On My Wishlist

On My Wishlist is a great event that was created by Book Chick City. It is now hosted by Sarah over at Workaday Reads! 

It's where you list all of the books that you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. I thought that this was a fantabulous idea so I thought I would join in!

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Title: "Unbroken"
Author: Melody Grace
Publisher: Self-Pub
Release Date: March 13, 2013

From Goodreads: "Mom always told me there are two kinds of love in this world: the steady breeze, and the hurricane. Emerson Ray was my hurricane...."

Juliet McKenzie was an innocent eighteen-year old when she spent the summer in Cedar Cove—and fell head over heels in love with Emerson. Complicated, intense Emerson, the local bad boy. His blue eyes hid dark secrets, and just one touch could set Juliet ablaze. Their love was demanding and all-consuming, but when summer ended, tragedy tore them apart. Juliet swore she’d never go back, and she’s kept that promise… Until now.

Four years later, Juliet’s done her best to rebuild the wreckage of her shattered life. She’s got a great boyfriend, and a steady job planned after she graduates. Returning to Cedar Cove to pack up her family’s beach house to prepare it for sale, Juliet is determined that nothing will stand in the way of her future. But one look from Emerson, and all her old desire comes flooding back. He let her go once, but this time, he’s not giving up without a fight. And Emerson fights dirty.

A heartbreaking history. An unstoppable passion. Torn between her past and future, Juliet struggles to separate love from desire. But will they find a way to overcome their tragic secrets—together? And after so much damage has been done, can a love remain unbroken?"

"Clockwork Princess" by Cassandra Clare

Release Date: March 19, 2013
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 568

From Goodreads: "Danger and betrayal, secrets and enchantment in the breathtaking conclusion to the Infernal Devices trilogy Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?

Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.

A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her."

***I have tried to be as spoiler-free as possible, however, I realize that I may not been entirely successful at doing so. Proceed with caution.***

Admittedly I wasn't a huge fan of "Clockwork Angel" (my biggest complaint was that I felt like the characters in it were essentially cookie-cutters of those in her "The Mortal Instruments" series), however, "Clockwork Prince" CONVINCED ME (and reaffirmed why I consider Cassie to be my most favourite author of all time). As such, this book was one of my most highly anticipated of 2013.

First, onto the good stuff. Gideon. While I really liked him in "Clockwork Prince" my feelings for him were amplified tenfold in this novel. In fact, I think that my love for him in this nothing might even rival that of my love for Will and Jem. Additionally, my most favourite scene in this novel/ the scene where I felt THE FEELS featured him (after reading the scene in question, I literally couldn't stop giggling for half an hour so, a large smile on my face the entire time and a bubbly feeling in my chest). Furthermore, he is perhaps the most "good" character in the entire series- always putting others before himself, not being concerned with proprietary, channeling Mr. Darcy at times, and so forth.

Another amazing aspect of this novel was Cecily. Thought that Izzy was the most bad-ass chick in the Shadowhunter world? WRONG! Her great (x 5) grandmother was! Everything that Cecily did was just so, so effortless. Shadowhunting legitimately runs through that girl's blood and I have no doubts she can give the boys of TID (if not also the boys of TMI) a run for their money!

Onto the not so nice stuff. I literally loved every second of this book... Until the epilogue (more so the second half of the epilogue than the first). In my opinion, the epilogue was wholly unnecessary. I think that Cassie could have beautifully wrapped up the series with the final chapter. Why am I not a fan of the epilogue? Because (and thanks to Ardo for putting to words what I so struggled to articulate) Cassie gave the readers exactly what they wanted. And that is the problem (EVERYONE WINS! EVERYONE LIVES HAPPILY EVER AFTER! SPARKLES!). It feels, to me, like a cop-out and it does not fit into my understanding whatsoever of what this series stands for- for every positive there should be a negative and I find that the book is far too imbalanced towards the former.

On that note, there is a MASSIVE reveal in the epilogue and that that is overshadowed by the romance aspect of it. While everyone was FREAKING out about said romance I couldn't help but FREAK OUT about that aspect, namely, how in the world did that come to be? Apparently we will learn how it went down in "City of Heavenly Fire". This irks me to no end because, again, Cassie has always told us that, while the two series are set in the same world, you do not have to read one series in order to understand the other.  I do enjoy having cross-over between the two series- it's like a gigantic Easter egg hunt (Tessa's necklace, Izzy's necklace, Church, etc.), however, all of those elements are fairly superficial- THIS is NOT by any stretch of the imagination.

Another problem that I had with this book was the predictability. Whatever you think is going to happen in this book most likely will OR what you think will happen will actually be far, far crazier than what actually does (what actually happens has nothing on all of the theories that I had come up with). There was truly only one time that I was truly taken by surprise by what occurred in the novel (gasping out loud)- the aforementioned bit surrounding Gideon.

