Saturday Songs & Pages: #TLCReadAlong: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer!!

Hello guys!

Today I'm a mixed up sort of post since I was feeling quite unmotivated to write yet another review... so I got an idea for this post!

It's a mix of my usual Saturday posts, Saturday Song and Saturday Pages! I'll have a mini review of my re-read of Scarlet for the #TLCReadAlong and also a few songs that made me think of the characters!

To begin with, I'm sharing a song that I feel it's perfect for these amazing retellings, because they are familiar versions of a Once Upon a Time story but they're amazing stories on their own! (and I LOVE this song from the Maleficent movie!).

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She's trying to break out of prison--even though if she succeeds, she'll be the Commonwealth's most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit's grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn't know about her grandmother or the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother's whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner




I remember being rather unhappy about how the focus in the book kept changing from Cinder to Scarlet the first time I read the book, before I realized that was how the series was, both consecutive/sequel like books but also with different main characters (and couples) at the head of each book, adding to the cast and the team, making the world richer and the plot even more complex!

So this time around I was ready to read again about Scarlet and Wolf with a different mindset and I found myself liking Wolf almost from the get go, and getting to warm up to Scarlet so much easily too! She's got quite a temper and I feel like teen-Pili would have related with her throwing tomatoes at the wall so much!

I have once again realized that I had forgotten quite a few details but holy cow! I totally had forgotten about some bigger things that I cannot mention because SPOILERS but damn, I'm so glad I re-read this before Winter! 

I also found that I had a few more issues with how Scarlet and Wolf's relationship progress, mostly in the time frame it takes place... somehow I don't think I felt it went too fast as much as I did this time. I can understand that for Wolf it is more of a primal thing, an Alpha finding his mate, but for Scarlet? Even after knowing what I know about her... it doesn't make the same sense for me. But by the end of the book I'm once again totally onboard with the ship and I find them so adorableee!!

Dear Captain Thorne, I had forgotten how conceited and irritating he read from Cinder's POV, since I got used to him being a lil different and seeing him way differently from Cress' POV! But I liked how he quite quickly became an ally for Cinder and how he and Iko ganged up on Cinder whenever Kai is involved!


And now for some more songs!

This Florence +  The Machine song is perfect for the relationship between Scarlet & Wolf, given how primal and visceral it feels at times!







 
This Metallica song is perfect for Wolf, even if it might refer to shape-shift at some point, the title is quite on point!




 

I had the harderst time finding the right song for Scarlet, because she's such a firecracker and strong character... And I think this one is pretty accurate after all! If you have any other suggestions, let me know!






And last but for sure not least I found this song that I'd say would be the perfect fir for Queen Levana! Found it while I was looking for the right song for Scarlet!!





Do you guys have any other songs that make you think of The Lunar Chronicles or any of the characters? I have a few ideas for Cress!

Fall Out by Gwenda Bond: Mini-review and Giveaway!!!

Hello there guys!

The blog is still "mostly" on hiatus, but now that most of the cleaning at the apartment is sorted and I have a pair of weeks till the kitchen people come, I'm gonna try and see if I can post more than once a week!

And to celebrate that, what better that a good giveaway, right?? Right!

This is one of those, spread the good karma sort of giveaways. I had planned to order a signed copy of Fall Out by Gwenda Bond from Malaprops because I needed that book and I love Gwenda and I wanted it signed, international shipping be damned! BUT, then I learnt that Gwenda was gonna be doing a signing of Fall Out at BEA!! *happy dance*

My gloriously beautiful copy of Lois Lane: Fall Out

My gain is your gain too, since I got my wonderful signed copy at BEA, one of you can win a non-signed copy of Fall Out! It will be shipped directly from The Book Depository (YAY Free Shipping anywhere!).

Just in case you're wondering why would ought to want to read Fall Out, I'm adding here my mini-review for it and then you can enter the giveaway via that handy rafflecopter at the bottom of the post! ;)
 


Lois Lane: Fallout by Gwenda Bond

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


4.5 stars. I absolutely devoured it at the airport! With a wonderful voice for Lois Lane as a teen, but one that doesn't mind getting in trouble if it's because she's defending those without a voice or digging for the truth!

I loved her, her friendship with SmallvilleGuy, her beginnings at the Daily Scoop and simply everything from the high school set up, Lois family dynamics, and her need to accept herself as different and to realize that she'll find friends being herself.

The plot could feel a lil bit familiar if you're a big reader of comic books or avid watcher of Smallville the show, not necessarily because it's been done before, but because it's the sort of supernatural case you'd expect the guy from Smallville and Lois to be involved with!

I cannot wait to read more Lois Lane books Gwenda, please & thank you!!

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About the Author:

Gwenda Bond is the author of the young adult novels Lois Lane: Fallout and Girl on a Wire, among others. She has also written for Publishers Weekly, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post, among other publications. She has an MFA in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and lives in a hundred-year-old house in Lexington, Kentucky, with her husband, author Christopher Rowe, and their menagerie. Visit her online at www.gwendabond.com or @gwenda on twitter.

