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Sunday 31 August 2014

The Waiting List

The Waiting List is a new feature hosted by PrintedWordsAnd, where I list some upcoming releases for the month that I'm most excited about! 

Sequels





1. Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) by Sarah J. Maas - 2nd September
I only just recently finished the second book for this series and I am so keen to see how far this can go. The excitement is real guys! 

2. Ashes to Ashes (Burn for Burn #3) by Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian - 16th September
One of the few series I have always wanted to read, but have never gotten around to. The cover change is probably one of the reasons why.

3Echoes of Us (The Hybrid Chronicles #3) by Kat Zhang - 16th September

4. The Infinite Sea (The Fifth Wave #2) by Rick Yancey - 16th September
With the announcement of the first book being made into a movie, I'm pretty sure this series will gather a lot more attention that it is rumoured to deserve. I should probably start it already.

5. Remember Me (Find Me #2) by Romily Bernard - 23rd September
This series intrigues me because the heroine is a hacker and that's actually a really unique character in the realm of Young Adult.

6. Stay With Me (Wait For You #3) by J. Lynn - 23rd September

7. The Queen of Zombie Hearts (White Rabbit Chronicles #3) by Gena Showalter - 30th September


Fantasy/Sci-Fi


   


1. The Jewel (The Lone City #1) by Amy Ewing - 2nd September

2. Crown of Ice by Vicki L. Weavil - 9th September

3. The Iron Trial (Magisterium #1) by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black - 9th September
I'm not sure I'm ready to read this because everything about it reminds me of Harry Potter (don't shoot me). Still, I'm glad to see Clare move out from the world of warlocks and demon hunters for once.

4. Winterkill by Kate A. Boorman - 9th September

5. Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld - 23rd Septmeber
Described as a book version of inception, the story revolves around the author of "Afterworlds" and the character in the novel. Scott Westerfeld really knows how to deliver and I hope this pulls through as well. 

6. Poisoned apples: Poems for You, My Pretty by Christine Hepperman - 23rd September
This is by far the most creative and interesting novel, with poems to retell fairytale stories. 


Mystery/Paranormal


 

1. Mary: The Summoning (Bloody Mary #1) by Hillary Monahan - 2nd September
Yikes, I'm not sure whether to anticipate this or be scared of it. Bloody Mary was one of those childhood things, and now that it's in novel form I'm beginning to freak out again.

2. Blackbird (Blackbird Duology #1) by Anna Carey - 16th September


Contemporary


   

1. Falling Into Place by Amy Zhang - 9th September

2.  I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson - 16th September
Just reading the blurb of this makes my heart ache. I've actually got really high hopes about this, especially from seeing the very high - 4.26 - rating on Goodreads.

3. Sway by Kat Spears - 16th September

4. Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer - 30th September


What are you waiting for?



Friday 29 August 2014

Lyrebird Hill - Anna Romer

Title: Lyrebird Hill
Author: Anna Romer
Publication Date: September 1st, 2014
Genre: Mystery
Disclaimer: I requested a copy of this from Simon & Schuster to review
Ruby Cardel has grown up with a part of her life missing. It's the year her sister, Jamie, died and she's seemed to move on from trying to regain any memory back. Yet, when she learns that Jamie's death wasn't actually an accident, Ruby is desperate to unlock her childhood again.

Ruby decides to go back home, to Lyrebird Hill, where it all started. Only what she discovers is a tale of family history and secrets that might have been better left alone.

 Review


I'm in two minds about Lyrebird Hill. I'm actually a massive fan of mysteries, especially when they revolve around family history, so whilst I was interested in the premise of this, I felt like it didn't really engage me as much.

I really liked Anna Romer's writing, the way she painted the perfect scenery for the story to exist in. It's set in Australia and she portrayed the growth of a rural area from the late 1890s to the present day in such a realistic manner, whilst also not losing that refreshing and rugged feel of the outback. The novel is told in a dual perspective, bouncing from the present to the past, but it's easy to decipher the different narrators through their voices. I found that it was really easy to read despite it's size, gliding through the pages, although I wasn't devouring it as I thought I would. 

