Teaser Tuesday 9-3-12

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

The book I'm now starting, The Dark Unwinding, came out September 1st, only a couple days ago; here are a few teasers.

                  Add on Goodreads!

"It was her unspoken words that silenced me. That I could have no hope of future provision beyond the charity of my fat cousin, and had no invitations to keep me in London for the season, were far weaker places than her love of money, and she knew it."


"The color was an assault to the eyes almost as the silence seemed an attack on the ears."


"The birdcage had read five o'clock. All of them, every one of them had hands pointing to five..."






This has a great start, hopefully it'll keep up with the good descriptions...what are your teasers? Is The Dark Unwinding on your to-read shelf?

-Jane

Foretold (anthology) : review

Title: Foretold
Author: Carrie Ryan (editor) plus the fourteen authors listed below for the stories themselves.
Genres: ya prophetic anthology, short stories.
Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Richelle Mead, Lisa McMann, Michael Grant, Meg Cabot, Laini Taylor, and nine more of the hottest YA authors to hit the shelves explore the concepts of prophecy and prediction in this story collection edited byNYT bestselling author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Carrie Ryan. 

Have you ever been tempted to look into the future? To challenge predictions? To question fate? It's human nature to wonder about life's twists and turns. But is the future already written—or do you have the power to alter it?

From fantastical prophecies to predictions of how the future will transpire, Foretold is a collection of stories about our universal fascination with life's unknowns and of what is yet to come as interpreted by 14 of young adult fiction's brightest stars.

I am pretty sure this is my first anthology. Or at least for YA fiction. I've read collections of essays, etc. But those don't really count. Anyway, I am very satisfied with this anthology, and I've split up my review to be a few sentences on each of the short stories.

(In order)

Laini Taylor - Gentlemen Send Phantoms
Loved it!! Wish it was expanded to a whole novel...but at the same time it was good short. Sweet and creative, makes me want to go back to finishing Daughter of Smoke and Bone...

Burned Bright -Diana Peterfreund
Since the pov is from the inside of a cult during the ending of the world...I took an immediate dislike but as soon as it doesn't all happen like it's supposed to, super exciting! haha. Great ending too, unexpected. Though, I still like her other short better. Across the Nameless Stars.

The Angriest Man - Lisa McMann
Eerie, made my skin crawl. Makes me think of picking up the only book I haven't read of hers, Cryer's Cross, because she sure has a way of getting into your head with the psychological thriller stuff.

Out of the Blue - Meg Cabot
Sci-fi. It was okay, but I'm not a fan of her writing style. Light, fun and easy.

One True Love - Melinda Lo
I haven't read anything by her before, and her writing was okay, but I didn't get pulled into the story so I skimmed just a bit...

This is a Mortal World - Michael Grant
Same for this one, except for I just skipped it after the second page.

Misery - Heather Brewer
First impression: an episode of The Twilight Zone. Immediately caught my interest and totally freaked me out at the same time. Probably my favorite story!!

The Mind is a Powerful Thing - Matt De La Pena
Little disturbing, not the best. Main character seemed crazy, but not the cool/interesting kind. The run away quickly kind. And the ending was weirdly abrupt, not going the way I expected.

The Chosen One - Saundra Mitchell
Sweet. Reads like a fairy-tale, in the classic sense. Good ending for once, too. Not so foreboding and almost funny.

Improbable Futures - Kami Garcia
Carnivals always wig me out. And this story was about a carnival gypsy. Well written and spooky!

Death for the Deathless - Margaret Stohl
It's a take on Nostradamus's predictions, saying what if some immortal beings were behind it all. Takes place in France so automatic points there, and the only thing is I didn't get the last few sentences, they just didn't make sense. Maybe worded funny or something?

Fate - Simone Elkeles
Uhh...what did that have to do with prophecy and prediction? Nothing. So it was overly mushy/sweet. Reminder of why I'm not a fan of her books. But it was okay I guess, just seemed like it was in the wrong anthology.

