Meme: "Waiting On" Wednesday #5 - Infinite Sky

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming novels that we're all eagerly anticipating.

It's time to tell the world what books we desperately want released right now! So here's mine guys... 

Infinite Sky by C.J. Flood 

Series: Nope! Stand alone! 

Expected Publication: February 14th 2013 by Simon & Schuster UK

Iris Dancy’s free-spirited mum has left for Tunisia, her dad’s rarely sober and her brother’s determined to fight anyone with a pair of fists. 

When a family of travellers move into the overgrown paddock overnight, her dad looks set to finally lose it. Gypsies are parasites he says, but Iris is intrigued. As her dad plans to evict the travelling family, Iris makes friends with their teenage son. Trick Deran is a bare knuckle boxer who says he’s done with fighting, but is he telling the truth? 

When tools go missing from the shed, the travellers are the first suspects. Iris’s brother, Sam, warns her to stay away from Trick; he’s dangerous, but Iris can no longer blindly follow her brother’s advice. He’s got secrets of his own, and she’s not sure he can be trusted himself. 

Infinite Sky is a family story about betrayal and loyalty, and love.

Okay, so I'll be the first to tell you all that judging a book by its cover is completely natural for readers - that's the whole point of covers; to get you interested and wanting to read the synopsis and eventually, the whole book. I judge books by their covers all the time so it's a good thing the cover for Infinite Sky is pretty freaking awesome. :) 

Also, I absolutely adore contemporary books especially when they touch topics that I haven't read about yet. There's actually quite a lot of prejudice against travellers where I live and I'm really interested in the thoughts that go through people's heads that makes them justify not liking a type of person. Overall this novel sounds awesome, just the kind of gem I'd pick up from a pile of books. :) 

So, what is it for you this week? What are you anticipating? Please feel free to share the title and author of the novel you're most excited for or a link your own "Waiting On" Wednesdays in the comments below - I check them all out. xD 

Meme: Teaser Tuesdays #4 - The Back Door of Midnight

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

TEASER TUESDAY PEOPLE! xD 

Here goes..

"The cat had departed, but I was intent on getting to the bottom of the hole, I forgot what that meant. I kept digging."

page 141-142, The Back Door of Midnight by Elizabeth Chandler 

That was a pretty short teaser - sorry! This book is the fifth in the Dark Secrets series but I don't actually think any of the books are related apart from the mutual genre of the books (mystery!). SO, if you haven't read any of the Dark Secrets book and are interested in this particular one, then you could just start with The Back Door of Midnight (or start with the first, if you want to be boring ;) ). 

Anyway, how about you? What book are you currently reading and what teaser have you got in store for the rest of us? Please do leave your teasers or the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays in the comments, I'd love to see them. 

Review: I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

So it hit me that I should probably add a summary of the novel to my reviews so if you haven't actually read the book you know what I'm talking about. This is what most people think of before they start a reviewing blog but, hey! I'm getting there.. slowly.

Let's start this thing. First with a summary ;)

Summary (from Goodreads):

What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?

Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could—from the criminal's point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

This sounds pretty kick ass, right? After reading the synopsis of I Hunt Killers which told me I'd be reading a typical Nancy Drew whodunnit novel with the not so typical and awesome twist of having the usually wholesome teen be the offspring of a serial killer, I was excited, to say the least. You know what? I was insanely excited. So, I had high expectations as you can imagine.

I can't say those expectations were met.

I thought the book would be filled with angst, a lot of battling inner demons and trying to fight the darkness (that sounds cheesy but, yeah, darkness) that was threatening to take control of Jazz, the-son-of-the-serial-killer. In I Hunt Killers, there was angst, but not the kind of angst you'd expect. In reality there was a whole lot of annoying, teenage angst.. the type you'd expect from any typical teenage boy who's coping with school, nagging parents and hormones. As for battling inner demons? There was a bit of it, a couple of creepy nightmares and Billy's (The Dad.) voice in Jazz's head at sporadic intervals throughout the novel. The proper trying to suppress the evil, views and thoughts Jazz was supposed to have grown up with.. there wasn't much of that at all. In the novel Jazz is seventeen years old so it would have been only his dad and him for the first thirteen years of his life, that's a lot of indoctrination to get rid of in only four years.

Four years just isn't enough time to forget, for Jazz or the people around him. I was expecting Jazz to simply be The Son of the Serial Killer, I was expecting a lot of prejudice towards Jazz, people judging him and keeping their distance and everyone only really seeing his father, not Jazz himself, when they looked at him. Even though Jazz obviously wouldn't have been to blame, humans aren't exactly known to be rational when directing their anger. And their would have been A LOT of anger about a guy murdering in his 'triple digits'. Also, what I don't understand is why Jazz wasn't relocated, given a different name, a fresh start or at least moved to a different area.