Giveaway

Open international as long as The Book Depository ships to you.

It will be purchased from TBD and shipped directly from the site.

I will be checking the entries, so no cheating!

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mark This Book Monday: Mini Review of Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows!!!

Hello guys!

I have been taking a lil breather from the blog by the end of the last week cause I had been feeling a bit overwhelmed with work and an exam I had for work on Saturday. Taking that lil break has helped some and I hope that I can get the hang of the blog again, enough to try and get things scheduled a bit for my vacation time!

I'm starting this week's Mark This Book Monday with a mini-review for a sampler, one that I was originally denied for on Edelweiss but the next time I checked it was open for download for everyone! Jodi Meadows being the awesome lady that she is, insisted everyone could download the sampler!

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows
Publication Date: 10th March 2015.


This sampler gets a 4.5 stars rating right off the bat, even if it's only the first part of the book and we are left wanting more quite badly, it is also a very complete introduction to the book, the story, with enough world building to be enthralled and intrigued about this new world where magic seems to be a tool with very very dangerous repercusions when used. Wraith is the consequence of magic usage and it's taking over the different realms and destroying everything.

We are introduced to our main character(s) and thrown right into the action with still plenty of world building given here and there, never getting in the way of the narrative and always leaving us wondering about what else could be there?

Wilhelmina, or Wil, is a princess without a kingdom, a princess that is fighting to regain her throne and country with the Ospreys, her friends and family and experts at deception, theft and stealth. She is working towards her final goal of freeing her country and we see the plan at the earliest stages in this sampler, and while the mission progresses we learn many things and get hints that pose more questions.

We are also introduced to a very mysterious character called the Black Knife, a vigilante that protects the people of the Indigo Kingdom from the magic users and the general thieves and criminals. I already have my theories about who he could be, and I'm really looking forward not just to read more about him in the book, but also on the novellas about him that will come between the two books in the series!

As a sampler, it does a fantastic job at showing you what the book might have in store for you, showcases the wonderful writing style and narrative and leaves you begging for more!

I already have Orphan Queen preordered, and I cannot wait for my copy to arrive! Is it March 10th already??

Saturday Pages: Mini-review of Poison Dance by Livia Blackburne!!

Hello guys! How's your Saturday going? I'm finally getting all my pending parcels from the PO, so no matter what, today is gonna be a good day!

I'm starting this week's Saturday Pages with a mini-review that has been pending for a little while, but finally I have it here!



Poison Dance: A Novella by Livia Blackburne

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Poison Dance is a prequel novella, and it's about James and the Assassin's Guild. It's a bit difficult to say if you ought to read it before or after The Midnight Thief, but I read it after and it worked pretty well.

James is a young assassin in the Guild in this novella and it gives us a bit more of insight into his character and how he became the man that we meet in Midnight Thief. Things are unstable in the Guild and the seeds of the organization as it is on Midnight Thief are all in here.

The tone and narrative voice is quite different between Poison Dance and Midnight Thief. Here it is darker and a bit more adult, cause James is older and in a darker path already that Kyra is. He's a killer already, but he isn't overtly ambitious and is only trying to carve a life for himself and his friends.

Somehow even if this made me understand James a bit better and even relate to the heartbreak and betrayal and anger that drove him to where he ends up, but I guess because I already disliked him enough I didn't get to feel too much sympathy for him.

It was quite interesting to see the events to led to James being who he is in Midnight Thief and read about the events only hinted at in there, but a word of warning... if you don't like this one too much, don't discount Midnight Thief on account of this one, they're different enough. 3.5 to this one.



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Mark This Book Monday: Mini reviews for Stolen by Erin Bowman and The Guard by Kiera Cass!

I'm starting this week's Mark This Book Monday with a pair of novellas. I am quite fond of novellas because, if done well, novellas can be quite satisfactory and quick reads when you want to read a complete story but are feeling restless enough that you don't want to read a full lenght book!

These two are part of two dystopian series that I'm quite keen on, so reading these help you tide till the next book! Since they are dystopians they'll count towards my Dystopian Reading Challenge 2014 once I read another 3 novellas, to count as one book!

Stolen by Erin Bowman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Stolen is chronologically happening before Taken, but somehow I think it'd make more sense to read it after reading Taken. Mostly because at the end we get a peek at events happening in Taken and it'd be better to go at those un-spoiled. Beware if you haven't read Taken, cause I might refer to some spoilery happenings in this review.

Stolen is Bree's story in her home, Saltwater. We discover a different Bree from the one we met in Taken, but this was before she was "snatched" and we learn about so many events that shaped her and made her who she is. I wasn't the biggest fan of Bree in Taken, but after reading this, she has become a firm favourite character for me. Bree doesn't have it easy in Saltwater, survival is tough maybe a lil tougher than in Claysoot even, but life is also shaped by the Snatchings and the ones taken away and those who are left behind.

