Stacking the Shelves - September 30

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received. 

This week I received - 

Summary (by Goodreads)

Becca thought her life was over when her father was sent to prison for embezzlement. It didn't help when he used her as his excuse: "How else is a guy like me supposed to send his daughter to college?" She and her mother fled their town and their notoriety, started over, and vowed never to let anyone know about their past.

Now a senior in high school, Becca has spent the last four years hiding in anonymity. But when it's time to apply to colleges and for financial aid, her mother gives her a rude awakening: If she applies, her past may be revealed to the world

But Becca has already applied for a full-ride scholarship. And as she begins to probe deeper into the secrets of her past, she discovers that she and her mother might be in danger of more than simple discovery - by revealing the truth about their past, she might be putting their very lives in jeopardy.

I have never read a Margaret Peterson Haddix title before.  To be totally honest, I always thought of her titles to be more ISU worthy and less edgy than this one sounds.  I'm eager to read what she's got going on in Full Ride though!

- Christinabean

Don't forget, this is your LAST CHANCE to enter our draw for a SIGNED copy of Omens by Kelley Armstrong!!  Giveaway ends tonight at midnight.  Enter NOW!!

Hereafter by Kate Brian

Published: Oct 2013

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Pages: 320

Copy Provided by: NetGalley

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

Rory Miller thought her life was over when a serial killer set his sights on her and forced her into witness protection. But a fresh start on Juniper Landing Island was exactly what she and her family needed. For the first time in years she and her sister hang out at the beach, gossip about boys, and party together. She's also made friends with a local clique--including a magnetic and mysterious boy named Tristan. 

But Rory's world is about to change again. Picturesque Juniper Landing isn't what it seems. The truth about the swirling fog that rolls in each morning, the bridge that leads to nowhere, and those beautiful locals who seem to watch Rory's every move is more terrifying than being hunted by Steven Nell. And all Rory ever wanted was the truth. Even if it means learning that she can never go home again. From the best-selling author of the Private and Privilege series comes the second novel in a heart-stopping trilogy about a girl who must pick up the pieces after the only life she's ever known ends.

Review:
I was fortunate enough to read this via NetGalley's reader program.  Shadowlands was a title that was fast paced and surprised me at the end.  The second book however was not nearly as exciting.  I will give kudos to Ms. Brian for keeping things interesting but it lacked the same suspense and thrill that book #1 had.  I'm sorry to say that it did not live up to my second book expectations but I do have high expectations for all second books in a series.  

Here After is a hard book to comment on without giving away a huge discovery from Book #1.  Life at Juniper Landing becomes more and more complicated as the other residents begin to step forward and either help Rory or accuse her of some of the bad karma circling the island.  Rory seems to be the scapegoat for a lot that is happening and seems to attract many misinterpreted situations.  The ending to this book was a bit disheartening as I felt that Rory was too reactive to the scenario at hand and jumping to conclusions.  I do want to see how Kate Brian wraps things up so I'll put Shadowlands #3 on my radar when it comes close to release but it will move closer to the middle of my TBR pile.  

Department 19: Battle Lines by Will Hill

 

Published: August 29th, 2013

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 72

Copy: Netgalley

Summary: Goodreads

 



Secret government unit Department 19 is recovering from evil vampire Valeri Rusmanov's deadly attack on their base. The Department’s newest member, teenage operator Jamie Carpenter, is tasked with training up a new squad, as his friends and colleagues desperately search for ways to try to stop what is coming.

The timing couldn’t be worse for a coordinated, global attack on a number of maximum security prisons and hospitals—with the already-dangerous inmates now on the loose and turned into vampires. One of the escapees has a deep connection to one of the darkest moments in the history of Department 19 and embarks on a quest that threatens to expose the existence of vampires to the public. And with each day that passes, the regenerated Dracula gets stronger, bringing Zero Hour closer.

In this third installment of the epic Department 19 series, Will Hill delivers higher—and sharper—stakes than ever before.

Battle Lines is the third in the Department 19 series and I am still loving it.  All the old favourite characters are there,  and they continue to grow in complexity along with the story.  The romance between Jamie and Larissa gets a bit of a twist with the introduction of Tim, but it never gets too intense and I applaud the way that Larissa handles things here.

