Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Tori's Review: Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi
Series: Shatter Me #1.5
Published by Harper on October 2, 2012
Perfect for the fans of Shatter Me who are desperately awaiting the release of Unravel Me, this novella-length digital original will bridge the gap between these two novels from the perspective of the villain we all love to hate, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.
In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .
Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.
Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.
Waiting on Wednesday: The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle HodkinGenre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Pages: 464
Published by Simon & Schuster on June 3, 2014
The Retribution of Mara Dyer is the last book in the Mara Dyer Trilogy.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Lindsay's Top Ten Favorite Beginnings and Endings of Books (2)
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Top Ten Tuesdays is a weekly event created by The Broke and the Bookish. This week is favorite beginnings and endings of books.
Beginnings:
1. Between by Jessica Warman
"Wet. It's the first word that comes to mind before I scream." I absolutely love the beginning of this book. Not only is it suspenseful and creepy, but what happens is shocking. I knew what was coming and it still shocked me.
2. Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
I think it's more of the preface than the first chapter that gets me. Something about it is so intriguing that even though I've already read the book, each time I think about it I just want to continue. But even the first chapter is fantastic. It hints around mystery that keeps you turning the pages.
3. Shadowlands by Kate Brian
I think the start of this book is amazing. Normally I hate when the start is in a different perspective than the rest of the book, however in this case I absolutely loved it. I was reading in the bad guy's perspective and rooting for the main character, whom I did not know was her just yet. The whole time I was on the edge of my seat, and to this day I'm still afraid of walking through a forest and this happening to me.
4. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
"Felicia Miller was crying in the bathroom. Again." The whole first chapter is just as quirky and entertaining as the first line. I could list of tons of quotes that made me laugh and kept me turning the pages, but to save you from spoilers, I'll direct you to read the first few pages. You won't regret it.
5. All You Get Is Me by Yvonne Prinz
"My mom always promised me she would keep me safe, and then she disappeared. My dad made no such promise." I don't know what it is about the start of this book that I love so much, but regardless, I do. I think it's the simplicity of it.
Endings
1. Between by Jessica Warman
I know, I already listed it as the beginning. However, the ending was so shocking, so jaw dropping that my brain could not process it as I read the last words. I was not expecting what happened to have happened. The person who caused the problem was never a thought in my mind.
2. Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
"...a perfect paper airplane." If you've read the book, you would understand the meaning in those few words. Each time I get to the end (which has been quite a handful of times) I sob like a baby.
3. The Host by Stephanie Meyer
The book ended with a lot of closure but so much more, "but what will happen next?" As soon as I read the last line I was almost in tears because I wanted more. One of my favorite books of all time, and no matter how many times I make it to the end, I'm still sad it's over.
4. This Is Not A Test by Courtney Summers
I felt like this book ended with the ultimate goal achieved, however with great loss. Things were laid to rest, but more questions were raised. And the part when Sloane put her hand to the glass window with the zombies is such an amazing scene. I wish I could create such beauty in something so horrible.
5. The Fault in our Stars by John Green
I think the only thing I need to say is a sobbed like I just lost my entire family at the end of this book.
Tori's Top Ten Favorite Beginnings and Endings of Books (1)
1. Beginning — Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." This line is just so hilarious. The thank you very much part made me laugh out loud when I read this book.
2. Ending — The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. I can't exactly say what this ending was because it would be a major spoiler, but oh my god, this ending got me so bad. This ending. I swear. My feels. This ending. Only people who have read this book would understand my pain after I finished the last chapter.
3. Beginning — I Will Save You by Matt de la Pena. "I kept picturing it over and over in the pitch black of solidary confinement. With my arms and legs strapped down and my head taped in place so I can't move or barely even breathe." Just by reading this first line, I think to myself, why the hell is this kid (named Kidd) in solidary confinement? It's just intriguing, and I like that.
4. Ending — Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. If you've read this book, you will understand why I love the ending so much. I never knew that four words could make me so sad and happy and angry and relieved all at the same time.
5. Beginning — Stolen by Lucy Christopher. "You saw me before I saw you." 'Nuff said. Can you just sit there and admire at how amazing this first line is? It automatically drags me in, and makes me want to read this book for a second time. I'm lovin' it.
6. Ending — Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. I just have this obsession with Rainbow Rowell novels because she ends her book so beautifully, and the ending of this book was just so amazing, and I can't even.
7. Beginning — Saving June by Hannah Harington. "According to the puppy-of-the-month calendar hanging next to the phone in the kitchen, my sister June died on a Thursday, exactly nine days before her high school graduation." I don't know. The puppy-of-the-month calendar gets me every time, because it's just so hilarious that in a book that begins with death also begins with cute little puppies. I dig that.
8. Ending — The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. The last few chapters of this book were the most heart wrenching, that most heartbreaking, and most tear jerking chapters I've ever read.
9. Beginning — Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. "I'd always welcomed war, but in battle my passion rose unbidden." Okay this is just amazing, isn't it? War. War is always good in a book. So is violence (in my opinion, anyway). This book just begins with such a bang, you know? A good action scene to start off the plot is always good.
