Showing posts with label arcs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arcs. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday: Disney-Hyperion

Hosted by Breaking the Spine
I briefly mentioned on my Rewind & Review this past Sunday that Disney-Hyperion put out their latest catalogue. You know, the one that absolutely taunted me. The books were beautiful. If anyone has talked to me about books and publishers, you'd know that Disney-Hyperion is at the tippy-top on my favorites because they have a fabulous winning streak with me (and they're super nice). Instead of only picking one, I'm giving you several books to drool over.

Title: Killer Instinct
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Publication date: November 4, 2014
Series: Book 2

Seventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother’s murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance.

But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father—a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?

With her trademark wit, brilliant plotting, and twists that no one will see coming, Jennifer Lynn Barnes will keep readers on the edge of their seats (and looking over their shoulders) as they race through the pages of this thrilling novel.


Title: Stitching Snow
Author: R.C. Lewis
Publication date: October 14, 2014
Series: Standalone? 

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back—but that’s assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane’s arrival was far from accidental, and she’s pulled into the heart of a war she’s risked everything to avoid. With the galaxy’s future—and her own—in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.


Title: This Shattered World 
Author: Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Publication date: November 11, 2014
Series: Book 2

The second installment in our epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

The stunning second novel in the Starbound trilogy is an unforgettable story of love and forgiveness in a world torn apart by war.


Title: Invaded
Author: Melissa Landers
Publication date: February 3, 2015
Series: Book 2

The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe...until a threat to both their worlds reunites them. 

Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her.

Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life.

The Way clearly needs humans’ help...but with what? And what will they ask for in return?


Title: Dead to Me
Author: Mary McCoy
Publication date: March 3, 2015
Series: Standalone?

LA Confidential for the YA audience. This alluring noir YA mystery with a Golden Age Hollywood backdrop will keep you guessing until the last page.

"Don't believe anything they say."

Those were the last words that Annie spoke to Alice before turning her back on their family and vanishing without a trace. Alice spent four years waiting and wondering when the impossibly glamorous sister she idolized would return to her--and what their Hollywood-insider parents had done to drive her away.

When Annie does turn up, the blond, broken stranger lying in a coma has no answers for her. But Alice isn't a kid anymore, and this time she won't let anything stand between her and the truth, no matter how ugly. The search for those who beat Annie and left her for dead leads Alice into a treacherous world of tough-talking private eyes, psychopathic movie stars, and troubled starlets--and onto the trail of a young runaway who is the sole witness to an unspeakable crime. What this girl knows could shut down a criminal syndicate and put Annie's attacker behind bars--if Alice can find her first. And she isn't the only one looking

Evoking classic film noir, debut novelist Mary McCoy brings the dangerous glamour of Hollywood's Golden Age to life, where the most decadent parties can be the deadliest, and no drive into the sunset can erase the crimes of past.


Title: Midnight Thief
Author: Livia Blackburne
Publication date: July 8, 2014
Series: Book 1

Growing up on Forge’s streets has taught Kyra how to stretch a coin. And when that’s not enough, her uncanny ability to scale walls and bypass guards helps her take what she needs. 
But when the leader of the Assassins Guild offers Kyra a lucrative job, she hesitates. She knows how to get by on her own, and she’s not sure she wants to play by his rules. But he’s persistent—and darkly attractive—and Kyra can’t quite resist his pull.

Tristam of Brancel is a young Palace knight on a mission. After his best friend is brutally murdered by Demon Riders, a clan of vicious warriors who ride bloodthirsty wildcats, Tristam vows to take them down. But as his investigation deepens, he finds his efforts thwarted by a talented thief, one who sneaks past Palace defenses with uncanny ease.

When a fateful raid throws Kyra and Tristam together, the two enemies realize that their best chance at survival—and vengeance—might be to join forces. And as their loyalties are tested to the breaking point, they learn a startling secret about Kyra’s past that threatens to reshape both their lives.

In her arresting debut novel, Livia Blackburne creates a captivating world where intrigue prowls around every corner—and danger is a way of life.