The whole of this novel to put it bluntly, wasn't believable. Not only this but I can't say I liked Jazz or any of the other characters very much either. For a while, I was really enjoying the character of Jazz's girlfriend, Connie but then she went all crazy on me and decided to showcase her trust and love for Jazz while he was telling her he could easily KILL HER.

No, just no.

One of the biggest problems I had with I Hunt Killers was the way everything was quite predictable story line wise and it all kind of ended neatly with just enough loose ends to write a sequel. Speaking of the sequel, is there any need for it? I honestly think I Hunt Killers would have been fine as just a stand alone novel if the author hadn't added the pretty unnecessary part in the end which makes I Hunt Killers need a sequel.

I can't really see myself reading book number two although there were a parts of I Hunt Killers I really did enjoy reading like Howie (Jazz's best friend) and his relationship with Jazz and the dreams and flashbacks of Jazz's life with Billy but for the most part... I wasn't a fan of I Hunt Killers.

Music choice: I was expecting inner demons. Evil. Darkness. Everything Seven Devils by Florence + The Machine is. 

itunes link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ceremonials-deluxe-version/id474589279 

Meme: "Waiting On" Wednesday #4 - Breaking Point

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming novels that we're all eagerly anticipating.

Hello people of the book world aka best people in the world (don't listen to them, flattery gets you everywhere;) )!

So, this is number 4 I think? Yup, fourth "Waiting On" Wednesday, here it is... 

Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons 

Series: Breaking Point (Article 5 #2) 

Expected Publication:  February 5th 2013 by Tor Teen

Summary (from Goodreads): 

After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.

Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….

Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.

Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.

With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?

Article 5 got a lot of mixed reviews but I was one of the ones that really did enjoy the book! I thought it was great and I'm not actually that easy to please when it comes to dystopian books, I absolutely adore dystopian and post apocalyptic novels which means I expect a whole lot when it comes to them. I didn't write a review for Article 5 but I remember really enjoying the way Simmons made the world so believable and the tension and history she showed between the two main characters. 

I can't wait for the sequel... Is there anything you particularly can't wait for? Please do feel free to leave the name and author of the book or a link to your own "Waiting On" Wednesday  in the comments, I'd love to see them. :)

Meme: Teaser Tuesdays #3 - I Hunt Killers

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Okay, so I'm just about to start this book but I think that counts so here you go, my teaser of the week!

" ''She was an actress,'' Jazz said, ignoring both of them, staring at the ceiling. He didn't need to look into a file for information on any of Billy's victims - they were hammered straight into his memory banks for good. "

page 185, I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga 

I am really excited to read this book. It just sounds awesome... I'm pretty sure I've never read a book about a teenager with a serial killer for a dad. Yup, not something I've done before but ahhh! It just sounds so good - such high expectations. (:
Anyways, please do leave your teasers or links to your own Teaser Tuesdays in the link below, I'll be sure to check them out and see what y'all are reading.

Review: Blood Moon by Alyxandra Harvey

This Drake Chronicle has done a 180 from the last book. Goodbye to the cutesie, lighthearted fun of falling in love - super fast - with vampires and hello to a scary, creepy and surprisingly deep novel..

 Although I really enjoyed the previous books with the all the Drakes and their love interests, I loved coming back to Lucy and Nicholas' points of views in Blood Moon - they're the ones I fell in love with! Especially as we, as the readers, don't have to see the repetitive nature of falling for a Drake vampire, the romance in this book is just building on what already existed which is a really nice change.

As I was saying before, Blood Moon = Scary. Creepy. There is a whole lot more viscous blood sucking to say the least.

I don't want to give too much away because if you've read the previous books and haven't read this yet then the feel of the book is actually a pleasant surprise. If you haven't read any of the Drake Chronicles then.. well, you probably shouldn't be reading this right now. (I'm sorry, I didn't mean to send you away! Come back five books later! :) )

So, the atmosphere is awesome. The plot was also awesome but only when I finally remembered what had happened in the last book, I was seriously lost in the beginning of Blood Moon but once I remembered - finally - and got into it... daaamn, I was hooked. The story line is so unpredictable and although it was a little weird jumping between the points of views of Nicholas, Lucy and Solange and my itty bitty brain couldn't handle the sort of jumps between sub plots at first, it was okay. I got it in the end. - Go me. -

I love Lucy. I haven't said that yet, have I? I do by the way, both of them, Lucy and Nicholas, they're my favourite characters in the whole series. Their cute little moments, their banter together with the insane loyalty and love between them makes this book incredibly easy to lose yourself in.

While I praise the characters of Lucy and Nicholas, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about many of the other characters, Jenna, Hunter, Connor, Kieran... I can't say I liked Solange very much at all. I understand the way she acted and the things she did, she obviously goes through a hell of a lot in this book but I don't think I liked Solange very much in the first book either. I thought of her as immature and irritating as a character in the first book, My Love Lies Bleeding (or Hearts at Stake if you aren't British like-a me) and pretty much the same in Blood Moon. I found myself skim reading most of the chapters in Solange's point of view which wasn't the best idea as I just had to read those parts again to understand the story.