Finally... Mortmain. Mortmain, Mortmain, Mortmain. This entire trilogy is based around all of his antics, yet I felt that he barely played a role in this book. And the role that he did play? Pathetic. For books he was made out to be the biggest bad-ass that the Shadowhunters have ever encountered before, yet he was defeated in mere pages? You build him up over three books and hundreds of pages for... That? Furthermore, angels. Why does every series have to end with the interception of angels? Why can't the characters take their own fate into their hands, defeating evil on their own?

All in all, it might appear that I didn't like this book, but not so! I truly did love it- but I'm just going to, personally, pretend that the epilogue doesn't exist. That being said, I know that many others will love it and I love the fact that each of us is able to take something different from the series. I think that this exceeds the first book in this series and the latter three of the TMI series by tenfold. I think that this book will require multiple rereads until I am able to truly come to terms with everything that happened. Furthermore, I am beyond excited to see that Cassie does intend to write another Shadowhunter series set between this series and her TMI series.

Rating: 5/5

"Perry's Killer Playlist" by Joe Schreiber

Release Date: November 6, 2012
Publisher: Houghton
Pages: 224

From Goodreads: "When Perry ends up in Venice on a European tour with his band Inchworm, he can’t resist a visit to Harry’s Bar, where Gobi told him she’d meet him someday. The last time he saw Gobi, five people were assassinated one crazy night in New York City. Well . . . Gobi shows up, and once again Perry is roped into a wild, nonstop thrill ride with a body count. Double crossings, kidnappings, CIA agents, arms dealers, boat chases in Venetian canals, and a shootout in the middle of a Santa Claus convention ensue."

As I mentioned in the first book in the series, "Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick", this is a bit of a departure from what I usually read, an fast-paced action and adventure featuring a male protagonist. That being said, I still quite enjoyed it. Aside from the literal "kept on the edge of your seat" and "page-turner" aspect to it (almost as soon as you start this you will find that you have finished it, it lends for a few hours of easy escapism), I think that one of the book's biggest strengths was its setting- Europe. The number of European cities that Gobi and Perry travel to in mere hours is mind-boggling. However, what is perhaps best about all of these settings is that each is extremely well-developed, it truly feels like you visit each of them alongside them, rather than feeling rushed or underdeveloped.

I think that another strength of this book is that the female character is the physically stronger character, while the male character is the emotionally stronger character, the opposite of what we typically see in YA. As such each character compliments the other perfectly- whenever Gobi is hellbent on bursting into a room with her guns blazing, quite literally, Perry is there to talk her off of the edge, again literally at times, whereas Gobi is able to draw Perry out of his comfort zone, letting him see that there is more to life than getting a girlfriend, going to university, and so forth.

All in all, I think that this is the epitome of an all-inclusive novel- male readers will enjoy it just as much as female readers will, and vice versa. Furthermore, being a shorter book that is so fast-paced I think that it would greatly appeal to reluctant readers. I look forward to seeing if Gobi and Perry have anymore adventures up their sleeves!

Rating: 3/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating...

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Title: "Frigid"

Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publisher: Spencer Hill

Release Date: July 30, 2013

From Goodreads: "For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love. 

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have. 

But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one."

Twitter Tuesday (7)

As some of my Twitter followers may have noticed (with all of my #amwriting and #amediting Tweets) I've been trying my hand at writing the last year or so. "Trying" being the operative word- I have struggled with my writing so much during that time, especially in the first drafts. However, I've found a lot of comfort in perhaps one of the most unlikely places- Twitter. How so? Through reading some of my favorite authors writing experiences- namely in their similar struggles. Reading their Tweets really helps put things into perspective for me, reminding me that even the most successful authors struggle every now and again, but that they've been able to overcome it and, that if they can, we can too! Some are funny, some are sad, but I think that we will all be able to relate to one or two!

On My Wishlist

On My Wishlist is a great event that was created by Book Chick City. It is now hosted by Sarah over at Workaday Reads! 

It's where you list all of the books that you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. I thought that this was a fantabulous idea so I thought I would join in!

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Title: "Eleanor & Park"

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Release Date: February 26, 2013

Publisher: St. Martin's 

From Goodreads: "TWO MISFITS. ONE EXTRAORDINARY LOVE. 
It's 1986 and two star-crossed teens are smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you'll remember your own first love--and just how hard it pulled you under.

 A cross between the iconic '80s movie Sixteen Candles and the classic coming-of-age novel Looking for Alaska, Eleanor & Park is a brilliantly written young adult novel."

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating...

