Stacking the Shelves (16) + Weekly Summary

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

 

Here are the books I bought/received this week.

Thorn Abbey - Nancy Ohlin
Born Of Illusion (Born Of Illusion #1) - Teri Brown
The Coldest Girl In Coldtown - Holly Black

Weekly Summary:

Book Review: These Broken Stars (4/5)

Monday Young Adult Author Interiview With Robin Constantine

(Author of The Promise Of Amazing)

Dash & Lily's Book Of Dares Readalong Schedule

Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR

Waiting on Wednesday - All That Glows

Book Review: All Our Yesterdays (4.5/5)

Book Review: All Our Yesterdays

All Our Yesterdays (All Our Yesterdays #1)
Cristin Terrill
Published September 3rd 2013 by Disney Hyperion
Source - Library


"You have to kill him." Imprisoned in the heart of a secret military base, Em has nothing except the voice of the boy in the cell next door and the list of instructions she finds taped inside the drain.

Only Em can complete the final instruction. She’s tried everything to prevent the creation of a time machine that will tear the world apart. She holds the proof: a list she has never seen before, written in her own hand. Each failed attempt in the past has led her to the same terrible present—imprisoned and tortured by a sadistic man called the doctor while war rages outside.

Marina has loved her best friend James since the day he moved next door when they were children. A gorgeous, introverted science prodigy from one of America’s most famous families, James finally seems to be seeing Marina in a new way, too. But on one disastrous night, James’s life crumbles apart, and with it, Marina’s hopes for their future. Now someone is trying to kill him. Marina will protect James, no matter what. Even if it means opening her eyes to a truth so terrible that she may not survive it. At least not as the girl she once was.  
 Review:

“Time travel isn’t a wonder; it’s an abomination.”  
- Cristin Terrill (All Our Yesterdays)

I am not a huge fan of Time Traveling books, but like Tamara Ireland Stone's Time Between Us, this one has become one of my favorites.
An AMAZING debut novel.

By the end of the book Em  had become one of my favorite characters. She wasn't whiny, she was loving, friendly, and normal.....just a normal girl put into a strange/terrifying situation.
Finn was adorable, although a little to tough to call adorable. He was the epitome of amazingness. Every single thing that you could want was packed into Finn. He was really sweet to Em, he was tough but he had a sweet side. He was not overly confident (sometimes too much confidence bugs me) But still confident enough.
What else can I say? These characters were so real. They had layers upon layers of emotions.
Marina was also an amazing character, a little immature but her age can explain that. Loved her character, she had all of the depths of emotions that Em and Finn had.
James I didn't like so much, he never really felt "right" to me. Although I can see some people liking him, I felt as if he led Marina on a little to much.

Mysterious and a wonderful, creative story line. I have never read anything like this. Some parts confused me, but not enough to make me stop and re-read. I did predict some of the things that happened, but over all it kept me guessing until the very end.
As I said above, I am not a huge fan of time traveling books, or sci-fi. But this was still such a good book that I would recommend it to anyone. I felt that this book was wrapped up really well, but still can't wait to read the sequel, and anything else that the author puts out.
4.5/5 to this awesome book!

Waiting on Wednesday (13) All That Glows

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is-

 

All That Glows

Ryan Graudin

Expected publication: February 11th 2014 by HarperTeen

 

Emrys—a fiery, red-headed Fae—always embraced her life in the Highlands, far from the city’s draining technology, until she’s sent to London to rejoin the Faery Guard. But this isn’t any normal assignment—she’s sent to guard Prince Richard: Britain’s notorious, partying bad boy and soon-to-be King. The prince’s careless ways and royal blood make him the irresistible for the dark spirits that feed on mortals. Sweet, disheveled, and alive with adventure—Richard is one charge who will put Emrys’s magic and heart to the test.

When an ancient force begins preying on the monarchy, Emrys must hunt through the London’s magical underworld, facing down Banshees, Black Dogs and Green Women to find the one who threatens Richard’s life. In this chaos of dark magic, palace murders and paparazzi, Emrys finds herself facing an impossible choice. For despite all her powers, Emrys has discovered a force that burns brighter than magic: love

 

 

I am a huge sucker for a good fairy book, so when I found this one on Goodreads I couldn't wait to get my hands on it!

