WWW #8 (4/30/2014)

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading.

To participate, just answer the following questions.

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

Currently Reading

Summary from Goodreads: When Flannery Tate left home for a college halfway across the country in Michigan, she'd only planned on getting an education. But when Cain Dorsey walked into her life, she had no choice but to fall for him. However, what’s a girl to do when her scholarship well runs dry? Return home? Get a job? 


Flannery gets creative. She decides to sell the most precious and valuable thing she can - her virginity - to the highest bidder. When Cain discovers her plan, their world crumbles. Will they be able to move past her betrayal and find a way back to each other? Or, is this the beginning of the end? UP FOR GRABS is a story of love, heartbreak and truth.







Recently Finished

Summary from Goodreads: In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.

Read My 5 Star Review

Up Next

Summary from Goodreads: Love is ever near. But trouble is never far.

Nantucket Island is haunted, but only sixteen-year-old Jade Irving knows it. Ignoring the disturbing spirits isn’t an option, because one dwells in the enormous historic home she shares with her newly blended family. Jade is finding it more and more difficult to explain away Lacey’s ghostly, anguished tantrums, especially with Charlie, her gorgeous, almost step-brother, living right across the hall.

When a power-hungry ghost hunter tracks down Jade and blackmails her, Jade’s secret teeters on the edge of exposure, and her entire future hangs in the balance. If anyone finds out Jade can talk to ghosts, her life will be forever changed.

Can she save herself, free Lacey, and hang on to her tenuous connection with Charlie? Or will everything she ever wanted slip through her fingers?

Cress

Author: Marissa Meyer

Author Website/Blog: http://www.marissameyer.com

Series: Lunar Chronicles #3

Publication Date: February 4, 2014

Summary from Goodreads: In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has. 

Source: Library

Rating: 5 Stars

Review: WOW! This book is definitely the best one so far.

There are so many delicately woven details that this book parallels the fairytales in a way the story feels a bit familiar, BUT there are so many twists that keep you guessing. I am blown away by how the tiniest details from a previous book become very important later – like foreshadowing but better. And the teasers of what is to come in Winter… I just can’t handle all of this literary goodness!

The action starts pretty much right away and doesn’t let up, like on the edge of my seat type of action. As you approach the last hundred pages or so, make sure you set aside the rest of your night, because YOU WILL NOT WANT TO PUT IT DOWN!

The characters are so well developed and just keep getting better. We get to know Cress (Rapunzel) and her unique story and to be honest I really like her. We really get to learn about Thorne in this book and he has definitely grown on me. Cinder continues to grow in her role and sort of shifts from “Cinderella” to “Anastasia”. We get to meet Winter who is definitely intriguing.

The writing is fabulous, the switching POVs worked really well and helped the plot move along. Overall, I am telling you, you must get your hands on this series ASAP!

Carnival: Cover Reveal + Giveaway

Carnival by K.B. Nelson 
Publication date: June 2014
Genres: New Adult, Romance

Cover Designed by Yocla Designs

Synopsis:
Blue’s a carny and he’s got molly. Charlie’s a local and she’s got ninety-nine problems but Blue ain’t one. Enter the world of neon lights….
Charlie never intended to sleep with a perfect stranger at the county fair. Finding out he was a carny was like winning the bonus round of the worlds worst game. Blue grew up in the carnival, never staying anywhere long enough to call home. He didn’t mean to seduce Charlie that night, but he’s use to living life on the edge.

Charlie’s supposed to be packing her bags for college. Blue’s supposed to get in his jeep and drive to the next town. She’s ready to leave for a life she’s not certain she wants and he’s searching for a place to call home.

Unable to resist him, Charlie makes the choice to stay. She follows Blue down the rabbit hole; into a world with no regard for rules and consequences. But when tragedy strikes, will it send her and Blue down a more destructive path? Or will it bring them closer together? Either way, they both come to realize that life is just like a carnival ride.

