Weekend Read - Vampire Academy

I'm finally going to start the series. Here's hoping I like it because I loved the movie.

Unique Unravel

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

5 gnomes out of 5 gnomes

This is a rare book for me because I found myself loving it far more than I did the first book. I think either things are better put together in this second book or I just became used to the idiosyncrasies of the characters more.

The story just really gels in this one and you discover even more characters to care about. At Omega Point you meet a lot of people with powers and see what the Resistance is like in this world. It’s interesting to see how she reacts/doesn’t react among all these new people.

Juliette actually starts to crawl out of her own mind and interact with the world more. It’s eye-opening just realizing how much she missed while locked away. You can just imagine how hard it would be to interact with the world if you had the same power she does.

The love triangle is so surprising. I’ve never done such a complete 180 on my feelings on a love triangle. By the end I was rooting for someone that I didn’t even like the first book.

All the characters grow as people and you see more sides to everyone. There are also some steamy scenes in this book that I know I wasn’t expecting. This book will have your emotions all over the place.

A plethora of problems and traumatic twists abound. The end will have you ready to read the next book ASAP. This is a strong sequel and a great addition to the series.

Sentence Sneak Peek - Unravel Me

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

The first sentence from each chapter of Unravel Me, it's a mini summary of what you can expect to read.

* Spoilers are highlighted like so :)

“The world might be sunny-side up today.”

“A sharp knock and the door flies open.”

“I could touch him from here.”

“The dreams are back.”

“Kenji is waiting for us at an empty table.”

“Kenji lets out a low whistle.”

“We’re trailing down a serie of corridors I’ve never seen before.”

“Castle is limp.”

“My mouth tastes like death.”

“They’ve never had to deal with a problem like me before.”

“I catch a glimpse of the clock on the wall and realize it’s only 2:00 in the afternoon.”

“Let’s get you back into your suit,” Sara says to me.”

“1 bunk bed on one side of the wall.”

“Castle is staring at me.”

“I count everything.”

“Loneliness is a strange sort of thing.”

“Kenji leads me to a door I’ve never seen before.”

“We look homeless.”

“We’re heading up.”

“Warner is standing not 20 feet away from me.”

“I don’t move.”

“Stop throwing boxes at me, jackass.”

“”Sometimes I wonder about glue.”

“Kenji finds me first.”

“Another morning.”

“Kenji is already waiting for me.”

“Juliette?”

“What?”

“The morning is a blur.”

“This isn’t how we wanted it to happen,” Castle says to me, “but these things never usually go according to plan.”

“It’s 10:32 a.m.”

“Wait here.”

“90 seconds.”

“It’s refreshing, really,” he says.”

“He appears in a doorway directly across from where I’m now standing and he looks exactly as I remember him.”

“Warner’s gaze is locked onto mine.”

“I am a thief.”

“An explosion.”

“Shit.”

“I’m still here.”

“Warner’s head is on my lap.”

“I’m going to tell you a secret.”

“I don’t even know where to begin.”

“This is the door.”

“I step inside.”

“Time for lunch.”

“I go after him.”

“James joins us during our training session before dinner.”

“It changes everything.”

“I’m so humiliated.”

“Just a moment.”

“Things are getting worse.”

“Adam, Kenji, Castle, and I are camped out in his office try-ing to discuss strategy.”

“The guards let me into Warner’s room without a single word.”

“Tick tock.”

“It’s like spending 6 months just trying to inhale.”

“I’m definitely screaming.”

“What?”

“I jump up, frantic, and tell Warner I’ll be right back.”

“We don’t have to do anything at all to die.”

“Adam walks me to my room.”

“I’m so tired when I walk into my room that I’m only half conscious as I change into the tank top and pajama pants I sleep in.”

“Breakfast is an ordeal.”

“It’s raining.”

“I can’t feel my knees.”

“Dead dead dead is everywhere.”

“I hear wind chimes.”

“I wake up in a bed made of heaven and I’m wearing clothes that belong to a boy.”

“Breathing.”

“My heart has exploded.”

“My eyes open.”

“I’m blind again.”

“Warner is sleeping.”

Teaser Tuesdays - The Winner's Curse

"Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read• Open to a random page• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!"

The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski 

pg. 79:

“Slowly, he said, “You have a way of getting what you want.”

“I am wondering what it will cost me.”

Audio Book Review - White Cat

White Cat by Holly Black

4 tiara wearing bats with an extra tiara out of 5

First of all this is a great reader, he's easy to listen to and his take on the characters is well done.

The world created is really interested. I like how the different mafia families have taken control and how the workers are used as tools and enforcers. My favorite scene is when the main character is watching the video from his late night roof walking in his underwear and sees the white cat in the video.

The main character is extremely developed and has a strong voice. I love how they show that from his perspective life is just one big con after another. If you're not a worker than you can still be a con artist.

This audiobook is a great listen, the story has lots of twists and turn and only some of them will you see before they hit you in the face. I listened to it all in one sitting but the action is good enough that I think it would keep your interest in short sessions like while driving.

Top 5 Sundays - Best Book Titles!

This feature was thought up by the awesome Larissa & Friends' Bookish Life

Rules:

1 - Write a post listing your TOP 5 choices within the theme I chose (or was chosen on a poll) for the week.

2 - Mention this Blog on the post and link back to it.

3 - Feel free to use the Features image

4 - After you've finished your post, add your link (of the post, not your blog's main page) to the Mr.Linky at the end of that week's post.

5 – If you don’t have a blog to post, just leave your list in the comments =)  

Top 5 Sundays - Best Book Titles!

I like the word play in this title and can't wait to read this book.

This title perfectly fits this book.

I still need to read this book and with a title like that I’m really looking forward to it.

Great title for a tremendous collection of poetry, I love them all. :)

Who wouldn't want to read this book after reading the title.

Story Time Serial

I'm planning the first Story Time Serial to debut in March. So far Lizzy and Becky have expressed the most interest/left their info. If you want to join in just leave your name/a way to contact you in the comments. I'll contact them on Monday to start the story.

Lizzy @ Lizzy's Dark Fiction

Becky @ Becky's Barmy Book Blog

Unravel Me - My Favorite Quotes/Lines

“I do not function properly.

I am nothing more than the consequence of catastrophe.”

“I wonder at my inca-pacity for easy banter, smooth conversation, empty words to fill awkward moments. I don’t have a closet filled with umms and ellipses ready to insert at the beginnings and ends of sentences. I don’t know how to be a verb, an adverb, and kind of modifier. I’m a noun through and through.”

“We are synonyms but not the same.”

“Men with guns have never put me at ease no matter how many times they promised they were killing for good reason.”

“I don’t know why my heart is losing its mind.”

“...I’m only just beginning to realize how quickly I came to rely on the healing proper-ties of an excellent hug.”

“I can’t be my own person if I constantly require someone else to hold me together.”

“I’m beginning to think of hope as a dangerous, terrifying thing.”

Question of the Day - What App are you obsessed with?

I love playing Terraria. My sister played this game all the time on the computer but I didn't get into it until we found it on sale for the Kindle. The game controls are easy and with the open world you can build just about anything. I think it's more fun than Minecraft because the graphics don't make me dizzy and there is more to explore. You're also able to join other people's worlds so you can see what they built so we have been spending a long time building elaborate worlds.

"Waiting On" Wednesday - Half Bad

"Waiting On"  Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week I'm waiting on...  

Half Bad by Sally Green

* Book will be released March 4, 2014

Check out the description from Barnes & Noble:

"In modern-day England, witches live alongside humans: White witches, who are good; Black witches, who are evil; and sixteen-year-old Nathan, who is both. Nathan’s father is the world’s most powerful and cruel Black witch, and his mother is dead. He is hunted from all sides. Trapped in a cage, beaten and handcuffed, Nathan must escape before his seventeenth birthday, at which point he will receive three gifts from his father and come into his own as a witch—or else he will die. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is tracked, when there is no one safe to trust—not even family, not even the girl he loves?"

This looks like an interesting read. I’m always happy to read new takes on the paranormal so hopefully these witches have some great mythology to bring to the table. Plus the excerpt on the site makes it sound pretty crazy.

Check it out

Would you like to review for Bibliognome, if so check out this post.

Also if you'd like to join the Story Time Serial feature let me know because I'm still putting names together here.

Vampire Academy

Tiny Reverse Vampire and I saw the Vampire Academy movie and loved it. We both now feel the need to read the series ASAP. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a movie that made me want to read the book before, usually it’s the other way around.

Top 5 Sundays - Favorite Fictional BFFs {Part II}

This feature was thought up by the awesome Larissa's Bookish Life

Rules:

1 - Write a post listing your TOP 5 choices within the theme I chose (or was chosen on a poll) for the week.

2 - Mention this Blog on the post and link back to it.

3 - Feel free to use the Features image

4 - After you've finished your post, add your link (of the post, not your blog's main page) to the Mr.Linky at the end of that week's post.

5 – If you don’t have a blog to post, just leave your list in the comments =)  

Favorite Fictional BFFs {Part II}

Sherlock and Watson have an intense friendship/partnership.

Kenji and Juliette bring out the best in each other and he gets her to show more emotion.

Flounder and Ariel are pretty much the first best friends I remember and well I love this movie.

I remember watching this show all the time and Doug and Skeeter were always quite the duo.

Adventure Time is hilarious and the team of Fin and Jake is both highly quotable and fun to watch.

Question of the Week - What are your weekend reading plans?

I am a Saturday Librarian this week so from 7:30-4 that’s what I’ll be doing. So maybe I’ll go on a Kindle book buying spree and see what looks good. :)

Day 5 - Most Romantic Books I've Ever Read

I had so much fun with Parajunkee’s first challenge of the year that I decided to join the Valentine’s Book Blogger Mini Challenge. If you want to join in too, you can find the info here. Day 5 is Most Romantic Books I've Ever Read. This is the last day and I know I had fun so hopefully you all did too. :) Oh and,

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY EVERYBODY :)

Most Romatic Books I've Read:

This book is very steamy for a YA book, I adore it and who she ends up with is truly surprising. The relationship is just really well done.

Such a well written book, with plenty of surprises and one heck of an interesting romance.

I can't recommend this series enough. Full of heartbreak but eventual romance for many of the characters. This is truly just an epic love story.

A book set in the Dark Jewels world, I love Cassidy's and Gray's relationship and how they grow together.

 

Stephanie Perkins knows how to write swoon-worthy romances. You will be rooting for the couples in these books and be drawn right into the story.