 

Please link your Waiting On Wednesdays in the comments below! I would love to visit.

Top Ten Tuesday (Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR )

Hosted by  http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/

 

Top Ten Books On My Winter TBR

 

Cress

I won an ARC of this, so as soon as it comes I am going to read it!

Dash & Lily's Book Of Dares

I am hosting a readalong with a few people here, and I can't wait to see if this is as good as everyone says it is!

 

The Goddess Test

 

The Promise of Amazing

I interviewed Robin here, and can't wait to read this! It looks adorable.

 

 

Six Months Later

I am going to be interviewing Natalie, and I have heard that this one is amazing!

 

 

All The Truth That's In Me

This one looks really interesting, and I have enjoyed Julie's past books!

 

Breathe

I have the sequel to this one, and I am trying to track down a copy of Breathe.

 

 

Thornhill

I loved, and I mean LOVED Hemlock so I can't wait to get my hands on this one!

 

 

Splintered

I have heard that this one is amazing, we will see!

 

 

Throne Of Glass

 

This is another one that I have heard is amazing!

 

Dash & Lily's Book Of Dares Readalong Schedule.

 

 

Hello everyone, so few people were interested in reading this with me over the Holidays, and I will post some discussions questions, and a chapter schedule but over all, I want everyone to have an input! So if you have any questions, e-mail me! (You can find my information through the contact me page to the right of this post).

The readalong will run from the 10th to the 31st. Dash & Lily's Book Of Dares has 20 chapters. That puts seven chapters for the first two weeks, and six chapter the last week. (About a chapter a day.)

So here goes!

December 10th - December 17th: Chapters 1-7.
December 18th - December 24th: Chapters 8-14.
December 25th - December 31st: Chapters 15-20.

If you still want to sign up, you can sign up here.

Monday YA Author Interview with Robin Constantine

 

Robin Constantine

Goodreads Link

Twitter

Website

 

 

Where are you from?
New Jersey

When and why did you begin writing?
I began fooling around with writing when I was thirteen. My
friend and I would write in notebooks for hours and then
exchange them. The stories were usually about things we
wanted to happen in our life. I still have that notebook and
it’s fun to look back and see what I thought was important!

What books have most influenced your life?
This is a tough one!
The first book that I remember really connecting with is Are
You There God It’s Me Margaret by Judy Blume. I could
recognize myself in Margaret and what she was going
through with her friends a lot. I also loved The Outsiders,
by S.E. Hinton because I couldn’t believe it was actually
assigned reading!
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak is also a book that’s
influenced me both as a reader and a writer. As a reader
–the book made me laugh and cry – and I love books that
can do that. As a writer I think it’s like taking a master class
in characterization. Liesel, Rudy, Hans, Rosa and Max are
all characters that lived and breathed off the page for me.
They’ve stayed with me long after I put the book down – that
is some powerful writing.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
I’ve had the opportunity to connect with a lot of great writers
through my years in SCBWI but if I had to choose one – it
would be Laurie Halse Anderson. She’s such a talented
author but she’s also really generous with her time to both
readers and writers and a true advocate for causes she
believes in. She is amazing. I love her work.

What book are you reading now?
Between The Devil And the Deep Blue Sea by April
Genevieve Tucholke. The descriptions of food. The
clothing. Citizen Kane. River and his glow…sigh. I really
loved escaping into the crumbling opulence of Violet White’s
eccentric world.

Are there any new authors that have grasped
your interest?
I enjoy Lauren Morrill’s work a lot. Meant to Be was fun and
fresh and probably had one of the best kissing scenes I’ve
read in awhile. I also loved Me, Him, Them and It by Caela
Carter – because of Evelyn’s authentic teen voice. It was
funny and raw and poignant all at once. I look forward to
their new books!

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Another difficult question!!
If I had to pick just one, I’d say J.K. Rowling for the Harry
Potter Series. From the first line of Harry Potter and The
Sorcerer’s Stone - I was hooked. I loved how Ms. Rowling
mixed the magical world with the Muggle world. I loved
the characters – not just Harry, Ron and Hermione, but the
supporting cast and all the new characters in each book.
I loved how funny the books were. I also loved watching
the characters grow up – how their lives changed as they
became teenagers. The world building in those books was
so vast and clever and I just loved how each tiny detail
was important. I would love, love, love to be a guest at The
Burrow!! And I would buy a prequel featuring the Marauders
in a heartbeat!!
I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here.

