Top Ten Tuesday (#13)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish, where bloggers get together and list the top ten things related to that week's topic.

Top Ten... Scariest Looking Book Covers

Sever by Lauren DeStefano

Title: Sever
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Publisher: HarperCollins
Released: February 12h 2013
Pages: 371 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
Add on Goodreads

With the clock ticking until the virus takes its toll, Rhine is desperate for answers. After enduring Vaughn’s worst, Rhine finds an unlikely ally in his brother, an eccentric inventor named Reed. She takes refuge in his dilapidated house, though the people she left behind refuse to stay in the past. While Gabriel haunts Rhine’s memories, Cecily is determined to be at Rhine’s side, even if Linden’s feelings are still caught between them.

Meanwhile, Rowan’s growing involvement in an underground resistance compels Rhine to reach him before he does something that cannot be undone. But what she discovers along the way has alarming implications for her future—and about the past her parents never had the chance to explain.

This is going to be a difficult review, because I both loved and hated this series. I adored Wither, as it was like no dystopian I had ever read before, and Fever proved to be good, even if it had some mild second book syndrome; Sever was supposed to collect all of those loose ends and give the readers a satisfying ending. It didn't.

So...I won something?

A few months ago, The Guardian (a British newspaper) held a Young Critics competition. The basic idea was to write a 200-word review on one of the eight books nominated for the The Guardian's Children's Fiction award, and since I write reviews anyway (and one of the eight books turned out to be my favourite book ever) I decided Heck, why not? Anyway...turns out I'm one of the ten winners *insert celebration GIFs everywhere*

Blog Tour: Panic by J. A. Huss (Review + Playlist)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

REVIEW
Title: Panic
Author: J. A. Huss
Publisher: Science Future Press
Released: October 15th 2013
Pages: 232 (eBook)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / B&N / Kobo
Add on Goodreads

Rook is chasing her dream—film school and a chance at a life beyond the one she left behind six months ago. But before she can become the girl she wants to be, she must deal with the girl she left behind.

Ronin is also chasing his dream—a family of his own and a life away from erotic modeling. And he too, has a past he’s trying to forget. A past that makes Rook question everything about their life together.

Lies, secrets, and shocking truths will rock the foundation Rook and Ronin have built. Can they put the past behind them and move forward together? Or is this just another too good to be true relationship that will crash and burn in the end?

Since I've followed this trilogy from the beginning, how could I not take part in the final blog tour? The Rook and Ronin series are some of the best indie books I have ever read. Full of suspense, drama, and scenes hot enough to make you sweat, it is definitely something you don't want to miss.

Waiting on Wednesday (#35)

 I use Grammarly's free plagiarism checker because there is nothing worse than publishing your favourite joke, only to find out that you've misspelt the punchline. 

Waiting on Wednesday' is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Title: Onyx
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher:  Entangled Teen
Released: August 14th 2012
Pages: 366 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
Add on Goodreads

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies….

Obsidian's publishing sent the entire blogasphere a raging frenzy - the Lux series were the books to read, and eventually I caved in to see what all the fuss was about. Obsidian blew me away, and almost a year later, I've finally gotten round to reading the sequel, Onyx. I liked it - I didn't love it, but I liked it.

Lover Eternal by J. R. Ward

Title: Lover Eternal
Author: J. R. Ward
Publisher: Piatkus
Released: March 7th 2006
Pages: 441 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
Add on Goodreads

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war raging between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Possessed by a deadly beast, Rhage is the most dangerous of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Owned by this dark side, Rhage fears the time when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.

Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant on Rhage's protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. She lost her faith in miracles years ago. But when Rhage's intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves...

After reading Dark Lover, I didn't think that any of the other books would be able to hit the mark - well, the books and the couples! Because let me tell you something - I fell head over heels for Wrath and Beth. Despite their cheesy moments and Beth's occasional pathetic blip, there was just something about them that kept me reading on. However, I'm starting to think there's just something about Ward's characterisation that keeps me reading on, because I adored Rhage and Mary just as much!

Top Tuesday Ten (#12)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by the girls over at The Broke and the Bookish, where bloggers get together and list the top ten things related to that week's topic.

Top Ten... Top Ten Books I Was "Forced" to Read

Cover Reveal (#16) + Giveaway

Picture yourself standing at the edge of a dock.
Now picture being lost in your own head, utterly unsure of yourself, surrounded by people who want to use you, take you away, or simply kill you.

This is Junco Coot, aged 19, year 2152, daughter of the Rural Republic’s ranking commander. Assassin, semi-famous athlete, and on the run.


In front of you is your future...
A future filled with secrets so heinous and truths so outrageous, it will push you past the edge of sanity.
…and behind you is a life of lies.
Lies that will rip apart the threads of reality barely holding you together.

Congratulations, soldier. Your life is over, but your mission has only just begun.
Welcome to my twisted, messed-up life. No one’s getting out alive, so we might as well kick some ass on the way down.

I Am Just Junco is a dark, epic SF/fantasy that spans five full-length novels and one novella. It is NOT young adult.

The final book in the series, RETURN, will be released on December 2, 2013.
Goodreads / Amazon / B&N

Cover Reveal (#15) + Giveaway

Budding illusionist Anna Van Housen is on top of the world: after scoring a spot on a prestigious European vaudeville tour, she has moved to London to chase her dream and to join an underground society for people like her with psychic abilities. Along with her handsome beau, Cole Archer, Anna is prepared to take the city by storm.

But when Anna arrives in London, she finds the group in turmoil. Sensitives are disappearing and, without a suspect, the group’s members are turning on one another. Could the kidnapper be someone within the society itself—or has the nefarious Dr. Boyle followed them to London?
As Cole and Anna begin to unravel the case and secrets about the society are revealed, they find themselves at odds, their plans for romance in London having vanished. Her life in danger and her relationship fizzling, can Anna find a way to track down the killer before he makes her his next victim—or will she have to pay the ultimate price for her powers?
Set in Jazz-Age London, this alluring sequel to Born of Illusion comes alive with sparkling romance, deadly intrigue, and daring magic.
Goodreads / Amazon

Touch of Death by Kelly Hashway

Title: Touch of Death
Author: Kelly Hashway
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Released: January 15th 2013
Pages: 229 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
Add on Goodreads

Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.

I hate it when all your friends love a book but you just don't. The first person who told me about this book was Tyler, who absolutely loved it. After checking out the blurb, I was 96.4% sure I'd love it too. Turns out my judgement was way way off.

Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Title: Requiem
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: Hodder
Released: January 1st 2013
Pages: 391 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
Add on Goodreads
  
The final instalment in the internationally bestselling Delirium trilogy.

It is the rule of the Wilds:
You must be bigger, and stronger, and tougher.
A coldness radiates through me, a solid wall that is growing, piece by piece, in my chest. He doesn't love me?
He never loved me.
It was all a lie.

'The old Lena is dead', I say, and then push past him. Each step is more difficult than the last; the heaviness fills me and turns my limbs to stone.

You must hurt, or be hurt.

Lena can build the walls, but what if there's no one left to take them down? The powerful, heartbreaking conclusion to one of the most eagerly awaited, talked-about series is here

*makes incomprehensible sounds* I really really really hate it when an amazing trilogy comes to an end! I was definitely avoiding reading this book - part of me wanted to simply because Pandemonium left me on such a horrid cliffhanger, but part of me didn't want to as I adore this series like crazy! However, when I found out that it had finally been published in the UK, I couldn't help but buy it and read it immediately. It took me two days to finish it, and now I just don't know what to think.

Book of the Month: September

Between July and August, I read a heck of a lot of books! I stormed through them as if 100 pages was merely 10 - most of my life was taken up by the blog. Then I started my A-Levels. Over the past few weeks, I've barely read anything (which I blame solely on Tess of the D'Urbervilles, my first English Literature required reading) However, now that I've finished Tess (yay!) I'll actually have time to - gasp! - pleasure read again!

However, despite not reading much, I still did come across some amazing books. Although I rated both Crewel and Tess of the D'Urbervilles five stars, my favourite read this month just has to be Crewel by Gennifer Albin. I love the dystopian form, but since I've read so much of it, I'm starting to see the same ideas repeated over and over again. Crewel was new and completely unique; it refreshed my love for this genre, and I cannot praise it enough. I've got my fingers crossed that the sequel, Altered, will be just as good!

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy

Title: Tess of the D'Urbervilles
Author: Thomas Hardy
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Released: 1891
Pages: 592 (Hardback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
Add on Goodreads

When Tess Durbeyfield is driven by family poverty to claim kinship with the wealthy D'Urbervilles and seek a portion of their family fortune, meeting her 'cousin' Alec proves to be her downfall. A very different man, Angel Clare, seems to offer her love and salvation, but Tess must choose whether to reveal her past or remain silent in the hope of a peaceful future. With its sensitive depiction of the wronged Tess and powerful criticism of social convention, Tess of the D'Urbervilles is one of the most moving and poetic of Hardy's novels.

I haven't been posting a lot on the blog lately. Why? Blame this book. I've recently started my English Literature A-Level course, and this is the first required reading book we were set. At first, I didn't think I'd enjoy it - for those of you who don't know, Victorian literature language is quite different from modern novels, and Hardy especially loves this circumlocutory style which means he can sometimes go off on tangents for ages until he actually gets to the point. Long story short, it took me a while to read. But I've finally finished it, and actually, I rather enjoyed it.