Waiting On Wednesday: Hachette Fall 2012 Catalog

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking The Spine in which an upcoming, eagerly anticipated release is highlighted on the blog.

This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the Hachette Fall 2012 Catalog:

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
Date: September 27, 2012

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When Barry Fairweather dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.
Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.
Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.
And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

Well, this one is obvious. And I've already decided that the boring tone of The Casual Vacancy is done on purpose and there is no cause for concern.

Iron Hearted Violet by Kelly Barnhill
Date: October 2, 2012

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IRON-HEARTED VIOLET is a story of a princess unlike any other. It is a story of the last dragon in existence, deathly afraid of its own reflection. Above all, it is a story about the power of stories, our belief in them, and how one enchanted tale changed
the course of an entire kingdom.
Princess Violet is plain, reckless, and quite possibly too clever for her own good. Particularly when it comes to telling stories. One day she and her best friend, Demetrius, stumble upon a hidden
room and find a peculiar book. A forbidden book. It tells a story of an evil being—called the Nybbas—imprisoned in their world. The story cannot be true—not really. But then the whispers start. Violet and Demetrius, along with an ancient, scarred dragon, may hold the key to the Nybbas's triumph…or its demise. It all depends on how they tell the story. After all, stories make their own rules.

Iron Hearted Violet caught my attention immediately because Princess Violet looks an awful lot like Princess Merida from Brave. And I adore dragons. This sounds like an awesome middle grade read!

Beautiful Redemption
Date: October 23, 2012

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Is death the end . . . or only the beginning?
Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.
Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.
Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

Though I've only ever read Beautiful Creatures, I just loved the story, the beautiful writing, and the colourful characters. With the last in the series coming out, Beautiful Redemption, and the movie on the way, I'm excited more than ever to get to finishing them all.

Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor
Date: November 6, 2012

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In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed "Daughter of Smoke and Bone," Karou must come to terms with who and what she is, and how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, mysteries and secrets, new characters and old favorites, Days of Blood and Starlight brings the richness, color and intensity of the first book to a brand new canvas.

I was a little nervous of all the hype when Daughter of Smoke and Bone first came out, but now that it's been out for some time I'm super excited to read it because I think it'll probably be a very special read for me! I would love to get it read before its sequel, Days of Blood & Starlight, comes out.


How about you? Are you waiting on any of these Hachette Fall 2012 reads? Are there any upcoming books from the Hachette Fall 2012 Catalog that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?

Review: Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Published: August 7, 2012

Pages: 416

Source: For Review from Bloomsbury USA/NetGalley (Thank you!)

Rating: 4.5 Stars

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

In short: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas was an absolutely absorbing read with numerous elements that will keep the reader riveted to the story.

It seems as though there has been a great influx of books in the historical high fantasy genre these days - presumably due to the popularity of Game of Thrones - and I'm loving it. I love the historical setting with the political intrigue combined with the incongruously fanciful elements of a fantasy. Last year, my obsession was with dystopian novels - I devoured every one that came my way. Now I have a new obsession: historical fantasies with expertly combat-trained female protagonists and enthralling romances. Yes, I'm thinking of course of Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers, and now Throne of Glass can join that group too.

Thankfully though, Throne of Glass wasn't exactly like Grave Mercy, despite having a few significant similarities. It was distinguishable enough in plot and characters that I didn't dwell on any likenesses. It certainly helps that books with trained assassins are super fun to read. Celaena and Ismae were both tough, life-hardened girls, but Celaena was more girlish. At times, I found her to be annoyingly cocky and lacking in common sense, but for the most part, I liked her and admired her spirit and mettle.

There is a love triangle in Throne of Glass and I was prepared to be annoyed by it, as I usually am with love triangles, but surprisingly I found that not to be the case. I feel like the romance was well done and definitely a compelling part of the story. Though I am solidly Team Chaol in the choice between the handsome and arrogant Prince Dorian and the serious and level-headed captain of the guard, Chaol Westfall, I can appreciate that the love triangle was definitely one that will leave the reader with conflicting feelings in support of either love interest. The chemistry between both pairings felt tangible, truly enticing and effective.

Overall, I think the thing that stood out the most to me about Throne of Glass was just how darn compelling it was. It was a definite page-turner and I was never bored. There are so many elements that make Throne of Glass a truly alluring read. Besides the likeable protagonist and the powerful chemistry between love interests that I already mentioned, an entertaining competition, riveting action scenes, interesting court intrigue, an enchanting masked ball, and a curious mystery, all kept me absolutely absorbed in the story. I cannot wait to read more from the Throne of Glass universe, including the four prequels already available as ebooks.

Other Reviews:
Alexa Loves Books
Novel Sounds
Musings of a YA Reader

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Stacking The Shelves (4): My First (And Possibly Last) Vlog

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews to showcase any books that I have received for review, bought, borrowed, or won to read.


So, I did it. I filmed my first - and in all likelihood, last - vlog. I'm at a loss for how people are able to talk to a camera alone and act natural. I'm a fairly socially awkward person normally (I always find myself cringing in agreement with that Socially Awkward Penguin meme) so to put a camera in front of me is to magnify that awkwardness tenfold. And if I seem flushed and sweaty, it's because it's freaking hot.

Anyways, let me know what you think and if you have any feedback for me. And don't be surprised if this video magically disappears off the internet after a few days...

For Review:
The Blessed by Tonya Hurley (Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada)
Embers and Echoes by Karsten Knight (Thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada)
Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis (Thanks to the author)
What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang (Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss)
The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver (Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss)
The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke (Thanks to Strange Chemistry and NetGalley)

Bought:
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Waiting On Wednesday: HarperCollins Fall 2012 Catalog

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking The Spine in which an upcoming, eagerly anticipated release is highlighted on the blog.

This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the HarperCollins Fall 2012 Catalog:

The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini
Date: September 25, 2012

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Given the chance, fifteen-year-old Peregrine “Perry” Eckert would dedicate every waking moment to Creatures & Caverns, an epic role-playing game rich with magical creatures, spell casting, and deadly weapons. The world of C&C is where he feels most comfortable in his own skin, so when his parents ship him off to summer camp Perry is sure he’s in for the worst summer of his life.
Everything changes, however, when Perry gets to camp and stumbles into the World of the Other Normals. Perry’s new otherworldly friends need his help to save their princess and prevent mass violence. As they embark on their quest together, Perry realizes that his nerdy childhood has uniquely prepared him to be a great warrior in this world, and maybe even a hero.

Imagine stumbling upon a real live role-playing game. A geek's dream come true, right? And honestly, I would be lying if I hadn't thought about how cool it would be as well. I'm planning on experiencing this dream vicariously through The Other Normals.

The Turning by Francine Prose
Date: September 25, 2012

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Jack is babysitting for the summer on an isolated island with no Wi-Fi, no cell service, and no one else around but a housekeeper and two very peculiar children. He immediately senses something sinister-and it's not just the creepy black house he's living in. Soon he is feeling terribly isolated and alone, but then he discovers there are others. The problem is, he's the only who can see them. As secrets are revealed and darker truths surface, Jack desperately struggles to maintain a grip on reality. He knows what he sees, and he isn't crazy…Or is he?
Where does reality end and insanity begin? The Turn of the Screw reinvented for modern-day teens, by National Book Award finalist Francine Prose.

I never would have pictured myself as a gothic horror fan a few years ago, but after testing the waters in the genre (see: The Monstrumologist Series), I discovered a new found love and appreciation for it. I'm hoping to add The Turning to my list of much loved gothic horrors.

The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver
Date: October 2, 2012

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Looking across the breakfast table one morning, twelve-year-old Liza feels dread wash over her. Although her younger brother, Patrick, appears the same, Liza knows that he is actually quite different. She is certain that the spindlers-evil, spiderlike beings-came during the night and stole his soul. And Liza is also certain that she is the only one who can rescue him.
Armed with little more than her wits and a huge talking rat for a guide, Liza descends into the dark and ominous underground to save Patrick's soul. Her quest is far from easy, and the road to the spindlers' nests is riddled with danger. She must brave tree snakes, the Court of Stones, and shape-shifting serpents before facing her greatest challenge in the spindlers' lair, where more than just Patrick's soul is at stake.

Lauren Oliver has reached that level of author-dom where I feel like I could read whatever she writes and I will always love it. I adored Lauren's MG debut, Liesl and Po, so I have no doubt that I will love The Spindlers as well.

Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson
Date: October 9, 2012

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Nothing ever happens in Norway. But at least Ellie knows what to expect when she visits her grandmother: a tranquil fishing village and long, slow summer days. And maybe she’ll finally get out from under the shadow of her way-too-perfect big brother, Graham, while she’s there.
What Ellie doesn’t anticipate is Graham’s infuriating best friend, Tuck, tagging along for the trip. Nor did she imagine boys going missing amid rumors of impossible kidnappings. Least of all does she expect something powerful and ancient to awaken in her and that strange whispers would urge Ellie to claim her place among mythological warriors. Instead of peace and quiet, there’s suddenly a lot for a girl from L.A. to handle on a summer sojourn in Norway! And when Graham vanishes, it’s up to Ellie—and the ever-sarcastic, if undeniably alluring Tuck—to uncover the truth about all the disappearances and thwart the nefarious plan behind them.
Deadly legends, hidden identities, and tentative romance swirl together in one girl’s unexpectedly-epic coming of age.

Norse mythology? Yes, please. As much as I love Greek mythology, I do feel like I've had my fill (for now anyway) and am looking for something a bit different - that's where Valkyrie Rising comes in.


How about you? Are you waiting on any of these HarperCollins Fall 2012 reads? Are there any upcoming books from the HarperCollins Fall 2012 Catalog that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?

Muggle Monday (21): The Casual Vacancy - Boring on Purpose?

It's time for Muggle Monday, in which I post a quote, a video, or a significant piece of news from the Harry Potter franchise. This is somewhat inspired by the Mundane Monday posts by The Mundie Moms.

But let's be real as to why I made up this meme: I just want the opportunity to post something about Harry Potter.


This week, I'm featuring J.K. Rowling's new book, The Casual Vacancy - the cover of which was revealed this past week. The reveal got me thinking about the marketing of the book - the choice of title, cover, and blurb - are they supposed to be boring on purpose?

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company

Published: September 27, 2012

Pages: 512

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.
Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.
Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.
And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

All three aspects (the title, the cover, and the blurb) - three things that marketing teams usually try to make as intriguing as possible so as to entice people to pick up the book - are all very simplistic and lacking any interest. This of course strikes me as odd and leads me to believe that "boring" may very well be what they're going for here - at least on the surface. The simple bicoloured cover. A title with the words "casual" and "vacancy" - neither of which evoke excitement (and J.K. Rowling's works are no strangers to being renamed in the hopes of inciting more interest in readers; after all, Scholastic decided to change the original name of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to Sorcerer's Stone knowing that the title would entice kids more readily). And the blurb promises conflict, even war, but it's the boring, small town, regular problems variety. Not the stuff of Hollywood movies.

But if I know Jo, I know there is something more to The Casual Vacancy, under the surface of the apparent modesty of the title, cover, and blurb. After all, we all know she knows how to write a story in which a seemingly normal and lacklustre environment is in actuality hiding secrets so enigmatic and grand that they can't not make for an excellent story.

What do you think? Do you think that the seeming monotony of The Casual Vacancy is purposeful, a device for lulling us into a false sense of apathy, only to be revealed that there is something much more to this small town conflict? And do you have any interest in reading The Casual Vacancy when it is released September 27, 2012? I would love to know what you think in the comments!

Winner and Blog Design Update

It's time to announce the winner of The All Male Review Giveaway! And the winner is:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Brian B.

Congrats Brian! You have been emailed and have 48 hours to respond with your address and choice of book.

In other news, I made some slight updates to my blog design - nothing major, just changed the layout and colours and added a background to my banner. I am always eager to get feedback from people though, about what works and what doesn't in blog designs, and if there is any way that I can improve mine (taking into account my limited design skills). I would love to hear any thoughts you have in the comments, thanks!

Waiting On Wednesday: Penguin Fall 2012 Catalog

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking The Spine in which an upcoming, eagerly anticipated release is highlighted on the blog.

This week, I've chosen to feature a few picks from the Penguin Fall 2012 Catalog:

Lucid by Adrienne Stoltz and Ron Bass
Date: October 2, 2012

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What if you could dream your way into a different life? What if you could choose to live that life forever?
Sloane and Maggie have never met. Sloane is a straight-A student with a big and loving family. Maggie lives a glamorously independent life as an up-and-coming actress in New York. The two girls couldn't be more different--except for one thing. They share a secret that they can't tell a soul. At night, they dream that they're each other.
The deeper they're pulled into the promise of their own lives, the more their worlds begin to blur dangerously together. Before long, Sloane and Maggie can no longer tell which life is real and which is just a dream. They realize that eventually they will have to choose one life to wake up to, or risk spiraling into insanity. But that means giving up one world, one love, and one self, forever.

