Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Paranormal CharactersTop Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It’s awesome. Every Tuesday, the lovely folks over at The Broke and the Bookish post a top ten list topic so that book lovers like you and me can pour over our shelves and make our own lists. You can check out all the other Top Ten Tuesday‘s on their site!
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Title: Mastiff
Author: Tamora Pierce
Series: Beka Cooper, #3
Genre: Fantasy YA
Amazon | Goodreads
Publisher: Random House BFYR
Release date: October 25, 2011
Challenge: 2013 TBR Challenge
Source: Own it
Summary: The Legend of Beka Cooper gives Tamora Pierce’s fans exactly what they want—a smart and savvy heroine making a name for herself on the mean streets of Tortall’s Lower City—while offering plenty of appeal for new readers as well.
Beka and her friends will face their greatest and most important challenge ever when the young heir to the kingdom vanishes. They will be sent out of Corus on a trail that appears and disappears, following a twisting road throughout Tortall. It will be her greatest Hunt—if she can survive the very powerful people who do not want her to succeed in her goal.
Week of February 16, 2013There were some books on NetGalley this week that I’ve been itching to read, friends, so…yeah. Those. But also! Got some pretty sweet things courtesy of my own wallet AND uber-awesome friends! Huzzah!
NETGALLEY
That Time I Joined the Circus by J.J. Howard (April 1, 2013 from Scholastic Point). I have been totally intrigued by the sound of this one ever since I first heard of it. A young girl from NYC goes to a Florida traveling circus to look for her mom and winds up working as the circus’ fortune teller. Sounds different and awesome. Also, a debut!
Burning by Elana K. Arnold (June 11, 2013 from Delacorte Press). The word “gypsy” is in the tagline on the cover of this book, so my interest is piqued right away. The girl, Lala, is a gypsy–you know, not in the vernacular use of the word, but an actual ethnic gypsy–who tells fortunes at Burning Man festival and is on the verge of marrying someone her parent’s have arranged to be her husband. Until she read’s Ben’s tarot cards. Love the sound of this.
The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson (March 1, 2013 from Arthur A. Levine). I’ve been hearing meh things about this book, but it’s a dystopian set in Brazil, which is a country and a culture that I’ve read almost nothing about, so I’m looking forward to the different vibe. Also, I love that the girl on the cover looks like she could actually be a Brazilian native. That’s happy-making.
Freaks by Kieran Larwood (March 1, 2013 from Chicken House). So THIS book sounds super fun. It’s a MG about a bunch of kids with weird abilities who are in a Victorian sideshow by night, turned crime-fighters by day. Really hoping that this one is as cool as it sounds.
Thanks Scholastic and Delacorte for these gems!
BOUGHT & GIFTED
Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff. I read this from NetGalley and, friends, it was pretty awesome. I’ll be reviewing it soon. But it was a creepy, well-written book, so I had to show love by forking over some cash for a real copy. Big fan.
Revel by Maurissa Guibord. I can’t stop thinking about how totally fascinating this book sounds: a hidden island off the coast of Maine, secret societies, Greek mythology overtones, a lobster fisherman, and a girl trying to find out the truth about her mother. I can’t even. HAD to buy this one. Hopefully I’ll get to it soonish!
Siege and Storm: The Grisha Trilogy #2 by Leigh Bardugo (June 4, 2013 from Henry Holt). THANK YOU TARA, for sharing this one with me. I LOVED SHADOW AND BONE, and I’ve been hearing great things about book 2. I can’t wait to see what happens to Alina, Mal and the Darkling! (PS. Still loving the map in this book. It’s GORGEOUS, even in the ARC.)
If I Stay: If I Stay/Where She Went #1 by Gayle Forman. So ok. OMG. So last fall, Tara from Hobbitsies went to YAllfest. So did Gayle Forman. THIS–a signed, personalized hardcover of IF I STAY–was the result. XOXOXO, Tara.
This week’s reading was filled with lots of action and perfectly paced developments, I thought. Characters are growing and becoming more complex, but things are also steadily moving towards some kind of resolution. Chats after the jump!
Cinder by Marissa Meyer 
Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl…
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It’s awesome. Every Tuesday, the lovely folks over at The Broke and the Bookish post a top ten list topic so that book lovers like you and me can pour over our shelves and make our own lists. You can check out all the other Top Ten Tuesday‘s on their site!
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I received this book for free from a fellow blogger (thanks for sharing!) in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.
Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.
As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.