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Title: "The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die"
Author: April Henry
Publisher: Henry Holt
Release Date: June 11th, 2013

From Goodreads: "When Cady wakes up, she has no memory of who she is. All she knows is that there is a pillowcase over her head and a person in the room has instructed another to “take her out back and finish her off.” Cady must find a way to save herself. But how can she do this when she doesn’t even know her name?
April Henry has written another nail-biting suspense thriller that explores such themes as murder, memory loss, identity theft, and biological warfare. As with her other novels, her strong female protagonist joins forces with a teen guy and together they race against the clock to stay alive and save Cady's missing family."

Twitter Tuesday (6)

As some of my Twitter followers may have noticed (with all of my #amwriting and #amediting Tweets) I've been trying my hand at writing the last year or so. "Trying" being the operative word- I have struggled with my writing so much during that time, especially in the first drafts. However, I've found a lot of comfort in perhaps one of the most unlikely places- Twitter. How so? Through reading some of my favorite authors writing experiences- namely in their similar struggles. Reading their Tweets really helps put things into perspective for me, reminding me that even the most successful authors struggle every now and again, but that they've been able to overcome it and, that if they can, we can too! Some are funny, some are sad, but I think that we will all be able to relate to one or two!

"Dead Is A Killer Tune" by Marlene Perez

Release Date: September 4, 2012
Publisher: Graphia
Pages: 224

From Goodreads: "A diabolical pied piper comes to town in the the seventh installment of this hot paranormal mystery series. High school freshman Jessica Walsh is a virago, a woman warrior who must protect her hometown from danger. And in the unusual little town of Nightshade, California, trouble is always lurking. At Nightshade’s Battle of the Bands, Jess’s boyfriend Dominic and his band Side Effects May Vary are up against Hamlin, a band so popular that their fans follow them everywhere. Soon, Nightshade’s musicians are doing risky, illegal and even fatal things—and claiming that strange music they heard right before falling asleep told them to do it. Could a diabolical pied piper be sabotaging the Battle of the Bands? It’s up to Jessica and her friends track down the tuneful tyrant."

Like I stated in my review of the previous book in this series "Dead Is A Battlefield" this book didn't really do it for me (I found the characters and situations to be a bit too juvenile for my tastes, the sheer number of characters overwhelming, etc.). That being said, since I reviewed "Dead Is A Battlefield" I have learned that these books are ALA (American Library Association) Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Therefore, while as a reader they may not be entirely to my liking, as a future-librarian I appreciate them more than you can imagine!

The strengths of these books reluctant reader-wise is that they are extremely short, before you know it you have finished it (which always gives a reader, no matter their reading level, a sense of accomplishment for doing so). Furthermore, they present a twist on the paranormal- I mean, have you ever heard of a virago (woman warrior) or read a modern adaptation of the Pied Piper of Hamelin before? Additionally, the world that Perez has built is quite unlike any I have ever encountered before- each and every character is connected in some way, shape, or form to another. Therefore, if you are a fan of the series, you can be guaranteed to see your favourite characters time and time again (while constantly developing new favourites)!

As becomes evident, on a personal level I think that my largest factor impacting my opinion of this series is that I am outside of its targeted audience- I feel that those in the lower ends of the YA spectrum (if not older MG readers) will gobble these up in a heartbeat and ask for seconds! Furthermore, despite my complaints I don't ever feel like I have wasted my time reading this books- they do present me with an hour or so of entertainment that is much appreciated. On a librarian level I recommend them to any reluctant readers or those looking for a different take on the paranormal!

Rating: 3/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

Stacking the Shelves: It's Been Far Too Long

To support my fellow Canadian bloggers I have decided to participate in Stacking the Shelves created by Tygna over at Tygna's Reviews. As Tygna writes, "Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!" 

I am officially the worst STSer ever. The following are what I have accumulated since the beginning of 2013! 

From Trade/ Gift/ Won

"Born Wicked" by Jessica Sportswood (Thanks Ashley)

"Just One Day" by Gayle Forman 

"The Name of the Star" by Maureen Johnson

"Amplified" by Tara Kelly

"Revolution 19" by Gregg Rosenblum (Thanks Hayley)

"Once Every Never" by Lesley Livingston (Thanks Faze/ Breathless Reads) 

"Shadows in the Silence" by Courtney Allison Moulton (Thanks EpicReads) 

For Review 

"Into the After" by Demitria Lunetta (Thanks HarperCollins Canada) 

Bought

"Balthazar" by Claudia Gray

"The Indigo Spell" by Richelle Mead

"Scarlet" by Marissa Meyer 

"The Dark Elite" by Chloe Neill

"Shades of Earth" by Beth Revis 

"Unravel Me" by Tahereh Mafi

"Rise" by Andrea Cremer

Over the last month I have also had the opportunity to meet 5 amazing authors and get some of my books signed! 

You can find my recap of meeting Marissa Meyer HERE and my interview (with Ashley) HERE. 

