Thursday, November 28, 2013

Current Updates

Hi! I just wanted to write up a quick post updating you on bookish things I want to talk about! Let's get started:

The books I've read this week:


So, I have read The Fiery Heart (5 Stars), Just a Little Series (2.5 Stars), and Eversea (3 Stars). My enjoyment of the books is very varied. I loved Fiery Heart, I didn't really like Just a Little Series, and Eversea was is in the middle!

I am currently reading The Raven Boys and Darkest Fear. And I am just about to start reading Poison Princess. I hope I enjoy the book!!!


NaNoWriMo?

Also, I (sadly) did not participate in NaNoWriMo this November. However, I might try to finish a novel in December during Winter break. I'll have my own little quiet NaNoWriMo-ish challenge. Are any of you participating in NaNoWriMo this November?

And, lastly, I just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks for reading my updates!
Happy reading!

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Review: All Our Yesterdays


All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
Publication Date: September 3rd, 2013
Genre: YA Science Fiction
Amazon/Barnes and Noble
"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside. 

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was. 

All Our Yesterdays is a wrenching, brilliantly plotted story of fierce love, unthinkable sacrifice, and the infinite implications of our every choice.
So. I finally finished All Our Yesterdays. And, I have to say, I am quite disappointed. All Our Yesterday’s wasn’t a bad read, but after hearing so much praise I guess I just expected more from the story. 

I actually really liked the first 30 pages or so, but then the story just went downhill. I began to feel bored, and disconnected to the characters. For example, at the beginning of the book I thought I would really like the character Finn. However, as the book progresses, I never felt like we, as the readers, got to know him any better. We got our first impression of him, and he just stayed that way. There was no real growth, although I did like getting to know “younger Finn”.

Fortunately, I liked Em/Marina. Perhaps because we share a nickname. (At school I am called “Em” not Emily.) My favorite scene in the whole book was between these two, when Em has an amazing realization that made me smile. If you have read the book you will know what I am talking about. Unfortunately, that was one of the only scenes that legitimately touched me. 

The pacing, while it was always moving, felt very repetitive. There was a lot of running, and the characters never really did anything drastic until the end. Also, Em had some problems with killing James, which is understandable... at first. Then, her hesitancy started to get annoying and had dire consequences. I kind of wanted to shake her and tell her to learn from her mistakes. Either suck it up and shoot him for the good of Earth, or have someone else perform the deed. Don’t keep falling into the same hole!

I also did not like the ending, I kind of felt like the action was moving high speed, and then BAM. The book was over. I don't know if I will read the sequel, especially since I am not sure where the story will go. I guess I can only hope it will be better than the first one. I will definitely be on the lookout for reviews.

Overall, I wish that All Our Yesterdays had been more of a hit for me. There were interesting concepts, and a couple touching moments, but I had quite a few issues. That said, if you think you would have a differing opinion, go and pick up the book! I know the majority of the blogging community worships this book and it has a 4.12 average rating on Goodreads. Just do what is best for you!

3/5 Stars
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Thanks for reading my thoughts on All Our Yesterdays!
Happy Reading!


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Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #31



Publication Date: June 17th, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
Publisher: Henry Holt
Amazon/Barnes and Noble
In this new series told from multiple perspectives, teen members of a search and rescue team discover a dead body in the woods.

Alexis, Nick, and Ruby have very different backgrounds: Alexis has spent her life covering for her mom’s mental illness, Nick’s bravado hides his fear of not being good enough, and Ruby just wants to pursue her eccentric interests in a world that doesn’t understand her. When the three teens join Portland County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, they are teamed up to search for a autistic man lost in the woods. What they find instead is a dead body. In a friendship that will be forged in danger, fear, and courage, the three team up to find the girl’s killer—before he can strike one of their own.

This first book in April Henry’s Point Last Seen YA mystery series is full of riveting suspense, putting readers in the middle of harrowing rescues and crime scene investigations. 
Initially, the cover drew me to this book. Sure, the eye shadow may be a little ridiculous...but I love all the green! Then, I read the synopsis and was utterly intrigued! I cannot wait to step into this mystery.

What are you waiting on this week?

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Review: Pawn


Publication Date: November 26th, 2013
Genre: YA Dystopian
Amazon/Barnes and Noble
YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING. 

