.

Clockwork Princess was a much darker read than the other two books in the series. Despite that, the book had me laughing. Not as often as in the other books but the little bits of humor were perfectly timed. The sarcasm in all of Cassandra Clare's books never fails to make me laugh.

The ending was actually very satisfying even though I was crying so much I couldn't even read the page. I totally called who Brother Zachariah was but I never would have guessed the twist at the very end of the book. When you read this book I highly recommend keeping a box of tissues close by just so you're prepared.

Now I must say goodbye to one of my favorite series and the characters I have come to love.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Review: A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

A Shade Of Vampire (A Shade Of Vampire, #1)A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest
Published: December 14, 2012
Publisher:
Self-Published
Pages: 152
Series:
A Shade of Vampire #1
Source: Author
My Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.

A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.

She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.
An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.

Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.

Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.

Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

My Review: It's been a few months since I last read a book about vampires and now I know why. It seems that almost every vampire book I pick up has the same kind of romance. For awhile vampire books were probably one of the most popular books around but now it seems like most vampire books are the same. There's always a forbidden love with the main character and the vampire. The problem? The vampire wants to drink the main characters blood so he's a danger to the main character. Sound familiar?

The concept of the Shade was something that I would have liked to know more about. The only information about it is that it is a sanctuary for vampires. It probably would have added to the story if more vampire politics were involved since Derek was their prince. The entire book was basically Sofia living in the Shade and trying to figure out her feelings for Derek.

The romance actually wasn't too bad but I had a few issues with it. My main problem with the book was the insta love. The moment Derek wakes up he sees Sofia and wants to drink her blood but then he stops himself because she's too beautiful and he doesn't want to hurt her. He thinks she special the moment he sees her. I'm just not a fan of books that have something like that in them.

There was kind of a love triangle in this book too but that didn't really bother me. Sofia is in love with her best friend but she also falls in love with Derek. Not much is known about Ben (her best friend) but from the flashbacks he felt more like her brother than a friend. I got the feeling that Ben wasn't really competition for Derek.

Most of the book was fairly uneventful. The ending was probably the best part of the book because it left me hanging. I think that the book could have been much better if more actually happened throughout the book instead of just near the end.

*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Waiting on Wednesday #34

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly Meme. It's hosted on Breaking the Spine. It spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick:
Taken
by Erin Bowman
Release date: April 16th 2013

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?
 

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Cover Reveal: Surrender and Justice by Rhiannon Paille

Surrender (The Ferryman + The Flame #1)
Author: Rhiannon Paille
Cover Design: Regina Wamba of Mae I Design
Exclusively on Amazon / Kindle

How far would you go to save everything you ever loved?

Kaliel was warned about her love for the Ferryman. One day he will marry the land and leave Avristar forever. She doesn't listen, and because of what she is-- a Flame-- one of nine apocalyptic weapons, she sparks a war. In a desperate attempt to save her home and her love, Kaliel tries to awaken Avred, not knowing she may have to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Justice (The Ferryman + The Flame #2)
Author: Rhiannon Paille
Cover Design: Regina Wamba of Mae I Design
Exclusively available at Amazon / Kindle

How far would you go to destroy yourself?

Krishani always knew he would have to go to the Lands of Men, but he never thought it would be like this. Enemies everywhere, an ancestor he can't respect, elders he can't trust, a curse he can't stop and friends he can't help but hate. Desperate to end the pain, he sets out on a quest to find the other Flames and face the enemy that took everything from him.
 
Both books are free on Kindle (Amazon) for 1 day on the 19th! So hurry and get your copy.
 