AUTHOR BIO

I grew up on a farm in Ohio, but that's not very interesting, is it? When I'm not writing you can find me doing one of two things; getting lost on highways or getting lost in the lives of fictional characters. If my heart had two feet, one foot would be in romance and the other solidly in geekdom. I hope you'll all follow me on my journey through this carnival they call life.I promise there will be a happy ending.

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Scarlet

Author: Marissa Meyer

Author Website/Blog: http://www.marissameyer.com

Publication Date: February 5, 2013

Summary from Goodreads: Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive. Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner. 

Source: Borrowed from the Library



Rating: 4.5 Stars

Review: It’s official: Marissa Meyer is a genius! I am really impressed by the way she “retells” these fairytales. There are enough pieces so that you recognize the tale, but lots of originality to keep things fresh and exciting. It almost felt as though you could easily see how the Red Riding Hood story that we all know could be derived from this story.

This story follows both Cinder and Scarlet, my one tiny little gripe is I felt like there wasn’t enough Cinder. However, Scarlet is strong and likeable, and I enjoyed her story. I was on the fence with Wolf, right up until the end when I finally understood him. Thorne is pretty funny. Cinder grows quite a bit, as does Kai.

There was more action in this book than the first which really moved the book forward. The ending left me wanting more.

Book Blogger Hop #5 (week of April 25)

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. Its purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new blogs, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to their own blog.

Each week bloggers answer a different question. This week's question is: Do you answer the Book Blogger Hop questions in advance and have them scheduled or do you write your post the night before or the day of the Book Blogger Hop? 

My Answer:
It depends. Recently I've been trying to answer and schedule in advance. I only participate in the weeks for which I feel I have something constructive to say, so it's pretty easy to get ahead. It really depends on how things are going with my work and school. Writing the posts in advance is definitely helpful during those weeks where I feel like I have too much going on.

Do you write you blog posts in advance and schedule them to be posted? If so, do you have a system?

Cinder

Author: Marissa Meyer

Author Website/Blog: http://www.marissameyer.com

Publication Date: January 3, 2012

Summary from Goodreads: 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.

Source: Borrowed from the Library

Rating: 5 Stars

Review: AMAZING!

This is another one of those books that I was hesitant to read – I mean it’s a retelling of Cinderella, and “Cinderella” is a cyborg mechanic – not exactly my usual cup of tea. Thankfully, the world of book bloggers convinced me to give it a shot.

I literally finished this book in less than 24 hours – Thank Goodness I checked Scarlet and Cress out of the library at the same time! Otherwise I would be seriously cranky. Now onto the review gushing…

The book sucked me in immediately. The world building is phenomenal! This futuristic society is easy to visualize.

The characters are well developed. I liked Cinder from the start, she is somewhat funny and easy to sympathize with – kudos to Meyer for not overdoing the poor Cinderella role and still getting the right vibe for our main character. I loved Peony and Iko, they were the perfect supporting characters. Prince Kai is wonderful. The villains serve their purpose – they are detestable!

The writing is excellent. The plot moves at a great pace, I was up late last night with major “just one more chapter syndrome”. The romance was well written, woven in just enough so that it complimented the story without ever overpowering it. The twist was somewhat predictable – like I knew it was coming, but the way it was written blew me away.

So basically, if you haven’t read this book yet and are holding out for some silly reason, just give in and read it because it’s simply amazing and un-put-down-able.

Coral & Bone: Cover Reveal + Giveaway

Coral & Bone by Tiffany Daune 

Publication date: July 7th 2014
Genres: Paranormal, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Halen knows the sparks igniting under her fingertips are dangerous. She has spent her entire life trying to quell the tingly feelings that make her destroy things, but now that she is back in Rockaway Beach, where she watched her father drown, the flames have become impossible to tame.Halen is trying to hold on, but when she is thrust into a mysterious new world, the underwater realm of Elosia, she unravels the secrets of her past, and can’t help but ignite. As she explores Elosia, she realizes her life has been a lie. And when those who have deceived her come to her for help, Halen must choose—walk away or unleash the magick that could destroy them all.