For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country. 

If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter. 

There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.
Pawn was a thrilling read, and no where near your typical, old-hat dystopian. Aimee Carter managed to create a world that wasn’t a copy cat, and I could tell she put a lot of work into making the future society seem unique and complete. Be on the lookout for this novel.

It seems to me that a lot of dystopians have love triangles (Hunger Games, The Selection, Shatter Me etc.) so I was elated when I realized that Pawn did not have a bothersome triangle of love and angst. I am not even against love triangles, but they can become overwhelming. Agreed? Pawn’s awesome romance was a nice relief. Benjy was a sweet love interest, and I hope to see more of him and Kitty together in the next book. They seem to click in an awesome way... and I am glad Benjy is not the average, cliched “bad boy” I have grown wearisome of.

That said, the romance is not the front-and-center of Pawn. Nope. The plot mostly revolves around Kitty’s masquerade as the adored Lila. After Kitty basically fails an important test of ranking, she is offered a chance for a much higher ranking. Kitty soon awakes as Lila, the prime minister’s niece, who is a dead, and a formerly rebellious leader of the group against the rankings, and, ultimately, the society.

However, as Kitty masquerades as Lila, she finds more and more lies and political battles. She is told many things, but neither her nor the reader know what to believe. I loved this part of Pawn. There is so much uncertainty and excitement on the part of the reader as you wait for juicy things to be revealed! The world that Kitty endures seems very terrible at the beginning, and just worsens as you learn more. Especially as the minister’s family and other powerful figures are immersed into chaos and fight among themselves. It is hard to tell what a character really wants, and sometimes, your first impression of a character is very wrong indeed. I only have one little complaint... there is this reveal I saw coming, and I thought Kitty should have considered the possibility sooner. Does it ever bother you when you figure something out before the main character does? 

Overall, Pawn is an intriguing story, and I have high expectations for the sequel! If the book sounds up your alley, most definitely pick the thrilling ride up and immerse yourself into a twisted dystopian world!

4/5 Stars

*I received this book from HarlequinTEEN in exchange for an honest review*


Thanks for reading my thoughts on Pawn! 
Happy Reading



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Monday, November 25, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday #28




Top Ten Six Bookish
Things I Am Thankful For 
Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish


1. Authors and Publishers
Without these wonderful people, I would have never read any of my favorite stories!

2. The Book Blogosphere
I am so thankful that I found the blogging community. People who love books are so awesome!!! It is so fun to interact and talk about books daily.

3. My Kindle
*sigh* Well, I will always love print books more... but I guess I owe my kindle a big "Thank You" for holding all my ARCs. Also, thank you Kindle for being lighter than a hardback.



4. GOOD book to movie adaptations
I just saw Catching Fire, and ohmigod was it amazing!!!!!!!! Also, I love all the Harry Potter movies

5. The Lady at Borders who gave me book recommendations
I am forever grateful to this one lady who recommended Alanna to me a couple years ago when I wandered from the middle grade section into the teen section for the first time! Thanks to her I love young adult!

Borders R.I.P

6. MATCHING Covers
I hate mid-series cover changes!!! So, I am very, very, very thankful to the series that are matching. Do you feel the way I do about mid-series cover changes?

What are you thankful for?
Happy Reading!

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Review: Crash into You

I really enjoyed Katie McGarry's latest novel, Crash into You!

Crash into You by Katie McGarry (Pushing the Limits #3)

Publication Date: November 26th, 2013
Genre: YA Contemporary
Amazon/Barnes and Noble
The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind. 

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look. 

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

----The Review----

I loved, loved, loved Crash into You! As soon as I started reading I was hooked. I found myself wanting to spend the whole day reading, and I jumped at every chance to sneak off, ignore my responsibilities, and immerse myself into Isaiah’s and Rachel’s story.

For those who have read the first in the series, Pushing the Limits, you may have been rooting for Beth and Isaiah to get together. Well, it was never meant to be as *spoilers for those new to the series* Beth found her own dream guy in Dare You To. So, Beth and Isaiah shippers, will you be happy with this new girl Isaiah has found? I think you will! Rachel, our new character, is a perfect fit for Isaiah. 