On My Wishlist

On My Wishlist is a great event that was created by Book Chick City. It is now hosted by Sarah over at Workaday Reads! 

It's where you list all of the books that you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. I thought that this was a fantabulous idea so I thought I would join in!

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Title: "The Fiery Heart" 

Author: Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Release Date: November 19, 2013

From Goodreads: "In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe."

"Pulse" by Patrick Carman

Release Date: February 26, 2013
Publisher: Katherine Tegen
Pages: 384

From Goodreads: "From New York Times bestselling author Patrick Carman, a teen fantasy-adventure of epic proportions. In 2051, some teens have a “pulse,” the power to move objects with their minds. Compulsively readable, with thrilling action scenes and a tender love story.

The year is 2051, and the world is still recognizable. With the help of her mysterious classmate Dylan Gilmore, Faith Daniels discovers that she can move objects with her mind. This telekinetic ability is called a “pulse,” and Dylan has the talent, too.

In riveting action scenes, Faith demonstrates her ability to use her pulse against a group of telekinesis masters so powerful they will flatten their enemies by uprooting street lights, moving boulders, and changing the course of a hurtling hammer so that it becomes a deadly weapon. But even with great talent, the mind—and the heart—can be difficult to control. If Faith wants to join forces with Dylan and save the world, she’ll have to harness the power of both.

Patrick Carman’s Pulse trilogy is a stunning, action-filled triumph about the power of the mind—and the power of love."

This book, this book was one of my most highly anticipated reads of 2013- it (supposedly, I personally find the synopsis to be quite misleading) possessed all of my most favourite things in it, action, adventure, superpowers, and a hint of romance (not to mention a cool cover). However, I must admit that it was one of my most disappointing reads. Ever. Where it would typically take me a day, two at most, to read a book of this nature this took me near a month as I was only able to read a few pages at a time before setting it aside.

One of my largest problems with this book wast the writing style- while I appreciate the fact that Carman wrote it in a third person omnipresent style, something that I have been extremely intrigued by/ find lacking in YA, I didn't find it to be all that successful. At times it was extremely difficult to determine who Carman was referring to as, in a single paragraph, he would jump between three characters thoughts/ actions. Furthermore, you'd think that with such a writing style that all of the characters would be extremely developed, but I didn't find that to be the case- I found them to be one-dimensional and "stereotypical" (bland female character that the reader can insert herself into, guardian who looks over her/ who borders on being creepy, dorky sidekick who is a social outcast, sister character who is mad at her brother for showing an interest in the bland girl, etc.).

Additional elements which irked me were the pacing, insta-love (to an extent), and a lack of answers. I felt that very little happened in the novel prior to the 200 page mark and that build-up that did happen was pointless (basically all the main character, Faith, did was worry about whether or not her jeans made her butt look nice, how people would perceive her holding hands with her best friend, and how she REALLY needed a boyfriend). On the note of insta-love, Wade was essentially declaring his undying love for her after only a few encounters, the majority of which he was an utter douchenozzle to her (giving her the cold shoulder, acting holier than thou, and even going so far as to drug her). As for Dylan and his love? It was far too Edward Cullen-y for my taste. Furthermore, I know this being the first in the series that the likelihood of out questions being answered was quite low, however, I didn't feel like we learned anything at all- that everyone was annoying enigmatic.

That being said, I do think that the concept behind the novel was extremely interesting- had the execution been up to par I could see this being HUGE, along the lines of Veronica Roth's "Divergent". Also, I really did like the character of Hawk, he truly made the novel for me.

All in all, as becomes evident, this book was not my cup of tea- my feelings towards it are not unlike they are to Elizabeth Richard's "Black City". Despite almost always continuing on with a series I will not be with this. However, I do think that this book may appeal more so to male readers occupying the lower ends of the YA spectrum (13-15 years old).

Rating: 2/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating...

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Title: "Charm & Strange"
Author: Stephanie Kuehn
Publisher: St. Martin's
Release Date: June 11, 2013

Frm Goodreads: "When you’ve been kept caged in the dark, it’s impossible to see the forest for the trees. It’s impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars . . .

Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself.

He’s part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.

He’s part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable.

Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present.

Before the sun rises, he’ll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths—that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying."

Twitter Tuesday (5)

As some of my Twitter followers may have noticed (with all of my #amwriting and #amediting Tweets) I've been trying my hand at writing the last year or so. "Trying" being the operative word- I have struggled with my writing so much during that time, especially in the first drafts. However, I've found a lot of comfort in perhaps one of the most unlikely places- Twitter. How so? Through reading some of my favorite authors writing experiences- namely in their similar struggles. Reading their Tweets really helps put things into perspective for me, reminding me that even the most successful authors struggle every now and again, but that they've been able to overcome it and, that if they can, we can too! Some are funny, some are sad, but I think that we will all be able to relate to one or two!