10. Ending — Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare. Let's just be clear that I am not talking about the epilogue. The epilogue made me want to cry and rip my book in half (I am a diehard Will Herondale fangirl, bish). I loved the last chapter though. So amazing. And the ending? So beautiful. But just...understand that I wish I never read the epilogue. Just saying.
Tori's Review: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
Series: None
Published by Dutton Adult on April 14, 2011
Beth and Jennifer know their company monitors their office e-mail. But the women still spend all day sending each other messages, gossiping about their coworkers at the newspaper and baring their personal lives like an open book. Jennifer tells Beth everything she can't seem to tell her husband about her anxieties over starting a family. And Beth tells Jennifer everything, period.
When Lincoln applied to be an Internet security officer, he hardly imagined he'd be sifting through other people's inboxes like some sort of electronic Peeping Tom. Lincoln is supposed to turn people in for misusing company e-mail, but he can't quite bring himself to crack down on Beth and Jennifer. He can't help but be entertained-and captivated- by their stories.
But by the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late for him to ever introduce himself. What would he say to her? "Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you." After a series of close encounters and missed connections, Lincoln decides it's time to muster the courage to follow his heart . . . even if he can't see exactly where it's leading him.
Written with whip-smart precision and charm, Attachments is a strikingly clever and deeply romantic debut about falling in love with the person who makes you feel like the best version of yourself. Even if it's someone you've never met.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Tori's Book Haul | #1
I am so sorry that I haven't posted a review since last Tuesday! I've just been so busy lately, and I decided to make this post to make up for it. And so since I've somehow acquired 11--yes, eleven--books since last Wednesday, I will make a book haul. I feel as though it is my duty as a book blogger to post book hauls.
Yeah, I know book hauls mostly appear on YouTube, but I thought that I'd give it a whirl.
Yeah, I know book hauls mostly appear on YouTube, but I thought that I'd give it a whirl.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Lindsay's Review: I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder
Series: None, however there is a companion novel called Chasing Brooklyn
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal, Poetry
Rating: ★★★★★
Pages: 227
Published by Simon Pulse on January 8th, 2008
Date Finished: July 24, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Girl meets boy. Girl loses boy. Girl gets boy back.....sort of. Ava can't see him or touch him,
unless she's dreaming.
She can't hear his voice,
except for the faint whispers in her mind.
Most would think she's crazy, but she knows he's here.
Jackson.
The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with.
He's back from the dead,
as proof that love truly knows no bounds.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Lindsay's Review: Ten Things We Did by Sarah Mlynowski
Series: None
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Rating: ★★★★
Pages: 368
Published by HarperTeen on June 7, 2011
Date Finished: July 24, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house - parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.
If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.
In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Tori's Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkins
Series: Mara Dyer #2
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Rating: ★★★★★
Pages: 544
Published by Simon & Schuster on October 23, 2012
Date Finished: July 23, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.She can’t.
She used to think her problems were all in her head.They aren’t.
She couldn’t imagine that after everything she’s been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.She’s wrong.
In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?
Monday, July 22, 2013
Lindsay's Review: Never Slow Dance With A Zombie
Never Slow Dance With a Zombie by E. Van Lowe
Series: NoneGenre: Zombies, Young Adult, Fantasy
Rating: ★★½
Pages: 256Published by Tor Teens on August 18th, 2009
Date Finished: July 22, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Principal Taft's 3 Simple Rules for Surviving a Zombie Uprising:
Rule #1: While in the halls, walk slowly and wear a vacant expression on your face. Zombies won't attack other zombies.
Rule #2: Never travel alone. Move in packs. Follow the crowd. Zombies detest blatant displays of individuality.
Rule #3: If a zombie should attack, do not run. Instead, throw raw steak at to him. Zombies love raw meat. This display of kindness will go a long way.
On the night of her middle school graduation, Margot Jean Johnson wrote a high school manifesto detailing her goals for what she was sure would be a most excellent high school career. She and her best friend, Sybil, would be popular and, most important, have boyfriends. Three years later, they haven't accomplished a thing!
Then Margot and Sybil arrive at school one day to find that most of the student body has been turned into flesh-eating zombies. When kooky Principal Taft asks the girls to coexist with the zombies until the end of the semester, they realize that this is the perfect opportunity to live out their high school dreams. All they have to do is stay alive....
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Tori's Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Shatter Me by Tahereh MafiGenre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Romance
Rating: ★★★½
Pages: 338Published by Harper on November 15, 2011
Date Finished: July 21, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Juliette hasn’t touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war – and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
Lindsay's Review: Tiger's Voyage
Series: The Tiger Saga (#3)
Date Finished: July 20, 2013
With the head-to-head battle against the villainous Lokesh behind her, Kelsey confronts a new heartbreak: in the wake of his traumatic experience, her beloved Ren no longer remembers who she is. As the trio continues their quest by challenging five cunning and duplicitous dragons, Ren and Kishan once more vie for her affections--leaving Kelsey more confused than ever.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Tori's Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Series: none
Published by St. Martin's Press on February 26, 2013
Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Tori's Review: Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Nightshade by Andrea CremerSeries: Nightshade #1
Genre: Young Adult, Werewolves, Paranormal
Rating: ★★★★½
Pages: 452
Published by Philomel on October 19, 2010
Date Finished: July 13, 2013
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters' laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything- including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?
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