Saturday, March 31, 2012

End of the Semester = sporadic posting!

Last week, I've been pretty much MIA on the blog. I've been busy with work and studying for my test, and preparing for my finals. (Yes, even though they are in a little less then three weeks, I'm already preparing.) This means I won't be posting that often until April 19th, BUT I'll make up for it once all my exams are done. I have a giveaway coming soon and a guest post from an amazing blogger coming soon!

Thank you guys for not abandoning me!

Emilie

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Coming Out This Week! March 25th- 31st

Coming Out This Week is a weekly feature presenting you some of the books coming out this week. Please remember that this is a non-exhaustive list. Still, feel free to leave other books coming out this week in the comments. I would be happy to add them!



Now in Paperback



Which book are you the most excited to read?

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Review: Slide by Jill Hathaway


Title: Slide
Author: Jill Hathaway
Series: Slide #1
Release Date: Marche 27th, 2012
Number of Pages: 258
Publisher: Balzar + Bray
Source: NetGalley

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.
Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.
Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.
Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

Slide is one of those books that end up being really addicting, even if you still believe things should have been slightly different. Why? Because as good as a mystery can be, I feel like the strongest point of the novel was Vee’s relationship with her family and friends. That I found interesting. The mystery was there, I didn’t really guess it, but it’s still felt strange. It seemed a little far-fetched, but it was still enjoyable.

One of the things that was lacking for me was a little more knowledge of her sliding ability. I wish we could have learned a little more about where it comes from… It felt a little random at some point, but I do hope we’ll learn were it comes from (an ancestor? Radioactive Spiders?)

The thing is Hathaway did develop her characters quite nicely. That’s something that I loved about this novel. She created a great set of supporting characters, with nicely build relationships with Vee.  The only thing I dislike about Vee was the fact that she seemed to be jumping to conclusions way to often. That can be a little annoying for some readers.

Jill Hathaway’s writing was captivating and extremely enjoyable. It makes me excited to read more from her, especially more from this series. I do hope she will give us more of some of the characters (Rollins please!)

Fan of Veronica Mars will probably really enjoy this novel. It is a great and entertaining novel that presents characters we only wish to get more of.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Review: Wanderlove by Kristen Hubbard


Title: Wanderlove
Author: Kristen Hubbard
Series: None
Release Date: Marche 13th, 2012
Number of Pages: 352
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Source: NetGalley + Bought copy
It all begins with a stupid question:
Are you a Global Vagabond?
No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.
Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan’s found, is to keep moving forward.
But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.
Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry to this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.
Wanderlove has been sitting on my virtual shelf for a while. I can’t really explain why, I just never got around to read it. Now, I have to say I wish I had picked this book earlier. It was simply the perfect book for a girl like me who wish she could spend the rest of her life traveling. I wish I could have had the chance to have a trip like Bria did, as it is probably the best way to travel.

Now, that book left me dreaming, hoping and wishing to get on the next plane for whatever country I can go to. All the places described, the people they met, and the things they did… It all makes you want to be with there so you can experience it yourself.

The characters really worked for me in this novel. I loved how Bria had no idea of what backpacking was really about. She wanted to discover so much, yet was too afraid to really go on to see what she really wanted to see until she meets Starling and Rowan. Starling made me laugh and made me smile. She’s the kind of girl you would love to travel with, because she isn’t afraid to go where no one has been. She was there for her brother, for Bria too once they became friends. Now, she may have played Bria a little so she would end up traveling alone with Rowan, but it was always with the best intention. Now, what can I say about Rowan. There is simply something captivating about him. I really enjoyed him, as he seems so… himself. He didn’t seem fake to me. I thought it balanced well Bria’s personality. The mix of Bria and Rowan really made the novel as addicting as it was.

