Follow Friday

I thought I'd do a follow friday just to let people know that I'm back to blogging!

Question of the Week: Birthday Wishes -- Blow out the candles and imagine what character could pop out of your cake...who is it and what book are they from?

Hmm, clearly my answer is Darcy. Of course, he'd be extremely judgmental and rude about the whole thing...so it probably wouldn't be all that fun in the end. 

Waiting on Wednesday (June 27)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

The Lies That Bind (The Liar Society 2) by Lisa & Laura Roecker

Just when Kate Lowry thought she had life at elite private school Pemberly Brown figured out, she cracks open a fortune cookie to find a message from her best friend Grace--who's supposed to be dead.

Another Sister Gone

A classmate has gone missing, and Kate soon realizes that the disappearance is tied to the secret societies that rule her private school. Her best friend died for their secrets, and there's no way she'll let them get away with it twice. It's up to quirky outsider Kate to get some answers, but in a school where every answer leads to more questions and nothing's as it seems, who can she trust? (From Goodreads)

Release Date: November 1, 2012

Published by Sourcebooks Fire

The Lies That Bind on Goodreads

Teaser Tuesday (June 26)

What is teaser tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.

"She can't understand why I want to write movies. Though she hasn't come right out and said it, she doesn't think I have a chance in hell of actually succeeding at it."

-From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer and Valerie Thomas (Kindle Version)

In My Mailbox (June 24)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, and gives everyone a chance to share their newest reads!






Books mentioned:
Underworld by Meg Cabot
Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
As Dead As it Gets by Katie Alender (Bad Girls Don't Die)
Once by Cameron Dokey
Strange Magic by Marina Warner (not listed on Goodreads)
Clarity by Kim Harrington
Supernaturally by Kiersten White
The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
So Silver Bright by Lisa Mantchev
Wither by Lauren Destefano
The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
The Bad Queen by Caroline Meyer 
Vanish by Sophie Jordan 
Insatiable by Meg Cabot
Balefire by Cate Tiernan
Delirium by Lauren Oliver

From What I Remember by Stacey Kramer and Valerie Thomas 



Transcendence by C.J. Omololu

Books, books, books (aka All These Pretty Books Got Released While I Was Away)

Since I've been M.I.A., a ton of great books have been released...sadly my TBR pile is gigantic. Honestly, I would take a photo but it would just show how far behind I fell when I changed jobs. SO, I'm going to post the books I can't wait to read (even though they've all be released already), and post a little blurb about why I'm excited.

For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund

Okay, so there are a few awesome things about this book. 1. It's inspired by Persuasion by Jane Austen. I think it's safe to say everyone knows my deep love of all things Jane. 2. It's by Diana Peterfreund. Her two series have cemented her in my list of "most awesome favorite super fantastic I'll read everything she ever writes ever" writers.

Published by Balzer + Bray

 
Timepiece by Myra McEntire

I really enjoyed Hourglass, the first in the series. The logical next step would be to grab this one, and after reading the synopsis I had an "OMG" moment. So, clearly I need to find out what is going to happen to Emerson! Bonus: It has a lovely cover.

Published by EgmontUSA

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

It's now out in paperback...so I really have no excuse. This one looks a bit darker than the other books that I've read by her, and I'm excited to see how she does with it (my guess, quite well). Potentially about sirens, Greek mythological creatures. This one is definitely on my list.

Published by Razorbill


Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg

I really enjoyed The Lonely Hearts Club, I thought it was funny and cute. That's basically what I'm hoping for from this one. Eulberg tends to deliver with laughs for me, and this one seems like it might be nice for the end of summer when I'm stressing to hand in my final paper (ever!).

Published by Point

So, about that TBR pile...it means that I will be reviewing mostly older books for a while. Who knows, maybe people will happens upon books that they missed when they were first released. If not, perhaps it will spark some conversation/debate here in the comments. Speaking of reviews, I feel like I need to revamp them. So, I'll probably be trying out something new, I'm just not sure if it will be something that you can see (i.e formatting) or it will be on my end in the planning stages.

I think I might actually try vlogging about the books I've got stacked up in my TBR pile. If I can handle  watching a video of myself counseling I can totally watch myself talk about books, right? Right?!

Waiting on Wednesday (June 20)

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme shares the upcoming books that I'm most excited about.

Unlocking the Spell: A Tale of the Wide-Awake Princess by E.D. Baker

A sequel to The Wide-Awake Princess mixes E. D. Baker's inimitable humor with a delightful cast of fairy tale characters.

Now that Annie has helped her sister Gwendolyn (a.k.a. Sleeping Beauty) wake up from the 100-year curse by finding her beloved prince, you would think that things would get back to normal. Think again! That beloved prince, Beldegard, is stuck in the body of a bear and the only way that Annie can be free of the two irritating lovebirds is to help-by finding the evil dwarf who cast the spell. Luckily, Annie has assistance from handsome prince Liam, and she has many tricks up her non-magical sleeve... (From Goodreads)

Published by Bloomsbury USA

Release Date: October 2, 2012

My thoughts: Ahhhhh! Joy! 

Teaser Tuesday (June 19)

What is teaser tuesday?
It's a meme hosted by Should Be Reading and here are the rules:
Grab your current read...
Open to a random page
Share two teaser sentences from somewhere on the page
Don't include spoilers.


"The door to the bedroom is the same prison door that's been there since the fifteen hundreds. Late at night you can still hear the echoes of the prisoners pounding on the heavy wood."


-Transcendence, Page 23, by C.J. Omololu


*I'll be posting my review, an interview, and a giveaway of this book in early July!

Book Review: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle—disguised and alone—to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.


Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart. (From Goodreads)


Let me begin by saying that I really enjoyed the first two books in the Graceling realm. It's hard to believe that about three years have gone by between the publication of Fire and Bitterblue. Unlike many books, these books left an impression on me that didn't fade over those three years.


The book itself has jumped ahead a number of years, and focuses on Bitterblue, now grown and struggling in her rule over Monsea. Her advisors seem to be keeping things from her, she hasn't really had a chance to explore her own city, and memories of the past haunt her. This book felt a fair bit darker than the previous two, and it worked well within the story. It also focused less on action, and more on the repercussions of Leck's rule. I love that Leck was still a villain, despite not being physically present in the book. In the first two books I was just hoping from Katsa and Po to take him down. In Bitterblue I really got to see the extent of the damage he did. He altered tradition, built onto the city, and violated the minds of those he ruled. Yes, there are other villains in this book, but Leck remains the worst villain in the story. I mean, how much more real can you get?! 


Bitterblue is trying to deal with the devastation that her father caused, but she isn't really getting far by attempting to work through problems via her advisors. We are treated to many new experiences as Bitterblue travels around her city, and it really gave a feel for the dire state of things. It added an urgency to her need to take control of Monsea. In contrast to many other stories, the unsavory characters aren't the thieves and ruffians. It's those you think you can trust who betray you. 


Overall, a satisfying end to the series. I was pleased that I once again got to see the characters that I loved. Plus, Cashore did an amazing job with the post-Leck Monsea. 

Rating: A 

Published by Dial

Purchased