TGIF- Feature & Follow Friday

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY is a blog hop that is designed to provide as much exposure towards other bloggers as well as yourself, and to expand following. It's hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each whom feature a chosen blog for a week, it's also an interesting way to get to know one another bloggers.

Question of the week: Your house is burning down and you have time to select three books you own to take with you. What three books?

My answer: Why have you got to do this to me? This is AGONY.

Can you make it ten? I can't stand the guilt of leaving some books behind. BUT, if it really happens... I guess... NO DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE. This is way too hard. Ask any other book lover and they'll be giving you the same answer as me.

OK OK, deep breaths, Elicia. Deep breaths. I would choose... The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas.

What about you? Comment down below!!! I'd love to know what you're going to take!

(Late) Waiting on Wednesday: Spinning Starlight by R.C. Lewis

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is:

Title: Spinning Starlight
Author: R.C. Lewis
Release Date: 25th October 2015
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Find on: Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old heiress and paparazzi darling Liddi Jantzen hates the spotlight. But as the only daughter in the most powerful tech family in the galaxy, it's hard to escape it. So when a group of men show up at her house uninvited, she assumes it's just the usual media-grubs. That is, until shots are fired.

Liddi escapes, only to be pulled into an interplanetary conspiracy more complex than she ever could have imagined. Her older brothers have been caught as well, trapped in the conduits between the planets. And when their captor implants a device in Liddi's vocal cords to monitor her speech, their lives are in her hands: One word and her brothers are dead.

Desperate to save her family from a desolate future, Liddi travels to another world, where she meets the one person who might have the skills to help her bring her eight brothers home-a handsome dignitary named Tiav. But without her voice, Liddi must use every bit of her strength and wit to convince Tiav that her mission is true. With the tenuous balance of the planets deeply intertwined with her brothers' survival, just how much is Liddi willing to sacrifice to bring them back?

Haunting and mesmerizing, this retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's The Wild Swans strings the heart of the classic with a stunning, imaginative world as a star-crossed family fights for survival in this companion to Stitching Snow. 

R.C.Lewis is awfully good at re-tellings. I've never seen anyone give the story such a twist as she had in Stitching Snow, but it's definitely one I'd love to see in her next book. Also, isn't that cover just mouthwatering?

Why do we write reviews?

Are reviews actually helpful?

DUH. They're really helpful.

Or I might just be saying that because I'm a reviewer.

But let me tell you what I think from the perspective of a full-time reader.

When I see positive or negative reviews regarding a book I've wanted to read for a long time, I will try to look at what the reviewer has said about that particular book in terms of characters, plot, world-building and more.

I also look at the number of positive to negative reviews so I get the bigger picture: whether people actually liked it or not.

In the past, reviews have actually helped me with deciding what to read next, and I normally have to choose from a huge TBR pile, so it makes things easier for me. Goodreads is the best place to get reviews, as well my favourite bloggers.

Reviews are important, not just for readers, but authors too. To them, it's good publicity, especially when there are 5 star reviews of that book everywhere. (By the way, that's why there are ARC copies). Even negative ones help, because these critiques will help the author as this will give them an idea of what readers want.

Andddd when the person reviewing the book is someone from NY times, Entertainment Weekly, etc.? Or even a famous author?

BOOM. The book gets boosted to instant popularity. Trust me, that's how New York Times bestsellers are made.

Or not. It really depends. I mean, not all reviews are positive, right?

But the truth is, reviewers are important to everyone in the book community: authors, readers, publicists and even cover designers. This isn't me saying I'm great or anything. It's me saying that reviewers are such a beautiful and awesome part of the bookish community, and I love every single one of them, even the ones I haven't met, and also the ones I have met.

So if you finish a book and you love it a lot, leave a review. It doesn't matter if it's one word, or one sentence, because if it says what you really feel about this particular book you've finished, then it's something worth writing down. If you didn't like it, write it down as well, it's still a memory, even though it was a bad one.

Let me tell you another thing. Reviews are as important to reviewers as they are to authors, etc. They're something we can look at after a while, a memory of reading the book we'll never have again unless we do reread it. And sometimes, the feelings won't be the same when we read it the second time, or the third, or fourth. Think of writing reviews as writing a reading journal. Doesn't it sound fun?