For me, Kristen Hubbard made a novel that got on ready to drop everything and leave to see the places she had described. I really was captivated by the story and the places she takes us to visit through the novel. And how can I forget about Kristen’s drawings, which add a little something to the novel.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Review: Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan


Title: Boy Meets Boy
Author: David Levithan
Series: None
Release Date: September 9th, 2003
Number of Pages: 185
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Source: Bought
This is the story of Paul, a sophomore at a high school like no other: The cheerleaders ride Harleys, the homecoming queen used to be a guy named Daryl (she now prefers Infinite Darlene and is also the star quarterback), and the gay-straight alliance was formed to help the straight kids learn how to dance.
When Paul meets Noah, he thinks he’s found the one his heart is made for. Until he blows it. The school bookie says the odds are 12-to-1 against him getting Noah back, but Paul’s not giving up without playing his love really loud. His best friend Joni might be drifting away, his other best friend Tony might be dealing with ultra-religious parents, and his ex-boyfriend Kyle might not be going away anytime soon, but sometimes everything needs to fall apart before it can really fit together right.
This is a happy-meaningful romantic comedy about finding love, losing love, and doing what it takes to get love back in a crazy-wonderful world.
Boy Meets Boy is set in a strange Gay Utopia. Why strange? Well, it seems so unreal, a town where most characters seem to be gay (or at least, most characters we meet), where everything seems perfect. It is almost a dream town, where people or so open-minded. Even Tony’s religious parents seems kind of okay with it (well more than some religious family I’ve known…) Still, it felt kind of strange, mostly with the fast food restaurant turning meat-free because of some vegetarians being against their use of meat (I’m vegetarian, and sometime it can be hard to find a good alternative in a restaurant…)

Now, the characters were mostly great. Paul really made me laugh, and he seems like the kind of guy I would love to have as friend.  He was just seems to be bringing something to all his friends. The only thing, I have to say that he was a little of a drama queen. Out of all his friends, I have to say that I didn’t like Joni. I’m sorry, but I’m the kind of girl that thinks that friends should come first. Her relationship with Chuck just brought the worst out of her, in my opinion. Now, let’s talk about Noah, Paul’s love interest. I liked him, yet he wasn’t my favorite character. (No, I don’t prefer Kyle, it’s just that I feel like Noah should been more open to what Paul wanted to tell him, when he tried to explain everything.

Overall, I did enjoy this novel. It wasn’t love, but I would recommend it. It was a short read, enjoyable enough. It was my first book by David Levithan, well written only by him (I’ve read Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which he wrote with John Green).  No completely what I expected though. I wasn’t expecting that much of an “utopic” setting.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Coming Out This Week! March 18th- 24th

Coming Out This Week is a weekly feature presenting you some of the books coming out this week. Please remember that this is a non-exhaustive list. Still, feel free to leave other books coming out this week in the comments. I would be happy to add them!


Now in Paperback


Which book are you the most excited to read?


Friday, March 16, 2012

Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver


Title: Pandemonium
Author: Lauren Oliver
Series: Delirium #2
Release Date: February 28th, 2012
Number of Pages: 375
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Bought
I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, 
pushing aside thoughts of Alex, 
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, 
push, 
push, 
push, 
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.
Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.
I finally had tome to read the sequel to the amazing Delirium, a book I have loved. At first, I wasn’t really sure I would love this book as much as I did the first one. Why? Because the first few chapters, seeing as the novel alternates with “now” and “then”, didn’t captivated me as much as I wanted. Still, after a couple of chapter, I really ended up being captivated by Lena’s story again. The fact that it switched between both time really helped the story be more captivating, as we aren’t simply following Lena for a few hundred pages as she grow stronger in the Wild. That could have been a little slow.

The thing that I really enjoy is that there was a couple of really nice twist that really got me addicted. I love Lena’s new “friends”, even though they don’t always seem too completely truthful. I was sad to see some of them go, but overall, I felt like they added a little something nice to the story.

Now, There is also a new male interest for Lena. I don’t like him as much as I did Alex, but he was great on is own. I can’t wait to see where everything will be heading for Lena after the few twits that were thrown her way in the last few chapters. Lauren Oliver, you got me really, really, excited for your next book in the series.

In my opinion, Lauren Oliver proved in this novel that she could write a sequel without falling into the traditional “curse” of the second book, which often ends up a little bleh in comparison. No, Pandemonium keeps us satisfied from beginning to end, without ever feeling like it can’t stand on it’s own. This was one of those books you can simply devour.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Review: Starters by Lissa Price


Title: Starters
Author: Lissa Price
Series: Starters #1
Release Date: March 13th, 2012
Number of Pages: 368
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Source: NetGalley + Bought
HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER
Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.
He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . . .
Okay, if I’m honest, I wasn’t sure I would love this novel at first. The cover made me feel like it was a little too science fiction. How wrong was I! This is a dystopian novel that will keep you addicted until the end. I got a review e-copy on NetGalley first, yet I never got around to reading it. When I went to Indigo a few days ago, I saw it and thought I should probably buy it if I want to finally read it. I started right away and I couldn’t put it down until I was done.

