Review: THE FRIDAY SOCIETY

Basic information about the book I shall review for you fine people today. 

The Friday Society

Author: Adrienne Kress

• Twitter: @AdrienneKress
• Website
• Goodreads

Publisher: Dial Books
Pages: 440
ISBN: 0803737610

Goodreads' summary:

An action-packed tale of gowns, guys, guns –and the heroines who use them all.  

Set in turn of the century London, The Friday Society follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant; and Nellie, magician's assistant. The three young women's lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man. 

It's up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder–and the crimes they believe may be connected to it–without calling too much attention to themselves. 

Set in the past but with a modern irreverent flare, this Steampunk whodunit introduces three unforgettable and very ladylike–well, relatively ladylike–heroines poised for more dangerous adventures.

Full disclosure: I read this book in a deer stand in 45 degree weather. I sat in that stand, cramping up, freezing, hoping a deer would find its way into my patch so I could actually leave the stand before dark fell, but as luck would have it, I spent those 4 hours reading The Friday Society and I'm actually glad I didn't get to shoot anything.

Because guys, this book was awesome. Normally I don't automatically pick up "steampunk" type novels. But lately I've taken to them like a labrador to tennis balls. I can't get enough. It started with Gail Carriger's YA Finishing School series (Etiquette & Espionage and Curtsies & Conspiracies). Then I had to buy her Parasol Protectorate series just because I enjoyed her writing OH SO MUCH. (Haven't read this series yet, but it's sitting pretty in my Kindle app.)

As you folks no doubt can guess and might already know, I have a book purchasing problem, which is where I return to the topic of this post and a recent impulse buy on an "innocent" trip through BAM!: The Friday Society.

The intertwined tale(s) of Cora, Michiko, and Nellie in an alternate version of London, where anything is possible when ingenuity is involved. These girls start off unknown to one another, but as the story progresses, they are inextricably brought together in order to solve crime and save London from nefarious ne'er-do-wells.

Kress writes strong female characters but does not create a world in which their actions do not have consequences. I always find it hard to believe when everything in a novel goes perfectly; I expect consequences. And in The Friday Society, there are just enough to make the antics of the girls believable without overwhelming the humor that Kress weaves into the story.

While I'm fairly new to the steampunk reviewing world, I have come to expect that books of this type must naturally contain a peculiar, wry humor, which infiltrates the dialogue and actions of the characters. I like it. It's witty. And I love witty. Therefore, if you, like me, like witty characters with pithy and quippy dialogue sequences, then you shall like The Friday Society as much, maybe even more than (though I doubt it), I do.

Final thoughts: The Friday Society is a smashingly excellent example of a book. And if the ending is any indication, I hope to see a sequel pop up sometime in the near future. That would just be delightful.

I Made it to the Surface

Wow, it has been a while since I last posted and checked in with bloggy land. It's like I've been living under a rock or something. Oh wait. I kinda have. It's called grad school. Haha! Meme Boromir is right. I cannot truly recall a moment of relaxation that I've had since August. I didn't even get Thanksgiving off, not really. I had papers to write. And research to do.

But amidst all of that writing and reading and writing and reading, I did have a very nice first semester. I grew tired of doing critical analyses of books that were written when my great-great-great's were alive and decided to switch my concentration from literature to creative writing!

I anticipate less stress and more fun, both things I prefer.

I feel like there was a book related reason as to why I am writing this post...oh wait! I remember. Recently (as in, the day I turned in my last paper, lol) I sat down and started reading for fun! The first book up was the acclaimed second installment in Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series, Crown of Midnight. And guys, it was as awesome as I could have ever hoped for! If you have not read Throne of Glass, then I definitely recommend it. Actually, I think I wrote a review a while back of it. *goes to check archives to provide link* Yep! Totally did! Here's the link. To quote myself, the series is "FREAKINGSPECTACULAWESOMESAUCENESS." 

Anyway, Crown of Midnight met and exceeded my expectations. There were twists that I should have seen coming but didn't, and oh so much more. I just love the way Maas writes her characters. They are vibrant and dynamic in a way that makes all the difference in drawing readers into a story of magic and fantasy. And because I'm such a fan, I preordered it and received a signed print of the cover. *shiny*

But that's not all. I've started The Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks and I'm already on book two, Shadow's Edge. A coworker suggested the series to me and I have to say, it's pretty great. I love fantasy novels about assassins and magic and kingdoms being overthrown, so if you do too, then this series is definitely for you. So now that I've caught the blogiverse back up on me, it's time for this girl to read book two.


Until next time...

Across the Street

There's a local coffee house. It's in an old 40s 

Cover Reveal for Kelsey Sutton's WHERE SILENCE GATHERS

Today The Mod Podge Bookshelf and Mod Podge Blog Tours are hosting Kelsey Sutton’s exclusive 

WHERE SILENCE GATHERS 

cover reveal!