I decided to write about this topic because sometimes I question myself. Do my reviews get read? Do they really help people? Why do I write reviews?

Now it's time for you to answer these questions. As a reader or a reviewer, how important are reviews to you?

TGIF- Feature & Follow Friday

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY is a blog hop that is designed to provide as much exposure towards other bloggers as well as yourself, and to expand following. It's hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each whom feature a chosen blog for a week, it's also an interesting way to get to know one another bloggers.

Question of the Week: Do you like fantasy or realistic books?

My answer: This is a really hard question... But if I weigh them against each other, fantasy ultimately wins. It helps when you have a bad day and you are transported to another world.

Waiting on Wednesday: Shadow Study (Soulfinders #1) by Maria V. Snyder

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine, that highlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is:

Title: Shadow Study (Soulfinders #1)
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Release Date: 24th February 2015
Publisher: Mira
Find on: Goodreads

New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder wowed readers with Poison Study, the unforgettable story of poison taster Yelena. Now she's back with a new tale of intrigue.

Once, only her own life hung in the balance.

Oddly enough, when Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. But she'd survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands and protect her relationship with Valek.

Suddenly, though, they are beset on all sides by those vying for power through politics and intrigue. Valek's job - and his life - are in danger. As Yelena tries to uncover the scope of these plots, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. She must keep that a secret - or her enemies will discover just how vulnerable she really is - while searching for who or what is responsible for neutralizing her powers.

Yes, the days of tasting poisons were much simpler. And certainly not as dangerous...

ARC Review: The Boy with the Hidden Name (Otherworld #2) by Skylar Dorset

Title: The Boy With The Hidden Name (Otherworld #2)
Author: Skylar Dorset
Release Date:
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: This is not your average trip to Fairyland...

Selkie Stewart has just saved her quasi-boyfriend, Ben, from a fairy prison run by the Seelie Court. If they weren't the two most-wanted individuals in the Otherworld before, they definitely are now. Along with Ben and the rest of their ragtag group of allies-Selkie's ogre aunts; a wizard named Will; Ben's cousin Safford; and Kelsey, Selkie's best friend-Selkie is ready to embrace her destiny and bring the Court down. Until she hears the rest of her prophecy: Benedict le Fay will betray you, and then he will die.

Detailed Review: I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback.

If you remember, this is the sequel to the book that gave me a book hangover previously, which led to a 1 week reading slump.

It was just that good.

The sequel is even better.

I believe that there is a secret ingredient when it comes to writing good sequels.

You must keep everything the same, but something always has to change, has to seem out of place. Different.

Oh, trust me, there were many things that were different from what I expected. And yet, there were elements that still felt the same: Selkie's aunts' love for her and vice versa, Selkie's feelings for Ben, the fact that her mother was still after her (in fact, the whole Seelie court) and more.

The differences were the twists. So if you want a spoiler-free review, then I shall not list them out for you.

The characters, as usual, were filled with humour and personality that infused this book with life. Ben's mom is introduced in this book, and although I didn't like her at first, I loved her in the end. Not only was she complex, she was a good mother that Selkie's mother could never compare to. The Erlking, king of the goblins was also a mysterious character that piques my interest when the spotlight is on him.

This book isn't just about some age-old prophecy and the need to make it come true, it's about the bond between mother and child, and the strength of the friendship that ties Selkie and her friends together.

The story was unpredictable in so many ways, but entirely delectable in another. Nowadays, I seem to get pleasure from other characters' pain and confusion. It made the book more... entertaining.

I was definitely happy at the way the book turned out in the end. A happily ever after, as it turned to out to be, which means no more book hangovers!

Brief Review: What a beautiful ending to a great story! I would give whatever I could just so I could to relive the story again with these delightful and complex characters. If only I had the time! Is there a time-stopping faerie nearby that I could use?

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'

Your Reviewer:

How fast can you read?

How fast can you read?

When asked that question, my answer isn't exact. My preferred response is, 'It depends'.