As usual the action is intense and almost non-stop.  Just when you sit back to take a breath and regroup, something else happens.  Battle Lines is violent, but no more so than previous volumes and I have never felt that the violence is there just for the sake of!  The story this time around revolves around escapees from mental institutions, who all just happen to have been made into vampires - but faster, stronger and more vicious than they have any right to be.  When one of them decides to get revenge on Dept. 19 for some imagined wrongs, the excitement heats up. 

With great world building and a complex storyline, this book also includes several adults.  This adds yet another layer to the story, but never takes it out of the YA genre.  I'm sure there are many adults who will enjoy this though.  Not for the faint of heart, Battle Lines clocks in at over 700 pages, but you won't be disappointed if you give it a try.  I do think you need to have read the first two in order to get the most out of it tho' -  Dept. 19 and Dept. 19: the Rising

The next volume, Zero Hour comes out some time next year, and I can't wait.

Follow Friday

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question – 

This week is more of an activity which is similar to something that was done a few weeks ago.  Reading Nook tour!

So, I honestly don't have a lot of places that I read....mostly because I don't have enough time (I'm not just saying that) to read as I would like.

Not very glamourous eh?

- Christinabean

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

Please don't forget to enter our giveaway.  We have a SIGNED COPY of Omens by Kelley Armstrong up for grabs for anyone in Canada or the USA.  If you agree to pay for postage, you can enter from an international location.  This contest only runs until September 30!!  Click the link to enter!

Waiting on Wednesday - The Trap by Andrew Fukada

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

 

Summary (by Goodreads)

 

After barely escaping the Mission alive, Gene and Sissy face an impossible task: staying alive long enough to stop an entire world bent on their destruction. Bound on a train heading into the unknown with the surviving Mission girls, Gene, Sissy, David, and Epap must stick together and use everything they have to protect each other and their only hope: the cure that will turn the blood-thirsty creatures around them into humans again. Now that they know how to reverse the virus, Gene and Sissy have one final chance to save those they love and create a better life for themselves. But as they struggle to get there, Gene's mission sets him on a crash course with Ashley June, his first love . . . and his deadliest enemy.

 

I am so excited for this book.  If you haven't already started reading The Hunt series by Andrew Fukada, now is an excellent time to start, since you wouldn't have to wait for the following titles.  Just be prepared to stay up late and read all through the night!



Musings by Knitwits - Craftsy, Etsy and Regretsy

Today I'm going to give Curlypow a break and talk about 3 interesting craft-related sites - Craftsy, Etsy and Regretsy. 

I came across Craftsy while browsing the Michael's website.  Basically, it is a website where you can sign up to learn step by step how to craft, sew, stitch etc.  Each course you sign up for comes delivered in a number of video lessons that you can watch at your leisure.  So far the ratings have been great on this site and there are lots of users.  It is very easy to navigate and they have a variety of interesting classes to suit all levels of crafting.  If you subscribe and create an account, there are some free lessons to sign up for (mini-classes) and often discounted classes.  Each class has a money back guarantee and you can access your videos at anytime.  Here's the class I've been eyeing - 

Cute eh?

Etsy is one of my favorite sites to go to when I need a unique gift or am looking for inspiration.  It is an arts and crafts emporium for those of us who like to create and want to sell our wares.  Here's a sample of the things I love -

(This is the entire text of the Wizard of Oz shrunk down and manipulated to create the image of the witch as a poster)

Library due date card cover for your iPhone

If you haven't visited Etsy before, try it now...just be sure you aren't on a lunch break...or have to do something in a few minutes because it will easily eat up an afternoon....

The last site I wanted to share is 

The website has changed a lot and April has now put out a book from the information on her blog.  Not everyone uses.  Their creative talents in a good way.  In fact, for those DIY projects that don't make it onto Etsy, they often make it onto Regretsy, a hilarious spin-off of those items we sadly regret making.  They do allow for a good laugh though.  Here is one of my favorites - 

Anyone need a chicken poncho besides this poor model?

Seriously, this would be a great coffee table book for someone who needs to laugh at a lack of perfection.  Feel the need to share someone else's poor project choices?  You can find Regretsy on Amazon.

Stacking the Shelves - September 23

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received. 

