Debz Bookshelf: May 2012

Thursday, May 31, 2012

May Wrap-Up & In My Mailbox & Coming In June

MAY WRAP-UP

Books Read:

It’s a Mall World After All by Janette Rallison
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

I wish I’d gotten more reading done, but this just wasn’t the month for that. For the first half of the month I was struggling to get through Toads and Diamonds (leftovers from FTF) and Born Wicked. Then I decided I just needed a break from Toads and Diamonds, because even though it’s really good and pretty short, I just couldn’t stand it (but I will pick be picking it up again soon). Born Wicked was officially abandoned for reasons you can find in my DNF review.

And I’ve also had to become the mom of the house because a couple weeks ago my mom broke both her right elbow and left wrist while crossing the street, and just a few days ago my older sister sprained her knee after falling in the kitchen, so I have virtually no time to read during the day, and by the time I have a chance to read, I’m too tired to think straight.

Reviews:

Other Cool Posts:

2012 YA Bloggers Book Battle!

I think it’s too late to sign up to be a judge, but you can still find a way to participate in this battle of the Fairy Tale Retellings!

Blogger Interview: Briana @ Pages Unbound

Briana’s awesome and signed up to do an interview. You should read it, then sign up, too!

Asunder cover + an Incarnate manicure!

I did this as part of Jodi’s mitten contest, but then I realized that the contest ended exactly one minute after I posted it ):

5 minutes with Lissa Price

I got the chance to do a super quick interview with Lissa Price, author of Starters (which I loved!)

IN MY MAILBOX

I didn’t get a whole lot this month. One reason is because I have no way of going to the library (no car + broken mom + loud kids), and I’m mostly broke. Another sad thing is that I have no pictures ): If you read my Incarnate manicure post, you’ll learn all about my struggle to find a camera. Well guess what? Another camera is down!

Purchased:

Don’t Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough
Ice by Sarah Beth Durst
Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon, Dean, and Nathan Hale
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

I got these for under $5 each, with the exception of Enchanted. Rapunzel’s Revenge is a birthday present for my sister whose turning 5 tomorrow and loves fairy tales almost as much as I do!

Won:

Surrender Swag
Across the Universe print

I didn’t win any actual books, but I got some awesome bookish stuff. I got Elana Johnson’s Insider Case Files (which is really just a 5 page pamphlet, but it’s pretty nifty), along with a signed Surrender bookmark and sticker!

I also got a print of The Real Fauxtographer’s Across the Universe photography. If you haven’t seen her work, you definitely should. She does wonderful, high quality photography based off of YA novels.

For Review:

Princess Academy: Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale (eARC)

I was freaking out when I saw this on NetGalley. I’ve had bad luck getting approved on NetGalley, but luckily I’m friendly with the folks at Bloomsbury, and so I was approved!

COMING IN JUNE

Armchair BEA

Armchair BEA is coming in just a few short days! I’m super excited! I’ll be participating for the first half, but I can’t guarantee the last half, since I don’t have much to say about those days topics.

Weekly Wrap-Up

These monthly wrap-up posts are fun, but it takes me a while to collect up all the info and remember everything from the past month, so I’ll be starting up a weekly wrap-up thing, but I have yet to find a meme that fits my needs, so why not start one? I just need to come up with a good name (suggestions wanted!)

2012 YA Book Battle: Retold Fairy Tales

I don’t think I’ve seen any official dates for this yet, but word should be out soon, and at least some fairy tale reading will be done this month.

Camp

And finally, I’ll be away at camp from June 18th to the 21st. I’ll try to schedule a post or two, but I’ll be frantically preparing for the week before, so I make no promises.

Reading List

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Surrender by Elana Johnson
Palace of Stone by Shannon Hale
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
Kill Me Softly by Sarah Cross
Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Stork by Wendy Delsol

It’s really unlikely I’ll get 8 books read, but I can hope!

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

{Blog Tour} Book Review: Unbreak My Heart

Sophomore year broke Clementine Williams’ heart. She fell for her best friend’s boyfriend and long story short: he’s excused, but Clem is vilified and she heads into summer with zero social life.
Enter her parents’ plan to spend the summer on their sailboat. Normally the idea of being stuck on a tiny boat with her parents and little sister would make Clem break out in hives, but floating away sounds pretty good right now.
Then she meets James at one of their first stops along the river. He and his dad are sailing for the summer and he’s just the distraction Clem needs. Can he break down Clem’s walls and heal her broken heart?
Told in alternating chapters that chronicle the year that broke Clem’s heart and the summer that healed it, Unbreak My Heart is a wonderful dual love story that fans of Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, and Susane Colasanti will flock to.