Overall, pretty mixed feelings about Blood Moon. On one hand, awesome plot and some amazing characters and on the other hand, not really liking one of the main characters. I am definitely going to be reading the next book though, especially as the misleading Lost Girls at the end made me think I still had a couple of pages left and I thought Harvey would explain what happened but no, she just decided to leave the book on an incredible cliffhanger. That.. that was mean, Harvey.

                                               
Music choice: A classic vamp song today. 'I pray everyday to be strong For I know what I do must be wrong' Although I'm not the biggest fan of Solange, I think those particular lyrics sum up her feelings perfectly. This is Moon Over Bourbon Street by Sting... it's pretty awesome. :)

itunes link: https://itunes.apple.com/album/consider-me-gone/id353779?i=353769&ign-mpt=uo%3D5

Meme: "Waiting On" Wednesday #3 - Everbound

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming novels that we're all eagerly anticipating.

I know, I know, I haven't posted for a week and the last post was a meme, this meme, to be exact. I'm bad and I shouldn't be allowed to blog and share my love for books but.. I'm sorry! I won't miss one again (I missed Teaser Tuesday because I'm reading the same book as last week (!?!).. it's amazing, don't get me wrong but I've been insanely busy with mock exams and stuff. Seriously, today I have a Spanish listening exam, a Biology exam and a Statistics exam so... yeah.. I'm making excuses again.) Anywhooo, this is my third "Waiting On" Wednesday! :) 

Everbound by Brodi Ashton 

Series: Everbound (Everneath #2)

Expected Publication: January 22nd 2013 by Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins

Summary (from Goodreads): 

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.

Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.

Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

If you've never read Everneath and you're anything like me then you, my friend, HAVE NOT LIVED are missing out and I COMMAND YOU advise you to pick it up NOW in the near future. Basically, what I've just said there (or not said?) is why I am really looking forward to Everbound. The premise of the first book is completely enthralling and I am expecting a whole lot which probably isn't the best idea but that's just what happens when the first book is so immense. 

So, what are you most waiting for? What would you sell to get your hands on the book you're most anticipating? Leave your answers, the title of your book or a link to your "Waiting On" Wednesday's in the comments below! I'll come check them out. :) 

Meme: "Waiting on" Wednesday #2 - Dead Silence

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming novels that we're all eagerly anticipating.

Okie dokes, my second "Waiting on" Wednesday! 

I love this meme, I get to gush about books I most want to read really enthusiastically and it's okay because everybody else is super hyper and enthusiastic too. It's not only me!! *cough* Anyway... 

Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting

Series: Dead Silence (The Body Finder #4)

Expected Publication: April 16th 2013 by HarperCollins

Summary (from Goodreads): 

Violet thought she’d made peace with her unique ability to sense the echoes of the dead and the imprints that cling to their killers…that is until she acquired an imprint of her own. Forced to carry a reminder of the horrible events of her kidnapping, Violet is more determined than ever to lead a normal life. However, the people who run the special investigative team Violet works for have no intention of letting her go.

When someone close to Violet becomes a suspect in a horrific murder, she finds herself pulled into a deadly hunt for a madman with an army of devoted followers. Violet has survived dangerous situations before, but she quickly discovers that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself.

I recently read The Last Echo (you can find my review here) which I really, really liked. Disappointingly some series' (serieses? :/) get worse as they progress, especially if there a more than three books in the series but with the Body Finder series I've liked each book more than the last. This is why I have incredibly high expectations for the next book and I seriously cannot wait for the release (my birthday is exactly 8 days after the release date by the way, if... if you were interested though I can't say you were... for the second time in the same post: *cough*). I'm also hoping that there will be more of my favourite character (RAFE<3) in Dead Silence..

Please feel free to leave the name and author of the book you are most anticipating or a link to your own "Waiting On" Wednesday in the comment section below! I want to read more books! 

PS. The title is quite scary. Not quite sure what to make of it. 

Meme: Teaser Tuesday #2 - Code Name Verity

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Hey guys! It's time for a teaser! Woop! I hope you enjoy it... 

"She was silent for a moment. 

'There's a war on,' I added, to remind her. 

'Yes.' She scribbled some notes on her pad. 'Well. You're very brave.' "

page 176, Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein 

I'm actually not very far into this book just yet but I have a feeling I'm really going to like it. :) 

Please do share your teasers or links to your own Teaser Tuesdays in the comments below, I'd love to check them out and maybe add some new books to my TBR list! 