The world Lissa Price created was amazing. Yet, there were a couple of things that left me wondering. I didn’t really get why everyone between 20 and 60 died from the “Spore Wars”. The history behind everything that is going on was lacking for me. I wanted to no more.

Still, the story was full of twits, which were enough to get me captivated from page one. I really enjoyed following Callie as a narrator. I felt like she was doing things for the right reasons. She was putting her freedom on the line to save her brother. Helena grew on me, as I understood the reasons behind her plan. She was, after all, trying to protect people. Some other characters made a great impression on me. I really liked Sarah. I wish we could have seen her a little more, but she really made a difference, in my opinion, during the few moments she was present. Michael, on the other end, didn’t really impress me. I just thought his role would be different at first. He ended up being in the background most of the time.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. I simply can’t wait to read more, and also learn what will happen with the final twist that really got me begging for more. 

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Review: Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic


Title: Never Eighteen
Author: Megan Bostic
Series: None
Releases Date: January 17th, 2012
Number of Pages: 204
Publisher: HMH’s Children Books
Source: Bought
I had the dream again. The one where I’m running. I don’t know what from or where to, but I’m scared, terrified really.
Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. But in the short time he has left there’s one thing he can do: He can try to help the people he loves live—even though he never will.
It’s probably hopeless.
But he has to try.
Never Eighteen was one of those books that leave me wondering if I loved it or not. The thing is, the idea behind the book is great. I love the fact that it is short, as book about someone who is living his last day can be heavy. Yet, I felt like that book was really light for the theme; maybe it’s only me. I was just expecting a little more than that. I felt like Austin’s feelings about his death were kind of almost non-existent.

I love that Austin is trying to make those around him better, to ease their own burden before he dies.  I also really liked the interaction between Austin and Kaylee. It is so real, so believable. I love Kaylee and her car that never seems to have one name. I love how present she is for Austin.

The writing was spot on. I really liked the way Megan Bostic created the world of this novel. I have to say that Megan Bostic will be on my to-watch list, because I really enjoyed it. She was able to stay light, even with all the emotions packed in this short novel.

Overall, it was a beautiful, funny and heart-breaking story. The only downside for me was that it didn’t go deep enough, which is understandable for such a short novel.

Monday, March 12, 2012

Review: This is not a Test by Courtney Summers


Title: This is not a Test
Author: Courtney Summers
Series: None
Release Date: June 19th, 2012
Number of Pages: 320
Publisher: St.Martin’s Griffin
Source: NetGalley
It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to?
Wow. I absolutely adore everything Courtney Summers write, so it is no surprise that I completely loved this book. Her writing is simply addicting.

Even though the main subject of this book seems to be zombies, it’s not really. It’s more than that. Courtney Summers created a dept to her main character that made this book much more than a simply zombie novel. It’s more about survival. It’s about a teenage girl struggling with the loss of her sister after she abandoned her and the memories of her abusing father. It’s about a girl struggling with her own need to live. The different characters Sloane is caught with in the high school all added a something to the story. They were so all different, yet they were all needed for them to survive in a way.

The story was simply captivating. The struggles between the characters, the fear of a zombie attack and the unknown faith of their loved one just made me want to read more. Arg.. It is so hard to talk about how good this book was. It simply left me speechless. For anyone looking for a great book, you need to check it out. For anyone who loves Courtney Summers’ novel, go get it now. It is simply amazing. It is also perfect for those who aren’t into gory zombies novel, as it isn’t gory at all.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Coming Out This Week! March 11th- 17th

Coming Out This Week is a weekly feature presenting you some of the books coming out this week. Please remember that this is a non-exhaustive list. Still, feel free to leave other books coming out this week in the comments. I would be happy to add them!


Now in Paperback



Which book are you the most excited to read?