I have a rule when it comes to reading: Never finish a book in a day.

My friends do it, both the ones in real life and the ones online.

I have no idea how they do it, especially when books nowadays have so many pages.

However, in the very rare occasion that I do, I find that I didn't enjoy the book at all.

The thing is, when you read too fast, it ends too fast. I don't like that feeling of finality when you finish a book, because it's hard to say goodbye after such a brief and lovely meeting.

So, 'it depends' is definitely more than one day.

But there's more to it. I don't have the time. I find myself reading less and less because TIME. And since I started college two days ago, that means my reading and blogging schedule is going to go even more out of whack.

All of you must be thinking, 'How can you not finish a book in one day when it's so good?'

I can; I just don't want to.

The fastest I've ever read was one and a half day because the book was Divergent by Veronica Roth.

If you don't get what I'm talking about, GO READ THE FREAKING BOOK.

Also, some books are incredibly thick. If you can finish it in one day, bravo!!! *applause*

Another side to 'it depends', can also mean the book was bad.

Yes, it's so bad that you just want to get it over with. You can't wait to get those boring characters' names out of your head. Basically, you just can't wait.

I can DNF it. Just give up. But I usually don't. Everyone says I have the determination of a poor man looking for food and it's true.

If you've read every one of my reviews, you would know that. But let's just assume you don't. (Who would have the time?!)

How fast can you read? Can you read a book in one day? Or does it vary?

TGIF- Feature & Follow Friday

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY is a blog hop that is designed to provide as much exposure towards other bloggers as well as yourself, and to expand following. It's hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each whom feature a chosen blog for a week, it's also an interesting way to get to know one another bloggers.

Question of the Week:  Do you use the # FF on twitter on Fridays? If you do, are you afraid you’ll forget someone and they’ll be sad?

My answer: No, I don't usually participate in this, but I've been mentioned a few times by others, which is nice of them.

But... If I did it, yeah, I'm really afraid I'll make someone sad by not including them.

What about you? Do you have twitter? Do you use the #FF tag? Tell me in the comments below!!!

Waiting on Wednesday: All The Rage by Courtney Summers

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, which highlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is:

Title: All The Rage
Author: Courtney Summers
Release Date: 14th April 2015
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin
Find on: Goodreads

The sheriff’s son, Kellan Turner, is not the golden boy everyone thinks he is, and Romy Grey knows that for a fact. Because no one wants to believe a girl from the wrong side of town, the truth about him has cost her everything—friends, family, and her community. Branded a liar and bullied relentlessly by a group of kids she used to hang out with, Romy’s only refuge is the diner where she works outside of town. No one knows her name or her past there; she can finally be anonymous. But when a girl with ties to both Romy and Kellan goes missing after a party, and news of him assaulting another girl in a town close by gets out, Romy must decide whether she wants to fight or carry the burden of knowing more girls could get hurt if she doesn’t speak up. Nobody believed her the first time—and they certainly won’t now — but the cost of her silence might be more than she can bear.

With a shocking conclusion and writing that will absolutely knock you out, All the Rage examines the shame and silence inflicted upon young women after an act of sexual violence, forcing us to ask ourselves: In a culture that refuses to protect its young girls, how can they survive?

A book that touches on the subject of rape and sexual abuse? HELL YEAH. I'd read this type of book anytime. There aren't enough books about rape since it is a taboo topic when it comes to literature, so I can't wait to see what this brings! The only good book I've read so far about rape is actually Just Listen by Sxarah Dessen. It's light but it goes quite deep.

Review: Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Title: Grave Mercy (Grave Mercy #1)
Author: Robin LaFevers
Release Date: 3rd April 2012
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

Detailed Review:  I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback.

What has this book done to me?!

Indeed, what has it done?

Let me enlighten you. First, it strangled me, tortured me in many ways imaginable. Then, it gave me hope that I would survive the harsh treatment. Finally, my hope was redeemed and I lived happily ever after. The end.

OK, the story isn't about me (DUH), but it IS about how this book made me feel.

No book has ever made me felt so much in my whole life. Well, I'll make an exception for The Fault in Our Stars.  

