Synchronized Reading: January 2014

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi

The earth-shattering conclusion to Veronica Rossi's "masterpiece" Under the Never Sky trilogy and sequel to the New York Times bestselling Through the Ever Night (Examiner.com).
Their love and their leadership have been tested. Now it's time for Perry and Aria to unite the Dwellers and the Outsiders in one last desperate attempt to bring balance to their world.
The race to the Still Blue has reached a stalemate. Aria and Perry are determined to find this last safe-haven from the Aether storms before Sable and Hess do-and they are just as determined to stay together.
Meanwhile, time is running out to rescue Cinder, who was abducted by Hess and Sable for his unique abilities. And when Roar returns to camp, he is so furious with Perry that he won't even look at him, and Perry begins to feel like they have already lost.
Out of options, Perry and Aria assemble a team to mount an impossible rescue mission-because Cinder isn't just the key to unlocking the Still Blue and their only hope for survival, he's also their friend. And in a dying world, the bonds between people are what matter most.
In this final book in her stunning Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi raises the stakes to their absolute limit and brings her epic love story to an unforgettable close.

I believe Into the Still Blue was a pretty good conclusion to the Under Never Sky trilogy. I believe things wrapped up nicely and I wasn't left with any unanswered questions. I'm really glad that I decided to check out the trilogy because I was really skeptical at first. I'm always hesitant when I go into reading a final book in a series or trilogy, but I'm glad to say that this one did not disappoint or make me angry in any way. There was a good amount of action and romance in the story and also that anticipation in knowing if they would all make it to the end. I would definitely recommend the series to anyone who loves a dystopian novel :)

Waiting On Wednesday (4): Hexed

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is

Hexed
(The Witch Hunter, #1)by Michelle Krys
Releases |June 10th 2014 by Delacorte Press/Random House Children's Books|
Add to Goodreads

If high school is all about social status, Indigo Blackwood has it made. Sure, her quirky mom owns an occult shop, and a nerd just won’t stop trying to be her friend, but Indie is a popular cheerleader with a football-star boyfriend and a social circle powerful enough to ruin everyone at school. Who wouldn’t want to be her?
Then a guy dies right before her eyes. And the dusty old family Bible her mom is freakishly possessive of is stolen. But it’s when a frustratingly sexy stranger named Bishop enters Indie’s world that she learns her destiny involves a lot more than pom-poms and parties. If she doesn’t get the Bible back, every witch on the planet will die. And that’s seriously bad news for Indie, because according to Bishop, she’s a witch too.
Suddenly forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers, Indie’s about to uncover the many dark truths about her life—and a future unlike any she ever imagined on top of the cheer pyramid

Why I'm Waiting...
I've always had a thing for books that involve witches, but I don't read them too often. So when I saw this one, it made me curious.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott

Life. Death. And...Love?
Emma would give anything to talk to her mother one last time. Tell her about her slipping grades, her anger with her stepfather, and the boy with the bad reputation who might be the only one Emma can be herself with.
But Emma can't tell her mother anything. Because her mother is brain-dead and being kept alive by machines for the baby growing inside her.
Meeting bad-boy Caleb Harrison wouldn't have interested Old Emma. But New Emma-the one who exists in a fog of grief, who no longer cares about school, whose only social outlet is her best friend Olivia-New Emma is startled by the connection she and Caleb forge.
Feeling her own heart beat again wakes Emma from the grief that has grayed her existence. Is there hope for life after death-and maybe, for love?

Heartbeat is a book that I wanted to love so much because it had everything that I like in a book. It had the heartache and the feels and it also had the romance. This was a fast paced read for me and I flew through the story. I did have my ups and downs with the story. I had a love/hate relationship with this book. Sometimes I liked it and sometimes I didn't.

Book Hauling It Up (83)

Hey Everyone :)

I hope everyone has had another great week :) I didn't buy any books this week, but I did get a few for review that I am excited it about.

Don't forget to leave your haul links, I'd love to check them out or your blogs!

Mom Bought + School Book

Okay, so mom continues to amazing me. She killed both the Hush, Hush and the Chemical Garden series in about a week in a half. She has now started raiding my shelves. I've finished both series, but didn't have the last book to either of the series. So she went and bought Sever and Finale just so she could finish them. What?.. Well, now my series are complete on the shelf! lol She has now stolen Delirium, Pandemonium, The Immortal Rules, Eve and Unwind off my shelf and plans to read them. I haven't even read Eve and Unwind yet. *sigh* I guess she's getting more into the 'YA genre' since she typically just reads adult romances.