About the Author

Tiffany Daune doesn’t get why people want to grow up, or why anyone would ever stop eating candy. Her purse is filled with books, lip gloss and a few pieces of Lego bricks. She writes best with a dish of chocolate chips on hand, and finds licorice makes a better straw than plastic.

She lives on an island and believes mermaids may be raiding her candy stash, though she hasn’t caught them, yet.

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Ecliptic

Author: Sara Lunardi

Author Blog/Website: http://www.saralunardi.com/

Publication Date: October 10, 2013

Summary: "Have you ever wondered what the signs of the zodiac really are, and why they have influence on all human beings?" Alex asked us out of the blue. Was he kidding? What did this question have to do with our situation? 

On the night of 13th June 2035, during an exceptional shower of shooting stars seen all over the world, mysterious signs representing zodiac constellations appear on the shoulders of Izie De Rossi and her twin brother Sam. From that night on, their lives will never be the same. 

A cruel countdown begins, leading them to fight for the survival of the entire human race alongside extraordinary creatures of the zodiac, endowed with supernatural powers, the Guardians. How is it possible? Izie is just an ordinary girl and she wants nothing to do with supernatural things.

In the midst of all the dangers and sacrifices forced upon her by her mission, Izie meets the handsome and mysterious Riley. She feels immediately drawn to him in a shocking and overwhelming way... but things are not always as they seem. He hides terrible secrets from her. Will she have the strength to carry out the mission? But at what price? (Source of Summary and Book Cover: Goodreads)

Source: Author in exchange for an honest review



Rating: 2 stars

Review: I’m so-so about this book. It has a unique concept – the zodiac idea really drew me to this book, but it didn’t really deliver. First of all the book started out challenging because we are introduced to a lot of characters and there are several different locations making it difficult to keep track.  I also think the Guardian idea, the connection to the zodiac and the powers should have been better explained.

Once I got through the first part of the book, the plot started to move at an OK pace. The insta-love romance was annoying, and didn’t work for me. Also there were some connections between characters that didn’t feel realistic. Towards the end of the book, the action picks up and started to really hold my interest.

So, my final judgment on this one is that it has the potential to be a good book, but needs editing and adjusting to get there.

Generally, I don’t dock stars for grammatical errors, however this book feels like it was thrown into Google Translate and never looked over. There were a lot of sentences with misplaced prepositions and words that really didn’t make sense in the context that they were used. It made the book somewhat difficult to read.

Beta Reading

What is a beta reader?
Beta readers are are non-professionals who read and provide feedback to authors. Beta readers can provide feedback on any number of things such as grammatical errors, discontinuity, plot holes, issues with characters, etc. 

Here is an article about what makes a good beta reader.

What is beta reading like?
I recently had my first beta reading experience. I had read an indie author's first book and gave it an honest rating and an honest review. The author contacted me about one of the gripes I mentioned in my review, simply asking me to expand on it, which of course I did. About a month later the author contacted me about beta reading book two in the series. I figured, why not?

I'm a teacher of course a red pen
symbolizes feedback to me

The author sent me a word doc so that I could mark it up while I read. I used "comments" and "highlighting" to do this. 

Generally speaking as a reader, grammatical errors and typos don't really bother me, sometimes I spot them and sometimes I don't. All in all, I'd say a caught a handful of mistakes - the type where you know what the author meant to say but the wrong word was there and spellcheck didn't catch it because it was spelled correctly. You know, something like "out" instead of "our". 

Mostly, my feedback involved my thoughts as a reader. I included questions about things that were not clear and reactions to a few scenes. I maybe identified three things that seemed a little off in terms of consistency.

The author also provided a few questions which I found really helpful and of course I made a point of answering them.

I don't feel like I provided a ton of feedback, but I hope what I did provide was helpful. I enjoyed the experience and found it to be pretty fun. I like that someone got to read my thoughts and that I didn't have to sensor them to avoid spoilers like I do with my reviews. I also enjoyed recording my thoughts while I read and think I might start doing that for all books that I plan to review. I also love connecting with authors and found this new way of connecting to be fun. The one downfall is that I might not get to read the finalized, published version - I mean I guess I could but I doubt I will find the time to re-read something when there is so much on my TBR list.

Would I beta read again? It depends... for an author that I already have a relationship with definitely, other than that I guess it would depend on the book description and what i have going on at the time.

Have you ever served as a beta reader? What was your experience like? 
Do you want to be beta reader?

Uncovering Cobbogoth: Spotlight + Book Trailer

Uncovering Cobbogoth (Cobbogoth #1)

by Hannah L. Clark

Release Date: 05/13/14

Summary from Goodreads:

Norah Lukens needs to uncover the truth about the fabled lost city of Cobbogoth. After her archaeologist uncle’s murder, Norah is asked to translate his old research journal for evidence and discovers that his murder was a cover-up for something far more sinister.

When she turns to neighbor and only friend James Riley for help, she realizes that not only is their bitter-sweet past haunting her every step, but James is keeping dangerous secrets. Can Norah discover what they are before its too late to share her own.

About the Author

Hannah L. Clark is the author of the YA fantasy-adventure "Uncovering Cobbogoth." It is the first book in a planned 7 book series. It will be released by Cedar Fort Publishing on May 13, 2014.

Hannah lives in Pleasant Grove, UT with her husband and son.

Author Links:

   

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$20 Amazon gift card & ear cuff (US only)

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Stacking the Shelves #11 (4/19/2014) + Updates

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Borrowed From the Library

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Received for Review

Updates:

Some of you may have noticed a decline in my blogging activity, specifically my reading and posting reviews. For those of you who don't know, I am a high school math teacher (Algebra 2 and AP Statistics) and a part time graduate student. So, life happens - I've been busy - there is no excuse. The good news is, we are on April vacation this week and while I have work to do and a list of projects around the house I want to get done, I have most definitely scheduled in some reading time! Here's to looking forward! :) Thank you to everyone for sticking it out with me. I hope all is well with you, please share your updates in the comments!

Book Blogger Hop #4 (week of April 18)

The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. Its purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new blogs, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to their own blog.

Each week bloggers answer a different question. This week's question is: Are your reviews more of a rehash of the story or do you comment on writing style, characters, and reflection? 

My Answer:
My reviews tend to be on the shorter side. I generally include whether I liked the book or not (and to what extent) and things that stood out to me while I was reading.

Personally I can't stand reading "reviews" in which people basically summarize the book, in my opinion that is what the blurb/synopsis is for. I also can't stand lengthy book report style reviews, they lose my interest. When I read a review, I'm looking for quick insight as to whether a book is for me or not, so I generally skip the longer ones.

When I write my reviews, I try to keep it simple and think to myself "what would I say to my sister about this book?" 

What is your review style? As a reader, what is your preference when checking out other people's reviews?

Mark of Deceit

Authors: Brooke Kennedy & Briana Gaitan

Series: Ethereal Underground

Author Website/Blog: http://etherealunderground.com/wordpress

Publication Date: May? 2014

Summary: She thought that her Elders would welcome her back home with open arms…
He thought that she would stay by his side forever…Now a friend is missing….

They thought the seer’s words were just that…words but not all is as it seems….

Months later, Ash and Annalise have both returned to their separate lives after their adventure in the forbidden layer of Cabalin, Both of them are struggling to move on with their lives. Fighting has kept Ash busy for the most part, but it allows him to release his frustrations and earn some gems to survive. He thought renouncing the keepers would free him, but he ended up losing his way. Annalise is plagued by nightmares and emotions that are even more out of control than before. She is desperate for an answer, desperate for a way out, until the Elders offer her exactly what she needs: a way to break the bond with Ash in return for her compliance with their own mission. (Source of Summary and Book Cover: Goodreads)

Source: Authors in exchange for honest feedback

Rating: 4 Stars 

Review: So many twists, this book was hard to put down.

Now, let me be honest, I was a bit annoyed at first to see that Ash and Anna were apart and acting like such nitwits. But, thankfully Finlay is a good friend to both of them. 