Summary:

In this companion novel to the critically acclaimed Some Quiet Place, Alex must choose between Revenge and Forgiveness.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandra Tate sits outside Nate Foster’s house, clutching a gun. After serving ten years for the drunk driving accident that killed Alex’s family, Nate has been released from prison. Every night, Alex waits out of sight, building up the courage to exact her own justice. There’s just one problem: Forgiveness. Alex has been able to see personified Emotions for as long as she can remember, and Revenge is her best friend. But when Forgiveness suddenly appears, he offers Alex a choice—getting even or moving on. It’s impossible to decide when Revenge whispers in one ear . . . and Forgiveness whispers in the other.

Enter to win a pre-order of WHERE SILENCE GATHERS below!

(This giveaway is international.)

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Kelsey Sutton has done everything from training dogs, making cheeseburgers, selling yellow page ads, and cleaning hotel rooms. Now she divides her time between her college classes and her writing. Kelsey lives in northern Minnesota with her dog and cat, Lewis and Clark.

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Winner of ARC of The Chaos of Stars!

As you all may or may not know, I hosted a giveaway for the past week and a half for an ARC of The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White. The time has come for me to share it with one lucky individual.

Patrice!

Yay!!! I hope she enjoys it as much as I did!

Congratulations, Patrice!

Don't get discouraged folks. I will have many more ARCs to give away in the future.

Until next time...

Trailer for V.E. Schwab's VICIOUS

Oh my goodness. Folks, this trailer is so spine-tinglingly simple that I had to share. Watch it and you'll see what I mean about the spine tingling. I can't even. The gravestones and stone angels. WATCH IT.




I already knew I was going to have to read Schwab's new book and this trailer just sealed the deal. Vicious is officially added to the Queue Up for Review.

3 Book Reviews, 1 Giveaway: THE CHAOS OF STARS, REBOOT, and SIEGE AND STORM

This blog post is going to be a three-in-one sort of deal, but to reward anyone for reading three reviews (which I hope y’all do because these books are great), I am also giving away an ARC of The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White. And without further ado, let the reviewing begin!


The Chaos of Stars
Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen (imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)
Publication Date: September 9, 2013
Pages: 228

I believe in magic. A childhood growing up reading Harry Potter and waving sticks like wands has not been cancelled out by age and the real world. Experience continues to press me further into the embrace of the otherworldly, and perhaps that is why I found The Chaos of Stars to be a breath of fresh air in the realm of mythical books written for teens.

(Full disclosure: I haven’t read the Percy Jackson series. So no judgies.)

However, The Chaos of Stars doesn’t feel like those books. It isn’t a series. The danger isn’t some evil figure out to destroy the world. It’s a book about family and the bonds between loved ones (and not so loved ones).

Isadora may be the daughter of gods but she isn’t powerful; in fact, she’s mortal. This book is less a retelling of myth and more a natural exploration of how myths have adapted to change and now live quiet lives among unsuspecting humans. And it’s fascinating.

I believed every second of it and that, I think, is the highest praise I can give any book. Just like I believe that my house is hidden by some kind of strange magic from the owls carrying my Hogwarts letter, I believe in the mythology that White has used so well in weaving Isadora’s story.



Reboot
Author: Amy Tintera
Publisher: HarperTeen
Available Now
Pages: 365

I did a semi-review a few posts ago, so if I repeat anything, I don’t care. That said, Reboot is everything the author blurbs on the covers say it is.

“Fast-paced and thrilling—I devoured this book!” –Veronica Rossi (Under the Never Sky)

“A bone-breaking heroine fights for her life, her love, and what remains of her humanity in this fresh take on a world gone wrong.” –Lissa Price (Starters)

Wren 178 is a no nonsense character. As a child, she contracted the deadly KDH virus (kind of like a modified zombie virus) and during a supposed break-in was shot three times in the chest and killed along with her parents. Once dead, she rose 178 minutes later as a Reboot. Her role in the world after that became much simpler: follow orders.

She exists as a tool for the Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation (HARC) to hunt down criminals and rogue Reboots. Because it took 178 minutes for her to “wake up,” Wren is super fast and super strong. The longer a Reboot is “dead” equals the strength of a Reboot once he or she awakens. I must admit, I find this semi-zombie virus style epidemic and resulting super humans to be a fascinating concept.

Part of Wren’s job is to train new Reboots, and the narrative really picks up once Wren gets her new trainee: Callum 22. He’s the lowest number she’s ever trained and it is her decision to train him that thrusts her into new territory and propels the Bourne-paced action of the story. I flinched a few times to be honest. Wren 178 really is a “bone-breaking heroine.”

My only niggling qualm about Reboot is about the pacing near the end. Everything seems to happen all at once, things falling into place miraculously (or so it appeared to me) one after the other. Click, click, click into neat stacks. It’s not a bad ending, but it isn’t a “Wow, would you look at that!” ending either. It’s…adequate, particularly since there will be more to follow.