The Goal is a book that I have to read in my Strategic Management class. I haven't had to read a book for a class in a long time. But I hear it's a pretty interesting book though.

I Bought

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Cover Reveal: Breathe For Me

Breathe for Me

by Rhonda Helms

Publisher |Spencer Hill Press (www.spencerhillpress.com)|

Release Date |June 17, 2014|

Formats |Paperback, e-book|

Add to Goodreads

Isabel’s been cursed since the Middle Ages.

Desperate to escape an arranged marriage, she made a hasty bargain with a demon, asking for liberation from an oppressive husband-to-be and the excitement of travel. But the demon’s “gift” came at a steep cost. Each time he moves her to a new city, her memory’s wiped. No one can touch her bare skin without injury or even death. And she sees the lifespan of every living being (and is, in fact, immortal herself).

All a constant reminder that she’s different than other teen girls.

But New Orleans seems to accept her as she is. She has friends and a real life in this quirky, hot city. Then Isabel meets Dominic, whose deep soul and strong character draw her to him. Her growing love gives her the courage to confront the demon, insisting the curse be broken. But the demon’s price for freedom is much, much higher than she could possibly give.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday (3): City of Heavenly Fire

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is

City of Heavenly Fire

(The Mortal Instruments, #6)

by Cassandra Clare

Releases |May 27th 2014 by Margaret K. McElderry|

Add to Goodreads

ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID.

I am coming.

Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last installment of the Mortal Instruments series!

Why I'm Waiting...

I must have this book :) I cannot wait to figure out how this series will finally end! It's such a fun series and I know there will probably be all sorts of battles. I hope it doesn't disappoint!

Other books in this series

Monday, January 20, 2014

Virals by Kathy Reichs

Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage "sci-philes" who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever.
As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer's scent.
Fortunately, they are now more than friends. They're a pack. They are Virals.

This was a DNF for me. I got this as an audio book from the library because I have been really curious about the book for quite some time. I couldn't get into the story though and I wasn't connecting with the characters. I felt as though the main character was kind of childish. I mean, she's only suppose to be fourteen, but she's suppose to be really smart but tended make really bad decisions and also kind of stupid one if she's suppose to be smart (if I'm being honest). I only listened to about 25% of the book before my library copy expired and I am DNF'ing this because I really don't have any interest in checking it back out. The story was kind of slow paced in the beginning and I wasn't really into the science part of the book when thing were being discussed and described. I also didn't really connect with any of the other kids that were the main character's group of friends. This wasn't really the book for me.

DNF

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Book Hauling It Up (82)

Hey everyone,

I hope everyone has had another great week :) I didn't buy any books this week, but I did get a few for review that I am excited it about. A new semester has started for me this week and I have a feeling that it is going to be a hard one for me =/ Hopefully I get through it decently.

Don't forget to leave your links! I love to check out your hauls as well :)

For Review - Netgalley

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Mist by Susan Krinard

New York Times bestselling author Susan Krinard launches her first urban fantasy series
Centuries ago, all was lost in the Last Battle when the Norse gods and goddesses went to war. The elves, the giants, and the gods and goddesses themselves were all destroyed, leaving the Valkyrie Mist one of the only survivors.
Or so she thought.
When a snowy winter descends upon modern-day San Francisco in June, Mist’s quiet existence starts to feel all too familiar. In quick succession, Mist is attacked by a frost giant in a public park and runs into an elf disguised as a homeless person on the streets…and then the man Mist believed was her mortal boyfriend reveals himself to be the trickster god, Loki, alive and well after all these years.
Loki has big plans for the modern world, and he’s been hanging around Mist for access to a staff that once belonged to the great god Odin. Mist is certain of one thing: Loki must be stopped if there is to be any hope for Earth. But the fight is even bigger than she knows….
Because Loki wasn’t the only god to survive

I started Mist more than a month ago and I'm just now finishing it. I don't know what it was about this book that made me read it so slowly, but it took me a long time to finish it. It wasn't that the book was boring, I did enjoy it, but for some reason I was only able to read two or three chapters at a time and then I'd sit the book down and wouldn't pick it back up until a week or so later. I was determined to finished this book because I actually thought the story was pretty interesting. It involve Norse mythology and I really like reading books that involve mythology. But some aspects of the story fell a bit flat for me. I feel like this book had the potential to be a bit better. The main character, Mist, was a pretty good character. I liked her because she was tough and was bad ass when it came to a fight, but sometimes she her doubt and bad decisions would start to bother me. If it wasn't for that I wouldn't have had any problems with her character. I had the potential to like Dainn, if I didn't find his character to be a little bit weird. I do believe he might be the love interest, but this story does not focus on romance. It just touches on it briefly and moves on. I think if it would have been played upon a little bit more I think I could have enjoyed the story a little bit more.