Romer's writing also drew out realistic physical descriptions of the characters, in really unusual ways. I found that I could definitely see the characters after only a few sentences. Yet, I didn't really grow attached to any of them. I certainly felt for Ruby and Brenna - the other narrator - with their saddening and traumatising experiences, but there wasn't a lot that was relatable. In fact, it felt like Romer only skimmed the surface of these characters. There was so much more that could've been drawn out from these characters, especially Brenna. Her character had more complexity in terms of addressing the issue around Indigenous Australians during the 1800s. That was definitely a great theme to explore, but it wasn't impactful or thought provoking, which I would've liked to have seen. 

The mystery itself was interesting in its revelation. Ruby's memories burst through in moments and it's like she's fallen back into time. I'm not sure every moment was as realistic, even during Brenna's "days", but I looked past that because you never know really. I was caught by surprise at the end, when everything came together, and for those last moments I was fully engrossed. The ending was sweet and satisfying. 

I wouldn't say this was the best family mystery novel I've read, but it definitely has a more unique tone. I just felt at some points it was a little dry. I still have a few questions regarding the connections between Brenna and Ruby, and how it was suppose to add to the story and other things, but it's nothing major. On the whole though it was an enjoyable read though, and you might like it better than me! 





Wednesday 27 August 2014

Top Ten Tuesday

Hosted By: The Broke and The Bookish

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and The Bookish, where we list our top ten according to a topic of the week. I'm actually not participating in this weekly, only because I know that for some of the topics I really can't come up with a list of ten. For future topics though, check them out here.

Top Ten Books I Want To Read But Don't Own


I thought this was going to be hard because I'd have to sift through all my To-Read books on Goodreads, but I actually struggled to compile a list of ten. Weird. 

  1. The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory - I've been waiting for this the entire year, and I've featured this countless of time you guys must be sick of it. The finale to The Cousins' War series better be good!
  2. Dangerous Boys by Abigail Haas - This wouldn't even be on the list if I hadn't read Abigail Haas' other novel on the weekend. I loved it so much, I just want to read everything that's written about her. I featured Dangerous Girls as my favourite novel for the week, so read about it here
  3. S by J. J Abrams and Doug Dorst - This is the one book I want but don't want because of the price. I found it for $20 in store but hesitated and now it's gone! 
  4. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan - Percy Jackon rules! The Lost Hero is part of the companion series - The Heroes of Olympus - to Percy Jackson and the Olympians
  5. Coraline by Neil Gaiman - I haven't seen the movie yet but there's something about this that draws my attention. 



  6. To All The Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han - Published this year, I keep coming back to look at this. I need!
  7. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie - I'm hesitantly putting this on my list because as much as I think it'll be an amazing read, I'm also scared out of wits. Still I love crime novels and I can't call myself a crime fan without reading some Agatha Christie. 
  8. Once by Cameron Dokey - There's actually three separate novels in this bind up, made up of three "farityale" retellings; Mulan, Rapunzel and Cinderella. 
  9. The Archived by Victoria Schwabb - I'm going to blame JesseTheReader with this because every time he raves about this I add it to my cart (then end up not buying it).
  10. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi - Yep, another BookTube recommendation, this time by WhittyNovels (Whitney). 

Tell Me Your Top Ten!



Tuesday 26 August 2014

Bout of Books 11.0 Wrap Up

Bout of Books

So it's the end of Bout of Books, but I've been so caught today with things happening I haven't had time to film my review. Instead, here's my written wrap up!

Books Read



Page Count
1232 pages

Progress

I feel like every time I take part in Bout of Books, I can never get anything done. I woke up Monday morning nauseous and dizzy, actually staying in bed for 24 hours. I tried to read but only got through 45 pages of World After before feeling like I had to puke again. It was not fun. 

I managed to finish World After on Wednesday, and loved every moment of it. It was so intense and exciting, bumping up the series on my favourites list! I started Crown of Midnight and really felt like it was chore reading the first half. I had to push through but once the second part started, I eased right into the story and flew through the action packed storyline. 

Friday came around and I finished CoM, but didn't read anything else that day. On Saturday morning I woke up and remembered I had downloaded Dangerous Girls for free so I decided to give it a go. Little did I know, Abigail Haas had me hook, line and sinker. I finished it in 2 hours and could not get enough. I read a little of The Man Called Ove - around 100 pages - but did not finish it, fizzling out on the last day.

