Sunday, January 3, 2016

Book Review: The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden


The Casquette Girls
by
Alys Arden
Genre: Young-adult, Paranormal, Romance

Seven girls tied by time.
Five powers that bind.
One curse to lock the horror away.
One attic to keep the monsters at bay.

After the storm of the century rips apart New Orleans, sixteen-year-old Adele Le Moyne wants nothing more than her now silent city to return to normal. But with home resembling a war zone, a parish-wide curfew, and mysterious new faces lurking in the abandoned French Quarter, normal needs a new definition.

As the city murder rate soars, Adele finds herself tangled in a web of magic that weaves back to her own ancestors. Caught in a hurricane of myths and monsters, who can she trust when everyone has a secret and keeping them can mean life or death? Unless . . . you’re immortal.


I wanted to like this more than I did. I really do. The blurb sounds amazing and intriguing enough for me to pick this book up. I wonder why MC's and romance have to fuck everything up for me. I don't know if it's just me, but the romance department of some of the YA books I've read lately annoys the shit out of me. It's just so frustrating and disappointing.
"I felt very tiny, like a pawn in a life-size game of chess where the stakes were real. How many wrong moves have I made, unaware that I was even a player?"
I have no idea what this story is about when I started reading it. I was pleasantly charmed and intrigued with the setting of the book, but aside from the characters and romance that pretty-much put me off, I also didn't appreciate how the story is so eventful but still make the story somehow drags.

A storm has almost swept the New Orleans apart. The damaged was bad, so bad that the government turns a blind eye on what's happening of the place and when the initial news and excitement has died down, it's like people of New Orleans was left to fend of themselves, which I find utterly ridiculous. The place is just starting to get on their feet after the nasty storm, if it isn't bad enough, dead bodies after dead bodies are found in the streets drained with blood and the government and even the media has decided to let them deal with their problem. Its like New Orleans was temporarily removed of the map to conveniently cater the story. There goes your world building.

But to its credit, the book made a very good job at advertising New Orleans because it got me really intrigued. I fell inlove with New Orleans and the introduction of the Casquette girls. I think that it's amazing and unique. I even started looking through google images what New Orleans look like and to know more information about the Casquette girls and the writing was great! That's pretty much the reason why I stick with the story, all other thing was a turn off for me.

The story started out so great, then the MC suddenly met 2 mysteriously sibling hot guys and another 1 in a cafe. the story started to freaking dragged i struggled not to actually start reading backwards to just know what will eventually happen.

I also think that this book is quite a hypocrite. I mean, it is so strongly against to the idea of sparkling vampires(which is ridiculous), but have no problem making the vampire blush and have flickered heartbeat in this book. Well, I guess if the author wants their vampires to blush, sparkle or have a heartbeat, who am I to judge?

description

This book had a great potential and superb writing. If unnecessary romance doesn't annoy you, then by all means don't let my review scare you away from reading this book.

Book Links:




ALYS ARDEN grew up in the Vieux Carré, cut her teeth on the streets of New York, and has worked all around the world since. She still plans to run away with the circus one day.





Author Links:



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Random Ramblings: A 2015 Recap

First of all, I just wanted to greet everyone a Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great year! As for me.. Well 2015 has been good enough for me, well scratch that, I had an amazing 2015! Sure there were problems along the way but, it's part of life now is it?

Anyway, I decided to write this post because I just realized how productive 2015 is to me as a reader. There were a lot of first time I get to experience which is very refreshing.

First, I've finally get to muster the courage and enough knowledge to finally start a blog. Everyday is a learning process for me, but I welcome it with arms wide open. This made me remember the FIRST EVER Post I made, which I learn later on is called a book haul. :) I've been a reader since forever and I struggled in meeting people personally that shares my passion. So I'm really glad to have met all these wonderful people.

Second, I get to experience the perks of having a book blog which were having a lot of friends online, the chance to read and review ARC's. I also get to help those authors to promote their work, and it made me feel grateful that they have chosen and trusted me to help them promote their book. I'm just hoping that I've actually help them in some ways. lol. :) I have also received my FIRST EVER book mail and my FIRST EVER author autograph by Author C.L Denault (Click the link to know more about the author).