Week of February 9, 2013Guys, I’m SUPER excited about all of these books! Like, INSANELY stoked about them. I can’t even deal.
NETGALLEY
A Touch of Scarlet: Unbound #2 by Eve Marie Mont (March 26, 2013 from K-Teen). I have to confess to not having read the first book in this series, A BREATH OF EYRE, yet, but I’m very much invested in reading it. I’m loving all these classic retellings going on right now, and I’m VERY intrigued about this Scarlet Letter reworking.
The Flame in the Mist by Kit Grindstaff (April 9, 2013 from Delacorte Press). I don’t know how I could NOT be excited about this debut MG fantasy. There’s prophecies and ghosts and a young girl named Jemma who has lots of interesting things to figure out about herself. Of course, all in the name of saving her kindgom with the help of her friend, Digby, and her two golden rats. WOOT!
Thanks K-Teen and Delacorte for these gems!
BOUGHT
ARE YOU KIDDING ME WITH THESE BOOKS.
The Unearthly Series by Cynthia Hand. I read UNEARTHLY, loved it, and am totally invested. I can’t wait to read more about Clara, Christian, and TUCKER. (Ahem. Since we do the team thing with these books, I’m just going to say FOLLOW THE CAPSLOCK.) I am going to be making time to read the rest of this series ASAP.
Scarlet: The Lunar Chronicles #2 by Marissa Meyer. WAHHH THIS BOOK! I was lucky enough to read an ARC of this, thanks to my girl, Tara, and friends? CINDER is hands-down one of my favorite books from last year, also ever. SCARLET is better. It’s BETTER. My review is going up next week. Prepare for CAPSLOCK overload. If you aren’t reading this series, you are missing out. It’s almost not even a matter of my opinion. It’s like a fact.
Check out this week’s prompts over at Hannah’s blog!!
So, I’m pretty much hooked on FINNIKIN OF THE ROCK so far, guys. I have to admit, it took me a few chapters to get a grasp on the who/what/where of this world (especially because I’m reading this book on my kindle so, even though there are maps, I can’t get to them easily while reading to orient myself). That usually happens for me in lots of fantasies I read. But I think Melina Marchetta has really created a great world with tons of political drama and dangerous magic and treachery. There’s so much at stake for these characters!
Speaking of characters, I love them all. Finnikin is kind of intense and prickly, but guys he has SO MUCH LOVE for his country. I really enjoy the deep connections that all of the characters still feel for Lumatere. And I’m completely intrigued by Evanjalin. I feel like I have a thought about who she might be but I don’t know. I’m oftentimes wrong when I postulate that way, so I’ll keep it under wraps for now. Just trust that she’s awesome, but a total unknown quantity.
Anywho, Hannah, our awesome hostess, has given us the following questions to hash out our thoughts on this week’s reading, which was all of Part One. More chatting after the jump!!
Teensy bit behind this month, friends, but that it NO WAY dampens my excitement for these five books! Because trust me: I. AM. STOKED.
Scarlet: The Lunar Chronicles #2 by Marissa Meyer
I actually already read this book. And bought it. AND LOVED IT TO BITS AND PIECES. Go forth. Read it. Buy it. Love it. (Feiwel and Friends, February 5.)
The Madness Underneath: Shades of London #2 by Maureen Johnson
THE NAME OF THE STAR is one of those books that basically has been on mind since I finished it two years ago. It was my favorite Maureen Johnson book by far, and I’m very much looking forward to more Rory and the Shades! Plus, CREEPY LONDON PARANORMAL STUFF. (Putnam Juvenile, February 26)
Revel by Maurissa Guibord
Friends, this book sounds SO PROMISING. It’s got paranormal creepiness in the form of weird mythological things, secret societies, mist, and a young girl who’s searching for answers about her family. It sounds BANANAS and I can’t wait. (Delacorte BFYR, February 12)
Pivot Point: Pivot Point #1 by Kasie West
THIS book sounds so interesting! It’s about a girl who can see the future and make decisions based on the fact that she can see different outcomes to the same issue. WHATT!!?? Yes, please. (Harper Teen, February 12)
Perfect Scoundrels: The Heist Society #3 by Ally Carter
HONESTLY. I’m always going to be down with this series about teen thieves. This installment sounds extra-fraught because Hale winds up in some trouble. He inherits big money and finds himself not able to do the stealing so much anymore. But listen: if Kat and Hale don’t get in some LEGIT kissing, I’m going to be a little annoyed. Turn up the volume on that please, Ally. (Hyperion Books for Children, 2/5)