Author Bio
Rhi was never a normal girl. Her life was an urban fantasy wrapped in a paranormal romance and served with a side of horror. To escape her everyday weirdness she began writing fantasy. She studied at U of Sedona and MIMT, obtaining a PhD in Metaphysical Science and Parapsychology. She's married to a chef/comic book shop owner and has a fondness for architecture. She frequents twitter and facebook, but if you really want to get to know her you should visit her site: www.yafantasyauthor.com

Author Links:

Monday, March 18, 2013

Words for the Week #6

“Saying 'I notice you're a nerd' is like saying, 'Hey, I notice that you'd rather be intelligent than be stupid, that you'd rather be thoughtful than be vapid, that you believe that there are things that matter more than the arrest record of Lindsay Lohan. Why is that?' In fact, it seems to me that most contemporary insults are pretty lame. Even 'lame' is kind of lame. Saying 'You're lame' is like saying 'You walk with a limp.' Yeah, whatever, so does 50 Cent, and he's done all right for himself."
― John Green

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Blog Tour: Dualed by Elsie Chapman

Author Interview


I'm excited to welcome Elsie Chapman, author of Dualed to my blog!

How did you come up with the idea for Dualed?

Hi Erika! It was my son’s question that started it all. He asked me once if I thought it was possible we all had doubles out there and that maybe we simply didn’t know about them.

What was your favorite scene to write?

I really enjoyed the scene when West sees her Alt for the first time. As cheesy as it sounds, it was just this strong image I had in my head that I wanted to get down on paper before I forgot all the little details. I think what’s in the book today is still pretty true to that first draft.

Which character is most like you?

None of them, I don’t think. No one character, anyway. I’m sure bits and pieces of me are in most of the characters, though.


You or your Alt? Only one will survive.

The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.

Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.

Elsie Chapman's suspenseful YA debut weaves unexpected romance into a novel full of fast-paced action and thought-provoking philosophy. When the story ends, discussions will begin about this future society where every adult is a murderer and every child knows there is another out there who just might be better.
Click here to read my review of Dualed

Saturday, March 16, 2013

New Releases: March 17-23

Here's this week's new releases:

Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices, #3)
 Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
(March 19th)

Fox Forever (Jenna Fox Chronicles, #3)
 Fox Forever by Mary E. Pearson
(March 19th)

Everafter (Kissed by an Angel #6) 
Everafter by Elizabeth Chandler
(March 19th)

Stacking The Shelves #28

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and here you can find all the books I've recently received that I'm stacking my shelves with!

 For Review:

Some Quiet Place 
Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

A Shade Of Vampire (A Shade Of Vampire, #1)
A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

Gifted:

The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume I (Barnes & Noble Classics Series) 
The Complete Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

 I'm about to start A Shade of Vampire. I hope it's good! I'm super excited to read Sherlock Holmes. I'm addicted to the show Sherlock on BBC so my friend gave me the book for my birthday. I absolutely love the cover for Some Quiet Place and I can't wait to read it either!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #33

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly Meme. It's hosted on Breaking the Spine. It spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick:
Clockwork Princess
by Cassandra Clare
Release date: March 19th 2013

Danger intensifies for the Shadowhunters as the New York Times bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy comes to a close.

If the only way to save the world was to destroy what you loved most, would you do it?

The clock is ticking. Everyone must choose.

Passion. Power. Secrets. Enchantment.

Danger closes in around the Shadowhunters in the final installment of the bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Words for the Week #5

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default.”
― J.K. Rowling

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Stacking The Shelves #27

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and here you can find all the books I've recently received that I'm stacking my shelves with!

Bought:

 Requiem by Lauren Oliver

I'm actually really nervous about this one. I really enjoyed Delirium and Pandemonium but I've seen a few people really disappointed by the end of this book.

Nobody But Us Giveaway Winner!

The winner for the Nobody But Us giveaway is...
 
Cheyenne Teska 
 
Congratulations! I've emailed you.

New Releases: March 10-16

Here's this week's new releases:

MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza
(March 12th)

Poison by Bridget Zinn
(March 12th)  

Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson
(March 12th) 

 Surfacing by

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Published:  November 15, 2011
Publisher:
HarperCollins
Pages:
338
Series:
Shatter Me #1
My Rating:
2 of 5 stars

Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war– and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

My Review: Oh this book. People seem to either love it or hate it. Unfortunately I thought that Shatter Me was ok at best mostly because of a few key things that can not be overlooked.

