Book Review: Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Shadow and Bone
Author:  Leigh Bardugo
Reading level: Young Adult
Genre:  Fantasy
Size: 368 pages
Release Date:  June 5th 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Stand Alone or Series: The Grisha Trilogy #1
Source: Publisher 

Summary (from GoodReads):

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. 

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. 

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart

My Thoughts:

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is sure to satisfy readers of fantasy and paranormal young adult alike.  The world building is unparalleled-by the time I finished reading the novel I was convinced that Ravka existed with all of it's intrigue and all it's inhabitants. The Russian flavor, the volcra hiding in the darkness of the Shadow Fold, the rival countries and court intrigue all meshed together to form an amazing backdrop for this story.

The character development was likewise impeccable.  Alina: The strong yet believable heroine.  The orphan girl made good in the army who suddenly finds herself on a dangerous precipice....trying to master new powers while figuring out who her true allies really are...  The Darkling: powerfully dangerous yet mesmerizing...what are his true motivations? Mal: The best friend...seemingly always out of reach yet faithfully always there when needed.

The plot and the pacing keep the reader enthralled and loathe to put this one down until the world tilts upside down, left becomes right...and we're all left wondering where that twist came from.

Shadow and Bone has it all: a wonderfully unique setting, a strong and likable heroine, a dangerous "villain", mystery, intrigue, love and friendship.  It ticked all the boxes for me and I believe that it just might for you as well.

Was it worth my Time? 

Teaser Tuesdays - Redwood Bend by Robyn Carr

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!

Summary From Goodreads:

Katie Malone and her twin boys' trip along the beautiful mountain roads to Virgin River is stopped short by a tire as flat as her failed romance. To make matters worse, the rain has set in, the boys are hungry and Katie is having trouble putting on a spare. As she stands at the side of the road pondering her next move, she hears a distinct rumble. The sight of the sexy, leather-clad bikers who pull up beside her puts her imagination into overdrive.Dylan Childress and his buddies are on the motorcycle trip of a lifetime. But the sight of a woman in distress stops them in their tracks. And while the guys are checking out her car, she and Dylan are checking out one another.In one brief moment, the world tilts on its axis and any previous plans Katie and Dylan might have had for their futures are left at the side of the road.

My Teaser:


"Of course he hadn't, because he was some gorgeous godlike hunk who was as free as a bird and out either terrorizing or rescuing maidens in the forest. Wow."*

*Quote taken from an ARC and subject to change.

A Top Ten with Callie Kingston & Giveaway!

Top 10 

1. Favorite movie/actor/actress? Meryl Streep, hands down. Every performance she gives is fabulous.


2. Favorite song/singer? Muse


3. Favorite place you would love to visit? New Zealand


4. One item you cannot live without? Coffee


5. Who would you like to meet?(dead or alive) Dalai Lama


6. Favorite hobby? Writing. 


7. Guilty pleasure? Watching The Bachelor.


8. Favorite author and/book? I can’t possibly choose! But recent faves include Libba Bray’s BEAUTY QUEENS and Laurie Halse Anderson’s WINTERGIRLS.


9. Do you collect anything? Agates gathered on the rocky beaches of Oregon.


10. Favorite color? Purple.

(Purple is one of my favorite colors too!)

The Book:

While she sleeps beside a log on the wild Oregon coast, a rogue wave pulls Marissa into the sea. Now she dreams each night of a merman who rescues her. Obsessed with returning to this beautiful creature, she again risks her life in the frigid ocean.


Will Marissa remain lost forever in the eddies of her mind, or can real love save her from the abyss? Sometimes, the dangers which lie within are the deadliest.

Find Undertow: Website | Goodreads | Amazon | BN

The Author:

Callie Kingston's home is in the Pacific Northwest, where she lives with many furry creatures (including her husband). She holds a masters degree in psychology and has worked in schools for many years. When not writing, she likes to explore the outdoors, especially the forests and beaches along the Oregon coast. She also enjoys a great cup of cappuccino, which happily is easily found in her part of the world.

