Going Bovine by Libba Bray

Can Cameron find what he’s looking for?

All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.

 Going Bovine was like a drunken teenager. Crazy, reckless, fun, shockingly poignant and above all, undeniably unreliable.

Cameron is a slacker/stoner. I loved his character. I could totally relate to it. He was very Holden Caulfield-esque. Cameron basically doesn’t like anything. At all. His parents live a dull life. His dad is possibly cheating on his mom. His sister is a pod person (Read: Cheerleader) who is dating the quarterback or something like that. His best memory is when he almost died at Disneyland when he was 5 years. He loves listening to this lame Portuguese singer, just to be ironic. He sometimes hangs out in the stoner bathroom having eloquent and sensible conversation about Schrödinger's cat* and such. I’d give an inch of my hair to go to that bathroom. It sounds like a glorious place. But never mind, this is just the start of the book and it only gets better.

Cameron gets Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which is simply mad cow disease in a human. And hence, the cover.  It's genius really. Symptoms of this disease: Hallucinations, muscle twitching.

The rest of the book Cameron is either lying on a hospital bed or on a psychedelic road trip with a paranoid dwarf who loves to swear, a punk angel, and a yard gnome who claims to be a Norse God, or possibly both. It's really upto the reader to decide what is really happening.  The road trip is eccentric, they run into a jazz musician who is supposed to be dead, mardi gras folks, dumb reality-TV obsessed teens, CHURCH OF EVERLASTING SATISFACTION AND SNACK-’N’-BOWL AKA Future serial killers, physicists on the quest to enter parallel universe and much more.

This book is very surreal, very very funny, very Alice in Wonderland meets On The Road meets Don Quixote. And mostly, it begs the question, what exactly defines reality.  Till the box is opened is Schrodinger’s cat dead or alive or both? 

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schr%C3%B6dinger's_cat

Similar books: Paper Towns By John Green. 
Other road trip related books on my reading list: Road trip books.

Paper Towns by John Green

When Margo Roth Spiegelman beckons Quentin Jacobsen in the middle of the night - dressed like a ninja and plotting an ingenious campaign of revenge - he follows her. Margo's always planned extravagantly, and, until now, she's always planned solo. After a lifetime of loving Margo from afar, things are finally looking up for Q . . . until day breaks and she has vanished. Always an enigma, Margo has now become a mystery. But there are clues. And they're for Q. 

Printz Medalist John Green returns with the trademark brilliant wit and heart-stopping emotional honesty that have inspired a new generation of readers.

Published October 16th 2008 by Dutton Juvenile

10 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT PAPER TOWNS

1) Dear John Green,

 You had me at, “Maybe all the strings inside him broke.”

2) Meet the characters:

Quentin: Nerdy, Alternative and Hipster. Basically, every John Green character.

MaRgO:  She capitalises random letters because otherwise it’s not fair to the other letters.

She is mad as a hatter and odd as a bat.

In Ben Starling’s words,"She's the kind of person who either dies tragically at twenty-seven, like Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, or else grows up to win, like, the first-ever Nobel Prize for Awesome."

Also, the show Revenge should drop Emily or Amanda or whatever and follow Margo because hell hath no fury like Margo scorned.

Radar: Nerdy, Obsessed with Omnictionary which is a site like Wikipedia and LOOK, IT EXISTS. http://www.omnictionary.com/index.php/Main_Page

 Oh, and owns the largest collection of Black Santas EVER.

Ben: Funny Ben is Funny.

3) Pop Culture references.

Example: "The last time I was this scared," Radar says, "I actually had to face a Dark Lord in order to make the world safe for wizards."

Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie and Wilco make a special musical appearance.

And THE BELL JAR! THE BELL JAR! MY The Bell Jar. 

Also, Emily Dickinson.

4) The entire novel is weaved along with Walt Whitma’s Song of Myself from his book Leaves of Grass.

5) This book followed major themes of Perception and the Mirrors vs Windows concept.