How can you feel hopeful and hopeless at the same time? How do you feel loved and neglected at the same time?

In other words, HOW DID THE AUTHOR DO IT?

Not many people can do what this author did, blending history and magic together in the most intriguing and mesmerising ways. Nobody could have done what she did, bringing long-dead historical figures to life again, because isn't that what this is? The author did her own magic.

This is not the first time I've read a book that features the main character as an assassin. Nor is this the first time that I've read a book where the assassin is romantically involved with someone in court.

It's because there's this heartbreaking series called Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, but that's a topic for another day.

In a way, it was like Throne of Glass, but it was so much different as well. Like the time period and setting. And the circumstances Ismae were in. Being an assassin was seen as a good thing because she was serving her god/father, St Mortain. 

Ismae's love interest, Gavriel Duval is the duchess's closest advisor. He is suspected to be a traitor to the throne, which is how both Ismae and Duval get closer. 

I loved the dynamics between them. How they argued and spoke to each other, and the sparks that flew between them.

And one more thing, no love triangles! Yes, I'm rejoicing at this fact because love triangles have become too common a theme in YA books and this was, frankly, a breath of fresh air.

All the characters were well-developed. They each had their own parts to play in the book, not merely something to keep the story going or make the main character seem more heroic, thus making this a very much character-driven book. Character development certainly wasn't lacking. Anne (the duchess) was my favourite character in the book because in truth, she was the heroine, the one who together with Ismae and Duval, fought for her country's independence.

I also found out after that the next two books in the trilogy will feature Ismae's friends, Sybella and Annith, which I really can't wait for. I need to know more about them. Their stories are too mysterious for my liking but I shall bear with it. Luckily, both books are already out, so I can read them whenever I want. No more painful waiting.

And oohh la la! The twists! How could I forget? Those wretched things probably make up half the book. And the way they're revealed. Oh god, could there be a more painful and heartbreaking way to reveal them?

And the story wasn't even a story; it was someone's life. It felt REAL. That they controlled their own destinies and life, and not the author pulling the strings.

This. Is true magic.

That writing style though. It was honestly the best part of the book. It matched the time period, even the characters saying them, which circles back to my previous point that the characters were the ones living their lives, without showing evidence that they were following what the author wanted. 

Brief Review: For a debut, this author is impressive. It was polished until it shone- with the characters' light, and their stories, each told through Ismae's eyes as she tries to find her true purpose in serving Death.

Final Rating: 5/5 'Totally Amazing!'

Your Reviewer:

UPDATES

Hey!!! Elicia on the blog here (it's always me now).

I just decided to update you on my blogging schedule now. And my current situation.

My blogging schedule, if you haven't noticed, is as follows:

Monday- book review
Tuesday- Teaser Tuesday (it actually depends on my mood)
Wednesday- Waiting on Wednesday
Thursday- possibly another review if I have the time
Friday- Feature and Follow Friday
Saturday- discussion post (bookish and non bookish thoughts)

You all should know I take unexpected blogging hiatuses without notifying you. I'm really sorry for that. It's just that sometimes life gets in the way and I just don't have the time. I will try, but it's getting exceedingly hard, especially when I'm getting older (gasp) and have more responsibilities.

OK, moving on. I'm starting college next week. Yes, college. What does that mean?

That means that I'm moving from Malaysia to Australia and living there for one year since I'm studying foundation for my degree in science.

Time moves too fast, doesn't it? I was only a girl wanting to be a vet, and then boom. I'm going to study to become a vet.

College may or may not get in the way of my blogging schedule (I've heard that college life is actually quite relaxed) so please bear with me. I'm so grateful for all the friends I've met in the book blogging community so far, like Kayla from The Bookish Owl, Nova from Out of Time, Anna from Enchanted by YA and Brianna from Brianna's Bookish Confessions.

You guys have helped me so much and I love you all for it.

Here's to another great year of blogging and reading awesome books!

How do you say it?!

This is my second discussion post and I decided to make it a weekly thing (yay!) since the first one seemed to strike well with my followers.

So this week's topic will be...

Names: how do you pronounce them?