So now my question is....WHY ARE ALL OF THESE SO FAR AWAY? 


What are you waiting for? Do you like Disney-Hyperion as much as I do?

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Super-mini reviews

I read four books. Two of them were superb. Two of them I didn't like so much that I didn't even finish them. The two that were superb were actually novellas. So instead of trying to write reviews for them, I thought I would write super mini reviews. I'll first start off with the two books I didn't like.

Lost: 2


Title: Spoiled

Author: Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan

Publication date: June 1, 2011

Publisher: Poppy

Source: The lovely people at ARCycling and the person who donated it to them.

You say Spoiled like it's a bad thing.

Sixteen-year-old Molly Dix has just discovered that her biological father is Brick Berlin, world-famous movie star and red-carpet regular. Intrigued (and a little) terrified by her Hollywood lineage, Molly moves to Los Angeles and plunges headfirst into the deep of Beverly Hills celebrity life. Just as Molly thinks her life couldn't get any stranger, she meets Brooke Berlin, her gorgeous, spoiled half sister, who welcomes Molly to la-la land with a smothering dose "sisterly love"...but in this town, nothing is ever what it seems. 

Set against a world of Redbull-fuelled stylists, tiny tanned girls, popped-collar guys, and Blackberry-wielding publicists, Spoiled is a sparkling debut from the writers behind the viciously funny celebrity blog GoFugYourself.com.

Super-mini review:

The book starts out with Brooke's perspective (in third person), which threw me off. However, after I thought about it, I actually liked how they approached it that way. Instead of starting off with Molly, who the synopsis says the story is about, they start off at the other end. You see Brooke and her first world problems in L.A. along with her daddy issues. She also talks as if she's one of those horribly written characters in a made for TV movie based on someone in Hollywood or in a popular clique. I was relieved once we moved on to Molly. 

When I requested this book in ARCycling's weekly event (if you don't know about it, check it out. It's AMAZING), I had an idea in my mind that it would be part Belles by Jen Calonita, part sugary. I had to stop at the ninth chapter because I honestly could not take it anymore. I know authors work hard to finish a book and it's like their child, but I just didn't like Spoiled. I didn't like a single character, I felt the plot was shallow, and my eyes were hurting from all of my eye rolling.


Verdict: A book I personally felt was not worth going even half-way for and very boring. 


Title: Geek Girl

Author: Holly Smale

Publication date: February 28, 2013

Publisher: HarperCollins

Source: An ARC e-galley via NetGalley and its publisher. 

Harriet Manners knows a lot of things. She knows that a cat has 32 muscles in each ear, a "jiffy" lasts 1/100th of a second, and the average person laughs 15 times per day. What she isn't quite so sure about is why nobody at school seems to like her very much. So when she's spotted by a top model agent, Harriet grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Even if it means stealing her Best Friend's dream, incurring the wrath of her arch enemy Alexa, and repeatedly humiliating herself in front of the impossibly handsome supermodel Nick. Even if it means lying to the people she loves. 

As Harriet veers from one couture disaster to the next with the help of her overly enthusiastic father and her uber-geeky stalker, Toby, she begins to realise that the world of fashion doesn't seem to like her any more than the real world did. 

And as her old life starts to fall apart, the question is: will Harriet be able to transform herself before she ruins everything?

Super-mini review:

Please don't hate me! I couldn't finish this one either. Harriet wasn't connectable to me despite me loving geeky things. There was about maybe one or two amusing places in the part I did read, but I just couldn't get into it. Perhaps I should have given this one more time. Perhaps I'm weird. Perhaps...

I don't know how far I did go into this and I am grateful for being accepted on NetGalley, but maybe it's not for me. Perhaps I'll go back and read it again at another time, who knows. I do know that I was surprised to not see a bad review on Goodreads. I didn't see one review below three stars, which made me feel very weird. 

Verdict: Not interesting enough for me to continue, however I'm probably the odd ball in this case.

