Caught my arrow #44

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

Just came back from a wonderful Disney vacation. I did manage to get some reading here and there, but I must say that the lines were surprisingly short -- the longest one 30 min (and that was for Mickey Mouse). Here is what I'm reading this week:

Received from Publisher

Une photo publiée par natalia (@natyuniverse) le 27 Juin 2015 à 6h26 PDT

Alive by Chandler Baker

Purchased

Vitro by Jessica Khoury

What are you reading this week?

Review: Alive

All Stella wanted was a heart.

She needed a transplant urgently. After the surgery, she was warned about the jagged scar that would mark her chest, as well as her inability to perform sports. What she didn't expect was the welcoming she got at school, especially the attention from the new hunk Levi, who wants to be with her all the time. It's like he can't live without his sweetheart. But when Stella starts becoming depended on him, Levi turns sour. Who exactly is this guy, and what game is he playing?

Baker made sure to swoon the reader before giving the story a nice terrifying twist. Aside from Levi, Stella had two great friends (a little love triangle never hurt) who were ready to support her no matter what. I admit, I did rush to read the ending not because it dragged, but to find out if my suspicions were true. 

A refreshing read for the summer. 

Review: The Witch Hunter

And the hunter becomes the hunted

Back in the 16th century Britain, Elizabeth's parents died from the plague. She was taken in by Nicholas, an inquisitor who trained her to become a powerful witch hunter. But now the wheels have turned. And Elizabeth has been accused of witchcraft by the man who made her. The only hope is to follow the orders of a wizard, and join them instead. Still, why would they even want her?

The story is filled with wizards, witches, ghosts, seers, pirates, revenants, and healers -- way too many introductions, taking away precious space that could have been dedicated to the promised love triangle. Even though, the middle part dragged, allowing the reader to get attached to Elizabeth, the sequel appears to have a better set-up. 

Here's hoping it upholds the romance next time. 

Review: Boring Girls

"It wasn't madness and blood lust and something for parents to worry about."

Rachel's an introvert. She keeps to herself, reading and writing on her free time. And then everything changes when a class mate bullies her. Rachel begins listening to Heavy Metal, dressing in black (nothing to do with Goths), and writing dark poetry. Meeting Fern, encourages her to form a band. Finally, Rachel is free to express her real self -- but is violence the only way to do so?

The struggle to be taken seriously in the rock/metal music genre when you are female is something people don't talk about enough. Hayley Williams from Paramore has told numerous stories of how she had to stand up to harassment, and of course, Sara Taylor wrote a crazy traumatic scene demonstrating so in this book. With time, Rachel comes to believe that by hitting people and cursing at them, is the only way to maintain her image. But after reading this book, you come to see, that Rachel always had that rage in her. 

Not boring at all. 

Caught my arrow #43

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

Looks like a mixture of fantasy and contemporary books for me. I got the best of both worlds.

Received from Publisher

Une photo publiée par natalia (@natyuniverse) le 16 Juin 2015 à 5h45 PDT

The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

Borrowed from library

All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Received from Author

Return to Kaitlin by Helen Yeomans

What are you reading this week?

Review: Undertow

Don't call them Mermaids.

They prefer to be called Alpha. One day they showed up ashore on Coney Island and claimed refugee status. Now the youth are allowed to integrate high school, and due to a class stunt gone wrong Lyric is designated to introduce their prince, Fathom, to human life. But what will happen if he discovers her greatest secret -- that she isn't human either?

Alpha, Sirena, or even sons of the ocean -- Buckley created a new race with special fighting abilities. Of course, he mixed the political aspect of it all, adding on to the tension. But it's the relationship between Lyric and her loved ones that keep me turning pages. Her best friend Bex deals with domestic abuse and Buckley weaves it well into the story. 

A great new series that promises lots of romance.

Review: I'll Give you the Sun

So quietly I can barely make out the words, she says, "She's my mom too. Why can't you share?"

Jude and Noah both share a passion for the arts, even more so, the need for their mother's approval. After a tragic accident that leads to her passing away, they find each other lost. Noah spends his time cliff-diving,and Jude believes her mom's spirit keeps destroying all her art until she makes something worthwhile. If only they could remove this distance between them. If only the could share the sun and communicate.

They're were lots of secrets in this novel -- some of them I couldn't see coming at all. Nelson wrote the story with two different points-of-views, both past and present (keep in mind that each chapter is about 100 pages long) which really helped understanding both sides. I do however believe that the mother's character and motives were not illuminated enough. But then again, do we really know our parents... 

A sad tale about the downside of having a sibling. 

Cover Reveal: Days of Throbbing Gristle

Does Heaven know you're miserable now?

