Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Release: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater


Title: Forever
Author: Maggie Stiefvater

In Maggie Stiefvater's SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. In LINGER, they fought to be together. Now, in FOREVER, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.



Admittedly, I have not read any of Maggie's books. You can scream now. Or comment scream. And tell me I'm crazy.

I read the first couple of chapters in her novel Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception, but I had to stop because I had other, more important things to read. I picked up Shiver, and I was going to read it, but again life took over and I had no time. I WILL READ THEM!!! I WILL!!!

Anyway, for those of you who have read Forever and think it's bleeping awesome, comment below and I'll be sure to get right onto reading it...eventually.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Daily Dose (27): DOCTOR WHO EDITION!


Daily Dose is a weekly meme hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly where we share wonderful pictures that we've found on the Wonderful World Wide Web (WWWW for short).

Has anyone seen Doctor Who, the British sci-fi series chronicling a time traveling doctors journeys through space and time (with his faithful sidekicks)? I just finished the first season and it was so funny and action packed and wonderful. I highly suggest you watch it. Anyway, this Daily Dose (the first in two weeks. So sorry! If you've been waiting for for Daily Doses and have been disappointed, I'm terribly sorry! Please excuse its absence!) is all dedicated to Doctor Who! Enjoy!





Saturday, July 9, 2011

Blog Changes (Part 3)

This is the end of the changes, don't worry! Excuse the sudden change from orange to blue to neutral. It's been quite a shock for me, but I think I've gotten it right this time. I love the books running along the side. Hope I didn't shock you too much. Comment on your opinions, if you want.

Keep on reading, Paige

White Cat (Curse Workers #1) by Holly Black

Genre: fantasy
Series and Book #: Curse Workers Series #1
Pages: 310
Synopsis:

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers—people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they’re all criminals. Many become mobsters and con artists. But not Cassel. He hasn’t got magic, so he’s an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail—he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts to crumble when he finds himself sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He’s noticing other disturbing things too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him. As Cassel begins to suspect he’s part of a huge con game, he must unravel his past and him memories. To find out the truth, Cassel will have to outcon to conmen.



--------

I loved Holly Black's Spiderwick Chronicles, and I was really excited when I heard she was making a series about conmen. I love the complexity behind a con (I know I'm weird) and I enjoyed this book and the cons and whatnot involved.

I was a little disappointed with the mystery behind the white cat in this novel. It became really obvious to me in the beginning what was going on, and I was frustrated that it took Cassel so long to figure it out. I didn't like Holly's characterization. I didn't care for Cassel, and the other side characters were more 2D. I was upset that I didn't know the characters well enough throughout the book.

I loved the curse workers and conmen world that Holly built. It's our regular world, with the same history and everything, except that it all involves curse workers. I thought it was really interesting that she didn't make an entirely new world. It was unique from other novels because of this.

Overall, I was disappointed that this novel wasn't as great as I'd hoped it would be. It was still pretty awesome (I love the conmen and curse workers) but I thought it could use more characterization. The world was fun to live it, and the cons were so great. I can't wait to see what happens to Cassel in friends in Red Glove!

The Cover: I think it speaks the novel perfectly. Unlike the original cover, I think this speaks to boys as well. It's not a girly novel and I think that the cover says that.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely #5) by Melissa Marr

Genre: romance & fantasy
Series and Book #: Wicked Lovely #5
Pages: 327
Synopsis:

Send the messengers for the Faery Courts. This is the end.

The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that count cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win…and some will lose everything.

--------

Finally, finally, finally I've been able to read the final Wicked Lovely book! As much as I'd obsessed over it since February, I hadn't been given an opportunity to read it until now. It was such a kaleidoscope of love and loyalty, choices and deaths, and twists that were heart-wrenching and tear-jerking.

I haven't read the previous book, Radiant Shadows, since last year and I had mostly forgotten what had happened in some aspects. Melissa did a wonderful job of filling in the gaps by explaining little things about the prequels. She was also wonderful in developing her characters. During the fight against Bananach, you really are rooting for all the regents and their courts. And when people died (not saying who) I really felt for them, which you don't get to often in books.

What I loved about this finish is that Melissa tied up every loose end and answered every question. She also gave us peeks inside each court and from each perspective, although the Shadow Court wasn't really featured in this book (which I thought was disappointing since I was in love with Devlin and Ani) but you saw glimpses of the Winter, Summer, and Dark courts, and there were thoughts from Aislinn, Donia, Keenan, Niall, and other miscellaneous but important faeries. I thought it brought the story together so you weren't left wondering what was happening elsewhere.

Overall, this was a perfect conclusion to what is one of my all-time favorite series. Melissa's characters really stick to you and you can't help but love them no matter how idiotic they can be. She also added so many different twists in the story that left me speechless. Seriously, if you've been holding off reading this book, don't because it's absolutely amazing.

The Cover: You know what I found interesting? It's the exact opposite of the first cover. On the first one, it was Aislinn holding a frozen flower and on this cover it's Donia holding a flower filled with sunlight. Clever, very clever indeed.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Releases: Sirensong by Jenna Black and Twisted by Sara Shepard


When Dana is invited to Faerie to be officially presented at the Seelie Court, it’s no easy decision. After all, everyone knows Titania, the Seelie Queen, wants her dead. But Titania claims not to be the one behind the death threats; and her son, Prince Henry, makes the decision a whole lot easier when he suggests Dana might be arrested for (supposedly) conspiring with her aunt Grace to usurp the Seelie throne. So she and her father better do as they're told…
The journey through Faerie is long – and treacherous. Dana thought it would be a good idea to have friends along, but her sort-of-boyfriend, Ethan, and her bodyguard’s son, Keane, just can’t seem to get along, and Kimber’s crush on Keane isn’t making things any easier. When a violent attack separates Dana from their caravan, the sexy Erlking saves her just in the nick of time… and makes it clear that he hasn’t given up on making her his own.
Arriving at Titania’s beautiful palace should be a relief. But Dana is soon implicated in an assassination attempt against Titania’s granddaughter, and is suddenly a fugitive, forced to leave her father behind as she and her friends flee for their lives. Will she be able to prove her innocence before the forces of the Seelie Court – or, worse, the Erlking – catch up with her? And will she save her father before he pays the ultimate price in her stead?



 
It’s been a year since the torturous notes from A stopped and the mystery of Alison DiLaurentis’s disappearance was finally put to rest. Now seniors in high school, Aria, Spencer, Hanna, and Emily are older, but they’re not any wiser. The pretty little liars have more secrets than ever—twisted secrets that could destroy the perfect lives they’ve worked so hard to rebuild.
Aria’s jealous of her boyfriend’s new exchange student. Spencer’s getting a little too cozy with her soon-to-be-stepbrother. Hanna’s one scandalous photo away from ruining her dad’s Senate campaign. And Emily will do anything to get a swim scholarship.
Worst of all: Last spring break in Jamaica, they did something unforgivable. The girls are desperate to forget that fateful night, but they should know better than anyone that all secrets wash ashore . . . eventually.

--------

I've heard great things about the Faeriewalker series, and I plan on reading them soon. And then there's the ninth installment of the Pretty Little Liars series, which I have yet to read but are, again, on my list. These are both such great novels that are sure to be a hit. What are your thoughts?

Friday, July 1, 2011

In My Mailbox (5): June


In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren where we share what books we've bought, received, or borrowed over the last week or, in my case, month. I don't get enough books over the week to cover a weekly IMM but I always do one every month. Here's May's! (Some of these books I've already read, so if you click on the links they should bring you to the review)

Bought:
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Library Finds:
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
Why I Let My Hair Grow Out by Maryrose Wood
Intertwined by Gena Showalter
The Big Crunch by Paul Hautman
White Cat by Holly Black
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Heist Society by Ally Carter
Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr
Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins