REQUIEM Cover REVEALED!
9:30 PM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
The cover for the final book in Lauren Oliver's stunning DELIRIUM trilogy now has a gorgeous cover.
Personally, I think this is my favorite of the three!
Are you ready?
.
.
.
What are your thoughts?
You're Gonna LOVE Me: WHAT'S LEFT OF ME by Kat Zhang
11:19 AM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
A sneak peek at another HarperTeen author, debuting this fall!
I've been anxious to get my hands on WHAT'S LEFT OF ME since THRONE OF GLASS author Sarah J. Maas blogged about her friend Kat Zhang's publication deal last year. I was so excited when HarperCollins sent me a review copy, and while I have to sit on the full review until closer to release, I wanted to whet your appetite now.
Zhang's world reminds me in the best possible way of Phillip Pullman's DARK MATERIALS Trilogy in that the dæmons we're introduced to and the way they're severed reminds me very much of the way recessive souls can be removed in WHAT'S LEFT OF ME. HIS DARK MATERIALS was read repeatedly growing up and is still an all-time favorite of mine.
In Zhang's world, every person is born with two twin souls that inhabit one body. The two take turns controlling the body, and over time, one soul becomes dominant and takes over while the other becomes recessive and fades away. With Addie and Eva, however, the recessive Eva never completely fades away. The girls' body never settles the way it should, and Addie isn't deemed alone in her body until she's ten, which is on the cusp-line of being "too long." If a body never settles, the government looks that person up. Eva has no control over her and Addie's body, but can still think and have conversations with Addie, a fact that the girls want to hide at all costs.
I loved the fact that Eva is the narrator as the recessive soul, rather than seeing everything through Addie's eyes. It creates so many more layers because Eva struggles more. I also liked the way it's always "we" and "us" and "our" when narrating instead of "me" and "I" and "mine," which takes some getting used to, but makes complete sense. I wouldn't have it any other way!
WHAT'S LEFT OF ME doesn't have a cliffhanger and wraps in a way that could make it a one-off, but has enough loose threads that make a sequel imminent--and I, for one, will be glad to return to this world!
Zhang's world reminds me in the best possible way of Phillip Pullman's DARK MATERIALS Trilogy in that the dæmons we're introduced to and the way they're severed reminds me very much of the way recessive souls can be removed in WHAT'S LEFT OF ME. HIS DARK MATERIALS was read repeatedly growing up and is still an all-time favorite of mine.
In Zhang's world, every person is born with two twin souls that inhabit one body. The two take turns controlling the body, and over time, one soul becomes dominant and takes over while the other becomes recessive and fades away. With Addie and Eva, however, the recessive Eva never completely fades away. The girls' body never settles the way it should, and Addie isn't deemed alone in her body until she's ten, which is on the cusp-line of being "too long." If a body never settles, the government looks that person up. Eva has no control over her and Addie's body, but can still think and have conversations with Addie, a fact that the girls want to hide at all costs.
I loved the fact that Eva is the narrator as the recessive soul, rather than seeing everything through Addie's eyes. It creates so many more layers because Eva struggles more. I also liked the way it's always "we" and "us" and "our" when narrating instead of "me" and "I" and "mine," which takes some getting used to, but makes complete sense. I wouldn't have it any other way!
WHAT'S LEFT OF ME doesn't have a cliffhanger and wraps in a way that could make it a one-off, but has enough loose threads that make a sequel imminent--and I, for one, will be glad to return to this world!
Author: Kat Zhang
Release Date: Out Sept. 18 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Received: ARC for Review
SUMMARY:
Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t…
For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable–hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet…for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.
Cover Reveal: LIESL & PO...in paperback!
3:38 PM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
Are you ready for the big reveal?
.
.
.
What are your thoughts? I think the new cover looks great! It will definitely get a lot of attention and have kids picking it up off the shelf to look at!
