Saturday, March 9, 2013

Stacking the Shelves (37)

A weekly meme hosted by, Tynga's Reviews, that features the books we bought, borrowed, were gifted, and were given for review.

This week we calmed down a little bit from the previous weeks and I think we all needed the break lol.  We still had lots of fun which I mean with books how could you not ha!  Anywho here is our recap for the week..

Reviews:

Giveaways:
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare--No Strings Attached blog hop

WinterHaven Fun:
Teaser Tuesday--Astarte's Wrath by Trisha Wolfe

Waves of Fiction giveaways (18 and over only please)

I have to say the past couple of weeks we have received some amazing books and this week is no exception.  Here is what landed in our happy hands..

Dirty Little Secret The Last Academy Identity Theft Siege and Storm (The Grisha, #2)
For Review:
Dirty Little Secrets by Jennifer Echols
The Last Academy by Anna Applegate
Identity Theft by Anna Davies
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)
Bought:
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

*Special thanks to Henry Holt & Co,  MTV books, & Point*

I can't wait to dive into all of these!  Identity Theft keeps staring at me so I might read that one first lol!  I hope everyone had a wonderful week as well!  Leave me a link so I can see all your goodies!



Friday, March 8, 2013

Review & Giveaway: Stung by Bethany Wiggins

StungStung by Bethany Wiggins
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Release Date: April 2, 2013
Pre order: Amazon / Barnes and Noble
There is no cure for being stung.

Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered—her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right hand—a black oval with five marks on either side—that she doesn’t remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. She’s right.

Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded while a select few live protected inside a fortress-like wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark.

Now Fiona has awakened branded, alone—and on the wrong side of the wall.
My thoughts:
I never knew or even thought about how important bees are to our world.

"Lots of plants will die without the bees' pollinating them.  And if the plants start dying, then the things that eat plants will start to die, like cows and chickens, which means no more meat for us to eat.  If we have no fruits or vegetables or grains to eat, and no meat, our world will experience major famine"

Very eye opening!  If bees did become extinct what do you think would happen?  Well in Stung, a group of scientist develop a modify bee that was supposed to stop the effects of the bees going extinct only things went wrong and people started dying from the bee stings.  So so many things went wrong with the mod bees and the end result was a us vs them type world where some people lived inside the wall while the others lived outside it and had to fend for themselves.  The ones living outside the wall had to live in fear of the beasts, humans who went crazy from vaccinations, and raiders, a gang of humans who take whatever they can from whoever they can.  There are also those who haven't turned crazy yet and live in the tunnels, they are called Fecs. They are as harmless as they sound since they have to be just as ruthless to live among the beasts and raiders.  This is where are main character, Fiona, wakes up and is an intense journey throughout the entire book.

I have to say this story is unique but it did fall apart for me towards the middle.  I was totally into the world without bees, scary beasts, and all the craziness but the author strayed from the story and it just went in a totally different direction instead of answering our questions.  The story starts off with a bang and really made my heart pond when Fiona wakes up in her old childhood home.  She has no idea how she got in her old bed and doesn't have a clue what is going on.  We learn a lot about what happened to her throughout but my main question is why didn't she remember right away.  I guess I can kind of see why her memory would be jumbled but we aren't really given an explanation and that irked me a bit.  Like I said I liked the world that Wiggins created, it was brutal and you couldn't trust anybody which was shown over and over again, but when Fiona does something that made me scream at her the story takes an over dramatic turn and the story takes a backseat.  There are 2 events that occurred that made no sense to me and I think it really took over the story.  After finishing the book I couldn't remember why people were vaccinated and with this type of book I should have remembered but since the story turned and took a different focus I didn't remember.  Which really makes me sad since I loved that part of the book.  I have so many questions that I know won't be answered even if there is a sequel.

I am going with 3.5 snowflakes and that is strictly for the beginning and Jonah.  I haven't mentioned Jonah yet and I can't since it will be too spoilery but if you decide to read Stung you will meet him in the beginning and well I will read the sequel if there is one just to find out more about him.  This book does have a romance that was very sweet.  I liked Bowen and Fiona together and one of those snowflakes is for them.

