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: Best of May

Welcome to our 133rd 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 was the best book you read in May?

Well, I've done quite a bit of reading since classes officially went kaput, so I actually have non-class related choices this time. That's always fun.

Let's see...best book of May...has to be Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I already blogged about it and all (Burnt to Cinders), but I'm perfectly content with mentioning it again. Since it is such a great book. I also have to give a shout out to Lamplighter and Factotum by D.M. Cornish.

Also, to give you a taste of Cinder (if you haven't already partaken of that wonderful fairytale/alien concoction), here is the book trailer that I made for it a few weeks ago. I've already posted it once, but hey, where's the harm, right? Right.

Well, that's all I have for today. I've been working on a new WIP (it's super top secret, even I don't know what it's about to be honest) and I'm all worded out. (And yes, I realize May was like 6 days ago. It's summer.)





Until next time...

Cinder Book Trailer

I told y'all I was going to do something video-y for Cinder, and here it is. A book trailer. Actually, it's more of a teaser trailer, but whatevs. I had fun making it. I hope y'all enjoy it!




Until next time...

Burnt to Cinders

courtesy Goodreads.com

It seems like only yesterday I was announcing that Cinder was the next book on the queue for a review. Wait a second...it was only yesterday! I seem to have regained my ability to read a book in a mere two hours and let me tell y'all, it was quite the read. Please direct your attention to the Goodreads summary below.

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .  

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Whew. What a summary. When I bought the book a few months ago (I know, I know), I saw the cover and thought to myself, "Gee, that looks like something I'd like." Shame on me for not making time right then to read it because Cinder is probably one of the best books I've read in a while, and I don't say that lightly.

Marissa Meyer, author extraordinaire, has created a vibrant world with a story that hijacks your brain and takes it for a joy ride. In all honesty, I'm a sucker for retellings of fairy tales, but I've never seen Cinderella's story taken in such an awesome direction. This Cinder is tough, street smart, and far more interesting than the original. Sorry Bros Grimm. And Walt. This day was bound to come eventually.

Plus, how can you resist the added twist of a race living on the moon with an evil queen bent on conquering and enslaving earth? Ummm, mixing science fiction with fairy tales has got to be the best cross-pollination in literary history.

I'm only sad it didn't last longer. That said, I can't wait until the next book is released. It's going to continue Cinder's story and introduce us to Scarlet, aka Little Red Riding Hood. Appropriately enough, this second installment in the Lunar Chronicles will be titled Scarlet. Sadly, Scarlet will not be published until next February.

However, it won't hurt y'all any to get a jump start on its release by reading Cinder. In fact, I highly recommend y'all do. Immediately. I totally would post the book trailer that the publisher made for this book, but...it stinks so I didn't want to subject y'all to that. I'm going to be posting a video reaction to Cinder later today on my YouTube channel as well. In fact, I think I may just make a better book trailer. Hmmmm....I guess y'all will just have to wait and see what I decide.

Until next time...