At the same time, I do like the hardcover design better. It looks older and more elegant, more like a book worthy of sitting on a shelf alongside gilded classics.
Plus, if you take off the dustjacket, you get a SECOND cover, which is like an extra treat!
I can see why it might not resonate with as many of today's kids, though, and think the new cover will bring more awareness to the title.
What are your thoughts? Which cover do you like the best?
The Best & Most Anticipated Novels of 2012!
4:52 PM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
If you're not lucky enough to get to NYC and meet here, there's a wonderful online event running this week called Armchair BEA.
Today, we're looking at the best books of 2012 and previewing the most-anticipated books to come this year! These are my selections!
~*~
Day II is for The Best Books of 2012 (So Far!)
Don't forget to check out my interview answers from yesterday or enter today's Triple Giveaway if you haven't done so already!
What, to me, are the best books of 2012 so far?
(that I've actually read, of course...There are some books that I hear are AMAZING still waiting TBR...er...such as THE FAULT IN OUR STARS...)
Sorry for all the extra spaces...it doesn't look like that as I type and I don't know why Blogger's adding in all these spaces!!
What sequels did I love the most?
A lot of sequels and companion novels have come out recently, especially second books.
Reviewing these can be hard because they're SO full of spoilers. I've decided to hold off a few months before reviewing any sequel in order to give people time to read the book and form an opinion first!
But my favorites would HAVE to be...
Three of those titles are Second Books. Often times, second books aren't the best book in the series, and a lot of the time, if you adore the first book, you may not like the second one as much. I think WAKING STORMS and INSURGENT are both better than the first book in their respective series.
I did a You're Gonna Love Me post on WAKING STORMS for anyone who can't wait another month to read this amazing sequel! I'll do a full review during Splash into Summer! Sarah Porter has hands-down written my favorite mermaid series to-date.
I wouldn't have said this last year, but after re-reading DIVERGENT and reading INSURGENT, I'm currently liking this series better than THE HUNGER GAMES and think it's the best in the genre. We'll see what I think next year after the final book comes out! (And everyone who loves Lauren Oliver's DELIRIUM trilogy should definitely be checking this one out!)
While I didn't love HALLOWED as much as I did UNEARTHLY (There's just something about falling in love for the first time! I think that's also why I enjoyed ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS more than LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR!), I still thought it was a great sequel. I had three theories going into it (and two of them were complete surprises to most people, but I also didn't have the theories until re-reading UNEARTHLY, so there is that!), and can't wait to see if my third theory comes true in the final book or not!
And BITTERBLUE.... Ahh, the wait for BITTERBLUE has been torture! While the book wasn't what I'd expected it to be, it was still a tremendous offering that will win Kristin Cashore even more acclaim. It's brilliantly layered and much darker than Cashore's previous novels. I love that each of her novels so far deals with a different type of person living in the same world, from Gracelings to monsters to ordinary people.
What stand-alone or "first" novels did I love the most?
(that I've actually read, of course...There are some books that I hear are AMAZING still waiting TBR...er...such as THE FAULT IN OUR STARS...)
Sorry for all the extra spaces...it doesn't look like that as I type and I don't know why Blogger's adding in all these spaces!!
A lot of sequels and companion novels have come out recently, especially second books.Reviewing these can be hard because they're SO full of spoilers. I've decided to hold off a few months before reviewing any sequel in order to give people time to read the book and form an opinion first!
But my favorites would HAVE to be...
BITTERBLUE by Kristin Cashore * WAKING STORMS by Sarah Porter
INSURGENT by Veronica Roth * HALLOWED by Cynthia Hand
Three of those titles are Second Books. Often times, second books aren't the best book in the series, and a lot of the time, if you adore the first book, you may not like the second one as much. I think WAKING STORMS and INSURGENT are both better than the first book in their respective series.I did a You're Gonna Love Me post on WAKING STORMS for anyone who can't wait another month to read this amazing sequel! I'll do a full review during Splash into Summer! Sarah Porter has hands-down written my favorite mermaid series to-date.
I wouldn't have said this last year, but after re-reading DIVERGENT and reading INSURGENT, I'm currently liking this series better than THE HUNGER GAMES and think it's the best in the genre. We'll see what I think next year after the final book comes out! (And everyone who loves Lauren Oliver's DELIRIUM trilogy should definitely be checking this one out!)
While I didn't love HALLOWED as much as I did UNEARTHLY (There's just something about falling in love for the first time! I think that's also why I enjoyed ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS more than LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR!), I still thought it was a great sequel. I had three theories going into it (and two of them were complete surprises to most people, but I also didn't have the theories until re-reading UNEARTHLY, so there is that!), and can't wait to see if my third theory comes true in the final book or not!And BITTERBLUE.... Ahh, the wait for BITTERBLUE has been torture! While the book wasn't what I'd expected it to be, it was still a tremendous offering that will win Kristin Cashore even more acclaim. It's brilliantly layered and much darker than Cashore's previous novels. I love that each of her novels so far deals with a different type of person living in the same world, from Gracelings to monsters to ordinary people.
INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows is my favorite book of 2012 so far.
I technically read it in 2011 as an ARC, but I'll be re-reading it later this year as the release date of ASUNDER grows closer, so it still counts, especially since the book officially came out this year and all that jazzy stuff.
I managed to forget about reviewing this book after my computer crashed in January, so I'll rectify that sometime this month!
I think the reason I love INCARNATE so much is because of Jodi Meadows' way with words. Some passages are so beautiful, and they make my writer's heart weep because I can't write like that. I actually mentioned this to Jodi on Twitter earlier and she shared a link where she wrote a feature about writing like other authors recently!
This one came out in the UK last July, but it released in the USA this past April. I read and reviewed the book in January during my event A Week of Cinderella, then re-reviewed it in April for Fairy Tale Fortnight. Check out the review along with a guest post from Zoë!
If you've never read anything by her before and love fairy tales, you've been missing out! So far, SHADOWS is my favorite Zoë Marriott book. I love how she infused Japanese culture into it. It's spot-on, too, and really made me miss Japan and want to go back! It's also a very dark version of Cinderella, and was refreshingly different to read!
ORDINARY MAGIC by Caitlen Rubino-Bradway is my top middle-grade read of the year so far.
This should be obvious by now, right? Last week I reviewed the book, shared a guest post on World Building from Caitlen, and posted an interview with Bloomsbury Art Director Donna Mark. This week, I'm giving away a copy in celebration of Armchair BEA!
The world building is fabulous, and I love that it takes the "typical magical person" story and turns everything upside down! The voice is spot-on, amusing, and easy to read, which is a huge plus in my book. Plus, I love the family unit in this one!
GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers is a book I've been coveting since the moment Enchanted Inkpot posted the publishing deal in 2010.
Usually when I wait so long for a book, I'm disappointed because I've built it up so much in my head, but not this time.
If you recall from my review, I LOVED it! Assassins and a God of Death and historical fantasy paired with an amazing cover of a kick-ass girl holding a crossbow? This book exceeded my expectations in the best possible way!
ENCHANTED by Alethea Kontis was another book I was really looking forward to!
This was another one that I read in 2011, but am still counting for 2012 because it officially came out in April. Plus, I've already re-read it once this year!
I loved sharing my love of this novel with all of you during Fairy Tale Fortnight! I reviewed the book and interviewed Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Art Director Christine Kettner!
THE SPINDLERS by Lauren Oliver * THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas
THE CROWN OF EMBERS by Rae Carson * ELEMENTAL by Antony John
What are your favorites of the year so far?
SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo is a book I never expected to enjoy and only read this past weekend, but I love it already!
I reviewed the novel earlier this afternoon in celebration of the book's birthday being today!
I loved the imagery and the way Leigh Bardugo unfurled her world the more we read. Her descriptions made me feel as though I was freezing my arse off in Ravka along with the characters! The book captivated me in ways I never thought it could and I'm eager to read the rest of the series!
What books being promoted at BEA am I most excited about?
(Some of these may not be making a BEA appearance, but they'll be out later this year and I want them desperately!)
THE SPINDLERS by Lauren Oliver * THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas
THE CROWN OF EMBERS by Rae Carson * ELEMENTAL by Antony John
THE EVOLUTION OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin * DEFIANCE by C.J. Redwine
STORMDANCER by Jay Kristoff * FATHOMLESS by Jackson Pearce
VESSEL by Sarah Beth Durst * IRON-HEARTED VIOLET by Kelly Barnhill
CURSED by Jennifer Armentrout * DEITY by Jennifer Armentrout
THE DARKEST MINDS by Alexandra Bracken * WHAT'S LEFT OF ME by Kat Zhang
PRODIGY by Marie Lu * THE ESSENCE by Kimberly Derting
SPLINTERED by A.G. Howard * THE ARCHIVED by Victoria Schwab
FALLING KINGDOMS by Morgan Rhodes * BECAUSE IT IS MY BLOOD by Gabrielle Zevin
ONE BREATH AWAY by Heather Gudenkauf * PALACE OF STONE by Shannon Hale
What 2012 releases are you most looking forward to?
Daughter of Smoke and Bone (DoSaB, #1), by Laini Taylor
11:00 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Age Group: Young Adult
Overall: 5 out of 5 Stars (Unputdownable!)
Categories: Paranormal, Romance, Angels, Reincarnation, Magic
Goodreads Page
Read in March 2012
Summary:
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
My Opinion:
I started this book without having read any reviews, so I didn't know what to expect. Laini's world definitely blew me away. I was not expecting that!
The writing style of this book is so light and at the same time, intense; I couldn't put it down (but there were times when I had to). Taylor's descriptions made my imagination soar through the cities she wrote about, imagining scenes, towns, people, like a good book is supposed to do.
We start out not knowing who Karou is, or where she comes from; we only know that she has a lot of secrets, like her family and Brimstone, the closest thing to a father she has. With her blue hair, she's a rebel that seeks the truth about herself, but at the same time, does not want to disappoint mighty Brimstone.
Her human friend Zuzana, is an ordinary girl, your typical teenage friend. I'd love to see more of her, see how she progresses in the story. Karou keeps many secrets from her, but she's still loyal to her, and that says so much about her character. She's definitely an anchor for Karou, who's losing touch with everything that means something to her.
There are so many characters worthy of mentioning, but then this post would be very long. Karou's "monster" family is extremely caring, I started loving them just as much as Karou does.
The veil between our world and the Other Side (I read the book in Spanish; how do you call Brimstone's world?) is thinner than Karou could know, and she'll soon learn that there's more behind Brimstone's closed doors than she could ever have imagined.
Then there's Akiva. A tortured soul with a heavy bagagge. He's here to destroy Karou's world, but when they meet, sparks fly. He's such a deep character, I loved him from the start, even when he was trying to kill Karou!
A legendary battle is playing our between the monsters that have raised Karou and Akiva's own race, and she's stuck in the middle. But what part does she play?
Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a book filled with hope: hope of a better world, of happy endings, and of sad stories. You'll pick it up and won't want to let it go until you're finished, and then you'll cry because you'll want to know more!
Is it November already?
Labels:
Angels,
Laini Taylor,
Little Brown,
Magic,
Paranormal,
Reincarnation,
romance,
Series Daughter of Smoke and Bone,
Young Adult
Avatar: The Last Airbender, Volume One: The Promise, #1, by Gene Luen Yang
11:26 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
| Contributors: |  |
|
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Age Group: Children's
Overall: 4 out of 5 Stars
Categories: Avatar: The Last Airbender, NetGalley, Comics
Goodreads Page
Read in April 2012
Summary:
My Opinion:The wait is over! Ever since the conclusion of Avatar: The Last Airbender, its millions of fans have been hungry for more--and it's finally here!
