Waiting on Wednesday #110

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine where you can spotlight an upcoming release that you're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on.....  

Sisters of Salt and Iron by Kady Cross

Releases on: March 30th 2016

Add on Goodreads!

 

As Halloween approaches, twin sisters Lark, who is alive, and Wren, a tethered spirit, find themselves drifting apart. While Lark is happy with new boyfriend Ben, Wren is still hurting over her own still-alive-and-kicking love-interest, Kevin, who may or may not have kissed another girl. Spending more time on the Other Side, and less time with her sister in the land of the living, Lark becomes close with the spirit of a young man, Noah, who was killed years ago. But Noah is not as nice as he seems, and his thirst for vengeance has a dark and sudden influence on Wren.

 

With the veil between the worlds thinning for Halloween, the spirits are getting stronger and it will be up to Lark and her friends to stop Noah and save Wren from becoming a monster. But the only way to do that could be to kill the boy that Wren is falling in love with.

 

Thoughts:

To begin with I love Kady Cross, so I'm pretty much gonna read anything of hers...... And I quite enjoyed The Sisters of Blood and Spirit when I read it a few weeks ago (review still to come!) so I'm actually really looking forward to reading the sequel. The Sisters of Blood and Spirit was an easy read and I want to see more of the sisters. Oh, and I'm hoping for more of Mace. I liked Mace. Team Mace! :)

 

Have you read The Sisters of Blood and Spirit, and do you want to read the sequel?

And what are YOU waiting on this week?

 

 

 

Book Shelf: The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

"Maybe everything that had happened to me and my family had nothing at all to do with the slowing. It's possible, I guess. But I doubt it. I doubt it very much.'

One Saturday morning the world wakes to discover that the rotation of the earth has begun to slow. As birds fall from the sky and days grow longer, people start to flee - but there is nowhere on earth to escape to.

Julia is already coping with the disasters of everyday life. And then there's Seth: tall and quiet and always on his own; the skateboarding boy who knows all about disaster. As the world faces a catastrophe, Julia and Seth are facing their very own unknown.

More info on Goodreads......


Review:

The Age of Miracles is Karen Thompson Walker’s debut novel and is an intriguing look at what happens when the world finds itself on the verge of collapse. A harrowing look at humanity, The Age of Miracles is a sweet coming of age story and explores human complexity through the eyes of an everyday young girl whose whole world is forever changed when an environmental change effects the Earth’s rotation with tragic results. 

The Age of Miracles is a really difficult book to categorise. Despite its tagline The Age of Miracles isn’t a romance and it isn’t your everyday dystopian/apocalyptic tale that seem to litter the YA genre. Instead it’s an interesting look at humanities ability to persevere in the hardest of times when an “invisible catastrophe” effects the Earth. 

In a sense The Age of Miracles is an apocalyptic tale. And yet it isn’t. The Age of Miracles introduces readers to Julia, an eleven year old girl who wakes up one morning to discover, along with the rest of people on Earth, that the world’s rotation has begun to slow. Days begin to get longer, with day and night no longer certain and soon the effects begin to show. At an age when so much is uncertain naturally and you’re only just beginning to discover yourself, Julia and those around her must learn to adapt to the new changes within their world, even as this catastrophe changes everything they’ve ever known. 

For me, The Age of Miracles was a book that really made me think. I’ve read so many dystopian novels where war or an unknown virus is the catalyst for the end of the world that The Age of Miracles was a refreshing change. The concept Karen Thompson Walker explores in The Age of Miracles is something that could potentially be very true in today’s society. Now, I don’t want to give too much away, but the slowing of the Earth’s rotation has a really interesting effect on the environment our main character live in. It’s really amazing how subtle changes to the world can have such an impact; drastically changing our ability to survive the planet we inhabit. Over time these small changes develop and grow and it soon becomes clear in The Age of Miracles how effected the characters are going to be.

