The #FridayReads Review (10/31/14)

Welcome to The Friday Reads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own Friday Reads Review on your blog, and then leave the link in the Comments below!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (Pbk)

This is NOTHING like I expected, which has proven both a good and a bad thing. Nevertheless, it is completely engrossing - halfway through and I can't stop reading!


>> JUST FINISHED <<

The Earl & the Fairy Series by Ayuko (Pbk)

A 4-volume manga series about a young man with a tortured past seeking revenge and a young woman who can communicate with fairies that ends up helping him on his way to finding peace. Of course they fall in love (sort of) while attending to intrigues with magical elements. There was a talking cat  for her (her "familiar," for lack of a better title), and a killer servant for him. I'm pretty sure they are based on a Japanese novel series, so I think Vols. 1 & 2 were one book, and Vols. 3 & 4 were another. It was quite good (I adore men with tortured pasts!), so I wish they had done more. Possible review to come.

>> READING NEXT <<

Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger (Pbk)
I decided I really want to read this again before devouring Book 3, so as one does I ordered the shiny new paperback (I haven't read it finished yet). If Bone Season wasn't so good I'd be reading my ARC again right now...

So what are you reading this week?

{Nerd Blast} CATALYST (S.J. Kincaid) + Giveaway

Welcome to the Official Nerd Blast for 

Catalyst by S.J. Kincaid!

The explosive conclusion to the series reviewers have likened to Ender’s Game and “Hogwarts-in-Space”

This exhilarating, explosive, and heartrending conclusion to the Insignia trilogy brings Tom and his intelligent, passionate, and brave young friends stunning tests and dangerous confrontations and through to an impossible future they could never have predicted.

Tom Raines and his friends are eager to return to the Pentagonal Spire to continue training for the elite Intrasolar Forces, but they soon discover troubling changes: strict new regulations and the revelation that the Spire is under new military control. What begins as an irritating adjustment soon reveals a dangerous shift in reality. Those now in control are aligned with corporate sponsors and their ruthless agendas. And when the military academy begins welcoming new cadets with suspicious neural processors, the first step in a plan with horrifying worldwide ramifications, Tom is desperate to stop it, even if that means keeping secrets from his closest allies.

Then a mysterious figure, the other ghost in the machine, begins fighting against the corporations, but with methods even Tom finds shocking. And when the enemy comes for Tom, how much can Tom endure in the battle to save himself? He must decide if he can still fight when the odds of success seem to be sliding from his grip.

Add to Goodreads

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

S.J. Kincaid was born in Alabama, grew up in California, and attended high school in New Hampshire, but it was while living beside a haunted graveyard in Scotland that she realized that she wanted to be a writer. She debuted with Insignia (July 2012 from Katherine Tegen Books), the first in the Insignia trilogy. It was followed Vortex (July 2013), and the final book, Catalyst,  released October 28, 2014.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK

GIVEAWAY

3 winners will receive a copy of CATALYST by S.J. Kincaid!
Giveaway is International | Must be 13+ to Enter

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WoW: Lois Lane: Fallout (Gwenda Bond)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: Lois Lane: Fallout

Author: Gwenda Bond

Release Date: May 1, 2015
Publisher: Switch Press

Summary:

Lois Lane is starting a new life in Metropolis. An Army brat, Lois has lived all over—and seen all kinds of things. (Some of them defy explanation, like the near-disaster she witnessed in Kansas in the middle of one night.) But now her family is putting down roots in the big city, and Lois is determined to fit in. Stay quiet. Fly straight. As soon as she steps into her new high school, though, she can see it won’t be that easy. A group known as the Warheads is making life miserable for another girl at school. They’re messing with her mind, somehow, via the high-tech immersive videogame they all play. Not cool. Armed with her wit and her new snazzy job as a reporter, Lois has her sights set on solving this mystery. But sometimes it’s all a bit much. Thank goodness for her maybe-more-than-a friend, a guy she knows only by his screenname, SmallvilleGuy.

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Why I'm Looking Forward To It: Finally, a YA Superman! I guess you could say we already got that with Smallville, but (1) that was a television show, and (2) he was barely ever a teenager, from what I understand (I never took to the show). Therefore: finally, a YA Superman!! And it's from Lois Lane's perspective! Really excited for this one.