Final Thoughts

It was actually a decent effort considering I planned to read 4 books, and finished 3 and a bit. I actually read some pretty amazing books though, which was the best part of this read-a-thon. Hopefully when the next Bout of Books happens again, I won't be held down by life things because that seriously gets annoying.

Reviews:

World After by Susan Ee
Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas

How did you guys go?



Sunday 24 August 2014

Sunday Spotlight


Sunday Spotlight is a weekly feature hosted by PrintedWordsAnd, highlighting the best book read during the week.

This week's spotlight is reserved for Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas.



I actually finished Dangerous Girls this morning and loved every moment of it. I was lying in bed after waking up, remembering that I had downloaded this via iBooks because it was free and decided to give it a go. Two hours later and I was gaping like a fish, clearly at loss as to what to do. This book, everything about it, had me on edge. 

Anna is befriend by Elise at her new school and soon they become inseparable. As best friends they do everything together, including Spring Break. Along with their group of friends and Anna's boyfriend, Tate, they decide to let loose and have fun. Yet, they would never be ready to witness the brutal remains of Elise after being murdered. Soon Anna spirals into speculations and accusations, unable to uncover the truth.

It really was one of the best thrillers to read, and I loved the set up of the story. It ebbs and flow from present to past for readers to piece the puzzles together - unsure of where it really is heading. At some points there were court transcripts and texting conversations as one whole paragraph, which made for a creative read. The characters were interesting because of their complex relationships, especially between Anna and Elise. They had one of the strongest friendships but it had so many layers built into it. AK held the most interest for me though because I couldn't really decipher his true intentions. The end sort of blew my breath away, but there were some moments where it was predictable. Still, I can overlook that because it was simply amazing to read. Definitely recommend! 

What did you like this week?




Saturday 23 August 2014

BOUT OF BOOKS 11.0 Update



We've reached the home stretch with just about 24 hrs left, give or take. Watch my update video below!




How are you guys doing?



Thursday 21 August 2014

World After (Penryn & The End of Days #2) - Susan Ee

Angelfall (Penryn & The End of Days #1) - Susan Ee

Title: World After
Author: Susan Ee
Series: Penryn & The End of the Days
Publication: November 19th, 2013
Genre: Paranomal 
Add to Goodreads | Buy from The BookDepository
Penryn barely rescues her sister, Paige, back before she goes missing again. Penryn sets off through San Francisco and into the centre of the Angels' secrets lair, discovering secrets that could threaten all of humanity. Raffe is on another mission of his own, but must decide if he wants to save himself or Penryn before it becomes too late. 

Review


- SPOILER FREE - 

I wasn't very impressed with Angelfall, much like everyone else, but I absolutely loved World After. I flew through the second novel and was sucked into the storyline more than the first. The writing, plot, characters and setting were all solid and really boosted the quality of the novel.

Susan Ee writes in a very unique and creative way, aiming towards Young Adult, but having enough gruesome and horrifying details that it's borderline creepy. I loved the tone, perfectly conveying the apocalyptic and decayed world. In this type of setting, it would never have worked if Ee's writing had not made it so believable and visually stimulating. Penryn has scaled up so high on my top female leads list, being badass but also humane - a trait not a lot of characters can really display properly. Raffe doesn't make much of an appearance, sadly, but I still enjoyed the scenes he were in and I missed his cocky manner.
The plot was fast paced and easy to read, and has an addictive quality that makes me look forward to the next novel - a surprising factor considering I was iffy with the first novel. 



I've raved on about it, but there were some specific things I want to discuss as well. Ee is insanely creative and I love that, even if I was totally creeped out. The flying scorpions were a disturbing idea, especially the way they were bred - ugh *shiver*. I still can't really imagine Paige with her distorted features, but maybe that's because I refuse to, preferring to remember her as the innocent child in the wheelchair.

I was waiting the entire time for Penryn to reunite with Raffe, because let's face it, even with all the violence and supernatural elements, them two together are very entertaining. I don't think I was disappointed because I liked that Penryn had time to herself and could prove that she was a heroine in her own right. I mean, when Raffe comes into the picture he sort of takes the whole saving "damsel in distress" thing pretty seriously. Thankfully it's demeaning or overshadowing.


The ending was bittersweet, in that I loved that they ended up together, but know that bigger things are out there to challenge them again. Cannot wait!




Wednesday 20 August 2014

BOUT OF BOOKS 11.0 Update

Bout of Books

Hi guys!

So it's day three of Bout of Books 11.0 and I have to say I haven't been doing that great. I explain everything in my latest (and very short) video though, so check it out!



How have you guys been doing?



Tuesday 19 August 2014

Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn - Danielle Ackley-McPhail and Day Al-Mohamed

Title: Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn
Author: Danielle Ackley-McPhail and Day Al-Mohamed
Genre: Fantasy
Publication: September 1st, 2014
Add to Goodreads | Buy from The BookDepository
Disclaimer: I received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Baba Ali is an apprentice to Charles Babbage in England, famous for his modern inventions. One day Ali receives a clockwork box, which marks he journey back to his homeland. What he doesn't know is that it will be fraught with danger and grief. Yet Ali will gain knowledge, strength and love as well.

This is the tale of Baba Ali and his quest to save a legacy, and possibly his life.
Review:

Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn is the type of novel I didn't think I'd ever read, but the premise sounded interesting and different so I figured why not. Little did I know, it's actually a retelling of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, only I didn't realise until halfway through the story.

In fact, I wasn't fully engaged with what was happening until the last half kicked in. That's when I felt like the story really made sense and the characters had some sort of purpose. It wasn't that the plot was slow, more so that the first half was only a build up - necessary but not overly interesting. It did take me awhile to get past all that. Still, the second half really made up for my lack of interest, with the action and fantasy elements becoming a larger focus. At first I was really confused with all the inventions and technologically advanced objects, which I didn't expect to see in this setting, but once the magical factors also made an appearance everything smoothed out.

I really liked the mapping of the settings, especially the cave where Ali finds in the desert - much like the original story - and his own homeland. It carried a really mystical and mysterious tone, perfect for where the plot was heading. The characters were decent, although only Ali stuck with me, whilst the villains were pretty typical and one-sided. Yet, I could actually imagine them as characters in a Disney/animated movie and this entire story could be made into one, if it wasn't so violent and had less mature content.

It was an interesting read, with great writing but ultimately, I couldn't really get into it as much as I would have liked to. I think my reading experience really influenced this, because  I was reading this as an e-book, so it felt like the story was going on forever. In print format it's actually on around 200 pages long, but I just kept feeling like I wanted it to end. I enjoyed it more in the last half and I appreciated it for the meaning and lessons it left. I think I am part of the minority with this view though as Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn has an average of 4.45 stars on Goodreads, so definitely check it out because I might be for you!




Sunday 17 August 2014

Sunday Spotlight



Sunday Spotlight is a weekly feature hosted by PrintedWordsAnd, highlighting the best book read during the week.

This week's spotlight is reserved for The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski.



The Winner's Curse was released at the start of this year, and has garnered an immense amount of popularity and hype. It centres around Kestrel, the general's daughter of an empire won over by war and violence, and her instinctive decision to buy a young slave at an auction. Kestrel finds a spark in the slave, Arin, that surprises and intrigues her. Yet, Arin hides a secret, one that could cost Kestrel more than what she bargained for.

I was absolutely addicted to this, right from the get go. Marie Rutkoski has a way with writing, impactful and descriptive. The world building was great, very believable and vibrant. Likewise, the characters had depth and were likeable. Kestrel is intelligent and independent, and I admire her skills in warfare - that was definitely an interesting an aspect to a YA heroine. Arin I sympathised with, but I'm not sure I agreed with his ways at the end. Still, I'm interested to see how far his emotions will take him and what role he plays in the sequel. This, coupled with the strong plot - logically drawn out and paced well - meant that The Winner's Curse was an amazing and enjoyable read. It was also a plus that the relationship development was actually done right, so at least I could see how and why they were drawn to each other.

The ending was definitely bittersweet and I cannot wait to read the next book.

What was your favourite read?