Despite that, I can confidently say that I do recommend Reboot and I hope you all read it at some point or another because I have a feeling it might be made into a movie, a la The Hunger Games. Or at the least a TV show. Like I said, the KDH virus premise is just too appealing to pass up. If I were a producer (*cough* Joss Whedon *cough*), I’d snap it up in a heartbeat.

(*eyes Hollywood*)



And finally…


Siege and Storm
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Available Now
Pages: 432

It doesn’t happen often but I’m at a loss for words. How shall I begin to talk about this second installment in The Grisha Trilogy? Ummm, well, I read it today in about three hours and once I finished I had to wait 30 minutes before I was able to tweet anything comprehensible.

Sometimes books affect me that way. I squeak when I try to summarize them to people, stumble over the plot points, and wave my hands to try to gesture-describe what my mouth can’t. It’s a strange state, I give you that, but it’s part of who I am.

Siege and Storm is one of those books, along with any Harry Potter, The Night Circus, and any Shannon Hale novel. There are a few others, but y’all don’t need a comprehensive list of topics that make me tongue-tied.

If you’re a Shadow and Bone fan but haven’t read Siege and Storm, then let me say this: buy it but don’t read it until the last book, Ruin and Rising, is released because it’s TORTURE having to wait. My brain is leaving claw marks on the inside of my skull because I have to wait until June 5, 2014 to find out what happens next. Just look at the first few “reviews” on Goodreads and all the GIF sets that I want to use are there.

Now that I’ve rambled, for, like, ever, I suppose I can actually provide somewhat of a summary/review. Ahem.

After Alina Starkov escapes the sexy clutches of The Darkling with equally sexy Mal, she tries to put her life back together while on the run. Of course, this can’t last and Alina is forced to assume her role as the Sun Summoner and as the only person in the world who is capable of standing up to the malicious (and handsome) force of The Darkling. There are new perils in this continuation of The Grisha Trilogy and Alina must make some difficult decisions, about power, about love, and about herself. The hunt is on for powerful artifacts and for a resolution to the power struggle in Ravka and the mysterious Fold. Darkness is gaining ground, but can Alina, the conflicted Sun Summoner with a growing cult following, hold back its sway over the land?

Whew. What a summary.


I feel like I need to give something away now. Just fill out the Rafflecopter survey below to earn entries and you might just win an ARC of The Chaos of Stars! Yay! It goes without saying that the contest is only viable in the continental U.S. and Canada. Remember, college student=no money. Best of luck guys!


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When Lightning Strikes Twice

Well folks, I was going to post a review of The Chaos of the Stars (plus a giveaway) and a review of Reboot, BUT Mother Nature has decided otherwise. A massive storm just rolled over my house and let us have it with a lightning bolt, which effectively murdered the Internet and our main TV. :( 

Poor tree. 

My Dad's work computer also got fried. This is the second time this has happened since we've lived in this house, and we were kind of hoping it wouldn't happen more than the once. Alas, we were wrong. As a result, I'm writing this post on my phone, fighting with autocorrect the entire way. Yay! 

This was an electric fence box buuuut now it's kinda exploded. 

All its parts now lie on the ground. 

Hopefully the Internet will be back up tomorrow, but who knows. Last time it took a while, and now we're about to be in for a whole night of Mother Nature channeling Sean William Scott from The Rundown. "You want some Thunder? How about some lightning?!"

So look for more posts later this week, I guess. 

Until next time... 

What's Up Wednesday: The Chaos of Stars, an orangutan, and Radioactive

This will be the first time I've participated in What's Up Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jaime Morrow and Erin L. Funk, and I'm delighted to join. Lovely ladies both.

What I've Been Reading: 

Well, most recently I just finished an ARC of The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White. (I'll be giving it away in August.) I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked it up other than my initial infatuation with the simple yet beautiful cover, but the first line grabbed me right away and off I zoomed to a world of mythical beings and ancient gods.

The Chaos of Stars is not like other mythological based YA lit I've read. It's not a retelling in any sense, but rather a continuation, and it makes sense to me that these characters and the events that unfold could happen if those myths were real and the gods still roamed the earth, hidden in plain sight.

The MC, Isadora, is the daughter of the Egyptian gods Isis and Osiris--but there's a catch: she's human. Because of that, Isadora has all kinds of typical teenage daughter issues with her parents, but on a scale that is quite beyond that of the "typical teenager."

To me, the book read as a testament to the trials inherent in any family and the ultimate love that parents have for their children despite their differences. Although I'm happy to report that my family doesn't have any of the murder or betrayal that Isadora's immortal family does.

At the moment I am reading Reboot by Amy Tintera and enjoying it. It's too early for me to tell what will happen but I have a sneaking suspicion there will be romance and some butt-kicking action. The blurb on the back of the cover reminds me of Divergent and the ARC I recently gave away and reviewed, The Brokenhearted.

