Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday (or WoW) is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.  It's a meme occuring every Wednesday where you sign up at Breaking the Spine and then do a post about a book you are anticipating the release of. Head over to Breaking the Spine to find out more and sign up!

This week I am anticipating:

The Savage Grace by Bree Despain (The Dark Divine #3)

Release Date: March 13th 2012

Published by Egmont USA

Summary: (From Goodreads):

A troubled soul. An impossible choice. A final battle.

Wrestling with the werewolf curse pulsing deep inside of her, Grace Divine was finally able to find her brother, but it nearly cost her everything.

With her boyfriend, Daniel, stuck in wolf form and Sirhan's death approaching, time is running out for Grace to stop Caleb Kalbi and his gang of demons. If she fails, her family and hometown will perish. Everything rests on Grace's shoulders.

The final installment in The Dark Divine trilogy brings Daniel and Grace's love story to a breathtaking conclusion.

After the killer cliffhanger of The Lost Saint, I am DESPERATE for this book. I now we all have to wait until March instead of December. I'm going to go insane!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday (or WoW) is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.  It's a meme occuring every Wednesday where you sign up at Breaking the Spine and then do a post about a book you are anticipating the release of. Head over to Breaking the Spine to find out more and sign up!

This week I am anticipating:

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Published by HarperCollins

Release Date: April 24th 2012

Summary: (From Goodreads)

Everything is in ruins.
A devastating plague has decimated the population. And those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles to pieces around them.
So what does Araby Worth have to live for?
Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery make-up . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.
But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club. And Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither boy is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.
And Araby may find something not just to live for, but to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Sounds awesome....not to mention that gorgeous (but freaky) cover. What are you waiting for?

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday (or WoW) is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.  It's a meme occuring every Wednesday where you sign up at Breaking the Spine and then do a post about a book you are anticipating the release of. Head over to Breaking the Spine to find out more and sign up!

This week I am anticipating:

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Release Date: March 27th 2012

Published by Balzer + Bray

Summary: (From Goodreads) 

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

This book looks really good.....I'll add this one to my 2012 debut author challenge list! My friend said it was really good, so I trust her judgment and I bet it is!! What are you waiting for?

In My Mailbox (26)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted on Sunday by Kristi at The Story Siren. Basically, you sign up at The Story Siren and then do a post about the books you received that week. They can be from the library, borrowed from a friend, books you bought, or from any other source. Head over to The Story Siren to find out more and sign up!
This week, I got:

I Bought:

 

 

1. Crossed by Ally Condie

From Library:

1. Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

That's all I got in my mailbox. What did you get in yours?

Book Tunes (1)

Book Tunes is a meme that occurs every Friday hosted by Amber over at Down the Rabbit Hole. Basically, it's a meme where you post about a song that reminds you of a certain book. Head over to Down the Rabbit Hole to learn more and sign up!
This is my first time participating, and to be honest, I think this is one of the most creative memes. It's such a good idea! I always pair songs with books I'm reading, a specific scene in the book, or a character.

This week, the song that I am picking is Taylor Swift's Last Kiss. It reminds me of the book Other Words For Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal.

I think this is a perfect song that describes certain parts of the book perfectly. This is one of my favorite songs off of Taylor Swift's Speak Now album.

Lyrics:

I still remember the look on your face
Been through the darkness at 1:58
The words that you whispered for just us to know
You told me you loved me so why did you go away, go away

I do recall now the smell of the rain
Fresh on the pavement, I ran off the plane
That July 9th the beat of your heart
It jumps through your shirt, I can still feel your arms

But now I'll go sit on the floor wearing your clothes
All that I know is I don't know
How to be something you miss

Never thought we'd have a last kiss
Never imagined we'd end like this
Your name, forever the name on my lips

I do remember the swing of your step
The life of the party, you're showing off again
And I roll my eyes and then you pulled me in
I'm not much for dancing but for you did

Because I loved your handshake, meeting my father
I love how you walk with your hands in your pockets
How you'd kiss me when I was in the middle of saying something
There's not a day I don't miss those rude interruptions

And I'll go, sit on the floor wearing your clothes
All that I know is I don't know
How to be something you miss

Never thought we'd have a last kiss
Never imagined we'd end like this
Your name, forever the name on my lips, ohh

So I'll watch your life in pictures like I used to watch you sleep
And I'll feel you forget me like I use to feel you breathe
And I'll keep up with our old friends just to ask them how you are
Hope it's nice where you are

And I hope the sun shines and it's a beautiful day
And something reminds you, you wish you had stayed
We can plan for a change in weather and time
I never planned on you changing your mind

So, I'll go, sit on the floor wearing your clothes
All that I know is I don't know
How to be something you miss

I never thought we'd ever last kiss
Never imagined we'd end like this
Your name, forever the name on my lips
Just like our last kiss, forever the name on my lips
Forever the name on my lips, just like our last

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Daughter of Smoke and Bone #1
Pages: 420
Published by Little, Brown & Company
Release Date: September 27th 2011
My Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Summary: (From Goodreads)
 Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

My Review:
UMMMM......I am speechless. There are so many words to describe Daughter of Smoke and Bone, some that probably don't even exist. But, three words I would use to describe it would be: incredible, epic, and whimsical.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone is about Karou, a 17-year-old art student living in Prague. Outside of hanging out with her best friend Suzannah, she lives in a shop full of weird and bizarre monsters, or chimaera. They have always been her family, and have always treated her well. The shop sells wishes in exchange for, of all things, teeth. Karou's world is turned upside down when she meets an angel, and learns the truth about herself. Daughter of Smoke and Bone is an outrageously original story filled with a mixture of mythologies. It's a very creative and clever read that I would recommend to anybody.

One thing I absolutely loved about this book was the atmosphere. This book is set in modern-day Prague, but there is something so otherworldly and magical about the city that Laini Taylor does an excellent job or describing. Combining the plot with Prague's atmosphere, she swept me away on a magical journey, and the one word I can use to describe the setting the best is whimsical.

The writing is also just....something. I don't know how to describe it. Laini Taylor paints the most amazing scenes with words, in a magical, twinkling, starry, lyrical way.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone also has a fabulous storyline. Combining the best angel/demon lore with spectacular mixing of mythology and add a superb plot of revelation and magic, it equals amazing!

The reason I had to chop off half a star is because I expected a little more action. For me, I felt as if I was always waiting for the quick twists and turns to make me jump, but they never did. Don't get me wrong, I was still captivated by the book, but I wish there would have been a little more action once and a while.

Karous was a refreshing main character. She was strong and stood up for herself, and she always stood for what she believed it. I loved the relationship between her and her best friend. It was a well fleshed out friendship that was quite realistic. It wasn't perfect, they had their squabbles, but in the end, they were always there for eachother and supported eachother.

I am now a huge fan of Laini Taylor! She has made me a die hard fan of this book! I would recommend picking it up soon....because you're really missing something spectacular if you don't.

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday (or WoW) is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine.  It's a meme occuring every Wednesday where you sign up at Breaking the Spine and then do a post about a book you are anticipating the release of. Head over to Breaking the Spine to find out more and sign up!

This week I am anticipating:

 

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Release Date: May 28th 2012 (aka too long!)

Published by HarperCollins

Summary: (From Goodreads)

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

I am a huge fan of Veronica Roth thanks to her debut novel, Divergent. I cannot wait for the second one! What are you waiting for on this wednesday?