Mini-Reviews

 Vanish (Firelight 2) by Sophie Jordan

This was an interesting follow-up to Firelight, although quite a long time had passed between when I read the first book and when I picked this one up. What I really enjoyed was how it altered my perceptions of characters. In the first book we see Cassian as a jerk who Jacinda needs to escape. In Vanish, however, I began to sympathize. Jacinda, I'm sorry to say, became a bit more annoying to me. I still felt for her character, but  Lots of action and excitement, and I couldn't wait to grab the final book in the trilogy, Hidden.

Published by HarperTeen
Rating: B

Hidden (Firelight 3) by Sophie Jordan

I read this directly after finishing Vanish, and I flew through it. I was fairly certain I knew what was going to happen, but Jordan still had quite a few twists thrown in. The love triangle wraps up in a predictable way, but the rest of the story wraps up nicely. I wasn't sure how things could work out (would Jacina stay/leave, what about Cassian, hello...the hunters are stalking them), but everything left me satisfied as a reader.

Published by HarperTeen
Rating: B

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

I've had Bittersweet on my shelf for quite a long time, and now that the winter weather has started in I thought it would be a fun read. I enjoyed the cupcake titles/descriptions at the start of each chapter (although it made me crave sweets) but the story didn't quite live up to my expectations after Twenty Boy Summer. There was a lot going on story-wise that I don't think necessarily needed to be there and being pulled between them made the main character seem self-centered when I should have empathized with having to make tough decisions about where to spend her time. Still, I enjoyed the story and look forward to reading more from Ockler.
Published by Simon Pulse
Rating: C

Teaser Tuesday (November 27)

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.

"I reached into the backseat and grabbed the ridiculously tall, absurdly colorful hat I was forced to wear as part of my Hot Dog Kebob uniform. Sadly, my recent fall from grace and subsequent mandated employment had coincided with a lack of decent part-time jobs." 

-Tempestuous, 1% on Kindle, by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes

2013 Debut Author Challenge

It's that time again...time to sign up for the Debut Author Challenge! I didn't participate this year due to my time away from blogging, but I think I need to do it again in 2013. This year it's hosted by Hobbitsies, and if you click the link it will take you directly to the information page for the challenge.

Here are my 2013 picks:

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans - January 15
City of A Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster - February 5
Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza - March 12
Taken by Erin Bowman - April 16
Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield - May 7
Linked by Imogen Howson - June 11
Since You Asked by Maurene Goo - July (Date TBD)
Prophesy of Oz by Megan Shan - August 5

I'll be adding my entries for September through December as more book information gets released!

Waiting on Wednesday (November 21)

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

That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard

A music-obsessed, slightly snarky New York City girl, Lexi is on her own. After making a huge mistake—and facing a terrible tragedy— Lexi has no choice but to track down her long-absent mother. Rumor has it that Lexi’s mom is somewhere in Florida with a traveling circus.

When Lexi arrives at her new, three-ring reality, her mom isn’t there…but her destiny might be. Surrounded by tigers, elephants, and trapeze artists, Lexi finds some surprising friends and an even more surprising chance at true love. She even lucks into a spot as the circus’s fortune teller, reading tarot cards and making predictions.

But then Lexi’s ex-best friend from home shows up, and suddenly it’s Lexi’s own future that’s thrown into question… 

With humor, wisdom, and a dazzlingly fresh voice, this debut reminds us of the magic of circus tents, city lights, first kisses, last heartaches, and the importance of an excellent playlist. (From Goodreads)

Published by Scholastic Point
Release Date: April 2013

I love all things circus, so I'm really excited about this one!

Teaser Tuesday (November 20)

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's always joked about leaving me the family business, but I never took it seriously. How could I? All this time, as long as I was just baking, my destiny could be separate from hers."

-Bittersweet, Page 63, by Sarah Ockler