Marissa Meyer Interview

You can now find the transcription of Ashley's and my interview with Marissa Meyer on Ashley's blog HERE (super thanks to Ashley for transcribing all of that!).

Also, again, big thanks to Marissa, Raincoast and Chapters/ Indigo!  

Recap: Marissa Meyer Toronto Signing

As many will know by now, Marissa Meyer is one of my most favourite authors of all time (evidenced by me proposing to her on Twitter. I challenge YOU to read "Scarlet "and not want to propose to her. Or Wolf. Seriously, it's not possible). Therefore when I heard that she was coming to Toronto and that I WAS GOING (with the ever fantabulous Ashley and her mother) you can guess that my reaction was something along the lines of:

And then, when I had learned, that not only had Ashley won a one-on-one interview with Marissa, but had asked that I accompany her? Well...

Fast forward to the day of the event. Up at 6:30 am (I have seriously never woken up so quickly in my life, somehow within literally a minute I was out of bed, across the house in the bathroom and brushing my teeth), leaving here at 7:00 am, at Ashley's at 8:00 am, at the Chapters/Indigo at Yorkdale Mall around 10:30 am-ish. As soon as we got to Chapters we happened to stumble over the Ottawa Bloggettes, comprising of Ciara, Emilie, Meaghan, and Katie, and then the Toronto ladies, including Ardo, Michele, Tiff, Christa, Giselle, Liz, Siobhan, and more (seriously, there was a LOT of us bloggers there, I wanted to rename it "Blogsquad Meet-Up: Spring Edition").

There was almost the perfect amount of people there, IMO. Enough where I thought that it was worthwhile for the author, publisher, and bookstore, but where it wasn't overwhelming/ stifling (not unlike my only other experience at Yorkdale, at the Cassie Clare signing in the fall ,where it was SO busy that many of us were turned away at the door).

After talking to the girlies for about an hour Ashley and I then decided we'd better figure out where the interview with Marissa was taking place. After talking to an employee we were herded to the backroom of Chapters to wait until  Chandra from Indigo Teen Blog (and her partner in crime Natalie) finished their own interview. During that time we met Dan from Raincoast and Marissa's husband (who was kind enough to offer us Captain Thorne buttons and baked goods).

After Chandra and Natalie wrapped up their interview it was our turn. Admittedly I am an extremely anxious person, shaking, stomach aches, the whole nine yards, when it comes to being in what I perceive to be uncomfortable situations (public speaking, interviews, talking to people I don't know, etc.), but let me tell you, as soon as I met Marissa all fears that I may have had VANISHED- she completely put me at ease. Saying that she is personable is beyond an understatement. Ashley and I interviewed for her for twenty minutes, asking her such things as who her book boyfriends are, if she has any other books in mind/ in progress,  and if she could change one thing in her books what it would be. Oh, and we may have played the "Kiss, Kill, Marry" game.

Left to right: Ashley and I interviewing Marissa (you can see the baked goods), Me, Marissa and Ashley (I hate pictures, btw), Marissa signing my books, and said books. Image credits to Indigo Events, Ashley and myself. 

After wrapping up the interview it was then time for the talk/ Q&A (Raincoast/ Chapters was kind enough to save us some seats in the front row of the event). Marissa started off her talk by summarizing the books, she then discussed where her inspiration came from/ what made her first begin to write (basically, Sailor Moon + fanfic + the opportunity for a walk on role of "Star Trek"). Furthermore, the woman affirmed the fact that she  is a rockstar- her agent submitted "Cinder" on a Friday and by Monday she had offers from said publishers.

She then proceeded to tell us stories of Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Snow White quite unlike many of us had never heard before (who knew that there were fairytales far grimmer than the Grimm Brothers'?)- basically, they were bloody and no one survived with their eyes intact (also, one of the most hilarious things I have ever encountered before, but also kinda not... The stage was RIGHT beside the children's section of the bookstore. In fact, during the signing children were running back and forth in front of the stage. As Marissa was telling her gory stories the kids were standing there listening and THEIR PARENTS WERE LETTING THEM. I'm fairly certain that they're traumatized. But I think that it will work out for our benefit because they will be future YA readers, looking for something twisted/ different to read, not unlike Marissa's books).

Marissa regaling us with gory fairytales. 

Speaking of eyes... I have to share Marissa's version of Rapunzel as I have a theory about what is going to go down in "Cress" based upon what she said (not necessarily spoilery if you have yet to read "Scarlet"):

Basically Rapunzel's parents pawned her off to a witch after the witch gave her mother lettuce (her mother was craving lettuce while she was pregnant with Rapunzel. Also, curiously, both Cress and Rapunzel are types of lettuce). The witch locked Rapunzel into the typical tower where Rapunzel grew her long hair. 