The Killing Garden - Carrie Ryan
Excellent story!! Rich and harsh, and totally unputdownable. Reminds me of a could-be dystopian setting, or just as easily fantasy. Almost my favorite in the book; I hadn't realized she had written more than the introduction/editing.

Homecoming - Rachael Mead
I started reading this with not much enthusiasm...then realized it was a sort of extention to her Vampire Academy series, so I put it down. Maybe if I ever do read those book, it'll be more interesting.

~

You'll notice I really didn't explain any of the stories. That's because there isn't any summary for them individually, so it's kind of nice just diving in knowing vaguely the genre of prophecies but nothing else. So I tried not to divulge too much, because I loved bring surprised.

I would definitely recommend Foretold to any fan of ya paranormal books!


The next anthology on my list is Shards & Ashes, for which I'm super excited to read!!!

-Jane

Stopped-Short Sunday (experimental?)

Alright, I'm going to be super creative here and start a meme thing for today. Maybe it'll stick, maybe it won't. I haven't seen one like this so far, and I want to rant. Just a little.

Now, every time I have to write a bad review I feel sorry to the author that I didn't like their book, and even though ranting is fun it can hurt feelings an bring down ratings. My totally brilliant plan to avoid that is when a book is sucking and I find myself skimming pages, I drop it. That way I can go on Goodreads with an average 3 star or lower, and say only a sentence: "I couldn't get into it, couldn't finish it." or something of the like.

But what I'm really doing in my head is listing the reasons why I didn't like it (to further judge books later), what small parts I did enjoy (but unfortunately weren't strong enough to outweigh the bad), and figure out why so many other people absolutely loved it. That way my thought process is sort of constructive criticism. Because the weird thing is, usually the books I drop are insanely popular and there are tons of 4-5 star reviews on why this book is so absolutely amazing. Why do I have such different views to the norm?

The book I'm going to use right now is Shatter Me, by Tahereh Mafi.

Before Shatter Me came out, I didn't really hear much about it. I even turned down the ARC because I thought the cover was funny looking. But I put it on hold at the library once it came out, and dropped just over halfway, on page 162. (I wrote it down.)

Oh I just found my Goodreads review from last year when I read it. Well, here were my initial thoughts then:

Started out pretty great. The writing style is very cool, and has lots of little distinguishable features which I really like. The protag herself though, annoys me, she is always talking about how much she wants to do these things to stand up for herself and to help, but really, she is all talk and wayy to naive for my liking. Sure, her 'powers' may be like the awesome Rogue from x-men, but unfortunately she isn't as likeable.

Too much mushy romantic moments too. Not enough concrete details, just a blanket of...what's the word? Figurative? Yeah. That part is good, but I don't think the author is living up to her potential. Weak.

Why I thought I might like it: It wasn't like I just randomly picked it up off the lame-books shelf. I took an honest try. It's dystopian ya, which is one of my favorite genres; has super powers in it, angry person on the cover, cool writing on the summary, and a catchy title.

Why I didn't like it: Honestly I did like it for the first...oh twenty pages or so? If that? Whenever until the boy showed up. Yes, the boy. There is always one of those. So from that point, it went downhill for me. From above I sort of explain why, with the overly figurative language and not actually enough happening for real.

What I did like: The off-beat writing style, visually. The crossing out lines that looked really hand-done and the main character's pov at being slightly...psychotic? No, maybe just sheltered for her whole life. I love a good crazy person story.

Why is it so popular?: At the moment the average rating-o-meter on Goodreads is 4.06 from about 17,000 people worth of rates. Overall that's quite excellent. I usually love books with that high of a rating. So I know it's not why don't I at all enjoy this über popular book but what makes this significantly better and stand out through the rest of the current ya dystopian? Why this one? It's the author's debut, so it's not like people were already expecting something great from a favorite author of theirs, and the cover kinda makes me go o.O (Why the hell is she in a wedding dress in isolation?) so perhaps it's the summary that gets people hooked. It's a pretty enticing summary, I'll admit. Because it did make me want to open it right up and start reading.