I don't want to talk about all the story much cause I think it's best if you just read enjoy discovering a new and different Bree. One that is already brave and cares for those she considers family, one that is tough but continues getting tougher but also one that isn't that afraid of what's to come, and one that learns how to hope there will be something more after the Snatching.

We also get a sneak peek at Frozen at the end of Stolen and that made me excited again to finally get to read it! And I'm also pretty sure I will love reading about Bree much more than I would have before!

4 stars for a novella that gave us a better perspective into Bree and also helped us see the world in Taken with better perspective.


The Guard by Kiera Cass

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The Guard is a small novella with Aspen's POV during The Elite. Somehow I feel we knew Aspen better and so this novella has a lil less impact than The Prince. We also know more about the world and the royal family per se, so we don't get as many interesting revelations towards the story.

Still, this is a necessary novella cause it brings balance in POVs, since we already had Maxon's. It was nice to get a different look at the events happening at the palace from someone who only cares about America and sees her as she was before and is discovering how she grows and loves her for it. Still, this novella needs to be read after reading The Elite, cause there are some gaps in the story that can only be understood if you already know the events happening there.

All in all, 3 to 3.5 stars for this one.



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Friday Reads: Mini Review: Howling For You by Chloe Neill!

Hello everyone!

This week I've been in a bit of a reading slump and I've been recovering by watching loads of Arrow! I read an anthology of fantastic short stories and this novella that is gonna be a Mini Review for Friday Reads!


Howling For You by Chloe Neill

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I love the Chicagoland Vampire series, and it's one of my three adult series & Urban Fantasy at that, that I'm still following devoutly and cannot wait for the next installment!

Howling For You is a novella that takes place between the events of Biting Bad and the upcoming Wild Things, and instead of following Merit, Ethan and their vampires, it's all about Fallon, Jeff and the Pack!

I was very happy to read more about the Keenes and about Jeff & Fallon story that had been alluded at in previous books. Jeff is one of my fave characters, and I've always wanted to know a bit more about Gabriel, his family and the NAC Pack.

I guess because of the cover I was expecting this novella to be from Jeff's POV but instead it is from Fallon's. Fallon is quite a great character, and I really like that in the Pack she had been groomed as next in line for leadership following the birth order, gender not being an issue.

This novella is all about Fallon and Jeff and how they cannot be together due to Pack tradition and responsability and Fallon feeling like she must put Pack before herself. Jeff is ready to ignore everything and give them a chance.

There's romantic tension, betrayal, Pack politics and plenty of adorable interactions between Fallon and Jeff! 4 stars for this one!

And to make it even better we also got the first two chapters of the next book, Wild Things! Cannot wait till Feb 4th!



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Mark This Book Monday: Mini Reviews of Witch Rising by Amber Argyle & Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover!

As my second entry for this week's Mark This Book Monday I'm gonna have a mini reviews entry.


Witch Rising by Amber Argyle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Witch Rising is a prequel novella, and you can read it on its own. It's gonna be a fast read, full of action that starts on page one and doesn't really stop till the last page.

Lilette starts the story as a young girls running away with her parents and it seems that she can't really escape one threat or another, even less the one she feels within herself.

It's a short novella but it feels even shorter cause you just fly through it! I can't wait to read Witch Fall now, to see how Lilette's story continues!

3.5 stars



Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Quite to my own surprise I actually loved this novella. I'm not a big fan of contemporary romances and even less those based on insta-love, but this one was told in such a way and the characters were written in such a way that I couldn't help but love them and enjoy the story immensely.

Daniel was hiding in a janitor room when a girl came to hide in it and they feel a connection and pretend to be in love with each other to see how it feels. Then his own Cinderella disappears to never be seen again. One year later, Daniel meets Six and their connection is instantaneous.

I loved reading the interactions between Daniel & Six. Both are hilarious and Daniel's family made laugh out loud while reading. There's witty dialogue, there's quite an unexpected emotional twist right there but there's a resolution based on dialogue and trust, and that's a very good example I think.

Now after reading this one, I feel like I must read Hopeless & Losing Hope! 4 stars to this novella that can be read as a stand alone.



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Mark This Book Monday: Mini Review for The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett!

This week I'm starting Mark This Book Monday with a mini review for a small book in size but big in content and enjoyment!


The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book really is a little gem. The bf found it during one of our bookstore expeditions and I claimed it to read first.

It is a short book, so it is a quick read but it is not a book you read flying through the pages. It is more of a slow read, smiling here and there and enjoying the critiques and satire here and there even if it falls to some stereotypes on occasion with the choices of books and what defines them as good or bad or even mored readable or not. That could also be part of the intention of the book, but was the one cliche that I wasn't too happy about.

Recommended for everyone, but more in particular to all those bookworms out there that get odd looks for keeping their noses in a book.



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