I'm sure all of us have been in a scenario like this:

*reads book*
*encounters a complicated looking name*
*makes up their own way of saying it*
*finds out it's wrong*
*changes way of saying it*

If you've never done that, I believe it's am indication that you haven't been reading enough, or I'm just really bad at figuring how to pronounce names.

Some of my common (and foolish) mistakes have been:

Caleb----- I say Ca-lab instead of Ca-lub. I remember having an argument about this with my friends, especially when even Divergent featured the name. (They won. I say it the right way now)

Penelope---- There was a Penelope in Harry Potter. Book club was how my obsession for HP started. We were all sorted into houses and there were activities to help us score points for our houses. I was in Slytherin- I know, I know, but we actually got the most number of house points because of me (take that, Gryffindor!). OK I'm going off-topic. I actually used to say Pen-a-lope. But the teacher in charge of book club corrected me after I correctly answered a question about this minor character. I've been trying to adapt to saying Pen-a-lop-ee, but it's hard. *cries*

Eragon---- Me: E-ra-gon
                   Other people: A-ra-gon
                   Me: OK OK, you win!!!

The worst thing is when a book is filled with weird looking names. Throne of Glass, I'm talking about you!!! How do you even pronounce Celaena Sardothien? And Ellywe? Eltentiya? I loved this book, but these unique names sure have my head pounding at times.

Thank god for this useful pronunciation guide!!

That's all for today!!! What about you? Do you find trouble saying characters' names when you read?

TGIF- Feature & Follow Friday

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY is a blog hop that is designed to provide as much exposure towards other bloggers as well as yourself, and to expand following. It's hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each whom feature a chosen blog for a week, it's also an interesting way to get to know one another bloggers.

Question of the Week:

Do you read more than 1 book at a time, and if so, how, like a certain amount of pages per book before moving on to the next one in the queue?

My answer: Yes, I have done so. Usually I read around 30 to 50 pages in a book before moving on to the next one! But I seldom do so now because it gives me headaches since there's literally so much to digest all at once. It's so easy to get the characters' names messed up!

What about you? Do you read more than one book at a time? Comment below!!!

Release Day Blitz: Lost Energy by Lynn Vroman

Lost Energy (Energy Series #2)

by Lynn Vroman 

Release Date: 02/03/15

260 pages

Summary from Goodreads:

Last spring, Lena discovered who she was.

Now all she wants to do is move on—and find a way to be with Tarek, the new Warden of Arcus and the love of her life. Even though worlds separate them now, she holds onto the hope they’ll be together again. Until then, Lena focuses on being truly happy for the first time in her life…this life. She has new friends, an apartment free from her abusive father, and the chance to live a normal life.

But for Lena, the past never stays gone.

A woman from another lifetime reveals Cassondra, Exemplian’s new authority commander, is seeking revenge against Tarek for killing her brother. There is only one way to end this new threat…

This time, it will take more than Wilma to keep the monsters away. It’ll take an entire army–an army who remembers Lena from her past life, and who might just want her dead, too.

Lena’s past will shape her future more than she could ever imagine.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Book One:

Tainted Energy

by Lynn Vroman 

Release Date: 2014

Summary from Goodreads:

For seventeen-year-old Lena, living in the trailer park with the rest of town’s throwaways isn’t exactly paradise. Dealing with a drunken father who can't keep his fists to himself doesn’t help matters either. The only good thing in her life, other than track, is the mysterious man who visits her dreams, promising to find her.

When a chair burns her arms, Lena chalks it up to stress-induced crazy. Yet as bizarre incidents escalate, even being crazy can’t explain it all away… until one day dream guy does find her.
Tarek lost Lena seventeen years ago after she was accused of treason and marked Tainted. He finally discovers her reborn on Earth into a life of suffering as punishment for her crime.

However, someone else has already found her… and wants her dead. Willing to sacrifice everything, he fights to keep her safe so she can live the only life she’s ever known—even if that life doesn’t include him.

Excerpt: 

Fear cured most things. Hunger, thirst…hope. It filled me up until it ate my insides, burrowing deep into my psyche to remind me I was a piece of shit.

A failure.

