Waiting on Wednesday (2)

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

This week's WoW is Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza from Katherine Tegen Books. This one sounds so good!

Mila 2.0 is the first book in an electrifying sci-fi thriller series about a teenage girl who discovers that she is an experiment in artificial intelligence.

Mila was never meant to learn the truth about her identity. She was a girl living with her mother in a small Minnesota town. She was supposed to forget her past —that she was built in a secret computer science lab and programmed to do things real people would never do.

Now she has no choice but to run—from the dangerous operatives who want her terminated because she knows too much and from a mysterious group that wants to capture her alive and unlock her advanced technology. However, what Mila’s becoming is beyond anyone’s imagination, including her own, and it just might save her life.

Mila 2.0 is Debra Driza’s bold debut and the first book in a Bourne Identity–style trilogy that combines heart-pounding action with a riveting exploration of what it really means to be human. Fans of I Am Number Four will love Mila for who she is and what she longs to be—and a cliffhanger ending will leave them breathlessly awaiting the sequel.

So, what are you waiting on this week?
 

Reading Local

A few weeks ago, my fellow Edmonton Book Bloggers and I had a discussion regarding reading local authors. It was brought up by a local author that none of us listed an Edmonton author as a favourite in Kristilyn's EBB feature post.

Personally, I don't think this is fair. Bloggers aren't paid. We do it because we love it. It's my hobby and I don't feel obligated in the least to give preferential treatment to a local author. Authors should be recognized based on individual merit and I don't care if you're from Edmonton, New York or Kenya; if you write what I enjoy, you'll get a positive review and maybe even work your way into my list of favourites.

Most of my fellow EBBs agreed that this author was way out of line, but I'd love to hear what you think. Should bloggers feel obligated to make a special effort to connect with local authors? Does this apply more if you're a member of a location-based group (ie: Edmonton Book Bloggers)?

Also, in honour of this, I'd like to share a few local reads that I did enjoy (and half the time I didn't even know they were local until after I'd finished the book):

1. Exiled and Shift by M. R. Merrick

Matt Merrick is from my hometown of Red Deer, Alberta. We went to rival high schools at slightly different times, but it doesn't really get much more local than that. Plus, the Protector series is awesome in it's own right!

2. Gate to Kandrith by Nicole Luiken

I had no idea Nicole Luiken was from Edmonton until I was putting the finishing touches on my review of Gate to Kandrith and it was a lovely surprise.

3. Icefields by Thomas Wharton

I read this one for a university english class before I started blogging, but it was my second favourite book of the class and a very interesting read. I'm really looking forward to reading his YA work.


So, there are my favourite local reads. I'd love to hear your thoughts on reading local and maybe even who your favourite local authors are.

Review: Shift by M.R. Merrick

Info:

Title: Shift (The Protector #2)
Author: M.R. Merrick
Publisher: M.R. Merrick
Publication Date: January 29, 2012

Blurb:

Devastated by a terrible loss, Chase is trying to balance the life he’s been left with, a family he’s still getting to know, and power he never thought he’d have. He doesn’t understand why the Goddess has named him the Protector and granted him two gifts: the Mark, a tattoo that now covers his back, and the ring. But between getting interrogated by the Circle and psychic attacks from Riley, the Mark is the least of his concern. There’s a demon inside Rayna that’s fighting to be released, and it’s not her inner witch. It’s something else—a monster threatening to tear her apart.

As Chase struggles to control his magic, his enemies are closing in. Everyone has staked a claim on his ring, and destroying it may be his only chance to stop Riley. But Chase must decide if stopping him is worth risking the lives of everyone he cares about, or if protecting the ring will be enough to save his world.

My Thoughts:

When I picked up Shift, I had just come off a run of books with weird, underwhelming or generally unsatisfactory romances. Based on my enjoyment of Exiled, I was hoping that Shift would be able to pull me out of my unhappy-romance slump. And I was right! Matt delivered the action in a major way and I am so thankful for that!

Chase, Rayna, Willy, Tiki and Marcus are back and on the hunt for Chase's father, Riley. But Riley has ideas of his own and is hungering for power any way he can get it. If I were to describe Shift (or the Protector series thus far) in one word, it would be "action-packed." This isn't some sappy, overly thoughtful book ; instead it's filled with awesome fight scenes and it's own brand of (very angry) teenage angst. There are a few scenes with elements of romance, but it definitely takes a back seat of action, which is a nice change from a lot of YA books I've been reading.

Chase has a tough time in this book. Still reeling from the events at the end of Exiled (trying to be spoiler-free here), Chase has an awful lot of anger built up, the majority of it at himself. In fact, this was my biggest (and only) qualm with this book. Chase is just so damn angry all the time. Maybe it's because I'm generally a peaceful person, but there were a lot of times where Chase would be angry and not let people finish. But, that said, Chase gets stuff done. And underneath his tough, deadly exterior, he cares. A lot. He is more than willing to go above and beyond for his friends and is insanely driven to achieve his goal (which is, after all, saving the world).

Shift roars along at a break-neck pace. There's quite a few characters involved and, at one point, I did get a little lost and had to wrack my brain for five minutes to remember who Radek was. But I am so excited for Release. I can't wait for Chase to take Riley down!

On the Cover:

I like the covers of this series because they're different. No girls in pretty dresses here! The cover really feels like something action-filled and the book totally fits into that.

Rating: 4 Hearts

Source: I received an ebook for review as part of the upcoming Release blog tour.

Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

Find the Author: Goodreads | Website | Twitter

Don't Just Take My Word For It: Into the Hall of Books | Booknook | On a Book Bender

Megan Likes (New) Books (5) / Reading Through My Bookshelf

Megan Likes (New) Books

Megan Likes (New) Books is a personalize weekly meme inspired by In My Mailbox, Stacking the Shelves and Book Haul where I show off the new books and bookish items I've received lately.




I'm sad to say that this week I fell off the book-buying-ban wagon. There's a story behind it and the moral is basically not to go to Chapters. To start things off, I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier from Macmillan. Yay! But that meant that I needed to go pick up a copy of Ruby Red (book 1). This falls within one of the loopholes I built into the ban: I can buy books if they belong to a series that I already own a book from. So a trip to Chapters was in order. I was doing really well, ogling some pretty books nearby, but not being tempted. I almost made it past the sale table when I saw it. A hardback cover of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer for $6. I've been wanted to read this one for ages, especially with The Evolution of Mara Dyer coming out. It was the last one on the table and I caved.


I'm back on the wagon now and finding it hard to feel too guilty.

Books:

Sapphire Blue - Kerstin Gier - Thanks Macmillan Children's!
Ruby Red - Kerstin Gier
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

eBooks:

Crewel - Gennifer Albin - Thanks to Faber & Faber and Netgalley!
Tempestuous - Kim Askew and Amy Helmes - Thanks to Merit Press and Netgalley
Midnight City - J. Barton Mitchell - Thanks St. Martin's Press and Netgalley!


 *  *  *


Reading Through My Bookshelf

Last Weeks Status: 60
Incoming Books: 3
Books Completed: 0
Current Status: 63

Still creeping up. Ruby Red and Sapphire Blue are next on my list though and I'm hoping to make a dent during Christmas holidays.

DNF Files (1)

When I started blogging, I decided that I didn't feel comfortable posting reviews of books that I didn't finish reading. However, I still think that a DNF is a valid opinion on a book that I want to share on my blog. Thus, the DNF Files was born! Here, I'll share which books I stopped reading and why.



1. Black Satin by Rae Hachton

I found this book confusing and annoying. I made it through first book (Pretty in Black) and didn't love it or hate it. Unfortunately, all the things that annoyed me in Pretty in Black seemed multiplied in Black Satin and I just didn't feel like forcing myself to finish it.


2. Empyreal Fate by Rachel Hunter

The prose in this book was just too lyrical for me. It felt wordy and like a bit of a long slog through this one. I know a lot of people really enjoyed this one, but Rachel Hunter's writing style just didn't do it for me.


3. Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig

I really want to like this one! First of all, the cover is gorgeous and I also love the premise of this one: a girl who can see when someone will die just by touching them. However, Chuck Wendig's writing is way to vulgar for me. I don't mind swearing or innuendo in books, but it was everywhere, even in simple descriptions of things. I tried a few times, but I just couldn't bring myself to keep reading.


4. Flight by Alyssa Rose Ivy

This one was a case of one creepy-ass love interest. Levi grossed me out so much that I honestly couldn't stand to read one more word out of his pervy mouth. There's a certain kind of bad boy character that I just can't stand and Levi embodied that (I had a very similar reaction of Patch from Hush, Hush). Add in a super annoying best friend and I was definitely out.





What about you? Have there been any books lately that you just couldn't bring yourself to finish? Or did you read and love one of these books? I'd love to hear what you have to say on this one!

Waiting on Wednesday

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

For my first WOW, I've decided to feature Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum, coming from Harper Collins in January. This one sounds very cool!

From the minds of award-winning writers/directors Howard Gordon (Homeland) and James Wong (Final Destination), and debut author Gregg Rosenblum, Revolution 19 is a blockbuster epic about a world where robots control humans, and humans battle for freedom.

Only a few escaped the robot revolution of 2071. Kevin, Nick, and Cass are lucky-they live with their parents in a secret human community in the woods. Then their village is detected and wiped out. Hopeful that other survivors have been captured by bots, the teens risk everything to save the only people they have left in the world-by infiltrating a city controlled by their greatest enemies.


Created by Alloy and award-winning writers/directors Howard Gordon (Showtime's Homeland and NBC's Awake) and James Wong (Final Destination films), Revolution 19 is a cinematic thriller unlike anything else. With a dynamic cast of characters, this surefire blockbuster has everything teen readers want-action, drama, mystery, and romance. Written by debut novelist Gregg Rosenblum, this gripping story shouldn't be missed.

So, what are you waiting on this week?

Review: Velveteen by Daniel Marks

Info:
Title: Velveteen
Author: Daniel Marks
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 9, 2012

Blurb:

Velveteen Monroe is dead. At 16, she was kidnapped and murdered by a madman named Bonesaw. But that's not the problem.

The problem is she landed in purgatory. And while it's not a fiery inferno, it's certainly no heaven. It's gray, ashen, and crumbling more and more by the day, and everyone has a job to do. Which doesn't leave Velveteen much time to do anything about what's really on her mind.

Bonesaw.

Velveteen aches to deliver the bloody punishment her killer deserves. And she's figured out just how to do it. She'll haunt him for the rest of his days.
It'll be brutal . . . and awesome.

But crossing the divide between the living and the dead has devastating consequences. Velveteen's obsessive haunting cracks the foundations of purgatory and jeopardizes her very soul. A risk she's willing to take—except fate has just given her reason to stick around: an unreasonably hot and completely off-limits coworker.

Velveteen can't help herself when it comes to breaking rules . . . or getting revenge. And she just might be angry enough to take everyone down with her.

My Thoughts:

I really wanted to love this book! The cover: breathtaking. The premise: so intriguing. But I couldn't quiet bring myself to love it. I liked it, but I didn't love it. Velveteen has a pretty sweet job in purgatory and she still finds time to haunt her killer. Actually, the parts with Velvet and Bonesaw were my favourites from the book. I love the idea of a murdered teenage girl trying to get even with her killer.

There was a lot of world-building necessary for this one, since Marks constructed an entire society of purgatory. Overall, I thought the world-building was well done, but occasionally I got a bit confused when certain aspects were touched upon, but then never revisited (such as the divining needles). Also, some of the secondary characters were very odd. Something makes me a bit uncomfortable about a 12-year-old addict

Velveteen prides herself on being a badass, which I always appreciate in my heroines. However, in Velvet's case, she tried too hard and generally came off mean and bitchy. Now, I'm not claiming to be an expert in badass, but I always appreciate characters who 'are tough' more than characters who 'act tough.' Velveteen's commitment to repress any and all feelings drove me a bit nuts. Sure she had more than her fair share of trauma, but it made me frustrated at her as a character.