This week I received - 

Summary (by Goodreads)

On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

Lauren Stefano is author of the Chemical Garden Trilogy.  While I did enjoy her writing style in this trilogy, the story didn't interest me enough to move past book #1.  I do try to remember those authors whom interested me in the past and offer up a second chance when a new series comes along.  Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for sending this over! :)

Shout Out to Indies - Bold by Julia Swift and Andrew Landis

Published: July 4th, 2013

Summary: Amazon

Sasha, a shy, 15-year-old girl who hides from the world, almost dies in a car crash and vows that if she survives, she will be bold and live life to the fullest. Her newfound courage is tested when she meets Will, who just moved to her Air Force desert town after his journalist father’s disappearance. Will is fascinated by Sasha’s brush with and secret knowledge of death.
Sasha and Will push each other to take chances and break out of their sheltered suburban world. But will they discover there is a difference between being bold and being stupid before they put themselves, or someone else, in danger?

The Paperback Princesses asked Julia and Andrew why they write for a YA audience and this is what they told us:

Julia: The time before people take on the responsibilities and protective, tough shell of their fixed adult identities fascinates us.  That's the time when we are all so vulnerable and unsure, but also so full of possibility. We find it much more exciting to write for characters whose lives can go anywhere, than for adults who have already decided what part of themselves they will present to the world.  We often don't feel like grown-ups ourselves .....

Andrew: We feel inspired when we build real stories from those singular moments of awkwardness, angst, joy, love, jealousy etc. Young adults experience those emotions a hundred, more like a thousand times a day.  Being able to provide some comfort through our characters is awesome, but offering a new perspective or inspiration to change how they think and feel and act is rewarding.

Andrew Landis and Julia Swift  have been writing about emotional underdogs for more than a decade on television shows like "Smallville" and "The Book of Daniel," and have recently published their first Young Adult novel, Bold. 

Told in first person, Bold is about a contemporary romance between two 15-year olds, one shy girl who almost died in a car accident, and one boy who struggles with the loss of his journalist father, as they try to learn the difference between being bold and being stupid.  Released in the beginning of July, Bold reached #10 on Amazon's e-books teen and young adult social issues category.  

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18220396-bold

Omens by Kelley Armstrong

Published: August 2013

Publisher: Dutton Adult

Pages: 486

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

Twenty-four-year-old Olivia Taylor Jones has the perfect life. The only daughter of a wealthy, prominent Chicago family, she has an Ivy League education, pursues volunteerism and philanthropy, and is engaged to a handsome young tech firm CEO with political ambitions.

But Olivia’s world is shattered when she learns that she’s adopted. Her real parents? Todd and Pamela Larsen, notorious serial killers serving a life sentence. When the news brings a maelstrom of unwanted publicity to her adopted family and fiancé, Olivia decides to find out the truth about the Larsens.

Olivia ends up in the small town of Cainsville, Illinois, an old and cloistered community that takes a particular interest in both Olivia and her efforts to uncover her birth parents’ past.

Aided by her mother’s former lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, Olivia focuses on the Larsens’ last crime, the one her birth mother swears will prove their innocence. But as she and Gabriel start investigating the case, Olivia finds herself drawing on abilities that have remained hidden since her childhood, gifts that make her both a valuable addition to Cainsville and deeply vulnerable to unknown enemies. Because there are darker secrets behind her new home and powers lurking in the shadows that have their own plans for her.

Review:

I have to be honest and admit that this is the first ADULT title by Kelley that I've ever read.  It was fascinating though!  The summary itself had me hooked.  Can you imagine finding out that you were adopted and your real parents were murderers of the most heinous crimes?  What if the social network around you began to crumble and everything you thought you knew was a lie.  With no one to rely on, Olivia has to lean on her smarts to get by.  Here is where Kelley could have continued and made this an interesting story all on her own but here and there are hints and bits of information to demonstrate that there is something supernatural involved.  Heck, it's a Kelley Armstrong book!  Of course there is going to be something supernatural going on!!  Like I said before, there is just enough going on to keep your intrigued but not enough information to really determine the forces at work.  Its like a big book tease....

Ms Armstrong knows just how to build up her characters in this first book.  The interplay between Olivia and her semi-trusting lawyer Gabriel is tenuous.  Should she trust him?  Is he a friend or is he out for his own interests? They also seem to have this magnetic attraction towards one another despite keeping things professional.  Are they friends or will this turn into more?  And what makes Olivia so special in this town of Cainsville where everyone seems to want her to trust and confide in them?

