Waiting On Wednesday | 03

'Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly meme, hosted by Breaking the Spine, which features upcoming releases that I am anticipating the most! Here's what I can't wait to read at the moment:

Survive by Alex Morel

August 2, 2012

    Jane is on a plane on her way home to Montclair, New Jersey, from a mental hospital. She is about to kill herself. Just before she can swallow a lethal dose of pills, the plane hits turbulence and everything goes black. Jane wakes up amidst piles of wreckage and charred bodies on a snowy mountaintop. There is only one other survivor: a boy named Paul, who inspires Jane to want to fight for her life for the first time.

    Jane and Paul scale icy slopes and huddle together for warmth at night, forging an intense emotional bond. But the wilderness is a vast and lethal force, and only one of them will survive.

Enchanted 
by Alethea Kontis
May 8, 2012

    It isn’t easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.

    When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises.

    The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past—and hers?

{In My Mailbox} The Vampire Diaries Edition

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme started by The Story Siren, in which book bloggers share what books they have gotten during the week. It's a great way to see what others are reading, and to discover interesting books as well!

These are books I got from eBay:

1) The Awakening & The Struggle by L.J. Smith (paperback)
2) The Fury & Dark Reunion by L.J. Smith (paperback)
3) The Return: Nightfall by L.J. Smith (hardcover)

I just love eBay - it's way easy to get affordable books in great, like-new condition. I have yet to read the Vampire Diaries, but I am a huge fan of the show, so I look forward to starting these!

The Hunger Games Movie

Like many fans of the novel, I was eager to see how The Hunger Games would turn out on the big screen. Would it be similar to the original story? Too different? Would they tone down the violence? On opening night I had scored some great seats for the 12:01am showing, so that I could find out. Here are my thoughts:

What I Really Liked:

- Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark (he actually looked like how I had pictured Peeta)

- Lenny Kravitz as Cinna (he was so likeable and made a great Cinna)

- Woody Harrelson as Haymitch (I admit to not liking him in the role at first, but he really grew on me)

- The way the bottom of the red dress Katniss wore to the interview looked when she twirled

- How the movie really followed the book without anything changed in a way that was too crazy

- How they actually showed people who were watching the Hunger Games on TV

- The rebellion of District 11

- Juxtaposing scenes of Snow with the scenes of the games. It better illustrated that more was going on with the government, and foreshadowed more trouble to come

What I Really Didn't Like:

- I really couldn't feel anything for the on-screen characters. In the novel, I cried when Rue died, I was worried for Peeta when he was ill, and I was afraid of Cato. I understand their was limited time the film had, but Rue wasn't on screen long enough for me to feel sad at her death; Peeta really was in a hell of a lot worse shape in the book than onscreen; and the threat of Cato seemed a lot milder in the film. 

- The Mutts (They didn't even mention the human aspect of the mutts & their eerie similarities to the dead players, which made them much less terrifying than they should have been)

- The look of the costumes Peeta & Katniss wore when they were "on fire" riding the chariots

- I understand the film couldn't get in Katniss's head like the novel could, but I still her feelings on the death of Thresh, her growing hatred of the Capitol, and her festering feelings of rebellion could have been shown. I believe they were central to the story.

What I'm 'On The Fence' About:

Katniss. I think Jennifer Lawrence did a good job in the role, I just feel that the scriptwriters didn't develop her character as well as they could have. I still don't know how I feel...maybe I should give the movie another watch.

Overall Thoughts

I liked how the movie tried to stay true to the book, but I felt so much of what made the book amazing was missing in the film. The relationships and characters felt too underdeveloped. If I had seen the movie without reading the books, I feel I would have liked it less. But I still think they did okay with the time they had, since the movie was pretty long, but it just was't for me. Have you seen the film yet? What do you guys think? Did you love it? Hate it? Anything you're looking forward to seeing in the future films? Feel free to share your thoughts.

Top 10 Books On My Spring TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there is a different topic for a top 10 list that bloggers can make, and this week's list is 'Top 10 Books on my Spring TBR List,' with all the books having a release date between March 20th and June 21st 2012. I am a huge fan of lists (I'm not kidding - I make them ALL the time, including a looong Bucket List that's currently using up a composition notebook) so of course I was pretty giddy to find that a meme like this existed. So, on to my top 10 TBR list, in order by release date:

01) Above by Leah Bobet (April 1)
I love the description of this urban fantasy! 