When I first heard about this book, I didn’t think much of it. It looked like a light, fluffy, contemporary love story, but it was much, much more than that. It was deep and wonderful and beautiful!
This wasn’t a “love story” in the traditional sense. It isn’t about a boy/girl relationship as much as it is about a best friend relationship. After a difficult and unresolved friend-breakup, Clem spends the whole summer away from the rest of the world trying to set her emotions straight and find herself again. The emotional journey she goes through is a complete metamorphosis.
James is one of my all-time favorite guys in YA lit. He’s just so happy and likeable, and he’s a ginger! Olive was another wonderful character. She reminded me of myself when I was 10 (which was kind of creepy). All the supporting characters were just as amazing and real.
The writing was clean and crisp. I loved the way the chapters would alternate between Clem’s summer, and the events leading up to it. The way that most of the chapters began with a failed attempt at a letter was so smart. It was only a sentence or two, but it added a lot to the overall feel of the book.
If you’re looking for a bittersweet contemporary novel, you need to check Unbreak My Heart out. It’s the perfect summertime book, too!

I received an advance eGalley to read and review, and received no compensation for this review

Monday, May 28, 2012

May Fairy Tales Retold Link-up!

I’m hoping you guys have been reading lots of fairy tales this month. Can you believe the year’s already almost halfway over? How many retellings have you gotten through?

Link up your reviews so I can stop by. Can’t wait to see what you’ve been reading!

Saturday, May 26, 2012

DNF Review: Born Wicked

Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles, #1)

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they’re witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.
Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother’s diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family’s destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.
If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren’t safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

I guess I'll just say that I probably shouldn't have picked this book up in the first place. I knew it was about witchcraft and that there was a religious group that opposed the witchcraft. I think I would've loved this book if it weren't for the fact that I agreed with almost everything the Brotherhood said, and apparently the Brotherhood are the bad guys.

I only got about 50 pages in, then decided to stop because if I have a problem with something like that, then I can't judge it fairly, and I'd hate to give it a bad review for personal reasons.

So if you don’t have my problems, I’d definitely recommend this book to you!

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Book Review: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen's not fully convinced that Emma's the one he's been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help--no matter what the risk.

This is the perfect beach book! I actually live by the beach, and just happened to be out of town when I read it. I know—it sucks! But this book was determined to get part of the beach experience, so it spilled a bottle of water all over itself! Anyway…onto the actually review!
From the first page I was hooked. There was never a dull moment. Whenever the opportunity for one arose, Emma and Galen were sure to do something exciting! And while I guessed the GINORMOUS twist very early on, there were lots of surprises popping up that kept me captivated.
The plot was very character driven, which I really liked. They each added their own unique personality to the story, and kept me giggling the whole way through. I especially loved Galen, who was so sweet and considerate and loyal. I didn’t love Emma, but she was satisfactory enough.
I loved the whole Syrena culture and history. My favorite scenes were those with the Archives (old Syrena whose job it is to remember the history (think the Giver)) sharing their memories with Galen. I also found the science of the Syrena interesting as the search for what exactly Emma is goes on.

MATURE CONTENT:
The one thing I didn’t like about this book is the fact that basically everything on the characters minds is sleeping with each other. I prefer my characters with somewhat cleaner minds. Because of how frequent this was, I had to knock the rating down a whole star and a half. Other than that, this book was fanflippingtastic!

I received an ARC to read and review, and received no compensation for this review

Monday, May 21, 2012

5 minutes with Lissa Price

I would call this an interview, but this was really last minute, and didn’t have any of my normal questions, so I decided to cleverly call it “5 minutes with…”

Today I get to spend 5 minutes with Lissa Price, debut author of Starters. You can find my review here!

(I'll qualify these answers by saying this is what I would say today. Tomorrow, it might be entirely different!)

What's your favorite...

…Color

blue (but this changes)

…Book

Oh, don't make me... I can't, even with the qualifier!