Waiting On Wednesday (2): Falls the Shadow

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is

Falls of the Shadow

by Stefanie Gaither

Releases |September 16th 2014 by Simon and Schuster BFYR|

Add to Goodreads

When Cate Benson was twelve, her sister died.
Two hours after the funeral, they picked up Violet’s replacement, and it was like nothing had ever happened. Because Cate’s parents are among those who decided to grant their children a sort of immortality—by cloning them at birth. So this new Violet has the same smile. The same laugh. That same perfect face. Thanks to advancements in mind-uploading technology, she even has all the same memories as the girl she replaced.
She also might have murdered the most popular girl in school.
Or at least, that’s what the paparazzi and crazy anti-cloning protesters want everyone to think: that clones are violent, unpredictable monsters. Cate is used to hearing all that, though. She’s used to standing up for her sister too, and she’s determined to prove her innocence now—at whatever the cost. But the deeper she digs for the truth, the further Cate's carefully-constructed life begins to unravel, unveiling a world filled with copies and lies, where nothing and no one—not even her sister— is completely what they seem.
In a pulse pounding debut, Stefanie Gaither takes readers on a nail-biting ride through a future that looks frighteningly similar to our own time and asks: how far are you willing to go to keep your family together

Why I'm Waiting...

This sounds pretty good to me and the synopsis now has me intrigued and curious. I've only just found out about this one over the weekend and now I'm excited to check it out.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Top Ten Tuesday (23): Top Ten 2014 Debuts I'm Excited For

Hosted by: the Broke and Bookish

This Week's Topic: Top Ten 2014 Debuts I'm Excited For

I don't really keep track of new debuts, but these are a few that have caught my eye. I'm curious to see if I'll like them or not if I decide to get a copy. Two of the books I already have as review copies, the Murder Complex and Love Letters to the Dead, but I have yet to read them.

I could only think of seven books, but I decided I wanted to do a 'Top Ten Tuesday' post because I haven't done one in so long!

Monday, January 13, 2014

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail,his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.
By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

The Future of Us is a book that I've been wanting to read ever since it released and I finally got the chance to read it when I picked it up on audio from my library. I really loved the whole concept of the two main characters seeing their future through Facebook, of all things! I thought it was well written and it also had a very realistic feeling to it because of how it is something that is actually used today. I found this to be a quick read because it continued to leave me wanting to know more about what they would find out next with the new things happening in their lives. Would I recommend this book? Yes, I would :)

Book Hauling It Up (81)

Hey Everyone,

I hope everyone has had a great week :) I only bought one book this week and got one from the library. I'm curious to read both of these books. Don't forget to leave your haul links! I would love to check them out.

Library - Audio

I have this entire series on my bookshelf, but I decided to get the audio fro my library to try to get to it sooner. I'm really anxious and curious to see if I will like it.

Bought

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Cover Reveal: Bad Blood by Nikki Jefford

Bad Blood
(Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, #3)
by Nikki Jefford
Releases |May 2014|
Genre |New Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy|
Add to Goodreads

BAD IS THE NEW GOOD
Aurora returns from boot camp to a new assignment, an unwelcome roommate, and the increasingly amorous attentions of a certain vampire hunter.
College is starting, and so is Aurora’s undercover work at a network of swanky parties known as “Tastings” for high rolling vampires who like their blood laced with fine wine. But Aurora’s not the only one on the prowl. An underground investigation is under way to find out who killed one of Anchorage’s most prominent vampires… and Aurora is a prime suspect.
(Language, violence, and sexual situations)

***Don’t miss STAKEOUT, Vol. 2.5, a 53,000 word novella featuring Noel Harper and the entire Aurora Sky gang. Releasing January 2014.***

Purchase (book 1)

--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Aurora-Sky-Vampire-Nikki-Jefford-ebook/dp/B00AEGD5XY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

--Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/aurora-sky-nikki-jefford/1113946626?ean=2940044354777

Author Bio

Nikki Jefford is a third generation Alaskan who found paradise in the not-so-tropical San Juan Islands (Wash.) where she is once more neighbors with Canada in a town without a single traffic light. She loves fictional bad boys and heroines who kick butt.
When she's not reading, writing, working, or out on a nature walk, she's out riding her Suzuki DRZ400SM.

