Around the World Covers: Pandemonium and Cinder
5:07 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
Hi everyone! Today I bring you a new feature, yay! Since I also blog in Spanish, I see a lot of the Spanish covers as well as the English ones. And I like to compare them, too, so I thought I'd share my thoughts with you, here. I also plan on making a button for this feature :D Click on the images to enlarge.
A couple of days ago, Lauren shared on her blog the UK cover for Pandemonium:
And, let me tell you, I'm not a fan. I do like the orange-iness of it, resembling the US cover, but it's got nothing to do with Delirium's UK cover, and I don't appreciate it when my covers don't match.
It looks like it's Lena in the Wilds, so that's a plus. But I prefer the US cover a hundred times over this one.
Now it's Cinder's turn, this fairy tale retelling/dystopia:
Compared to the US cover, I like this one better.
It matches the fairy tale vibe of it, and also, look at her awesome leg and arm!
Montena, the Spanish publisher, did a great job with it :)
The series is called The Lunar Chronicles; can you see the half moon that is the C? Love it.
What do you guys think?
xo, Ella
Pandemonium 2012 Tour Dates
10:52 AM Posted by Ella Preuss
We now have the official dates for the Pandemonium 2012 Tour! Lauren will be visiting several bookstores in the US in March, so mark your calendars, everyone! There'll be a Livestream event on March 11th, so even if you can't make it to any of these venues, you'll still get a chance to see Lauren.
(Info taken from laurenoliverbooks.blogspot.com)
Oblong Books
Rhinebeck, NY
Joint Event with Kate Ellison / The Butterfly Clues (Egmont)
Sunday, March 4th 3:00PM
Quail Ridge
Raleigh, NC
*solo
Tuesday, March 6th 6:00PMPudd’nhead Books
Webster Groves, MO
*solo
Wednesday, March 7th 5:00PM
Barnes & Noble
Southlake, TX
*solo
Friday, March 9th 6:30PM
Books & Books
Coral Gables, FL
*Dark Days event with Claudia Gray (BALTHAZAR) and Dan Wells (PARTIALS)
Saturday, March 10th 2:00PM
Barnes & Noble
Alpharetta, GA
*Dark Days event with Claudia Gray (BALTHAZAR) and Dan Wells (PARTIALS)
Sunday, March 11th 4:00PM
Vroman’s
Los Angeles, CA
*Dark Days event with Claudia Gray (BALTHAZAR) and Dan Wells (PARTIALS)
**LIVESTREAM event
Saturday, March 17th 1:45PM
Southwest Florida Reading Festival
Fort Myers, FL
Saturday, March 17th 1:45PM
Southwest Florida Reading Festival
Fort Myers, FL
Cover Reveal: Blind Spot, by Laura Ellen
10:18 AM Posted by Ella Preuss
And here it is, I love the effect on the eye, I'm guessing it's the MC's macular degeneration and can't help but wonder what she might be looking at.
Also, that tagline! Amazing!
What you can't see might be murder.Blind Spot debuts on October 23rd.
Deliriously Falling is in a Blackout Against SOPA
10:17 AM Posted by Ella Preuss
Deliriously Falling is blacking out today in protest of Internet Censorship.
Learn more about SOPA, let's fight it together.
More Cinderella Than You Could Ever Want in This Lifetime!!
8:33 AM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Hey Deliriously Falling fans! You may remember a post last week stating the beginning of A Week of Cinderella. Hopefully some of you came out to play! If you didn't have time or got overwhelmed, here's a brief round-up of all the authors, bloggers, giveaways, reviews, and features that were posted this week! There are a lot--20-something! I hope you find something new to enjoy!
[And the ONLY Lauren Oliver tie-in that I can add to this post is....the fact that I finished reading PANDEMONIUM last night? And...that's all I can say for now! ^.~]
The Giveaways
*CINDERS by Michelle Davidson Argyle [until 01/31/12]
*CINDER by Marissa Meyer [until 01/25/12]
(And while I'm not running them, get more chances to win CINDER from:
Confessions of a Common Reader
Mermaid Vision Books
...and various CINDER blog tour stops!)
The Blog Tours
*GIVEAWAY & CINDER Cover Design! In-Depth interview with designer Rich Deas
*Top 10s with author Julia Karr (TRUTH, XVI)
[Okay, this one wasn't for the event, per say, but since Julia Karr uses the term Cinderella Girl, it magically still counts!]
The Authors
*An Interview with Jim C. Hines (THE STEPSISTER SCHEME)
*Guest Post and Giveaway with Michelle Davidson Argyle (CINDERS)
*Interview with Sarah J. Maas (2012 debut author; THRONE OF GLASS)
*Interview with Zoë Marriott (SHADOWS ON THE MOON)
The Guest Bloggers
*Updating Cinderella into Modern Times (Guest Post with The Flashlight Reader)
*The Ultimate Love Story (Guest Post with The Romance Bookie)
*Learning to Appreciate Cinderella Through EVER AFTER (Guest Review with Mermaid Vision Books)
*CINDERELLA: A TWIST IN TIME (Guest Review with Tamara Felsinger/Uncharted Pages)
*MY FAIR GODMOTHER and CINDER at King's English Bookstore Write-Up! by Janette Rallison (Guest Review with Literally Jen)
*Cinderella and I/CINDER Launch Party (Guest Post with Kristina's World of Books)
The Reviews
*Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books I'd Recommend To Someone Who Doesn't Read Cinderella
*Round-up of TWELVE Cinderella features & reviews over the lifetime of this blog
*Learning to Appreciate Cinderella Through EVER AFTER (Guest Review with Mermaid Vision Books)
*CINDERELLA: A TWIST IN TIME (Guest Review with Tamara Felsinger/Uncharted Pages)
*MY FAIR GODMOTHER by Janette Rallison (Guest Review with Literally Jen)
*PRINCESS OF GLASS by Jessica Day George
*CINDERS by Michelle Davidson Argyle
*SHADOWS ON THE MOON by Zoë Marriott
*CINDER by Marissa Meyer
The Special Features
[There were a few more I wanted to do, too, such as a ONCE UPON A TIME feature, but I just ran out of time!]
*How Cinderella Entered My Life (And refused to leave me alone)
*CINDER's Movie-Style Trailer and Marketing Campaign
*Cover Crazy: ASH, JUST ELLA, THE CINDERELLA DEAL, CINDERELLA SKELETON
*Teaser Tuesday: SHADOWS ON THE MOON by Zoë Marriott
*Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books I'd Recommend To Someone Who Doesn't Read Cinderella
*Waiting on Wednesday: THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas
*A Proposal Straight Out of a Fairy Tale (Video)
*CINDER Hits the NYT Best Sellers List!
The Ones I Didn't Get To
[There were a few more books I wanted to read and review, but I ran out of time...and room!!]
*SILVER WOVEN IN MY HAIR by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
*PHOENIX AND ASHES by Mercedes Lackey
The Part Where YOU Come In!!
So, what would you like to see more of? What did you see too much of? What did you like and dislike about the way A Week of Cinderella was handled? If we do another fairy tale-character theme week, it will either be two weeks (for characters with a large repertoire) or organized better...or both! That's a promise!
PANDEMONIUM: Read an excerpt, win an Advanced Reader's Copy!
11:06 AM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
You, yes YOU, could win an early copy of PANDEMONIUM, the book that everyone's coveting!
We still have over a month until the novel's in our greedy paws, but you can win an ARC right now!
Check out DELIRIUM's Facebook Page to find out more and enter to WIN!!!
Five winners will be chosen EACH WEEK from now until 2/15/12. Enter each week to enhance your chances of winning!!
Good luck!!!
Fan Art: Delirium Inspired Quote Book
12:47 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
Today I want to share with you some photos from the Quote Book Chelsea made after reading Delirium.
I adore this little book she made, which was why I asked her if we could share the pics on the blog, and she was so glad, she said yes!
We love how inspired you were, Chelsea!
If any of you have anything you want to show us, something you made after inspiration hit you, be it a story, a song, a painting, anything, email us!
The Way We Fall, by Megan Crewe
7:00 AM Posted by Ella Preuss
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Age Group: Young Adult
Overall: 1 out of 5 Stars
Categories: Drama, Dystopia, NetGalley, Did Not Finish*
Read in January 2012
My Opinion:It starts with an itch you just can't shake. Then comes a fever and a tickle in your throat. A few days later, you'll be blabbing your secrets and chatting with strangers like they’re old friends. Three more, and the paranoid hallucinations kick in.
And then you're dead.
When a deadly virus begins to sweep through sixteen-year-old Kaelyn’s community, the government quarantines her island—no one can leave, and no one can come back.
Those still healthy must fight for dwindling supplies, or lose all chance of survival. As everything familiar comes crashing down, Kaelyn joins forces with a former rival and discovers a new love in the midst of heartbreak. When the virus starts to rob her of friends and family, she clings to the belief that there must be a way to save the people she holds dearest.
Because how will she go on if there isn't?
I was expecting to love this book -the premise is good and it's categorised as a dystopia, which is a genre I love- but alas, I did not. A lot of other people seem to have liked it, and maybe that's why I was expecting too much from this novel. I'd seen a lot of 5 stars reviews on GR.
The novel's protagonist, Kaelyn, begins writing a diary for her ex-bestfriend, Leo. It starts out slow, but that's understandable, because that's how you're supposed to write a diary, little by little, not like a normal prose narrative book. But further on, that's exactly what it becomes; the diary transforms into something else, where Kaelyn narrates everything, but still in a slow pace.
I could not for the life of me relate to any of these characters: Kaelyn, her brother Drew, her cousin Meredith, her father... they were all there, but none (it seemed to me) had enough depth, they didn't seem real to me.
The way Kaelyn retells the events happening in her island are dull and unsufficient for my reader curiosity. Nothing interesting happened, and I found myself (after reading 157 pages) skipping chapters, that didn't show much promise either. The ending was predictable, too.
Needless to say is, I was very disappointed. I was truly expecting something different from what I got. I do want to keep reading what Megan writes, though. Maybe I'll like Give Up The Ghost, people say it's funny.
*It wasn't that I didn't finish it, more like -like I said above-, I skipped chapters after reaching the middle, only to see how it ended and move on to my next read.
The novel's protagonist, Kaelyn, begins writing a diary for her ex-bestfriend, Leo. It starts out slow, but that's understandable, because that's how you're supposed to write a diary, little by little, not like a normal prose narrative book. But further on, that's exactly what it becomes; the diary transforms into something else, where Kaelyn narrates everything, but still in a slow pace.
I could not for the life of me relate to any of these characters: Kaelyn, her brother Drew, her cousin Meredith, her father... they were all there, but none (it seemed to me) had enough depth, they didn't seem real to me.
The way Kaelyn retells the events happening in her island are dull and unsufficient for my reader curiosity. Nothing interesting happened, and I found myself (after reading 157 pages) skipping chapters, that didn't show much promise either. The ending was predictable, too.
Needless to say is, I was very disappointed. I was truly expecting something different from what I got. I do want to keep reading what Megan writes, though. Maybe I'll like Give Up The Ghost, people say it's funny.
*It wasn't that I didn't finish it, more like -like I said above-, I skipped chapters after reaching the middle, only to see how it ended and move on to my next read.
Firelight (Firelight, #1), by Sophie Jordan
6:00 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult
Overall: 4 Stars
Categories: Fantasy, Paranormal, Dragons, Romance
Read in January 2012
Summary:
My Opinion:
Firelight drew me in and didn't let go until I was done! What a good read! It took me a while to read this, but that was because I waited until it was published in Arg, instead of buying it through the internet. But now, I don't know if I'll be able to wait until Vanish is published here, I want to read it now!
Although I really enjoyed this book, I was a little annoyed at the plot: girl's family has to move for whatever reason (in Firelight it was to save Jacinda from a terrible fate), girl starts new school, doesn't make many friends, and the cutest guy -the one all the girls drool about- notices her among the throng.