So what book are you waiting on?

THE TWIXT GUIDED TOUR: How to Collect the Special Digital Prize

Welcome back, Tourists! How did you enjoy the Guided Tour? With all 6 Stops now live, the Special Digital Prize is now available! How do you collect it? Just follow the easy step-by-step instructions below!

1. Collect all 6 Code Words. If you don't already have them on hand, or if you missed a few of the stops, here are the links:

Stop #1: Libby Blog 

Stop #2: Feed Your Fiction Addiction 

Stop #3: The Starry-Eyed Revue 

Stop #4: Danasquare 

Stop #5: Skye’s Scribblings 

Stop #6: Lili’s Reflections 

2. Go to Dawn Metcalf's website here.

3. Click on the butterfly. (Psst! Top middle of the page!)

4. Using the hint, take the first letter of each Code Word and unscramble them into the six-letter Secret Password.

5. "Click to Proceed" and enter the Secret Password.

6. Collect the Special Digital Prize!

On behalf of myself, Dawn, and all the hosts, we hope you've enjoyed The Twixt Guided Tour this month! We had a blast putting it together for you. Although this is the end of the Tour, it is not the end of the Grand Prize Giveaway! You still have until Thursday, October 30th to enter all 6 Code Words and win! For more information, check out the Kick-Off post here, and below is the Rafflecopter form for your convenience. The winner will be announced Saturday, November 1st!

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Review: Stitching Snow (R.C. Lewis)

Title: Stitching Snow
Series: standalone
Author: R.C. Lewis
Publisher: Hyperion
Release Date: October 14, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Future Sci-Fi Fairy-tale Retelling
Told: First Person Singular (Essie), Past Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (violence, parental sexual abuse [see Trigger Warning below])
Format Read: ARC (publisher)
Find It On: Goodreads

Summary:

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back-but that's assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane's arrival was far from accidental, and she's pulled into the heart of a war she's risked everything to avoid.

In her enthralling debut, R.C. Lewis weaves the tale of a princess on the run from painful secrets . . . and a poisonous queen. With the galaxy's future-and her own-in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

*          *          *

Why I Read It: I'm always interested in fairy-tale retellings, and I got Ms. Lewis for the 2014 Debut Author's Bash (you can read my interview here).

Series: A standalone with a complete arc and ending.

Setting: A far-flung future in a new galaxy, where a branch of humans have developed body-hopping (Transitioning) abilities. While at first I thought the galaxy was quite large with many inhabited planets, by the end it seemed there were only four human inhabited, widespread planets. We visited four planets anyway, and each had their own unique living arrangements and structures.

Writing & Story: Plain and simple. There wasn't much to the story, which I normally like, but here I found it lacking. It read like a two-book story condensed into three-fourths of a novel, covering only the bare necessities (which left me feeling as if I'd missed a lot of the interesting bits) and trimming the characters down to pretty much one basic emotion (rendering them rather flat and unrelatable for me). And despite the first person viewpoint, I felt distanced from the characters and the story, which made it hard to invest in either. Even the spikes of danger and emotion didn't resonate with me, except perhaps right at the end. But while I connected to the climatic scene a little more, it was only in the last two chapters that I felt any kind of emotional connection at all with the characters.

Characters: Essie and Dane read and acted very young, more 13 than 17, until the last two chapters. Essie was all hardened fear - while she occasionally acted brave, it always felt more like instinct than actual bravery. I didn't get anything other than different shades of fear from her, which made her rather one-dimensional and I just couldn't connect with her. Dane got better as the story progressed and I came to like him, but because of the plot he was a bit of a rollercoaster as his loyalties constantly shifted. The only bright spot were the drones (the dwarves), which unfortunately didn't have a very big part except one, but what they touched shone a little brighter. The evil step-mother queen didn't have much of a part either, which was disappointing for the story. As for the kingly father...