Review: A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

It's always harder to write positive reviews and even harder to write reviews for books you adore. Or it could be that it's just hard for me, I guess it's easy for me to be a sarcastic bitch but being nice? Not so much.

But.. here goes:

I loved this book.

There's something about Keplinger and her ability to create characters that aren't always very likable at first but eventually, lovable and always, realistic. The latest main character in Keplinger's novels is by far the most damaged of all three characters, there's a darkness and mistrust in Whitley's voice that makes it impossible for the reader not to care about her.

The novel begins with Whitley waking up after her graduation party, in a bed with a guy who she's slept with, whom she's never met before. She then tries to sneak out, fails and then refuses to give the guy her number. Ouch.

I can't say I was liking Whitley very much at this point but as the novel progressed and we learnt of Whitley's home life which caused her sudden change from good girl to damaged wild child, there was a whole lot more meaning and significance as to how Whitley acted and lived.

Whitley doesn't really give much thought to her one night stand again until she goes to stay with her dad for her last summer 'vacation' (it's really strange for me to say 'vacation', vaaacation, sorry, British'n'all*)  before college and she finds out her dad, surprisingly, has a fiance who has two children, Bailey and Nathan...Nathan being her one night stand from graduation night. (Daaammnn..)

There's a whole lot of partying and Keplinger addresses a lot of relatable teenage issues including alcohol, peer pressure, fitting in in school, rape, divorced parents. It's usually really tough for authors to pull off addressing a couple of these issues but Keplinger is able to bring to light these issues, and a lot more, wholly while still producing a read that is exciting and doesn't fail to make me grin like an idiot.

The characters, including Whitley, are highly enjoyable to read about. My favourite would probably be Harrison, Whitley's best friend, who I didn't actually remember was in The Duff until about 3/4 way through A Midsummer's Nightmare! Speaking of The Duff, Wesley and Bianca have a very small cameo which, I am very ashamed to say, didn't actually recognise until I realised Harrison was in The Duff as well.. I went and re read their part - so cute.

Overall, there wasn't much I didn't really like about A Midsummer's Nightmare.. yes, things did seem to end a little too conveniently at the end but I didn't really mind, I was too happy with the rest of the book.

(*On the subject of being British: Whitley says a couple of times in the beginning of the novel that she's going to be studying at 'UK' which I, stupidly, assumed meant 'United Kingdom' (I know, it doesn't even grammatically work) ... it wasn't until Whitley says 'University of Kentucky' instead of 'UK' that I realised I was being... well, you know... ah! United Kingdom? Seriously? What is with my brain?)

Music choice: My music choice for this fabulous treasure is Wonder Wall by Oasis.. things get better if you try and save yourself...

itunes link: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/whats-the-story-morning-glory/id78839560

Review: The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

Derting is pretty freaking awesome.

How else can you explain how this author makes you nearly understand, nearly feel sorry for a KILLER? And I ask myself.. nearly? Or did I actually feel sympathy and sadness for a person who killed innocent victims? You know what? I think I did.. the way the author describes this killer, you know he isn't mentally stable, you know he was messed up beyond recognition as a kid (that by no means justifies killing, however! Calm it. And put the knife back down now children.) and it just makes you wonder - well, it made me wonder - how the hell the mind works and what triggers a person to break that much.

That got really deep, really quickly.

Back to reviewing the book. Got it. On track.

So, other than the really unique way Derting adds a couple of chapters in the killer's perspective, everything else is interesting - not as thought provoking and interesting as the psychotic parts, but interesting all the same. I also really the pace of the book, there's always something happening, someone dying, someone breaking and entering, someone lying, someone being hit by a car and nearly dying... yup, always something happening. There's no down time, really, which is what you want in a murder-mystery-with-a-paranormal-twist book. 

I've mentioned the killer, the pacing, the hooking story line (I don't think I did actually mention that.. oh well, have now (: ). What's left? Hmm.. oh yeah.. the characters and the romance.

Violet, the main character, is a likable enough character but I can't say she's one of my favourite heroines. She has, however, definitely grown a lot since the first Body Finder novel, she isn't afraid to do what she thinks is right and she's brave, which are traits I, and probably many, admire.

On the other hand, her inability to realise that Rafe is hands down amazing is truly irritating. I think I may be the ONLY person who loves Rafe and detests Jay. The only one? Seriously? I'm all for a supportive, stable guy in real life but in books I want the main character to end up with the dangerous, mysterious, motorcycle-riding guy who she has an undeniable connection with.

(Has anybody told you, Barney, that your shrugs are legen-wait for it-DARY?)

To sum it all up: read the Body Finder series, it's original and completely enthralling. And love Rafe with me.

Music choice: Okay, this may be a little strange but the way I imagine it the song Halo by Beyonce is exactly how Rafe views Violet and feels about her. 'Remember those walls I built? Well, baby, they're tumbling down..' 

itunes link: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/halo-ep/id309213231