Author links:

http://www.nikkijefford.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5424286.Nikki_Jefford

https://www.facebook.com/authornikkijefford?ref=ts&fref=ts

https://twitter.com/NikkiJefford

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday (1): The Hunt

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is

The Hunt
(Project Paper Doll, #2)
by Stacey Kade
Releases |April 22nd 2014 by Disney-Hyperion|
Add to Goodreads

Ariane Tucker has finally escaped GTX, the research facility that created her. While on the run, Zane Bradshaw is the only person she can trust. He knows who-and what-she is and still wants to be part of her life.
But accepting Zane's help means putting him in danger.
Dr. Jacobs, head of GTX, is not the only one hunting for Ariane. Two rival corporations have their sights set on taking down their competition. Permanently.
To protect Zane and herself, Ariane needs allies. She needs the other hybrids. The hybrids who are way more alien and a lot less human. Can Ariane win them over before they turn on her? Or will she be forced to choose sides, to decide who lives and who dies?

Why I'm Waiting
I remember reading the first book to this awhile ago and thought it was pretty good and interesting, so I'm curious to see how the sequel will turn out. I also decided to switch over to Waiting On Wednesday instead of Wishlist Wednesday because I always posted unreleased books instead of books that were already out.

Other books in the Series

Monday, January 6, 2014

The Stuttering Tattoo by Greg Logsted

The Stuttering Tattoo
by Greg Logsted
Released |December 13th 2011|
Edition |eARC|

Steven Bishop is extraordinarily ordinary. He goes to school. He rides his motorcycle. He stutters. His best friend is a former Colombian cartel hit man turned cook/construction worker. You know, ordinary. All that changes the day Becky Moore walks into his classroom. Becky is dazzling, enigmatic.
One day Steven gives Becky a ride home on his motorcycle. There, they discover a severed arm, one of the fingers of which still has an unusual ring attached: a circle, in the middle of which is a heart, at the center of which is a bold number 37. While comforting Becky, Steven discovers a tattoo at the base of her neck: it is the same symbol. And so begins a thrilling descent into a world of crime and murder, a ride wilder than any Steven has taken before.

When it came to the Stuttering Tattoo, I thought the story sounded pretty interesting from the synopsis which made me want to read it. I got about 30 something percent into the story until I had to stop. I was pushing myself along because I was hoping that things would pick up and draw me into the story, but that never happened. In my opinion, there was nothing really going in the story at that point. The book was slow paced and there nothing exciting happened at all to I was losing all focus and interest in the book. I also wasn't connecting with any of the characters in any way and with all of that combined, I was just plain bored. That doesn't happen too often for me, but this book didn't hold or captivate my attention after reading 30% so I decided to give up on it and move on to something else.

DNF

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Book Hauling It Up (80)

Hey everyone,
I hope every has had a great week and I hope every had a great New Year. Welcome to the New Year :)! I didn't get much this week, but I'm really excited to check these out. I've been feeling kind of crappy because I'm getting sick and it is seriously no fun.

Library - Audio Book

Ebooks Bought

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Secrets by Brigid Kemmerer

Nowhere is safe. Not even home…
Nick Merrick is stretched to the breaking point.
Keep his grades sky-high or he’ll never escape his hometown.
Keep his brother’s business going or the Merricks will be out on the street.
Keep the secret of where he’s going in the evenings from his own twin—-or he’ll lose his family.
Keep his mind off the hot, self-assured dancer who’s supposed to be his “girlfriend’s” partner.
Of course there’s also the homicidal freak Quinn has taken to hanging around, and the Elemental Guide counting the hours until he can try again to kill the Merrick brothers.
There’s a storm coming. From all sides. And then some.
Nick Merrick, can you keep it together?

I seriously adore this series! Somehow, the author makes me come to like and appreciate each of the characters. Nick was probably one of my least favorite characters, along with Hunter, when I started this series, but by the time I finished Spirit I started to understand Hunter and the same goes for Nick with Secret. I now feel like I understand his character better than I did before. This book was really fast paced and I liked all the different elements going on within the story. I was really surprised by how much information I got out of this story. I believed the author did a pretty great job with Nick and Adam's relationship and also with the family life of Quinn's. The story was fast paced for me and a quick read (I haven't had one of those in a while)! I love this series for that!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Everyone!

Like no kidding, I was shocked to see my clock said 1/1/14! Already? I can't believe the new year is here. I hope everyone's year starts off amazing :) I visited so many new blogs in 2013 and can't wait to discover more and keep up with the ones that I already follow. You guys are amazing and I can't wait to see what this year has in store! I hope everyone has an awesome day + year!

Janina