New To My Book Closet

It's that time of the week again. Time to show you what bookish goodies made their way into my home and book closet (to be saved from the evil book eating cat monster named Aria). This is inspired by the various "mailbox" posts out there (eg. In My Mailbox by The Story Siren, and Stacking the Shelves by Tynga's Reviews).

I have a very small mailbox this week. One e-novella that I am excited to get to read!

Summerfall by Claire Legrand (goodreads)

A prequel novella for her Winterspell novel. I am going to be reading this soon as well as Winterspell.

What books made their way into your mailbox this week?

Happy weekend, and happy reading!

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.

A short and sweet one this week.

TV/MOVIE

The Riot Club movie poster

Last week I shared the trailer. This week, it's the movie poster for my newest movie obsession.

Why hello there gorgeous guys in fantastic suits. It captures the tone of the movie without giving away how dark it actually seems to get. I cannot wait for this to reach Canadian theaters. I am not sure it has an official release date in North America, but it is scheduled to release in the UK on September 19th.

OTHER

Fall TV season

The fall TV season is just around the corner, and I couldn't be happier. I am, of course, excited for the next season of my returning favourites, but there are a lot of amazing new shows starting as well. Top of that list is obviously Gotham. How To Get Away With Murder, a new show from Shondra Rhimes also looks worth checking out. There will also be plenty of new shows starting in the winter months (Jan - March) that look interesting.

Las Vegas trip

My work is sending me a on work trip to Las Vegas. I leave this month and am starting to get excited about going. I have a bunch of things to do between now and when I leave so the time will fly by.

What are you obsessed with this week?

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. It's a great way to meet new blogger friends.

This weeks question is: 

Are you also a writer and what genre or did you ever consider writing?

I am not a writer. I do have a few ideas, but haven't really focused on writing one as of yet.

Happy Weekend!

Q and A With Alice Kuipers

Today I have Alice Kuipers stopping by for a Q and A all about her new novel, The Death Of Us. If you have already, do check out what I thought of this book by reading my review.

Here is a little about The Death Of Us

A recovered friendship, a dark secret, and a love triangle with a deadly angle…

Callie is shocked when her friend Ivy reappears after an unexplained three-year absence, but the girls pick up where they left off, and suddenly Callie’s summer is full of parties, boys and fun. Beneath the surface, things aren't what they seem, however, and when a handsome boy with a dark past gets tangled up with Ivy, the girls’ history threatens to destroy their future.

1. Twitter pitch The Death Of Us (describe it in 140 characters or less).

Someone at my publishing house came up with: A love triangle with a deadly angle. It's on the back of the book and I think it absolutely sums up the novel. And it's way fewer than 140 characters. Or, how about: Three tangled lives, one terrible accident, who survives?

2. If someone were to make an ice cream flavour for your book, what might be included?

A dash of spice - cayenne, a hint of something exotic - cardammon, a swirl of sweet raspberry, plain vanilla, and a lot of chocolate. Underneath would be a darker taste, something bitter, perhaps strong coffee.

3. Friendship is such a huge part of this novel. How would Callie and Ivy each describe their friendship?

Callie would say: I missed Ivy and having her back in my life is the best thing possible. Really. Yeah, I know it was messed up first time round, but she's so amazing. And the past is in the past. Right?
Ivy would say: Callie is the sort of friend I need. Loyal and true. I respect that. I have to trust her. If I can't trust her, I can't trust anyone.

4. If you could travel to anywhere, in any time period, when and where would you want travel? 

A lot of the travelling in the past was exciting and extraordinary but it came at huge cost. Like, I imagine being on HMS Beagle with Charles Darwin, but I know there was a young girl on that ship who had been kidnapped from her people as some sort of curio. Her name was Fuegia Basket. She barely gets a mention in history but her life was destroyed. That sort of destruction and disrespect takes away the appeal of travelling in history. So I think I'd rather travel forward, into the future - go to a new planet, like the one in Michel Faber's new novel, The Book of Strange New Things.

5. What three things do you need while revising? 

My editors.
A strong stomach.
Coffee.

Thank you to Alice for stopping by and answering these questions. Thank you to Harper Collins Canada for setting up this interview.