So not bad but could have been so much better.  If you want to see what I mean then don't forget to enter to win our giveaway for an ARC of  Stung!  Good luck! 
*Quote was taken from an uncorrected proof*

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Upcoming Release & Giveaway: In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters

In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
Expected Publication Date: April, 2, 2013
Publisher: Amulet Books
In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?

Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.
If this sounds like a book you'd enjoy reading, be sure to fill out the rafflecopter for a chance to win In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Review: Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1)
Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Publisher: HarperColling
Publish Date: January 3, 2012
Purchase: Amazon / B&N
Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.
My Thoughts:
Under the Never Sky was better than I had anticipated. I’m so glad I decided to read this book. I wanted to see what all the hype was. At first when I started Under The Never Sky, I wasn’t connecting with the characters or the world that was heavily developed in the first half of the book. I stuck with it and I’m so glad I did. Like I said, the beginning was heavy with world building but it was necessary in order to understand the world these people lived in and what obstacles they were facing.

Aria lived in a Pod which was heavily structured to protect the people inside from the Aether that is in the sky. Not only the threat of Aether, but they are protected from disease and illnesses. Being so protected they are oblivious to the dangers that are beyond the Pod. Aria’s mother Lumina has gone to another Realm, Bliss. The communication had been cut off and Aria wants to find information so she seeks this from the Counselors son, Sorren.  

In the Pod everyone wears a Smarteye which is suctioned to an eye and allows them to faction into made up Realms. You could go to just about any century or atmosphere your heart pretty much desired. For example, if you wanted to be in a Renaissance era, you could faction into what resembled just that. Sounds fun to me, but they live in this world where it’s so perfect that they truly are oblivious to the “real world” and what’s going on out there.

Aria crosses a path with a “savage” while on her pursuit to obtain information on her mother from Sorren. His behavior becomes strange and the repercussions of his actions change Arias life forever.

This is written in multiple POV’s. Aria and Perry (savage) When their lives entwine the story moves forward and the connection to the characters deepen.  There are multiple lives and relationships that we follow, but it is easy to get invested in each one. Aria being tossed out into the outside. Perry has an internal conflict but not only that, his nephew Talon was taken by the Dwellers (people in the Pods), and a new character is introduced which is Roar. He wants to find Liv, Perry’s sister who has ran off due to a particular situation.

The story made a huge turn for me once Roar entered the pages. I loved this character and he was amusing.  Another character that enters about the same time as Roar, is Cinder. He plays a vital role as well in this story.

Perry has Aria’s Smarteye but they need to get it fixed so they travel to a friend of Perry’s, Marron.  On the journey Aria learns that these savages can have special abilities. Some are Marked and some are not. For instance, Scire. Scire’s can smell emotion. Auds have impeccable hearing and said to be sly.

“There are some differences between the Senses. Scires tend to be tall. They’re the rarest Marked. Seers are the most common. Seers are good at looking and good-looking, but before you start wondering, no, I’m not a Seer. Just lucky.”


Under The Never Sky was such complex but very intriguing read. I don’t know why I waited so long to read this but I’m so glad I did. The story is rich in world building, and the characters are intriguing and well developed. Aria is a strong protagonist. Perry is swoonworthy and very masculine. He’s tough but along the journey develops a soft spot for Aria. Their connection is slow growing but very addicting.

 This is one dystopic adventure you won't want to miss out on.

 

Monday, March 4, 2013

No Strings Attached Giveaway Hop: Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare


This is hop for all the people who hate jumping through hoops to enter giveaways.

Do you ever get tired of signing up for giveaways that require many steps in order to increase your chances of winning? Well, this is the giveaway for you! This is the no strings attached, no requirements to enter hop. All you have to do is leave your name and email or some way to contact you to enter to win!  That's it!  Easy Peasey right??!!

Now for what we are giving away!   One copy of the upcoming release of Clockwork Princess to one lucky winner! This giveaway is international.  Good luck!
Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices, #3)
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Release date: March 19, 2013
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don't forget to check out the other participating blogs!