It’s 1987. Sam Henry Hay, a 17-year-old exchange student from Sheffield, hops into Texas, USA, with one burning ambition: Manipulate his gullible host parents into funding his university, and leave his dead-end life in Yorkshire behind.
But is Sam manipulating America or America manipulating Sam? The clever lad schmoozes his way into many a bed and purse, yet can’t get rid of anyone. He executes careful plans, only to watch them disastrously fall apart. Worst of all, this once proud nihilist watches in horror as he reveals a conscience, in a world growing ever darker around him.

Influenced by Frank Zappa and Gore Vidal's writing, Kevin Cole brings us a razor-slashing teenage tale. Feel free to follow Mr. Cole via his twitter  to find out more about Days of Throbbing Gristle.

Feature and Follow Friday: Long Way Down

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

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

Q: If you can step into one characters shoes (in a book) and be them for a day who would it be and why? 

Lilac Leroux from These Broken Stars.

It's not because she is rich and her daddy owns the spaceship. But because she is actually on a spaceship. I would love to see the stars from up there. And by the looks of it, it would be my only chance to space travel.

Which character would you pick?

Review: Lois Lane: Cloudy with a Chance of Destruction

Promising new series

Teen Lois Lane, loves reading the Daily Planet and chatting with her friend SmallvilleGuy. Even in high school, she possesses an inquisitive and smart mind that surpasses your average teen (I'm talking chemistry class here). But what I enjoyed most, was watching her react under pressure. This is no Mary Sue. 

This short story provides a great glimpse of Lois Lane Fall Out, that came out in May 2015. Looking forward to following her adventures.

You can read this story for free

Review: Betrayed

The sequel beats the original!

After a catastrophic incident in the House of Night last semester, Zoey is put in charge as the leader of the Dark Daughters (a spiritual sorority.) Of course, she wasn't expecting to get vampyre blood cravings, have three male interests, or make a deal with the enemy. Worse, she wasn't expecting to be caught in a disappearing mystery case. Is Zoey ready to be a leader after all?

This time around, the story was more fast paced. Even Zoey felt more impulsive. Unfortunately, most plot lines just kept leading to lose ends. I kept waiting for the ending to tie them all up, but the story just fell short. 

Looks like some authors drastically push their readers to purchase book three for answers. 

Cover Reveal: Roses are Red

After her foster mother’s unexplained death six months ago, fourteen-year-old Isla Timearth just wants things to go back to normal for her and her twin brother, Monty. But “normal” can only go so far for a closed-off girl with abandonment issues and an anxious boy that gets frequent nosebleeds. Still, the troubled redheads give it a shot by returning to the summer camp they’ve been going to for years. 
But camp traditions get rained on when their biological mother shows up unannounced and, as far as Isla’s concerned, unwelcome. 
Knowing that Mother Nature is the mother of all mood swings, Isla isn’t all that surprised to find out that her temperamental biological mother is the terrestrial goddess. What does surprise her is that Monty, the favorite twin, already knew but never told her. As family secrets start to unravel around her fellow campers, Isla finds out whether blood really is thicker than water. 

This is the first book of the Blood,Sweat and Tears series written by J.B. Kantt. Feel free to follow J.B via her blog, twitter and facebook. 

Feature and Follow Friday: Let them eat crepes

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

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

Q: How would you pitch to the biz to make your favorite book into a movie?

Une photo publiée par natalia (@natyuniverse) le 30 Janv. 2015 à 7h41 PST

Am I allowed to sweetened the deal? 

Truth be told, my favorite books a.k.a the Harry Potter Series have already been turned into movies. I believe that knowing they could not only sell the films, but toys and clothing apparel made the deal even more appealing. Having a huge set of fans behind the book (like for The Fault in our Stars) helps as well.

What's your favorite book/film adaptation?

Review: Falling into Place

The book title falls perfectly -- but the story falls flat.

Liz decides to kill herself on the anniversary of her father's death. She crashes her car down a cliff, thinking that her absentee mother and friends wouldn't miss her. Is suicide ever the way out?

The story is told by the point-of-view of her imaginary childhood friend (a first for me too). But no matter how many flashbacks and insides of Liz we are provided, she is an unlovable character. She bullies other school mates, drinks until she throws up all the time, coerces others into drinking and bulimia, posts horrible embarrassing videos of her crushes. 

All in all, I was just waiting for the machine to __________

Review: The Ice Twins

All love is a form of suicide.

Sarah and Angus appeared to have it all: a beautiful home, a set of identical twins and a faithful dog. But behind closed doors things weren't that perfect. And the death of their twin girl brings everything to light. But exactly which twin died? Why does the child keep switching names? What did happen that night?

The tension in the book is so thick you'd need a knife to slice through it. Both Angus and Sarah keep many things hidden from the reader, and yet, the twins don't fall into the background. It's a beautiful (literary) mess and love plays a major role. Whether it's the preference of one child to another, or simply what happens to couples after children are born. The author really thought these topics through and concocted a crazy scenario. 

A great read that takes place in Scotland.

Review: All's Fair in Love and Cupccakes

Build me up buttercup, but don't break my heart.

Lucas loves Kat so much he's not only her number one baking fan, but also secretly inscribes her into a cupcake competition in NYC. Kat's really excited, and doesn't hesitate to take him along as an assistant. But sadly, as her chances to win keep growing, Lucas fears he will loose her after the show is done. Is it okay to sabotage Kat's chances just to keep her to himself?

Although, the reality show part was a fun concept, it was difficult not to be disappointed with Lucas'personality. He had guts to stand up for Kat, to encourage her dreams in numerous ways -- but when it came to say I love you he couldn't. Not that he lacked the opportunity. 

A bit too repetitive, but I admit, the cupcakes recipes look yummy.

Cover Reveal: Everville: The Fall of Brackenbone

Two very different worlds, Easton Falls University and the magical realm of Everville are in dire need of a hero. Owen Sage embarks on an epic journey of monumental proportions to save these worlds all while fighting to keep the world within himself intact. This quest is not for the faint of heart nor is it for the weak of mind—only the bravest will succeed. Discovering the well-kept secret of The Fourth Pillar of Truth is only part of the feat. Owen will have to outwit the ever-powerful villain Governor Jahal and overcome countless other challenges along the way. Amongst all of the dragons, giants and grand chaos, will Owen's acquired skills and wisdom be enough to save both worlds or will peril be the ultimate fate of all?

This is the fourth book in the Everville series written by Roy Huff. Feel free to follow Roy via facebook, twitter and instagram. 

Feature and Follow Friday: What goes around comes around

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

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Q: How many books have you got on your tbr list?

Une photo publiée par natalia (@natyuniverse) le 19 Mai 2015 à 8h09 PDT

127! 

Dusting ain't easy when you keep so many to-be-read books by your nightstand. I do read two books from the pile each month, and would be rid of it by now -- except I keep adding to it. Bad girl!

How big is your pile?

Review: Ten Things I Hate about Me

Jamilah might hate several things about herself, but only one keeps getting brought up.

Not fitting in is like leprosy at adolescence. No one wants you on their team. And the nasty daily comments can push any teen into a huge depression. It's no wonder that Jamilah dreams of having her classmate Timothy's courage and just be herself: a Lebanese/Muslim living in Australia. So she bleaches her hair, puts on blue contacts and changes her name to Jamie. And no one "notices."

To be honest, although the idea of feeling stuck in a nationality is not new to me (yup, been there) I didn't feel like Jamilah was so worried about her background. What truly bothered her was the relationship with her dad. His overprotective parenting drove her and her siblings crazy. And she associated that with him being Muslim: no girls should go out unchaperoned, girls must be home before sunset... too many rules to list (probably like ten).

More than character growth, we get to see bonding and how communication is key.

Review: Fixing Delilah

Every family has got secrets...

But Delilah's tired of being left out of the loop. She and her mom return to Vermont for her grandmother's funeral. A woman they had not seen for the past ten years, after a family fight regarding her father that no one wants to discuss with Delilah. Why did they keep away? Why so much resentment? Are things really better left unsaid?

Death has a way of reminding us that pride isn't always worth it. Ockler kept some really juicy secrets from Delilah in this book and made us sympathize with all sides of the equation. Loved the small town feeling of the book, and found the dialogue realistic with a contemporary plot that was easy to follow. 

A great fast read. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Red Eye Flight

 

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

TOP BOOKS I'M TAKING TO THE BEACH

Leaving next month and appreciate having to do this list in advance. Let me know if you recommend them as well: 

World After by Susan Ee

Loved the first book, can't wait to see what happens next.

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

Heard wonders about this novel. I admit it sounds sad, but reading this by the beach might make it easier to take in. 

The One by Kiera Cass 

Need to finish this series. Can't believe I'm behind...

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Isla means island in spanish. Island goes with beach which goes with summer.... It's meant to be. 

What's on your summer to read list?

Review: Panic

Summer means it's time for Panic.

Every year, the senior class collects one dollar a day/per student to raise a huge prize. This year the winner of Panic will receive 67,000$. For many living in the small town, the money means a ticket out. Heather never thought of leaving. She joined Panic as an impulse after a bad break-up. But with dares like Russian roulette and crossing a highway blindfolded, will this impulse be worth it?

Joining a crazy game like this, made Heather appear immature and foolish just like the rest of gamers who were there for cash or honor. But Oliver gave the story a twist by making it vital for Heather to win. The story was told with two point-of-views, giving us a wide perspective of the game. What I found most difficult was fitting the story into a genre. It appears Oliver managed to create a thriller/contemporary ya. 

Interesting concept!!

Review: The Royal We

Becoming a princess takes more hard work than just being vigilant about a pair of glass slippers.

Bex leaves America, and her twin sister Lacey, to pursue her studies at Oxford University. She wants to find herself and instead finds Nick. A prince. Not just any prince, but the prince of England -- who is unquestionably unobtainable to someone of her status (and nationality). But after years of secret rendez-vous, will Nick ever declare his love for her in public?

The Royal We is divided in several acts: from falling in love, to surviving the pressure from their families, trying to live apart, and of course how the media attempts to damage their relationship. Although I failed to see Bex as an American (dialogue) she did captivate my interest. She had both flaws and qualities, and made several mistakes that many of us would make in her shoes. 

A realistic take of what a royal/normal person relationship might feel like.

Review: Half Bad

What would it be like to be born an abomination?

Poor Nathan gets treated worse than Rosemary's baby due to his bloodline. Everyone expects him to take after his father, and go on a murderous rampage when he grows up. so they deny him a proper education, living conditions, love, and mostly the magical gifts that could lead to his death if not provided before his seventeenth birthday. Should Nathan run off and join the Black Witches -- and if so -- will his heart turn bad? Can he become what everyone feared all along?

Let's be blunt, witches have always been fascinating. I must admit this is the first time I see them set against each other so viciously. White Magic vs Black Magic witches. Sadly, the idea of being discriminated because of who where you come from isn't far fetched. Sally Green used it quite well by providing us with different mindset of characters and a timid love story that will most likely bloom in the sequel. 

Recommended to all witchcraft fans.

Caught my arrow #42

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

Spring is the best time for reading outside. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. Here's what I got to keep me busy:

Received from Publisher

Une photo publiée par natalia (@natyuniverse) le 6 Mai 2015 à 5h40 PDT

The Royal We by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

as well as The Tapper Twins: Go to war by Geoff Rodkey

Borrowed from library

Betrayed by P.C Cast

The Golden Compass by Pullman

The Storied Life of A.J Firky by Gabrielle Zevin
Falling into Place by Amy Zhang
I'll Give you the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Afterworlds by Scott Westerfield

Received from Author

Revised Orders & Final Orders by Irene Helenowski

What are you reading this week?

Review: The Tapper Twins go to war

Oh, it's on!

When Claudia eats Reese's pop-tart, he retaliates by making fun of her in the school cafeteria. Since karma just can't wait, Claudia gets her revenge by hiding a dead fish in Reese's backpack, setting off a chain of events that proves how far anyone can go to save their honor. 

Although the book might hint at the topic of bullying, Rodkey handled it with a lot of humor, allowing the character's conscience to eventually set in. To do this, he told the story in a recording format, where the characters and their witnesses talk into a device, and added computer screens and text messages. This technique spared us from background descriptions and made the story less judgmental since we were hearing it from both sides. 

Interesting concept worth looking over.

Feature and Follow Friday: This reader ain't loyal

Parajunkee / Alison Can Read

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY

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Q: How do you decide what books to read?

Une photo publiée par natalia (@natyuniverse) le 2 Juin 2014 à 4h47 PDT

So many books so little time.

I used to keep a jar filled with book titles and let destiny decide. But I cheated too many times and had to get rid of it (guilty conscience). Now I just follow publishers deadlines and pick books from my nightstand or recommendations.

How do you choose your next read?

Review: Angelfall

Can Penryn's life get any worse?

Aside from the hard to spell name, Penryn lives in an apocalyptic world where fallen angels have taken over. Finding food is her number priority, aside from babysitting her little sister Paige and a mother with dementia. And then one day things get worse. Paige gets kidnapped by angels and the only way to save her is by joining Raffe, a fallen angel with freshly cut wings. Can these two put aside their differences and help one another before it's too late?

Angelfall is packed with strong characters. Even the mother who is ill, has enormous will power. Instead of just focusing on the love/hate tension between Raffe and Penryn, Susan Ee adds an interesting subplot about why the angels desire to claim children, leading the novel to a promising series.

Looking forward to reading the sequel.

Review: Kiss and Tell

Jacqueline Green starts her book with fast paced action scenes and doesn't quit. 

In this third installment of the Truth or Dare series, the girls -- Tenley and Sydney -- are still haunted by their past. It now feels like a huge mistake that, to increase their popularity status, the girls decided to play nasty pranks. The darer has incriminating video and will stop at nothing until these girls are dead.

Perhaps due to the Echo Bay/small town background, the book reminded a lot of I Know What you did Last Summer. People were dead and the girls had learned their lesson, and still the darer kept going at them like some crazy psychopath (which is not far from the truth). Although, I did not find the characters endearing in any way, there is no denying that the action was there, with several possible suspects.