Teaser Tuesday 9-11-12

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Stop by there, to see other blogs participating as well! :)



I'm reading a handful of books right now, but I'm actually going to pick something random off my to-review shelf instead...ah, look where my hand stopped:

The Essence by Kimberly Derting, the second book of The Pledge trilogy. 
Expected publication is January 1st, 2013! It's a New Year's book. :)

   "It wasn't until I found myself lying facedown in the dirt that I came fully and completely awake. Until that moment, I'd simply thought I was having another one of Sabara's dreams. The vague buzzing, a blur of  voices and shouts, could have easily been coming from inside my own head.
    Now, however, I could taste the stringy meat Jeremiah had brought back with him--some sort of scruffy-coated animal I hadn't been able to identify, a meal that hadn't settled well in my stomach in the first place--against the back of my tongue. I gagged on the gamey flavor as I struggled against an immovable weight that pinned my to the ground.
    A hand shot out to cover my mouth and my eyes went wide."

-excerpt from just about the middle of my ARC.

Are you excited for this sequel? At first I was kinda bummed The Pledge wasn't a standalone because I am sure it would have been an excellent one, but now I see how the loose ends could be raveled into another two books before tying off, I just hope they're as good as the first. 

-Jane

Outpost: review

Title: Outpost (Razorland #2)
Author: Ann Aguirre
Genres: zombie-ish, dystopian, kick-ass, adventure
Rating: 4 stars!
Summary: Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.

To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out.

Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.
Second books are always a touchy subject for me...they're either really horrible and pointless, or great and plot-moving. (Kind of like debut authors! I say nicely.) Some examples are Until I Die by Amy Plum. I loved it, but realized after that the plot went pretty much nowhere and consisted of fluff. And on the other hand, Lauren Oliver's Pandemonium I enjoyed WAY more than Delirium. In both cases though, I am eagerly, and not really patiently awaiting the last of each trilogy. ;)

Outpost did not fall into the Second-Book-Slump as I feared it would. It did, however, have it's questionable moments...

The start is slow-going. It took me a good 80 pages or so, until I finally stopped setting it down in between chapters to go do something else. Mostly that's because Salvation is pretty boring. It's a small town of salvation (well duh) and the people in it are living their lives a little too easily and not much happens besides everyday life. When Deuce finally leaves the town to be a part of the summer patrols, action arises and the Muties become smarter. That finally had me hooked. I was scared for a while that this book would be a disappointment.

I just realized. And maybe I'm like the last person in the world to get this, but I think Deuce's name has a deeper meaning from the author. Throughout most of Outpost, she's struggling with her two natures; the prominent Huntress, aka killing machine, and her emerging girly side who is falling for Fade and likes to be hugged by her new mom. She's at constant battle with herself--how to react in situations in order to be true to both selfs. Hence her name, Deuce which means two. I feel so smart! All right, you can laugh at me now, for not getting that before.

Bad-ass-ness rating: 10 stars. This might be a weird comparison, but Deuce has some serious River Tam moments. You know that scene from Serenity where she rises from the pile of zombies and dripping in blood? There are many moments in Outpost where battle scenes get pretty much like that. LOVED. If you need a visual: http://www.horror-movies.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/river-tam.jpg
It is pretty descriptive, the gore.

One more nerd moment. The city Deuce comes from is called Gotham. Does that sound familiar? Gotham! I wonder if that's an actual place, or if she wanted to be funny by putting that in there.

The romance is becoming alllmost a love triangle, but not quite. Fade is in that annoying stage of "good-boy-keeping-distance" for a while, while Stalker is, well, stalking in an overly friendly way but Deuce is holding her distance. I actually grew to like Stalker more in here than in Enclave, but I still don't like his pet name for her, dove. Fade and Deuce finally get past some unsaid misunderstandings (haha that sounds funny...) but things change by the ending. Fade is left sort of like how Pita Bread was during Mockingjay. Read: I don't like it. And I have a feeling he might do something stupid and sacrificial soon...crossing my fingers everything will turn out okay, but at the same time, I liked him more in Enclave.