On to the romance. Nick was confident and smooth, but at the same time comforting and vulnerable. Basically, he had the whole package of a YA love interest, not to mention that he's a saint for putting up with all Velvet's crap. My goodness that girl gives a lot of mixed signals!

The pacing of this book was weird for me. It felt like sometimes the author would focus solely on one aspect of the book (ie: romance, Bonesaw, Velvet's job in purgatory) and forget all about everything else for a few chapters. I would have really preferred it if the aspects were mixed together a bit more throughout. At one point I was so impatient for the romance to get out of the way so I could have more Bonesaw action! Morbid? Maybe.

Overall, Velveteen is a good read, but it fell a bit short of being great for me. It's still worth a try if you like somewhat morbid ghost stories, but it didn't quite make my recommendation list.

On the Cover:

I absolutely love this cover. Honestly wouldn't change a thing!

Rating: 3 Hearts

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher via Netgalley.

Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

Find the Author: Goodreads | Website | Twitter

Don't Just Take My Word For It:
Books With Bite | The Bookish Brunette | Smexy Books

Review: Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Info:

Title: Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1)
Author: Beth Revis
Publisher: Razorbill
Publication date: January 11, 2011

Blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

My Thoughts:

I absolutely loved this book! It's the best book I've read in a long time and definitely one of my top picks! I loved this book in a way that makes it a little hard to write about it and say anything other than "READ IT!" But I'll try.

Let's start with the characters. I loved Amy and Elder so much! I loved seeing life on the ship through two very different sets of eyes. I can't imagine how difficult to wake up on your own in an entirely different society than you started in, so I could definitely empathize with Amy. Plus, I could relate to her well as a character. While I thought she was strong and proactive throughout the book, she had a few moments where she broke down a little bit, which is exactly what I would do. Spend a few minutes crying, then back to being kick-butt! I also really liked Elder and how he was able to grow throughout the story. He faces some major choices (between what is right and what is easy) and while he's not perfect, he's doing his best.

Hardback cover

The story in Across the Universe is so great and is what really set it apart for me. It's equal parts science fiction and mystery, which I found to be a very cool combination. There are so many plot twists and turns and just when you think you've got it all figured out, there's one last twist that I never saw coming. I was constantly guessing what was going on and overall I think I figured out about 1/4 of the ending.

The opening scene is amazing and creepy and scary all at the same time. I wasn't a huge fan of Amy's dreaming chapters, but other than that, this book was amazing and I want to recommend it to anyone and everyone!

On the Cover:

There's a few different covers around for this one. I have the paperback, so it has a different cover than the hardcover. The hardcover one confused me for the longest time until I realized it was two faces (I was only looking at small pictures and I'm kinda dense like that). While the hardcover is more unique, for that reason I prefer my paperback cover.

Rating: 5 hearts!

Source: Purchased (and signed!)

Find the Book: Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

Find the Author: Goodreads | Website | Twitter | Facebook

Don't Just Take My Word For It: Reading in Winter | LC's Adventures in Libraryland | Stained Glass in the Night

Megan Likes (New) Books (4) / Reading Through My Bookshelf (3)

Megan Likes (New) Books

Megan Likes (New) Books is a personalize weekly meme inspired by In My Mailbox, Stacking the Shelves and Book Haul where I show off the new books and bookish items I've received lately.

Books:

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry - Won in a giveaway from Books for Company and Harlequin Teen!
A Million Suns by Beth Revis - Won in a giveaway from Book Loving Mom!

Ebooks:

The Vampire's Daughter (Of Light & Darkness #1) by Shayne Leighton - Thanks Netgalley and Decadent Publishing
Snow Whyte and the Queen of Mayhem by Melissa Lemon - Thanks Netgalley and Cedar Fort
Broken by A. E. Rought - Thanks Netgalley and Strange Chemistry
A Job From Hell (Ancient Legends #1) by Jayde Scott - Amazon freebie
Darkness Falls (Darkness Falls #1) by Jessica Sorensen- Amazon freebie

*  *  *

Reading Through My Bookshelf

Last Weeks Status: 59
Incoming Books: 2
Books Completed: 1 (Across the Universe - review forthcoming)
Current Status: 60

Oh dear, my bookshelf is getting fuller instead of emptier! And it's only going to get worse, as I have a bunch of ebooks to review coming up PLUS I'm making an effort to complete at least one more 2012 challenge, which also includes a number of ebooks. But I'll keep working on reading more of my physical copies and I don't know of anything else coming in the mail!

Interlopers Cover Reveal and Scavenger Hunt

I'm excited to be taking part in the cover reveal for Interlopers. Plus there's a scavenger hunt, so that's super cool, just look for the bold red word(s). To learn more about the scavenger hunt, stop by the tour mainpage. Or if you just arrived from Simply Infatuated, your next stop is Kissed by Ink. Anyway, moving on the business at hand: the cover reveal!

Blurb--  

Make sure to clean up your messes.

Keep the cat in the house. 

Fraternal twins Nate and Larissa Pantera know all about strange rules. They've grown up with plenty of them, and they have always obeyed those rules without question

However, disturbing things are starting to happen--both at home and at school. And when their parents go missing and a strange messenger appears, they discover that the only way to save them is by breaking all the rules. 

Interlopers: A Shifters Novel is the thrilling fantasy adventure. Fans of YA fantasy, such as Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, love this new series about the Pantera twins, who discover that everything they thought they knew is only the beginning of the truth.

Bio:  
L. M. Davis loves great storytelling. She needs nothing more than a good book and a comfy chair to be happy. She was born in the south, raised in the north, and has a few degrees under her belt. She still hasn’t gotten her black cat, but she thinks about it everyday. Her thoughts go something like this: "I really should get a cat." For now, she contents herself with spoiling the pets of her friends and family.  The first two books of her Shifters Novel Series, Interlopers and Posers, are available now.  To find out more, visit www.shiftersnovelseries.com. 

Find L. M. Davis on the interwebz:

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ShiftersNovels

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Interlopers-A-Shifters-Novel/109297562448674

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13111075-interlopers

Trailer:

 

Giveaway:
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

What's Next (4)

 

What's Next is an awesome meme from Icey Books where I get to hear from you, the readers, about what I should read next. I have a few upcoming blog tours and book releases I'm taking part in before the end of the year, so all of these will be getting read shortly, but where should I start?

1. Shift by M. R. Merrick

Devastated by a terrible loss, Chase is trying to balance the life he’s been left with, a family he’s still getting to know, and power he never thought he’d have. He doesn’t understand why the Goddess has named him the Protector and granted him two gifts: the Mark, a tattoo that now covers his back, and the ring. But between getting interrogated by the Circle and psychic attacks from Riley, the Mark is the least of his concern. There’s a demon inside Rayna that’s fighting to be released, and it’s not her inner witch. It’s something else—a monster threatening to tear her apart.

As Chase struggles to control his magic, his enemies are closing in. Everyone has staked a claim on his ring, and destroying it may be his only chance to stop Riley. But Chase must decide if stopping him is worth risking the lives of everyone he cares about, or if protecting the ring will be enough to save his world.

2. Snow Whyte and the Queen of Mayhem by Melissa Lemon

Stuck in her family's apple orchards, Kat's got plenty of work to do and only pesky Jeremy to help. But when Jeremy convinces her to run away, Kat will discover that nothing---and no one---in her life is quite what it seems. Wonderfully reimagined, this is the magical tale of Snow White as you've never read it before!










3. 13 on Halloween by Laura A. H. Elliott

Roxie has the best night of her life until the popular kids decide they want to celebrate her birthday in a way Roxie never expects––in her attic, with a gift that’s out of this world, and a pact to never tell a living soul what happens next.