Connect with Callie:  Blog | Twitter 

The Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the rest of the tour 

Added to the Bookshelf - 6/3/12

Sharing the books & bookish goodies that I've bought, borrowed, won, or been gifted and have added to my bookshelves over the past week!
(Inspired by Mailbox Monday, IMM, and the like)

For Review:

E-copy of Murder on Spyglass Lane 

by JM Griffin 

(Received as part of a blog tour)

E-Copy of Salt City 

by Robert C Fleet

(Received as part of a blog tour)

For Pleasure:

Paperback of The Four Seasons 

by Mary Alice Monroe

(Purchased at my local thrift shop)

Hardcover of a cool moonlight

by Angela Johnson

(Purchased at my local thrift shop)

Hardcover of The Selected Poems of Emily Dickinson

(Purchased at my local thrift shop)

Hardcover of Love is Murder

by Sandra Brown, etal.

(Won from Harlequin)

That's all for me for the past week!
What new goodies have arrived on your doorstep?
Leave me a link in the comments!

(I'm linking up to: Mailbox Monday, The Sunday Post, Showcase Sunday, Goodie Bag Saturdays, & Stacking the Shelves)

Book Review: Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Title: Monument 14
Series: Monument 14 #1
Author: Emmy Laybourne
Reading level: Young Adult
Genre: Apocalyptic/Post Apocalyptic
Size: 294 pages
Release Date: June 5th 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan
ISBN: 978-0312569037
Source: Publisher

Synopsis:

Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for the corner.Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong. 

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

My Thoughts

I don't know that I can say enough good things about this book.  It takes place in a not so distant future where virtually all knowledge and communication is carried over The Network.  Once the natural disasters start coming, the Network goes down...and fourteen survivors...fourteen children...end up trapped inside a superstore with no way to communicate with the outside world.

As many of you know...I didn't start reading Young Adult fiction until I started this blog last year (no not even when I  actually was a young adult did I read YA) and perhaps due to that fact I always go into a new YA book with a bit of trepidation.  Will the voice be too young for me, will I be able to relate, will it just be too teen for me...? Some YA reads really do seem to appeal more exclusively to a younger audience and others are written in such a way that they transcend age barriers and have a much wider appeal.  This is definitely one such book!

First of all I can find no fault at all with Emmy Laybourne's writing style...which is always the first thing I notice when picking up a book.  Monument 14 flows beautifully, the dialogue sounds authentic and I absolutely loved Dean's voice.  It was distinctly male (though written by a female) yet I had absolutely no difficulty getting drawn right into the story and connecting with him. 

The pacing of the book is completely perfect, with the disasters occurring outside the superstore and within,  providing the perfect framework for what to me was the real crux of the story: The kids.  I loved that all of the horrific events going on kept the reader constantly on edge and wondering yet didn't detract from the great interpersonal relationships that developed and grew between the children and teens as the days passed and they were forced to call upon their own individual strengths as well as depend upon each other for their physical and emotional welfare.

All of the characters were incredibly well fleshed out and multi-dimensional...in other words: I believed.The relationship between the brothers Dean and Alex was a joy to experience in all it's complexity and that between the younger siblings Caroline and Henry was precious and sweet.  The psuedo love triangle  between Dean, Astrid, and Jake gave the book added substance without any untoward moments or excessive drama to take away from the real story. 

Sahalia perfectly conveyed that awkward stage in between being a little kid and a big kid.  Jake and Brayden showed that jocks can be so much more than just that.  Baptiste...well he can come cook for me anytime....even though he'll probably need a step stool to reach the sink. Chloe bugged the heck out of me, Ulysses warmed my heart, and Max kept me laughing and raising my eyebrows simultaneously. The character of Josie constantly surprised and impressed me.  And I must admit that Niko...well... Niko had me at "Guys, we have to cover the front gates...right now." [I think I may have fallen a little in love with Niko.] And I think the fact that I can so easily remember all fourteen names and personalities also speaks to the author's amazing character development.