The Age of Miracles sees our main character exist in a world that is slowly becoming in-inhabitable. It’s really quite interesting seeing the characters and those around the world attempt to go on with their everyday lives in the midst of such a catastrophe. Life as we know it becomes pretty much impossible over time as the small changes people need to make to adapt become even larger and life threatening. 

Personally I liked our main character and thought Julia’s voice was an easy one to follow. At times I found her childish, but considering Julia is eleven when we first meet her, that is understandable. In a lot of ways she’s wiser than most people her age, but Walker’s ability to explore natural adolescence developments in the middle of this dying world is interesting to read about. 

As far as The Age of Miracles is concerned, if you’re looking for a novel with a big happy ending then this probably isn’t it. The Age of Miracles is instead an authentic look at what would happen during a catastrophe and the effect it would have on our lives. Honest, real and sometimes extremely saddening, The Age of Miracles is a lovely debut by Karen Thompson Walker that explores teenage development and what it means to be human in a very thoughtful and thought-provoking manner…..   

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Simon & Schuster (Thanks guy!)
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Bookworld | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Recommendation: If you want something a little deeper, then The Age of Miracles may be for you......
Cover: I think this is a simple but nice cover.
Will I read sequel/continue with series: This is a standalone novel.

Owl Post #73

Inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox, Owl Post allows us bloggers to showcase the books we've bought, won or received throughout the week and is hosted by Brodie over at Eleusinian Mysteries. We all know that the Owl Post is the fastest way to send and receive mail and they certainly make me happy every time they drop a book off.  

Welcome to this weeks edition of Owl Post! I've got a couple of great books to share with you this week :)

  For Review:

From Simon & Schuster: - Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick I've enjoyed Becca Fitzpatrick books and I'm really excited to read Dangerous Lies, her latest release. Keep an eye out---Simon & Schuster have some fun things in store with promoting this book, and I may, just may have a signed copy to give away in the future so be sure to pop back :)   .....Thanks so much Jen!   I Bought:

- All Played Out by Cora Carmack I'm a MASSIVE Cora Carmack fan and I'm super excited to read this third book in Cora Carmack's Rusk University series. In fact my the time this post goes live I would have started it :) A great series and I can't recommend enough!   And that's me this week! What did the owls bring YOU?  

 

Book Shelf: Hacked by Tracy Alexander

Dan had been diagnosed as ADHD as a child. He quite liked the ritalin, but then he got into computers, and for his parents a geek was better than something feral. It was hard to remember when the genuine hacking started; but free phone credit was the first illicit, tangible "real-life" results of a hack, though not the last.

By the time Dan is contacted online by "Angel," he is eager for the challenge laid before him - creating tricky bits of code. But Dan begins to suspect that something more nefarious may be planned for his code than he thought. He will have to decide what truly matters more - protecting his anonymity and freedom or preventing a deadly terror attack ...

More on Goodreads......


Review:

Hacked is Tracy Alexander’s debut novel and is an interesting novel that explores the line between cyber-geek and cyber-terrorist and what happens when one boy crosses the line, with almost tragic results.

Sixteen year old British teenager Dan Langley is known to his friends and school mates for his hacking skills. Somewhat of a recluse, Dan is a cyber-geek with skills; able to hack into almost anything, a talent and passion that has helped him out, but also earned him a bit of a reputation. Yet for Dan, he finds himself crossing the line from cyber-geek and cyber-terrorist when a challenge by online peer and fellow "hacker" Angel sees Dan hack into a US drone, only to give the codes required for access to Angel, who takes over and hijacks the dangerous weapon. Plagued by his part in this seeming act of terrorism, Dan has no choice but to go to the authorities, telling them of his involvement and all he knows, an act that will see him thrust into the spotlight and facing the harsh consequences of his actions.

For me, Hacker was a decent read that started out slow, but steadily progressed. Even as a female author, Tracy Alexander manages to convey an authentic sounding male voice and a distinct male way of thinking in Dan; something not all authors manage to get right. The writing was solid, although I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that some of the technical terms and descriptions were lost on me, but Alexander wrote in such a way that I still understood the gist of what Dan was referring to.

At its base the storyline was simple; teenage hacker hacks drone, gives codes over to unknown online friend who then takes control of the drone, making threats to the London population while Dan has to deal with the fallout of his involvement; something that included the media coverage, criminal case and possible prosecution or extradition. And yet I liked how Alexander explored how easily doing something as simple as editing some online code and hacking can escalate; especially when someone isn’t aware of the risk they take or are being taken advantage of without their knowledge.

Overall I liked Dan. He was easy enough to follow, and I liked his running internal monologue. He didn’t blow me away as a character, but I felt he grew throughout the story and certainly learnt his lesson where hacking is concerned. Alexander writes a decent male lead and I enjoyed the authentic interactions Dan had with his family and friends.

Despite it’s slow start, Hacked turned out to be an enjoyable read that kept me on the edge of my seat towards the end as we fought to determine what Dan’s future would be. With Hacked concluding nicely, I’ve discovered that Tracey Alexander has written a companion novel, Alias, detailing Angel’s story and considering Angel’s role within Hacked, I’m intrigued to see what Alexander has planned there!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Scholastic (Thanks guys!)
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Bookworld | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Recommendation: I think this book is something male readers will really get behind.
Cover: I do dig the cover--it's pretty cool!
Will I read sequel/continue with series: I am intrigued to read the companion novel Alias, and may check it out........

Book Blitz: Fractured Suns by Theresa Kay

I've had the pleasure of reading Fractured Suns and it's predecessor, Broken Skies thanks to author Theresa Kay and today I'm beyond excited to be taking part in the Book Blitz for Fractured Suns thanks to Xpresso Book Tours!

This series can be best described as War of the Worlds meets Lux by Jennifer L. Armentrout and is simply awesome! I can't recommend it enough and I have a fabulous excerpt to share as well as a ecopy of either Broken Skies OR Fractured Suns to give away to one lucky winner!

_________________________________ 

We came in peace. Lie.
We had no role in the Collapse. Lie.
I have always been honest. Lie.
I never lied to her. Truth.

Reunited with her brother, and surrounded by Flint, Peter and her new-found grandfather, Jax Mitchell has still never felt more alone. The choice to follow Rym back to the city to find answers and see Lir is an easy one, but their reunion is cut short and Jax is forced to leave Lir behind. She finds herself traveling with some unexpected companions and heading back toward a place she’d hoped to never see again.

After being imprisoned—and tortured—on the orders of his uncle, Lir hasn’t seen daylight or linked to anyone in weeks. After a lifetime of connection, the pain and loneliness is almost too much to bear. Elated that Jax actually came, Lir finds renewed hope and strength to continue fighting his uncle’s influence over the E’rikon, even when things look hopeless and Lir’s been branded a traitor by the very people he’s trying to save.

While Jax and Lir fight separate battles, their missions have more in common than they realize. It’s a race against time to stop men driven only by greed and power. But the people they trust the most might be the very people working against them—and “family” doesn’t mean what it used to. Will they recognize their friends from their enemies in time to save the people they love or will they lose each other in the process?

Add on Goodreads or check out my 5 star review!

Purchase on Amazon!

 

 

From Fractured Suns.....

I push the door open and slide through. The door closes behind me, leaving me in the dark, and my hand instinctively searches the wall for a light switch.

A familiar voice in the darkness. “Jax?”

I inhale sharply at the naked hope in that sound and the flare of elation that crashes into me from somewhere across the room. Squinting my eyes, I try to make him out. “Can I get some light here?” I say. “Not all of us can see in the dark.”

There’s movement to my left, and then a soft blue light fills the room. Not much, but enough for my eyes to finally find his.