Twelve-year-old Roxie wants to be like Adrianne, the popular girl who gets everything she wants––a flock to prowl around the mall with; invitations to parties; and for Hayden, the cutest guy in the eighth grade to, you know, notice her. When Roxie invites all the eighth grade peacocks (code word : popular kids) to her first ever thirteenth birthday party on Halloween, they all come and give her a gift that’s literally out of this world. Roxie astral projects to Planet Popular where she becomes seventeen instantly and gets everything she’s always wanted, but nothing is as it seems. Being a high school peacock is complicated and Roxie will risk everything to be who she thinks she wants to be. Oh yeah, there’s Prom, doppelgangers, a mysterious map, and lots of bad peacocks too. 

4. Broken by A.E. Rought

Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.

A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry's boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.

When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she's intrigued despite herself. He's an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely... familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel's.

The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there's something very wrong with Alex Franks. And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks' estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows

So, what's your pick?

Cover Reveal: Fire by Shauna Granger

Title: Fire (Elemental, #4)

Age Group: Young Adult/New Adult

Genre: Urban fantasy

Expected Release: December 18, 2012

Cover Design: Mooney Designs

Cover reveal organized by: AToMR Tours

Summary

Demons, faeries, and mermaids. Claws, teeth, and nightmares.

They have been beaten and bruised, set on fire, and nearly drowned, but manage to always find their way home.  Over their last Winter Holiday break before college, Shayna, Jodi, and Steven try again to put aside the magic in their lives for a little mundane fun. But Shayna's mother is having dreams of fire and death. A mysterious stranger by the name of Liam has just arrived in town. And Shayna's attempts to manage her new angelic powers are set back by Steven's insistence that the trio intervene in a riot outside of a concert, with disastrous consequences.

In her attempt to stop the riot, a man sees Shayna use her magical abilities – a man driven mad by watching his brother die at the hands of a black witch. He stalks Shayna, plotting to destroy her and her friends. With her mother’s warnings echoing in her mind, Shayna is now in the fight of her life against an unlikely foe: a human man.

Bio:

Like so many other writers, Shauna grew up as an avid reader, it was in high school that she realized she wanted to be a writer. Five years ago Shauna started work on her Elemental Series and released the first installment, Earth, on May 1, 2011. When not reading and writing, Shauna enjoys cooking and playing hostess whenever she can.

Shauna Granger| Facebook| Twitter

Links to find/buy previous books in the series:

Earth: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Air: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo     

Water: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Reading Challenge Update

It's been ages since I did a reading challenge update. Not a ton has happened, but I finished the "What as Animal Challenge" a few weeks ago with Hex Hall (cute black kitty on the cover).

What an Animal Challenge:
1. Gate to Kandrith - Nicole Luiken
2. Take the Reins - Jessica Burkhart
3. Thorn - Intisar  Khanani
4. Loss - Jackie Morse Kessler
5. The Guardian of Bastet - Jacqueline M. Battisti
6. Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins

However, I took a look at the calendar and realized I still have a long way left to go on a few challenges. In fact, I've decided to give up on the Completely Contemp challenge, since I haven't even read any contemporary books yet this year. Instead, I'm going to make a serious attempt to complete the A-Z challenge (I have all my remaining books lined up). If there's still time remaining, I'm also going to take a shot at completing the TBR Challenge.

TBR Pile
1. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
2. The Keeper of the Isis Light - Monica Hughes
3. The Guardian of Isis - Monica Hughes
4. The Crystal Shard - R. A. Salvatore
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

A-Z Book Challenge:
A- Angel Eyes - Shannon Dittemore
B- Bridger - Megan Curd
C- The Crystal Shard - R. A. Salvatore
D- The Day of First Sun - Sheryl Steines
E- Exiled - M. R. Merrick
F- The First Days - Rhiannon Frater
G- Gate to Kandrith - Nicole Luiken
H- Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick
I- Insurgent - Veronica Roth
J-
K- The Keeper of the Isis Light - Monica Hughes
L- The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse - Nina Post
M- My Life as a White Trash Zombie - Diana Rowland
N-
O-
P- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Q-
R-
S- Socialpunk - Monica Leonelle
T- Thirst - Claire Farrell
U-
V-
W- When Destiny Knocks - Heather M. White
X- Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins
Y- Yesterday - C. K. Kelly Martin
Z- 

How are your challenges going this year? Are you feeling the time crunch yet?