02) Storybound by Marissa Burt (April 3)
Storybook characters go to a school to a school to learn their roles. How cool is that?

03) Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt (April 10)
I love dystopian novels, & this one not only has government conspiracies, but artificial humans!

04) The Selection by Kiera Cass (April 24)
I heard that the CW might pick this up as a TV series. Must be good...
05) Black Dawn by Rachel Caine (May 1)
I love the Morganville Vampire series. Each book always manages to keep me glued to the pages.
06) Enchanted by Alethea Kontis (May 8)
This girl writes stories that end up coming true! Plus it has a frog prince!
07) The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda (May 8)

This sounds good! In a world where humans are hunted for blood, this stars a human girl on the run.

08) Nightshifted by Cassie Alexander (May 22)

I like the premise of a nurse with paranormal patients - it just sounds cool!

09) The Glimpse by Claire Merle (June 7)
What can I say - if it's a YA dystopia, I will want to read it...
10) This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers (June 19)
A Zombie novel! I've got 4 older brothers, so I grew up loving zombie movies. Plus, I like that it's about a girl who's trying to decide if her life is worth living anymore - trying to find a shred of hope in a world where people end up trying to eat you...

The Capitol Colours Collection

In anticipation of the release of the first Hunger Games movie, China Glaze has released it's new nail polish collection, 'The Capitol Colours Collection.' The collection features 12 different colors, one for each district:

Dress Me Up - District 8 (Textiles)

Foie Gras - District 10 (Livestock)

Fast Track - District 6 (Transportation)

Hook and Line - District 4 (Fishing)

Stone Cold - District 2 (Masonry)

Smoke and Ashes - District 12 (Mining)

Agro - District 11 (Agriculture)

Mahogany Magic - District 7 (Lumber)

Harvest Moon - District 9 (Grain)

Riveting - District 3 (Technology)

Electrify - District 5 (Power)

Luxe and Lush - District 1 (Luxury)

Which is your favorite? Mine is Agro:

Via All Lacquered Up

Follow Friday | 01

Follow Friday, or Feature & Follow, is a meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. The premise is for bloggers to get to know other bloggers, and keep in touch with each other. This weeks questions:

What is the best book you've read in the last month? 

What is the worst book you've read in the last month?

So, the best book I have read this past month of March would have to be Cathy Lamb's "Such A Pretty Face." I wrote a review here. It's hard to pick out the worst book I have read this month...most of what I've been reading has been really good. I suppose if I had to choose, then it would be the book I am currently reading "Tiger's Curse" by Colleen Houck. Don't get me wrong, I'm only about 30% through the book, and the story is good, it's just that some parts are a bit too...I dunno...perhaps 'cheesy' is the word. I'll be writing a review once I've finished, and there's still a chance I may like it more as I continue it, but out of all the books I've read for the month that one has scored the least points with me so far.

Best

Worst

Win A Signed Copy of Angelfall

Author Susan Ee is giving away a signed copy of her novel "Angelfall" on her blog. Follow the link below to her post with details on how to win:

Angelfall Paperback Giveaway!

*** Please note, this contest will be open from now until midnight on March 20th, 2012

You can also purchase an eBook copy of "Angelfall" for the low price of 99 cents:

Amazon (Kindle)
Barnes & Noble (Nook)

Waiting On Wednesday | 02

'Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly meme, hosted by Breaking the Spine, which features upcoming releases that I am anticipating the most! Here's what I can't wait to read at the moment:

The Glimpse by Claire Merle

In a near future, society is segregated according to whether people are genetically disposed to mental illness. 17-year-old Ana has been living the privileged life of a Pure due to an error in her DNA test. When the authorities find out, she faces banishment from her safe Community, a fate only thwarted by the fact that she has already been promised to Pure-boy Jasper Taurell.

Jasper is from a rich and influential family and despite Ana’s condition, wants to be with her. The authorities grant Ana a tentative reprieve. If she is joined to Jasper before her 18th birthday, she may stay in the Community until her illness manifests. But if Jasper changes his mind, she will be cast out among the Crazies. As Ana’s joining ceremony and her birthday loom closer, she dares to hope she will be saved from the horror of the City and live a ‘normal’ life. But then Jasper disappears. Led to believe Jasper has been taken by a strange sect the authorities will not interfere with, Ana sneaks out of her well-guarded Community to find him herself. Her search takes her through the underbelly of society and into the pits of the human soul. And as she delves deeper into the mystery of Jasper's abduction she uncovers some devastating truths that destroy everything she has grown up to believe, but she also learns to love as she has never loved before.

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze

A series of natural disasters has decimated the earth. Cut off from the rest of the world, England is a dark place. The sun rarely shines, food is scarce, and groups of criminals roam the woods, searching for prey. The people are growing restless. When a ruthless revolutionary sets out to overthrow the crown, he makes the royal family his first target. Blood is shed in Buckingham Palace, and only sixteen-year-old Princess Eliza manages to escape. Determined to kill the man who destroyed her family, Eliza joins the enemy forces in disguise. She has nothing left to live for but revenge, until she meets someone who helps her remember how to hope--and to love--once more. Now she must risk everything to ensure that she does not become...The Last Princess.

 Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

"Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you hurdle down the stairs and make a run for the corner. Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus. But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran." Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong. In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

Questions For A Bookworm

Okay, so this was a meme I found on tumblr, but I really wanted to do it because the questions look so fun!

Imagine you sit in front of a fireplace. You read, and beside you there is a cup with something hot in it. What would that be, in your case: tea, coffee or hot chocolate?

Coffee. Preferably Starbucks.

If an author gave you the chance to rewrite or to change the fate of a book character, who would you chose? 

Ok, well, it's hard to pick just one, but I would have to say that I would pick the fate of Sirius Black from the Harry Potter series. Not only does his best friend get murdered, but he gets blamed for his death and is sent to Azkaban! He doesn't even get to see his godson grow up, and even now I refuse to believe he is gone. Maybe that veil had some magical properties that somehow saved him...

Did your parents read stories to you when you were little? If yes are there any special ones you remember the most?
You know, I really don't remember them reading me anything...

What do you like more: the smell of old antiquarian books or the smell of new fresh ones you just bought?
Old books - they have more character. But I really like the smell of both.

You get the opportunity to chose between two secret talents: either to be able to make things come to life through reading them, or the gift to read yourself into a book. Which one would you like to have?
The gift to read myself into a book!! That way, I could go on awesome adventures without having to worry about screwing up the real world by bringing everything I read to life. Plus I'd get the opportunity to visit all sorts of cool worlds. Coolest power EVER!

Do you have a favorite children’s book or a favorite fairy tale?
I always loved the story of Beauty and the Beast...

Someone would talk to your friends and ask them to compare you to a book character. With who do you think would they compare you?
Hermione Granger 

Tell me the name of a writer who you would like to have as a friend.
John Green, of course! Just check out his YouTube videos - he seems like such an awesome person to hang out with and to do dorky things together. Plus, he'd be great for some deep conversations.

You can hide in a written down world for only one night into which world do you escape?
Harry Potter! I would love to spend a night sneaking through the hidden corridors of Hogwarts!

Something terrible happens: you have to flee to an unknown place and all you can take with you are three books of all the ones you own. Which three ones do you put into your bag?
The Lord of The Rings, which has all three books in one volume; I wish I could say the Harry Potter series, but I know that's cheating, so I'll say Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, because it's my favorite; and finally, one of the survival manuals we have in the house - I mean, a terrible situation with an unknown destination? I better be prepared...

{In My Mailbox} Kindle Haul

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme started by The Story Siren, in which book bloggers share what books they have gotten during the week. It's a great way to see what others are reading, and to discover interesting books as well!

I actually didn't get any physical books this past week - just a few titles for my kindle. But here they are, if you're interested:

Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi

Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire

Entangled: A Paranormal Anthology

Waiting On Wednesday | 01

'Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly meme, hosted by Breaking the Spine, which features upcoming releases that I am anticipating the most! Here's what I can't wait to read at the moment:

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood. When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

Nightshifted by Cassie Alexander 

Nursing school prepared Edie Spence for a lot of things. Burn victims? No problem. Severed limbs? Piece of cake. Vampires? No way in hell. But as the newest nurse on Y4, the secret ward hidden in the bowels of County Hospital, Edie has her hands full with every paranormal patient you can imagine—from vamps and were-things to zombies and beyond… Edie’s just trying to learn the ropes so she can get through her latest shift unscathed. But when a vampire servant turns to dust under her watch, all hell breaks loose. Now she’s haunted by the man’s dying words—Save Anna—and before she knows it, she’s on a mission to rescue some poor girl from the undead. Which involves crashing a vampire den, falling for a zombie, and fighting for her soul. Grey’s Anatomy was never like this…

