Waiting on Wednesday (9)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

From Goodreads: 

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends. With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

This book comes out on December 6th, 2011, 6 days from now! Clockwork Angel was really good and in some ways a little bit better than the Mortal Instruments. I've already pre-ordered this book and hopefully I will get it before December 10th because Cassandra Clare is supposed to be signing books about 45 minutes from where I live then!!!! Super excited!!

<3 Shannon

Review: The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

• Reading Level: Adult 
• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
• ISBN-10: 0374193681
• ISBN-13: 978-0374193683
• Received From: i bought it.

From Goodreads:
basis, n.

There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.

If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face.

How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.

My Thoughts:
When I bought this book I had no idea that this was an Adult book and I couldn't tell it was when I was reading it either; so the reading level is moot. This book is absolutely FANTASTIC!!! It has now been placed on my list of favorites and my rereading list as well.

This is such a short book and has very little words on each page but that does not hinder the book at all. On page 21, in 45 words, David Levithan breaks your heart when the narrator's girlfriend tells him that she cheated on him. The book may not have a completely happy tone; but it's real and could actually happen in real life. It's amazing that David Levithan can tell a love story in about a 1/4 of what it takes other authors and it is just as good as their books!

I cannot praise this book enough! I would recommend this book to anybody because it is just that amazing. So I give it 5 Quills! :)

<3 Shannon

Review: Possess by Gretchen McNeil

Possess by Gretchen McNeil

• Reading Level: Young Adult 
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Balzer + Bray
• ISBN-10: 0062060716
• ISBN-13: 978-0062060716
• Received From: Won in a contest at Candace's Book Blog

From Goodreads:
Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

My Thoughts:
Creepy books are usually not my cup of tea so I wasn't really expecting to like it as much as I did. McNeil wrote this book really well, there was one part that had me so creeped out that I wanted to stop reading it but I am glad that I did not. During the middle of the book I was a little bit confused but things eventually came together. The ending of the book really takes off and has you at the edge of your seat. 

The relationship between Bridget and her 8 year old brother Sam is really endearing and softens Bridget's hard edges and makes her more relatable to the reader as well. Bridget's love interest Matt is such a nice guy and their relationship progresses at an actual real pace, even though Matt's over protectiveness was a bit weird at first.. Also Bridget's best friend, Hector, was definitely my favorite character in the book!

All in all this was a pretty good book and it was very well written. McNeil also put a lot of time in researching the demon part of the book and that is what really pushed this book over the edge. So overall I give this book 4 Quills!

Happy Thanksgiving!!
<3 Shannon

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

From Goodreads: 

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18B. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

This title sounds absolutely fantastic! Also the love interest is British?!? That just makes him all the better, I mean who doesn't love a good British accent? I haven't heard too much about this book but it sounds like it's going to be really good read.

Top Ten and Teaser Tuesday (10) + Tune In Tuesday (6)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

Top Ten Authors I Want At My Thanksgiving Dinner

These are basically all of my favorite authors and that is why that I would want them at my Thanksgiving Dinner!
1. J.K. Rowling

2. Ellen Hopkins

3. Cassandra Clare

4. David Levithan

5. Sarah Dessen

6. Scott Westerfeld

7. Cinda Williams Chima

8. Beth Revis

9. John Green

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read, open to a random page, and share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My Teaser:

"Measure the hope of that moment, that feeling. Everything else will be measured against it."
-pg. 3 "The Lover's Dictionary" by David Levithan

"These kinds of fights can never be won -- even if you're the victor, you've hurt the other person, and that has to be some loss associated with that."
-pg. 8 "The Lover's Dictionary" by David Levitathan

A weekly feature hosted by Ginger at GReads! that showcases music!!

Cmon Talk by Bernhoft

Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People

 What You Know by Two Door Cinema

Happy Tuesday!
<3 Shannon

Review: The Bronze and The Brimstone by Lory S. Kaufman

The Bronze and The Brimstone by Lory S. Kaufman
*Book 2 of the Verona Trilogy

• Reading Level: Young Adult 
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: The Fiction Studios
• ISBN-10: 1936558084
• ISBN-13: 978-1936558087
• Received From: Given for review via Pump Up Your Book

From Goodreads:
What could go wrong in the 14th-century for three time-traveling teens? How about – EVERYTHING!
Hansum, Shamira and Lincoln, three teens from the 24th-century, are trapped in 14th-century Verona, Italy. They’ve survived many deadly experiences by keeping their wits about them and by introducing futuristic technology into the past. Principal among these inventions is the telescope, which brought them to the attention to the rich and powerful.
But standing out can get you into unexpected and dangerous situations. The nobles of Verona now believe Hansum is a savant, a genius inventor, especially after he brings them plans for advanced cannons and black powder. Being the center of attention is great, but the potential for trouble is now exponentially greater because people are watching Hansum’s every move.
Meanwhile, artistic genius Shamira has fallen for a Florentine artist with bloody and disasterous consequences. Lincoln, considered an incompetent back home in the 24th-century, has blossomed – at least until he’s shot in the head with an arrow. And Hansum, after secretly marrying his new master’s beautiful daughter, Guilietta, is offered the hand in marriage of lady Beatrice, daughter of the ruler of Verona. To refuse could mean calamity for all the teens.
Amazingly, none of this is their biggest challenge. Because a rash illness is spreading across Verona – and it is threatening to consume everyone. Do they have a future in this past? 

My Thoughts:
In this book the characters matured a lot, so I connected with them a little more than I did in the first book; but, they are still not my favorite characters that I have read about. The plot was also a little bit more gripping as well. The last part of the book really took off and was very intersting.

However, I still had the same problems with this book as I did in the first one. It still took me a long time to read this book, but not as long as the first book. There were a lot of descriptions in this book as well. If the author had condensed all of the information that he put in then it would be a much faster read. I also did not really see the chemistry between Hansum and Guilietta, even though they're married.

Overall I give this book 3 Quills. Still an average read but this one probably isn't going to go in my pile of books that I HAVE to reread.

 <3 Shannon

In My Mailbox (5)

 

In My Mailbox is a meme created by The Story Siren and inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie! It is a list of what books you have received over the previous week, either for review, from the library, from the bookstore, or from trades.

 

 

Books From The Y'all Fest:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis (new book from Lilly @ Lilly Road)

Perfect by Ellen Hopkins (new book)

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan (new book)

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan (new book)

Burned by Ellen Hopkins

Impulse by Ellen Hopkins

Books I Bought:

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Books I Won In A Contest:

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (from Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner)

So the reason that I have been so MIA from this blog is because school and NaNoWriMo are kicking my butt. However, in December I should be back in full force!!

<3 Shannon

October RAK Wrap Up Post

This is my October RAK Wrap Up Post:

Books Recieved:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis from Lilly at Lilly Road

Books Sent:

I sent The DUFF by Kody Keplinger to Jennifer

<3 Shannon

Waiting on Wednesday (7)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

From Goodreads: 

It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet.

Emma just got her first computer and an America Online CD-ROM.

Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future.

Everybody wonders what their Destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

I have read some really awesome reviews about this book and I want to read it so bad! I absolutely loved 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, I haven't really read anything by Carolyn Mackler, so I can imagine that this book would be really good! It comes out November 21st, 2011!!

<3 Shannon

November TBR Vlog

I've seen this on Reading Angel and Katie's Book Blog and I thought that I would give it a go.

I'm not going to be reading very many books this month because I am going to be participating in NaNoWriMo, which I am so very excited about :)!

Books Mentioned:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

The Bronze and the Brimstone by Lory S. Kaufman

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Matched by Ally Condie

<3 Shannon