Trigger Warning: While it may be considered a bit of a spoiler, I need to mention the streak of red in this otherwise beige story: Essie's father sexually abused her. Although I'm sure there were subtle hints throughout the story (I'm not good with noting subtle hints), I didn't catch on until Dane pretty much spelled it out, and even then I was still wondering if I'd gotten some signals mixed up until the father finally attacked her near the end. While he didn't get very far, it was a dark scene. The sad thing was, other than the abuse, while the father was overall a pretty evil man he wasn't personally horrible. But the story needed him to be personally horrible for a very specific reason (definite and unmentionable spoilers), so it seemed like making him an abuser was the only way. And, really, it probably was. But that didn't make it feel right.

Romantic Relationship: On Dane's part, chivalrous and sweet. On Essie's part, confused and erratic. Her previous abuse was a good reason for her reluctance and distance, but while I knew this, I never felt it. The end was sweet, though.

Conclusion: While I normally like plain and simple, there wasn't enough of the story for me, and I had a hard time connecting with the characters. Abuse aside it wasn't a particularly bad story though, so if you like sci-fi fairy-tale retellings maybe give it a try.

For Fans Of: Sci-fi fairy-tale retellings

Scribble Rating: 

2 of 5 Scribbles

NaNoWriMo 2014 (+ Giveaway!)

Every January I tell myself this is the year I won't participate in National Novel Writing Month. It's no longer for me, I don't have time, I need to take my writing more seriously than speed-writing a 50,000-word novel-shaped thing in a month. And then October rolls around, and I have to admit to myself that for the past 10 months I never took my writing more seriously, and now I'm allowing yet another year to go by without pursuing my dream of becoming a published novelist. Suddenly, the craziness of Nanowrimo doesn't seem like something I've grown out of - it looks like a lifeline to getting some writing done this year, even if it probably won't be publishable. But better something than nothing at all! So I log into nanowrimo.org, update my profile, pick a story, and impatiently count down the days until November 1st.

My last two Nanowrimo attempts have been fails, though. Life and health and blogging got in the way, as they do. But this year, I'm determined to do this - 50,000 words in 1 month. The thought of it scares the heck out of me (a good day generates about 1k words for me - how am I going to keep up 1.6k a day??), but I have done it 6 times before so I know I'm capable of participating in and winning this madness! Somehow.

Unfortunately, the biggest competitor for my writing time is this blog. So it is with apologies that I announce I am taking a blog hiatus in November. Rest assured it won't go completely silent - I think I have a tour or two already scheduled, and if I make word count and still have the energy to move a mouse I'll see about doing some of my regular features. But unless I'm able to schedule them before November, there probably won't be any reviews. I hate to do it, but they eat up the most time, and sacrifices must be made. I hope you'll stick with me in the interim.

So what will I be writing this November? I've decided to go in with a Contemporary Fantasy entitled Driving Mr. Wizard - you can check out the summary here. Of course anyone who knows me knows that I don't tend to stick with the same story over the month, but I have high hopes for this one so we'll see what happens. ;) Follow me on Twitter (@skyelyte) for possible updates on my progress (again if I still have the energy to move a mouse), and Buddy me on Nanowrimo if you're participating! I'm nekowriternyan.

Speaking of participating, who else is doing Nanowrimo this year?? Sound off in the Comments below with a link to your Nanowrimo profile and you'll be entered to win this Nanowrimo prize pack! (It has NINJAS and STICKERS and a BUTTON - YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT.)

Includes "write your own story" notecards, various Nanowrimo stickers,
"Imagination Activated" Nanowrimo button, and 2 plastic ninjas.

I used to be an ML (Municipal Liaison, aka leader) for my local Region, and over the years I've accumulated leftover Nanowrimo contraband and prizes and the like. So I thought I'd pass some of it along to my readers this year! (My overflowing closet insists.) I'll pick a winner the first week of November and DM them through their Nanowrimo profile. (US only)

Only a few more days until November! Let's do this.

Small Screen Review (10/19-10/25)

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home - long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment below with your thoughts on the shows!

NEW SHOWS

Selfie: Since I didn't have enough to watch this week I recorded another episode and was pleasantly surprised how good it was! Probably my favorite episode so far. Perhaps there's hope for this show after all.

Gotham: Penguin made a serious misstep, in my opinion, which felt really out of character. But considering how well it worked for him in the end I guess it was part of his plan? Loving how Bruce's story is building, as well as Fish's "weapon" which I totally called but it'll still be awesome.