Friday 15 August 2014

Talking Personal + Bout Of Books 11.0

Hi guys! If you didn't know, I'm Tracey, and I run this blog. Every month I'll be "Talking Personal" with you guys on what's been happening in my life, exciting announcements, events I'll be participating in and just random stuff I'd like to share!

Daily Life:

  • I've started university again! Three weeks into my second semester and I'm already behind (no surprises there). I'm actually really enjoying uni at the moment, and loving what I'm doing. My study tip: do subjects you like so you don't feel bored out of your brains while in class. 
  • I found a new Korean restaurant, Arisoo, with amazing customer service and really great food. It's small but easy to find, and the environment is pleasant. I think my family went a little nuts and ordered way too much food, but it was well worth it. I only snapped a few pics since I was too busy eating. 

         
                                   
Location: 285A Victoria St, Abbotsford, VIC 3067
Price Range: ~$15 - $20

  • Part of my preparation for the start of warm weather includes tweaking my computer a bit. I love this desktop because, hello, ice cream. I actually got it from DesignLoveFest where you can find many more designs that are really adorable. 



Announcements:



  • Giveaway Winner:
Last month I hosted my first giveaway to celebrate PrintedWordsAnd reaching two years. The giveaway was actually a lot more successful than what I expected. It ended this Monday and now I am going to announce the winner. *Drumroll*



Congratulations Kayleigh, I should've e-mailed you already so hopefully your prize comes soon! 

  • Book Sale
Alicia Kobishop's novel The Fine Line will be on sale on the 30th August - her birthday. The novel is available on Kindle at Amazon for 99c. That's actually, really cheap. 


Events:

  • BOUT OF BOOKS 11.0
Bout of Books 11.0 is a week long read-a-thon starting on the 18th August and runs until the 25th. (Sign up sheet here). Keep an eye out for updates, but in the meantime check out what I'm reading for the week. Let me know if you're participating as well!




So that's a wrap up for the past 2 weeks of August.

What have you been up to?



Thursday 14 August 2014

One Kick (Kick Lannigan #1) - Chelsea Cain

Disclaimer: I requested a copy of this novel to review from Simon & Schuster.

Plot:
Kick Lannigan was abducted as a child before being miraculously found and returned home. Ten years later and Kick has immersed herself in every self-defence and weaponry practice, vowing to be stronger than ever.

She's lived just fine on her own, but when Bishop - a mysterious man - comes to find her about the missing children's case, Kick is pulled back into a world she's tried hard to protect herself from.


Review:
One Kick is an easy read due to the fast pacing and intense plot development. Immediately, the prologue creates an impact, drawing me into a world that I did not expect to encounter in this story. I know Kick get's abducted, but there's more to it and it was definitely an eye-opener. The story has moments of flashback to introduce important parts, but they were done short and succinct so it left an impression. This also meant I wasn't jolted out of the present time whilst reading. It was a solid plot, straight forward and memorable. 

Chelsea Cain's writing was definitely a surprise, thrilling but also horrifying. There's quite a bit of gory moments, which I could stomach but still madee me cringe a bit. At first it was a little hard for me to get into the story, but then the novel started flowing and I quickly got hooked. It's pushed as a thriller, but does become quite emotional at some points. Cain does a great job in greying out the area between good and bad, especially in people, which I liked. 

I grew to like Kick, stubborn and hot-headed, but deeply scarred so you can't help but hold some sympathy towards her - even if she never asks for it. I admire her strength but can also relate to the vulnerability that is hidden underneath the front that she puts up. Her interactions with Bishop were amusing but also interesting. I'm not sure what direction they'll end up in, but it's definitely a relationship where they're both wary of each other yet, can still be open enough to develop a bond. As for Bishop, I'm intrigued about his role, but as a character he's still little too mysterious to really determine a conclusive judgement.

One Kick is the first in a series, but I found that it made for a good introduction to the characters and the setting. I'm not sure what the next book will touch upon, although it is hinted at the end. I do have a few questions but I'm hoping they'll be answered later on. The novel didn't end without some hiccups - I am confused at some parts as well - but they're not overly noticeable to detract from the entire story.

One thing I know for sure, One Kick has definitely pulled my interest into Cain's other works and the continuation of this series.

One Kick will be released on the 19th of August, 2014.