“Hello.” Lir’s eyes travel over my face with a longing look. He steps forward until he’s within two feet of me, the closest we’ve been to each other in weeks. 

If Rym looked tired, Lir looks exhausted. The charcoal-colored uniform he wears highlights the dark bags under his eyes and contrasts deeply with the paleness of his skin. The gold in his hair and eyes looks tarnished and dull. He’s lost weight, too—his features are more gaunt than angular. 

“How have you been?” he says.

His almost nonchalant greeting is making it easy for me to hold on to the fire of my anger, and I inject my words with heat. “How have I been?” My voice creeps up with each word. “What the hell? You asked me to come here, to risk not only my life but everyone else’s, to ask me how I’ve been? I’ve been just peachy. How about you?” I close my eyes and take a deep breath, swallowing back the other words that are fighting to pass my lips: Why did you leave me? I’ve missed you. I’m sorry. 

When I open my eyes again, he’s moved closer. I’m frozen in his gaze, a burn forming behind my eyes from the tears I refuse to let him see.
He lifts one eyebrow in a graceful arch. “Based on the context in which I have heard you use that word… I believe I’ve been peachy too.”

A sound that’s half laugh, half sob explodes from my mouth, and I throw myself into his arms. It’s the only thing I’ve really wanted to do since the moment I saw him, and though I know it’s stupid and impulsive, I can’t hold myself back anymore. There’s still a whisper of suspicion in the back of my mind, but I ignore it.

Lir jolts, a splash of cautious elation flowing from him, before wrapping his arms around me and pulling me close to his chest. One of his hands presses into the small of my back, a slight tremble in his fingers. He relaxes into the hug. His arms and shoulders loosen and his breathing steadies.

Want more? And trust me....you do! Get your copy today!

 

The only person she knows who had a subscription to Writer's Digest at eleven and was always excited to write research papers, Theresa has been putting words to paper since a young age. Living in the mountains of central Virginia with her husband and two kids, she works as a paralegal by day, binges on Netflix at night and finds bits of time in between reading almost everything she can get her hands on and laundry to craft stories that tend to feature broken characters in sci-fi or paranormal worlds, with a touch of romance thrown in for good measure.

She's constantly lost in one fictional universe or another and is a self-proclaimed "fangirl" who loves being sucked in to new books or TV shows. Theresa originally wanted to write horror novels as an ode to her childhood passion for Stephen King novels, but between her internal Muse's ramblings and the constant praise for her sci-fi pieces from her writer's group - The Rebel Writers - she knew she should stick with what was working.

Visit Theresa:

Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

As I briefly mentioned I have ONE (1) copy of the winner's choice of either Broken Skies OR Fractured Suns! To enter simply comment below with a way to contact you, letting me know which book you want to win :) Giveaway will run from today until October 1st.

Good luck to everyone who enters. I'm absolutely in love with Jax and Lir and guarantee you will be too!

 

This is a REALLY GREAT SERIES and I highly, highly recommend it!

 

 

Book Shelf: Fractured Suns (Broken Skies #2) by Theresa Kay

We came in peace. Lie.
We had no role in the Collapse. Lie.
I have always been honest. Lie.
I never lied to her. Truth.

Reunited with her brother, and surrounded by Flint, Peter and her new-found grandfather, Jax Mitchell has still never felt more alone. The choice to follow Rym back to the city to find answers and see Lir is an easy one, but their reunion is cut short and Jax is forced to leave Lir behind. She finds herself traveling with some unexpected companions and heading back toward a place she’d hoped to never see again.

After being imprisoned—and tortured—on the orders of his uncle, Lir hasn’t seen daylight or linked to anyone in weeks. After a lifetime of connection, the pain and loneliness is almost too much to bear. Elated that Jax actually came, Lir finds renewed hope and strength to continue fighting his uncle’s influence over the E’rikon, even when things look hopeless and Lir’s been branded a traitor by the very people he’s trying to save.