I wholeheartedly recommend Monument 14 for lovers of Apocalyptic tales (I know the majority of readers and even Publishers Weekly classify this as Post-Apocalyptic or Dystopian but I beg to differ).  I did not want to put this one down until I reached the conclusion and then I was left eagerly anticipating the next book in the series.

Was It Worth My Time?

5 Timepieces

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Going to BookExpo America?? Let Me Know!!

I am so excited to be going to BEA for the first time this year!  I just found out today that I'll be able to get off work for all three days!! And since I live in NJ, I'll just be hopping on the train and commuting in each day...much cheaper than worrying about a hotel!  I'm trying to figure out what to wear and bring.  I know that I need to buy some sort of small rolling suitcase to check at the convention center.  My luggage is too large! 

I bought my Fiance a Power Readers Pass for Thursday so I'll be dragging him along on that day to see what all the fuss is about:)  Also it will be great to have an extra person to wait in lines if there are two awesome signings in the same time slot!

I'm also trying to figure out a schedule of which authors/publishers are "must sees" and which are "hope to sees."  I'm trying not to stress too much as I assume it will be mayhem on the floor, schedule or no!  I'll also be attending the Random House Power Readers Breakfast on Wednesday morning!

So, do any of you have tips for my first time attending?  And are any of you going to BEA this year?? Attending the Power Readers Breakfast??

Let me know so I can keep an eye out for you and if you'd like to try to meet up...shoot me an email:)

PS: This is what I look like when I'm not a garden filled with books and cats ;P

At the Brooklyn Book Festival 2011 with Diana Gabaldon

I'll post my tentative schedule here when I've finished it...

Cover Reveal: The Collector by Victoria Scott

About The Collector:


Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal opportunity collector and doesn’t want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within 10 days.

Dante doesn’t know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect—he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried.

And the Cover:

Find The Collector: Website | Goodreads

Meet Victoria Scott!

Victoria Scott is a YA writer with a die-hard affection for dark and humorous books. Her work is represented by the fabulous Laurie McLean of Larsen-Pomada literary agency. She has a master’s degree in marketing, and is a member of the Writers’ League of Texas and Teen Shiver.

Her first YA book, THE COLLECTOR, will be published by Entangled Teen in 2013. And her short story, FOUR HOUSES, is available now through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

She currently lives in Dallas with her husband, Ryan.

Connect with Victoria:  Website | Twitter | Facebook

Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge JUNE Review Link Up

Thanks to everyone who's joined in on the fun and signed up for the 2012 Witches and Witchcraft Reading Challenge!!!  And if you haven't signed up yet---What are you waiting for???  Go to the sign up post here!  The sign up post has all the details about the challenge as well as some great reading suggestions!

TO LINK OTHER MONTHS REVIEWS - CLICK HERE

This is the official post where we can share info about what we've been reading for JUNE.  Please link up your reviews, leave any additional comments below, and we can visit each other's posts and see what great Witchy books are out there!!!  Remember...you can link to a blog post or to a Goodreads/Amazon/Librarything/BN/Smashwords review, etc.

(And remember...every review that you link up counts as an entry for the prize at the end of the year!)

Link Up Your JUNE Witchy Reviews Here! 

Where it asks for Your Name: Please list Title, Author, & Your Name (& Blog)

Link Up Your JUNE Witchy Reviews Here!

Where it asks for Your Name: Please list Title, Author, & Your Name (& Blog)

What's Next? (1)

What's Next is a new meme hosted by Hafsah at Icey Books. 
Help me choose which of these I should pick up next! Please vote in the poll and also leave me a comment to let me know which book you picked and why to help me make my choice!  
Up next on my TBR:



Summertime for Blair Reynolds and her friends had always been carefree and fun... until the summer they happened upon something that was not human. As they band together in a fight for their lives, Blair's true love becomes something more than human. Something unnatural. And their survival depends entirely upon their ability to keep a secret.