But I get it: sometimes these things -writing about new kids in school and falling for the boy/girl you've dreamed about/seen in your mind/are destined to meet/etc.- are inevitable if we want to make the story work. I know this from experience, I'm writing a book where my female character dreams about a boy whom she later meets, and oh, what a surprise, she meets him because he's new in school. But I've learnt it doesn't matter what others write, it's what you make of your story. Honestly, I don't see any other way for neither mine nor Sophie's story to work: Jacinda's in danger and they have to move. She's the new kid in school -along with her sister, Tamra- and it's there where she meets Will, the hunter who refused to kill her.
And it's because of that that she wants to be around him (why did he spare her, when he kills her kind for a living?), and also, because without him, her draki (her dragon spirit) will certainly die in the hot desert where her mother took her.
I love dragons, and this story did not disappoint. Their history was explained very well through Jacinda's voice, which I thought was unique. I loved that the draki have all different abilities, like Jacinda being a fire draki, the last of her kind, and that they live in closed communities. And I also can't wait to learn more about the enkros and the hunters, and Will's story.
I only wish the love triangle wasn't so strong and present in the book. Sophie created wonderful characters, and while I can tolerate the new girl syndrome, I really dislike a bad love triangle.
I'd recommend this to Inheritance's fans: while this is nothing like Paolini's series, a) it's got dragons, and b) we've got no more Inheritance books, so we might as well move on to the next series.
xo,Ella
A hidden truth. Mortal enemies. Doomed love.
Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.
Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.
Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.
My Opinion:
Firelight drew me in and didn't let go until I was done! What a good read! It took me a while to read this, but that was because I waited until it was published in Arg, instead of buying it through the internet. But now, I don't know if I'll be able to wait until Vanish is published here, I want to read it now!
Although I really enjoyed this book, I was a little annoyed at the plot: girl's family has to move for whatever reason (in Firelight it was to save Jacinda from a terrible fate), girl starts new school, doesn't make many friends, and the cutest guy -the one all the girls drool about- notices her among the throng.
But I get it: sometimes these things -writing about new kids in school and falling for the boy/girl you've dreamed about/seen in your mind/are destined to meet/etc.- are inevitable if we want to make the story work. I know this from experience, I'm writing a book where my female character dreams about a boy whom she later meets, and oh, what a surprise, she meets him because he's new in school. But I've learnt it doesn't matter what others write, it's what you make of your story. Honestly, I don't see any other way for neither mine nor Sophie's story to work: Jacinda's in danger and they have to move. She's the new kid in school -along with her sister, Tamra- and it's there where she meets Will, the hunter who refused to kill her.
And it's because of that that she wants to be around him (why did he spare her, when he kills her kind for a living?), and also, because without him, her draki (her dragon spirit) will certainly die in the hot desert where her mother took her.
I love dragons, and this story did not disappoint. Their history was explained very well through Jacinda's voice, which I thought was unique. I loved that the draki have all different abilities, like Jacinda being a fire draki, the last of her kind, and that they live in closed communities. And I also can't wait to learn more about the enkros and the hunters, and Will's story.
I only wish the love triangle wasn't so strong and present in the book. Sophie created wonderful characters, and while I can tolerate the new girl syndrome, I really dislike a bad love triangle.
I'd recommend this to Inheritance's fans: while this is nothing like Paolini's series, a) it's got dragons, and b) we've got no more Inheritance books, so we might as well move on to the next series.
xo,Ella
Niva from Equinoccio reviewed Pandemonium and called the series a "literary jewel".
2:11 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
SM, Lauren's Spanish publisher, held a contest a while ago, and the prize was a Pandemonium ARC. A few Spanish readers got the chance to read the book before it hits stores in February.
I fell in love with Delirium. I was hooked for hours. I found a wonderful story, brilliantly written. How was I to imagine that Lauren Oliver could overcome something like retry its own history, surprise me, keep me in suspense for nearly four hundred pages giving myself a finale, how I would imagine that Pandemonium would far exceed any expectations that I had created, it would be surprising, unexpected, exciting, emotional. That would be what I've found, proving beyond doubt that Oliver is one of the best YA writers we can find and her dystopian saga is a real jewel.
Niva said "Lauren has prodigious pen, and that she turns everything she writes into music for our ears." Which, to me, is exactly right. She also said she was angry at Lauren for having ended the book the way she did, which makes me wonder what sort of cliffhanger awaits us at the end of the book!
Have you snatched up an ARC somewhere or are you waiting for the book to come out on Feb 28th, like me?
xo, Ella
Lauren is in TIME Magazine!
1:07 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
According to Lauren, "In a really funny article detailing the media, sports, and political face-offs to watch for in the new year, TIME has Pandemonium (the second book in the Delirium trilogy) pitted against Insurgent by Veronica Roth (which is also the second in a YA trilogy)."
Go say congrats to Lauren!
xo, Ella
Becca Fitzpatrick reveals title for book four in the Hush, Hush saga
7:47 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
*drumroll*
The title is... FINALE!
Just like she said, that word has a musical tinge to it, which goes great with the series's previous titles.
Now
we'll have to wait for the cover reveal. She also said that she won't
be accepting any offers to turn the series into films, and I couldn't be
happier with that decision, because lately, we're hearing a lot of
authors saying that their books would be made into films, and I don't
think the films/producers take the books' essence into consideration
enough, and these books turn out to be only a ghost of what the books
were.
The live video chat isn't over yet. Come and join us!
Buy Delirium at 2,99 on Amazon and mark you calendars for the Pitch Dark Days Events featuring Lauren!
12:56 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
That's right, guys. Now you can get a kindle copy of Delirium for only 2, 99! What a bargain! Get it now!
Also, Lauren will be touring in March with the Pitch Dark Days Event, and you can go see her! There still aren't defined dates for her appearances, but we'll keep you posted.
In the meantime, you can check out PDD on Facebook and download the samplers they've prepared for this year's tour.
A Week of Cinder(ella): January 08 ~ 14, 2012
10:17 AM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Lauren Oliver fans, I'm so excited to announce that in honor of the release of my friend Marissa Meyer's debut novel CINDER, this week is A Week of Cinderella!
Of course, the government does NOT want me telling you about this event. Cinderella is a tale where both main characters have been infected with amor deliria nervosa and has been banned! Because of this, all event posts must be routed through to our super-secret server hosted at A Backwards Story. If you want to sneak around and take part in the festivities, please follow that secret link!
The week will feature guest posts, author visits (because, after all, Marissa isn't the ONLY author with a kick-ass Cinderella to celebrate!), giveaways, reviews, and culminate with a blog tour stop for CINDER!
Are you excited? I know I am!! Posts are already going live as we speak!!
~~~
I'd love your help spreading the word to all your fairy tale loving followers! Please tweet this entry, post it on your Facebook account, blog, etc. Feel free to snag one of the following buttons to post on your blog as well! [And if you do, you'll get extra giveaway entry points, oooh!]
[half-button]
<div align="center"><a href="http://abackwardsstory.blogspot.com/2012/01/week-of-cinderella-january-08-14-2012.html" title="A Backwards Story"><img src="http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/abackwardsstory/weekofcinder_half.png" alt="A Backwards Story" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
[small]
<div align="center"><a href="http://abackwardsstory.blogspot.com/2012/01/week-of-cinderella-january-08-14-2012.html" title="A Backwards Story"><img src="http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/abackwardsstory/weekofcinder_200.png" alt="A Backwards Story" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
[large]
<div align="center"><a href="http://abackwardsstory.blogspot.com/2012/01/week-of-cinderella-january-08-14-2012.html" title="A Backwards Story" target="_blank"><img src="http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/abackwardsstory/weekofcinder400.png" alt="A Backwards Story" style="border:none;" /></a></div>
NOTE: Some of the images I used when creating the banner are stock images. I was allowed free use so long as I linked back to the photographer.
Thank you so much to the following people for the use of these images for A Week of Cinderella!
GothicSelene [Model]
Azreheal [Dress]
MJ84-StockPhotos [Background]