Win: 2


Title: Destroy Me (1.5 in series)

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Publication date: October 2, 2012

Publisher: Harper

Perfect for the fans of Shatter Me who are desperately awaiting the release of Unravel Me, this novella-length digital original will bridge the gap between these two novels from the perspective of the villain we all love to hate, Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

In Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me, Juliette escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing Warner—and then putting a bullet in his shoulder. But as she’ll learn in Destroy Me, Warner is not that easy to get rid of. . .

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me,Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45

Super-mini review:

I think we can just look at the cover and read the synospsis and know for a fact that it's already a win just by those two things. Not only was Shatter Me brilliant, Tahereh Mafi's writing beautiful, and Unravel Me (the sequel) has been making me squirm with impatience, this is about Warner. WARNER! 


Yes, not a lot of people have sympathy for him in the first book. Yes, people who have only read the first one and not 1.5 think it's bizarre to actually like Warner. Why like Warner? There's Adam! Go back up to look at my eye rolling Robert Downey Jr. Don't even get me started on Adam. But Warner? Sure, I was hesitant to believe that we could actually root for him. Not only does he go from this mysterious, stern figure to a swoon-tastic, hot one, he also garners lots of sympathy. Honestly, I wanted to hug him lots of times during the novella. 


So please, read it. If you haven't read Shatter Me do that now. Then read Destroy Me. Get your opinions twisted around and then you'll be ready to read Unravel Me

Verdict: More of the same amazing writing with a character I love more than I thought I ever would. 


Title: Double Crossed: A Spies and Thieves Story (Gallagher Girls #5.5, Heist Society #2.5)

Author: Ally Carter

Publication date: January 22, 2013

Publisher: Disney Hyperion 

Source: An ARC e-galley for honest review via NetGalley and its publisher. Also free from Amazon.

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training?

W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief?

There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup.

Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour.

When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help?

The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.

Super-mini review:

Ally Carter is basically my favorite author. I have recommended her books to people and have raved about her until I'm blue in the face. I'm shoved my Gallagher Girl books in my friends' faces (as well as my sisters') and bought Heist Society as presents for my friends as well. During some Twitter party of sorts, I even met really nice people (one of them is the really cool Emily) because we started chatting (well, between chatting and fan-girling) about Ally Carter and the release date of her new books this year. 

I said all that to give you an image. The image of me hearing about this novella for the first time.


And I personally don't think Ally Carter disappointed. We dove right in to the story and there was action on every page. I smirked when Macey tried her guaranteed moves on Hale then sighed with longing when he responded, saying: "I'm sorry I'm not flirting with you. I'm kind of spoken for." 

Of course, Kat (the reason why Hale isn't flirting) is in the story, but she's minor along with Aunt Abby. I wanted to snap my fingers in the Heist Society characters' faces when they underestimated Macey, wanting to tell them, "You do not want to mess with her." in the most ghetto voice I could make. But I know, that's Macey's mission is to have no one suspect her true identity and capability. 

Also, the ending? So many questions! 

The third book in the Heist Society series, Perfect Scoundrels, comes out today which makes this book a perfect lead-in for fans. But thanks to my sister for preordering it for me as a Christmas present, I received the book yesterday! Doo-da, doo-da. Okay, that was the end of my happy dancing, bragging moment. 


Verdict: A great book with characters and action I love that I don't think will disappoint fans.

What do YOU think of the books I briefly reviewed over? Disagree or agree? 

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Thankful for Books Giveaway Hop


My first ever giveaway, folks. Man, do I love giveaways, especially giveaway hops. So many opportunities to win AND you discover new blogs! I chose this hop because I love books, I love giving, and I'm always very appreciative so I felt this was the perfect one to start off with.

What's the prize? One lucky winner can choose any ARC book from the list below.


*Winner has 48 hours to respond to winning email until a new winner is chosen. 
*Entries will be verified. Please do not lie. If entries are falsified, winner will be disqualified and a new winner will be chosen. 
*You must be 13 years old or older. 
*Only one entrant per household. Sorry, but blame the cheaters.

Use the Rafflecopter below and then use this link to see everyone else's giveaways.

a Rafflecopter giveaway