Now that I'm a Reboot: I am faster. I am stronger. I heal quickly. I don't cry. I follow orders. Until now.  

Intriguing, no? I thought so. I have a cache of other books (YA or otherwise) just waiting to be read and reviewed or given away, and to be honest, it is quite overwhelming. I've taken to splitting them up and putting them on separate shelves so I don't get the figurative stink-eye from more than a few at time, depending on which direction I'm looking. Is it bad that I give my books personification? Because sometimes I think they really do have personalities.

What I'm Writing:

Not to bore y'all, but I haven't been writing anything fictional this summer. I've actually been doing more research (Yuck! Help! Research!) into the characterization of animals and their "uses" in fictional works as either vehicles for ideas or balances for the bad qualities of a main character. I am doing this research in hopes of writing a more detailed paper on the relationship of Forrest Gump to the orangutan Sue, in the novel.

When I wrote my thesis, I focused on this relationship for about ten pages but all of my committee members (who are doctors of English, so I have to believe them, don't I?) said that that section was their favorite and suggested I develop it further. In all honesty, I, too, thought I made good points and considered it my favorite area as well, but since I was trying my hardest to sell them on the awesomeness of my entire thesis, I brushed the idea under the rug. I wanted to pass, after all.

Now that it's summer and graduate school is looming ever closer, I have decided to take the idea off of the back burner. So there you have it. What I've been writing. Or in this case, pre-writing, since I'm mostly doing research.

And as I type this I have a document open to one of my old WIPs, re-reading it and cringing at some of my descriptions. Goodness, it could use some TLC.

What Else I've Been Up To: 

Working. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but I work (worked, now) at the Education department of my university and I was basically a lab fixture for two years. This summer was my last semester in that lab assistant position for one of my favorite classes ever (EDM310, check it out, Dr. Strange is awesome). Now that it's over, I'm a little depressed. I'm going to miss that job.

Starting in August I will be working in the Writing Center as part of my GA position, but a part of my heart will always be in EDM310.

Let's see...what else. I've moved into a new apartment and this time I have a roommate. I love her though so I don't foresee any issues. We met in EDM310 as coworkers and she jokes that since because I and the a few others have graduated and she is still working there that she might pay me to read some of her assignments because she'll have so many to do. Ha!

What Inspires Me Right Now:

I've been on a YouTube kick for the past two weeks. If you haven't seen Lindsey Stirling and Pentatonix's new video cover of Radioactive by Imagine Dragons, then please watch it right now. I'll wait. I've even embedded it for your viewing ease.



Now, go watch all of the videos related to this one and you'll see what I've been inspired by lately. Oh this song makes my skin tingle and soul squirm. I can feel it inside me, oozing out of my pores to the soaring violin and beats.

Until next time...

Confusion: Some Quiet Place Blog Tour

Meet Confusion

He isn't mentioned directly but his presence is felt throughout Some Quiet Place. Confusion is an Emotion that we all feel nearly every day. Therefore, his physical presence isn't exactly needed in order to feel confused. Due to his nature, Confusion is a wanderer, rarely in one place for long, because as we know, confusion fades as quickly as it arises.

He is passingly referenced here:

 “See you in class,” I murmur, turning my back to Joshua. He looks like a lost little boy now, his hair tousled and his expression one of warring hurt and confusion as I abandon him.

When I found out that Confusion would be my topic for Kelsey's blog tour, I felt like it was entirely appropriate, not only for this blog but for myself as well. I'm always befuddled over one thing or another. Confusion and I are great pals.

I hope y'all have enjoyed your stop on the Some Quiet Place Blog Tour hosted by Gabriella at The Mod Podge Bookshelf! 

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Winner of ARC of The Brokenhearted!

Today I chose the winner of The Brokenhearted ARC giveaway (via Rafflecopter) and I'm excited to announce that the bigger winner is...

Alice S.!

Congratulations, Alice! I hope you enjoy The Brokenhearted as much as I did! For all of you who entered but did not win, don't fret! I have more ARCs to give away and they will be coming to a Rafflecopter entry form near you! (Or rather, on this blog, haha!)

Until next time...

Happy Book Birthday to Kelsey Sutton!!! + Review of THE BROKENHEARTED

A happiest of book birthdays to my friend Kelsey Sutton and her debut novel Some Quiet Place! Coming up soon there will be a guest post from Kelsey (July 17) and I'm so excited to see what she will have for us! I know it has something to do with Emotions and if you haven't read Some Quiet Place yet you definitely should! A few posts ago I participated in the cover reveal for SQP and I'm thrilled to also be in the blog tour this month that Gabriella is hosting at the Modgepodge Bookshelf! She created a lovely blog tour button that I just have to share now even though it's not my "turn" in the tour.







Feel free to snag it and put it on your sidebars! I know it's simply lovely.