One day a prince, as they do, was walking through the forest when he stumbled on Rapunzel's tower. After climbing her hair, Rapunzel and the prince soon fell in love. One day when the witch went to visit Rapunzel Rapunzel said something stupid along the lines of, "Gawd, mom- You're so much heavier than the prince!"

Realizing the implications of what Rapunzel had said, and the fact that Rapunzel was looking a fair bit rounder (PREGGOS), the witch, out of anger, cut off Rapunzel's hair and threw her into a desert. Unaware of this, the prince went to visit Rapunzel once again. After climbing her hair the prince came face-to-face with the witch, where she then proceeded to push him out of the window.

The prince landed in a thorn bush where he was then blinded. Now blind, the prince wandered around until one day he happened across the desert where Rapunzel had been stranded. The two eventually find one another and Rapunzel cries into his eyes, healing him.

So what am I thinking?

THAT THORNE AND CRESS FALL IN LOVE! 

And since I love, love, this makes me ecstatic. PLUS, if this is true than we have to assume that Cress is a firecracker if she is able to keep up with Thorne. 

So, yeah. Agree? Disagree? Have your say over on Goodreads!

After Marissa was finished with her fairytales she then took audience questions- the best one, in my opinion, was when an audience member asked if she wrote her books solely with shipping in mind (whoever you are, I LOVE YOU). Marissa said that her goal as an author is to entertain and to write strong female characters.

After an amazing 45 minute long talk/Q&A it was then time for the signing. Since Ashley and I had already gotten our things signed we were good to go. After waiting for the other gals (Ciara, Emilie, Meaghan, Katie, Ardo, Michele, Tiff, Christa) to get their books signed we then went out for lunch. While I love author events I gotta admit that hanging out with the girls may be just as much fun (hanging out with them *almost* makes me want to move out of my parents house and move to Toronto).

Bloggettes at lunch. Image credit goes to Michele.

All in all, as becomes evident, I had an AMAZING time. Huge thanks goes out to Marissa, Chapters/ Indigos, Indigo Events, Raincoast, and Ashley (for being the best book BFF ever)! 

"Things I Can't Forget" by Miranda Kenneally

Release Date: March 1, 2013

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire 

Pages: 320

From Goodreads: "Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker. 

Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different…

This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her.

Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…"

As becomes evident from my review of "Stealing Parker" (my introduction to Miranda Kenneally's "Hundred Oaks" series, having not read the first book in the series, "Catching Jordan", as these are companions novels and therefore prior knowledge of the series isn't required) I was not a fan of it- there was a number of things about it that irked me, from Parker's behaviour, to the "preachiness" of the novel, to the overall superficiality. That being said, despite my complaints I did decide to continue on with the series, reading this book, the third book, and I'm extremely happy that I did make the decision to do so as I liked the book twofold over the previous. 

While one would think that because the large majority of this book took place in a church camp that it might be quite "preachy", I personally didn't find that (that being said, I did spend over a decade in a church camp, even being the arts and crafts director myself, so that may play into my biases). I think that it anything this book was about character growth, namely in Kate's religious beliefs- her beliefs growing, adapting and adjusting, and her learning that there is perhaps more to life than them (and that others beliefs may differ from her own). I think that a lot of YA readers will be able to connect to her as she does face many struggles that they may be experiencing or have experienced, first boyfriend, arguments with friends, forming new friendships, and so forth. 

Matt was also an enjoyable character- I appreciated the fact that he simply was who he was- he didn't try to be someone else and he was extremely honest about it (like the ways in which he expressed his religious beliefs). I also thought that the interaction between him and his siblings were adorable, especially when his younger brother told Kate not to break his heart.  

Additionally, while I did like Kate and Matt in this novel I did find myself finally coming around to Parker (that being said, I wouldn't yet consider us to be BFFs, though we are somewhat getting there). It was nice to see her so less boy crazy in this book (her eyes only for Will) and to see her start to realize that perhaps she hadn't only been at the receiving end of misjudgment, but at the giving end. 

All in all, as becomes evident, I am glad that I did continue on with this series and I intend to read the final three books in the series (also, I will be finally picking up "Catching Jordan"). I think that those who are already fans of this series will be more than pleased by it and I thank them for their enthusiasm for this series, convincing me to give it another go. 

Rating: 4/5

I received this book from the publisher to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review. 

Blog Tour and GIVEAWAY: "Wait For You" by J. Lynn

Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: February 26, 2013
Pages: 332

From Goodreads: "Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…" 

As many will know from my proclamations of it over and over again Jennifer L. Armentrout (writing, in this instance, as J. Lynn) is one of my most favourite authors of all time- essentially I think that she has the Midas touch of writing, everything she writes turns to gold. However, I must admit that this is my least favourite of hers. However, that is to not say that it is bad.