This series of digests rejoins Aang and friends for exciting new adventures, beginning with a faceoff against the Fire Nation that threatens to throw the world into another war, testing all of Aang's powers and ingenuity!
The continuation of Airbender and the link to its upcoming sequel, Legend of Korra!
I love Avatar: The Last Airbender, so when I saw this title in NetGalley, of course I had to have it!
The Promise starts off just where the TV show ended: with the Fire Nation's Lord defeated, Aang victorious and with Katara (YAY!) and Zuko at the Fire Nation's throne.
It is now Aang's job to ensure that everything goes peacefully with the Harmony Restoration Movement, aimed at bringing the people from the Fire Nation living in the colonies in the Earth Kingdom back to their land. But of course, when stuff like this happens, people tend to make roots in the place they're taken to, and that's what the Fire Nation people have done. Now they don't want to leave, and this may bring problems to Aang and Zuko's plan to take them "home".
Aang is a young boy, playful and loveable like always, as the rest of the characters: they're the same as they were in the TV show. The art was also very faithful, I loved some of their expressions! Especially Toph, love her!
This was a very short read, at 74 pages, and we'll have to wait until next month for the next installment. Avatar fans, this is a must read, as it works as a link between A:TLA and Avatar: The Legend of Korra (now on TV!)
Free Four! (INSURGENT Pre-Order Campaign!)
1:10 PM Posted by Bonnie @ A Backwards Story
I'm so incredibly excited for INSURGENT and actually pre-ordered my copy this past weekend before I heard about Veronica Roth's pre-order campaign.
If 35,000 copies of INSURGENT are pre-ordered, HarperTeen will release an e-novella from Four's POV. Um, I want this! Don't you?
There are already close to 30,000 pre-orders, according to the following widget. Go, go, GO!!!
Books + Cupcakes = Good Times
2:23 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
Closer...
Closer...
There we go! See how yummy the bread is!
This was my first attempt at a Red Velvet Cupcake, and I gotta say, they turned out pretty good! The cupcake anyway... cause the frosting (Cream Cheese) was a nightmare. I couldn't get it right, but I'll keep trying! I liked this video tutorial from Joy of Baking, so I'll try to do what she does next time.
You can also see my latest read: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. (I always try to read a book before watching its film.) It's good so far, nothing major has happened, but I like the pace and the writing.
Oh, and Happy St. Patrick's Day!
xo, Ella
Oh, and Happy St. Patrick's Day!
xo, Ella
Lauren celebrated the release of Pandemonium with a big party!
2:30 PM Posted by Ella Preuss
I was visiting the Paper Lantern Lit blog (to learn more about PLL, go here), and I found these pics from the joint release party for Pandemonium and The Butterfly Clues, by Kate Ellison. Check out Lauren's gorgeous dress!
 |
| A toast! |
 |
| Looks like Lauren won a raffle! |
 |
| The PLL staff. From left to right: Beth, Rhoda, Lexa & Lauren |
 |
| Kate Ellison and a friend |
It looks like they had a lot of fun! Have you got your copy of Pandemonium yet? I'm still waiting for mine, Amazon's international shipping takes forever!
xo, Ella
Review: New Girl, by Paige Harbison
10:14 AM Posted by Ella Preuss
Release Date: January 31st, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Overall: 3,5 out of 5 Stars
Read in March 2012
Summary:
It took me a while to get into this story. Normally I don't go for contemporary, but I'd read that this had a supernatural twist, so I decided to give it a go.
The first half of the book narrates the New Girl's life in Manderley, the boarding school her parents send her to. That's the school she wanted to go as a little girl, not now that she's a senior and has all of her friends in Florida. But she goes anyway, because she doesn't want to disappoint her parents.