Where there wasn't a bad cliffy, I am now totally looking forward to the last in the trilogy, Horde! I can't wait for a cover to be released!

-Jane

Also, anyone ever read her other series, Grimspace? I just learned of it, and it looks pretty interesting...

Books to Movies Giveaway Hop! (INT)

Welcome! This hop is hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer & Sweeping the USA.

You can find the complete linky list HERE. There are over 80 blogs participating!

This time, I'm making the giveaway INTERNATIONAL! Let's see how it goes.

Books to movies is a touchy subject to us bookworms...I'm personally super picky about them. I refused to look at a single piece of news about The Hunger Games until the day the trailer came out, and I'm currently doing the same with City of Bones. It's crazy, I know. Call it denial, because it is. But I LOVED how The Hunger Games turned out, so there's still hope yet for future ones, like Ender's Game and Anna Karenina, The Great Gatsby...there are quite a lot of good ones coming up. 

Enough rambling. You want to get the giveaway entered and off to the next linky. At least, that's what I do. And assuming you're still reading this far.

So what I've picked is....

The choice between a hardback Fang or a (normal sized) paperback Max. Both are read, but in great condition.

...stupid formatting...

Because there WILL be a movie coming out! Next year hopefully! So that counts, right? ;) Ha! There is proof: HERE. :)

And since the last Maximum Ride book, Nevermore, just came out it's time to get around to putting them all on your shelf.

It's easy, just enter the Rafflecopter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

August RAK wrap-up (late)

I totally forgot to post what I got last month! :O

I didn't get any books, but I got a really nice handmade bird keychain from Miki, so thank you very much! It was a nice surprise in the mail when I got back from my trip.

September sign-ups are open now, so head on over to Book Soulmates and join in on the fun! Make sure to click the 'yes' to handmade gifts because they're always unique.

Happy reading!

-Jane

Stopped-Short Sunday (9-9-12)

It stuck! I got some positive feedback, so I'll continue this meme for now. The only thing is...I need an image to go along with it. Anyone??? :)

Stopped-Short Sunday is where I pick a book that I couldn't finish, and explain the pros and cons of not liking it. That way, instead of a bad review or no review at all, it gives some perspective in an open minded way.

This week I'm picking Daughter of Smoke and Bone, by Laini Taylor.

I read this last November and from the first page, fell absolutely in love with it. The description pulled me right in, about some otherworldly mythology thing going on, and there wasn't mention of any romance so I figured this will be the next Divergent, (as far as new favorites go.)

For the first 200 pages, I seriously couldn't put it down. The writing is mysterious and the characters were totally strange and unique. Urban-fantasy at it's best.

Then the angel fell from the sky.

This is an angel book, my friends. How did I not know that coming in? If there is a genre I have to dislike the most, it would belong to the angels. It might have something to do with the usual relation to God it brings up, and as an atheist, that stuff doesn't really appeal to me; I don't get that connection to the story. And they're all the same. At least the 10 different ones I've put down were.

(The only two exceptions are Illuminate and the City of Bones series.)

Anyway, this got hugely popular, and I stumbled upon it by the ginormous cardboard display-rack thing in the bookstore; it was like a magnet. So I bought it.

I'm mentioning this book now, because in a couple months, Laini Taylor is going to be near me on tour for the second in the series. Now a handful of friends have said it's worth finishing, for me to give it another shot. Also, I just read her short story in Foretold which was ahhmazing! Really, her writing is completely awesome.

Final thoughts, I'm going to pick it up again soon, back track a couple chapters to get my bearings again, and finish it. I really really wanted to love this, so I think there is still a chance! (Even though it's sort of an angel book, because I think there's more mythology than being simply that.)

And I mean come on, the covers are great. ;)

-Jane

The Dark Unwinding: review

Title: The Dark Unwinding
Author: Sharon Cameron
Genres: Victorian era, almost-steampunk, coming-of-age, bunnies.
Rating: 4 stars!
Source: finished copy from the publisher, Scholastic Press
Summary: A spine-tingling tale of steampunk and spies, intrigue and heart-racing romance!