6) Urban explorers.

7) Quentin is the book version of every character Jesse Eisenberg and Adam Brody have ever played. ( Except Zuckerberg in The Social Network. He would fit too, if he were ever so slightly dumbed down. :P ) And if nothing else, that in itself is enough for me to love the movie.

8) The novel is divided into 3 sub-parts, each providing insight into a major metaphor.

So we have The Strings, The Grass, and The Vessel.

And the only thing I like more than awkward, hyperintellectual, neurotic guys (Read: Woody Allen, Jesse Eisenberg, Adam Brody) is METAPHORS. I can eat metaphors for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

9) I loved this paragraph.

“Here’s what’s not beautiful about it: from here, you can’t see the rust or the cracked paint or whatever, but you can tell what the place really is. You see how fake it all is. It’s not even hard enough to be made out of plastic. It’s a paper town. I mean look at it, Q; look at all those cul-de-sacs, those streets that turn in on themselves, all the houses that were built to fall apart. All those paper people living in their paper houses, burning the future to stay warm. All the paper kids drinking beer some bum bought for them at the paper convenience store. Everyone demented with the mania of owning thing. All the thing paper-thin and paper-frail. And all the people, too.”

10) THE ROAD TRIP. THE BLOODY ROAD TRIP. It was all types of awesomeness and coolness and I can forever fangirl over the road trip. And honestly, it made me wonder why I haven’t read any books on road trips before. Picked up On The Road by Jack Kerouac the very next day. Any other recommendations? 

I don’t know how a book filled with pranks, clues, mystery, beer and naked graduation manages to be philosophical, but this one does. 

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Published December 2nd 2010 by Penguin Group (USA)

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

 Meh.

The protag was okay and the main guy was drool-worthy, the friends weren’t bad and the plot was simple but realistic. There was nothing wrong with the writing; it was actually pretty easy to read. Nothing really happened and maybe I am just too old for this. Or I can’t stand a pure romance novel.

I feel like EVERYONE loves this book. There are like barely any goodreads reviewers who have given it less than four star.

I have nothing against books that are just to be read for fun, but someone could have died, or someone could have killed someone, or there could have been some drama. I mean, real drama. Not boo-hoo my dad is so rich and famous and he is the worst dad ever because he is more Nicholas Sparks than Ian McEwan and he sends me to a school in paris and I hate my dad’s books and I like this guy and he has a girlfriend and my friends are confusing and okay  yeah, that was the basic plot. *Spoiler Alert* She gets the guy and lives happily ever after.

The book should have been funnier. It takes itself way too seriously.

But credit where credit is due, I loved Paris. The setting was epic. Stephanie Perkins (Could she be related to Ann Perkins?) nailed that part.  That’s the reason I read the whole book, well, except for the chapters I didn’t. There were these long talks and walks around Paris that reminded me of one of my favourite movies, Before Sunrise. 

Variant By Robison Wells

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would 
be the ticket out of his dead-end life. 

He was wrong. 

Now he's trapped in a school that's surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive 

Where breaking the rules equals death. 

But when Benson stumbles upon the school's real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.

Published October 4th 2011 by HarperCollins

WOW. THIS BOOK WAS WOW.
Creepy, nail-bitting and gut-wrenching good. 
If you think your school is strict, think again. Maxfield Academy is a freaking NIGHTMARE.
I was on the edge of my seat throughout. I honestly stayed up all night to read this book. There were these great, completely unexpected twists, and WOW! 
This book was perfect. 
The main theme was about survival and trust and reminded me of Lord Of The Flies. 
The protagonist was perfect. He was heavily flawed but really likable and you actually cared what happened to him!
It had so much of drama and intrigue and then this totally HOLY MOTHER OF GOD GIGANTIC CLIFFHANGER!
This book has so many things working for it, it is a must read for all Thriller/ Dystopian fans. 

An exciting and suspenseful Thriller.
But seriously, it was so good, I peed my pants. 
No, I didn't.
Or, Did I? o.O

P.S- There was PAINTBALL! That's a course I wish my univ offered!
:D
^^
Easily the best part of the book!

The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault

In the maze of cubicles at Samuelson Company, editorial assistant Billy Webb struggles to focus while helping to prepare the next edition of a dictionary. But there are distractions. He senses that something suspicious is going on beneath this company’s academic façade. What’s more, his (possibly) flirtatious co-worker Mona Minot has just made a startling discovery: a trove of puzzling citations, all taken from the same book, The Broken Teaglass. Billy and Mona soon learn that no such book exists. And the quotations read like a confession, coyly hinting at a hidden identity, a secret liaison, a crime. As Billy and Mona try to unearth the truth, the puzzle begins to take on bigger meaning for both of them, compelling them to redefine their notions of themselves and each other.

The Broken Teaglass is at once a literary mystery, a cautious love story, and an ingenious suspense novel that will delight fans of brilliantly inventive fiction.

 Emily Arsenault’s debut book was dreamy, dark and dreary. Just like In Search of Rose Notes, which I have read, loved and reviewed here http://oopsireadthatbook.blogspot.com/2011/12/in-search-of-rose-notes-by-emily.html

 I love the 3 D’s and I immensely enjoyed this book.

As emotionally satisfying as In search of rose notes, this book had a bonus delight.

It centred on words.

The mystery, the plot and the setting were all about words.

Set in Samuelson Company, a dictionary publisher’s office, the book follows College graduate Billy Webb as he lives a lonely existence in the cubicle till his colleague colleague Mona Minot stumbles upon citation from a novel called The Broken Teaglass. Each cit seems to tell a story that may reveal a past secret, buried deep in the grim office.

I haven’t read many books with male protagonists but Billy was cool. Highest form of praise I can give a dude.

With oddball characters and a plot brimming with suspense The Broken Teaglass is a literary puzzle and a coming-of-age novel with a dark and subtle sense of humour.

P.S - Another reason I totally love this book with every fibre of my being is that it introduced me to LEXICOGRAPHY!

I am 19 and totally clueless plus aimless about life and career and crap, but every once in a while I come across super-fun sounding jobs.

For example, right now I want to be a writer on a NBC sitcom. (And subsequently have a three-way with Amy Poehler and Will Arnett.)

30 Rock may or may not have influenced this decision.

Anyhoo, after reading The Broken Teaglass, I think it’d be SWEET if I was a lexicographer. Turns out they just have to read a bunch of magazines of their choice all the time and not really talk to people.

 I think it was a job specifically designed for me.

P.P.S- Another fun part of this book was all these random people calling the office and sending them letters etc with completely random and hilarious inquiries. That shit was gold.

P.P.P.S- Some might find pacing problems with this because the plot kind of moves along really slow. I savoured every bit but just wanted to put this out there. 

In Search of Rose Notes By Emily Arsenault

At age eleven, Nora and Charlotte are the best of friends—until their teenager babysitter, Rose, disappears under mysterious circumstances. They decide to “investigate,” using paranormal theories and techniques they glean from a hand-me-down collection of Time-Life books. But their search goes nowhere, and leaves both girls distraught and angry with each other.

In her late twenties, Nora is drawn back her old neighborhood, and to Charlotte, when Rose’s bones are found. She was probably murdered, and Charlotte is adamant that they solve the crime. Nora—who was the last known person to see Rose alive—is forced to reconsider her memory of the events surrounding the disappearance, and her own troubled adolescence following those fateful days. And she’s not sure if she’s ready to face the secrets that begin to surface.

Told in alternating narratives from the past and present, this is a mystery about broken friendship and the unease of revisiting adolescent memory.

I don’t think I have ever read a book like this.

It was a thing of beauty.

Psychologically stimulating and arousing waves of nostalgia to float around me like fireflies in a dark and damp night, In Search of Rose Notes is a magical and precious book.

The characters- all the characters, were fully fleshed out and seemed so real and so human, I physically ached for them when the book got over.

There was the mystery of the missing babysitter and who killed her and woven with that were the flashbacks to Nora and Charlotte’s childhood and their paranormal investigations.

There was a dreamy, dark and dreary air throughout the book.

It doesn’t even feel like a book I read but more like a book I lived.

Emily Arsenault is a literary treasure and this book is a literary gem. 
Last words: 

Memories, secrets and a pernicious past collide together in this emotionally exhausting book to deliver an epiphany of sorts.

Far From The War by Jeffrey David Payne

Esther is caught in the middle, serving as a page in the United States House of Representatives when rogue politicians and military leaders stage a modern day coup d'etat. When the coup turns violent, she abandons Washington, D.C. for home. She must learn to survive on her own as transportation and financial networks fail, as the war disrupts food and water supplies. The result is a cautionary tale about political extremism and the true cost of war.Economic ruin and partisan rancor have pushed America to the brink of a new civil war.

Published July 24th 2011 by Roche Harbor Books


Ever wondered what would happen if war just broke out AND ( as if that wasn’t enough) you were far from home?

This happened with Esther. Esther is from Orcas Island and is now a page for the US House of Representatives in Washington D.C.

The novel follows her on her journey to return home once war breaks out in future dystopian United States.

I initially struggled to read this book because not being a US citizen I wasn’t aware of the politics and it just confused the hell out of me! I was clueless as to what a lot of the terms used in the book meant.

However, the story is extremely thoughtful and just so honestly written.

Once the plot moved forward I was emotionally caught up in it.

The book is extremely well researched and Jeffrey David Payne has perfectly captured the brutality and destruction in war.

I loved how honestly everything was portrayed and the author did not shy away from shocking us readers.

There is political chaos and corruption depicted. We all know corruption is extremely rampant all over the world. But do we really do anything to stop it?

There was corruption EVERYWHERE.

Corrupt government? Check

Corrupt military? Check

Corrupt politicians? Check

Sadly, I think this novel has potential to be prophetic.

The writing is crisp and the blunt voice used to describe these terrible things happening just added to the impact. It was a blow after another. I loved how the author didn’t try to make anything melodramatic but just kept it real.

The protagonist Esther is smart and witty. She is extremely mature for a seventeen year old. Most seventeen year olds don’t know a thing in politics. But Esther was really knowledgeable and at times I found it hard to believe she was so young. The supporting characters were also well-crafted.

I feel this book caters to more mature and intelligent readers.

It may not have been the most entertaining novel but it was unique and thought-provoking.

Last words:

A Heart-rending and Gut-wrenching read.

I would like to thank Roche Harbor books for proving me with a copy for review.

The Name of the Star (Shades of London #1) by Maureen Johnson

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.


Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

Publisher: Penguin Group USA

Published Date: September 29 2011


What can I say about Maureen Johnson that her twitter feed already hasn’t?

She is totally BONKERS. And in the best possible way ever.
 Her tweets often more entertaining than plenty of novels got her on "140 Best Twitter Feeds" in Time Magazine.

But that is hardly the only reason to read The Name Of The Star.

The plot is flawless. I loved the fresh spin on the Jack The Ripper plotline. The story is full of twists and surprises.

The setting is perfect. The book departs from the usual American High Schools and features a British Boarding School. Rippermania has seized London. There are a series of copycat murders taking place.

The protagonist is delightful and at times eccentric. I loved her southern ways.

Her roommates are SO RAD! They are polar opposites and yet I could identify parts of myself in both of them. Jazza was a sweetheart. She was so nice and helpful and had these insecurities that just made her more believable.
 Boo was HILARIOUS and a complete riot. Kudos to Maureen Johnson for breaking stereotype and giving us an Indian character that wasn’t nerdy but a complete contrast. She was such a fun and quirky character!

All the other secondary characters were well developed and significant in their own places.

I loved that the romance did not overshadow the rest of the plot. I look forward to it being developed in the sequel.