Above by Leah Bobet

Matthew has loved Ariel from the moment he found her in the tunnels, her bee's wings falling away. They live in Safe, an underground refuge for those fleeing the city Above--like Whisper, who speaks to ghosts, and Jack Flash, who can shoot lightning from his fingers. But one terrifying night, an old enemy invades Safe with an army of shadows, and only Matthew, Ariel, and a few friends escape Above. As Matthew unravels the mystery of Safe's history and the shadows' attack, he realizes he must find a way to remake his home--not just for himself, but for Ariel, who needs him more than ever before.

Such A Pretty Face by Cathy Lamb

Wow. Okay, so 'Such A Pretty Face' is the first novel I've read by Cathy Lamb, and I must say - it was amazing! At first, I thought it was going to take a while to read this, because it seemed to move rather slow in the first few chapters, but then I found that the story and characters just sucked me in. This novel follows Stevie, a young woman who had lost over 170 pounds after bariatric surgery (which she underwent after suffering from a heart-attack.) The reason Stevie had originally let herself become over 300 pounds in the first place is because she saw food as a comforting escape from her childhood memories.

Stevie had lived with her grandparents growing up because her father had passed away when she was a baby, and her mother suffered from Schizophrenia. Unlike having a normal childhood, Stevie had to deal with never knowing how her mother would act at any giving moment - often crying when it appeared her mom disliked her. At one point after being institutionalized, it is discovered that Stevie's mother is pregnant yet again, and after the baby is born Stevie is instantly attached and in love.

Sadly, it is in the very first chapter that you learn that during a rainstorm, Stevie's mother throw's both of her children off of a bridge and into a river, and then jumps in herself in an effort to escape the voices she hears in her head. Stevie is the only survivor. The bulk of the novel focuses on how the new, thinner Stevie is trying to find out who she is as an individual, while discovering more about her past, and learning to forgive herself for not being able to save her sister. There are also flashbacks in the novel which give more details about Stevie's childhood and her relationship with her mother.

I found that I really loved this book! It even had me crying at the end, because I was already emotionally attached to Stevie's character. I felt that the story was well written, and the flashbacks were seamlessly woven into it. I loved many of the side characters - including Stevie's sweetheart of a cousin, Lance, and her quirky friend, Zena. I do, however, feel that some characters were a bit underdeveloped and perhaps stereotypical - mainly her main squeeze, Jake, who doesn't seem to have much of a personality except as 'Mr. Perfect.' Still, this may be just because he's only described through Stevie's eyes. At any rate, this novel was definitely worth my time, and I would recommend it to anyone. Stevie was a witty, likable character, and her story was very touching. 

On My Wishlist | 02

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. If you want to know more click here.

In Your Room by Jordanna Fraisberg

Molly and Charlie have fallen head over heels in love - even though they've never met. Molly is a fashion-conscious city girl in L.A. Charlie is an earthy, mountain-biking dude from Boulder, Colorado. Each of them has big plans with their respective friends for the summer - until they discover that their parents decided to swap houses! Luckily there's no amount of homesickness that a bit of snooping can't cure. Charlie and Molly begin crawling under beds and poking around in closets to find out a little more about each other - and they like what they find. Can Charlie and Molly's long-distance romance survive jealousy, misunderstandings, and the thousand miles between them?

The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee

For sixteen-year-old Jane, life is a mystery she despairs of ever mastering. She and her friends are the idle, pampered children of the privileged class, living in luxury on an Earth remade by natural disaster. Until Jane's life is changed forever by a chance encounter with a robot minstrel with auburn hair and silver skin, whose songs ignite in her a desperate and inexplicable passion. Jane is certain that Silver is more than just a machine built to please. And she will give up everything to prove it. So she escapes into the city's violent, decaying slums to embrace a love bordering on madness. Or is it something more? Has Jane glimpsed in Silver something no one else has dared to see--not even the robot or his creators? A love so perfect it must be destroyed, for no human could ever compete?