Waiting on Wednesday (28)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where book bloggers discuss the books that they are most anxiously waiting for! (And this fabulous button was designed by my dear blogger friend Lindsay at The Violet Hour)

This week I'm waiting on...

Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly

© 27 December 2011 by Candlewick Press


Pre-Order It! Amazon

Goodreads Description:

In the wake of the Second Wave, the angel menace has exploded, and Alex and Willow are on the lam. Willow’s prophetic dream points them to Mexico City, where they connect with a fledgling group of angel killers led by the exotically beautiful Kara, an Angel Killer from Alex’s past. But the team remains suspicious of Willow, even after the more-experienced Alex takes over as leader, training them hard for a rush attack on the Seraphic Council, or “The Twelve.” This elite group of all-powerful angels is also under the scrutiny of Willow’s angel-father, Raziel, who has his own sinister plan to defeat them.

What Willow hasn’t told Alex is that there was also a mysterious boy in her dream, one she felt overpoweringly attracted to. When brooding, gorgeous Seb shows up in the flesh, he turns out to be another—possibly the world’s only other—half angel. He’s been searching for Willow all his life, and when Alex enlists this rival to help keep Willow safe, he can’t predict what chemistry will pass between them . . . or how far Willow might go to keep Alex safe. Will their love endure or spell doomsday for the human race?

Now, I generally think that I'm a little "angeled out," but I can't help but look forward to the sequel to Angel Burn!

Also, I figured I would combine this post with W.W.W. Wednesdays...so here is some more info about my reading for this week! To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…Grab the logo...and post your link at Should Be Reading!


What are you currently reading?

(Currently listening to...)

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next? 

What are YOU waiting on this week?

Top Ten Tuesday! (2)

This meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, where they are particularly fond of lists. This week's topic is in honor of Book Blogger Appreciation Week!

Top Ten Books I Read Because of Another Blogger

1. Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready - Two of my favorite blogger and Twitter friends ensured that I read this one, but the real thanks here has to go out to Neri @ In the Name of Books. I started reading this one and then stopped because I got really angry at Logan. She told me that I HAD to pick it back up and give him a chance. I am SO glad that she pushed me and I finished it!
2. Jenny Pox by J.L. Bryan - Ashley @ The Bookish Brunette first turned me on to this book and it was AWESOME, just like she said it was! It was truly a steal on the Nook when I purchased it. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't already!
3. Inside Out & Outside In by Maria V. Snyder - The first time that I heard about these books was when Rachel @ Parajunkee's View reviewed them on her blog. Her stellar review plus the fact that she has read a lot of dystopians and still loved these told me that I had to pick them up.
4. Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer - This is another recommendation from Rachel @ Parajunkee's View.  Now, I haven't quite finished this one yet, but it is stellar.  Rachel's review of LAWKI is probably one of the most influential reviews that I've ever read. Trust me--read it and you will instantly feel like you need to pick up this book!
5. Enclave by Ann Aguirre - I'm going to start sounding like a broken record, but Rachel @ Parajunkee's View got me to read this one as well! It's a fabulous post-apocalyptic dystopian--enough said.
6. Firelight by Sophie Jordan - When many bloggers that I follow started getting excited about Vanish, the Firelight sequel, I felt a bit out of the loop since I hadn't read Firelight yet! Needless to say, the constant Firelight-ish chatter around the blog world left me desperately wanting to read this one and I loved it!
7. Evernight by Claudia Gray - I'll have to give The Bewitched Bookworms the most credit for getting me to pick up this series because I won a copy of book 4 from them, which in turn convinced me to pick up book 1. However, I've read a lot of positive reviews of this series and just never picked it up before. I felt like it was time to give vampires another shot so I went with this one and I wasn't disappointed!
8. Witchlanders by Lena Coakley - I grabbed this book from S&S Galley Grab, and it didn't strike me right away as something I was really going to enjoy. I don't often enjoy a lot of fantasy novels, so I continued to put this one off until it almost expired! When I started to see positive reviews popping up from bloggers I follow, I knew I had  to give it a chance. I can't believe I almost let this expire!
9.  Ashes by Ilsa Bick - This is another one that I got from NetGalley and then let sit for a long time. I just never felt inspired to pick it up. A review from Rachel @ Parajunkee's View changed my mind on this one. I went home and finally downloaded the galley--and read it in a day! I couldn't put it down!
10. Blood Red Road by Moira Young - Okay, so I haven't actually read this one yet, but I've read too many positive reviews from bloggers not to pick it up. I had downloaded this one from S&S Galley Grab, but the prose and lack of punctuation threw me for such a loop that I couldn't get through it. However, after months of reading rave reviews on it, I finally broke down, bought a copy, and am starting it over again. Y'all better be right on this one!