</Scorpion>: Wasn't as impressed with this episode for some reason, but Happy's cool cred went up even more, at least. Looking forward to next week's episode with Hetty from NCIS:LA!!

Forever: Our recording cut off halfway through the show (stupid box), so we're currently cliffhanging it until it becomes available online next week. And of course it was a really good episode about a serial serial killer with the promise of a death for the doctor! *SIGH*

CONTINUING SHOWS

The Paradise: Denise takes her new position and does a splendid job of it, even with a hiccup. And Jonas is doing what he does best. I actually think I didn't like him last season, but he's my favorite character in this one!

Once Upon a Time: FINALLY an episode about Mr. Gold! Why Belle thought that just because she married him she can now leave him alone and he'll be good I don't know, but he's off being even darker than before and I'm loving it. This season is all about tigers and their unchanging stripes, apparently.

Castle: Castle in the classroom. LOVED.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: We're finally getting some answers! Even if they only create more questions. And Simmons is back! And we added a new kick-arse lady! AND next week: WARD.

Person of Interest: I'm liking the new and improved Root - and the new twist on The Machine! Yet another great season.

Bones: A repeat. Already. Boo.

DVD

Haven: Thanks to the newest library on my library rounds (I now have 4 ;), I have discovered Haven! While nothing spectacular, it's practically clean (so far, 3 episodes in) and witty, and I always appreciate a supernatural element. In my scope of shows, it's Eureka meets Warehouse 13, but instead of things with powers it's people.

NEW

After Earth (library): I'd heard this wasn't all that good, but it was a slow watch week so I grabbed it to satisfy my curiosity. While the characters were pretty bad (the boy was such a whiner baby), the story was okay (I'm a sucker for dystopians) so it was watchable. I was shocked to discover it was by M. Night Shyamalan, though - I loved The Sixth Sense, but sadly his movies have gone downhill from there for me.

Heartbreaker (library): My first French film! It's about a guy who "rescues" unhappy women from bad relationships by seducing them so they break up with their boyfriends. On principal he only takes jobs with unhappy women, but desperately in need of money he takes a job to break up a seemingly happy couple, and of course falls in love with the woman. While most definitely French and a little kooky, it was a cute and funny story. And I loved the sister! She was amazing. Will there be any more French films in my future? Probably not. Generally I'm not much for foreign films, mainly because of the subtitles and difference in culture (I even struggle with Japanese ones, and I adore their language and culture!). But I'm glad I finally saw a French film, and this was a great pick - thanks for the recommendation, Christianna! <3

So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

The #FridayReads Review (10/24/14)

Welcome to The Friday Reads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own Friday Reads Review on your blog, and then leave the link in the Comments below!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

In Real Life by Cory Doctorow & Jen Wang (Pbk)

Looked interesting so I grabbed it. Starting at lunch today...


>> JUST FINISHED <<

I'm cleaning out both my Currently Reading and library piles (mostly manga) in preparation for The Bone Season readalong next week, and I finished so many good books in the last few days I just had to mention them!

Shutter by Courtney Alameda (ARC)

4.5 Stars! I almost never read horror, but when I discovered this was about a girl who hunts the undead with an analog camera, it was just too interesting not to read. And it turned out even better than I'd hoped - thrilling story, chilling writing, and strong, capable characters. If you can stomach a few scenes of disturbing images and some violence, I recommend it for anyone who loves a stellar read. And I highly recommend it for fans of the manga series, Blue Exorcist. Review to come!

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger (Pbk)
My 4th re-read, and as always it was just as enjoyable a read as the times before! Gail has such a delightful and witty way with words, how she strings them together simply never get old.

Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days! by Stephen Manes (Pbk)
My parents read this after seeing it at a local school where they volunteer, and to get in on the wacky discussion they were having I decided to read it as well. It took me less than an hour. An amusing and playful story about how one can really be a perfect person - and if it's really worth it.

Nothing Can Possibly Go Wrong by Prudence Shen & Faith Erin Hicks (Pbk)
Nerds and jocks/cheerleaders working together for a common cause (money, yes, but a cause none the less) - always a beautiful thing. A quick, fun and funny read with a little something for everyone: smear campaigns, robot battles, basketball, family drama, male hysterics, and an eex-cellent ending.

Jiu Jiu Vol. 1 by Touya Tobina (Pbk)
Grabbed this from the library purely on a whim with no idea what it was about and was pleasantly surprised to discover just my kind of series! Dark but humorous about a demon hunter girl and the brother wolves she raises. Can't wait to read more.

>> READING NEXT <<

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (Pbk)
A few more manga and then it's time for The Bone Season Readalong! So excited to finally read this beauty!!

So what are you reading this week?

WoW: Duplicity (N.K. Traver)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: Duplicity

Author: N.K. Traver

Release Date: March 17, 2015
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Summary:

A computer-hacking teen. The girl who wants to save him. And a rogue mirror reflection that might be the death of them both.

In private, seventeen-year-old Brandon hacks bank accounts for thousands of dollars just for the hell of it. In public, he looks like any other tattooed bad boy with a fast car and devil-may-care attitude. He should know: he’s worked hard to maintain that façade. With inattentive parents who move cities every couple of years, he’s learned not to get tangled up in things like friends and relationships. So he’ll just keep on living like a machine, all gears and wires.

Then two things come along to shatter his carefully-built image: Emma, the kind, preppy girl who insists on looking beneath the surface – and the small matter of a mirror reflection that starts moving by itself. Not only does Brandon’s reflection have a mind of its own, but it seems to be grooming him for something – washing the dye from his hair, yanking out his piercings, swapping his black shirts for … pastels. Changes he can’t explain to his classmates, who think he’s having an identity crisis, and certainly not to nosy Emma, who thinks this is his backward apology for telling her to get lost. Then Brandon’s reflection tells him: it thinks it can live his life better, and it’s preparing to trade places.

And when it pulls Brandon through the looking-glass, not only will he need all his ill-gotten hacking skills to escape, but he’s going to have to face some hard truths about who he’s become. Otherwise he’s going to be stuck in a digital hell until he’s old and gray, and Emma and his parents won't even know he's gone.

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Why I'm Looking Forward To It: Not only is this about a bad boy hacker, but there be magic as well! Just my kind of story - can't wait!

So what book are you waiting on?

THE TWIXT GUIDED TOUR Stop #5: Dover Mill with Filly (+Giveaway)

Hi there! Welcome to my stop on The Twixt Guided Tour! Dover Mill is just around the corner, if you’ll follow me. Our guide today is the brash but charming Filly, who will show us around inside. Although this is kind of an abandoned section of Glendale, I’ve heard it should be something to see— Ah, here’s the Mill. And that tall woman with the braided blond hair and bronze corselet will be Filly! Hmm, I don’t like the look of her frown, perhaps we should hurry a little? I’ve heard she can be quite friendly, but I certainly don’t want to become another finger bone in her cape! Oh good, she’s spotted us…

. . . 

  

Hoy! Are you the ones I’m supposed to show around the place? I’ve been waiting for more than a while on this damnable rock. Let’s on with it, shall we? Hup!

credit link

You may call me Filly and this is an old mill. Exciting? Hardly. Drafty, dusty thing built of cold stone and rot. Look at that—the wind off the river’s stripped the shutters nearly bare and the waterwheel’s been cemented in place. What’s the point of that, you ask? None at all. Useless as the prattle of the hags in the Halls to my mind. Ah, but then again, you know something of the Twixt—enough to know things aren’t always what they seem!

Before we go in, mind if I ask: any weapons hidden on your person? No? Wards? Marks? Tokens? Charms? Any magic on you at all? Really? Huh. You’re either very brave or very foolish. Let’s go find out which one together, then!

Now follow my footfalls exactly. Watch your step. Duck a little and… there you are! See? Not much of a mill now! Those steps there lead down into the belly of the cave, just under the outcropping of black thorns. Oh, that? That was nothing—just an old shield spell, an illusion; common enough for field units when the battle lines move, but this was more like camouflaging a squirrel’s cache rather than a soldier’s. You know squirrels? Small rodents, fluffy tails, good sport to catch and the meat’s not bad? What? Really? Well, take my word for it then. Anyway, they’ll dig little dens and store food here and there, spread it around in case other squirrels snatch one or a cat’s been paying attention. That’s what this place was—a cache. Not for food, though. More like prey. Those shelves were once filled with all sorts of potions and poisons and stuff mixed up by the witch who squatted here. That slate wall was her battle map and reams of handwritten ledgers tallied her minions. Oh yes, she was crafty—a good hunter: patient, intelligent, single-minded, ruthless. She had a warrior’s mind, but none of the heart. And mark my words: a warrior’s heart will carry one to victory every time—beyond pain, beyond death, beyond hate. Victory was born here. I should know! I know well the one called Joy Malone.

Speaking of…it seems I have a message. *cough* Ah. Here it is. Yes, I know well it’s on fire! Give me a moment. Huh. The good news is it’s not our dear friend with the Sight yelling, “Help! Help! Save me!” but the news does mean I have to go. Take those stairs back up and you’ll be in front of the mill by the fence. You can find your way from there, can’t you? Good! Then I’ll be going—best stand back, I hear the thunder packs quite a punch! May we meet again before the EverBattle! Well forged and well met!

Victory!

. . .

Isn’t this something? You can practically feel the magic soaked into the walls! Too bad they wiped the marks from the slate though, they would’ve been something to see… Ah well, let’s head back outside.

So did you catch today’s code word? Don’t forget to enter it for your chance at the grand prize! And be sure to collect all the code words, because there will be a special digital prize at the end of the tour for those who collect them all. Well, this is where I leave you – good luck and good fun with the rest of the tour!

*                     *                     *

THE AUTHOR

Dawn Metcalf has always lived on the edge between reality and magic, which explains her current profession and love of fantasy books and games. Her passions include karate, fairy tales, Victoriana and dark chocolate, often combining one or more of them in unexpected ways. Currently, she lives with her husband and family in northern Connecticut. If they had a sign, it would be: Confounding the Neighbor Children Since 1999. Dawn’s current Young Adult series with HarlequinTeen, The Twixt, has four titles: Indelible (July 2013), Invisible (September 2014), Inviolate (June 2015), and Invincible (May 2016). She debuted with a Young Adult standalone, Luminous (June 2011, Dutton Juvenile).

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram

THE BOOKS

Title: Indelible (The Twixt #1)

Release Date: July 30, 2013

Summary:

Some things are permanent.

Indelible.

And they cannot be changed back.

Joy Malone learns this the night she sees a stranger with all-black eyes across a crowded room—right before the mystery boy tries to cut out her eye. Instead, the wound accidentally marks her as property of Indelible Ink, and this dangerous mistake thrusts Joy into an incomprehensible world—a world of monsters at the window, glowing girls on the doorstep, and a life that will never be the same.

Now, Joy must pretend to be Ink’s chosen one—his helper, his love, his something for the foreseeable future...and failure to be convincing means a painful death for them both. Swept into a world of monsters, illusion, immortal honor and revenge, Joy discovers that sometimes, there are no mistakes.

Somewhere between reality and myth lies…

THE TWIXT

 


PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Book Depository

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Title: Invisible (The Twixt #2)

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Summary:

Some things lie beneath the surface.

Joy Malone wants it all: power, freedom and the boyfriend who loves her. Yet when an unstoppable assassin is hired to kill her, Joy learns that being the girl with the Sight comes with a price that might be too high to pay. Love will be tested, lives will be threatened, and everyone Joy knows and cares about will be affected by her decision to stand by Ink or to leave the Twixt forever.

Her choice is balanced on a scalpel's edge and the consequences will be more shattering than anyone can know.

 


PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Indiebound | Book Depository

Add to Goodreads

THE GIVEAWAY

Enter this Tour's code word (underlined in the text) in the form below and 
collect all 6 code words to win the Grand Prize Pack!

US/CAN only | Must be 13+ to enter | Contest runs 10/7-10/30
For full giveaway details and rules, see the Tour Kick-Off post here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Be sure to check out the rest of the Tour!