There mystery was light and guessable but the suspense shone through.

The only negative thing in the book was that the writing wasn’t spectacular but nevertheless it was a great book and I can’t wait to read the sequel.

Last words:

An impeccably crafted plot and brilliant characters make this an excellent start to the Shades Of London series.

IRON FEY SERIES ( THE IRON KNIGHT ) BY JULIE KAGAWA

Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.

To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Expected publication: October 25th 2011 by Harlequin (first published October 18th 2011)

 

For some really strange reason and foolish reason I never picked up the Iron Fey books though the reviews were always great. Maybe the word Iron turned me off. I am weird like that. Then I saw The Iron Knight on Netgalley and before I could say

Hottest Guy Ever

On The Cover

I had requested the book. Of Course now I had to go read the first three books before I could start with The Iron Knight and OMG am I glad I did! BEST.DECISION.EVER.

To those uninitiated in The Iron Fey series let me paint a picture of what these books are all about.

Magic. Humour. Romance. Action. And above all ADVENTURE.

Adventure that is missing in YA books these days.

JKagawa’s imagination and creativity is stupendous. Her writing is vivid and detailed and completely transported me to Nevernever. I was constantly left mesmerized by the sheer beauty of the setting she had created- be it the Wyldwood or Tir Na Nog.

For me The Iron Fey series is The Lord Of The Rings for teens. Lord Of The Rings is a book I famously tried to and could not finish reading. (Okay I am officially hiding my face now! I love the LOTR movies..okay..maybe "love" would be an exaggeration but I did like them...I mean I loved golum and his "my preciousss" and do I even need to mention Orlando Bloom!!Again however I could not finish this book.I read it when I was a kid and all I remember is that there was like A LOT of description of trees. And barely any females. Or for that matter even humans. O.o)

Now I feel like I don’t need to since The Iron Fey is just as awesome and especially tailor-made for me! :D

Iron Fey series also happens to be influenced by my favorite Shakespeare play- A Midsummer Night’s Dream. There’s the CHERRY on top.

Another thing I loved about the series were the different magical creatures. Each of them from trolls to goblins to mermaids to jack o’lanterns played an important role and were well-developed.

While the endearing Meghan Chase was the protagonist for the first 3 books, The Iron Knight is from the point of view of Prince Ash. The Ice Prince. Cold, brooding, dark and absolutely YUMMY. There is also the delightful Puck but I am hard-core TEAM ASH. The Iron Knight gets a new feel, offers glimpses of the past and answers many questions as we get into the mind of the winter prince as he embarks on an EPIC adventure along with Puck and Grimalkin.

Grimalkin- the finest and the best part of The Iron Fey books.

Grimalkin is a CAT and there totally awesome. With his snarkiness and witty one-liners he shows us exaclt why EVERYONE WANTS TO BE A CAT.

Honestly best cat in literature since the Cheshire Cat.

The Iron Fey series is gonna end up right alongside Chronicles Of Narnia, Alice Wonderland and Wizard Of Oz. It is a must read for fans of the faery and just about everyone who loves fantasy.

The ending was unexpected and breath-taking. I don’t wanna divulge the plots too much because it’s always fun discovering that on your own!

Go pre-order The Iron Knight NOW! 

And if you haven't started this series yet, What are you waiting for? Go buy The Iron King. You have a week or so to catch up!

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Harlequin teen for providing me with a galley.

You can now win The Iron King at my 100 FOLLOWERS INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY!

Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) by Sarah Mlynowski

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house – parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.

Published June 7th 2011 by HarperTeen

Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah) 
Partyin’, partyin’ (Yeah) 

Fun, fun, fun, fun 

FANTABULOUS BOOK! 

HOW PRETTY IS THE COVER!? 

I needz that GIRL’S SKIN! SO FLAWLESS AND IT’S POSITIVELY GLOWING! 

So now on to the book? 

Well the blurb pretty much sums it up! 

The book makes me wanna 

1)move into my own apartment 

2)sip on a bucketful of ALCOHOL!! 

3) Slip into those pretty tiny shiny clothes. 

4) BUY A FREAKING HOT TUB 

5) And PARTYYY!! 

And then very slowly and in the same tone the book also made me want to be responsible.

Also, the way romance was handled in this book made me wanna go KISS the author! 

I mean THANK GOD there is a book out there telling us teens ( I am 19..Still a teen right!? Look Nine-“teen”) THE BRUTAL TRUTH in a completely hilarious way. Such an honest take on teenage love! 

Packed into this seemingly innocent book are tons of invaluable life lessons. It captures perfectly through the voice of the protagonist the teenage feelings of wanting to grow-up and yet not wanting it at the same time? I am making sense here!? It’s like we want to spread our wings and fly but we also want to make sure someone is out there still watching out for us! Hard to explain. JUST GO READ THE BOOK! 

This book goes kind of like these lyrics by a certain band I am never very fond of but Geez CAN ONE PARTY TO THAT SONG! 

“Tonight's the night 

Let's live it up 

I got my money 

Let's spend it up 

Go out and smash it 

Like Oh My God 

Jump off that sofa 

Let's get get OFF “ 

This is a book without any decorations and jazz. It’s plain, simple, crisp, blunt and OMFG wonderful! 

Light and funny with believable characters and a scarily realistic plot this is a must read for all teens!

Wanna win this fab book?

Enter 100 FOLLOWERS INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY!

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites—like fire and ice—Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

A Beautiful Dark is the first book in a captivating trilogy by debut author Jocelyn Davies.

Expected publication: September 27th 2011 by HarperTeen

Skye – Hey I am your typical YA protagonist.  And I cause guys to fall head over heels in love with me. 

*smiles nonchalantly*

Asher -  I am THE bad boy yo.

Devin- I am the brooding one.

Asher – I am cocky. And a flirt.

Devin- I am the good guy. 

*broods*

Asher – I love me some Skye.

Devin- Ditto.
Asher & Devin - We both are incredibly hot. 
*glare at each other* 

Skye – Ooh la la who do I choose!? 

*confused*

Ian – I am a mere mortal . BUT I LOVE SKYE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE SO STUPID IF ONLY 2 GUYS WERE IN LOVE WITH HER! Love triangle is a thing of the past! We got a love square.

 *swoons*

Skye- *doesn’t throw a bone*

AGNESPINK -*Interrupts*

Why should we read this book? It sounds awfully like the other angel books out there!

A Beautiful Dark – I have fresh and intriguing angel mythology woven into the book.

Also,

If you hadn’t guessed already I am on my way to become an international BESTSELLER.

AGNESPINK - *sigh*

Well I did enjoy reading you.

A Beautiful Dark - *gets devoured by YA PARANORMAL ROMANCE fans*

AGNESPINK- It was a pretty entertaining read. Mmmm.. I couldn’t put it down either….

A Beautiful Dark- You might have rolled your eyes aplenty but you did love me! ACCEPT IT!

AGNESPINK- AACK! GO BUY THE BOOK ALREADY!

FORBIDDEN LOVE, MYSTERY AND A CAPTIVATING PLOT. WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE!?

Devin and Asher – We’d like to thank Netgalley and HarperTeen to let us spend a wonderful month with AgnesPink.

AGNESPINK – With that cliffhanger at the end we’ll see each other again. Toodles till book 2 comes out!

Wanna win A Beautiful Dark?

Enter My Giveaway - 100 FOLLOWERS INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY!


Similar Books: Hush, Hush ( Hush, Hush #1) By Becca Fitzpatrick

Fury (The Fury Trilogy #1) by Elizabeth Miles - Book Review and Giveaway!

Sometimes sorry isn't enough....

It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Em and Chase have been chosen. 


Expected publication: August 30th 2011 by Simon Pulse

Karma in Indian religions is the concept of "action" or "deed", understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect (i.e., the cycle called saṃsāra) originating in ancient India and treated in Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh philosophies.

How many of you believe in Karma?

How many of you believe that people must atone for their sins?

I believe in As you sow, so shall you reap. But then what about An eye for an eye makes the world go blind?

The Furies are vengeful and shall not let any Em and Chase go unpunished.

The novels two main protagonists are the sinners. Was I supposed to wish the furies don’t harm them? Well, I didn’t.

Em was weak and stupid and insensitive and well a total bitch.

Her best friend truly loves her. She isn’t like a mean person or anything. She truly cares for Em.

And what does Em do?

She hooks up with her bff’s boyfriend of course!

While many don’t think of this as particular ghastly a deed, I do and unfortunately for Em so do the furies.

Em’s justifications for her actions were extremely selfish and I completely disliked her.

Chase on the other hand, I really really liked. He was vulnerable and pitiable and the fact that we are unaware of what exactly he has done wrong to incur the wrath of the furies certainly helped.

It also lends an air of mystery to the plot.

The book was set in Maine where I am noticing a host of YA books are being set! Not that I am complaining! It does lend for a cold and beautiful setting.

I completely enjoyed the high school portrayal in the book. It was realistic and fun.

Readers who are looking for a book on greek mythology or a typical YA paranormal shall be disappointed because it really doesn’t delve much into the paranormal.

The book was eerie in parts but I didn’t find it all the scary and for me that was the downfall of the book! While I am not happy to admit this but I did keep wishing the Furies did something more terrible to them! It was kind of slow in that respect.

Nevertheless the plot was fresh and interesting and I enjoyed the book. I loved the cliffhanger at the end and I can barely wait for Book 2. I would like to thank Galley Grab for providing me with an eGalley. 

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Vicious Little Darlings by Katherine Easer

Sarah Weaver wasn't looking forward to starting at an all-girls school. But that was before she met Maddy. Maddy and her best friend, Agnes, are fun and rich and interesting-and for some reason, they seem to really like Sarah. Before long, Maddy and Agnes have moved Sarah into a big house off campus, where they cook together, buy each other presents, and share each other's secrets. So why does Sarah feel like something's bizarrely wrong? As more and more cracks start to show in Maddy's and Agnes's perfect veneers, Sarah notices some strange and disturbing things: Maddy's compulsive lying, Agnes's obsession with Maddy, and the deterioration of their friendship. And just when Sarah begins to question her own sanity, things turns deadly. Fans of Pretty Little Liars will devour this juicy debut novel.


Published June 21st 2011 by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

Disturbing.

Chilling.

For a YA book it was surprisingly gritty and unexpected.

The book was promoted as being similar to Pll.

But it’s not.

It’s so much better.

The summary doesn’t really give out much and that was perfect because I devoured the book hungrily. I couldn’t put it down till I finished it. And even when I did it left me breathless and I couldn’t really disconnect from it immediately.

It had taken over my mind entirely.

It was such an intense book.

And so realistic and believable.

It kept me on my edge and sent a myriad of emotions flowing through me.

The protagonist and the other two main characters were so heavily flawed it was ridiculous and pleasing at the same time. I could identify with some of the creepiest thing.

Everyone in this book is so wrecked, so wrong, so manipulative

I do believe that the nicest people are slightly mentally unhinged. And we all have some evil in us.

Possessive BFF’s is something I have experienced so I could totally get that plotline.

This book left me with the similar feeling I get after watching psychological thrillers.

This book is vicious.

And it’s a must read.

Sometimes I am left furious that books like these don’t become bestsellers but every book about a girl falling in love with a vampire/fallen angel and what not which has no particular plot becomes a outright favourite and sells like hot cakes.

It’s sad really.

Suspenseful and eerie, this is easily one of my top favourite books of the year.

Lastly, because I can NOT praise it enough I would say it was a Mind-blowing read. I still feel shocked and disturbed. 

I want, no I NEED more books from Katherine Easer.

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