Anyway, I feel like it's time for me to get to the second part of this post, which is a short review of an ARC of The Brokenhearted by Amelia Kahaney. I snagged this ARC from my local independent bookstore (along with three others, so expect reviews of those as well) and I plan to give it away as a part of this post. Appropriate, I think, considering it's SQP's birthday.

Here are the specs for The Brokenhearted:
Pub Date: Oct 8, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Hardcover, 320 pages
ISBN: 0062230921
Official Website for Amelia Kahaney

Synopsis:
Anthem Fleet is the ultimate society girl or at least she should be. Her father--a real estate tycoon--is fabulously wealthy and powerful and her mother is a beauty queen turned socialite. They have it all, the penthouse, the cars, the perfect straight-A ballerina daughter. Until Anthem makes a series of decisions that change her life forever and propel her into a role she had not practiced for her entire life, but one that she chooses to accept regardless.

The setting is Bedlam City, a novelistic place reminiscent of Gotham, and I think it's meant to evoke that same darker urban feeling that the most recent Batman films have captured so perfectly. There are slums--South Side--where criminals of the Syndicate deal in drugs, guns, theft, and body parts for those willing to undergo surgery in the most disreputable of places.

But despite that darkness, the people of the South Side want to believe in a better future, one where the city isn't divided by a river known as the Crime Line, and one where police don't conduct raids with Fear Gas and beat those people not afraid to protest the corruption.

Initially, I found The Brokenhearted to be a bit slow, but once I grew accustomed to the world and the pace picked up, I couldn't put it down. Much like the cover says, once Anthem's "heart stopped" her "life started" and so did the action in the novel. From simply looking at the cover, one might assume that this book is of the steampunk genre, but in my humble opinion, I don't think I'd classify it as such. There are more elements of the superhero type of narrative particularly with regards to Batman-esque type of social avenger, but I suppose you'll have to read it to find out.

To help one lucky reader towards that goal, I will be giving this ARC away! Fill out the Rafflecopter entries below and cross your fingers! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: THRONE OF GLASS

Obviously, folks, I can't stick to schedules. I told myself I was going to blog dutifully and alas I have not. Oh well. I do have a terrific book to discuss with you all today though!

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 404 (406 including Acknowledgements)
Time It Took to Read: ~4 hours
One Word to Describe Book:

FREAKINGSPECTACULAWESOMESAUCENESS

In case any of you are wondering, yes that is a word. It comes right after Forgetaboutit in the dictionary. I love this book so much that I even made a GIF of me fondling turning the cover.

The summary of the book goes a little like this:

In a world without magic (How sad), an assassin (!!!) is summoned to the castle. (It's made of glass! Freaky!) She comes not to kill the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass (Yay! Title!) but to win her freedom (Oooo, motive!). If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors (Fighting! I love fighting!) in a competition, she will be released from prison to serve as the King's Champion (Kind of catch-22, so...tension!). Her name is Celaena Sardothien.
The Crown Prince will provoke her (Le grrr). The Captain of the Guard will protect her (Again, le grrr). And a princess from a faraway land will befriend her (Yay for friendship!). But something evil dwells in the castle (Oh no!)--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival (Multilayered excitement!)--and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world (Magic never dies!). 

Celaena kind of reminds me of Tamora Pierce's heroines mixed with the kickass leading ladies of Lilith Saintcrow's novels, both adult and YA. She has enough vulnerability to remind readers that she is a girl, but she never once doubts her abilities. I can't wait until Crown of Midnight is published (this fall! Eeek!) because I know there are facets to her that have yet to be shown, especially where her origins are concerned. I could go on for a couple more blog posts about how much I enjoyed reading Throne of Glass but I won't. I want y'all to read it for yourselves.

To tide me and anyone else who is a fan of Celaena over until Crown of Midnight, Sarah J. Maas has four e-novellas available about the life Celaena led prior to being a prisoner in the Endovier salt mines. More information on those can be found on her website or by clicking this link. I know I'll read them very soon.

Until next time...

And Then She Rested

I feel as if this post should be accompanied by the heraldry of trumpets and song. However, all it would reveal is this...

 

And I'm pretty sure no one wants to see that. I hope. But why am I resting and eating? Because...I OFFICIALLY PASSED MY THESIS! That's right folks! The thing I've mentioned a few times (maybe more than a few but I have selective memory) and that has been hounding my waking hours, and if I'm honest those few I spent sleeping, is finally done. 

Well, it's partially finally done. I still have to fix whatever my committee tells me to fix and then I have to print it on special paper and stuff, but for the most part, yeah, it's finished. 

This thing took a massive toll on my brain power. So much so that after my defense this past Friday morning, I went back to my apartment and took a four and half hour nap. I only woke up because I was hungry. I would have gone directly back to sleep and slept until finals had it not been for other things being due and needing my attention. Attention that I could now give them most of. Amazing. 