I left them there, killed a mother and her child because I wasn't strong enough.

My eyelids, heavy and thick, refused to lift, forcing me to see their faces–Cara and her precious baby girl screaming for us, needing us. And we just left them. My mind replayed the same image of those lights swallowing them up, disintegrating them to ash.

Wake up!

My eyes shot open and pain lanced my brain. The static was gone, but the memories of it a dull, throbbing reminder. I tried to breathe, but panic forming in my throat made it difficult to do properly. Hyperventilating created clouds of dizziness. I tried to get up, but slammed back onto a floating surface as soft as velvet.

 When my movement made the swaying worse, I rolled to the edge of a bed and released all the dried apricots and fish from my stomach.

A bucket scooted under the vomit stream, the heaves so violent I almost fell to the floor. Warm hands held me up and pulled back my hair as I emptied the last of my stomach's contents, leaving a hole so big I wanted to disappear in it, escape everything.

Sobs filled the room, distant at first, but then blaring right inside my head, almost as loud as the Guides' attack. Moisture coated my face, coming from my eyes, my nose…my mouth. I couldn't do it anymore

I couldn't.

"Shhh…I'm here, you're safe."

Familiar safety of soft arms held tighter, the smell of vanilla pushing past the pain.

Wilma.

I clung to her, not opening my eyes again, not wanting to face reality. Ever. She didn't force me and held on until the very last sob escaped. Until nothing was left.

I wanted to go home, forget everything.

I killed them.

My head stayed nestled in the crook of her arm. She rocked me, stroked my hair. Said words I didn't bother to try to comprehend. I cleaved to her voice. Too much. All of it had become too much. I couldn't deal anymore.

Take me home!

Oblivion rescued me again. This time, blackness gave me peace.

Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Born in Pennsylvania, Lynn spent most of her childhood, especially during math class, daydreaming. Today, she spends an obscene amount of time in her head, only now she writes down all the cool stuff.

With a degree in English Literature, Lynn used college as an excuse to read for four years straight. She lives in the Pocono Mountains with her husband, raising the four most incredible human beings on the planet. She writes young adult novels, both fantasy and contemporary.

Author Links:

   

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Blitz Organized by:

Waiting on Wednesday: Maybe Me (Before & After #3) by Amber Hart

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication 'can't-wait-to-read' selection is:

Title: Maybe Me (Before & After #3)

Author: Amber Hart
Release Date: 29th September 2015
Publisher: Kensington Teen
Find on: Goodreads

A sliver of a second is all it takes.

Maria Reyes knows what it means to come from nothing. Escaping Cuba, the States have given Maria new dreams. Like graduating high school. Going to college. Making something of herself. Forgetting a past that always seems to creep up on her family. But mostly, staying out of trouble. Which is why falling for Hale is out of the question.

An unguarded moment, a simple mistake.

Hale Watson is a flash of a second away from being locked up for good. With a rap sheet longer than the list of homes he comes from, Hale has one more shot at making things right. Graduate senior year. Don't mess up. Don't get caught. That’s the plan. Until he meets Maria.

And everything changes.

I have read the first book, Before You (my review here), and fell in love straightaway with Hart's lyrical prose and beautiful characters. I have yet to read the sequel, After Us, but I know it's going to be good! Maybe Me sounds promising as well! Also, isn't the cover just perfect?!

Teaser Tuesday #10

@ Should Be Reading

Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm currently reading This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner, the sequel to These Broken Stars. I quite like it so far although I hope there's more unexpected twists coming up!

Here's a snippet:

What, did he think I was just going to melt into his arms? Start a tragic and dramatic tale of star-crossed lovers on a war-torn planet?

Cover Reveal: A Darkness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis

This year is the year of gorgeous book covers. Recently, many covers have been revealed and they are literally so blinding to the eyes that you'll have to take a break from admiring them.

Today I'll be revealing the cover for Mindy McGinnis's A Darkness So Discreet.

Note: This is not part of a blog tour or any event. I just found it too beautiful to not share it with anyone.

Here's some details to spark your interest of the book.

Title: A Madness So District
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Release Date: 6th October 2015
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Grace Mae knows madness. She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. 

Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of NOT A DROP TO DRINK and IN A HANDFUL OF DUST, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.

AAAAAND NOW... FOR THE GRAND MOMENT WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR...

.
.
.
.
.
.

HERE IS THE BEAUTIFUL COVER OF A MADNESS SO DISCREET. It is so beautiful that it evokes madness in you. *cries*

There's also a giveaway over at YA Books Central for Canada/US residents. The winner will receive a signed ARC of A Madness So Discreet (when it is available)! Good luck!

ARC Review: The Body Electric by Beth Revis

Title: The Body Electric
Author: Beth Revis
Release Date: 6th October 2014
Publisher: Scripturient Books
Find on: Goodreads

Quick Review: The future world is at peace.

Ella Shepherd has dedicated her life to using her unique gift—the ability to enter people’s dreams and memories using technology developed by her mother—to help others relive their happy memories.

But not all is at it seems.

Ella starts seeing impossible things—images of her dead father, warnings of who she cannot trust. Her government recruits her to spy on a rebel group, using her ability to experience—and influence—the memories of traitors. But the leader of the rebels claims they used to be in love—even though Ella’s never met him before in her life. Which can only mean one thing…

Someone’s altered her memory.

Ella’s gift is enough to overthrow a corrupt government or crush a growing rebel group. She is the key to stopping a war she didn’t even know was happening. But if someone else has been inside Ella’s head, she cannot trust her own memories, thoughts, or feelings.

So who can she trust?

Detailed Review: I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback.

I'm not new to Beth Revis's writing, but I'm not familiar with it either.

Reading The Body Electric felt like a very different experience to reading Across The Universe, although I suspect that it may be because it's been two years since I read her debut. Still, I could sense the difference between both books. Yes, they were both science fiction. But the writing style seemed different.

Across The Universe was more...detailed whereas The Body Electric was simple and straightforward, something I ask for in a book because if there is too much info dumped in one part, all you're going to give readers are headaches. Huge ones. I don't want to remember how deep the lake it. I don't want to know the population of the whole planet. No thank you. 

I'm not saying there should be no details at all. I'm saying not to go overboard. Do you realise that 'overboard' rhymes with the word 'bored'? You get what I mean. There should be a minimal amount of describing to give you a feel for the place and the characters, enough that you feel comfortable with them.

It was what I exactly got from The Body Electric. I was so in tune with the book that I felt what Ella was feeling, saw what she was seeing, there wasn't any question if I would get bored.

Another bonus was that the chapters were quite short so I managed to whisk through the book without even slowing down. It makes for a light sci-fi read if you're looking for one. (AND, it's a standalone)

Plot twists are in abundance in this book. Let me repeat. Plot twist are IN ABUNDANCE in this book. You're practically stepping foot on a minefield. Your body will be bruised and battered at the end but you survived!!! (You really should celebrate.)

The characters were quite well-rounded and definitely had promising character developments. Ella was what a heroine needed to be, not those whiny characters that just go 'I can't do this I can't do that.' Jack was of course, the hot love interest and the leader of a rebel group (cliché, I know, but I couldn't resist his charms). Even Jadis, Ella's godmother had been perfectly written as it revealed her ulterior motives and true nature.

But what upset me the most was the focus on minor characters, or the lack thereof. I really wished the rest of the Zunzana (the rebel group) would have gotten more parts in the book, especially in the ending. I felt like they didn't get any credit AT ALL for what they did. I would be so pissed if I were them. No kidding.

That is one thing The Body Electric will never match Across the Universe for.

And like I said, the ending wasn't satisfying enough, but luckily it did not lead to a book hangover (if you read my last post, you'd know).

Oh yeah, my number one frustration was the author's fascination with bumblebees. I get that it's related to the Zunzana (since it's another language for bumblebee), but is it really necessary?

Brief Review: I did not plan on devouring The Body Electric like I did. With a well-executed plot and well-written main characters, it provided the fuel to keep the book going. Overall, I enjoyed the book but I hope in the future, more character-driven books can be seen from this author! 

Final Rating: 4/5 'Really Liked It!'

Your Reviewer: