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.

Top Ten Tuesday: Hard Knock Books

 

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

TOP BOOKS THAT WERE HARD TO READ 

I knew what I was getting into in terms of subject matter when I selected these following books, and yet they managed to surprise me in ways I didn't foresee.  

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

A serial killer, I can't deal with. I've seen Dexter. But this guy has ''sexual issues'' that were too much to handle.

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Even with drawings, the subject matter of Auschwitz is always hard to read.

Lucky by Alice Sebold

I learned that rape isn't the worst that could happen. Imagine your family and friends asking you over and over why you didn't try to escape.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

That scene, when they numb a boy and remove his organs one by one while he's still conscient.

By the Time You Read This I'll be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

There are so many ways to commit suicide. Peters lists them all, how long it will take you as well as the pros and cons.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Piggy should have been the saddest part, but for me, it was reading about all those poor six-year-old kids surviving alone while the others casted them aside.

Which book topped your list?

Review: No One Needs to Know

We always judge ourselves more harshly than others do.

Olivia's parents are always gone lately, leaving Liam, her twin brother, as her anchor. But she's too clingy in his eyes -- wanting to celebrate all their birthdays together and going to watch movies on fridays. So when Liam meets Zoey, Olivia has no choice but to spend time with her. What she didn't expect was to fall in love with her in the process.

The LGBT romance is not rushed. Instead, Amanda Grace provides us with a gentle courtship of how love should be. With Oliva's social class being higher, she is able to seduce Zoey with gifts and dates. The real challenge comes from confronting her peers when her entourage mocks Zoey's scholarship status. Although, the conflict with Liam takes second place, the love story is so endearing we forgive Grace for the lack of triangle tension. 

Feature and Follow Friday: Yummy Tweets

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 character (s) you'd like to see with their own twitter?

Given as Christian Grey, Gideon Cross and Lord Voldemort (yeah, I heart him) already have twitter accounts, my choices are limited.

I'd probably go with Sophie Kinsella's Becky Bloomwood to get the latest fashion trends and learn of all the creative ways you can wear a scarf. I live in a cold climate, it's hard to accessorize.

Review: Crank

“We used to do coke, till "Just Say No" put the stuff out of reach. Now it's crank. Meth. The monster. It's a bitch on the body, but damn do you fly.”


Three weeks. That's how long Kristina will have to spend with her distant father, a user. He doesn't cook, doesn't clean, he doesn't care -- and so their distant relationship continues even if they are living together. No one can blame Kristina for being thrilled when she meets Adam. So what if he wants to smoke a little pot? A line of meth, why not? It brings out a different side of her. Besides, it's not like she'll be doing drugs forever. 

I was not prepared for this book to be written all in verse. It's not the first book I read that way, and yet Hopkins handled dialogue through it all. That did impress me! If you know an addict then you can understand how they tend to withdraw or be happy one moment then angry the next. Kristina/Bree was the same. Making it difficult to be in her head for a long time, hence why the verse felt necessary. 

Unlike Go Ask Alice by Anonymous where the main character tries one drug and then goes on a rampage trying them all, Kristina/Bree appears to have a link between Adam and the monster as if she has linked meth and love together. It makes her feel special, wanted, audacious... but as the days go by, all it does is destroy her.

A sad story based on Hopkins daughter.

Review: Writing Great Books for Young Adults

If you want to write, then by all means, you have got to read. 

Novels are a great start. They help maintain the vocabulary flowing and learn how to keep up paragraph and dialogue pace. But reading how-to write books can be a huge advantage.


Here is part of the books on writing I have read:

Writing Great Books for Young Adults outshines its competitors, by combining all of the writing themes together. Instead of focusing just on dialogue, it will have a chapter on the subject, and so on, making it a great start for aspiring writers. 

The main focus on YA literature comes from written examples and exercises. Brooks will ask you to go back in time to your teenage years and focus on your preoccupations. She also lists teen character traits, plots that involve family and school issues, as well as settings youth would most likely be chilling at. 

Although, adding a list of YA literature classes students may take in American Universities doesn't help us Canadians, she does explain the variety of awards (YALSA) YA books can merit as well as publishing houses, and manuscript format and submitting procedures. 

Cover Reveal: Escape from Witchwood Hollow + Giveaway

After losing her parents in a terrorist attack on the Twin Towers, fifteen-year-old Honoria escapes New York City to Arnn—a farming town with more legends than residents, and a history of witchcraft and secrets best left buried.

Everyone in Arnn knows the story of Witchwood Hollow: if you venture into the whispering forest, the witch will trap your soul among the shadowed trees. In the lure of that perpetual darkness, Honoria finds hope when she should be afraid, and a past of missing children and broken promises.  To save the citizens of Arnn from becoming the witch’s next victims, she must find the truth behind the woman’s madness. How deep into Witchwood Hollow does Honoria dare venture? 




Escape from Witchwood Hollow will be published through Curiosity Quills on October 29 2014. 

Jordan Elizabeth, can't get enough of the woods, be it splashing through a stream, sitting beneath an ancient oak, or following a path up a hill. You can contact Jordan via her website.

You don't have to wait until October 29th to explore Witchwood Hollow. Jordan 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 20th. Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Movie Time: If I Stay

If I Stay directed by R.J. Cutler

Blooming star Chloe Grace Moretz from Hugo, takes over the role of Mia in Gayle Forman's book adaptation. Those who read the book, know that most of the story takes place in flashbacks as Mia skims through her memories, after a tragic car accident that left her an orphan. Is love enough of a reason to continue to stay alive?

If I stay places all the action on the main characters. In fact, the accident scene is incredibly rushed, Mia waking up when the ambulance is already there. The book was a lot more detailed. As a reader, that's what connected me to Mia. Watching her go through all that anguish of finding her family members one after the other except for little brother Teddy (Jakob Davies). This time around, I felt, disconnected from her. It seemed the only thing Mia cared about was to fit it. Whether with Adam (Jamie Blackley) or best friend Bri's (Liana Liberato) opinion of Adam and her.

So, the film concentrates more on Adam and Mia's romance. Showing us that aside from family, we can experience other types of love. Love that we choose and love that chooses us.

Strangely, the most powerful lines of the film are delivered by Mia's grandfather (Stacy Keach). A man with a small role but with strong words.

Book Feels (The Gif Tag)

BOOK FEELS (a.k.a The Gift Tag)

A shout out thank you to Mo_books for challenging me to join this fun post.


How to play:

I will give a list of books at the end. All you have to do is list the books, and then write a sentence that relates to what you think of when reading the book, and add a gif! Then, tag people/blogs and list ten books for them to do this with! Try to keep the books relatively well known or popular. When you receive this make sure you mention who tagged you! Pass it on!


My turn:

Here are the books from Mo_books list and what I thought of them:

1. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

He he, the printer went loco... Oh no, wait! The strikethrough text is there on purpose.

2. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kawaga

So wrapped into this story, my poor nerves! Won't make it through without a little help. 

3. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Series just started, and I'm still loving it. Encore! Encore!

4. The Selection by Kiera Cass

WTH! How could he just let her walk away?

5. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

That Will and I are going to have a talk on how to treat a lady. Like it or not!


6. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

I can no longer sit here and pretend the world is normal.

7. Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Not quite ready to read this yet. Soon, I promise.

Couldn't make it to 10. But maybe others can. 

Here is my list:

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

2. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

3. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman

4. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

5. Fifty Shades of Grey by  E.L.James

6. The Maze Runner by James Dashner

7. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

You are free to add 3 more gif from books of your choice.

I challenge: A Book Paradise

                 Teen Book Hoots

                 Sassy and Dangerous

                 Take me Away

                 World Inside Books

                 

Review: Vampires of Manhattan

Forget friendly reunions -- the Blue Bloods are back to face enemies once again. 

It's been ten years since the gang defeated Lucifer. Lives were lost. But Oliver, who is now in charge of the vampire community, decides it's time to come out of the shadows and celebrate their victory with a ball. The werewolves are afraid this event will bring havoc, particularly when strange signs (like pentagrams and corpses) begin appearing all over the city. As the saying goes, "the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." Could Lucifer still be out there?

In Vampires of Manhattan, De La Cruz had the hard task to please longtime fans of the series but also gain NA paranormal fans by managing to explain the past events without drowning the reader with too much information. Schuyler, although very present in the first book of the Blue Blood series, holds a small role, with the promise to come back as a main character in the sequel. But no worries. Tension, marital woes, steamy sex scenes and lavish gatherings fill the gaps of the mysterious plotline proving that De La Cruz's talent keeps growing with time.

Prepare for a cliffhanger ending!

Caught my arrow #37

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

Lots of different genres this week. Can't wait to dig in! Also anxiously awaiting my first visit to Comic Con Montreal today. Will be sure to post pictures in my next post and on Instagram about all the book heroes I spot. 

Received from Publisher

Wildlife by Fiona Wood

Received from Netgalley

Party Games by R.L.Stine

How to Draw Batman, Superman and other DC Super Heroes and Villains by Aaron Sautter

Purchased

Little Vampire Women by Louisa May Alcott & Lynn Messina

What are you reading this week?