May 2012 ~ Well Read Novel

Thursday, May 31, 2012

May Wrap-Up/June TBR List

Posted by SarahS. with No comments

While I didn't read the books that I had picked out in May, I did read a few more that I didn't plan on reading.

The Hunt (The Hunt #1) by Andrew Fukuda

Exiled (The Never Chronicles #1) by J.R. Wagner

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

The Talisman of El (Talisman of El #1) by Alecia Stone

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Endure (Need #4) by Carrie Jones

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo

I'm going to make the June TBR List now because I will be busy the next few days.

To review:

All These Lives by Sarah Wylie

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Glitch by Heather Anastasiu

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta

The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

Off my shelf:

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

The Way of the Shadows by Brent Weeks

Ebooks:

Destined by Aprilynne Pike

Sleepless by Cyn Balog

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Córdova

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock

That's all I'm going to plan on reading the month of June, i might get more read or not.

Giveaway Lies Beneath!

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Soumi@Pages From My Thoughts is having a Author interview and a giveaway of Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

signed copy
Open Internationally
ends 25th June' 2012

Click HERE to enter! (=

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Posted by SarahS. with 2 comments

Title: Shadow and Bone

(The Grisha Trilogy #1)

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Publication Date: June 5, 2012

Cover Art: 5/5

Goodreads:

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

Review:

This was a completely magical book and I was under it's spell!
The world that Leigh Bardugo has created was amazing. Everything was so vivid, the story line flowed good. It was well written. It had everything that I love in books; action, magic, adventure, an exotic location, some romance (no insta-love)!
The characters were amazing! I loved them all.

This book surprised me, I didn't know what to expect before I started it, but I'm sure glad I had the opportunity to read it. Buy the book when it comes to stores I know I will, why because it's pure awesomeness!
My only question is: When is the second book coming out?

Thanks so much to Henry Holt and Co. and NetGalley!

4 &1/5 / 5 Stars

Review: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Posted by SarahS. with 5 comments

Title: Of Poseidon

Author: Anna Banks

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: May 22, 2012

Cover: 5/5

Goodreads:

Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen's not fully convinced that Emma's the one he's been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help--no matter what the risk.

My Review:

What an awesome book! I was hooked from the first chapter.
I love mermaid stories but I don't read a lot of them.

You and I would call them mermaids/mermen just don't let Galen hear you. He hates the 'M' word. To him they're Syrena.

Emma is you'r average run of the mill clumsy girl, or is she? Emma is on vacation in Florida with her best friend, Chloe, when she bumps right into (literally) the uber hot Galen. They feel a connection right away. Shortly after their little run in the unthinkable happens, Chloe is attacked by a shark. That's when Emma finds out she exhibits some not so human qualities, she can not only talk to the shark but it understand her as well!

This was such a hilarious story. I was laughing throughout the book. The characters were so funny.
Emma: I liked her, but her clumsiness made me unable to not like her
Galen: hot, funny, sarcastic, caring, totally swoon-worthy, an being a prince doesn't hurt ;)
I liked the relationship between Emma and Galen, they were so funny together with their arguing and bickering.
Rayna: Galen's twin sister, Toraf's 'mate' (wife) stubborn, she acted like a spoiled brat but it's only the first book in the series, you can't count her out just yet!
Toraf: he was funny, and sweet

The cover is beautiful. And the ending?! Ohmysweetgoodness! Such a cliffhanger ending, it makes me want to read the next book for sure!

Thank you to Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for this copy.

4/5 Stars

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Posted by SarahS. with 2 comments

Title: Talisman of El (Talisman of El #1)

Author: Alecia Stone

Publisher: Centrinian Publishing Ltd

Published: May 20, 2012

Goodreads:

WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE WAS A LIE?

One Planet.

Two Worlds.

Population: Human ... 7 billion.
Others ... unknown.

When 14-year-old Charlie Blake wakes up sweating and gasping for air in the middle of the night, he knows it is happening again. This time he witnesses a brutal murder. He's afraid to tell anyone. No one would believe him ... because it was a dream. Just like the one he had four years ago - the day before his dad died.

Charlie doesn't know why this is happening. He would give anything to have an ordinary life. The problem: he doesn't belong in the world he knows as home.

He belongs with the others

Review:

Charlie Blake has had a rough life. After losing both parents, moving from foster home to foster home, 10 year old Charlie comes to stay with Jacob. Living with Jacob, brings nightmares. Charlie's first day at school is not much better, until he meets Alex, an outspoken girl he befriends.

The prologue was what made me want to read this book it sounded so awesome and it was!