On a side note, I'm irritated at Blogger as I'm typing this because every minute or so an error message pops up (no idea what about, so random), interrupting my writing flow. And because no post is ever complete without Tina Fey... 

As I was saying, I have more time now and once I'm graduated in full, I plan on utilizing that time in a more bloggy fashion. At least until grad school starts, but even then, I think I'll have more time than I do now. I have a few book reviews that I must do and of course there is the matter of my friend Kelsey Sutton's book release blog tour (EEEEeeeeeee!!!). Therefore, expect posts. 

Until next time...

Scarlet and The Diviners

Over Spring Break I went on a whirlwind of reading, if reading two books in a week can be considered a whirlwind. According to my inner voice, it isn't, but if you look at my reading history for the past few months, it certainly looks like it.

On to the good stuff. As you can tell from the title (which kinda sounds like an awesome band name), I read Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (second installment of The Lunar Chronicles) and The Diviners by Libba Bray. Both were absolutely fantastic and totally worth the time I spent not writing my thesis. (Don't tell my mentor.)

courtesy Goodreads.com

Scarlet picks up where Cinder left off, with Cinder in custody of the Eastern Commonwealth and about to be handed over to the Lunars and the evil Queen Levana. Dum, dum, dum. Scarlet follows two principle main characters (Linh Cinder and Scarlet Benoit), and as the title implies, the fairytale of Little Red Riding Hood is given a much-needed update. I simply adore the way the two narratives are woven together and ultimately united.

Plus, Wolf gives me goosebumps. In a good way. *shivers* I LOVE this twist to the original. However, no spoilers. Pinky promise.

By the end of the novel, Cinder and Scarlet are poised to begin the next chapter in their altered lives, and I absolutely can't wait to see what Meyer has in store for us in the next two books, titled Cress and Winter respectively. Can't. Wait.

courtesy Goodreads.com

Moving on to The Diviners and switching gears from moon magic and fairytales to magic of a more sinister and mysterious nature. Evie O'Neill has a gift, but so far it has been a curse to her social life. That is until she goes too far at a party, and is "banished" to New York City to stay with her Uncle Will, proprietor of "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies," more professionally known as The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult. Needless to say, Evie is thrilled and determined to make the most of her time in the Big Apple.

I am a huge fan of Bray's other series, the Gemma Doyle trilogy, which incorporated a historical time period with elements of the mystical and occult. Therefore I was fairly confident of liking this newest endeavor. I was not disappointed.

Much like Bray did with Gemma, she created a character in Evie who has flaws, but who also has redeeming qualities, making us really believe in the story and her development. The exposition is also phenomenal. I read descriptions of New York and the wind over and over, just because I enjoyed the way each sentence created an atmosphere. I could feel the essence of the book and it sucked me into its embrace, tantalizing my senses with images of dark alleyways behind speakeasies, women in flapper dresses, and  an overwhelming sensation of Something-is-going-to-happen-and-it-won't-be-good.

The mystery is suspenseful, but not taxingly so. The characters are vibrant and I secretly think they are real.

And there you have it folks. Hopefully I'll post more reviews soon or at least something written or otherwise. I'm feeling the ticking of the clock most potently lately, with my thesis deadline looming closer and graduation in May. It's maddening in a way. This is me imagining a world without my thesis.

I do too, Liz. I do too. 

Actually, just about any of the gifs on #seniorthesisproblems Tumblr are applicable to my state of mind. Y'all have no idea how much joy I got from reveling in these gifs today. So much bitter joy. *chucklesob*

I hope everything has just been dandy here in Blogland. Feel free to update me on what awesome things I've missed since I've been terribly absent. Nothing like feeling worse to make one feel better, as I always say.

Until next time...

RTW: Crazy Love

Hey everyone! I'm back! Or at least I am for the span of this post. You see, I've been expectedly busy with writing my thesis and with other final semester type things related to being a senior, and I honestly haven't had time to blog. Sad, I know. I wish it wasn't so.

But since it is, I felt it was high time I came back for an RTW and explained my seemingly utter departure from the blogging world. So there y'all have it. I explained myself.

Now for the fun stuff!

Welcome to our 169th Road Trip Wednesday!

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link - or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments.

This Week's Topic: What's the craziest thing you've done for love, or what's your favorite book/movie moment of someone doing crazy things for love?

It really depends on how you define crazy. Are we talking actual insane actions, like Jack freezing to death in the water even though there was room on that piece of wreckage? Or are we talking momentary flashes of insanity that lead us to sing outside the house of the one we love at three o'clock in the morning (likely while also intoxicated)?

Obviously I've never had a truly insane moment because I'm still alive, and I'm not sure I ever will. And after watching the Carnival cruise ship flounder around in Mobile Bay last week and hearing about all the unsanitary things those poor people had to endure, I don't think I'll be in Jack's position any time soon, i.e. no boats for this girl.