My conclusion on Omens is that it is rightly for an adult audience or at least a much more mature young adult reader.  You'll enjoy it if you like mystery and the supernatural.  There is a lot of swearing but how would you feel if you were the daughter of an infamous murdering couple and went from a wealthy well bred family to someone whom the public gawked at?  

Kelley Armstrong is one of my favorite Canadian authors.  I have to admit that I have only read both of her YA series - Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising but I loved them both.  My favourite by far is Darkness Rising.  Kelley is imaginative, descriptive and just knows how to spin an incredible tale.  Recently, I had the opportunity to see Ms. Armstrong in person as she was promoting the release of her newest title - Omens. Have you ever seen an author in person?  It is incredible.  Especially when you meet someone who is truly passionate about what they write and has complete respect for their reading audience.  Kelley is enigmatic, entertaining, is humble and cares about what her audience thinks and how they interact with her titles.  Love her. That's one of the reasons why, when I went to this signing, I wanted to be able to give one of you, our followers a signed copy.  Please visit our post - WIN A SIGNED COPY OF OMENS BY KELLEY ARMSTRONG to enter!

Follow Friday

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question –

What were some of your favorite picture books as a kid? If you have kids, what are your favorites to read to them?

I was a big fan of Richard Scarry books when I was younger. Dr Seuss was also a big favorite.  Today I have a 5 year old daughter and some of our favorite books are the Llama Llama series by Anna Dewdney, just about anything by Karma Wilson.  We have also started reading Love you Forever by Robert Munsch.

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

Don't forget!! There are only 10 more days to enter our contest for a SIGNED Kelley Armstrong book - Omens!  Please see the contest box at the top right hand corner of our page!!

Blog Tour with Shadows by Paula Weston

Published: September 2013

Publisher: Tundra Books

Pages: 400

Copy Provided by: Publisher

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

It’s almost a year since Gaby Winters was in the car crash that killed her twin brother, Jude. Her body has healed in the sunshine of Pandanus Beach, but her grief is raw and constant. It doesn’t help that every night in her dreams she kills demons and other hell-spawn.

And then Rafa comes to town. Not only does he look exactly like the guy who’s been appearing in Gaby’s dreams—he claims a history with her brother that makes no sense. Gaby is forced to accept that what she thought she knew about herself and her life is only a shadow of the truth—and that the truth is more likely to be found in the shadows of her nightmares.

Who is Rafa? Who are the Rephaim? And most importantly, who can she trust?

Fast-paced and gripping, Shadows, the first book in the Rephaim series, is a standout paranormal romance for fans of Richelle Mead and Cassandra Clare.

Review:

As soon as Goodreads recommended Shadows to fans of Richelle Mead and Cassandra Clare, I was racing to learn more about this title.  Lucky for me, Tundra was kind enough to send me a copy of the book for review!

Shadows begins with Gaby who is a little lost and having trouble remembering everything in her old life.  What she does remember is the tragic loss of her twin brother in an accident but there are other parts of her memory missing.  If you had started reading without knowledge of the synopsis, you would think that this is a contemporary novel but it quickly picks up speed with the introduction of Rafa.  Enter a handsome dark stranger that has been seen in Gaby's dreams and things really start to take flight.  

Paula Weston pulled me in with Shadows and never let go.  I was itching to keep reading every moment I could get.  Once the action started rolling, I wanted to find out what would happen next.  Surprisingly, for a slow reader like myself, 400 pages was devoured in just a few days and I am definitely looking forward to book #2 - Haze.

At first I found that there were so many characters it was hard to keep track of them all but then they came into focus.  Ms. Weston's writing style created a clear distinction between her characters and their interactions, making them memorable for the reader.   I am eager to discover more about the Rephaim and what REALLY happened to Jude.  

As a debut novel, kudos to Paula!  Well done!  I loved it and I would recommend this title to those who enjoyed the Hush Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick and the Fallen series by Lauren Kate.  A little mystery, supernatural aspects and of course many handsome suitors for Gabe to choose from.  Thank you again to Tundra Books for allowing the Paperback Princesses to participate in the Shadows blog tour.  Please don't forget to visit our fellow bloggers listed below and feel free to leave us your comments about the book as well!

About the Author:

Paula Weston lives in Brisbane with her husband, Murray and their pets, a retired greyhound and a moody cockatiel. She reads widely, and is addicted to paranormal stories. Shadows, book one of the Rephaim series, is her first novel.

You can also follow @TundraBooks, @PaulaWeston, and the wonderful bloggers on twitter! We will be using the hashtag #Shadows

Follow the Shadows Blog tour!

Next week, we will be hosting Paula Weston's North American blog tour (clickhere to see the UK one)! We have a wonderful line-up of contributors and tour hosts for her debut novel, Shadows. Have a look at who will be bloggingin 7 days! MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2013 Wendy and K. at The Midnight Garden Jo Ann at Journey of a Bookseller Crystal at WinterHaven Books Alexandra at Collections Lee at Rally the Readers TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2013 Jen at Perogies & Gyoza Ashley at Book Labyrinth LaQuita at Just Us Girls Flannery at The Readventurer WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2013 Krystal at Krystal’s Stellar Book Blog Andrea at Cozy Up With A Good Read Jillian at Centre of the Universe Nova at Musings of a Blogder Stephanie at Poetry to Prose THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2013 Christina at The Paperback Princesses Linh at A.A. Omer Bethzaida at Bookittyblog Summer at MissFictional's World of YA Books Michelle at Michelle & Leslie's Book Picks FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 Joy at Joyousreads Kristen at My Friends Are Fiction Kat at Cuddlebuggery Book Blog Crystal at Crystal in Bookland

Don't forget to visit our giveaways on the upper right hand corner of the blog!

Waiting on Wednesday - Hereafter by Kate Brian

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

Rory Miller thought her life was over when a serial killer set his sights on her and forced her into witness protection. But a fresh start on Juniper Landing Island was exactly what she and her family needed. For the first time in years she and her sister hang out at the beach, gossip about boys, and party together. She's also made friends with a local clique--including a magnetic and mysterious boy named Tristan. 
But Rory's world is about to change again. Picturesque Juniper Landing isn't what it seems. The truth about the swirling fog that rolls in each morning, the bridge that leads to nowhere, and those beautiful locals who seem to watch Rory's every move is more terrifying than being hunted by Steven Nell. And all Rory ever wanted was the truth. Even if it means learning that she can never go home again. From the best-selling author of the Private and Privilege series comes the second novel in a heart-stopping trilogy about a girl who must pick up the pieces after the only life she's ever known ends.

Hereafter is Book #2 of the Shadowlands series by Kate Brian.  I enjoyed the first book so I was happy to see this one up for grabs on NetGalley and I'll be setting up my review shortly.  Book 2 will be released October 1st!  There will be spoilers in my upcoming review so you still have time to check out the first title!

Cover Reveal - Shock Me by Ashley Harris

The Paperback Princesses are happy to be part of the cover reveal for Ashley Harris's new novel Shock Me. Check out the cool book trailer below and don't miss out on the Rafflecopter giveaway at the bottom.

Also keep an eye out for my review which should be coming on October 1st. - Do you think this cover is creepy or is it just me?

A promising gymnast, Donna Young is a shy, quiet nobody from the wrong side of town. The only exciting thing in life is her secret friendship with Ryan, her childhood crush. But after the accident—one that should have killed her—she discovers she has impossible powers! Why now, at sixteen, can she transform into something shocking and inhuman? Donna doesn’t know how to use her new abilities or who she can trust, but unveiling this mystery might lead to conclusions about Ryan that are deadly.

 Rich kid, Ryan Applegate is the most popular guy in town. He has a face that should be on a poster in every girl’s bedroom and dates the hottest chick in school. But ever since the big explosion at the town’s power plant, Ryan has been keeping secrets of his own, that if revealed could force him to choose between his family and the girl he's forbidden to love.

 As their electrifying puzzle unfolds, so unfolds a town where friends become enemies, and enemies become unrecognizable and intertwined. Tortured heroes just might be the bad guys, and Donna discovers that her and Ryan’s secrets are powerful enough to destroy everyone... including themselves.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18480712-shock-me?ac=1

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shock-me-ashley-c-harris/1116813618?ean=2940045238663

About Ashley C. Harris

 

Author and film director Ashley C. Harris resides in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. When she is not hard at

work writing or dreaming up new indie films she spends her time working out, reading the bible, and going on breath taking adventures with her sister.

The seed for becoming an author started budding for Ashley in the third grade, when she wrote her first hundred page book during her class's quiet time, her teacher couldn't believe it and voiced over her that surely she'd become an author someday. Those words never left Ashley and she has been writing ever since.

 

Ashley loves to create young adult, science fiction, fantasy novels, and is currently working on her first steamy romance... with more to come.

Website: http://www.ashleycharris.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAshleyC.Harris

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ashley_C_Harris

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/AshleyCHarris

Blog: http://ashley-c-harris.tumblr.com/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stacking the Shelves - September 16

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received. 

Summary (by Goodreads)

Tavia Michaels is the sole survivor of the plane crash that killed her parents. When she starts to see strange visions of a boy she’s never spoken with in real life, she begins to suspect that there’s much about her past that she isn’t being told. 

Tavia immediately searches for answers, desperate to determine why she feels so drawn to a boy she hardly knows. But when Tavia discovers that the aunt and uncle who took her in after her parents' death may have actually been responsible for the plane crash that killed them--and that she may have been the true intended victim--she flees for the safety of Camden, Maine, where the boy she sees in her visions instructs her to go.

Now, Tavia is on the run with no one to trust. No one, that is, except for her best friend and longtime crush, Benson.

Tavia feels torn between the boy who mysteriously comes to her at night and the boy who has been by her side every step of the way. But what Tavia doesn't know is that the world is literally falling apart and that to save it she will have to unite with the boy in her visions. Only problem? To do so would mean rejecting Benson's love. And that's the one thing Tavia Michaels swore she'd never do.

This week I downloaded Earth Bound to my e-reader.  I really enjoyed the Wings series by Aprilynne Pike and I an interested to see how Ms. Pike does when fairies are not involved.....besides, I like her love triangles.  :)

Follow Friday

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question –

Parajunkee is taking a little break so I thought I would do my own little question and pose it to you, our readers...

Is there a bookie place that you would like to visit?  It can be either real AND/OR fictional.

In our world, I would love to visit the Strand bookstore in New York.  I have been dying to go to BEA for about 3 years now and I have heard so many great things about this particular bookstore.  Who wouldn't want to get lost in 18 miles of new, used and rare books?

As for a bookie place I would like to visit that is fictional...I would love to see the library at Hogwarts from Harry Potter.

Lovely, isn't it?

So tell us, where would you like to go?

Please don't forget to enter our giveaway.  We have a SIGNED COPY of Omens by Kelley Armstrong up for grabs for anyone in Canada or the USA.  If you agree to pay for postage, you can enter from an international location.  Click the link to enter!

Same Book, Second Look - Throne of Glass - Sarah J Maas

Published: August 2012

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's

Pages: 404

Copy Provided by: 

Summary: Goodreads

Goodreads:

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. 

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. 

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. 

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Review:

I love reading about strong female heroines.  Don't get me wrong, some guys exhibit some fairly awesome traits as well but there is something about a kick butt heroine who can look feminine and demure one minute and then turn around and pull open a can of whoop ass.  This is how I pictured Celaena Sardothien at first.  When she was first pulled out of the mines, she was so incredibly suspicious and mistrusting.  I did not see her necessarily as an assassin but more of creature of caution.  She had a right to be mistrustful of her captors and their motives.  Slowly, she began to open up and strip away the layers of complexity that she had built up over the years.  At 18 years old, I still found it hard to believe that she was the world's greatest assassin but I grew to like her and appreciate how young she had to grow up and miss her youth.  

At first I found it odd that an assassin would enjoy balls, parties and dressing up in gowns, wearing make-up and being such a girly girl but it was refreshing to also see another side of Celaena.  Something that was not so harsh but softer and more human.  

Throne of Glass brings together some fantasy and a bit of the supernatural which I was surprised about.  Overall, it was a great title and I wish I would have read it sooner BUT the upside to reading it so long after the original release date is that the story is now fresh in my mind for book #2 - Crown of Midnight.  I would highly recommend this read for someone who enjoys fantasy and is looking for a fast-paced title with action, mystery and a little bit of lovin'....

Not 100% sure you may be interested in this assassin?  There are some awesome shorter novellas  that can be purchased for your e-reader (I REALLY enjoyed The Assassin and the Desert).  In fact, I enjoyed this title so much that I downloaded a whole swack of the novellas to tide me over until Crown of Midnight came out (currently on shelves now).

Anyone interested in a SIGNED copy of Omens by Kelley Armstrong?