2012 Tween (P)Review: The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen focusing on MG literature. Do you read and review MG books? Hop on over and join the fun!

Release Date: 17 January 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Pre-Order It! Amazon

Goodreads description:

Magic, Djinn, Ogres, and Sorcerers. Thirteen-year-old Zardi loves to hear stories about fantastical beings, long banned from the kingdom of Arribitha. But anyone caught whispering of their powers will feel the rage of the sultan—a terrifying usurper who, even with his eyes closed, can see all.
When her own beloved sister is captured by the evil ruler, Zardi knows that she must go to any lengths to rescue her. Along with her best friend, Ridhan—a silver-haired, violet-eyed boy of mysterious origins—and an unlikely crew of sailors led by the infamous Captain Sinbad, Zardi ventures forth into strange and wondrous territory with a seemingly impossible mission: to bring magic back to Arribitha and defeat the sultan once and for all.

My Thoughts...

In this stunning MG novel, Jasmine Richards has brought life to a mesmerizing fantasy story of magic, friendship, and adventure. The world of Arribitha will pull you in and captivate you page after page. The characters, the magic, the journey, the settings--each element is woven together beautifully to create a magical story that will delight readers of all ages.

Enter the world of Arribithia--where magic is forbidden and everyone is at the mercy of the all-powerful Sultan--including his advisors.  This is the world we enter when we meet Zardi, a young tomboy of a girl who dreams of sailing the open seas and embarking on dangerous quests. Zardi's best friend (and basically adopted brother) Rhidan, her constant companion in her (mis)adventures, is a mystery in and of himself. He was simply left abandoned by his family, whoever them may be. In the span of a day both of their lives change drastically--Rhidan is given a clue to his past from a story Sinbad the sailor shares and Zardi's sister is taken by the Sultan to be the new "praisemaker"--a position that means eventual death for the girl unfortunate to hold the position. The two set off on a quest to discover the past and hopefully save the future.

Zardi and Rhidan are instantly loveable characters. Their sense of wonder at the world around them and their fierce determination to accomplish extraordinary things make them come alive as strong yet quite naive characters. Maybe it's their bright-eyed wonder and maybe it's their dreams of grandeur that make them seem this way, but whatever it is, these two are a pair to get to know and become friends with. As you accompany them on their journey, they each discover strengths they never knew they had and learn to lean on each other for support. Rhidan, who is definitely the quieter of the two at the beginning, really comes into his own as he discovers more about himself and gains the self-confidence that he seemed to lack at the beginning. He definitely becomes more than just Zardi's "side-kick."

The world itself is a site to see. Ms. Richards employs vivid imagery that truly immerses you in the various settings.  Whether it's on the docks in Taraket or on Desolation Island, the images that the story conveys are mesmerizing. You'll find yourself right there alongside Zardi and Rhidan as they embark on their journey. The fantasy world of magic truly comes alive for the reader.

My only regret with this book is that I don't get to keep it! I'll be sending it along for the ATWT very soon and I'm sad to see it go. The ending leaves me thinking that Ms. Richards plans to continue the story and I most certainly hope that she will! Trust me--I'll be first in line to read it if she does!

2012 (P)Review: Pure by Julianna Baggott

Release Date: 8 February 2012
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Pre-Order It! Amazon

Goodreads description:

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . .
There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.

When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.

My thoughts...


The startling world that Julianna Baggott presents in her gripping post-apocalyptic novel pulled me in and refused to let go.  It's the kind of world that truly makes you think about what today's world is capable of because the stark and startling reality is that we are capable of bringing about this type of alternate reality with the push of a button.

This potential for fiction to become reality is really what makes Ms. Baggott's world so mesmerizing--like a wreck that you can't look away from. For me, the best post-apocalyptic novels bring to light the potential for disaster that already exists in our world and this novel did just that.  The potential for us to virtually destroy ourselves is an ever-present reality that we may forget on a daily basis.  Pure reminds us that it could happen and this world could be the disastrous result.  Ms. Baggott's world-building is truly excellent. It will pull you in and allow you to walk around in this fantasy world of Pures and wretches--to see the destruction of nuclear explosions and the world created in their wake.