The characters are always superb in McGarry’s novels. Rachel Young was an awesome main character, although her family had a lot of problems. The older sister died and Rachel constantly feels pressurized to be exactly like her to please the mom. Rachel’s panic attacks don't help anything either. Speaking of Rachel’s family, I suggest you pay close attention to the brothers, especially West! Not only is he a fun and full of attitude, West also has a whole book about him coming out in 2014! 

The romance is amazing. I loved the connection between Isaiah and Rachel even more than Noah and Echo. When you see the conversations the two have, you can tell they were meant for each other! Even though both characters lead completely different lives, they have this love for cars that initially drew them into one another, and then you see how they have a lot of fun together just hanging out.

For anyone interested in car racing, this might be a pretty good book for you. I must confess I never had much interest (at all) in car racing. And, while I still have zero interest, McGarry made the scenes fun to read and carefully researched. Also, there is a lot of suspense over Rachel and Isaiah getting Eric, king of the streets, his money after one race turns into a disaster. The book revolves around this plot, and I really loved it; the plot kept me on my toes. We also get a good look at Abby, who is Rachel’s self-appointed BFF. Let me just say, you will enjoy every scene she is in!

Overall, this book was such fun! Crash Into You is my favorite McGarry book to date... and I really loved Pushing the Limits, so that’s saying something!

4.5/5 Stars




*I received a copy of this book from HarlequinTEEN in exchange for an honest review*


Thanks for reading my thoughts on Crash into You! 

Happy Reading!
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Double Cover Reveal!

Today Rebekah Purdy and Entangled Teen are revealing the covers for LEGEND OF ME, releasing in early 2014. And THE WINTER PEOPLE, releasing July 1, 2014! Check out the gorgeous covers, exclusive excerpts, and enter to win an eARC of each!


LEGEND OF ME
Author: Rebekah Purdy
Release Date: Early 2014
Publisher: Entangled Teen

Sixteen-year-old Brielle has grown up hearing tales of a beast that kills humans, leaving behind only a scattering of bones and limbs. Or so the village elders say. She thinks it’s just their way of keeping children in line, though it doesn’t explain her grisly premonitions of blood, claws, and severed heads.
When Lord Kenrick, Knight of the Crowhurst Order, shows up asking questions about the legendary monster and Brielle finds a mangled body in the woods, she begins to wonder if the grim stories are true. Her attraction to the handsome knight grows as she spends time with him searching for clues to the creature’s existence, and she becomes even more determined to help him discover the beast’s location.

But as her seventeenth birthday approaches, her nightmares worsen. If Brielle doesn’t figure out the connection between Kenrick, the monster, and visions of a ghostly woman in the woods soon, more people could die. Including those closest to her…

Exclusive Excerpt!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

What happened to the week?


I was Gone???

Wait a minute. My last post was a top ten tuesday post? Where have I been? :D

Oh yeah, now I remember :( I have been feeling a little sick lately. Plus, school and ballet takes up a lot of time. And I have been very absent in the book blogging world.

Here is a recommendation!

To make up for it, I am going to give you some of my special advice; Go read The Fiery Heart! It came out this week!

Are you new to the series? Well, start reading!


Have you read this series? Do you have any predictions for the trials of Adrian and Sydney? If you have already read the book, don't spoil me! I am getting the book tomorrow in the mail!

Also, if you have read the series, what book is your favorite? I really, really LOVED The Golden Lily, but I think The Fiery Heart will soon become my new favored Bloodlines novel.

And, for a conclusion, let's take about the covers. I, well, really despise them. I kind of want to sit her down and have a talk about her hair. Also, well, I am feeling kind of ignored by the guy. What's he looking at? Are you a fan of the Bloodlines covers?

Overall, read the series (like, now) if you haven't, and if you have I would love to chat! This is one of my favorite series!!!

2013 Reading Challenge

I have been reading though! Here is the proof :

2013 Reading Challenge

2013 Reading Challenge
Emily has completed her goal of reading 250 books in 2013!
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Normalcy will return. And I have a weird idea!

Thankfully, I have next week off school. So, what does that mean? More posts!!!

Also, I had this awesome (I think) idea and I cannot wait to share it with you. Perhaps I will post about it tomorrow! I am so excited!

Bye! Thanks for reading!