The writing
First the author would write something and then it would be crossed out. At first I thought it was fine but then it got extremely annoying when I was trying to figure out what Juliette really meant because most of the time the crossed out sentence or word was the opposite of what wasn't crossed out.


The other part that bothered me was that Juliette would repeat words three to five times in one sentence. I got it the first time and the repetition didn't really add anything to the story for me it was just there.
Oh and some parts of the book would not make sense. AT ALL.

"I touch the material. Decide I should probably say something. "It's very ... comfortable."
"Sexy."
I look up.
He's shaking his head. "It's sexy as hell."
He steps forward. Slips me into his arms.
"I look like a gymnast," I mumble.
"No," he whispers, hot hot hot against my lips. "You look like a superhero."


This is a joke right? Must be.


"My jaw is dangling from my shoelace."

When I read that I get this image of Juliette hanging from the ceiling by a shoelace. Not the prettiest image.

"I always wonder about raindrops.
I wonder about how they're always falling down, tripping over their own feet, breaking their legs and forgetting their parachutes as they tumble right out of the sky toward an uncertain end. It's like someone is emptying their pockets over the earth and doesn't seem to care where the contents fall, doesn't seem to care that the raindrops burst when they hit the ground, that they shatter when they fall to the floor, that people curse the days the drops dare to tap on their doors.
I am a raindrop.
My parents emptied their pockets of me and left me to evaporate on a concrete slab."


She wonders about raindrops...Why couldn't it just say It was raining?

"He leaves less than a foot of space between us and I'm 10 inches away from spontaneous combustion."

I'm not sure why I find this funny but maybe it's the fact that Juliette is describe herself ten inches away from spontaneous combustion. Those words are in no way romantic. I also find the fact that actual numbers are used instead of the actual words kind of annoying.

Predictable
I found this book so predictable. Juliette can kill someone just by touching them and then when she meets Adam she finds out that she can touch him after she falls in love with him.
Wow I never saw that coming. Then she finds out that Warner can touch her too. Shocker.

Romance
I never felt anything for Adam and I never felt anything between Adam and Juliette and if Warner becomes part of this terrible love and makes it a love triangle I will throw the book across the room. I think that's all that needs to be said about the romance.

What I liked
When I first saw this book I wanted to read it. The words at the top of the cover MY TOUCH IS LETHAL MY TOUCH IS POWER caught my attention right away. Even the idea of someone who can kill just by touching something and without meaning to was different. But if the book isn't good then it can only get so many points for the idea. Oh and Kenji because he was the best character out of that book.
 

Friday, March 8, 2013

Feature & Follow #32

Feature and Follow is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet new people and gain more followers in the book blogging community.

Q: What is a book you didn't like that all your friends raved about or what book did you love that wasn't popular?

A: Books I didn't like but practically everyone else loved: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Crossed by Ally Condie, Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer, and Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins. There's probably a few other books that I'm forgetting.

A book I love but isn't popular is Pantomime by Laura Lam. I couldn't think of any others, besides this one and I'm not even sure if it counts.

What about you?
Please follow and leave a link to your post so I can follow back!

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #32

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly Meme. It's hosted on Breaking the Spine. It spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick:
Poison
by Bridget Zinn
Release date: March 12th 2013

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart . . . misses.

Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.
 

Monday, March 4, 2013

Words for the Week #4

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.”
― John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

Sunday, March 3, 2013

New Releases: March 3-9

Here's this week's new releases:

 Requiem by Lauren Oliver
(March 5th)

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett
(March 5th)

 Thirst No. 5: The Sacred Veil by Christopher Pike
(March 5th)

 Unremembered by Jessica Brody
(March 5th)

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger
(March 5th)

 Flowers in the Sky by Lynn Joseph
(March 5th)