Waiting on Wednesday #53

February 22, 2012 by Nicci

WOW is a weekly meme hosted at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming books that we’re highly anticipating.

“This is just something I have to do, okay?” I hear David say. “The right thing.” He cradles my face in his hands. He kisses me hard. Then he lets go of me. His eyes dart from me to whatever’s next. When Penna Weaver’s boyfriend goes off to Iraq, she’s left facing life without him. As summer sets in, Penna tries to distract herself with work and her art, but the not knowing is slowly driving her crazy. Especially when David stops writing. She knows in her heart he will come home- but will he be the same boy she fell in love with?

Why? There are so many elements of this story that make me want to read it: art, soldier, romance, suspense!

 

This title is set to be released on May 1st. Add on Goodreads?

2 Comments / Posted in Waiting on Wednesday

Book Tag

February 21, 2012 by Nicci

I was tagged by Sierra, and I love to do these random question type things from time to time! :)
Rules:
1. You must post the rules.
2. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create ten new questions to ask the people that you have tagged.
3. Tag eleven people and link to them on your post.
4. Let them know you’ve tagged them!

Here are her questions & my answers:

Q: What was the first book you reviewed?
A: Wow, that’s hard to remember. The first book would have been one I reviewed on Scarlett Moon where I only occasionally posted a book review. I think it may have been Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson.

 

Q: What’s your favorite movie that is based off a book, i.e. Twilight?
A: I tend to be really, really picky about adaptations, but two that I think are quite good would be The Help (based off of The Help by Kathryn Stockett) and To Kill A Mockingbird (based off of To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee).
Q: Where do you usually read?
A: Wherever I am & I have a spare moment.
Q: Paperback/Hardcover or Tablet?
A: All of the above! I love having paper copies for my favorite books, but otherwise I am in love with my Kindle.
Q: When did you become a blogger?
A: I became a book blogger in January 2011, but I have been blogging in some shape or form since October 2006.

Q: Favorite thing about blogging?
A: Expressing my thoughts about books & authors I love!

Q: Less favorite thing about blogging?
A: The time it takes to blog & do blog-gy things.

Q: Do you want your future career to have something to do with books? Like publishing or professional reviewer?
A: I really want to go into editing of some sort.

Q: Blog inspiration?
A: The Story Siren was definitely my inspiration to begin book blogging!
Q: Team Edward or Team Jacob? Or Team Peeta or Team Gale?
A: TEAM EDWARD! Lol. I am not as big a Twilight fan as I once was, but I will always be an Edward fan (diehard!). And as to part 2, I like both, but am very satisfied with how it ended.

 

I couldn’t think of anyone to tag, but if you want to feel free to answer my questions below and link up your post in the comments.

My Questions:
1. What is your favorite meme(ie. In My Mailbox, Waiting on Wednesday, etc.) to read or participate in?
2. Do you judge books by their covers?
3. What is the most emotional book you have ever read?
4. What were your favorite books/series when you were a kid?
5. What is your favorite genre & why?
6. What fictional guy/girl would you like to date & why?
7. What is your favorite blog to follow/visit?
8. Would you rather read standalone, trilogy, or series?
9. Who is your favorite author?
10. What was one book that really surprised you (in a good or bad way)?

No Comments / Posted in Misc

Review: A Touch Mortal

February 20, 2012 by Nicci

Title: A Touch Mortal

Series: A Touch Trilogy #1

Author: Leah Clifford

Read via: Library

Eden didn’t expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick-up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long, happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else’s game. Her heart is her own.

And that’s only the beginning of the end.

I have been wanting to read this for more than a year. It was actually on my list of debuts to read in 2011, but I was not able to actually get a copy of it until recently. After all of the rave reviews for both this and its soon-to-be-released sequel, A Touch Morbid, my expectations were very high. Perhaps that is why I was so letdown with this book. I wanted so badly to like it, but we never really “clicked”.

I was sympathetic for Eden at the beginning of the story. Then she meets Az and before you know it they are in love. Unfortunately this is where things began to sour for me. There was very little development of the relationship in action. The reader is told that this happens and that happens, time passes, but it was not ever shown. I could not connect with Az, simply because it seemed like there was not a chance to get to know him. Thus, I could not enjoy the relationship between Az and Eden because I simply did not care. Gabriel was more interesting a character, and I actually got a chance to get to know him, so I kept rooting for a relationship between him and Eden.

