Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Genre: science fiction
Series and Book #: none
Pages: 390
Synopsis:

One hour to rewrite the past…

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not change only her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does it feel like an electric current runs through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

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Time travel has been taken to a whole new level. Myra has taken a concept that has been considered throughout all of time and forced it into something uniquely hers. Please give a round of applause to this incredible new author!

I loved Emerson. So sarcastic, and able to hold her own, she's independent and can take care of herself. But she's caring, loving, and fiercely loyal to the ones she loves. Such a great blend for a heroine. Enter Michael, who turns her inside out and upside down, and she's shocked that he has the ability to get her to reveal herself to him. Michael was excellent, and the chemistry between the two of them was immediate. He cared for Emerson, but due to the strict business relationship, the romantic tension keeps building and building until finally...it completely blows up in their faces and the full force of their attraction to each other was obvious. The romance in the book was incredibly well-written, going through Em's immediate liking, to Michael's firm just friends status, and then the final moments in the novel when it couldn't be helped. I had so many moments where I nearly screamed, "JUST KISS HER ALREADY!"

As amazing as this book was (and really, it was pretty amazing) I didn't like the way Emerson takes the news that she's sees into the past. She accepted it pretty easily. Along with the news that the Hourglass works with more people like her. The novel goes pretty quickly, through meeting Michael, to figuring out he's a time traveler like Em, to going back in time to help the doctor who founded the Hourglass. I wish Myra would've taken it a bit slower, and created Em a little more hesitant to believe everything Michael said.

Overall, Myra's novel is stellar. Emerson's voice, along with a wonderful cast of characters, creates a different way of looking at time travel and how it works. Myra made it purely science, and did something I've never really gotten with other time travel novels: she explained everything down to some little details. It wasn't just there. It had a process. And it didn't just happen. It required multiple persons. Excellent, wonderful, engaging. Hourglass is a definite must read.

The Cover: Oh my goodness, this cover is awesome! It's an optical illusion, and when you're finished puzzling it out, you're like, "What is this about?" In a good way!

In My Mailbox (7): August

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 July's! (Some of these books I've already read, so if you click on the links they should bring you to the review)

Library Finds:

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols

Borrowed:
Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Not much this month. What did you get? 

August 30th Releases

There are too many releases today to list them all in the blog title. Here they all are:

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Cassandra Clare is an amazing author of the Mortal Instruments Series and Clockwork Angel, the first book in the Infernal Devices Series. I can't wait to read the next installment!

Soul Thief (Demon Trappers #2) by Jana Oliver

Riley Blackthorne is beginning to learn that there are worse things than death by demon. And love is just one of them…
Seventeen-year-old Riley has about had it up to here. After the devastating battle at the Tabernacle, trappers are dead and injured, her boyfriend Simon is gravely injured, and now her beloved late father’s been illegally poached from his grave by a very powerful necromancer. As if that’s not enough, there's Ori, one sizzling hot freelance demon hunter who’s made himself Riley’s unofficial body guard, and Beck, a super over-protective “friend” who acts more like a grouchy granddad. With all the hassles, Riley’s almost ready to leave Atlanta altogether.
But as Atlanta’s demon count increases, the Vatican finally sends its own Demon Hunters to take care of the city’s “little” problem, and pandemonium breaks loose. Only Riley knows that she might be the center of Hell’s attention: an extremely powerful Grade 5 demon is stalking her, and her luck can't last forever…

I enjoyed the uniqueness of The Demon Trapper's Daughter and I can't wait to see what action and romance Jana Oliver has included in its sequel!

Fury by Elizabeth Miles

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.

This has to be on my Top 10 most anticipated for 2011 Releases. It sounds like one of those freaky fairytales that'll keep you up at night, and scare you into being good. I can't wait to read it!

The Fox Inheritance (Jenna Fox Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson

Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.
Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.
Everyone except Jenna Fox.

The Adoration of Jenna Fox was an incredible, deep read that revealed an entirely new world. Jenna is one of my favorite MC's and I'm excited to see Mary's other characters come to life in this book.

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths
Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret--behind the mirage of the "death farm" there is instead a place called Artime.
In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it's a wondrous transformation.
But it's a rare, unique occurence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.

I haven't read anything by Lisa McMann but I've heard that her Wake Trilogy was amazing and I'm excited to read her books.

Twisted (Intertwined #3) by Gena Showalter

His vampire girlfriend might have brought him back to life, but he's never felt more out of control. There's a darkness within him, something taking over…changing him. Worse, because he was meant to die, death now stalks him at every turn. Any day could be his last.
Once upon a time, the three souls trapped inside his head could have helped him. He could have protected himself. But as the darkness grows stronger, the souls grow weaker—just like his girlfriend. The more vampire Aden becomes, the more human Victoria becomes, until everything they know and love is threatened.
Life couldn't get any worse. Could it?

Intertwined was a very romantic and unique novel, I've yet to read the sequel Unraveled, but definitely consider reading these books.  

Daily Dose (32)

Daily Dose is a weekly meme hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly where we share inspirational photos we've found on the Internet.

Author News: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

John Green, the bestselling author of Paper Towns (read my review here), Looking for Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines, and Will Grayson, Will Grayson (along with David Levithan) has a new novel coming out in January 2012 called The Fault in Our Stars.

Now, there's no definete cover for The Fault in Our Stars, so I can't show it to you. But I can give you this: http://johngreenbooks.com/the-fault-in-our-stars/ It is a handy dandy link to John Green's website, taking you conviniently to a post about The Fault in Our Stars.

Now, I've only ever read Paper Towns by John Green, but I'm looking forward to reading his other books. He's an amazing author, whose writing goes to the heart of things and looks deeper than just the outside. So, I highly suggest you read his novels, and quick, because January's coming fast and that means so is The Fault in Our Stars.

Release: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

Hee hee. Um, this book actually came out on the 23rd, but my life has been pretty hectic lately and I forgot to post this.

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight.

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I Am Number Four was amazing, and since then I've been waiting for The Power of Six. I highly recommend reading these novels. Action packed, original, and with a perfect cast of characters, The Lorien Legacies are winners!

Daily Dose (31)

Daily Dose is a weekly meme hosted by Good Golly Miss Holly where we share inspirational photos we've found on the World Wide Web.

for those of you who don't know who he is:

this is the Doctor. You should really watch his show