Choker By Elizabeth Woods

Choker by Elizabeth Woods
Release Date - January 4, 2011
Publisher - Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages - 233
My Rating 8/10

Here is the GoodReads synopsis -

Sixteen-year-old Cara Lange has been a loner ever since she moved away from her best and only friend, Zoe, years ago. She eats lunch with the other girls from the track team, but they're not really her friends. Mostly she spends her time watching Ethan Gray from a distance, wishing he would finally notice her, and avoiding the popular girls who call her "Choker" after a humiliating incident in the cafeteria.

Then one day Cara comes home to find Zoe waiting for her. Zoe's on the run from problems at home, and Cara agrees to help her hide. With her best friend back, Cara's life changes overnight. Zoe gives her a new look and new confidence, and next thing she knows, she's getting invited to parties and flirting with Ethan. Best of all, she has her BFF there to confide in.

But just as quickly as Cara's life came together, it starts to unravel. A girl goes missing in her town, and everyone is a suspect—including Ethan. Worse still, Zoe starts behaving strangely, and Cara begins to wonder what exactly her friend does all day when she's at school. You're supposed to trust your best friend no matter what, but what if she turns into a total stranger?

The book opens with a flashback to when Cara and Zoe were young girls. The tone of the novel is immediately set and you know what kind of journey you’re about to take.

I really enjoyed the writing style. It kept me turning the pages and wanting to find out what happened next. The mystery of what was going on kept you reading. This is a good thing as some of the characters I felt were not flushed out as much as I would have liked.

I did feel sorry for Cara. I was transferred back to high school and recalled how awful it can be for some people. The author did a great job at showing us how little self esteem Cara had. You really saw that she just wanted to blend in and almost become invisible. The choking incident where she gets her nickname just makes things worse for her at school.

Zoe is exactly what you would expect. She was sweet and Cara’s best friend one minute and creepy the next. Zoe is the more outgoing and outspoken of the two girls. She seemed like she could control Cara in a way. As the story goes on her behaviour gets more and more strange and erratic which leads to Cara questioning what Zoe has done.

When I was about halfway through the book I figured I was going to give it a rating of about 7. It seemed to be very predictable and had very little in the way of surprises or anything really different that made it stand out. I then got to the last couple of chapters and had the entire thing flipped on me. The ending is simply jaw dropping fantastic. It’s something I NEVER saw coming and it bumped my review up to an 8. It’s one of those great end twists that when done properly can stay with you for awhile. It has you rethinking the rest of the book and searching for clues that you might have missed. I have to applaud the author for a well planned and perfectly revealed twist.

The cover of this book does not reveal the darkness inside. Don’t let delicate and pretty cover fool you. Choker is full of scary, shudder inducing moments that I loved. If you enjoy a little bit of a scare this is one you should add to your reading pile.

Waiting on Wednesday...

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

My pick this week I actually saw first on The Bucket List blog. Thank you to them for bringing it to my attention!

My pick this week is Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay.


Here is the GoodReads synopsis

The most tragic love story in history . . . Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

I LOVE Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. It's one of my favourite Shakespeare plays (along with Macbeth). I love that this novel is going to twist the story on it's head. The premise sounds very interesting and could be quite unique. The cover is also very pretty. I can't wait until September 13, 2011 when this is scheduled to be released!

Trailers and Posters..

The trailer for Kelley Armstrong's new book The Gathering was released. I enjoyed her previous YA series so I am looking forward to reading this one.



It's pretty awesome and the end left me curious as to what happened!

They also released the trailer for Gayle Forman's Where She Went. I loved If I Stay and am looking forward to reading this one when it's released.



I am a huge Harry Potter fan. Love the series and the movies. The last movie(sniff)is coming out later this summer and they released an amazing poster for it.



Amazing right? I am so excited and yet sad for this movie to come out. It's going to be so bittersweet.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Release Date - January 11, 2011
Publisher - Razorbill
Pages - 398
My Rating 7/10

Here is the GoodReads synopsis

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.

I was a little unsure picking up this book as I am not normally into science fiction. I am so glad I did. The science fiction aspect of it was not at all what I was expecting.

Right from the first couple of pages where Amy is describing the freezing process I was hooked. The freezing sounded painful, excruciating and very unpleasant to go through. The author had me feeling each part of the process as Amy felt it.

I was very hooked by the whole “who is the killer” mystery. I was able to guess who it was pretty early on in the book but was pleasantly surprised by a couple of twists towards the end of the book that I did not see coming. I love it when books are able to surprise me. I liked the premise that it was only a select few people who had access to commit the crimes. It made it feel like the classic “locked room” scenario but with a twist. The fact that a few people were initially good suspects also made it more interesting.

Amy was a great character. She was strong, and very capable. She also seemed very “real”. She seemed like a typical girl caught in some crazy circumstances. I also really liked Harley. I may have been the only one but I sort of wanted Amy and Harley to get together. Harley was the tortured artist that I sadly find attractive.

I was glad that we got to see Elder’s point of view as well. If we had not seem his side of things I may not have liked him. I did think that his feelings and thoughts about Amy were very romantic and sweet. In the end I just did not get attached to him as much as I did with Amy or Harley.

With the events of the book taking place on the ship the whole book had a very claustrophobic feel which I felt the author did a fantastic job of making you experience and feel. You really got how isolated and closed off the people of the ship were and it helped explain some of their actions. I know that I could never do what Amy did and sign up to go into space. I am pretty sure I would have a nervous breakdown or something.

If you are at all leery about picking this one up because of the science fiction aspect I say give it a chance anyways. It’ll surprise you and you might even enjoy it.

Follow Friday/Book Blogger Hop

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee. It's a great way to meet new blogger friends. This weeks question is:

Q. Inspired by the inane twitter trend of #100factsaboutme, give us five BOOK RELATED silly facts about you.

1. I started a book club that has been together for the last 3 years.

2. My favourite place to read is my bed.

3. I am the "go to person" for my friends when they want book recommendations. They know I read A LOT.

4. I have yet to listen to an audio book. This will most likely change with Ed Westwick reading City of Fallen Angels. Sigh...that accent :)

5. I read while on the treadmill!



Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy-For-Books.com. It's a great way to meet new people and friends around the blogworld!

Today's question is "If you could physically put yourself into a book or series…which one would it be and why?"

I am going to go with the Harry Potter series. I would love to go to Hogwarts. I think I would have liked to have a student with Sirius, James, Lupin, etc though. I would have been one of those silly girls with a crush on Sirius.

If you do comment or follow me please leave a link to your blog post so I can take at a look at yours in return.

Happy Friday everyone.

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Release Date – Oct 26, 2010
Publisher – Knopf Books for Young Readers
Pages - 272
My Rating- 8/10

Here is the GoodReads synopsis

“I’ve left some clues for you. If you want them, turn the page. If you don’t, put the book back on the shelf, please.” So begins the latest whirlwind romance from the New York Times bestselling authors of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Lily has left a red notebook full of challenges on a favourite bookstore shelf, waiting for just the right guy to come along and accept its dares. But is Dash that right guy? Or are Dash and Lily only destined to trade dares, dreams, and desires in the notebook they pass back and forth at locations across New York? Could their in-person selves possibly connect as well as their notebook versions? Or will they be a comic mismatch of disastrous proportions?

One of the things that I thought was interesting about the book right from the beginning was that the authors rotated chapters. I am sure this is common when two authors co-write a book but I think it was highly effective here. You can distinguish the two styles, and it gave Lily and Dash unique voices. I like to imagine the authors not really planning anything out and each having to read the chapter they just received to see how they would proceed with their own next chapter (I am sure I am hugely mistaken).

I loved how funny this book was. It has been awhile since a book made me laugh as much as this one did. OUT LOUD! The baby scene, the sitting on Santa’s lap scene, and Lily talking to her parents were just some of the hilarious scenes that came to mind. It was also easy to like both Dash, Lily and so many of the other characters we meet. Lily’s brother and extended family, Dash’s friends, all made the story what it was. Lily’s shy, quirky, animal loving self is someone I could relate to. Dash was the snarly, sarcastic sense of humour guy with the heart of gold underneath. Loved him so much. I love that he refers to himself as “bookish” it’s probably one of my favourite quotes from the book. Ultimately, I love that both Dash and Lily learn something about themselves and step outside their comfort zone…it’s something everyone should do once and awhile.

The dares themselves were fun (and often funny). The whole concept of this book was adorable to me. It’s something I would totally want to do with a friend for like a Secret Santa thing. However, it really only works because Dash and Lily don’t know each other. It’s a way for them to get to know each other without meeting face to face. The premise is fanciful and almost fairytale romance (it would never happen in real life between strangers) but it was nice to take the journey with them. It made you want to wish for there to be a red moleskin book on the shelf at your local thrift bookstore.

The inclusion of the Christmas season was a nice touch. It fit the warm fuzzy feeling the book gave you and made me want it to be Christmas again. The fact that it took place in NYC was just icing on the cake for me. I have been and fell in love with the city while I was there. Reading about the places they had them visit during the dares made me excited to go back in May.

I ended this book with a huge smile on my face. It’s one of those light, feel good, sweet reads that really just make you happy. I dare you to read it…

Waiting on Wednesday....

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

My pick this Wednesday is The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis -

She thought there was something wrong with her. She was right. Finley Jayne has known for quite some time that she isn’t ‘normal,’ but when she beats up the son of her employer and is forced to flee, she stumbles into a world where there are bigger freaks than her. They take her in, treat her like family and demand her trust. How can Finley trust them when she can’t trust herself? And why is she drawn to the powerful Griffin as well as the dangerous Jack? She has to get herself under control before she gets into trouble she can’t get out of. Griffin King is one of the most powerful men in Britain but he couldn’t save his best friend from almost dying. He is determined to save Finley and help her become the person he knows she can be, but there’s evil afoot in London. Machines have attacked humans under the orders of a nefarious criminal called The Machinist. He has sworn to protect his country against such a threat, but he’s never faced any foe like this. However, when he discovers The Machinist’s connection to his past, Griffin vows to end the villain once and for all — but he’ll need the help of all his friends, including the beautiful Finley Jayne – the girl in the steel corset

The cover is gorgeous. The dress, the steam punk elements, the potential love triangle are all very much working for me. I am curious to see what this one is like. The synopsis is very intriguing as well. Expected release date is May 24, 2011.

City of Fallen Angels Trailer 2 - DSAS

I am sure EVERYONE has already seen it...however in case you were not aware the second trailer for the City of Fallen Angels was released yesterday.

If you follow Cassandra Clare on twitter (or read the teasers she gave out) you most likely heard about the DSAS or the the Dirty Sexy Alley Scene. This is that trailer. It's hot, you should watch.

It was provided in the form of a fun treasure hunt so I am not going to spoil the surprise by posting the video here. Start out at Cassandra Clare's blog and follow her instructions.

Here is a tease to get you excited...

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Release Date – March 22, 2011
Publisher – Simon & Schuster
Pages - 358
My Rating- 10/10

Here is the GoodReads synopsis:

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

I had heard a lot of advance buzz about this book. I was excited but also a little leery as I have read books with buzz that ultimately fell flat. Wither is worthy of all the buzz, and more. I was enthralled by this novel. This review is most likely going to be a whole lot of gushing (sorry!). I can not recommend this book strongly enough.

The part of this novel that haunts me the most is the age cut off - 20 for females. I am 30 (well 2 weeks away). I would have been dead 10 years ago if I lived in this society. That might be why I felt as horrified as I did; the author managed to make me feel unsettled.

There are a lot of characters in the novel that we meet. The heroine of the story is Rhine. She is strong, smart, and no damsel in distress. I loved her. Her fellow sister wives are Cecily and Jenna. I liked the relationship between the 3 of them. It was shown as having it’s ups and downs, but they were supportive and there for each other. They each have their own thoughts about being a sister wife and they each react differently to it.

The love story between Rhine and Gabriel was sweet (if a little under developed in this book). I wonder what Linden’s role will be in the next two books as there was some genuine feelings there. It might just be me, but I think Rhine had feelings for Linden too. I am interested to see if it’ll become a “love triangle”. I liked that Rhine was having moments where she wavered. It made her feel real as a character, which is amazing when an author can accomplish it.

The novel is dark. Very dark. You have a lot of death, sadness, and mature elements. One of the sister wives for example is only about 13 years old. It’s very provocative and I tend to think that adults might love it even more than young adults. The fact that the author does not shy away from the more provocative or risqué elements is one of my favourite parts of the novel. I applaud her for it.

The writing is beautiful, and flows well. The author is talented and can create moods and feelings with just a few words. I honestly felt like I was trapped along with Rhine. I also loved how she managed to make nothing black and white. Nobody was all good or evil. Nobody was perfect. This made it feel that much more real. The secondary characters are well flushed out, and complicated. Considering that there are a lot of characters we meet, it’s impressive how much we get to know about so many of them.

The novel ends on a “I want to know more” moment. It’s very open ended and I am excited to see where the author is going to take Rhine’s story next. I have questions that I hope are answered in the next two books. I also want someone to make June Beans for real. They really do sounds yummy.

Wither is officially released March 22, but you can find it in quite a few bookstores already. If you haven’t read it already, go pick it up! You won’t be sorry.

Follow Friday/Book Blogger Hop

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee. It's a great way to meet new blogger friends. This weeks question is:

Q. How did you come up with your blog name?

Pretty easy - I enjoy a glass of wine while reading a really good book.



Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy-For-Books.com. It's a great way to meet new people and friends around the blogworld!

Today's question is

"Do you read only one book at a time, or do you have several going at once?"

I tend to read one book a time. They usually don't last very long anyways, so I am starting the next one pretty quickly.

If you do comment or follow me please leave a link to your blog post so I can take at a look at yours in return.

Happy Friday everyone.

I love Ireland

Happy St Patrick's Day everyone. This post will only have a little bit to do with books/reading/etc but I thought in honour of today I would do something a little different.

I decided to talk about why I love Ireland. I've been to Dublin and hope to go back again really soon to see more of this amazing country.

So in no particular order here is a list of what I think makes Ireland AMAZING:

1. Oscar Wilde - Anyone that can reply "I have nothing to declare except my genius" to being asked by a customs offical if they have anything to declare is awesome. It's made even more awesome by the fact that he could get away with it. If you haven't read any of his works, do so (I like The Importance of Being Earnest or The Picture of Dorian Gray). I was able to visit his gravesite while in France and it was an experience I will never forget.

2. The history - I got to see so many great pieces at the Dublin Writer's Museum while there. The amount of history there was mind blowing. If you want to find out more about the museum please go here. We also had a fantastic time learning about Ireland's history while on a haunted tour. I especially loved getting to see the house where Bram Stoker lived was pretty awesome.

3. Cute Irish Boys - Ok, so many of my "Hollywood Boyfriends" are Irish. I adore Jonathan Rhys Meyer, and Cillian Murphy especially. I was lucky enough to have met Jonathan Rhys Meyers in New York City last time I was there and he was simply lovely. Johnny (as he told me to call him) even gave me a kiss (um, yes I freaked). When I went to Ireland I was happy to discover that the hot Irish guy didn't just come in the Hollywood variety (I mean you adorable guy working at the tourist centre). I think it's the accent.

So those are just some of my favourite things about Ireland. Enjoy St Patrick's Day, drink some green beer and kiss some cute Irish boys!

Waiting on Wednesday

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

My pick this Wednesday is Abandon by Meg Cabot.

Here is the Goodreads synopsis -

New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.
When Pierce first sees him, she thinks he is a murderer. She's right about one thing -- he does take lives. But not in the way she ever imagined. Pierce is drawn to the dark stranger even as she tries to uncover the mystery surrounding the tragic death of someone close to her. As she gets closer to the truth -- and the stranger -- unexpected secrets are revealed, even in her own heart.

This is based on a Greek myth I believe (this seems to be a big trend right now) and it sounds awesome. The cover is also lovely.

Expected release date is April 26, 2011

The Chemical Garden Trilogy - Wither Trailer

The trailer for Wither by Lauren Destefano was released yesterday.

It is AMAZING! It makes me even more excited to read the novel which is to be released on March 22.

Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors

Mad Love by Suzanne Selfors
Release Date – January 4, 2011
Publisher – Walker Books for Young Readers
Pages - 323
My Rating- 7/10

Here is the synopsis from GoodReads

When you're the daughter of the bestselling Queen of Romance, life should be pretty good. But 16-year-old Alice Amorous has been living a lie ever since her mother was secretly hospitalized for mental illness. After putting on a brave front for months, time is running out. The next book is overdue, and the Queen can't write it. Alice needs a story for her mother—and she needs one fast.
That's when she meets Errol, a strange boy who claims to be Cupid, who insists that Alice write about the greatest love story in history: his tragic relationship with Psyche. As Alice begins to hear Errol's voice in her head and see things she can't explain, she must face the truth—that she's either inherited her mother's madness, or Errol is for real.

When I picked up Mad Love I was not sure what to expect. I thought it would be a cute love story. I couldn’t have been more wrong. There is a love story element to it, but it’s
more than that. It was much more serious that I was expecting.

We meet Alice Amorous after her mother has been in the hospital for awhile. Alice is taking care of the house, paying bills, and lying to everyone about where her mother really is. I felt for Alice. She had to grow up and take care of everything and she was only a teenager. I liked that she was different from most girls in novels. She was extremely capable of taking care of herself.

I was happy to see that it took Alice quite awhile to believe Errol. In most novel that have a supernatural element the heroine ends up believing the vampire/werewolf/etc and falling in love with him rather quickly. Alice not only thought Errol was crazy but thought she had the same mental illness as her mother.

The other characters in the novel that I enjoyed were Tony and Realm. Realm’s story got to me. I was really rooting for her in the end (even if I didn’t like some of the things she did). I felt she was really flushed out and at time even more interesting than Alice

The issue with me was that the story didn’t stay with me. It was one of the those quick reads that you forget about once finished. I didn’t feel strongly for any of the characters. I felt like they were kept at a distance and that we didn’t get ‘past the surface” with some of them. I found it especially hard to connect, or really get a picture of Errol.

In the end, the author does have a great underlining message about mental illness which I felt was important, however, the characters were hard to relate to.

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

Cryer’s Cross by Lisa McMann
Release Date – Feburary 8 2011
Publisher – Simon Pulse
Pages - 233
My Rating- 6.5/10

Here is the synopsis from GoodReads

The community of Cryer’s Cross, Montana (population 212) is distraught when high school freshman Tiffany disappears without a trace. Already off-balance due to her OCD, 16-year-old Kendall is freaked out seeing Tiffany’s empty desk in the one-room school house, but somehow life goes on... until Kendall's boyfriend Nico also disappears, and also without a trace. Now the town is in a panic. Alone in her depression and with her OCD at an all-time high, Kendall notices something that connects Nico and Tiffany: they both sat at the same desk. She knows it's crazy, but Kendall finds herself drawn to the desk, dreaming of Nico and wondering if maybe she, too, will disappear...and whether that would be so bad. Then she begins receiving graffiti messages on the desk from someone who can only be Nico. Can he possibly be alive somewhere? Where is he? And how can Kendall help him? The only person who believes her is Jacian, the new guy she finds irritating...and attractive. As Kendall and Jacian grow closer, Kendall digs deeper into Nico's mysterious disappearance only to stumble upon some ugly—and deadly—local history. Kendall is about to find out just how far the towns people will go to keep their secrets buried

I went into reading this book not really knowing what to expect. I had not read any of the author’s previous books so I was not aware of her writing style. I am not sure if her other books are the same style, but I am not sure if it’s for me.

This book was one that I neither liked nor disliked. Everything was just sort of middle ground for me. I liked the mystery aspect and was looking for more from it.

I did enjoy Kendall. The character provided a unique perspective due to her OCD. It’s not a perspective I had experienced in a novel before. I don’t have firsthand experience with OCD so I am not sure how accurate the portrayal was though.

I also enjoyed the romance between Kendall and Jacian. It was what saved this book for me. It was a sweet, innocent romance. I feel that romance was stronger than the mystery aspect of the novel.

The first half of the book felt slower than the second half. The second half is full of creepy, horrific things and sadly they are dealt with rather quickly at the end. I would have liked to go into more detail. It just felt like the novel was hitting the good part and then it was over.

I would recommend it if you are a fan of the author’s previous books. I am curious to see if her other books have the same writing style so I may eventually read another one of her books.

Follow Friday/Book Blogger Hop

I want to thank Christy at Reader Bee. I found out about this weekly post by following her! So thank you Christy.
Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee. It's a great way to meet new blogger friends. This weeks question is:

Q. Just like Ashley said (love it) "Ashley the girl..." who are You the Boy/Girl, instead of You the Blogger?
I am Kathy. I am 30 years old (well in April I will be). When I am not reading/blogging/etc I am working as a travel agent. I love to travel and have been lucky to have seen quite a few places. I have 1 pet - a cat named Aria.



Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy-For-Books.com. It's a great way to meet new people and friends around the blogworld!

Today's question is

"If I gave you £50 (or $80) and sent you into a bookshop right now, what would be in your basket when you finally staggered to the till?"
I would do a lot of preorders
I would preorder Wither, City of Fallen Angels, The Goddess Test and Starcrossed. I am sure that would take up the $80 (if not more).
If you do comment or follow me please leave a link to your blog post so I can take at a look at yours in return.
Happy Friday everyone.

Mortal Instruments City of Fallen Angels Trailer #1

The first trailer for City of Fallen Angels was released yesterday. It is one of the most anticipated releases in YA this year.

I am a huge fan of this series, and really enjoy Cassandra Clare's writing style.

This trailer fills you in on some of the happenings from the first 3 books. (so maybe some spoilers if you haven't read the first 3).

There will be 4 more trailers leading up to the release date of April 5!

Enjoy!

Waiting on Wednesday

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

My selection this Wednesday is Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini.

Here is the GoodReads synopsis

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history. As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

This is a Greek mythology based novel. It’s based on the Helen of Troy tale. The cover is simply beautiful. Very striking. The premise is what hooked me though. I love great tragic romances and the Helen of Troy/Paris romance fits that. I am looking forward to seeing what the author has done with the tale.

Expected release date is May 31st 2011 by HarperTeen.

The Vampire Stalker by Allison Van Diepen - Trailer

I have decided that every Tuesday I will post a trailer. It could be a book trailer, or a movie trailer that is based on a book.

The first trailer I am posting is for The Vampire Stalker. I was intrigued by this novel from the synopsis. You can find out more on GoodReads.

The trailer just makes me more excited for it to come out!

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Release Date – February 1, 2011
Publisher – HarperTeen
Pages - 441
My Rating- 9/10
The synopsis from GoodReads:

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

I want to start with a minor issue I had before I begin to gush. If there was one thing I would have liked to have read in the book it would be an explanation on how the society got to the point where people were willing to get the procedure. How did this even come into being? I hope we get some of those details in the two books. I just can’t wrap my head around how people would have accepted it. It didn’t distract from my enjoyment of the novel, just something I kept thinking about. I am anxiously awaiting the next book, especially after that AMAZING ending.

Ok, now on to the gushing. I thought this premise was intriguing and I was excited to read it. I wasn’t prepared for the impact this novel would have on me however.

During the process of Lena discovering love I was reminded of what it felt like to be in those early stages of infatuation. The beginning of a relationship where everything reminds you of the other person, you’re always thinking of them, and you’re giddy all the time. We’re all lucky it eventually balances out and we can begin to think straight but new love is intoxicating. It’s the rush of hormones and chemicals that makes it a pretty unique high. I couldn’t help but be reminded of how awesome this feeling is.

It’s not just the romantic type of love that is addressed in the novel. Lena and her best friend Hana made me want to talk to my own best friend right away. The bond between them is sweet and real. I really enjoyed Lena’s interactions with Grace as well (without giving anything away, Grace is kind of my hero).

Once I had finished the novel I was overcome with the feeling of being grateful. Grateful that I am able to feel and experience love; whether it’s the romantic love, the love for my family and friends, or simply the love of a relaxing rainy day with a good book and a glass of wine. The fact that we can experience any of these emotions is what it means to be truly alive. The alternative of being numb and just going through the motions is a scary thought. It’s this that makes the book so haunting. Even the opposite emotions (like sadness) are important to feel. I think that the highs would not be as great without the lows.

To quote the author who put is so eloquently in her dedication -

“For all the people who have infected me with amor deliria nervosa in the past – you know who you are. For the people who will infect me in the future – I can’t wait to see who you’ll be. And in both cases: Thank you”

I could not agree more.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
My selection this Wednesday is The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter.


Here is the GoodReads synopsis

Every girl who has taken the test has died.

Now it's Kate's turn.

It's always been just Kate and her mom--and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

If she fails...

The cover is so pretty. It's being published by Harlequin Teen and they did a fantastic job. Also, Henry...he already sounds like he might just be my next book boyfriend. haha.

The premise is unique and I do love Greek mythology. I am VERY excited to get my hands on this one.

Expected release date is April 26th.