There's the dark and mysterious boy from her past who seems to know more than he's giving. And WHOA what are the odds, he is immune to her deadly touch or whatever. If I'm remembering correctly. Because that's original. And then she get's kidnapped for her powers by another equally hot (so they say) dude who is very important or something, and he is all creepy mastery like, and offputting, but she acts drawn to him. From my impression. So then there are some moments between the two past kid-friends where they declare their love after half an hour and plan to run away into the ruined world together, taking her super powers to be ever unuseful. (Why is that not a word according to my spellcheck?) Where's the interesting quirky and memorable characters? The moments of bravery? Significant plot-line?

That's kind of where I shut the book and never looked back, until now.

---

I'm not trying to give a bunch of bad news to the book, I just can't figure out why everyone's in love with it!!!

What are your thoughts? If you've read it, why did you like it/dislike it? Are you annoyed at my rantings on the book?

-Jane

In My Mailbox (9-1-12)

In my mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren. :)

This is what's in my mailbox this week! I just got home from a long trip, and I found a few packages in my room...

Thanks to Scholastic Press, I received a finished copy of The Dark Unwinding by Sharon Cameron, and I look forward to reviewing it soon because it comes out...er...tomorrow! I'll get on that, I promise.

And before I left, I bought Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass from TBD, and I especially ordered the U.K. edition because I liked the cover more. ;) I've heard endless awesome reviews about this, so I really can't wait to read it, but I am a little behind on Sept. review books due to my trip, so it will have to wait a little bit. :P


Get anything new this week? Comment below!

-Jane

Vote! Which review are you looking most forward to?

Since coming back from my month-long trip where I relaxed and visited friends and read only four and a half books the whole time...I come back to my review bookshelf in my room, and realize there are a number of books that are coming out in the next couple weeks/days, so help me decide which one I should read and review first! Or last even!

I will be starting The Dark Unwinding first, because it comes out tomorrow, but after that (and it's not too long) I have choices...so comment below with your vote as to what book(s) YOU want to see reviewed next.

 

State of Wonder: review

Title: State of Wonder
Author: Ann Patchett
Genre: contemporary adult, Amazon, adventure
Rating: 4.5 stars
Source: bought
Summary: Award-winning "New York Times"-bestselling author Ann Patchett (Bel Canto, The Magician's Assistant) returns with a provocative novel of morality and miracles, science and sacrifice set in the Amazon rainforest--a gripping adventure story and a profound look at the difficult choices we make in the name of discovery and love.

In a narrative replete with poison arrows, devouring snakes, scientific miracles, and spiritual transformations, State of Wonder presents a world of stunning surprise and danger, rich in emotional resonance and moral complexity.

As Dr. Marina Singh embarks upon an uncertain odyssey into the insect-infested Amazon, she will be forced to surrender herself to the lush but forbidding world that awaits within the jungle. Charged with finding her former mentor Dr. Annick Swenson, a researcher who has disappeared while working on a valuable new drug, she will have to confront her own memories of tragedy and sacrifice as she journeys into the unforgiving heart of darkness. Stirring and luminous, State of Wonder is a world unto itself, where unlikely beauty stands beside unimaginable loss beneath the rain forest's jeweled canopy

The only other book I've read by Ann Patchett is Bel Canto, which is still on my all-time-favorites list. Her beautiful writing sucked me right in to that tragic story and now she did it once again with State of Wonder. I was a little late on reading it; I bought it on her paperback-release tour I believe. And even thought it's a great story, I still like Bel Canto better. I do have a bit to say about it, the goods and bads.

After hearing Ann Patchett talk when she stopped at my bookstore a couple months ago, I was glad to have heard all about State of Wonder before reading it, because she told some cool back stories to characters and events, relating it to her own adventures in the Amazon, and that made the reading much more interesting.

