Caught my arrow #39

Caught my Arrow is a meme similar to Stalking the Shelves featuring books that were purchased, borrowed or received that week.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! My Canadian tummy has been extremely envious looking at all those tasty turkey pics on Instagram. Here's my book haul for the week:

Received from Publisher

All Fall Down by Ally Carter

Received from Netgalley

The Body Electric by Beth Revis

Borrowed from library

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

If you Could be Mine by Sara Farizan

Reached by Ally Condie

What are you reading this week?

Review: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

If Aristotle and Dante were to meet in these modern times, would they stand out?

Dante loves reading poetry, while Aristotle gets pleasure from learning truths, something Dante knows plenty. Both of them are loners, preferring each other's company rather than a fake crowd. But will Dante confessing he's fallen in love with Ari break the best of friends forever?

Benjamin Alire Sáenz focused on sections and not chapters, a remembrance that life is divided by a series of beginnings and endings, and often when we least expect it. The book tackles several LGBT themes like coming out to oneself and to others and hazing. Also taking on family issues such as non-communicative parents, something I relate with the older generations of the Latino community. Ari had a strong personality, making it easy to be in his head, but not too easy to get inside his heart. It was sweet to see how Dante tried.

An inspiring story that reminds us you can't hurry love.

Review: Stitches

There is nothing more awful than being forced to live a life in silence.

Back in the 1950s, David's dad, a doctor, believed in the magic of radiation. And so, he forced his young son to endure numerous x-rays, certain it would cure his asthma. Instead, the radiation turned into cancer. Still thinking they were in the right, his parents kept it hushed and opted for a secretive surgery, where David lost his vocal cords. Can David forgive his parents for the jagged scar stitched along his throat? 

Stitches goes even deeper and delves into the restrained family relationships. All in all, Small didn't write this book for pity, he wrote it to tell his story and did so through gorgeous detailed drawings. The constant references to Alice in Wonderland helped established the scenery and turn it into a piece of art.

A tragic turn of events, filled with raw emotions, this is the kind of memoir that leaves a mark. 

Feature and Follow Friday: Join Our Team

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: Create an ad listing all the qualities and qualifications of your perfect co-blogger.

"We accept the cheese we think we deserve"

Une photo publiée par natalia k (@natyuniverse)

Felt rude not to include my current co-blogger Latte.

For my part: The co-blogger would need to love reading YA or NA and be fair in their reviews.I'm not a big fan of reviewing books that were DNF. I prefer posts about why the book was not finished.

Latte requests: Someone who is pet friendly and speaks rodent. A love for carrots would be considered a plus.


Since we are on the theme of collaborations, how to do you feel about Co-Writers?

Review: The Walled City

What does a hoodlum with the need to prove himself, a thief with a heart of gold, and a sex slave have in common?

Dai and Jin Ling are haunted by the siblings they've lost to the walled city -- a dark and somber place filled with drug lords, thugs, and prostitution. A countdown begins, as together they face danger, in order to clear Dai's name and help Jin Ling find Mei Yee, her sister, sold to a brothel. All the while, Mei Yee is fighting demons of her own. It turns out, that not only is she a slave, but she belongs to most notorious gang lord.

Told with three point-of-views, we get to see different lifestyles inside the walls. Mei Yee is by far the most captivating. She struggles with a stalker client and the rest of the girls who are giving up hope of ever escaping the brothel. Despite of the harsh topics, the author adds romance to the twist and includes several pictures of the real life walled city know as Kowloon in Hong Kong.

More NA than YA and definitely not for the faint of heart.

Review: Ashes to Ashes

Some boys are forbidden. 

Lilia always felt guilty about going behind her best friend Rennie's back when it came to Reeve. The no-dating-your-bff-ex will not only get you kicked out of the clique, but as Ashes to Ashes shows us -- it can cause heaps of trouble.

Unlike the sequel, where Kat was passively left without much of a role, the three girls are more present than ever, as Kat and Lilia rush to uncover the secret behind Mary's disappearance. But neither of them drag out the story as we puzzle through the enigma. Instead, they divert our attention to other serious matters like intimidation, suicide, grief and sex. Life is forever changing, and this book reminds us to hang in there.

An unexpected shocking conclusion to the Burn for Burn series.

Review: The 52nd

Aztecs and Mayans get a highlight in Dela's debut novel The 52nd. 

Lucas is condemned to watch the Underworld claim fifty-two human sacrifices during the ritual periods. He's a watcher and immortal -- he's dead. But Zara, the last victim chosen is full of life and about to start her college years. There's something special about her that none of the other victims share. Perhaps there's a reason the Underworld wants her? Could saving her end these pointless rituals once and for all?

The 52nd balances romance and paranormal throughout the pages quite well. There's a lot of tension as Lucas' motives start getting noticed by the Underworld, particularly by the witch Xibalba, but nevertheless, the relationship between Lucas and Zara never feels rushed. In fact, these two don't really share a love at first sight. Lucas is on edge and takes his time opening up to Zara. Both their families are very present in the story, including Lucas's pet jaguars. 

A new author worth noticing. 

Author Laeken Zea Kemp discusses her new book

I'm pleased to welcome author Laekan Zea Kemp today to promote her YA novel, The Girl in between.

Bryn Reyes is a real life sleeping beauty. Afflicted with Klein-Levin Syndrome, she suffers episodes of prolonged sleep that steal weeks, and sometimes even months, from her life. But unlike most KLS patients, she doesn't spend each episode in a catatonic state or wake up with no recollection of the time she’s missed. Instead, Bryn spends half her life in an alternate reality made up of her memories. For Bryn, the past is a place, until one day a boy she’s never met before washes up on the illusory beach of her dreams with no memory of who he is.

But the appearance of this strange boy isn't the only thing that’s changed. Bryn’s symptoms are worsening, her body weakening as she’s plagued by hallucinations even while awake. Her only hope of finding a cure is to undergo experimental treatment created by a German specialist. But when Dr. Banz reveals that he knows more about her strange symptoms than he originally let on, Bryn learns that the boy in her head might actually be the key to understanding what’s happening to her, and worse, that if she doesn't find out his identity before it’s too late, they both may not survive.

                   Find it on Goodreads                                               Find it on  Amazon

Thank you for being with us, Laekan. Please do tell, what inspired you to write this book?

I started working on this novel in April of last year and, to be honest, I can't really remember where the original idea came from. Probably because I can't really remember what the original idea even was. I know that it started out as a contemporary standalone and I'd been really interested in exploring dual narrative again but I suppose the story started out the way all of my stories have--with the central relationship. It isn't always a love story that's central to my novels but I do like to focus on human relationships, whether that's familial or within the context of first love. The characters always come to me first and the various means of torturing them always comes later.

If you could host a diner party with two writers who would you pick and what would you serve?

That's easy. My two favorite authors are Maggie Stiefvater and Melina Marchetta and as long as I could delegate the cooking responsibilities to someone else, we'd have an Irish potluck/Italian-style Sunday night dinner with plenty of Guinness and chocolate everything.

Any advice for aspiring writers?

The advice I would give to aspiring artists in general is to dive into your passion with a clear vision. It doesn’t have to be glamorous or grandiose, it just has to be clear. In fact the more specific it is the better. So many of us struggle with validating our choice to pursue the arts and because of that sometimes we have a tendency to shy away from the risk and rejection that comes along with it. We tow the line between our dreams and the more practical expectations of the people around us and wonder why we’re unsatisfied. Don’t be afraid to make declarations and definitely don’t be afraid to make them loud enough for other people to hear. Be honest about what you want, regardless of how silly it may seem to others, and do something every day that brings you closer to that goal.

What are you working on now -- or would you rather surprise us?

It takes time for an idea to fully form in my head to the point where I’m willing to devote 6-8 months to exploring it so I’m not sure when I’ll revisit the paranormal genre again but coming up next I do have plans for a few contemporary romance novels followed by my foray into the dystopian genre.

You can find Laekan Zea Kemp:

Website  Twitter

Thank you for being with us Laekan, and good luck on all your future projects.

Top Ten Tuesday: Have a Little Faith in Me

 

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

TOP CHARACTERS YOU WISH WOULD GET THEIR OWN BOOKS 

They may be on the side lines, but we love them. Which characters should get their own books:

Edward from Twilight 

Midnight Sun never did see the light of day. Even though Meyer was one of the first YA author's to start the trend of writing the story from both characters point-of-view. Maybe one day, she'll surprise her fans and publish it. 

Stargirl from Stargirl 

I want to know what really went through her mind when she stood up to the bullies. How could she just rebuff their cruelty without letting it damage her spirit?

Albus Severus from Harry Potter

A continuation of the Harry Potter series?!? Yes, please. A real book this time -- not some another LinkedIn curriculum ''story'' from Dolores Umbridge.  

Isaac from The Fault in our Stars 

Did he ever find his always?

Laurie from Little Women

I still think Amy's a rebound wife , so prove me wrong Laurie. 

Lolita from Lolita

Ever wondered if Lolita would have been just as controversial had it been written from her point-of-view?

Rodrick from Diary of a Wimpy Kid

It could be based on his school and band life. Maybe he gets into college after all. 

Natalia from Every Little Thing in the World

She was a stronger character, the book could have easily been based on her as well. 

Which characters topped your list?

Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

''We accept the love we think we deserve.''

Are there perks to being a wallflower? Charlie might seem like a peaceful introvert, but behind his mask, he deals with loss, watching his sister suffer from physically abuse, his best friend shun for his sexual orientation and his crush being called easy. The list on disastrous love relationships is long. With all of these demons eating him up inside, can he remain a wallflower forever?

It's true, I often criticize books that focus on narration more than dialogue. They go against the "show don't tell" rule. But there's something different about this one. 

First, Charlie spoke directly to diary me his friend, creating some sort of platonic relationship between us. He's an introvert. And his fear of displeasing others, especially when he forced himself to do things that made him uncomfortable, was difficult to observe. I kept praying for his character to grow. Also the novel was kept short, with lots of hot topics to maintain the reader's attention.

Great for book clubs. 

Review: Cress

A retell of Rapunzel that demonstrates how far the power of imagination can go. 

Cinder is still on the run, but the impending marriage between New Earth leader and love interest Kai, with throne usurper, Queen Levana, has got her changing course. Not only must she stop this wedding; she has to take back the Lunar crown before the Letumosis virus that Levana is threatening the earthlings with goes viral.

Newcomer Cress couldn't be more fit to join this group. Based on Rapunzel, Cress is a computer hacker, doomed to live alone on a satellite while dreaming of love and freedom. Her shyness is endearing, particularly when she begins to grow out of her shell. Meyers also included several aspects of the classic fairy-tale, including blindness. As always, the action is packed with humorous undertones.

A great addition to the series.

Feature and Follow Friday: Everybody Scream

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Q: What books would you give to newbies in your favorite genre?

I'd have a harder time picking a favorite genre than a halloween costume. Yikes!

For those YA lovers but uncertain of entering the genre of historical-fiction, I would suggest: Marie-Antoinette Serial Killer. 

Perfect for this spooky season.









What are you dressing up as for Halloween?

Top Ten Tuesday: Halloween Spirit

 

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

TOP THEMED MOVIES TO GET INTO THE HALLOWEEN SPIRIT 

Can a girl who loves Valentine's Day get into the spirit of Halloween? Oh, yeah!! I love nothing more than to heat up a bucket of popcorn and boil some mummies. Then comes the gore.

For Halloween Giggles

  

You can't go wrong with Mean Girls and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The best part is that both films were adapted from books.                                                                

For Halloween Goosebumps

All containing Halloween Scenes, Hocus Pocus, E.T the Extraterrestrial and Idle Hands are fun to watch and not too gruesome. Although, I'd skip the latter for small children and replace it with Casper. 

For Halloween Sweat

Halloween!! Had to go with a classic

Which Halloween themed movie tops your list?

Caught my arrow #38

Caught my Arrow is a meme similar to Stalking the Shelves featuring books that were purchased, borrowed or received that week.

Had a blast at Comic Con this year (pics on instagram). It's incredible to see how many great artists live here in Montreal. Now, bring on them books!!

Received from Publisher

Une photo publiée par natalia k (@natyuniverse) le Oct. 10, 2014 at 7:07 PDT

We should hang out sometime by Josh Sundquist

Received from Netgalley

The Walled City by Ryan Graudin

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

Received from author

The 52nd by Dela

Borrowed from library

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

What are you reading this week?

Review: Revolutionary

Does Revolutionary end with a bang?

The last time we saw Thalli, she was putty in Dr. Loudin's hands. He captured her as collateral in case Alex, her fiance, refused to collaborate in his machiavellian plan to rule the world. Will Loudin ever be stopped? Thalli intends to do so. But upon her return to the State, she uncovers a secret that causes her to lose faith in the Designer. Once faith is lost, can you ever gain it back?

This conclusion to the Anomaly series, wasn't as fast paced as the previous and yet the ending felt extremely rushed. First Loudin captures Thalli and Alex, then he keeps on adding more prisoners such as Rhen and her boyfriend, followed by Berk. No matter how hard they try to escape, none of them want to hurt Loudin in the process. On the plus side, John's great inspirational words are replaced by Rhen's new found faith, who knows just what to say to keep the gang cheered.

Disappointing, after such a great introduction. 

Review: Betti on the High Wire

Babo's parents will come back for her... 

Or so she thinks. Sadly, Babo's reality is another. Her country is being torn by war and her parents are both dead, leaving her in the care of Auntie Moo, a woman who kindly took charge of the orphaned circus children after an attack. Luckily for Babo, an American family filed adoption papers. But will Babo, with her broken eye and missing toes, be able to adjust in her new country?

Railsback didn't hold back on the heartwrenching material. Babo's insistence that her parents are alive brought tears to my eyes, as I understood that adjusting to a new country is one thing, but accepting that your family has changed is entirely other. Not only does she have a new mom and dad, but also a younger sister, Lucy. The way these two adjust to one another is touching and very realistic.

A great story that reminds us not all memories need to fade in order to make new ones.

Feature and Follow Friday: Replay

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: Share the song you can't stop listening to.

I chose kind of a stalkerish song, but it's all about the rhythm. You've probably heard Black Widow by Iggy Azalea and Rita Ora on the radio a 1000 times. What's one more?

Tell me, what's on your replay?

Review: Party Games

Is there a genre between middle-grade and YA?

Back in the 1990s, R.L.Stine presented Fear Street, a teen horror series revolving around the terrifying Fear family and the doomed townspeople who got involved with them. 

Party Games revives this cult series twenty years later, with Rachel, a high school student, who gets invited to Brendan's Fear party on a remote island. Even Though, her ex-boyfriend Mac and best friend Amy (who only appears in one scene) warn her not to go, Rachel doesn't listen. But once she gets there, something doesn't feel quite right. Why is Brendan suddenly so interested in playing games instead of getting drunk? And why are all their friends dying one by one? 

Ten by Gretchen McNeil, and Diane Hoh's The Invitation will come to mind when reading this YA book. But although Stine did attempt to make the story gory with killing acts such as ''The Twister Game'' and '' The Jenga Game,'' Party Games didn't have the spark of its competitors. Rachel was too guy-crazed for a main character, constantly ranting about Mac wanting her back, even providing her best friend with a list of all the guys she's dated. If only Rachel didn't spend her time following Brendan from one end of the house to the other, searching for flashlights. If only she would take the lead and act as a main character.

In this modern day, teenagers are used to a lot more action and Mary Sue characters are far gone. Hopefully, the next book in the series will keep that in mind. 

Review: The Space in Between

A Wiccan ritual with an amateur practicant -- what could possibly go wrong?

Regardless of the consequences, Moira wants to help her sister, Tabby, fulfill her Pagan calling. Afterall, Tabby, always stands by Moira, even when she feels down about her ADHD meds, unlike her boyfriend, Patrick, who is constantly trying to control their relationship. But now a dream portal has been opened and Moira can't help but fall for the man on the other side. Is it because she is tired of Patrick, or because Haiko is the one? More importantly, is Haiko even real?

Jen Minkman is experienced with fantasy star-crossed lovers (Shadow of Time, The Boy from the Woods) but this is the first time that we encounter a love triangle. Moira and Patrick's relationship is borderline abusive. It can be uncomfortable at times, as Moira begins to acknowledge it and yet remains in his grasp. Of course, as the reader this makes us want her to travel to the other side more fervently, even as she risks her life to rescue Hayko.

The Space in Between will make you question which relationships are worth the risk.

Just published my first short story: Gears of Brass + Giveaway

Proud to reveal the cover of Gears of Brass an anthology containing my first short story.    

Welcome to the steampunk realm. A world like ours, but filled with gears of brass, where the beating heart is fueled by steam and the simplest creation is a complex clockwork device.


Within this tome, you’ll find steampunk fairy tale re-tellings, as well as original stories that will send your gears turning.





Gears of Brass will be published through Curiosity Quills on November 10 2014. Prepare for eleven authors guiding your path through worlds filled with airships, top hats, and corsets.

Add on Goodreads

You don't have to wait until October 29th to explore Gears of Brass. CQ is offering a free ebook. To enter, all you need to do is share the cover. This can be done on your blog, facebook, twitter. Each time you share it, log in to rafflecopter to record it. Contest ends October 27th. Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Sisters

A book that will make you say Awww in five different pitches!

Telgemeier is back with the sequel to Smile (don't worry -- there are no dentistry problems in this one). This time, Raina, has to survive a road trip to Colorado with her younger sister Amara, whom she considers to be a pest.  Through the use of flashbacks, we learn of Raina's excitement when Amara was born and her futile efforts to build a friendship before she gave up altogether. Are they simply incompatible zodiac signs? Or can a ''car confinement'' bring this two to finally bond? 

The illustrations are vibrant and easy to follow, allowing us to concentrate on the emotional aspect of the story. Although, little Raina's insistence to play with unwilling Amara wins the reader's sympathy from the start, we soon learn that this isn't a rivalry story but something much deeper.

Other books in the series

Smile

Drama

Feature and Follow Friday: I'm Feeling Spicy

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

Once you answer be sure to leave me your link so I can follow you back

Q: Book looks -- your favorite fashions from the books you've read

Steampunk!! I see it as a great autumn look, suitable for this time of year. Cora from The Friday Society nails it with the perfect goggles.

If I could, I would divide myself between steampunk for daytime, at night time a casual laid back ballerina attire like the one in Pirouette and on weekends the Effie look from the Capitol of The Hunger Games.

What's your fashion?

Review: Wildlife

With a friend like Holly who needs enemies?

Sib is having a lucky year. Her godmother got her to pose for a huge billboard. And now, Ben Capaldi, aka the most wonderful guy in school, just kissed her. This makes up for being forced to spend an entire semester in the woods. If only her best friend, Holly, would stop tormenting her every chance she gets.

Meanwhile, Lou, a new girl who suffered the loss of her boyfriend, sees everything and can't help but try to get Sib to learn to stand up for herself. Even if that means she'll need to start caring again.

Although, both point-of-views had their moments, Sib's controlled the plot as Lou had to face anger and grief before she could start coming out of her shell. But, all in all, Holly's character is the one who steals the show. Her friendship with Sib is of a controlling nature, which can only be described as plain bullying. From showcasing her pictures of her pimples to the boys, to forcing her to have sex -- Holly needs to be stopped before it's too late.

A little lengthy, but worth the read, especially if you've ever been in or observed a controlling relationship.