Baggott's dual narrative threw me for a loop at first. I had trouble finding a rhythm with the switching POVs, but eventually I was so pulled into their stories that I couldn't put the book down. Watching their stories intersect and overlap made the initial disjoint completely worth it because I knew the characters as individuals before their lives intersected. I had a better understanding of the very different lives that each one led and that definitely contributed to my overall sympathy with the characters.

Now you may be wondering, who are these characters? First off we have Pressia--a "wretch" with a doll's head fused to one of her hands who lives outside the Dome with her grandfather.  The best way to describe her is this: SURVIVOR.  This girl is tough as nails. The connection that I felt with her character was instantaneous. I'm not sure why, but she truly pulled me into the story. Something in her character was simply irresistible. I found myself inside her head  and fighting her battles. Partridge was a different story and it took me awhile to truly connect with him--to really figure out what his part was in the bigger scheme of things.  His role became quickly apparent and as he developed I found him to be much more sympathetic that at first glance. He definitely revealed himself as a multi-faceted character later on in the novel.

I'm not sure what else to say about Pure at this point. It is a fabulously written YA/adult crossover novel that will appeal to a wide audience. Those accustomed to reading YA post-apocalyptic and dystopian novels should easily fall into Ms. Baggott's world and characters. This book left me breathless and waiting on pins and needles to follow my characters on their continuing journey. I know I will be first in line to buy this book and its sequel when they are released on the world.

In My Mailbox (15)

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren where we can show some love to all the books that we got in the mail or otherwise!

Hello, my lovelies!!! So, this week, I have my second video blog! I promise that it is a lot shorter than the first...but no less awkward. :-)

Bought:

• Strange Angels (Strange Angels, Book 1) by Lili St. Crow
• Infinite Days (Vampire Queen) by Rebecca Maizel
• Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

Tour:

• The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards (thanks, Around the World ARC Tours!)
• Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally (thanks, Around the World ARC Tours!)
• Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey (thanks, Banned Book Tours!)

For Review:

• Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (thanks, Penguin!!!)

What's in YOUR mailbox?!

:-D

Hop & Follow Friday! (25)

Happy Friday, lovelies!

I hope you had a wonderful week and are looking forward to an awesome, book-filled weekend!

The Book Blogger Hop is a fun (generally) bookish Friday meme hosted by Jennifer over at Crazy for Books! Be sure to jump over to her post, read the rules, and link up your post!

This week's question:

“Many of us primarily read one genre of books, with others sprinkled in. If authors stopped writing that genre, what genre would you start reading? Or would you give up reading completely if you couldn’t read that genre anymore?”

Well, right now, I mostly read YA paranormal stuff.  I think my first option if they stopped writing that (heaven forbid!) would be to head for contemporary fiction. I definitely wouldn't give up reading! Heavens NO! 

"Follow My Book Blog Friday" is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee's View and Allison at Allison Can Read where bloggers make new friends, including this week's featured bloggers--Pedantic Phooka & Drying Ink!  Pop on over to Parajunkee's blog and join in the follow fun!!

This week's question: 

Q: Have you ever wanted a villain to win at the end of the story? If so, which one? 

  I'm not sure if he's really a "villian" but I would say that there were definitely moments (many, actually) when I totally wanted Linden to win over Rhine in Lauren DeStefano's Wither. It's not necessarily a villain winning, but it's the "bad guy" (although the "not as bad as his dad" bad guy) getting the girl. I think that's about as close as I have come to sincerely wanting the villain to win. I think that makes sense as most authors would want you to fall in love with and cheer for their hero.

TGIF is a weekly meme hosted by Ginger at GReadswhere she poses a thought-provoking question to prompt some blogger discussion!

Making a Difference: 
Books to Television: Which books would you love to see made in to a tv series? or movie? 

The IRON FEY series! TV, movies, I don't even care. :-) I think that the books have really fabulous world-building and dynamic characters as well as a solid mixture of action and romance that would appeal to a wide audience.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog today! I love your comments and try my best to return follows! 
HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

(PS ~ See that link at the top of the page? The one for my potential 2012 challenge? Would you be so kind as to take a look and leave some feedback? I'd love to get an idea of if this is something that people would be interested in.  Or just answer the poll in the sidebar. Thanks!!)