Tues, 10/07: Libby Blog 

Thurs, 10/09: Feed Your Fiction Addiction 

Tues, 10/14: The Starry-Eyed Revue 

Thurs, 10/16: Danasquare 

Tues, 10/21: Skye’s Scribblings 

Thurs, 10/23: Lili’s Reflections 

Small Screen Review (10/12-10/18)

I watch quite a bit of telly. More than I should, really. So since I watch as much television as I read books, I thought I should "review" what I watch each week, both television and movies (I only watch movies on DVD at home - long story). Nothing fancy, just a few sentences about what I thought of what I watched. (I'll try to avoid spoilers, but no promises.) Comment below with your thoughts on the shows!

THIS WEEK

Television: Lots of predictable but good episodes.

Movies: New, old, and questionable superheroes.

TELEVISION

NEW SHOWS

Selfie: While I adore Karen Gillan and the endings are sweet, this show is just a little too dumb for me. Think I'm going to drop it.

Gotham: Penguin seriously makes this show. Who cares about everyone else - they should've just named the show "Cobblepot" and been done with it.

</Scorpion>: Continues to be awesome, although I was sad the son didn't make an appearance this time, he adds a little something. Happy is officially my favorite character, she rocked this episode.

Forever: Henry dying and coming back makes this show unique, but he hasn't died in several episodes now. The stories are interesting enough I guess, but I'm getting bored. Sadly, the morgue assistant is the best character on the show. The doctor? Meh. The cop? Double meh. Their personalities just aren't original enough for me.

CONTINUING SHOWS

The Paradise: Loved! Jonas ramps up the intrigue to 12 - so glad he's back!

Once Upon a Time: Finally, Mr. Gold is attending the intrigue! Although not enough for my liking. I am a little interested in the Snow Queen/Emma twist though, so on I watch.

Castle: The Invisible Person! It never ceases to amaze me that they can continue to come up with originalish ideas for these types of shows year after year. Bravo, writers.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: While Agent May acted completely out of character (aka weak - they seriously believe we would swallow that?), and I called the Major twist, another entertaining episode as usual. Loving the alien language arc.

Person of Interest: Doing what they do best. Totally called the Dominic twist from the beginning, though.

Bones: I'm enjoying how much the characters have grown - as in, grown up. Loved Bones and Angela chatting married life at the park. The mellow vibe this season wears well on the show.

MOVIES

NEW

The Green Hornet (library): While it completely degraded a pretty cool superhero duo into nothing more than adrenaline-junkie fools, the over-the-top violence and destruction were entertaining enough. And Kato was way too cool in action (not to be confused with his personality when he wasn't in action, which was not very cool, just like everyone else's in the movie).

Heaven Is For Real (library): Made me think. And cry. Quite a bit. (I'm an easy crier.) Overall a good, clean movie.

RE-WATCH

Desk Set (library): Wanted a good oldie and one can't go wrong with the firm of Tracy & Hepburn.

Daredevil (library): Saw this when it first released over a decade ago, and with all the Marvel movies as of late I remembered it and was curious to see it again. It was both better and worse than I remembered, but overall entertaining.

So that's it for this week! What did you watch?

The #FridayReads Review (10/17/14)

Welcome to The Friday Reads Review, a regular Friday segment where I share what I've been reading the past week! Want to join the Friday fun? Post your own Friday Reads Review on your blog, and then leave the link in the Comments below!

>> CURRENTLY READING <<

Shutter by Courtney Alameda (ARC)

I almost never read YA horror (adult horror = no thank you) so it's been forever since my last one (I don't count Insomnia). I love ghost hunters though, so although this has its disturbing moments I'm seriously loving it!


>> ON HOLD <<

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger (Pbk)
Loving but needed something new.

>> JUST FINISHED <<

Natsume's Book of Friends Vol. 17 by Yuki Midorikawa (Pbk)

October is turning out to be Manga Month, the libraries have been so good to me! Love this series for its quiet nature and focus on Japanese spirits.

>> READING NEXT <<

Pawn by Aimée Carter (ARC)
If I can I hope to fit in this re-read before The Bone Season Readalong so I can finally give you guys a review and catch up before attacking the sequel!

So what are you reading this week?

Waiting On Wednesday: Seriously Wicked (Tina Connolly)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blogging event hosted by Breaking the Spine, in which one spotlights an upcoming release they are eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Title: Seriously Wicked

Author: Tina Connolly

Release Date: May 5, 2015
Publisher: Tor Teen

Summary:

The only thing worse than being a witch is living with one.