…Movie

This answer would change from day to day, let's say MEMENTO

…Fairy Tale

Sleeping Beauty

…Dessert

NY cheesecake

…TV Show

Game of Thrones

…Singer

Adele

…Time Waster

The Voice

…Fictional Character

Katniss Everdeen

Book Review: Starters by Lissa Price

HER WORLD IS CHANGED FOREVER
Callie lost her parents when the Spore Wars wiped out everyone between the ages of twenty and sixty. She and her little brother, Tyler, go on the run, living as squatters with their friend Michael and fighting off renegades who would kill them for a cookie. Callie's only hope is Prime Destinations, a disturbing place in Beverly Hills run by a mysterious figure known as the Old Man.
He hires teens to rent their bodies to Enders—seniors who want to be young again. Callie, desperate for the money that will keep her, Tyler, and Michael alive, agrees to be a donor. But the neurochip they place in Callie's head malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, and going out with a senator's grandson. It feels almost like a fairy tale, until Callie discovers that her renter intends to do more than party—and that Prime Destinations' plans are more evil than Callie could ever have imagined. . .

Starters is a refreshing story to be added to the giant shelf of dystopian fiction. The setting was creepy, the characters were real, and the plot was thrilling; everything you need to make up a good science fiction story.

The world building was great, but I wish there’d been more history on the Spores War and Prime Destinations. I like the idea of all the adults being wiped out by a virus (not in real life, of course), and seeing the after-effects of that. It’s kind of hard to believe that all these old people would be perfectly fine with renting out the bodies of children now that their parents are gone. Should I be worried about the sanity of old people?

Callie was such a realistic character, who I could relate to. As a big sister, I could understand what she was thinking and feeling about her brother. I don’t know if I’d go as extreme as selling my body to keep my family safe, but I’d give almost anything for them. All the supporting characters are very strong and convincing in their roles.

I found myself moving further on the edge of my seat as the story progressed. There was lots of action and mystery that kept things going. I liked that I couldn’t solve everything before the main characters. I had a lot of speculations, but they all turned out to be wrong (which never happens!)

I would recommend this book to anyone in a heartbeat. I can hardly wait for Enders to come out this fall (hurray for no waiting until 2013)!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Bout of Books read-a-thon: Confessions

Today’s challenge involves bookish confessions. Since I don’t recall any laugh out loud embarrassing book related stories (except for that one time at Books a Million…), I’ll be doing the “This or That” portion of the challenge (although I like to ramble, so my answers will most likely be very long!)

Physical book or eBook?

Physical books! I Wish I had an eReader because my purse (AKA Book Bag) usually weighs about 10 pounds (I’m really not joking!)

Paperback or Hardcover?

Paperback! I just don’t like hardcovers, but since new releases are generally only available in hardcover, I don’t have much choice.

Reality or Make-believe?

Make-believe! Who wants to read about the real world?

Adult or Young-Adult?

Young Adult! I’ve read maybe 2 adult books in my life, and I didn’t exactly enjoy them. I’m happy reading Young Adult books for the rest of my life!

Dog ears or Bookmarks?

Bookmarks. I only dog-ear books if they’re old books which have already been dog-eared on that exact page and my bookmarks have gone missing.

Breaking the spine or Barely open the book?

I tend to lean towards the “barely open the book” side because when I see a cracked spine I come close to tears.

Tea or Coffee?

Umm…neither. I’m proud to be caffeine free!

Reading in bed or On the couch?

I do almost all of my reading in bed, even though I can’t sit/lay comfortably in it, because my family is very loud, and I need peace to be able to read.

Series or Standalone?

I don’t have a preference really, but I hate long series! Usually after 5 books, the story goes downhill and only exists to make more money.

Original or TV Adaptation?

Um, I don’t watch TV…

Defy motion sickness or Audiobooks?

I assume we’re talking about reading in moving vehicles. Most often I prefer audiobooks, but whenever I’m in the car long enough to listen to any part of an audiobook, those sitting in the back seat are making sure I won’t be able to hear it. That being said, I usually get dizzy while reading in cars, unless I’m super absorbed, in which case I don’t care (I finished Mockingjay on a 3 hour road-trip!)

Author crushes or Who-was-that-guy-again?

I don’t crush on authors, but I can remember their names, so I’d say I’m somewhere in-between.

Interview or Guest post?

Interview. I’m just not a big fan of guest posts.

So there you have it! I’d love to read your confessions!

Monday, May 14, 2012

Asunder cover + an Incarnate manicure!

I know I’m late to celebrate, but the sequel to Incarnate has a cover! I personally like it even more that Incarnate, and the name is pretty awesome, too!

And just read the synopsis! Sounds exciting!

DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.
SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.
In this second book in the Incarnate trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.

To celebrate, Jodi Meadows is being awesome and giving away her last pair of mittens! All you have to do is take a picture of yourself holding Incarnate! That sounds easy enough, right? I wish!

My camera decided to break the day before the contest started, and then my webcam started to malfunction, and so finally, this morning, I decided to seek help from my 11 year old sister by borrowing the Flip camera which she has claimed as her own (when in fact, it has always been mine.) But of course if I was going to borrow from her, I might as well go all out and give myself a manicure! (So as you are examining my bad quality image, take notice to my Incarnate themed nails!) After all that was over and done with, I still had to use a picture instead of a video, and my screenshots didn’t want to agree with me! Finally, though, it worked out.

Hopefully you were smart and just skipped over that extremely long paragraph!

What do you think of the Asunder cover and my sparkly nails?

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Bout of Books read-a-thon!

I’ve decided on a whim to sign up for the Bout of Books read-a-thon, despite the fact that I’ll be out of town and occupied all week. Because of this, I’m not planning on reading a ton. Right now it looks like I might be able to fit 3-5 books into my schedule.

Here’s a look at some of the books I might be picking up:

Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker
~~It’s a Mall World After All by Janette Rallison~~
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

And here’s the handy dandy progress update thingy. Hopefully I’ll be able to update this at the end of each day, but I make no promises. I have way too many things planned, and most likely will just crash at the end of the day.

5/14

Total Books Read: 1
Total Pages Read: 80
Books Read Since Last Update: 1
Pages Read since last update: 80
Total time read: 1 hour
How I'm currently feeling: Might try to sneak in some more reading before bed!

5/15

Total Books Read: 0
Total Pages Read: 0
Books Read Since Last Update: 0
Pages Read since last update: 0
Total time read: 0
How I'm currently feeling: 0

5/16

Total Books Read: 0
Total Pages Read: 0
Books Read Since Last Update: 0
Pages Read since last update: 0
Total time read: 0
How I'm currently feeling: 0

5/17

Total Books Read: 1
Total Pages Read: 138
Books Read Since Last Update: 0
Pages Read since last update: 58
Total time read: 2
How I'm currently feeling: This is the first time this week I've had a chance to update, so you can guess how much time I have to read! Tomorrow things are dying down, so I may get some reading squeezed in on the weekend!

5/18

Total Books Read: 0
Total Pages Read: 0
Books Read Since Last Update: 0
Pages Read since last update: 0
Total time read: 0
How I'm currently feeling: 0

5/19

Total Books Read: 1
Total Pages Read: 300
Books Read Since Last Update: 0
Pages Read since last update: 170
Total time read: 4 hours
How I'm currently feeling: I got a good reading session in this morning, and I'm getting ready for another one this afternoon if I can manage it!

5/20

Total Books Read: 0
Total Pages Read: 0
Books Read Since Last Update: 0
Pages Read since last update: 0
Total time read: 0
How I'm currently feeling: 0

Are you participating? Leave your links below!

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Book Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

New soul
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.
No soul
Even Ana's own mother thinks she's a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she'll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?
Heart
Sam believes Ana's new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana's enemies--human and creature alike--let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else's life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Absolutely one of the most unique books I’ve read this year! It’s completely different from anything else I’ve ever read. I mean, it’s a romantic dystopian fantasy!

The world building was wonderful. The world itself was very strange, but it was beautifully constructed. I found it kind of hard to see how dragons could fit into this universe, but it worked out rather nicely. I was somewhat creeped out by the white, pulsating tower and wall surrounding the city at first, but it mostly made sense by the end.

I wasn’t sure what to think about all the whole reincarnation thing. Because of my personal beliefs I felt slightly uncomfortable with it, but overall I thought it was handled well. One thing I didn’t understand is why and how these people found life worth living after 5000 years of it. I think there’s magic when you experience a first anything—first steps, first kiss—and that magic is lost when you’ve already done it a thousand times, just with a new body each time.

I thought the character development was very evident. Ana starts out with no self esteem, treating herself like she’s less than nothing, and grows into a strong, confident woman.

Sam was great. While this is most certainly Ana’s story, Sam’s role is just as important. I loved the way he respected her. He was so considerate and kind to her, when no one else was. And the romance grew into something lovely and real.

I loved the symbolism of the music and the butterflies and how they all tied together so well with the plot. I wish I had some examples of how poetically these symbols were drawn, because it really was beautiful. Jodi is one powerful writer!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Blogger Interview: Briana @ Pages Unbound

As you may have seen earlier on, I have started up my blogger interviews again! The first one to sign up was one of the wonderful Briana over at Pages Unbound. Here’s a little bit about her, but you should definitely stop by her blog, too!

Briana is an English major who loves classics and fantasy. Her favorite book is The Lord of the Rings, and Tolkien has had a large influence on her reading, inspiring an interest in Anglo-Saxon and Middle English literature. When she is not reading, she likes to dance and find ways to annoy Krysta.

Why did you start your blog?

Krysta and I have written book reviews for our own amusement for years. We thought it would be fun to finally share our opinions with a larger audience and to see what other readers have to say about the books we read. So far it has been really fun, and I feel a lot more knowledgeable about the book market in general.

Where did the name of your blog come from?

We wanted a name that clearly was related to books and that gave some impression of taking a book apart to see what makes it work or not work.

If you were stuck on a deserted island, what 3 books would you bring?

The Oxford English Dictionary. It would take a really long time to read everything, and I think words are fascinating.

The Lord of the Rings. This is my favorite book, and it could bear multiple re-readings.

A survival guide. This may sound lame, but I’m not sure I would last long without one.

What are you doing when you aren’t reading or blogging?

I like social dances like contra, English, or Scottish. I have dabbled in learning ballroom dancing. I also really enjoy crafts and baking.

What are 3 words that describe your personality?

Creative, happy, introverted.

If you had to pick one author to meet, who would it be?

If I could pick any author anywhere, it would be J. R. R. Tolkien. I love his fiction and his scholarship, and I find him to be personally inspiring. He put a lot of work into his life with his family and his friendships!

If I could meet a living author, it would be Gail Carson Levine. I think she has a wonderful imaginative and a really great sense of humor.

What’s your favorite fairy tale?

Probably “Rapunzel.” I find the concept really intriguing. But I like retellings of “Beauty and the Beast” because the theme of learning to see the good in someone never gets old.

How old were you when you learned to read?

I actually have no idea!

How many books do you read in a week?

This completely depends on my schedule. Sometimes I have to read three books a week for class. If I’m reading for fun in the summer, the number could be higher.

What’s the first book you remember reading?

I have some memories of reading Dr. Seuss books like The Foot Book.

Red, Yellow, or Blue?

Blue.

White, Milk, or Dark Chocolate?

Milk chocolate.

Harry Potter, Twilight, or Hunger Games?

The Hunger Games! I really like the world of Harry Potter, but I think The Hunger Games is better written.

Fantasy, Romance, or Historical Fiction?

Fantasy.

Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, or Lima Beans?

Lima beans.

Thank you Briana for stopping by!

If you’re a blogger who’d like to be interviewed, let me know!

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

2012 YA Bloggers Book Battle!

In case you haven’t heard, The Shady Glade is once again hosting a Young Adult Book Blogger Battle! And guess what this years theme is—Retold Fairy Tales! Right up my alley!
There aren’t that many details yet, but they’re still looking for book nominations and judges, and I thought my followers would be more than willing to lend a hand!
I hope to see you in the battlefield!

*UPDATE*

Guess what? Now there's a contest! Basically how it works is if you nominate a book or become a judge and comment right here, you'll be entered. But wait--there's more! If you spread the word (blog, facebook, twitter, etc...) you get another entry!

And if you enter, please mention me as the referrer! There's a separate contest for whoever has the most referrals, and you know you love me!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Book Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.
But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

This book was definitely a unique experience. I feel like I’m the only blogger who didn’t completely fall in love with this book. It was really good, it just didn’t pull me in the way it has other readers.

The premise was what interested me. There are plenty of dystopians where the society appears perfect because any and all causes of discord are erased from the world, but never has the cause of all this been love. If you think about it, it makes sense. Love and hate influence much of what we do, and have been the cause of many problems in our society. What would the world be like if we erased those things? Would things be better or worse? I don’t know, but I don’t want to find out!

I like the fact that this is set in an alternate-present, instead of a far-away future. I think that’s something a lot of people didn’t get, but to me it seemed clear that this isn’t set sometime in the far future, but that their was a conflict sometime in the past that would’ve lead to the society being like this by now.

Based on what I picked up from the story, the cure had been around for quite some time before Lena’s story takes place. Because of this, I wonder how inventions such as the internet came about. Any great invention can’t be invented without a passion burning behind it.

I found the characters alright, but there wasn’t anything to make me love them. Lena seemed kind of shallow. She did whatever she was told, regardless of what she should’ve done. That wasn’t my biggest issue, though.

There’s a moment towards the end where she says something along the lines of ‘I only feel beautiful when Alex tells me I am’ and that just wrecked her for me. If she doesn’t like herself, why should I?

The story felt really slow paced. It took 200 pages in before anything exciting happened. I didn’t mind that so much. It made some room for world-building and getting to know the characters. After that, the pacing caught up and the story really began to pull me in, keeping me captivated the whole way through.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

April Wrap-Up & In My Mailbox & Coming In May

APRIL WRAP-UP

READ:

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
A True Princess by Diane Zahler
Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon, Dean, and Nathan Hale
Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott
Starters by Lissa Price (audiobook)
My Very UnFairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski
The Swan Kingdom by Zoe Marriott

I almost reached my goal of 10 books! Maybe next month will be the month to get back on track!

REVIEWS:

FAIRY TALE FORTNIGHT

I had tons of fun with Fairy Tale Fortnight this year! To see all my posts, check out my Stupendous FTF Schedule! Thanks to Misty, Ashley, and everyone else who helped put FTF together!

IN MY MAILBOX!

PURCHASED:

Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass
My Very UnFairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

LIBRARY:

Starters by Lissa Price (audiobook) (Not pictured. My older sister borrowed it!)
Rapunzel’s Revenge by Shannon, Dean, and Nathan Hale (Not pictured. My younger sister borrowed it!)
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
It’s a Mall World After All by Janette Rallison

REVIEW:

Surrender by Elana Johnson (Thanks Simon Pulse!)
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks (Thanks Feiwel & Friends!)
Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker (eGalley) (Thanks Bloomsbury!)

WON:

My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison (thanks a zillion Janette!)
Cold Fury by T.M. Goeglein (Thank you Lea!!!!!) (yes that is my fat finger!)

Cold Fury actually has an interesting story behind how it appeared in my mailbox. I had entered LC's Adventures in Libraryland ARC & Swag Giveaway and then completely forgot! None of the books particularly interested me, but I thought I might as well, because there’s no chance I’d win. Guess who was really wrong. I made my choice, but it had already been claimed, so I ended up with Cold Fury. At first I thought it sounded really out of my league, but the more I read about it, the more excited I got about it! Now I can’t wait to read it!

and I also got…

A Bookshelf!

The first two shelves are books I’ve read. The third shelf is my to-read shelf. The bottom shelf is for my sister. As you can see, she likes Lord of the Rings and Orson Scott Card.

COMING IN MAY

TO READ:

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
It’s a Mall World After All by Janette Rallison
Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Stork by Wendy Delsol
Surrender by Elana Johnson
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
Ice by Sarah Beth Durst

I had my very first giveaway go up today! It runs until the 15th! I hope you enter! You can win almost any fairy tale retelling I’ve reviewed!

I don’t have much else going on in May. I have a couple interviews and a blog tour, and I’ll be catching up on all my non-fairy tale reviews!

What are you planning in May?

Fairy Tale Giveaway!

Today I’ll be hosting my VERY FIRST GIVEAWAY! Somehow I’ve managed to run a blog for over a year without ever hosting a giveaway!
YOU get to choose your prize. You can pick any fairy tale retelling I’ve reviewed that is valued under $10. Sorry international peeps! I love you—but I can barely pay for shipping to the US (yep—I’m that poor!)
And if I get 100 followers, I’ll throw a party and give all of you digital hugs and cupcakes (because while I may be poor, I make some mean cupcakes)!
For your convenience, I’ve provided a list of every fairy tale book I’ve reviewed. I believe the majority of these are available in paperback, making them eligible for the giveaway! (You can find the Rafflecopter below)