My largest complaint about this book is it uniqueness. Namely, I think that it is entirely lacking in it. I have consumed what might be considered an unhealthy amount of New Adult (NA) as of late and I found this to be far too similar to what is already out there on the market (Chelsea Cameron's "My Favourite Mistake", especially). Essentially this book has all of the tropes associated with the NA genre- there is a female character who is broken thanks to something that happened to her in her past (something stemming from an encounter with a male), a playerish, "bad boy" male with tattoos dripping off of his eight pack, snarky and witty banter between the two in their love/ hate relationship, the eventual falling into one another's bed (where they stay for MUCH of the novel), everything perfectly wrapped up at the end of the novel, almost as if presented with a fancy bow, and a glaringly obvious set-up for a companion novel.

That being said, I really did enjoy the characters- Cam, especially. He was beyond sweet, caring, and understanding, oftentimes when he didn't have to be due to the way in which Avery treated him. I also did really enjoy the secondary characters, Brit, Jacob, and Ollie- I thought that they brought a much needed lightness/ humor to the novel. Additionally, this book is HOT- one of the hottest NAs that I have ever read before.

All in all, as becomes evident, despite my complaints I did still quite enjoy this novel and I can foresee it hitting bestseller lists within a few days of its release. I am excited to learn that this will potentially be expanded into a series, the two companion novels featuring Ollie and Jase respectively (Jennifer recently has said that she has some ideas floating around in her head, though nothing is yet set in stone), and I think that fellow NA readers will agree with me once they meet these characters (once you meet these characters you don't want to have to say goodbye to them, you want to drag out your interactions with them for as long as possible)! I have high hopes (as I have found with all of JLA's book series that I have read to date) that each book will get progressively better and better!

Rating: 3/5

I received this book from the author to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

Giveaway 

As part of the blog tour Jennifer and Valerie (Stuck in Books) have been kind enough to offer up for grabs a turtle charm, to one lucky winner- if you've read the book you will know about the significance of this turtle! US Only. Fill out the rafflecopter below to qualify!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: "When the Silence Ends" by Jade Kerrion

Today I am excited to have author Jade Kerrion stop by the blog to tell us a bit about her recent release "When the Silence Ends", her inspirations, her personal favourite part of the book and so forth!

1. Tell us a little about your book.

On the one hand, When the Silence Ends is the story of an ordinary girl, Dee, facing ordinary challenges. She holds down two jobs to pay the rent, makes sure her twin brother gets to his speech therapy class, and wonders how to pay for college. Dee, however, is an ordinary girl in a world transformed by the Genetic Revolution—a world that is struggling to deal with the social and political repercussions of human derivatives: the clones, in vitros, and mutants. What chance does “ordinary” have in a world of “extraordinary” people?

2. How did you come up with the title?

Silence is a key theme in the novel. Dum, Dee’s twin brother, has not spoken ever since a shattering event destroyed their family when they were five. The novel is the story of Dum’s journey out of silence. A secondary theme is that of secrets. Danyael Sabre, the alpha empath who trains Dum, has secrets of his own, and as the story unfolds, the silence around an eighteen-year old secret comes to an end.

3. What inspired you to write this book?

Young Adult novels abound with extraordinary protagonists. I’m sure that in your travels through books, you’ve met the child of destiny who’s fated to end a war and unite two worlds. You’ve probably also met the quiet kid who doesn’t quite fit in, who discovers his amazing super powers and uses them to save the world. Of course, there’s the protagonist who stumbles upon a mysterious world that coexists alongside her reality, populated by sparkly vampires and handsome werewolves.

I’ve found two major themes running through most YA novels: the first, as I noted above, the extraordinary teenage protagonist, and second, the adults are frequently the enemy, ranging from indifferent parents to murderous despots. Neither of those observations particularly aligns with my observations of life.

So, when I set out to write a YA spin off my award-winning Double Helix series, featuring Dee and her twin brother, Dum, I wanted my readers to appreciate adults in more roles than that of the enemy. Some of them are, of course, but like the real world, there’s a vast spectrum of them; some adults even become Dee’s friends and mentors. More importantly though, I wanted my readers to appreciate the power of “ordinary.”

4. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I’d like my readers to realize that “extraordinary” is within all our grasps, and it has nothing to do with destiny, superpowers, or being loved by a vampire. Dee is the embodiment of ordinary, but she still manages to change her world for the better. If she can do it, there’s no reason at all the rest of us can’t.

5. Do you have a favorite line or scene from your latest release?

It’s hard to choose just one scene. I enjoy many of the scenes involving Jessica—the fifteen-year old alpha mutant, who, unlike Dee, isn’t ordinary, but is striving to find her own brand of normality, nonetheless. My favorite scene, however, is the very last scene at the concert when the silence ends. Several readers have reported tearing up at that scene.

6. Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

I started at the age of thirteen when my school essays were returned to me with a bunch of “A”s scrawled over the top. Teenagers are impressionable. Being much more impressionable than most, and believing that my teachers knew what they were doing, I figured I was destined to be a writer. It’s only taken me tens of thousands of hours of work since then to be halfway decent at writing (and I’m still learning each day), but one has to start somewhere.

7. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Neil Gaiman is pure genius in his storytelling ability.

8. Have you published anything else?

My award-winning Double Helix series includes three books, Perfection Unleashed, Perfect Betrayal, and Perfect Weapon. When the Silence Ends is set in the world of the Double Helix, and readers will find that many of their favorite characters play much larger roles in the main series. My YA science fiction novel, Earth Sim, was just released as well and is currently on tour. It is a compelling and whimsical view of Earth’s history through the eyes of the two students assigned to manage our planet.

9. What’s next for you? / What is your next project?

I’m currently working on a paranormal romance called City of Eternal Night. Once I finish that, I’ll start work on the fourth novel in the Double Helix series. My plan is to release three novels in 2013.

10. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I just want to say thank you. Thank you for your support, your enthusiastic reviews, and your outraged e-mails over what I did to some of my characters. Thank you for loving them. Thank you for rereading my novels. Thank you for trusting me with your time. I do promise to honor that trust and keep delivering fantastic novels that keep you reading past your bedtime.

From Goodreads: "When you choose your friends, you also choose your enemies.

Seventeen-year old Dee wants nothing more than to help her twin brother, Dum, break free from the trauma in their childhood and speak again, but the only person who can help Dum is the alpha empath, Danyael Sabre, whom the U.S. government considers a terrorist and traitor.

The search for Danyael will lead Dee and Dum from the sheltered protection of the Mutant Affairs Council and into the violent, gang-controlled heart of Anacostia. Ensnared by Danyael’s complicated network of friends and enemies, Dee makes her stand in a political and social war that she is ill equipped to fight. What can one human, armed only with her wits and pepper spray, do against the super-powered mutants who dominate the Genetic Revolution?

America, nevertheless, is ripe for transformation. Exhausted by decades of belligerence between humans and their genetic derivatives—the clones, in vitros, and mutants—society is on the verge of falling apart or growing up. Dee, with her sassy attitude and smart mouth, is the unwitting pebble that starts the avalanche of change. In her quest to help her brother become normal, Dee will finally learn what it means to be extraordinary.

When the Silence Ends is the Young Adult spinoff in the award-winning Double Helix series and can be read as a standalone novel."

About the Author: Jade Kerrion, an award-winning author, got her start in fan fiction. She developed a loyal reader base with her fan fiction series based on the MMORPG Guild Wars. She was accused of keeping her readers up at night, distracting them from work, housework, homework, and (far worse), from actually playing Guild Wars. And then she wondered why just screw up the time management skills of gamers? Why not aspire to screw everyone else up too? So here she is, writing books that aspire to keep you from doing anything else useful with your time. She lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with her wonderfully supportive husband and her two young sons, Saint and Angel, (no, those aren't their real names, but they are like saints and angels, except when they're not.)

Connect with Jade Kerrion: Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Twitter Tuesday (4)

As some of my Twitter followers may have noticed (with all of my #amwriting and #amediting Tweets) I've been trying my hand at writing the last year or so. "Trying" being the operative word- I have struggled with my writing so much during that time, especially in the first drafts. However, I've found a lot of comfort in perhaps one of the most unlikely places- Twitter. How so? Through reading some of my favorite authors writing experiences- namely in their similar struggles. Reading their Tweets really helps put things into perspective for me, reminding me that even the most successful authors struggle every now and again, but that they've been able to overcome it and, that if they can, we can too! Some are funny, some are sad, but I think that we will all be able to relate to one or two!

Cover Reveal: "Shattered Silence" by Ron C. Nieto

Today I am excited to be a part of the cover reveal of the second book in Ron C. Nieto's "Ghost Rhapsody" series, "Shattered Silence"! 

Keith never believed in Happily Ever After, at least not for someone like him. However, that’s exactly what it feels like when he has the love of his life by his side.

Alice fought everything she was, everything she thought she wanted to be, just to save him.When the nightmare blew over and the both of them were left standing, she thought she’d get her shot at happiness.

But how long can bliss last when everything they hold dear starts to crumble around them?Can they truly be free of a hatred that’s been alive for centuries?

The song has been played and, in its wake, the silence shatters…

About the Author: Ron C. Nieto is a fantasy and romance author who has been writing in her secluded fortress for the longest time. Recently, she had a talk with her cat and decided that she should share her creations, because it was selfish to hoard them all for herself.

If you would like to know more about her, please visit her website.

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