Ash and Anna both grow in this book and have come quite far since the first book. Anna is no longer whiny and annoying; she has grown to understand the changes that have become a part of her and has a better understanding of her feelings. Ash is still strong and focused. I can't really talk about Finlay and Arie without giving things away. We are introduced to a few new characters, and I would really like to see a few of them again; that being said, I'm still not exactly sure what side all these newbies are on.

The plot moves at a good pace. Like I said there are quite a few twists in the story. Also, there are quite a few cliff-hanger-ish elements, leaving me wanting more (but no worries, because a few questions left over from book one were answered).

All in all, I’m excited to see where things go with Anna, Ash, Arie, and Finlay.

The Accidental Socialite: Book Blitz & Giveaway

The Accidental Socialite

by Stephanie Wahlstrom 

Release Date: 04/15/14
Swoon Romance

Summary from Goodreads:

Quirky and clumsy twenty-two-year-old Paige Crawford arrives in London on a cold Saturday in January. Just when Paige starts to think that moving thousands of miles away from home with no real plan was a bad idea, Jason Frost appears. Confident and classy, Jason is the complete opposite of Paige and just what she needs in her life, or so she thinks.

But before their romance has time to blossom, Paige trips and falls into the arms of a mysterious man on a drunken night out. She’s snapped by paparazzi, and newspaper headlines the next day suggest that she’s having an affair with a married footballer.

Paige finds herself instantly elevated to tabloid celebrity status which isn’t exactly a picnic, particularly when trying to juggle her new job at Fashionista magazine, a catalog of dating disasters and a nagging doubt that she maybe she can’t conquer London after all.

When a trip back to Canada for Christmas reminds Paige why she left her old life behind, she returns to London with renewed vigor realizing that while jobs, flats and men may come and go, friends in London are forever.

Excerpt 

It was 3 A.M. and all I wanted was a cheeseburger.

“Miss, we only sell Big Macs after midnight,” said the McDonalds employee. My stomach grumbled. My diet since I got off the plane had consisted mostly of Champagne, Vodka, and seared tuna.

“Yes, I understand that and I will pay for a Big Mac, but I would like a cheeseburger, so can you, like, remove a patty and mid bun and hold the secret sauce? Please?”

“Miss, I am sorry but we do not have this item.”

Liar. He didn’t look sorry. I immediately wanted to get on the next flight home. It rained cheeseburgers in Canada.

A tall, drunk and incredibly beautiful blonde South African girl appeared at the till next to me.

“I’ll have a hot dog.” That was my new best friend, Lucinda.

We walked out of McDonalds with a small fries to ‘split’, which really meant Lucinda was going to watch me eat them. As I was elegantly shoving eight fries into my mouth at once, not unlike a four-year-old, a swarm of camera wielding hyenas approached. One flash triggered the rest and little white dots burned into my retina. I stumbled, almost dropping my fries.

What was going on? I looked for the celebrity garnering all this attention. I couldn’t believe my luck, I was about to spot someone famous on my first day in London! But when Lucinda slapped the second fist full of fries out of my hand and pulled me towards a taxi, I realized with confusion that the so-called celebrity was me.

About the Author: Growing up in Edmonton, Canada, a significant amount of Stephanie’s time was spent making up and acting out stories. She was studying to be an actress when she realized there weren’t any parts for women being written. So, Stephanie wrote herself a short screenplay just to be in it and quickly realized that writing was her true passion. She graduated from the University of Alberta with an English and Sociology degree and she also has a Bachelor of Motion Picture Arts from Red Deer College. She moved to New York on a whim after University and has written a variety of TV shows including an environmentally friendly lifestyle series and a tween magazine style show about celebrities. Stephanie moved to London in 2008 and aside from being obsessed with Eggs Benedict, shoes, Fruit Roll Ups and travelling, she also works in Children’s Television. 

Author Links:
   

GIVEAWAY:
1 ebook of The Accidental Socialite + $10 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

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