When Katharine Tulman's inheritance is called into question by the rumor that her eccentric uncle is squandering away the family fortune, she is sent to his estate to have him committed to an asylum. But instead of a lunatic, Katharine discovers a genius inventor with his own set of rules, who employs a village of nine hundred people rescued from the workhouses of London.

Katharine is now torn between protecting her own inheritance and preserving the peculiar community she grows to care for deeply. And her choices are made even more complicated by a handsome apprentice, a secretive student, and fears for her own sanity.

As the mysteries of the estate begin to unravel, it is clear that not only is her uncle's world at stake, but also the state of England as Katharine knows it. With twists and turns at every corner, this heart-racing adventure will captivate readers with its intrigue, thrills, and romance.

I'm always cautious when reading a debut novel. Usually they're either horrible, or wonderful. The Dark Unwinding fell into the latter category, and I would definitely recommend it!

The story takes place outside of London in the mid 1800s, and the first thing I noticed was that the dialogue was good for the times. It felt naturally English and old fashioned, and not fake or stilted. 

Mainly, lots of the good dialogue comes from Katharine's crazy uncle (who nowadays would be characterized as highly-functioning autistic) because the paragraphs of nonsense is really well written. His condition is sad and at the same time hilarious if you think of it positively. A true genius inventor is often a bit crazy and the author captures that craziness unusually well.

Now the main character, Katharine, I have a few mixed feelings about. She isn't the usual kick-ass or even sort of tough character I look out for when choosing a book. Prone to the occasional painting spell and easily scared, she isn't used to the safely of her London home. But there's good development and for what she lacks in physical abilities, I really felt she is strong in spirit. Katharine is torn for most of the story between her own self-preservence and the saving of her uncle and his whole estate/town and the jobs of his people. So I liked her for that, and she's smart-though often proves to be too curious for her own good.

The supporting characters are delightfully present and rounded. I grew attached to all of them, even the rather annoying Miss Jefferies who determined to give Katherine the hardest time possible while visiting. 

On the other hand, the romance...was predictable. Not in the bad kind, I still liked it, but every new thing she discovered about the two possible angles of her triangle I had already guessed. But I will admit the way it turned out surprised me a little with an open ending. Honestly, there wasn't actual romance in it, because that's not what the plot centered around.

There's a nicely set pace with plenty going on to keep you guessing, its as much of a mystery as historical. But the climax turned out to be slightly confusing, lots happens at once, and it's disorienting with the commotion. Though the storytelling recovers toward the resolution of the book, when much of it is explained, so I understood what happened by the end.

The Dark Unwinding  is one of those books that would make a great movie, and it was nice to read a standalone rather than the beginning of a series debut. I look forward to reading more of the author's work in the future.

-Jane

**Thanks to the people at Scholastic Press for providing me with a finished copy to review. It did not effect my review in any way. I reviewed it honestly and without bias.**

Wishlist Wednesday 9-5-12

Wishlist Wednesday is hosted by Dani, at Pen to Paper, and it's a meme in which you can post a book that you've had on your wishlist for a while, but haven't found the time to actually read yet.

I choose Ironskin by Tina Connolly this week. It just came out a few days ago and I can't wait to get it from the library! Or, you know, I might just accidentally walk into a bookstore and buy it...it could happen.

Goodreads summary: Jane Eliot wears an iron mask. 

It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin. 

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a "delicate situation"—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help. 

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey. 

Jane knows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discovers just how far she will go to become whole again.

Im having some serious cover-love here. Probably one of the prettiest I've seen in a while. I can't wait to see it in real life. I wonder what the spine looks like. Anyone have a chance to read this yet?

The genre of steampunk is a weakness for me, I'll admit. And the book I'm reading right now is pretty good, and vaguely steampunk, but Ironskin looks like something else entirely! It has faeries in it too, which doubles the intrigue. 

What's on your wishlist this week?

-Jane