Ooh okay, how trippy does Lucid sound? I love these kind of psychological thrillers that mess with your mind and leave you reeling and confused. And the cover perfectly matches the trippy-ness of the premise.

Reached by Ally Condie
Date: November 13, 2012

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Cassia faces the ultimate choices in the long-anticipated conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy
After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.

Though I have yet to read Crossed due to some mixed reviews, I do still plan on reading it and am interested to find out how the Matched Trilogy is wrapped up. I hope Reached is everything a good conclusion should be.

Elemental by Antony John
Date: November 21, 2012

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In the near future, most of the population of the United States has been destroyed by the plague. The few remaining survivors live in colonies on the barrier islands off the East Coast. In one colony near Cape Hatteras, almost all the members have elemental powers and can control wind, water, earth, and fire. All but sixteen-year-old Thomas. When the Guardians, the powerful adult leaders, are kidnapped by pirates seeking to take over their colony, it is up to Thomas and a small group of teens to save them and preserve the mysteries of the island.

I'm loving the new inflow of books into the niche Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy genre. What could be better than combining my two favourite genres? Elemental definitely sounds like my kind of read. And it has pirates!

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
Date: December 11, 2012

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In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects’ lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:
Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.
Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.
Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.
Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...
The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It seems as though there has been a great influx of books in the Historical High Fantasy genre these days - presumably due to the popularity of Game of Thrones - and I'm loving it (I'm thinking of course of Grave Mercy and Throne of Glass). Falling Kingdoms sounds like an excellent addition to the genre.


How about you? Are you waiting on any of these Penguin Fall 2012 reads? Are there any upcoming books from the Penguin Fall 2012 Catalog that I didn't include here that you feel I should add to my list?

Review: Insignia (Insignia #1) by S.J. Kincaid

Publisher: HarperCollins

Published: July 10, 2012

Pages: 444

Source: For Review from HarperCollins and Edelweiss (Thank you!)

Rating: 4 Stars

More than anything, Tom Raines wants to be important, though his shadowy life is anything but that. For years, Tom’s drifted from casino to casino with his unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival. Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying invisible.
Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someone’s been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and he’s offered the incredible—a place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy. There, Tom’s instincts for combat will be put to the test, and if he passes, he’ll become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to lead his country to victory in World War Three. Finally, he’ll be someone important: a superhuman war machine with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Tom’s always wanted—friends, the possibility of a girlfriend, and a life where his every action matters—but what will it cost him?

In short: Insignia by S.J. Kincaid is a seriously funny, seriously cool read with a fun cast of characters that you will fall in love with.

Ever wonder what it would be like to be able to think and learn like a computer? Such is the opportunity that acne-faced and regular kid, Tom Raines, receives when he is approached by the Pentagon to fight an intrasolar World War III. S.J. Kincaid gets major props for coming up with such a mega awesome concept in Insignia. Controlling robot spaceships in space using your computer-brain to fight the enemy? So cool.

That awkward moment when you burst out laughing on a bus packed with strangers? That was me while reading Insignia. Holy heck was Insignia funny. And I think it's often hard to get humour right in books, without it falling flat or coming across as cheesy. So it's really a testament to S.J. Kincaid's talent and her priceless sense of humour that Insignia was such a success in ensuring laughter throughout the entire book.

There were a few instances when I think the writing could have been a bit smoother though. At times, Insignia was bogged down by technological jargon that made the reading a bit rough. I was tempted many times just to skim over any extensive technological passages. Also, lengthy exposition scenes detailing the history of the Insignia world often read like a textbook, conspicuously placed in the text rather than smoothly integrated into the story. There were also a few noticeable plot holes that could've been ironed out.

Still, some bits of slow pacing are not enough to stop me from loving Insignia. I adored spending time with likeable Tom and the entire ensemble of Insignia's side characters. I am amazed, looking back, at just how many characters there are in Insignia and how each of them were so well developed and unique. I would especially love to be apart of Tom's group of misfit friends who, while they were constantly teasing each other, were ultimately a strong and supportive group.

Overall, Insignia was a hilarious read with a cool concept and an excellent cast of characters. Insignia is S.J. Kincaid's debut novel and I can't wait to read the sequels as well as any other books she eventually writes as she has proven herself to be a serious talent. Insignia will be published July 10, 2012. I definitely recommend it.

Other Reviews:
Eleusinian Mysteries
Icey Books
Poetry to Prose

Author Links:
Website
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