However, I feel like I must be slightly crazy when it comes to the Boyfriend. I'm not sure how many of you know that I love Skyrim, but I do. I love it. I also happen to love Boyfriend. But when you put Boyfriend and Skyrim together, that's when my crazy comes out.

I can't stand to watch him play. It's excruciating. He doesn't play right. And by right, I suppose I mean the way I play. (Which is RIGHT.)

I have to restrain myself from screaming. Sometimes I forget and try to tell him what to do, and then he does the complete opposite because he knows it drives me crazy.

If you're wondering where the crazy love part comes in, don't worry, I'm getting there.

He loves to play Skyrim even though he's not any good.

And because I'm such an amazing girlfriend, I let him play Skyrim more than I do. It's torture. But I endure it.

I have a video that shows this strange dynamic, but I'm not sure if I should post it. I want to, because it's funny. But he isn't used to being on the Internet. Oh well. I know! I'll transcribe it! I'm brilliant.

Video of Boyfriend Being Terrible at Skyrim:

Scene: His house in Falkreath

BF: Wait a minute, if you plant one, you get more than one back, right?

Me: *heavy sigh*

BF: *laugh*

Me: You get however many...is in the plant. It could be one, it could be more than one.

BF: *laugh* *funny face*

Me: Just plant something and find out.

BF: I did.

Me: Well, good. Yes, that's a stable.

BF: I want a horse in it.

Me: You have to buy a horse!

BF: I don't wanna buy 'em!

Me: Just--you've got a lot of gold! Just buy it!

BF: *dumb laugh* I don't have that much...

Me: You have enough.          (He has 16,000 gold at that point.)

BF: What about pigs and animals?

Me: You can buy a cow or some chickens from Lydia. Go do that.

BF: Chickens! I can't hear you! *laughs*

Me: Just, just buy some stuff from Lydia!

BF: Oooohh! Bench!!

Me: Here's an idea. Here's an idea.

BF: I'm sitting on a bench!

Me: Here's an idea: why don't you just get Lydia to decorate your whole house for you?

BF: Bench, bench!

Me: It would make our relationship so much easier.

BF: I was sitting on a bench...

Me: Oh my god...


Well, if that isn't crazy behavior for love, I don't know what love or crazy is. And if that's the case, I'm insane and should be locked up away from society. Immediately.

Until next time...

Cover Reveal for SOME QUIET PLACE

Today The Mod Podge Bookshelf and Mod Podge Blog Tours are hosting Kelsey Sutton's Some Quiet Place 

BOOK COVER REVEAL EXTRAVAGANZA!

A special thanks to Mod Podge Bookshelf for hosting the cover reveal. 

Summary of Some Quiet Place from Goodreads:

" Elizabeth Caldwell has perfected the art of pretending to feel emotion, but it’s always a lie. After a near-fatal car accident when she was a small child, Elizabeth lost the ability to feel any emotion, but along with that loss she gained bizarre abilities: she can see the personified Emotions she cannot feel. Fury, Resentment, Longing—they’ve all given up on her, because she doesn't succumb to their touch. All, that is, save one. Fear. He’s consumed by the mystery of Elizabeth’s past, consumed by her. 

And then there are Elizabeth's cryptic, recurring dreams, in which there’s always love, and there’s always death. Haunted by these dreams, Elizabeth paints them, knowing that they somehow hold the key to the mystery of her past.  

But a shadowy menace is stalking Elizabeth. Her survival depends on uncovering the truth about herself. And when it matters most, she won’t be able to rely on Fear to save her. "

And now for the cover!!

Isn't it gorgeous? I absolutely LOVE the symbolism in this cover. The novel is about loss of self, and the image of the girl simply fading away into windswept leaves is lovely. I can feel the anguish and the aching ecstasy of falling apart. I seriously got goosebumps the first time I saw this about a month ago. (Yeah, I've been holding back. I am perfectly capable of keeping a secret. So...does anyone have a secret for me?)

I've known Kelsey Sutton (aka Kills) for approximately two years, but it feels like I've known her forever. We met via Young Writer's Society and developed a unique and wonderful friendship, shared with our co-conspirator Tiger, that has stepped beyond the anonymous confines of YWS. 

We three share our feelings, our frustrations, our successes, and our failures. We pass documents back and forth, bounce ideas off of each other's craniums, beta-read, proof-read, critique, and lift up each other when we're feeling somewhat like we've lost sight of what we want to write. Some of my favorite discussions have been during Skype conversations with Kills and Tiger. We even gave each other nicknames. I'm Bambi, just in case y'all were wondering. 

We're an odd group. None of us lives within comfortable driving distance. Tiger is from "Oh! Canada!"; I am from LA (Lower Alabama); and Kills is a Yankee from Minnahsodah. So, we rely mostly on Skype and often on Facebook. We have our own secret club-group that no one else can see because we're super cool and secretive. 

I read Some Quiet Place in some of its earliest forms and loved it. Of course, it underwent some major changes, as is to be expected, but I still love it. Although, I haven't read the final version, simply because I want to wait until I can have it bound and in my hands. I'm a book nerd, y'all. This should not come as a big shock. "I like big books and I cannot lie," "I don't normally get excited, but when I do it's about books," and all that memetastic jazz.

Anyway, I won't detain y'all any longer. Mod Podge Bookshelf is hosting a book giveaway, so head down to the Rafflecopter thingamabob and enter!!

Kelsey is very enthusiastic about her debut novel's cover; here is what she has to say about the design:

"It is gorgeous, eerie, and maybe a little strange. I love how much relevance it has to the story, as well. The farmland in the background, the town, the stormy sky, the leaves, the way the girl is vanishing. The point is, I am in love. Hope you adore it as much as I do."

 What relevance is she talking about? 

Enter to win a Pre-Order of Some Quiet Place below to find out!!!

This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author information (the official kind): 
Kelsey Sutton has done everything from training dogs, making cheeseburgers, selling yellow page ads, and cleaning hotel rooms. Now she divides her time between her full-time college classes and her writing, though she can also sometimes be found pounding out horrible renditions of Beethoven on the piano and trying bizarre drinks at her local coffee shop. Kelsey lives in northern Minnesota with her dog and cat, Lewis and Clarke. Visit her on her blog at www.kelseysutton.blogspot.com.

We Have a Winner!

As y'all may or may not know, I had a giveaway a week ago. The prize is a choice of one of the six books I bought at a recent 50-Cents-an-Inch book sale. And today I have the distinct pleasure of announcing the winner!

The Haul and the Giving

Compared to past book sales, this time around was not as rewarding. I bought eight inches ($4); that's down from 22 inches last time. It was an odd day, that's for sure. For some reason, the weather decided, "Hey, it's almost November, let's get freaky cold, freaky fast!" And since the clouds and the wind are followers, there was no stopping the resulting dip in temperature.

I was unprepared. And I couldn't get a close parking spot to the library. I was supposed to take my grandmother with me to make up for lost bonding time, but even that didn't work out as planned. 

So, there I was. Freezing and staring at tables full of romance novels and John Grisham paperbacks. Slim pickings for the connoisseur that I assume myself to be. Don't even ask me about the YA section. I kid you not, there were THREE boxes full of copies of Twilight and New Moon. THREE. One foot by one foot boxes. At least 20 books in total. 

I should have taken a picture. But I was too tired and cold for that. And I wasn't surprised. 

Anyway, here is what I managed to find despite all of that: 

1. The Magician's Apprentice by Trudi Canavan 

2. Middlemarch by George Eliot (Admittedly something I should keep and read.) 

3. The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti 

4. A Place to Come To by Robert Penn Warren

5. A World of Great Stories ("115 stories, the best of modern literature")

6. Library of Choice Literature Vol. V: Humorous

I wish I had better choices for y'all! Hopefully the next book sale will be a bountiful book harvest. 

Aaaaaand here is the Rafflecopter thingy! Go crazy!

A few things though. I am a poor college student, and I can't afford to send packages to most foreign countries. Therefore, this contest/giveaway is open to U.S./Canada only. Sorry! I wish I had lots of money. I'd buy more books that aren't being sold 50 cents by the inch. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Potential for Some Giveaways

Bloggy friends! It's that time of year again. The time of year when my local library has its Fall 50-Cents-an-Inch Book Sale!

It happens rarely, but when it does happen, I get really excited. So excited, that I make memes.

But this time around, I had an idea. What if I bought these gently used books (some of them have probably only been read once! The travesty!) and then had a blog giveaway? Does that sound like a good idea? 

There are always some good finds at these sales, but I never really know what I'm going to find. Usually I just buy whatever appeals to me. Hopefully, I'll find some books that y'all will like too! If not, then I guess I get to keep them... *fails at looking sad*

I don't know if any of y'all are "old" book fans like me, but one great thing about these book sales is that a lot of older library patrons participant and bring in books that they've had for decades. This gives me the chance to snatch up some awesome first editions of books that you don't find very often. 

I wrote about one such instance of rare book finding in this post last year. I found a collection of poetry by the infamous Ossian. I may or may not have squealed like a little girl being tickled by her father when I found that book. Okay, I did. Every once in a while I'll pick it up, smell the old yellowed pages, and clutch it to my chest like it might disappear. 

Anyway, back to the idea at hand. Once I make my purchases and throw my back out carrying the books to my car, I'll do a catalogue of books, put together a giveaway thingy, and then let mayhem ensue! Feel free to share this with others, or not depending on how greedy you're feeling once the books are revealed. 

I may just find some super awesome books at this sale. Or I may not. One never knows how a 50-Cents-an-Inch Book Sale will turn out until one finds oneself there. 

Until next time...