Weekly Obsessions

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

Here are my obsessions this week:

BOOKS

Still Star-Crossed by Melinda Taub

The Goodreads synopsis reads

Romeo and Juliet are gone. Will love live on? Despite the glooming peace that's settled on Verona after the recent tragedy, Montagues and Capulets are brawling in the streets. Faced with more bloody battles, Prince Escalus concludes that the only way to truly marry the fortunes of these two families is to literally marry them together. Everyone is skeptical, but none more so than the pair selected, for the most eligible Montague bachelor is Benvolio, Romeo's best friend, still anguished by the loss of his companions, and the chosen Capulet maid is Juliet's older cousin Rosaline, the girl Romeo first loved and whose refusal of Romeo's affection paved the way for bloodshed. Contrary to their late cousins, there's no love lost between Benvolio and Rosaline, yet they forge a bond to end the renewed feud not only to escape their forced betrothal, but to save their lives and the city of Verona itself.

I love the sound of this. I always wondered what came next after finishing Romeo and Juliet. I was always curious about how each of the families reacted and what resulted out of the tragic ending. I love the idea of a sequel of sorts, and can't wait to get my hands on this.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer Paperback Edition

I received an email just before Christmas notifying me that my blog name would be in the paperback edition of Cinder! Major fangirling happened. Here is the image sent to me by the lovely people at Macmillian. I have added a helpful red arrow to show where my blog name appears. Super excited to eventually have a copy of this and very happy to be included.

OTHER

Kobo Mini 

I received an awesome Christmas present this year, an e-reader. It's a Kobo Mini and I LOVE it. So far I've only browsed the features and such, but I am looking forward to reading a book on it next week. Nothing beats the feel of a real book, but it'll come in handy for my eARCs.

David's Tea

If you haven't tried any tea from David's Tea yet, you are MISSING OUT! They have really awesome flavours. I am currently addicted to Cocomint Cream, and just fell in love with Santa's Secret.

Book Expo America

So one of my gifts this Christmas was my pass to BEA in 2013. I got it a little early, but I am SO EXCITED to be going again this year. Let the countdown begin.

So what are you obsessed with this week?

Books I Want Made Into A Movie (or TV Show)....

I made a list of these awhile ago. That list still applies, however I've read some amazing books lately. Books that I would LOVE to see turned into a movie. Some of my previous choices have even made it onto this list again (Let’s consider those books that MUST be turned into a movie).

Here are the 10 books I would want to see made into a movie (or TV show) right now…..

1 The Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein series by Kenneth Oppel

A dark, adventure filled plot that would translate into an action packed movie. The characters and the entire plot gave me the same feeling as when I read Harry Potter - almost like it was made to be turned into a movie.

2 The Mara Dyer series by Michelle Hodkin

This series has quickly become one of my favourites. The insane twists would play out amazingly on screen. The steamy romance between Noah and Mara would require chemistry between the two actors to portray accurately, but I would love to see it come to life.

3 Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

With many twists and turns that would make an incredible movie. A tense look at a messed up relationship, Gone Girl would play out wonderfully with the right actors. Luckily this one is in the early stages of being adapted for the big screen, and I can't wait.

4 The Infernal Devices Series by Cassandra Clare

Now that The Mortal Instruments is on it's way to becoming a huge hit at the box office, I immediately thought this should become a movie. I would love to see Jem, Tessa and Will brought to life. I would love for the same director, team to be involved with this one as well. The historical aspect also makes it appealing for adaptation.

5 Immortal City by Scott Speer

While reading this book, I could see the potential for a TV show or movie. It read like it was made to be a CW show. The crime noir feel would translate really well. The glitz and glamour of Hollywood contrasted with the darker side of Los Angeles would also be striking on screen.

6 Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

I would love to see the setting of this come to life. The Debauchery Club would be electric. The fashion, the scenery, and characters could be visually stunning if done the right way. It has the potential to be one of the most beautifully shot movies with the right director as well.

7 From What I Remember by Stacy Kramer

This reminded me a lot of those fun 80's teen romantic comedies. A teenaged spin on the popular Hangover movies, with a coming of age element dealing with saying goodbye to highschool. A fun cast of characters would also play out well on screen.

8 Cinder by Marissa Meyer

This has to be a movie. My request for this one? Joss Whedon as director. He would do wonderful things with this genre and these characters.

9 Black City by Elizabeth Richards

The world of Black City would look amazing on screen. The heavy political aspect of the novel would allow for lots of tension and action. The sensual nature of the Darklings, and Ash in particular would provide the romance element. My only request is Ezra Miller for Ash!

10 Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

This novel is begging to be turned into a movie. Romance, action, and shades of the X-Men series assures that this will be a hit with movie goers. I only hope that Tahereh's beautiful writing style comes across cinematically as well as it does in the novel.

In My Mailbox....

This is a weekly meme hosted by the awesome Kristi at The Story Siren. It gives us a chance to showcase the books we got during the week.

My mailbox was pretty awesome this week...ok so pretty awesome is an understatement. SO many amazing books.

These are books I was gifted or received for review

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin (goodreads)
A Million Suns by Beth Revis (goodreads)

The amazing Kristina from LadyBug Storytime got me a copy of Masque. I literally squealed when it came in the mail. It's been really high on my wish list and I can't wait to finish it (already started and LOVING it). The cover is so stunning, even in ARC form.

The amazing and lovely Christy from The Reader Bee sent me a belated Christmas gift and it was A Million Suns. I have heard nothing but amazing things about it.

Thank you so much to both Christy and Kristina. You ladies are amazing!

I helped Marissa Meyer celebrate the release of her fantastic novel Cinder. She was sweet and offered swag to people who helped her and it is awesome! Thank you so much Marissa.

Here are some books I purchased this week

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood (goodreads)
Cinder by Marissa Meyer (goodreads)
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (goodreads)

I also have two copies of Entertainment Weekly with the cast of the Vampire Diaries on them. I have the Paul Wesley/Nina Dobrev cover as well, but my friend has it as she had to pick it up for me (none of the stores near me had it). They are even hotter than this picture shows. Scorching!!

Happy reading everyone!

Obsessions...this week...

The awesome Kelly at KellyVision started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

Here are my obsessions this week:

BOOK

Cover of City of Lost Souls

So pretty! Seriously, it's so romantic, and the colour scheme is amazing. I am dying to read this book! I won't lie though...kinda wish Magnus Bane was on the cover. *fingers crossed for the next one*

Hemlock's love triangle 


Ok, so if you follow Kathleen Peacock on twitter you may have seen her mention the love triangle in This Dark Endeavour by Kenneth Oppel. She mentioned how well done it is. I am reading This Dark Endeavour now and she is totally right. This has made me even more excited to read her debut novel Hemlock, because she obviously knows her love triangles (and her book has one according to the synopsis).

cover and synopsis for Masque of the Red Death 

This was my Waiting on Wednesday pick but I love the synopsis so much and the cover is stunning I had to mention it again. If you haven't read the synopsis you really need to head over to Goodreads and do so. I can not wait for this book.


MOVIE


Tangled (Disney)

I might be the only person who hasn't seen this yet. I recently watched it with my three nieces and LOVED it. Such a cute movie. Mandy Moore is adorable as the voice of Rapunzel. I am going to go out and purchase it now because I loved it so much. You know it's bad when you are asking your nieces to watch it again! :)


OTHER

Fariytales


Between the awesomeness that is Cinder and Once Upon a Time fairytales are coming back in a big way. Retellings, reimagings, and the classics are all seeing a resurgence. I am thrilled, and can't wait to see what the rest of the books in Marissa Meyer's series has in store for us.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Release Date – January 3, 2012
Publisher Website – Raincoast Books/ Feiwel & Friends
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 387 pages
My Rating- 8.5/10
**Obtained from publisher and Netgalley for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
In this thrilling debut young adult novel, the first of a quartet, Marissa Meyer introduces readers to an unforgettable heroine and a masterfully crafted new world that’s enthralling.

Cinder is just your typical fairytale. A pretty young girl sits covered in dirt, always kept busy by her overbearing guardian and “step-sisters”. Sounds familiar right. Did I mention she a mechanic? Oh and she also happens to be a cyborg.

The characters are what really shine in this novel. They are all so engaging. You either love them, or love to hate them. Cinder is someone that stands up for herself, thinks of others, and tries to do what is right. Iko, her android friend, is gossip obsessed, hilarious, and just fun. I ended up chuckling at so many of the things Iko said. Prince Kai is charming, kind, confused and trying to hold a quickly escalating situation under control. Cinder’s family is even well developed.

The relationship with Prince Kai and Cinder builds at a great pace. He’s intrigued by her, and I think the fact Cinder turns him down actually makes him MORE interested. The one girl who would say no to the Prince has to catch his eye. The relationship is just getting started and I love how it is being built.

The Lunars are a race of human like beings that have some pretty terrifying capabilities. I found myself fascinated by them, especially Queen Levana and her thirst for power. This will not be the last we hear of them, and I am looking forward to learning more.

Was the plot a little predictable? Yes, but Marissa manages to make it seem fresh and make you want to keep reading. The world she’s built is amazing, and so developed. I love that she was able to capture the essence of the classic Cinderella tale, yet make it her own. The classic image of Cinderella running from the ball and losing her glass slipper included.

This is the first book in a 4 book series. If you, like me, have ever wanted some of your favourite Disney Princesses in the same story this just might make you squeal. I was pleasantly surprised to find out how much the storylines from each book are going to overlap. We get our first glimpse of Cress (Rapunzel) and mentions of Winter (Snow White). The book is left on a cliff hanger that lets you know Cinder’s story is just beginning.

If you like fairytales, and want a unique, futuristic twist this will more than satisfy. It’ll appeal to all readers (even guys) and really does offer something for everyone – romance, action, intrigue, and delightful characters.

Obsessions....this week!

The awesome Kelly at KellyVison started posting a weekly post highlighting whatever she happened to be obsessed with that week. I LOVE this idea, so much in fact that I will be doing it myself every Saturday.

So this week my obsessions are:

BOOKS

Trailer for Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I don't have a the video to post, but I will provide the link. This trailer is awesome. I am so excited to start this one. It looks fantastic, and I love that there are other fairytales to come in this series.

Kendare Blake's New Series

Kendare Blake announced a new three book series recently and I could not be more excited.

Kendare Blake's ANTIGODDESS series, where the ancient, perpetually teenaged Greek gods Athena and Hermes cling to life in the contemporary world, seeking the causes of their mysterious, slow deaths and gathering their allies in reincarnated form: Cassandra, an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess; Odysseus, the handsome trickster; and other fickle characters with their own secret motives; they must all band together against Hera and Poseidon who have become horrific caricatures of their former glory in their desperation to survive.

How amazing does this sound?! I am so excited to have this to look forward to once Girl of Nightmares is released. If you wish to know more you can find it on Goodreads.

MOVIE

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

This movie ended up being even more awesome than I thought it would be. The soundtrack/score is amazing. The acting by Rooney Mara was impressive. Her and Daniel Craig actually have a chemistry. She's strong, vulnerable, sensuous, and  troubled. Exactly what I expected Lisbeth to be. Her accent was quite good too. My best friend is Swedish (and lives there) and there were things in the movie that she says and does. I am looking forward to the other movies in the series now.

OTHER

Christmas

When this posts it'll be Christmas Eve, and I will be at my sister's house with three very excited little girls. My nieces are still very young and get really excited about everything so this is a huge deal to them.

I hope you all have a magical Christmas and that you get to spend it with family and loved ones.

In My Mailbox!

This is a weekly meme hosted by the awesome Kristi at The Story Siren. It gives us a chance to showcase the books we got during the week.

I had a pretty awesome book week. I have quite a few new additions to my bookshelf!



Revived by Cat Patrick (goodreads)

A HUGE thank you to Hachette Group Canada for this! I am so excited to read it! I have a few books that are coming out in spring 2012 that I want to read NOW, but am also wanting to save them so they count for the Debut Author Reading Challenge I am taking part in. ;)

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (goodreads) NOT PICTURED

A HUGE thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the egalley I have waiting to be read. Again, this comes out in January, so I might wait and read it right on Jan 1st! I have to double check when the galley expires.

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (goodreads)

Brodie at Eleusinian Mysteries mentioned this one. Something to do with hot cowboys....

Either way I was tempted enough to purchase it from Book Depository and it came (finally) this week. I am super excited to read it. It's going to be part of an Angel Theme week I am planning for April (right around my birthday).

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick (goodreads)
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (goodreads)
Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (goodreads)

I purchased the three of these while at Chapters this week. I have been meaning to read all of them and now that I have them I am hoping to fit them into my review schedule. Super excited for all 3!

What books did you get this week? Leave me a comment and I will check it out.

Happy reading everyone!