I loved that the book had two POVs: Becca's and the New Girl (BTW, we don't learn her name until the final chapter, if I remember correctly. When I read her name, I was like, what, this is your name?, and started looking for it in past chapters. Very well played, Ms. Harbison!). Becca's chapters would be in the 3rd person and NG's in the 1st. With Becca's we got to learn more about the why behind her disappearance.
I only wish the first part of the book would have been faster-paced (yes, I like inventing terms, if they don't already exist). That's the part where you have to engage your reader. I felt like I was constantly reading a new girl's whines about how much she missed her family and home, and why everyone at school compared her to Becca. Becca's chapters, however, were completely engaging. She was a very cool character to read.
The boys from this book were appealing, and their story with Becca really showed us who they were. I started feeling sorry for them, for how Becca had treated them. Max and Johnny were good characters. Max definitely captured my heart along with NG's!
This school fed on gossip and rumours, and the NG got to be the centre of attention from the start. I liked how her character evolved towards the end, and how the mystery around Becca was finally solved.
So, my only critique would be: the book should have been more engaging in the beginning, like it is in the end. We can forget about the NG's whines, because they show her character, and she does change in the end. The end of the book definitely makes up for the slow parts.
I'm giving it 3,5 stars based on my personal enjoyment.
Ella
A contemporary young-adult retelling inspired by the classic 1938 romantic suspense bestseller Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.My Opinion:
They call me 'New Girl'...
Ever since I arrived at exclusive, prestigious Manderly Academy, that’s who I am. New girl. Unknown. But not unnoticed—because of her.
Becca Normandy—that’s the name on everyone’s lips. The girl whose picture I see everywhere. The girl I can’t compare to. I mean, her going missing is the only reason a spot opened up for me at the academy. And everyone stares at me like it’s my fault.
Except for Max Holloway—the boy whose name shouldn’t be spoken. At least, not by me. Everyone thinks of him as Becca’s boyfriend…but she’s gone, and here I am, replacing her. I wish it were that easy. Sometimes, when I think of Max, I can imagine how Becca’s life was so much better than mine could ever be.
And maybe she’s still out there, waiting to take it back.
It took me a while to get into this story. Normally I don't go for contemporary, but I'd read that this had a supernatural twist, so I decided to give it a go.
The first half of the book narrates the New Girl's life in Manderley, the boarding school her parents send her to. That's the school she wanted to go as a little girl, not now that she's a senior and has all of her friends in Florida. But she goes anyway, because she doesn't want to disappoint her parents.
I loved that the book had two POVs: Becca's and the New Girl (BTW, we don't learn her name until the final chapter, if I remember correctly. When I read her name, I was like, what, this is your name?, and started looking for it in past chapters. Very well played, Ms. Harbison!). Becca's chapters would be in the 3rd person and NG's in the 1st. With Becca's we got to learn more about the why behind her disappearance.
I only wish the first part of the book would have been faster-paced (yes, I like inventing terms, if they don't already exist). That's the part where you have to engage your reader. I felt like I was constantly reading a new girl's whines about how much she missed her family and home, and why everyone at school compared her to Becca. Becca's chapters, however, were completely engaging. She was a very cool character to read.
The boys from this book were appealing, and their story with Becca really showed us who they were. I started feeling sorry for them, for how Becca had treated them. Max and Johnny were good characters. Max definitely captured my heart along with NG's!
This school fed on gossip and rumours, and the NG got to be the centre of attention from the start. I liked how her character evolved towards the end, and how the mystery around Becca was finally solved.
So, my only critique would be: the book should have been more engaging in the beginning, like it is in the end. We can forget about the NG's whines, because they show her character, and she does change in the end. The end of the book definitely makes up for the slow parts.
I'm giving it 3,5 stars based on my personal enjoyment.
Ella