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night. 

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. 

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

When Nadia Kinsella meets Jay Tiernan, she's tempted. Of course she is. Stranded together in a remote Cotswold pub, with a snowstorm raging outside—let’s face it, who would ever know? But Nadia’s already met The One. She and Laurie have been together for years—they’re practically childhood sweethearts, and she still gets goosebumps at the sight of him. Okay, maybe she doesn’t see that much of him these days, but that’s not Laurie’s fault. She can’t betray him. Besides, when you belong to a family like the Kinsellas—bewitchingly glamorous grandmother Miriam, feckless mother Leonie, stop-at-nothing sister Clare—well, someone has to exercise a bit of self-control, don’t they? I mean, you wouldn’t want to do something that you might later regret.

Eliot Gordon would do anything for her family. A 38-year-old working mother, she lives a conventional but fulfilling life in suburban Atlanta with her partner, Grant Delaney, and their three daughters. The two older girls are actually Eliot's stepdaughters, a distinction she is reluctant to make as she valiantly attempts to maintain a safe, happy household . . .

Then Finn Montgomery, Eliot's long-lost first love, appears, triggering a shocking chain of events that threatens to unravel everything she's worked for. How Eliot survives-and what she loses in the process-is a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever loved a child. With hilarious honesty, wrenching depth, and a knockout twist, I COULDN'T LOVE YOU MORE illuminates the unbreakable bonds of family and reveals the lengths we'll go to save each other, even as we can't save ourselves.

What's Next?

UPDATE: The Night Circus seems to have garnered the majority of the votes and I started it on audio!

Spellbound Trilogy Tour Stop & Giveaway: Witches in Washington

I am thrilled to have Nikki Jefford here today guest posting for her Spellbound Trilogy Blog Tour.  I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the series Entangled and you can see my review of it here: Entangled Review.  Look out for my review of Duplicity soon!

I am also thrilled that she is here talking about another of my favorite Witchy Stories: Practical Magic! (You can see my review of Practical Magic and movie comparison here:) Nikki is sharing some wonderful insight into the film locale as well as some gorgeous personal photos!  And don't forget to read all the way to the bottom for her awesome Swag giveaway!

PS. All three of these books make great reads for my Witches & Witchcraft Challenge!

Witches in Washington

When people think of paranormal activity in Washington, Twilight is probably one of the first tales to come to mind. But did you know that Practical Magic was filmed right here on San Juan Island, WA where I live?

The beautiful Victorian home that set the scene for so much of the movie was filmed in two locations on San Juan. A replica was built of the exterior and filmed in San Juan County Park so that it looked as though the house was on the waterfront.

San Juan County Park where the Owen’s family witches sat outside to enjoy tea… or fling hexed pancake syrup across the rocky shore (so that Aidan Quinn’s character would stick around and fall in love with Sandra Bullock)

There are some great movie pics at A Victorian House Fit for a Witch. 

The interior shots were filmed in the valley (no ocean in sight). San Juan valley is a beautiful sweeping landscape of rolling hills and farmland. I drive through every day on my way to work at the local lavender farm.

The actual house and interior scenes were filmed in the valley, far from the water’s edge, but still scenic

I read that Practical Magic was filmed here rather than New England because we have nicer weather. Forks can keep their rain. Funny enough, the Olympic Peninsula (home of Bella, Edward, and Jacob) is directly across the ocean from us, but the San Juan Islands have the fortunate placement within a banana belt. Cause witches don’t mind sun the way blood sucking vamps do.

Nikki and Cosmo at Whale Watch Park, two and a half miles from San Juan County Park. Fun fact about San Juan: There isn’t a single traffic light on this island

English Camp near San Juan County Park. We also have America Camp, my favorite of the two because there are more walking trails

Although we have a lot of public beaches and waterfront parks, my favorite walk is along the bluff top of Mt. Finlayson… where I can look across the ocean and feel sorry for Bella under her raincloud

On the north end of the island near Roche Harbor, we have a cool outdoor sculpture park with art scattered along a field, forest, and pond

If you want to see more Practical Magic screen shots check these out. Practical Magic Screen Shots.

Notice the background where the mob is watching the hanging of the first Owen witch? That’s where I took the first photo in San Juan County Park.

The first two books of the Spellbound series are set in Kent, Washington, which is your typical American suburb. I’m more of a character driven writer so place doesn’t play a big role in the series. (Though place will play a huge role in my upcoming vampire slayer series set in my home state of Alaska. Vamps don’t mind the cold so much.)

Thank you to Melissa for having me back. Melissa was the third reviewer I ever contacted to review Entangled. Not only did she agree to read and review my debut novel, she got back to me the same day (wow!) and was excited about the premise of the story. I was further honored to make it onto her suggested reads for the 2012 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge she’s hosting. (Is that not the most awesome challenge on the blogosphere?)

~~Nikki

The Books:

Entangled:
Twin witches Graylee and Charlene Perez agree on one rule: No dating warlocks.
Not so easy when a certain rogue warlock is convinced he and Graylee belong together and will use anything, including magic, to try and impress Gray. When Charlene’s boyfriend dumps her, she threatens to kill either herself or the girl who stole Blake. Somehow, Gray ends up dead.
A Resurrection Spell Gone Wrong:
Two months after dying, Gray wakes up in Charlene’s body. As a witch, can anyone blame her mother for attempting to bring her daughter back to life? Only now Gray’s stuck sharing her sister’s body 50/50 in twenty-four hour shifts.

The race is on for Gray to find a way back inside her own body before Charlene purges her from existence. Raj McKenna is rumored to meddle in the black arts, not to mention he’s after Gray’s invisibility spell and worse – her heart. But Raj might be the only one powerful enough to save Gray from fading away forever.

Duplicity:

If Graylee Perez thought sharing a body with her twin sister was bad, dealing with a duplicate of herself is two times worse. Gray the second doesn’t seem to get that Lee’s boyfriend, Raj McKenna, is off limits. Then there’s the problem of Adiran Montez. He expects one of the Grays to be his.

Nearly a year later, the council is onto them for past misdeeds; Lee, along with the rest of the coven, has lost control of her powers; and Gray is being stalked by what looks like the Grim Reaper.

If they work together, they may stand a chance of setting things right and making it out alive. 

Find The Spellbound Books: Goodreads | Amazon

The Trailers:

Entangled:










Duplicity:

The Author:

Nikki Jefford is a third generation Alaskan who found paradise in the not-so-tropical San Juan Islands where she is, once more, neighbors with Canada. She has a B.A. in journalism from the University of Alaska Anchorage and was a reporter before returning to her first love: fiction.

After a whirlwind romance in France, Nikki married Sébastien in March 2000. They reside with Cosmo the wonder Westie.. 

Connect with Nikki: Website | Twitter

The Giveaway:



Enter to win the SPELLBOUND SWAG PACK (International)  Ends June 8, 2012

· Evil Eye Amulet and Bracelet: In Duplicity, Gray wears an evil eye pendant, also known as a nazar, to protect herself from a spell that’s causing havoc over the witches and warlocks in her coven. The evil eye (a Turkish amulet) is used for both luck and protection against envy.

· Two Headed Quarter: Two Grays are better than none and two heads are better than one, especially when flipping over who gets to choose which movie to watch with a trick coin. Adrian returns in Duplicity and opens a magic shop.

·  Entangled bookmark

Don’t miss the Cover Reveal of book three, Enchantment, at designer Najla Qamber’s review site: Unputdownable Books on June 7th.