This fast-paced novel had fantasy, mythology, action and adventure. It was a unique story. The characters were enjoyable and relatable. I liked Alex a lot, she stands up to the kid that bullied Charlie.

Alecia Stone did an fantastic job! I got into the story. It was a quick fun read. I'm excited to see what happens in the next book. This is a must read!

Thank you to Centrinian Publishing and NetGalley for providing me the copy!

4/5 Stars

Review: Exiled by J.R. Wagner

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Title: Exiled: The Never Chronicles #1

Author: J.R. Wagner

Publisher: Live Oak Book Company

Expected publication: June 5th 2012

Goodreads:

James has never known an ordinary life. As long as he can remember, he and his family have been on the run—moving from place to place, never settling down, never growing roots. Now, just when he’s on the brink of manhood, the very thing his family has been trying to prevent tears him from all he has ever known and thrusts him into a place where he is powerless and alone.

Bent on finding a way back, James must brave a place reserved for the worst of his kind. He quickly learns that the land itself poses a greater threat than its inhabitants and if he is to have any chance of returning, he must work with the very people he’s been raised to fear.

James has known magic since just after he was born. As a sorcerer, his skills are exceptional yet when he wakes in The Never, his abilities are gone. Armed with nothing but determination and the will to survive, he braves a land wrought with dangers, mysteries and temptations meant to ensnare both body and mind and prevent escape forever.

Review:

Falsely accused James is sent into exile when he is convicted of a horrible crime.

I'm not a huge fan of books that go back and forth between different times, they are confusing and the book was slow at first. Saying that I really like the settings and the characters and the descriptions were great. The ending wasn't a great one, I'm not sure if I'll read the next one.

Thank you Live Oak Book Company and NetGalley for this ecopy to review!

3/5 Stars

Review: The Hunt

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Title: The Hunt

Author: Andrew Fukuda

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Published: May 8, 2012

Goodreads:

Don’t Sweat. Don’t Laugh. Don’t draw attention to yourself. And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him. He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood. Gene is a human, and he knows the rules. Keep the truth a secret. It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him. He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

Review:

After Gene's family dies, he's on his own. Living his life as an impostor, with no one look after him but himself. But he knows the rules like the back of his hand. He has to, to blend in so well with them. To not be mauled by them.
Everything goes as planned until he is chosen to take part in 'The Hunt'.

At first I thought this book was about werewolves, but I was pleasantly surprised it's about vampires! It is disgusting in some parts with the blood and saliva dripping down their chins. They eat like ravenous wild animals. But I loved it, lol!

It has a male's point of view, which I don't see very often.

The end of the book left a lot of questions, with that cliffhanger ending.

4/5 Stars

Review: The Weepers The Other Life

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Title: The Weepers: The Other Life #1

Author: Susanne Winnacker

Publisher: Usborne

Expected publication: May 15th 2012

Goodreads:

3 years, 1 month, 1 week and 6 days since I’d seen daylight. One-fifth of my life.

Sherry and her family have lived sealed in a bunker in the garden since things went wrong up above. Her grandfather has been in the freezer for the last three months, her parents are at each other’s throats and two minutes ago they ran out of food.

Sherry and her father leave the safety of the bunker and find a devastated and empty LA, smashed to pieces by bombs and haunted by ‘Weepers’ - rabid humans infected with a weaponized rabies virus.

While searching for food in a supermarket, Sherry’s father disappears and Sherry is saved by Joshua, a boy-hunter. He takes her to Safe-haven, a tumble-down vineyard in the hills outside LA, where a handful of other survivors are picking up the pieces of their ‘other lives’. As she falls in love for the first time, Sherry must save her father, stay alive and keep Joshua safe when his desire for vengeance threatens them all.

Review:

After 3 years of living in a bunker, they are out of food. With their family starving Sherry and her father have no choice but to leave the confinement of their bunker to find food. Once they emerge they find the devastating truth.

I really like my own space and I think being stuck in a bunker with my family for 3 long years would drive my up the way crazy! (not that I don't love my family) (=

I say this all the time whenever I read a dystopian novel but I'll say again, I love post-apocalyptic/dystopian books.

I don't or I haven't read a lot of zombie books before but this was a real creepy book. Not technically zombies but humans contaminated with a mutated rabies virus, they 'cry' milky white fluid from their eyes, which is why they are called Weepers.

This book seemed short, but it was fast paced. I read it within an hour.

Sherry has a bit of a obsession, fascination or problem with numbers, but I guess there's nothing else for her to do other than count.

The romance between Sherry and Joshua was good, not instantly drawn toward each other, it developed over time.

Thank you NetGalley and Usborne for sending me a review copy!

4/5 Stars

Posted by SarahS. with No comments

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