You can find Alice online by visiting her Twitter or her website

Harper Collins Canada can be found online at the following - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader/Frenzy

Here are a few places you can purchase The Death Of Us - Chapters //  Harper Collins // Amazon //

ALICE KUIPERS is the bestselling, award-winning author of three previous novels, Life on the Refrigerator Door, The Worst Thing She Ever Did and 40 Things I Want To Tell You, and the picture book Violet and Victor Write The Best-Ever Bookworm Book. Her work has been published to critical acclaim in twenty-nine countries. She lives in Saskatoon. Find her here: www.alicekuipers.com

The Death Of Us by Alice Kuipers

The Death Of Us by Alice Kuipers

Release Date - September 2, 2014
Publisher Website - Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader/Frenzy
Pages -  288 pages
My Rating - 3.5/5
**received in exchange for an honest review from the publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

A recovered friendship, a dark secret, and a love triangle with a deadly angle…

Callie is shocked when her friend Ivy reappears after an unexplained three-year absence, but the girls pick up where they left off, and suddenly Callie's summer is full of parties, boys and fun. Beneath the surface, things aren't what they seem, however, and when a handsome boy with a dark past gets tangled up with Ivy, the girls' history threatens to destroy their future.

There are some books you devour in one sitting. There can be many different reasons for this. The Death Of Us was one I flew through because I needed to know what happened next. I needed to know what the outcome of this twisted, downward spiraling triangle would be.

Choices. They are something that we all make each day. Some are tiny, insignificant choices like what we'll have for breakfast. Others are huge, life altering decisions like moving to a new city. There are other types of choices though - the ones that may not seem significant until it's too late. Sometimes it's it's a bunch of little choices that impact one another and send us spiral towards a collision with no mean of stopping the crash. In the end our life is a result of all the choices we've made; big and small. Alice Kuipers adeptly shows the consequences of choices, even those that are unforeseen at first. She has the reader playing 'what if' as fateful events begin to unravel. The notion of 'change something and you change everything' is something that is felt throughout this novel.

The strongest element in this story was the author's ability to create a tension. It's something that starts subtly and increases as you race towards the ending. You know something is going to happen, and that in itself creates a need to continue reading. The use of three different narrators served to further the mystery aspect of the story, but limited our time with each of the characters. The pacing and story benefited but it was at the cost of the characterization and none of the voices really stood out.

That being said, the characters are all had something about them that was interesting. Callie and Ivy's friendship in particular was well crafted. The ebbs and flows of this type of friendship are strikingly captured, and a little of each of the girl's personalities are revealed through this relationship. My only minor issue was that I did not feel that I got to know the characters as well as I wanted to. The whys behind what they did often alluded me. Kurt, in particular, didn't feel expanded upon. However, the story was engrossing enough for me to be pulled in regardless of the character connection.

Breaking free from your past is a strong theme in the novel. Ivy's trying to outrun her past. Callie is struggling with something she can't even admit to herself, and Kurt struggling with where he belongs. Each of them has something they'd rather hide from, or not admit. Drugs, sexuality, broken homes, mental illness. These are some dark, but relevant issues that they are dealing with, even if they just briefly touched upon. It makes for a dizzying, quick read that packs a lot into it's rather short page count.

A juicy, twisted love triangle with a deadly conclusion. The Death Of Us is filled with tension, and secrets that create a delicious page turner. A shorter read that would have benefited with some expansion, but an otherwise overly enjoyable read.

Blood Of My Blood by Barry Lyga

Blood Of My Blood by Barry Lyga

Release Date - September 9, 2014
Publisher Website - Little Brown/Hachette
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages -  480 pages
My Rating - 4.5/5
**received in exchange for an honest review from the publisher**

**SPOILERS FOR I HUNT KILLERS AND GAME**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

Jazz Dent has been shot and left to die in New York City. His girlfriend Connie is in the clutches of Jazz's serial killer father, Billy. And his best friend Howie is bleeding to death on the floor of Jazz's own home in tiny Lobo's Nod. Somehow, these three must rise above the horrors their lives have become and find a way to come together in pursuit of Billy. But then Jazz crosses a line he's never crossed before, and soon the entire country is wondering: "Like father, like son?" Who is the true monster?
The chase is on, and beyond Billy there lurks something much, much worse. Prepare to meet...the Crow King.

If you've read my previous reviews for this series, you'll know that I am a huge fan of the atmosphere and characters that Barry Lyga has crafted. As this series comes to a close the focus is on bringing everything together, and putting Jazz through one last excruciating reveal that left both the characters and me reeling.

Jasper's story took an even creepier turn in Game when it was highly suggested that he had been sexually abused. The person abusing him, and what it means to his story is a mystery. All is revealed in book three, and the truth is anything but freeing. The tying together of plot points that thread through the entire series is craftily done. All the major questions are answered, and loose ends are pulled back into play.

The deliciously shiver inducing introduction of the Crow King in Game was something I was looking forward to exploring in this novel. I had theory. I took a few guesses. The truth turned out to be more twisted than I anticipated and, yet, made complete sense. The secrets that are waiting in this novel are some of the best executed reveals I've read. It made the long build to the pay off well worth it.

If the second book was more about the chase, and hunt, this third installment is all about the characters. There is still plenty of action, but everything that's plagued these characters is the focus. This is a novel that balances the plot and character development so that equal time is spent on both. I wanted more of Howie, and Connie, but I cannot begrudge the focus being on Jasper. This is his story after all. This is him finally answering the question that has haunted him from book one - am I just like my dad? Turns out the answer is more complex than Jasper (or the reader) ever imagined.

Billy Dent is shiver inducing. We got a little bit of his characterization in Game, but this novel really allows his character to take a more central role. He's not just some threat looming in the background. He's also much more complex than you'd expect. It would be easy to portray Billy as a caricature, and make him a one dimensional villain. Barry Lyga, however, did his research and it shows. Terrifying doesn't even begin to describe Billy Dent. The effort Barry Lyga put into creating a highly believable serial killer, and his attention to detail is staggering. I anticipate his computer has a rather interesting internet search history. The time spent, however, created something deeper than your usual serial killer novel. It's almost like a study into the most deranged minds, and it's, at times, an uncomfortable place to be.

Barry Lyga's chilling series comes to a satisfying conclusion. One that is fitting for Jasper's journey. Those looking for chills, thrills, and pitch perfect characterization will not want to miss this series. Just maybe read it with the lights on.

The Jewel by Amy Ewing

The Jewel by Amy Ewing

Release Date - September 2, 2014
Publisher Website - Harper Collins
Publisher Social Media - Twitter/Facebook/SavvyReader/Frenzy
Pages -  358 pages
My Rating - 3/5
**received in exchange for an honest review from the publisher**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

Betrayal. Lies. Hidden agendas. The Jewel is a dangerous place hidden underneath some pretty packaging. A solid premise, and engaging characters made this one highly readable, even if I wasn't fully invested in every aspect.

The writing in this novel is simplistic and straight forward. It doesn't detract from the story, but it doesn't add anything to it either. It does ensure a fast read as it's easy to follow, and concise. It's use of jewel inspired names for the residents of the Jewel was a little too 'on the nose' for me. The other areas outside The Jewel also have names relating to their role in this society (Ash is from the Smoke 'area' where the factories are). This element, while making it easy to distinguish were people are from, just didn't mesh with the story for me. The world building is subtle. There are hints that this aspect has been planned out, especially in terms of the history of the world, but the rest is sort of glossed over.

The use of Duke/Dutchess and Lord/Lady for almost EVERY character became a little confusing. It made getting to know the characters, for me, nearly impossible. This is a plot driven story, and characterization is only a few brush strokes during it's journey. It made caring about these characters a challenge because you end up not having an attachment to them. Even Violet is barely developed other than the barest characterization.

It's not just women being bought and paid for. Companions seem plentiful in this corrupt world. Young gentlemen hired to be escorts to rich and powerful women (or their daughters/nieces/etc). The reveal of these only served to show how far reaching this world's danger is.  The consequences are real, and the author doesn't hold back. We see the repercussions of stepping out of line. We see how ruthless the people in charge are, and what they will do to stay there. We also see what people will do to climb to the top. The surrogates are nothing more than property, and another can always be purchased at the next auction. That fact never leaves Violet's mind (or the minds of the readers). The tension that is created is real, and it only increases as you go deeper into the truth of this world.

Many may question why Violet doesn't fight back more. Why she doesn't spend more time missing her home. Why she seems to slide easily into the world and do what people tell her to. She doesn't seem in control of her own fate. She doesn't have faith in herself. This was not surprising to me. Her background doesn't lend itself to self confidence, and the world is painted as lethal. I think this is one element of the story that was done believably.

The romance was something that I did not enjoy. It was not only insta-love but insta-love built on little else than a stolen moment. The risks Violet took didn't seem to be worth the relationship. Ash and her have barely interacted before they are declaring their love for each other. There is a hint of a possible love triangle and this other boy is much more interesting. Someone that I overlooked as not having a large role in the series, until they became important. I normally do not wish for love triangles, but this is an exception.

This novel's message, and what it has to say about women being bought and paid for in particular, is a worthy message. There is some substance here. I am just afraid it's been lost among the cutesy jewel inspired names, and glitz. That the romance will end up meaning more than fighting back.

The ending sets up a sequel that is filled with potential. Many will bemoan the cliffhanger, but it's one that has me excited. The direction this story is going in is one I want to continue reading. The world Violet is now part of, and the dangers that  are a result of the ending could be quite interesting. This is a case where the world, and characters do work together and as a result the novel captivates.