While Jax and Lir fight separate battles, their missions have more in common than they realize. It’s a race against time to stop men driven only by greed and power. But the people they trust the most might be the very people working against them—and “family” doesn’t mean what it used to. Will they recognize their friends from their enemies in time to save the people they love or will they lose each other in the process?

More info on Goodreads......


Review:

Fractured Suns is the stellar sequel to Theresa Kay’s debut novel Broken Skies and is another fast paced, exciting and deeply addictive story. Highly emotional, entrancing and simply brilliant, Fractured Suns is impossible to put down!

After finding myself deeply impressed by Broken Skies, I was so excited to dive headfirst into Fractured Suns and I’m glad to say it doesn’t disappoint. Fractured Suns is pretty much as good as the first novel, if not better, and featured all the danger, adrenaline pumping excitement and romance I fell in love with the first time round.

Fractured Suns once more follows Jasmine “Jax” Mitchell, a haflbreed who has been to hell and back after the events of the last book. After rescuing her twin brother from the E’rikon, falling in love and bonding with Lir, losing Lir to his uncle and managing to escape the earths alien city with only just their lives, Jax has been hiding out in a cabin alongside her brother, Peter, Flint and her newly discovered grandfather. However when Lir’s cousin comes to take Jax to see him, the last thing she expects is to find herself in the middle of even more shocking dealings and discoveries that will change the way she feels, loves and sees the world forever. There’s war on the horizon and Jax isn’t sure which side she should be on……

My goodness, Fractured Suns was a really emotional novel to read, especially towards the end. I’m going to try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but I’m really emotionally drained after reading this incredible novel. Wonderfully written, Fractured Suns was fast paced, exciting and as driven as the first book. Theresa Kay really knows how to capture her audience and continues to develop her storyline and world sensationally from the opening chapter! 

I’m so incredibly in love with both Jax and Lir as characters. The incredible way Theresa Kay has written them simply blows me away. Jax to begin with is so incredibly complex. She’s a blend of fierce determination and strength and complete fragility. She’s traumatized and flawed and almost broken at times, but you can’t help but adore her. Kaye puts her through so many traumatic moments and forces Jax to ensure a lot of pain and loss, but she just keeps getting up and fighting. Honestly, Jax is just one of those honest to goodness well rounded, likable and awesome heroines!

With the first book told entirely through Jax’s eyes, it will no doubt thrill readers to learn that Theresa Kay writes Fractured Suns through both Jax and Lir’s POV’s. That’s right---we get to follow Lir in this instalment as well; something that helps enhance the reading experience with our young lovers separated and on different sides of the divide. Again, I love Lir pretty much as much as I love Jax and think he’s a terrific character. Plus, being able to see what he was going through while he and Jax are separated during the story allowed me as the reader to see what was going on on both sides, and not miss out on seeing Lir in the story, which is often the case when characters are separated the way they are in Fractured Souls yet the novel is told in only a single POV. 

As individuals they are wonderful, but as a couple, and as a whole, Jax and Lir really are on a whole new level. I love the way Theresa Kay developed their relationship in the first novel and the way she continues to sustain it, whilst also adding in conflicts that push them and force them to fight for what they have. Theirs will never be an easy relationship and plenty of outside forces have the potential to be a threat, but I honestly hope Jax and Lir managed to keep the intensity, passion and love they share. I’ll never tire of seeing them together and I have no doubt I’m always going to be as invested in their relationship as I am now. Jax and Lir are so beautiful and endearing and bring out so much good in the other it’s impossible not to support them one hundred percent.

From beginning to end, Fractured Suns was a sensational read. I soared, broke and then soared again. Thrilling all the way to its end, Fractured Suns see Jax experience a heartbreaking loss, even as she makes some shocking discoveries and finds someone she never thought she’d see again. 