Taken from my Instagram account

Then, 2015 is also the year where I've tried to keep track of all the books I've read for the year for the first time, thanks ofcourse to Goodreads. You might probably say that its a low book count, but right now I'm just so happy and proud of myself to have accomplished the goal I've set for myself! :)


And yes, I actually set-up a higher goal for 2016; 70 books. We have to be a bit realistic now do we? :)


I've also get to attend my first ever book fair last September via Manila International Book Fair,  although I never get to really explore the place due to schedule conflict, (busy mode, lol), I still get to buy a lot of books with discounts! :)


Add your QOTD!
Panoramic view of MIBF 

My Book Fair Haul

Looking back, 2015 has been indeed a great year for me as a reader and I wouldn't have it any other way. Blogging has been one of the things I've wanted to do for a very long time but never got the chance to do it due to many reasons, which, if I can just be honest with myself, those reasons were just excuses. I mean, if  there's a will, there's a way. :)

Once again Happy New Year to everyone and I hope that all of us will be blessed with a lot of books and happiness this year and forever. :) *hugs*


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Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Book Review: One Night Is All You Need: A Short Story by Kimberly G. Giarratano

One Night Is All You Need: A Short Story
by
Kimberly G. Giarratano
Genre: Short-stories, Young-adult,  Romance
After Margot Green helps move her older sister into the University of Miami dorms, she just wants to go home to New Jersey where she can wallow in her loneliness. Unfortunately for Margot, her parents decide to extend their trip to the Florida Keys where they sign up for a kooky tour of historic Key West. Margot is horrified to have to traipse around hotter-than-Hades Old Town with her embarrassing parents until she meets Sam, an enigmatic local, who convinces her to embark on a spooky adventure that will inevitably lead to discovery and heartache. 
ONE NIGHT IS ALL YOU NEED is a 5,000-word YA short story that will appeal to both romance and mystery fans.

4star

One Night Is All you need is a captivating and haunting read. Things might have escalated quickly, but since this is a short stories I can't really complain do I? This book make me long to meet and get to know more of the characters. I specially like the setting of the book, which was in a small town called Key West. The story quite focused on the events rather than the characters for me to actually connect with them, but nevertheless, the story has served its purpose which was to leave a piece of itself for us to ponder after you finished reading it. Sometimes, unforgettable experiences can be found on the place where you least expect it, and sometimes, One Night Is All You Need.

I really can't summarize this book without giving away too much information. Just wanted all you guys to know that this book is so good that in just a few words, it was able to show us a story of indifference, acceptance, letting go and living our life instead of taking it for granted.

Book Links:

Kimberly G. Giarratano, a forever Jersey girl, now lives in the woods of northeastern Pennsylvania with her husband and small children. A former teacher and YA librarian, Kimberly adores Etsy, Jon Stewart, The Afghan Whigs, ’90s nostalgia, and (of course) everything YA. She also speaks Spanish, but is woefully out of practice.
Kimberly always dreamed of being a published author. Her other dream is to live in Key West, Florida where she can write in a small studio, just like Hemingway.


Author Links:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


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Thursday, December 3, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday #19: The Prophecy of Shadows(Elementals #1) byMichelle Madow

WaitingonWednesday

The Prophecy of Shadows 
(Elementals #1)
by
Michelle Madow
(Website | Twitter )

Elementals is the first in a new series that fans of Percy Jackson and The Secret Circle will love! 

When Nicole Cassidy moves from sunny Georgia to gloomy New England, the last thing she expects is to learn that her homeroom is a cover for a secret coven of witches. Even more surprisingly … she’s apparently a witch herself. Despite doubts about her newfound abilities, Nicole is welcomed into this ancient circle of witches and is bedazzled by their powers—and, to her dismay, by Blake—the school’s notorious bad-boy.

Girls who get close to Blake wind up hurt. His girlfriend Danielle will do anything to keep them away, even if she must resort to using dark magic. But the chemistry between Blake and Nicole is undeniable, and despite wanting to protect Nicole from Danielle’s wrath, he finds it impossible to keep his distance.

When the Olympian Comet shoots through the sky for the first time in three thousand years, Nicole, Blake, Danielle, and two others in their homeroom are gifted with mysterious powers. But the comet has another effect—it opens the portal to the prison world that has contained the Titans for centuries. After an ancient monster escapes and attacks Nicole and Blake, it’s up to them and the others to follow the clues from a cryptic prophecy so that they can save their town … and possibly the world.
BOOK LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Been reading a lot about this book for a long time now and then I read the Chapter 1 and it just made me more excited! 

I need this freaking book like NOW

You guys can also read the first Chapter of this book below. :) 
Enjoy!

CHAPTER ONE
The secretary fumbled through the stacks of papers on her desk, searching for my schedule. “Here it is.” She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me. “I’m Mrs. Dopkin. Feel free to come to me if you have any questions.”
“Thanks.” I looked at the schedule, which had my name on the top, and listed my classes and their locations. “This can’t be right.” I held it closer, as if that would make it change. “It has me in all honors classes.”
She frowned and clicked around her computer. “Your schedule is correct,” she said. “Your homeroom teacher specifically requested that you be in the honors courses.”
“But I wasn’t in honors at my old school.”
“It doesn’t appear to be a mistake,” she said. “And the late bell’s about to ring, so if you need a schedule adjustment, come back at the end of the day so we can discuss it. You’re in Mr. Faulkner’s homeroom, in the library. Turn right out of the office and walk down the hall. You’ll see the library on the right. Go inside and head all the way to the back. Your homeroom is in the only door there. Be sure to hurry—you don’t want to be late.”
She returned to her computer, apparently done talking to me, so I thanked her for her help and left the office.
Kinsley High felt cold compared to my school in Georgia, and not just in the literal sense. Boxy tan lockers lined every wall, and the concrete floor was a strange mix of browns that reminded me of throw-up. The worst part was that there were no windows anywhere, and therefore a serious lack of sunlight.
I preferred the warm green carpets and open halls at my old school. Actually I preferred everything about my small Georgia town, especially the sprawling house and the peach tree farm I left behind. But I tried not to complain too much to my parents.
After all, I remembered the way my dad had bounced around the living room while telling us about his promotion to anchorman on the news station. It was his dream job, and he didn’t mind that the only position available was in Massachusetts. My mom had jumped on board with the plan to move, confident that her paintings would sell better in a town closer to a major city. My younger sister Becca had liked the idea of starting fresh, along with how the shopping in Boston apparently exceeded anything in our town in Georgia.
There had to be something about the move for me to like. Unfortunately, I had yet to find it.
I didn’t realize I’d arrived at the library until the double doors were in front of me. At least I’d found it without getting lost.
I walked inside the library, pleased to find it was nothing like the rest of the school. The golden carpet and wooden walls were warm and welcoming, and the upstairs even had windows. I yearned to run toward the sunlight, but the late bell had already rung, so I headed to the back of the library. Hopefully being new would give me a free pass on being late.
Just as the secretary had said, there was only one door. But with it’s ancient peeling wood, it looked like it led to a storage room, not a classroom. And there was no glass panel, so I couldn’t peek inside. I had to assume this was it.
I wrapped my fingers around the doorknob, my hand trembling. It’s your first day, I reminded myself. No one’s going to blame you for being late on your first day.
I opened the door, halfway expecting it to be a closet full of old books or brooms. But it wasn’t a closet.
It was a classroom.
Everyone stared at me, and I looked to the front of the room, where a tall, lanky man in a tweed suit stood next to a blackboard covered with the morning announcements. His gray hair shined under the light, and his wrinkled skin and warm smile reminded me more of a grandfather than a teacher.
He cleared his throat and rolled a piece of chalk in his palm. “You must be Nicole Cassidy,” he said.
“Yeah.” I nodded and looked around at the other students. There were about thirty of them, and there seemed to be an invisible line going down the middle of the room, dividing them in half. The students near the door wore jeans and sweatshirts, but the ones closer to the wall looked like they were dressed for a fashion show instead of school.
“It’s nice to meet you Nicole.” The teacher sounded sincere, like he was meeting a new friend instead of a student. “Welcome to our homeroom. I’m Mr. Faulkner, but please call me Darius.” He turned to the chalkboard, lifted his hand, and waved it from one side to the other. “You probably weren’t expecting everything to look so normal, but we have to be careful. As I’m sure you know, we can’t risk letting anyone else know what goes on in here.”
Then the board shimmered—like sunlight glimmering off the ocean—and the morning announcements changed into different letters right in front of my eyes.


Expected Publication Date:
January 26th 2016



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Thursday, November 26, 2015

Feature & Follow #20: Genre you would love to write about

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it’ll allow us to show off more new blogs!

FeatureandFollowFriday
This Week's Question:

If you could write a book what genre would it be? -
Suggested by – The Realm of Books

First of all, it's been weeks, a month even since I last participated in this weekly feature and it's so good to be baaaack! :)

Now back to the question in hand.. I think I'll write the genre I enjoy reading the most..  Dystopian, Fantasy and Paranormal Romance - without all those annoying  usual tropes.

What about you? :)


 






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Sunday, November 22, 2015

Book Review: Life After The Undead by Pembroke Sinclair

Life After The Undead
by
Pembroke Sinclair
Genre: Young-adult, Post-apocalyptic, Romance
Seventeen-year-old Krista must quickly figure out how she’s going to survive in the zombie-destroyed world. The one advantage humans have is that the zombies hate humid environments, so they’re migrating west to escape its deteriorating effects. The survivors plan to construct a wall at North Platte to keep the undead out, and Krista has come to Nebraska to start a new life.

Zombies aren’t the only creatures she has to be cautious of—the other survivors have a dark side. Krista must fight not only to live but also to defend everything she holds dear—her country, her freedom, and ultimately, those she loves.

Join Krista in her quest to survive in this thrilling apocalyptic novel by Pembroke Sinclair.

4star

Life After The Undead is surprisingly the very first zombie novel I've ever read and this is certainly not going to be the last time!

description

It wasn't really my intention to avoid reading zombie novels. I just never had the chance to read one sooner because, well I know this is embarrassing, but I thought, watching about them is more interactive and believable. You know like TWD, Dawn of the Dead etc. yeah well, I totLLY underestimated my imagination.

Life After The Undead was such a fast-paced and action packed book that I was having a hard time putting it down. The story brought you right away in the apocalypse with Krista that you barely have time to breath!

"The day the world did end was pretty nondescript. By that I mean there was no nuclear explosion or asteroid or monumental natural disaster. There weren’t even any horsemen or plagues to announce the end was coming. The world ended fairly quietly."
This follow the story of Krista as she try to live her life alone in this post-apocalyptic world where the dead rose from the grave suddenly craving from the flesh. Krista is a very realistic and adorable MC that I was able to connect with her from the very first chapter of the book.
"I had fascination with the dark, the macabre, although I wasn't a Goth or Emo. I read books and magazines about serial killers. I didn't idolized them or want to be like them-hell no- I was fascinated with how evil and black a human's soul could get."
Once upon a time, before I become a software developer, I originally wanted to be a psychologist. I don't know, sometime, watching people do what they do fascinates me. But enough about me! Allow me to introduce more of Krista. Her fascination with the human behavior eventually proved to be useful as it helped her be emotionally prepared to survived the "Zompocalypse".

Krista's family were able to survive the first wave of the attack of the zombies, they managed to survive because of Krista's intuition alone, until her father decided that to split up is the best idea to look for help. Her father goes out alone and when he didn't return overnight, her mother followed to look for him, leaving Krista alone to survive.

"There had to be survivors. I had to find them. Human life always found a way to survive the direst situations. It was the only glimmer of hope I had."
Krista's brave, a little bit spoiled(being the only child that she is) but practical, strong and a freaking bad-ass! In short she's one hell of a kick-ass girl that you would definitely root for!

"I realized at that moment, I didn't need to worry about the creatures, they needed to worry about me. I cautioned myself about being cocky, but I thought I deserved to bask in my awesomeness for a few minutes."
You go girl!

I enjoy this book a lot, I ALMOST finished it in one sitting, if not for all the responsibilities that demands my attention! There were never dull moments on the book which is a total winner for me. Romance? What do you mean Romance? The world is fucking filled with zombies, who's got time to flirt with any one?

"Guys? Who the hell cared about guys at this point in time?"
LOL. Just Kidding. There's actually this one guy, Quinn who suddenly appears and made Krista felt something she haven't felt before. No- it's nothing like those ridiculous insta-love we used to read in some YA books. I like their relationship as they aren't dependent on each other. They've got each other's back and I think that's just the sweetest.

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One of the only complain I have is that the world-building wasn't much established. Just like any other story about Zombies, the story didn't much elaborate where the Undead came from yet, which is one of the reason I'm definitely looking forward to read the next book in this series, I'm hoping more of it will be revealed in the next book.

Regardless of my only issue, I love a lot of things in this book to care. I love the new cover. I love all of the action, gore and bloods included that made me unable to put the book down so easily, it's refreshingly surprising. I love the relatable and strong-ass heroine and I absolutely love the light romance included in the book.

If you enjoy reading Zombie Novels and doesn't shy away with gores and blood with a flawed, yet strong heroine then Life after the Undead is definitely more than worth a try!


Isn't that just a wonderful cover? :)

This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This doesn't in any way affect my opinion and review. :)

Book Links:

I am an editor by day and a zombie-killer by night (at least in my books). Since the first time I watched Night of the Living Dead, I have been obsessed with zombies and I often think of ways to survive the uprising.

I have written YA novels about zombies and the tough teens who survive the apocalyptic world, along with adult novels in the sci fi and fantasy genres. I have also written kids' books under the pen name J.D. Pooker.

I have written nonfiction stories for Serial Killer Magazine and published a book about slasher films called Life Lessons from Slasher Films under my real name.

For more information, please check out my blog at pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com or email me at pembrokesinclair[at]hotmail[dot]com.

Author Links:
Website|Goodreads|Twitter|Facebook

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Random Ramblings: New Blog Look!


Hey Guys! 

So I've been AWOL for the last couple of days. I haven't been able to post some reviews that I'm supposed to post and I haven't been able to participate to any weekly features(WoW and FF) since last, last week, I guess, and it's making me wary.

I've been too much busy with... I'm not sure really. LOL. But all I wanted to say is that I finally got some time off! So I'm planning to post and write a lot of reviews for the pile of books I finished reading and then I saw my blog.. like, really really saw it for the first time... and I thought,  "Oh, this blog is so lame.." So I decided to make a change..

And TA-DA! Here's the finish product! I should've took a picture of my old blog for comparison, but it's obviously too late.. I never got the chance to back-up my old template because all I wanted to do is to change my theme so it's not possible anymore. :)

I'm currently using Sorbet-Theme and customized it a bit for my blog. I guess I might have to edit some of my blog post to match the format of my current theme and I can't say I'm excited, lol. But I'm just so happy that I get to change the look of my blog and all.

So what do you guys think? :)



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Saturday, November 14, 2015

Book Review: Forget Tomorrow by Pintip Dunn

Forget Tomorrow
(Forget Tomorrow Series #1)
by
Pintip Dunn
Genre: Young-adult, Dystopian, Romance
Imagine a world where your destiny has already been decided...by your future self.

It's Callie’s seventeenth birthday and, like everyone else, she's eagerly awaiting her vision―a memory sent back in time to sculpt each citizen into the person they're meant to be. A world-class swimmer. A renowned scientist.

Or in Callie's case, a criminal.

In her vision, she sees herself murdering her gifted younger sister. Before she can process what it means, Callie is arrested and placed in Limbo―a hellish prison for those destined to break the law. With the help of her childhood crush, Logan, a boy she hasn’t spoken to in five years, she escapes.

But on the run from her future, as well as the government, Callie sets in motion a chain of events that she hopes will change her fate. If not, she must figure out how to protect her sister from the biggest threat of all—Callie, herself.


2star

I wish I could've given this book a higher rating, after all Forget Tomorrow has been one of my anticipated read this year. After seeing its beautiful cover and reading its totally intriguing premise, I can't help but wanting to read it. Though, I must admit that after reading the blurb, the first thing that comes in my mind was Minority Report , I never got the chance to read the book, but I did watch the movie, and I must say, If I've known how painful it is to read this book, I should've watch the movie again or try reading The Minority Report book.
"My entire childhood has been a countdown to the day I receive my future memory. I spent so much time anticipating tomorrow—making plans, imagining scenarios, worrying endlessly—I’m not sure I know how to live in the present. I wouldn’t even know where to begin."
Callie lives in the future world where your future-self, finds a way to send a memory to your present-self, to direct the course of direction of your life-whether a future chef, swimmer an official... Or in Callie's case, a criminal.
"I have to be brave. But I’m not brave. Not really. I’m not anything. I’m just a girl. Only a girl. Nothing but a girl. No, that’s not true. I’m a girl who will kill my sister in the future."
This is book was set in a very intriguing and complicated world. Well, time is a complicated topic, it's endless possibility is immense, but the book kind of limit it. There were a lot of hole in the story and A lot of what-the-hell-is-happening moments. There's this place called harmony, it has been a refuge for people trying to run-away from their future, obviously an ideal place for Callie, who'll commit crime in the future. I think it's funny how they see Eden city/Civilization and Harmony as two different worlds, I know they are stating a metaphor.. but still.. Ugh, I just won't rant anymore than I should. You probably have to read the book itself and see for your self.


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Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Blog Tour: The Revolution of Ivy by Amy Engel


**Spoilers if you haven't read book one**


The Revolution of Ivy
(The Book of Ivy #2)
by
Amy Engel
Genre: Young-adult, Dystopian, Romance
Release Date: November 3, 2015 by Entangled Teen
Ivy Westfall is beyond the fence and she is alone. Abandoned by her family and separated from Bishop Lattimer, Ivy must find a way to survive on her own in a land filled with countless dangers, both human and natural. She has traded a more civilized type of cruelty--forced marriages and murder plots--for the bare-knuckled brutality required to survive outside Westfall's borders.

But there is hope beyond the fence, as well. And when Bishop reappears in Ivy's life, she must decide if returning to Westfall to take a final stand for what she believes is right is worth losing everything she's fought for.

Pre-order Links:


3 Stars

I just had a bitter sweet experience with The Revolution of Ivy. I started this with a bang. Ivy's strength and kick-assery(is that even a word? lol)was shown at the first part of the book that I can hardly put the book down. I knew right there and then that I was right to anticipate the release of this sequel regardless of the disappointment I had with The Book of Ivy.
"Out here we don’t always have the luxury of making moral judgments like right or wrong. Sometimes it is simply kill or be killed."
The revolution of Ivy, follows exactly where the first book has left off. Ivy found herself outside of the fence, with nothing but her own clothes to keep her warm. We finally get to see the kick-ass girl I was looking for in The Book of Ivy, it was refreshing. Until Bishop, the boy she was promised to marry, her husband, the boy she has fallen helplessly in love with, the one where her loyalty truly lies... has come barging in her life once more and turned the story into a freaking soap-opera.
"All I want to do is lie down beside him and weep, bury my face in his neck and breathe him in until my lungs are so full there's no room for anything else."
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This series obviously wanted to focus on the characters growth, their thoughts, personalities and the relationship between the two main characters. Maybe because after I read the first book, I already expected it, and I actually think it was fine and different- like good different. However, when Ivy made a big deal out of it and actually wasted a lot of goddamn pages before sorting out their feelings.. it tends to get annoying.


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