Stacking the Shelves - June 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)

For sixth-form student Grace Becker, The 100 Society is more than just a game; it's an obsession. Having convinced her five friends at Clifton Academy to see it through to the end, Grace will stop at nothing to carry out the rules of the game: tagging 100 locations around the city. With each step closer to the 100-mark they get, the higher the stakes become. But when the group catches the attention of a menacing stalker - the Reaper - he seems intent on exposing their illegal game, tormenting Grace with anonymous threats and branding their dormitory doors with his ominous tag.

As the once tight-knit group slowly unravels, torn apart by doubt and the death of a student, they no longer know who to trust.

With time running out, Grace must unmask the Reaper before he destroys everything she cares about for ever...

I was on NetGalley and found this one. Different from the kinds of books I have been reading lately but its good to try new things, right?  (I love NetGalley...)

- Christinabean

Wanna win some free books? We are hosting a Canada Day giveaway.  Win up to two books up to $20CND each to anywhere the Book Depository ships!  See our post for details!  

Shout Out to Indies - Dangerous Reflections by Shay West and Earth Drummer by Echo Fox

We here at The Paperback Princesses often receive emails from Indie authors requesting reviews and are blessed with free book copies. Often we are unable to get to so many titles before our mass market published books take over our TBR shelves. That doesn't mean there aren't plenty of great reads though! We want to give back to those Indie authors and are declaring EVERY SECOND SUNDAY our SHOUT OUT TO INDIES MEME. For those of fellow bloggers, please feel free to add our meme to your regular schedule. We only ask that you quote and link back to us as a courtesy. For all of you Indie authors, we invite you to contact us at the contact link to your top left. We will select 1 - 3 titles (each time we post) that sound interesting. Lastly, for you readers, this is a bit of a test so please do comment and let us know what you think. We will also be offering up giveaway copies whenever we can! So without further ado, here are this week's pick:

Dangerous Reflections by Shae West

Alexis Davenport wants to go home. She hates her new school, her mother for moving her away

from her friends, and her father for walking out.

To make matters worse, Alex is haunted by images of strange girls reflected in her mirror. It’s

bad enough juggling homework, a relentless bully, boys, and a deadbeat dad; now, she must

save the world from an evil presence hell-bent on changing the past – and our futures. Who

knew her A+ in history was going to be this important?

We asked Shay why she writes for a YA audience:

When I first had the idea for Dangerous Reflections, I hadn’t planned on writing the novel
targeting a YA audience. But as I worked through the plot and characters, I realized that Alexis
was speaking to me as a teenager. I really had to do my research when it came to writing the
book and got some great advice and feedback along the way. My first series, the Portals of
Destiny, was written from the POV of many characters so that’s how I started writing Dangerous
Reflections. I had both Alex and her mother, Patricia, as POV characters. Some great advice
I received prior to publication was to get rid of the mother’s POV. Teens don’t really care
what’s going on in the mind of an adult; they want to be in the head of the teenager, the one they
identify with.
Once I got into the right mindset, it was easier to focus on Alex’s thoughts and feelings, how she
saw the world. I was able to reach back in my past and use things that happened to me to really
give Alex a unique voice that I think a lot of people, young and old alike, can identify with.

Author information

Author Bio:
Shay West was born in Longmont, CO and earned a doctorate degree in Human Medical
Genetics from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical. Dr. West currently lives in Grand
Junction, CO with her two cats. When not writing novels, she plays with plushie microbes and
teaches biology classes at Colorado Mesa University. She is the author of the Portals of Destiny
series and the Adventures of Alexis Davenport series. She has also been published in several
anthologies: Battlespace (military scifi), Orange Karen: Tribute to a Warrior (fundraiser), and
Ancient New (steampunk/fantasy).

There are two other books in the Alexis series (Twisted Reflections and Desperate Reflections) that will launch later this summer. The book I’m currently writing is an urban fantasy about people from
another world coming to Earth to steal organs. The working title is The Harvesters. I’ve been
known to change titles so it *could* change but it’s really growing on me so it will probably
stay.

You can find Dr. West and more of her work at Shay-West.com.
Social Media Links:
http://Shay-West.com
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Goodreads author page
Goodreads
Amazon

Our second author for this week is Echo Fox

Published: June 30, 2014

EQUILIBRIA SERIES
Trouble is brewing in the harmonious land of Pangaea. Ever since the continent was split into it’s four elemental parts
by Strife, the balance has been edging ever so slightly in favour of the dark. Now, four elementals just coming into
their powers must meet Strife head on and restore balance to their world.
In Wave Singers, we met Merry and the people of Thera, the Mer.
In Earth Drummer, Gentian must make a decision that could save his people - or leave them to face the darkness
alone.

EARTH DRUMMER (BOOK 2, EQUILIBRIA SERIES)
Gentian is tiptoeing uncomfortably around his grieving father and headstrong twin sister, doing as he’s told for the
sake of peace. However, when strange fire-filled dreams start to take over his nights, Gentian faces a tricky decision.
Should he go ahead with his own arranged marriage, his future all planned out before him? Or should he accept the
Shaman’s offer of becoming his initiate and learning about Earth magic? With his animal totem Tern to guide him, will
Gentian be able to make his choice before his entire world spirals out of control?

We asked Echo why she writes for a YA audience:

Young Adult fiction offers so much potential for a great story. As a teenager, you are
experiencing everything for the very first time while also daydreaming and making plans for
the rest of your life. The choices you make as a young adult often feel like they will control
everything that happens next.

When I was embroiled in exam season, or trying to choose a degree course, I always enjoyed
escaping those worries of test results and which university to apply to, what job I was going to
do after graduation, how I was going to live on such a teeny wage…

Fantasy, mythology, legend and fairy stories were my weapon of choice for tackling these things
and they still are! The difference being that now I write about the worlds I’m daydreaming about.
Getting to know a character; to sympathise with them and mentally encourage them or, in the
case of the villain, put them off their plan for world domination, is quite simply wonderful. I love
the feeling you have when you know there is a really good book waiting for you at the end of a
long day. When you can sink into a different world and make anything happen.

Author Information:
Echo Fox lives in a sleepy town in the south of England with her partner and supremely fluffy
cat. She studied Classics and Archaeology at university and is forever inspired by the myths
and legends of the past. Echo finds the best writing fuel is freshly baked cookies and she is
always 100% more productive on a sunny day.
 https://twitter.com/EchoFoxBooks
 www.echofoxbooks.co.uk
 https://www.facebook.com/EchoFoxBooks
 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Echo-Fox/e/B00GR98CM6/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
until the direct link is available the published book will be accessible from my author page

Wanna win some free books? We are hosting a Canada Day giveaway.  Win up to two books up to $20CND each to anywhere the Book Depository ships!  See our post for details!   

Follow Friday and CANADA DAY GIVEAWAY!

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 –

Post a photo of your favorite coffee mug 

(or mugs if you can’t choose just one).

(You have to excuse me because I can't seem to rotate this picture...)

at the moment this is my favorite mug. I am not a coffee drinker but a tea drinker.  I LOVE David's tea.  Its ridiculous how expensive it is but I love to steep different types of tea depending on my mood.  I even drink a special tea when I feel like I'm getting a cold.  This is one of the David's tea mugs.  The bamboo tea topper acts as a holder for my tea strainer as well.  They often release mugs that change colors when you add hot water but I haven't been able to get my hands on one yet....awesomesauce.

- Christinabean

(Please keep reading.  We are giving away stuff...unless you aren't interested in FREE BOOKS!!)

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.

FREE BOOKS EH?

We live in the land of Beiber, maple syrup, protected by mounties, surrounded by mountains, have great health care, eat poutine, like to sit in Adirondak chairs and build Inukshuks along the highways.  We are home to Canada Geese in the summer (what do they call them in the winter?), have multiple meanings for the word "eh" and often find ourselves covered in snow and ice 3/4 of the year...or maybe that is just Alberta.

So this year, there was no Canada Day Blog Hop.  :( BUT we didn't want to miss out on the fun so we going to give you guys stuff anyway!  Each of us has a Rafflecopter giveaway going on so please check it out.

Curlypow will be offering up a book of your choice up to $20CND from the Book Depository.  You must be from a country where the Book Depository delivers.  She is suggesting Dangerous Creatures (pb copy).  Want to bump your entries up? Comment on our old or current blog posts.  For each comment, you get an additional entry.  We WILL be checking so comment often.

Christinabean will also be offering up a book of your choice up to $20CND from the Book Depository.  You must be from a country where the Book Depository delivers.  Once ordered, we are not responsible for any mailing problems encountered.  I am suggesting City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare.  Want to bump your entries up? Tweet our giveaway to your friends. We will give you extra entries for your tweets!

a Rafflecopter giveaway





a Rafflecopter giveaway




Can you enter both giveaways?  Heck yeah!

Mirror X by Karri Thompson

 

Published: June 30th, 2014

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Pages: 3018

Ecopy: From Publisher

Summary: Goodreads

 

 

Cassie Dannacher wakes up in a hospital over 1,000 years into the future after her space capsule is retrieved from space. She soon learns that 600 years prior to her arrival, the earth was struck by a plague, killing over half of the world’s population. Naïve and desperate, Cassie, who longs for home and is having trouble adjusting to the new, dictatorial 31st century government, is comforted by Michael Bennett, the 20-year old lead geneticist at the hospital where she was revived.

But why is Cassie in genetics’ hospital in the first place, and why do several of the people around her seem so familiar, including Travel Carson, the hot and edgy boy she is fated to meet? Soon she discovers there is a sinister answer to all of her questions – and that they want something from Cassie that only she can give.

Mirror X gives an interesting look at a society 1000 years into the future.  Contrary to what it says above, Cassie is placed in a cryogenic chamber - not a space capsule - after an almost fatal car accident.  Basically Cassie is lied to from the beginning of this story to the end of it, and her biggest problem is finding people that she can trust to tell her the truth.

While I did enjoy the story as a whole, I had problems with certain aspects.  When Cassie starts to use very 20th Century vocabulary that no-one understands (cool) that makes sense - then a chapter further on, one of the 'natives' uses the phrase 'don't freak out', then another says 'it's really cool'.  A chapter or two farther on another character has to ask if he is using the word 'cool' correctly.  I realise that this is a relatively small thing, but it really bugged me.

1000 years is a very long time, and with all of the advancements that this society had made, it seemed just a little unrealistic that they hadn't solved their major problem - sorry can't be any more specific or I'd give away the whole plot.  I know it's really just an arbitrary number but I kept thinking that the premise would have made more sense if the plague had been only 200 years before her arrival. If we could invent a cryogenic chamber in 2019 that would last 1000 years, surely society could have solved 'the big issue' given another 600 years to work on it.. It's really just knit picking, but again, with all the other advancements made, the timing seemed off.   Otherwise I loved the society that Ms. Thompson had envisioned, and I wish I could jaunt to Australia in just a few hours the way Cassie does.

The characters grew on me as the story progressed, although I was never entirely sure about Michael. He seemed too good to be true to me.  I was much more enamoured of Magnum and all his geekiness. Give that guy a computer and the world was at his fingertips.  I also loved the nod to James Dean - it made me smile.  It looks as though Mirror X is the first book in a trilogy and I suspect I will pick up the next one - I'd like to see how things work out for Cassie and Michael.

Waiting on Wednesday - Perfected by Kate Jarvik Birch

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

 

 

Published: July 1st, 2014

 

 

I was bred to be the perfect pet. I was bred for my beauty and grace, to be a showpiece, an ornament to sit upon the couch, to sing, to dance, to play the piano and paint. I was bred to willingly put my owner's happiness before my own.

Until Penn. The handsome and rebellious son of the congressman who owns me, he's the only person who's seen past my perfect exterior to the girl underneath. Falling for him is forbidden. Falling for him is freeing.

But there's a dark underworld lurking beneath my pampered life. The only thing more dangerous than staying with Penn's family is escaping it, because if I fail, I face a fate far worse than death...

For fans of Kiera Cass's Selection series and Lauren DeStefano's Chemical Garden series, Perfected is a chilling look at what it means to be human, as well as a stunning celebration of the power of love to set us free, wrapped in a glamorous—and dangerous—bow.

Stacking the Shelves - June 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)

The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

I REALLY enjoyed books 1 and 2 of the Grisha series.  I am eager to see how it all plays out now that the Darkling has made an appearance again and Alina is starting to come into her powers.

- Christinabean

Elemental Hunger by Elana Johnston

Published: June 12th, 2014

Publisher: AEJ Creative works

Pages: 400

Copy: From Author

Summary: Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Gabriella Kilpatrick can shoot fire from her hands, which would be great if she didn’t get blamed for a blazing inferno that kills 17 schoolmates. When Gabby is commanded to Manifest her Element, everyone knows what she is: a genetic abnormality. Not to mention guilty.

So she does two logical things to survive.
1. She runs.
2. She hacks off her hair to assume a new role—that of “Gabe”, because in her world, only boys are Firemakers.

Not only does she have to act like a guy, she has to pretend to know everything a Firemaker should know. When Gabby meets Airmaster Adam Gillman, he believes her act and pledges to serve on “Gabe’s” Council. But Adam has the mark of a sentry and spent years obeying Alex, the Supreme Elemental. And Alex wants Gabby-the-genetic-freak dead and gone before she can gather the magical protection of a full Council.

With Adam’s lies that sound like truths and rumors that Alex isn’t really a Firemaker—or a man—Gabby sets out to charter a Council of her own. In order to uncover the truth, Gabby will have to learn who she can trust, how to control her own power, and most of all, how to lead a Council of Elementals, most of whom have more control over their power than she does. If she can’t, she’ll find herself just like those 17 schoolmates: burned and six feet under.


Elemental Hunger is a dystopian fantasy - although I'm not sure if that is actually a type?  Let's say it is a fantasy story at its core, but set on a future earth after a - virtually unexplained - apocalyptic event.  Society has regressed to the point that women are 2nd class citizens again, and subservient to their magic wielding superiors - men, of course.  Certain women have magic, but of a lesser sort - of course - and when on a council have to marry one of the men.  A council consists of 4 magicians and a servant, basically, with three of the magicians being men.

On re-reading that last paragraph I think it may sound as if I didn't enjoy the book, but I really did.  I loved Gabriella's determination and drive and the fact that she was willing to fight for what she believed were her rights.  When Adam enters the picture, Gabriella, or should I say 'Gabe' is attracted to him, and because of that, tends to ignore what her gut is telling her, and it does get her into a few pickles.

There are some wonderfully tense moments throughout and I have to admit that I really liked hearing about 'Alex' - aka 'the villain of the piece' - and there were a few surprises in that quarter that added to the intrigue. The whole council idea was something new, and despite my somewhat snarky comments above, the premise was sound, although I never really felt that I knew the true purpose of a council - I guess sort of a magical city council really.

Honestly, if you are a fantasy fan, I don't think you'll go wrong picking up "Elemental Hunger', but I don't think there is enough dystopian in it for fans of that genre, but you could give it a try. * Be warned these are New Adult books and the content might not be suitable for younger teens.

I just discovered that there is a prequel novella called Elemental Rush about Adam (May 2014), and a sequel novella called Elemental Release, also about Adam (July 1, 2014) - both seem to be available from Kindle and I'm off to get copies of both.

Follow Friday - June 20

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 are your favorite books of 2014 so far?

Hmm...this is a toughie.  I am currently reading City of Heavenly Fire right now and enjoying it immensely.  I have spent the past 2 weeks or so re-reading the series.  A few new titles that I enjoyed recently are Half Bad by Sally Green, The Ring and the Crown by Melissa de la Cruz and Cress by Marissa Meyer.  I just started reading Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Page and I am LOVING Amy's smart mouth. We shall see if it becomes a favorite...

- 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.

Waiting on Wednesday - Beautiful Oblivion by Jamie McGuire

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)

The Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster phenomenon continues in the first heart-pounding new adult romance in The Maddox Brothers series.

Fiercely independent Camille "Cami" Camlin gladly moved on from her childhood before it was over. She has held down a job since before she could drive, and moved into her own apartment after her freshman year of college. Now tending bar at The Red Door, Cami doesn’t have time for much else besides work and classes, until a trip to see her boyfriend is cancelled, leaving her with a first weekend off in almost a year.

Trenton Maddox was the king of Eastern State University, dating co-eds before he even graduated high school. His friends wanted to be him, and women wanted to tame him, but after a tragic accident turned his world upside down, Trenton leaves campus to come to grips with the crushing guilt. 

Eighteen months later, Trenton is living at home with his widower father, and works full-time at a local tattoo parlor to help with the bills. Just when he thinks his life is returning to normal, he notices Cami sitting alone at a table at The Red. 

As the baby sister of four rowdy brothers, Cami believes she’ll have no problem keeping her new friendship with Trenton Maddox strictly platonic. But when a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever—even if she is the only reason their already broken family could fall apart.

Ahh...the Maddox brothers.  So fierce.  When they fall in love, they REALLY fall in love. Love it. Look for this title at the beginning of July!  p.s. this is more of an older teen/new adult read...a bit...umm...steamy?

- Christinabean

Dead of Night by Charlaine Harris and Amanda Stevens

Published: September 24th, 2013

Publisher: Harlequin Mira

Pages: 464

Copy, My own

Summary: Goodreads

 

From bestselling author Charlaine Harris and rising star Amanda Stevens come two otherworldly tales sure to haunt readers well after the last page is turned.

Dancers in the Dark

#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris

Layla Rue Le May is no ordinary dancer—her partner, Sean McClendon, is a three-hundred-year-old redheaded vampire. When Layla Rue acquires a stalker, she's forced to face the music…and wonder if this will finally be her last dance.

The Devil's Footprints

Award-winning author Amanda Stevens

Years after her sister's unsolved murder, Sarah DeLaune is haunted by the mysteries of her past when two mutilated bodies are found near Sarah's New Orleans home, the crime scene desecrated by cloven footprints. Sarah has always believed that her sister was killed by a man named Ashe Cain. But no one else has ever seen Ashe. Until now.

 

 

 As I am sure many of you are aware, it is Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series that is the basis for the TV series True Blood.  Well the short story in this book, Dancers in the Dark is set in that same universe.  We meet a different set of vampires of various types and temperaments, but none that blew my socks off. It was an ok story that I quite enjoyed reading, but it didn't have quite the oomph of her Sookie books..

The second story here is The Devil's Footprints, which is a full length novel on its own.  I'd really love to tell you about it, but I think that almost anything I say would be a spoiler, and it deserves to be read own its own.  Let's just say - it's a creepy mystery that steers you to lots of erroneous conclusions and I was quite surprised at the end of it.

My big question here is 'why were these two stories put in the same book?'  I suspect it was the hope that Charlaine Harris's name at the top of the book would help sell the Amanda Stevens book.  I hope it worked, because The Devil's Footprints was worth reading.  Great for mystery and supernatural fans, though it might surprise you too.

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 - from the library:

 

 

 

Anyone else trying to catch up on trilogies and series?  Wish me luck!

Shout Out to Indies - Life Lived Twice by Sherrie Wouters AND X & Y by Becky Finlayson

We here at The Paperback Princesses often receive emails from Indie authors requesting reviews and are blessed with free book copies. Often we are unable to get to so many titles before our mass market published books take over our TBR shelves. That doesn't mean there aren't plenty of great reads though! We want to give back to those Indie authors and are declaring EVERY SECOND SUNDAY our SHOUT OUT TO INDIES MEME. For those of fellow bloggers, please feel free to add our meme to your regular schedule. We only ask that you quote and link back to us as a courtesy. For all of you Indie authors, we invite you to contact us at the contact link to your top left. We will select 1 - 3 titles (each time we post) that sound interesting. Lastly, for you readers, this is a bit of a test so please do comment and let us know what you think. We will also be offering up giveaway copies whenever we can! So without further ado, here are this week's pick

Life lived Twice by Sherrie Wouters

Some promises are made to last forever...

What if you fell in love with a stranger...but that stranger had come from your past, a past you never knew existed until the moment your eyes met?

When Tess Winters locks eyes with a stranger at an airport bookstore, it ignites a feeling of passion somewhere deep inside her that she can't explain.

Although the encounter is innocent and brief, the intensity of it lingers, leaving her overwhelmed by a yearning for the mystery man now consuming her every thought.

Struggling to break the powerful hold he has over her heart, Tess starts to experience strange but familiar dreams...dreams from the turn of the twentieth century of the charming Mr Addison Taylor.

As her dreams start to materialize into reality, and past and present begin to blur, Tess is forced to put the pieces of a forgotten time together, and soon discovers that love isn't the only thing that can find you after an eternity.

Captivating, mysterious, and romantic, Life Lived Twice will leave you wondering whether love is so powerful it could last more than a lifetime.

We asked Sherrie why she chooses to write for a YA audience:

I chose to write for a young adult audience because teenagers feel everything more intensely than any other age group. It is a time when you are often consumed by the ideals of love and romance. A time where your heart can at times swell up so large it threatens to explode. It is also a period where you start to question ideas outside of the norm, and this often stirs an interest in fantasy or the supernatural.  Because of all the changes that occur during the maturation process, and the roller coaster we can be sent on, I wanted to write something that often a young adult needs; that invigorating rush of what it might feel like for the important parts of your universe in one brief moment to suddenly line up.

If you'd like to find out more about Sherrie try here:

LINKS

www.sherriewouters.com to purchase  (other links to come in next week)

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20376582­life­lived­twice

https://www.facebook.com/lifelivedtwice

Book Trailer Link­ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JomqOHgog1A&feature=youtu.be

Publisher­ Bermingham Books

Our second choice for this week is:

X& Y by Becky Finlayson

"Olivia Adonane has it all; remarkable intelligence, stunning beauty, and – as
the daughter of the head of the Triad, Society’s top three Human Designers –
immeasurable wealth. Yet, all is not as it seems. Olivia discovers a dark secret
about her homeland, formerly known as Great Britain, where humans are designed
in the womb, and she watches her best friend, Lily, die in a secret chamber below
the Triad Building in London. From here on, she has a choice. Will she continue on
her pre-designed path, following in her father’s footsteps to become the country’s
most powerful Human Designer? Or will she seek to rebel against the government,
attempting to expose and overthrow the seemingly-invincible regime so that her
fellow citizens can be truly free?"

We asked Rebecca why she chooses to write for a YA audience:

Choosing to write for a Young Adult audience was almost an unconscious thing,
really. I had this great idea for a story whose heroines and heroes happened to be
young adults facing some tough truths.
When I was writing “X&Y”, however, it felt more and more right, having a Young
Adult target audience. One of the biggest themes of “X&Y” is identity, and though
Young Adults don’t face the particular struggles that the characters of “X&Y” do, they
can strongly relate to their struggles and dilemmas. Having readers tell me that they
can really identify with the characters and what they’re going through is amazing for
me as a writer, as it shows that people are making strong connections with the story.
I hope that this particular story shows that whatever setting we are in, whatever we
are going through, we don’t have to be alone in it.


Rebecca Finlayson was born in the north of England - specifically Blackburn,
Lancashire – but actually spent most of her childhood in the Forest of Dean,
Gloucestershire (fans of Harry Potter will recognise that name!). Inspired by reading
a children’s version of “The Odyssey” 20+ times while growing up, she decided
to study Classical Civilisation at Warwick University and took a job as a Teaching
Assistant upon graduating. After two years she decided to take a year out in order
to do some charity work but, more significantly, pursue some writing projects that
had been nagging at her for some time.

 The first of these projects to be completed, a Young Adult Dystopian novel entitled “X&Y” is now on sale on Amazon Kindle with a free sample: http://www.amazon.com/X-Y-Rebecca-Finlayson-ebook/

The second – a fantasy novel entitled “The Secrets of Nethiaria: The
Magician’s Book” will be out in Spring 2014. You can find Rebecca at http://
www.rebeccafinlaysonbooks.blogspot.co.uk
or on Twitter: @Finlaysonauthor.

Graduation Day by Joelle Charbonneau

 

Published: June 17th, 2014

Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers

Pages: 304

Copy: Publisher via Edelweiss

Summary: Goodreads

In book three of the Testing series, the United Commonwealth wants to eliminate the rebel alliance fighting to destroy The Testing for good. Cia is ready to lead the charge, but will her lethal classmates follow her into battle?

She wants to put an end to the Testing
In a scarred and brutal future, The United Commonwealth teeters on the brink of all-out civil war. The rebel resistance plots against a government that rules with cruelty and cunning. Gifted student and Testing survivor, Cia Vale, vows to fight.

But she can't do it alone.
This is the chance to lead that Cia has trained for - but who will follow? Plunging through layers of danger and deception, Cia must risk the lives of those she loves--and gamble on the loyalty of her lethal classmates.

Who can Cia trust?
The stakes are higher than ever-lives of promise cut short or fulfilled; a future ruled by fear or hope--in the electrifying conclusion to Joelle Charbonneau's epic Testing trilogy. Ready or not…it's Graduation Day.

The Final Test is the Deadliest!

I have been thoroughly enjoying this trilogy from the beginning and watching Cia and Thomas grow as characters and strengthen their relationship has been a pleasure.  This final volume was full of intrigue and suspense just as the others were , but for some reason I just wasn't quite so engrossed in it as I have been previously.

I've been trying to puzzle out why and I really can't give any concrete answers, but for me it seemed to end with a fizzle and not a bang.  There are twists and turns galore, and trying to work out who can be trusted is a complicated prospect I admit, but that urge to keep turning the pages so I could get to the end faster - well it just wasn't there.  I finished Graduation Day about 3 weeks ago and I find myself struggling to remember exactly what happened.  Oh, I remember in general, and I never once thought of not finishing, but I think I finished another 3 books while reading this one and that is never a good sign.

All in all I would definitely recommend the series for dystopian lovers, and I did love the fact that while there is a romance here, it takes a back seat to the intrigue and action, but in the end this finale was a disappointment for me.  What did you think?

Friday Follow

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 –

Armchair Travel! Tell us about your favorite book in a setting you’d like to visit (a real place for this question).

A book series that I read recently was the Grisha Trilogy which takes place in an area similar to Europe.  I would love to visit Europe.  I long to see a place where there is a ton of history.  I want to see monuments, museums and architecture from the past.  Another place I would like to visit is Greece.  When I think of the islands, I picture Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants and Lena's travels to Greece...I need to fill the pages of my passport....

- Christinabean

I'm lucky enough to have visited many places in Europe, but I have never been to Paris.  Anna and the French Kiss was a favourite of mine and I loved the Paris setting.  I did finally get to go to the South of France last year - a little place between Monaco and Nice called Beaullieu - but Paris still eludes me.  Maybe one day ....
-Curlypow

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.

Waiting on Wednesday - Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

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:

 

Published June 17th, 2024

 

The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

So far this has been one of my favourite series.  I can't wait to read the conclusion.

Let's Hear it for the Boys - V is for Villain by Peter Moore

Published: May 20th, 2014

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Pages: 336

Copy: Publisher through Edelweiss

Summary: Goodreads

 

 

Brad Baron is used to looking lame compared to his older brother, Blake. Though Brad's basically a genius, Blake is a superhero in the elite Justice Force. And Brad doesn't measure up at his high school, either, where powers like super-strength and flying are the norm. So when Brad makes friends who are more into political action than weight lifting, he's happy to join a new crew-especially since it means spending more time with Layla, a girl who may or may not have a totally illegal, totally secret super-power. And with her help, Brad begins to hone a dangerous new power of his own.

But when they're pulled into a web of nefarious criminals, high-stakes battles, and startling family secrets, Brad must choose which side he's on. And once he does, there's no turning back.

Perfect for fans of The Avengers, Ironman, and classic comic books, V is for Villain reveals that it's good to be bad.

I have read several books in the last little while that have had a superhero theme, Brandon Sanderson's Steelheart is the first that comes to mind, and they have all been lots of fun, with the good guys always winning in the end.  What made V is for Villain stand out from the rest was the fact that it is written about the bad guys.  Well about the guys who don't agree with what the good guys are doing.  Not exactly bad - yet anyway, but questioning whether everything the good guys do is actually 'good'

I loved the characters in this book, Brad and Layla especially, mainly because they questioned.  They are both basically genius's and are not willing to take things at face value.  They actually think for themselves and come to the conclusion that bad can be good too.  There are some wonderful twists to this complex and entertaining storyline and there are some really spectacularly twisted bad guys to sink your teeth into. But not everything is exactly as it seems and the kids have to use every bit of their spectacular brain power and superpowers to get them out of harms way.

There should be enough action to keep fans of this type of novel very happy and leave them with a little to think about.  I already have several people I can think of to recommend this to.  Lots of fun.



Stacking the Shelves

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 - 

 

Thank you Edelweiss, I'm really looking forward to finishing both of these trilogies.

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 are your non-book guilty pleasures? Like TV shows, food, websites, hobbies, etc.

I have so many guilty pleasures...I like to bake (I make cookies and then to try and give as many away as possible so I don't consume them all on my own).  I also get obsessive about a series.  For instance, we borrowed the Game of Thrones season 3 discs from a family member one weekend and finished it in 2 days. At night after my daughter went to sleep...watching til 3am. If I ever let myself become a couch potato, I can sit and watch HGTV for so long that the shows become re-runs.  Same with the Food Network.  Oh, and craft magazines...I used to buy them all the time.  Now I just go to Chapters with my daughter under the pretense of letting her play but read them all while I'm there.  I consider it "literal" therapy.... 

- Christinabean

 

Curlypow here - my non-book guilty pleasure is looking at knitting patterns and books.  I can lose myself for hours looking at pretty pictures and imagining the finished products.  Perhaps if I spent less time looking and more time knitting I'd have more to show for my time!  Actually I guess that's not really non-book is it?  Oh, and I'm with Christinabean on that binge watching of TV series - Walking Dead anyone?  Although I must admit, I do get a lot of knitting and embroidery done while I'm watching so I don't feel quite so guilty.

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.