Review: Yesterday

Info:

Title: Yesterday
Author: C. K. Kelly Martin
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 25, 2012

Blurb:

THEN: The formation of the UNA, the high threat of eco-terrorism, the mammoth rates of unemployment and subsequent escape into a world of virtual reality are things any student can read about in their 21st century textbooks and part of the normal background noise to Freya Kallas’s life. Until that world starts to crumble.

NOW: It’s 1985. Freya Kallas has just moved across the world and into a new life. On the outside, she fits in at her new high school, but Freya feels nothing but removed. Her mother blames it on the grief over her father’s death, but how does that explain the headaches and why do her memories feel so foggy?

When Freya lays eyes on Garren Lowe, she can’t get him out of her head. She’s sure that she knows him, despite his insistence that they’ve never met. As Freya follows her instincts and pushes towards hidden truths, the two of them unveil a strange and dangerous world where their days may be numbered.

Unsure who to trust, Freya and Garren go on the run from powerful forces determined to tear them apart and keep them from discovering the truth about their shared pasts (and futures), her visions, and the time and place they really came from.

My Thoughts:

Yesterday had some good things going for it, but I just couldn't fall in love with it. My favourite part of the book was the concept. To be blunt, the future sucks. A lot. Climate change has altered the world's landscape and politic policy has alienated almost everyone except rich North Americans. Nobody actually does anything anymore, it's all just simulated reality.

But Freya doesn't remember. She just knows something doesn't feel right when she wakes up in 1985. Her sister doesn't feel like her sister, her memories don't feel real and she's inexplicably drawn to a boy she doesn't even know.

But that's where my love for this book stopped. The characters weren't bad. I didn't have a strong connection with Freya and Garren, but I didn't dislike them either. The first of my two issues with this book was the pacing. It felt slow. Sure some exciting things happened, but it dragged in between them. I feel like the book would have been a lot better if it had been 100 pages shorter. All of the same things could have happened, but it would have kept me more engaged in the story.

The second issue I had was the ending. Sure it was action-packed and exciting, but it also got very sappy. Don't get me know, I enjoy a good love story, but it felt like a very abrupt shift from an action movie to a very sappy chick flick occurred at the end. The ending also had some major deus ex machina going on. I won't say more than that to avoid spoilers, but if you read it, you'll see what I mean.

On the Cover:

I really like this cover. It's very eye-catching and cool looking, BUT the majority of this book takes place in 1985. This cover does not feel like 1985 (not that I was alive yet). Also, the face on the cover doesn't look entirely human.

Rating: 3 Hearts

Source: I received an eARC from the publisher through Netgalley

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Don't Just Take My Word For It: The Book Monsters | Happy Owl Books | Annette's Book Spot

100 Followers Celebration Giveaway

This morning I reached a super exciting blog milestone: 100 GFC followers! I think this is definitely worth celebrating, so I decided to thank all of you by having giveaway! And a huge thank you to Taz from Talulah's Attic for being #100!

And now on to the exciting part: giveaway! I'm giving away a grand prize of the winner's choice of any book under $12 (Can) from The Book Depository! I'll give a few suggestions, but the winner can pick whatever they want. I'm also going to include a second swag prize for another winner. Woohoo!

UPDATE: Yay guys, we're up to 125 followers already! If we make it to 150 by the end of the giveaway, I'll add a second swag pack. You're the best!

UPDATE: Yay! We made it to 150 followers! That means 2 swag packs will be going out! Now, if we make it to 250 by November 16, I'm adding a second book as well!

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