What was the hardest part of writing your book?
My first reaction is – everything. Striking a balance between
Wren and Grayson’s worlds was probably the most difficult
part of writing The Promise of Amazing.
When writing from dual POVs you have to make sure each
character has their own, meaningful arc that intersects at
certain points in the story as they discover each other’s
worlds. In addition to that, they also have to have a
relationship arc together. Weaving the worlds together and
making sure the relationship arc was moving forward was a
challenge but fun!

Have you been an avid reader your entire life?
(since you could read)
Yes! I always have to have one or more books on my end
table. Reading before bedtime is the way I chill out after a
hard day.

What character in your books do you relate to most?
Wren, for sure. I faced some of the same struggles that
she did during high school because I was quiet. When
you’re quiet, people sometimes assume things about you –
that you’re judgmental, or snobby, or dumb. I hated being
pigeonholed (and still do) but when I found the people I felt
most comfortable with – I wasn’t quiet around them. Wren is
really herself with Jazz and Mads and I loved writing about
their friendship because I can relate to it as well. I still have
the same circle of friends I did when I was in high school!!

Ok now some fun questions:
What is your favorite sport to watch and or
play?
I like to watch baseball, but only live. Sports on TV are
boring to me unless it’s a really good playoff game. Or I
know I’ll see someone I know in crowd!!

Favorite Movie?
You’ve Got Mail.

Chocolate or Vanilla?
Chocolate

Puppy's or Kittens?
Puppies

Beach or Mountains?
Beach

If you could be a color, what color would you be?
Indigo

Favorite Dessert?
Aunt Hatties Double Double Chocolate Cake from The Pit in
Raleigh, NC
Best. Chocolate. Cake. Ever.

If you could be a book character, what  character would you be?
Hermione Granger

I for one cannot wait to get my hands on Robin's book, which comes out on December 31st from Balzer + Bray.

The Promise Of Amazing

Wren Caswell is average. Ranked in the middle of her class at Sacred Heart, she’s not popular, but not a social misfit. Wren is the quiet, “good” girl who's always done what she's supposed to—only now in her junior year, this passive strategy is backfiring. She wants to change, but doesn’t know how.

Grayson Barrett was the king of St. Gabe’s. Star of the lacrosse team, top of his class, on a fast track to a brilliant future—until he was expelled for being a “term paper pimp.” Now Gray is in a downward spiral and needs to change, but doesn’t know how.

One fateful night their paths cross when Wren, working at her family’s Arthurian-themed catering hall, performs the Heimlich on Gray as he chokes on a cocktail weenie, saving his life literally and figuratively. What follows is the complicated, awkward, hilarious, and tender tale of two teens shedding their pasts, figuring out who they are—and falling in love.

Book Review: These Broken Stars (Starbound #1)

 

These Broken Stars (Starbound #1)

Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Source: Netgalley
Recommend For Fans Of: Sci-Fi, Romance, Anyone!

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

Review:

I am not usually a fan of science-fiction. But I had heard from so many people that These Broken Stars was amazing, that I just had to give it a try.
And I am very, very glad I did!

These Broken Stars had the perfect amount of adventure, romance, and science-fiction elements. The two authors, Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner worked perfectly together.

The book was told in a dual-alternating-point-of-view. Lilac and Tarver.
Amie and Meagan did a really great job with the characters.
At the starting of the book, I was not a big fan of Lilac. But as the book went on, around the middle of the book her character had a huge turn. I was able to see her in a very different light and that made her an amazing character.
However I loved Tarver the entire time! He was so good to Lilac. His elements that caused his different actions had so many layers.

I have never seen the movie Titanic, but from what I have heard the starting of this story sounds a little like it. After crashing on a seeming uninhabited land, Lilac and Tarver have only each other. They must battle ridiculous odds to survive.

Overall the book kept me interested, the romance between Lilac and Tarver was wonderful, and the science-fiction elements were enjoyable (something that doesn't happen that often with me). I would recommend this to pretty much anyone. I can't wait to read the sequel of this book! A definite 4/5 stars.


I received this book for review by the publisher via netgalley. This is no way affected the honesty of my review. I was in no way compensated.