The overall storyline is a little bit confusing. It takes some time to understand and get a hang of the idea of Touch. I do want to comment, however, to say that I love that the author took angel/demons and spun the mythology to make it her own. I respect that quite a lot. This book, though, seemed to try to do and be too much. Perhaps if the pacing/timing was reworked I would like this more, but the way it stands I do not. I was unable to come to a point where I truly cared about the characters.

Overall, this was an incredibly disappointing read for me. There were elements that intrigued me, such as the Touch factor, but for the most part I am not a fan of the series. Others have absolutely loved this book, however, so if you want to read it definitely go for it. It is just not for me. Fans of Fallen by Lauren Kate or Unearthly by Cynthia Hand may enjoy this. It also has a zombielike element, so fans of zombie fiction may enjoy this as well.

Cover: 3.5
Plot: 3
Writing: 2.5
Personally: 3

 Overall: 3 out of 5

1 Comment / Tags: , , , , , / Posted in Reviews

Review: Goddess Interrupted

February 17, 2012 by Nicci

Title: Goddess Interrupted

Series: Goddess Test #2

Author: Aimee Carter

Read via: NetGalley

Kate Winters has won immortality.
But if she wants a life in the Underworld with Henry, she’ll have to fight for it.
Becoming immortal wasn’t supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she’s as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he’s becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate’s coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.
As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.
Henry’s first wife, Persephone.

It seems like it has been such a long time since I read The Goddess Test, but I was still extremely excited when I was approved to read Goddess Interrupted on NetGalley! I remembered enjoying the first book, but it was not my favorite debut of 2011. This book, however, earned itself a spot on my favorites list. I absolutely loved it!

It is interesting heading in to this book, because the main characters are married…in a YA book. It is a very uncommon thing, but I was absolutely fascinated by the idea. Kate remains a strong heroine, albeit somewhat insecure and reckless. At the same time though, her heart is always in the right place. The relationship between Kate and Henry broke my heart in this book. It was so raw, emotional, and still beautiful. The journey between the two of them was easily my favorite part of the story. The book, however, is populated with a wide variety of entertaining and interesting characters. I love Aimee Carter’s interpretations and re-imagining of the various gods and goddesses. Each of them is so different and unique.

This book is incredibly fast-paced. There is so much happening throughout the entire story. The danger is constantly felt. Kate and her relationships with all of the different characters bring a heart to the story, and works well to break up the action. The introduction of Persephone is a brilliant twist. It adds so much more to the already complicated story of Kate’s life.

Overall, I thought this book well exceeded my expectations, and was an excellent sequel to The Goddess Test. Fans of the first book are sure to enjoy this one. Readers who liked Abandon by Meg Cabot or Everneath by Brodi Ashton will probably enjoy this series!

Cover: 4
Plot: 4
Writing: 4
Personally: 4

Overall: 4 out of 5 

2 Comments / Tags: , , , , , / Posted in Reviews

Waiting on Wednesday #52

February 15, 2012 by Nicci

WOW is a weekly meme hosted at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming books that we’re highly anticipating.

Convinced she’s a part of the witness protection program, sixteen-year-old Jewel Rose is shuffled around the globe with her family like a pack of traveling gypsies. After arriving at lucky home twenty-seven, she stumbles upon a mysterious boy with magical powers claiming to be her guardian . . . and warning of imminent danger. Despite the obvious sparks between them, Jewel discovers a relationship is forbidden, and the more she learns about dark, brooding Roman, she begins to question who she can even believe—the family who raised her, or the supposed sworn protector who claims they’ve been lying to her all along.
As she struggles to uncover who her family has really been running from, she is forced to hide her birthmark that reveals who she is. With new realities surfacing, unexplained powers appearing, and two tempting boys vying for her heart, Jewel battles to learn who she can trust in an ever growing sea of lies, hoping she’ll make it through her seventeenth birthday alive.

Why? Well the fact that this book involves gypsies just intrigues me. Then, of course, there’s the rest of the awesome summary, so why not?

 

This title is set to be released on April 10th. Add on Goodreads?

1 Comment / Posted in Waiting on Wednesday

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