Wonderfully written, paced and detailed, Fractured Suns is a worthy sequel and leaves me dying to get my hands on the next novel. I highly recommend this for fans of the Lux series by Jennifer L. Armentrout or anyone who is looking for a good alien romance with the perfect hint of dystopian and sci-fi thrown in!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by the author (Thank you Theresa!)
Format: Kindle ebook
Buy it: Amazon
My Recommendation: This series is perfect for fans of the Luz series by Jennifer. L. Armentrout!
Cover: I think it's beautiful and goes perfectly with the cover for Broken Skies
Will I read sequel/continue with series: YES! I can't wait to read the next book. I NEED more Jax and Lir!

Book Shelf: I Made Lattes for a Love God by Wendy Harmer

Elly Pickering has a juicy secret. A secret her PR mum won't let her tell anyone because if the kids at Oldcastle High knew that mega-star Jake Blake (yes, THE Jake Blake, teen sensation and all round heart-throb) was coming to Oldcastle to film his latest movie, they might just explode with excitement.

Elly is determined to get on set and to get more than a glimpse of her Hollywood crush. But now thanks to an unfortunate incident involving a car, a red handbag and the paparazzi, it looks like Elly's lost a lot more than her opportunity to be close to Hollywood royalty. She's lost her dignity, her job and her best friend. How will she ever be able to get everything back to normal?

More info on Goodreads......


Review:

I Made Lattes for a Love God by Wendy Harmer is a novel that in my opinion is best suited to the younger teenage girl who enjoys gossip, friendship and a whole lot of drama.

I Made Lattes for a Love God sees readers meet Eleanor "Elly" Pickering, a fifteen year old girl who discovers herself in the centre of a media frenzy when her mother lands a job looking after the promotional aspect of a Hollywood movie starring a popular "it" boy and they decide to shoot the film at Elly’s high school. Throw in a bunch of secrets and some paparazzi mayhem and Elly soon finds herself in the deep end without a paddle…..

Wendy Harmer is a well-known Australian comedian. I feel like I’ve grown up seeing her face on tv or hearing her voice on radio, so the chance to read a story by a home-grown talent was really exciting. But in all honesty, I Made Lattes for a Love God probably wasn’t the book for me. I persevered because I can be a stubborn thing and I felt as a review novel I had to finish it, but I didn’t enjoy the story all too much. Was I Made Lattes for a Love God a bad book? Not necessarily, no. It just wasn’t for me. If I’d read it maybe eight or so years ago I may have appreciated it a bit more, but for me at this point in my life, I really struggled.

Heading into I Made Lattes for a Love God I had no idea there was a previous novel called I Lost My Mobile At the Mall featuring Elly. When I realised about three chapters in, I was concerned, but found this didn’t really effect my ability to read and understand what was going on. If anything, I Made Lattes for a Love God is more a companion novel than a strict sequel.

Personally I found the main character Elly to be incredibly difficult to like. I’m not trying to toot my own horn or anything, but I was always mature for my age and as such can’t imagine acting the way Elly acts in this novel. She was immature and childish, and although there was growth in her, it wasn’t enough to redeem her in my eyes.

When a main character is difficult to like, it can really effect the rest of the novel and this was the case for me and I Made Lattes for a Love God. After a new chapters I found myself growing tired of Elly’s friendship and relationship dramas. Everything felt overly dramatic and unnecessary. From interactions with her sister to her reactions to her best friend’s involvement in the movie---I really struggled. Elly seemed vapid and childish and just not someone I enjoyed following.

For me the saving characters were Rosie and Tyler, both of whom I liked but felt we didn’t see enough of. Overall I Made Lattes for a Love God was just a hard book for me to get through and not something I would be quick to recommend.

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by Allen & Unwin (Thanks guys!)
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Bookworld | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Recommendation: This isn't something I highly recommend, but if your on the younger end of the YA reader, you may enjoy this.
Cover: The cover is actually much nicer in person.
Will I read sequel/continue with series: No. I won't be interested in reading any more of Elly's tales.......