Camellia’s adopted mother wants Cam to grow up to be just like her. Problem is, Mom’s a seriously wicked witch.

Cam’s used to stopping the witch’s crazy schemes for world domination. But when the witch summons a demon, he gets loose—and into Devon, the cute new boy at school.

Now Cam’s suddenly got bigger problems than passing Algebra. Her friends are getting zombiefied. Their dragon is tired of hiding in the RV garage. For being a shy boy-band boy, Devon is sure kissing a bunch of girls. And a phoenix hidden in the school is going to explode on the night of the Halloween Dance.

To stop the demon before he destroys Devon’s soul, Cam might have to try a spell of her own. But if she’s willing to work spells like the witch...will that mean she’s wicked too?

Add to Goodreads

Why I'm Looking Forward To It: This sounds like so much fun!!! Discovered it last week and now can't wait to get my hands on it!

So what book are you waiting on?

Manga Review: Time Killers: Short Story Collection (Kazue Kato)

Title: Time Killers: Kazue Kato Short Story Collection
Author: Kazue Kato
Publisher: VIZ Media
US Release Date: September 2, 2014
Genre: Short Story Collection
Content Rating: Older Teen (violence, fighting, demons)

Format Read: Paperback
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase: Indiebound | B&N | Azon | BookDepo | RightStuf
Summary:

Explore fantastic realms of imagination in this stunning collection of short stories by Kazue Kato, creator of the smash hit manga series, Blue Exorcist! With Kato's amazing and distinctive art leaping from the page, Time Killers includes her first work, Boku to Usagi (Rabbit and I) and features the stories and character designs that would become her breakthrough series, Blue Exorcist. Take off on a flight of fantasy with Time Killers!

*          *          *

Why I Read It: I really like the author's current series, Blue Exorcist, and this collection promised a precursor short story to the series. My curiosity couldn't pass it up!

Art: There were several different styles as the author tried her hand at a few mediums, but the main style was playful but occasionally grotesque with great settings and some cute characters. Most of the pieces were black and white, with a few of the shorter stories and title pages in color.

Story: Eleven short pieces of different lengths and mediums on a wide variety of subjects. Most were interesting but there were several standouts for me, namely the last two in the book: Astronerd and The Miyama-Uguisu Mansion Incident.

• The Rabbit and Me: Teenage assassin and aspiring doctor become friends. Very violent but an interesting premise.
• Tomato: Fantastical world of humans and human-like rabbits. Rabbit and human guard team take a job to protect a rabbit woman's tomato patch from a greedy human. Violence and a life lesson ensue. The art and characters were a little too odd for me, and the story a little confusing.
• A Warrior Born of the Red Earth: Color, five pages. Native American warrior story. Tragic.
• Usaboy!!!: Color, five pages. Superhero bunny family. Comical but odd.
• A Guide to Princess Clothes: Color, one page. Comical.
• Highway of Life, Stray Star: Seven pages. Violent punk dad takes care of his little girl. Sweet.
• Nirai: Eight pages. Based on the mermaid legend? Not sure. Confusing but interesting.
• Master and I: Magical wish-granting rice bowl. Comical but serious story about how getting everything you want may not be a good thing. 
• A Maiden's Prayer: Eight pages. Dystopic fantasy about a lonely girl finding a home.
• Astronerd: My favorite! Boy tries to hide his love of astronomy at his new school but falls for a girl who loves it as well. Then aliens come to destroy the Earth! Can he save the girl? Fun and funny with great characters (including the aliens!) and an excellent story.
• The Miyama-Uguisu Mansion Incident: A precursor to Blue Exorcist, but the familiar characters play different roles. Same world and setup though, and a great story.

Extras: There is a fold-out color poster in the front, and an Author's Note at the back where she talks a bit about her inspiration for each story and where they were first published.

Conclusion: While not quite as good as I was hoping, I did read all of the stories and enjoyed most of them. Overall an interesting collection.

Read It Again?: Maybe the last two stories.

Scribble Rating: 

3 of 5 Scribbles