My favorite characters had to be the Bovenders. I think anyone who has met them would agree with me. The tall Australians who acted as the guards for Dr. Swenson; keeping the press out of her business, or distracting whoever came from Vogel to ask about the research progression--yeah they are hilarious. They're the characters with a cool back story, which you can read HERE. It's way near the bottom, but it's a really funny story not to miss, even if you don't plan on reading State of Wonder. The only thing about the couple, Barbara and Jackie, is that I wish they had a bigger part, especially in the second half of the novel. She kind of left you hanging with how they ended up. (I mean, they didn't almost die but some goodbye closure with Marina would have been nice.)

I've read a large handful of reviews that mention how Marina, the protagonist, is sort of annoying and has this dark, rather exaggerated past relating to the abandonment of her father. So I became wary when starting the book, but I soon made my own opinion that although it's more prominent in first half of the story, her past doesn't really overcome the plot in any way not necessary. I wouldn't worry about it too much. Marina isn't my favorite character in the world, and she makes some pretty disagreeable choices, but she does the best she can, for being sent to the Amazon most unwillingly.

Easter really pulled my heartstrings. The little deaf boy had so much expression, and a mysterious past, that he just attaches himself to you. Though, I really didn't like how his story ended, even though it made sense. Also, I totally thought Martin would have a bigger part in relating to Marina, and he kind of randomly disappears at the end. Now that I think of it, the ending to this book is pretty open as a whole. Like, wide open. I'm not sure I like that yet.


Dr. Swenson is in the middle of the Amazonian nowhere because of a research for a possible vaccine for malaria, and also to study that in this tribe, the Lakashi, women can and do have children well into their seventies. Now I'm not interested in anything pharmaceutical or the fertility stats of foreign races, but the way it's set up and that it's the plot of the book, totally had me engrossed in both of the subjects.

The dynamic relationship between Dr. Marina Singh and Dr. Swenson is really well done. It's the kind of awkward relationship where the teacher made a huge impact on the student's life, and now years later the teacher doesn't even remember her at all. I could relate in some sense, and I liked that unusual connection between the main characters, and it made me really not like Dr. Swenson at all. Or maybe I didn't like her in the first place because she isn't the very friendly personality. Her life is devoted to her work, and she loves it and hates it at the same time.


The writing is as pretty as ever, and there are pages of descriptions that I just wanted to write down to remember. She managed to make me feel as if I were in the Amazon along with Marina and co. which in turn made me paranoid of invisible bug bites a lot of the time. It sure was an adventure, and I as much as I love to travel, the Amazon is way down on my list for that reason, the bugs. They invaded the paragraphs everywhere. Saying things like, 'he reached up to swat a sort of long legged cricket out of his hair while talking.' and 'she brushed the back of her neck, careful not to smash the hard shelled creature further into her skin.' *shivers* Small mosquitoes are enough to drive me inside, and those aren't even infected with malaria.

I would definitely recommend State of Wonder to most people I know more easily than I would Bel Canto because this is more of a relatable novel to the average person, and a little less complex and therefore easier to understand. Though, I still love Bel Canto the best.

-Jane

Back to the Books Giveaway Hop!

Hosted by I am A Reader, Not A Writer, and Buried in Books.
You can find the complete linky list HERE. :)

Welcome to stop #115 (as of now) of the Back to the Books giveaway hop! I'm guessing most people are going back to school now, or are about to. But there is still time to fit in some last minute FUN reading! (Or just weekend reading too.) So here is what you can enter-to-win here at my blog. :)

I have two ARCs to choose from. One winner will get to choose ONE of the following, and if the entries are piling in, (I especially like the follow-by-email option) then I might choose a second winner for the book left....or it will be the prize for the next hop I participate in.

ARC of The Book of Blood and Shadow by Robin Wasserman

OR

ARC of Tempest by Julie Cross (weird cover art, eh?)

The first is unread, and the second has very slight wear, read once or twice. Just an fyi.

It's easy, just enter the Rafflecopter below, and have a fantastic day!

a Rafflecopter giveaway