Friday, January 30, 2015

The #FridayReads Review (1/30/15)



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 <<
Thursdays with the Crown (Castle Glower, #3)The Story of Libraries: From the Invention of Writing to the Computer AgeKiss of the Rose Princess, Vol. 1

Thursdays with the Crown by Jessica Day George (ARC)
I'm interested to find out the origins of the Castle, but after being a bit disappointed with Wednesdays I have lower expectations.

The Story of Libraries by Fred Lerner (PBK)
Sometimes when I get RRS (Restless Reading Syndrome, which I currently have in spades), it's because I need a rare infusion of non-fiction. So when I stumbled on this at the library I decided it was time to give my second favorite subject a deeper study! Several pages in so far and thoroughly absorbed.

Kiss of the Rose Princess Vol. 1 by Aya Shouoto (PBK)
I've heard good things so I grabbed the first volume from the library. It's your basic average girl discovers she's a princess with the power to control all the beautiful boys in her school in order to battle the demon lord. So far, not impressed.


>> JUST FINISHED <<
Wednesdays in the Tower (Castle Glower #2)A Bride's Story, Vol. 05A Bride's Story, Vol. 6

Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George (ARC)
Sadly not as good as Tuesdays. I loved delving into the mystery of the Castle, but the griffin thread was a little dull for me. Still, after the cliffhanger ending I will be going straight into Thursdays. Review to come.

A Bride's Story Vol. 5 & Vol. 6 by Kaoru Mori (HBK)
LOVE this series, and these new volumes exceeded my expectations! Vol. 5 had me in stitches as the twins ordered their new husbands around at the wedding, and Vol. 6 saw a lot of intense action and familial angst. I re-read Vols. 1-4 before tackling these since it'd been a while and discovered I really need to own them - they're just that good!


>> READING NEXT <<
The Seven Deadly Sins 6
The Seven Deadly Sins Vol. 6 by Nakaba Suzuki (PBK)
With my serious case of RRS I can only definitively say that I'll be reading manga, and since I enjoy this series I know I'll be reading this volume soon. Hopefully I'll have more on the novel front next week.


So what are you reading this week?

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

WoW: INK & BONE (Rachel Caine)

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:


Ink and Bone: The Great Library
Title: Ink and Bone
Author: Rachel Caine
Release Date: July 7, 2015
Publisher: NAL (Penguin)
Summary:
In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…
 
Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.
 
Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.
 
When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn.…

Why I'm Looking Forward To ItLibrary + alchemy on an alternate timeline = I NEEDS IT AND I NEEDS IT NOW. No contest this YA is my most anticipated summer release - despite how hot it'll be outside, I cannot wait for July!!


So what book are you waiting on?

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Release Day Blast: LOVE, LUCY (April Lindner) + Giveaway


LOVE, LUCY by April Lindner releases today!! This looks to be a great read, so I'm excited to help spread the good news! If you haven’t heard about it yet, be sure to check out all the details below, which includes an awesome guest post from the author in which she shares “Some Rules of the Road” for traveling abroad, as Lucy did in the book.

This blast also includes a giveaway for a copy of the book courtesy of Rockstar Book Tours and 3 signed JANE posters courtesy of the author. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post. Good luck! :)


ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: LOVE, LUCY
Author: April Lindner
Release date: January 27, 2015
Publisher: Poppy
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 304
Summary:

While backpacking through Florence, Italy, during the summer before she heads off to college, Lucy Sommersworth finds herself falling in love with the culture, the architecture, the food...and Jesse Palladino, a handsome street musician. After a whirlwind romance, Lucy returns home, determined to move on from her "vacation flirtation." But just because summer is over doesn't mean Lucy and Jesse are over, too.

In this coming-of-age romance, April Lindner perfectly captures the highs and lows of a summer love that might just be meant to last beyond the season.


Find it on: 




ABOUT THE AUTHOR

April Lindner is the author of three novels: Catherine, a modernization of Wuthering Heights; Jane, an update of Jane Eyre; and Love, Lucy, releasing January 27, 2015. She also has published two poetry collections, Skin and This Bed Our Bodies Shaped. She plays acoustic guitar badly, sees more rock concerts than she’d care to admit, travels whenever she can, cooks Italian food, and lavishes attention on her pets—two Labrador retriever mixes and two excitable guinea pigs. A professor of English at Saint Joseph’s University, April lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons.




SOME RULES OF THE ROAD


Like Lucy Sommersworth, the heroine of Love, Lucy, my parents gave me the gift of a lifetime: a backpacking trip to Europe. I was a bit older than Lucy—22, and just out of college—but when I arrived in Milan, Italy with a Eurail pass, a copy of Let’s Go: Europe, and a seventy-pound backpack I could barely lift, I was a wee bit terrified. Like Lucy, I spoke only a little bit of Italian, just barely enough to get by, and I wasn’t particularly good at reading maps or train schedules. Unlike Lucy, I was travelling solo.

Luckily, my journey began with training wheels. I’d just taken a college Italian class, and my professor had offered a safe crash pad for the first few days of my trip—in her family home in the Alps. Less luckily, when I reached Malpensa airport, nobody was there to pick me up. Giddy with excitement and jet lag, I wandered around the airport, eavesdropping on Italians as they hugged each other hello and goodbye, and had noisy arguments. I’d never felt more alone in my life. Where would I sleep that night if my ride didn’t show up?

Luckily, my professor’s brother arrived at last to whisk me away to the family home in Domodossola. The extended family welcomed and fed me, gave me tours of their city with its charming medieval center, helped me practice my Italian, and, when the time was right, brought me to the train station where my solo travels began for real. It was time to take off the training wheels. 

If I’d felt alone back in the airport, I was even more so on that train to Verona, a city where I didn’t know a soul. In those pre-internet days, I could disappear into thin air and nobody would even notice I was gone. The thought was chilling, but oddly exciting.

By nightfall, I’d made it to Verona. I’d figured out the public transportation, found a youth hostel, and booked myself a bed. Best of all, I had introduced myself to a handful of other backpackers. We hung out together in the hostel’s common area, sharing bread and cheese, exchanging stories, discussing the rules of the road—those bits of practical wisdom our travels were teaching us. Here are a few.


Time passes differently on the road.  Spend a few very intense hours seeing the sites with strangers and by the end of the day, those strangers have become a part of your story. Years later you’ll see their faces in your photo album and still remember stray details of the adventures you shared together, even if you can’t quite recall their names. 


Spontaneity is key.  There are few things as magical as showing up at a train station with no idea where you’re headed next, picking a random train, and hopping on. 

Janis Joplin said it best: Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.  When you’re carrying all your possessions on your back in a city where you don’t know a soul, you’re absolutely free. You can go anywhere, do anything. That freedom has its lonely moments—but it can be the doorway to all kinds of adventures.


Embrace misadventure.  As carefully as you plan there will be crazy mistakes: wrong turns, slept-through train stops, multilingual misunderstandings, and all kinds of other blunders—and these will make the best stories. My misadventures are some of my favorite memories. The time I missed curfew and had to climb into my hostel through a second-story window. The morning when, hanging out my recently washed clothes to dry, I dropped my wet underthings out the window, onto a stranger’s head. The night when, with no room to stay in, I slept on Venice’s train station steps with about a hundred other backpackers, the stars above us and the Grand Canal stretched out before us.

Would I trade that last memory for a safe, comfy night in an actual bed?  Not on your life.


THE GIVEAWAY


There is a blast-wide giveaway, ending February 6th at 11:59 p.m. Pacific, for:
  • 1 copy of LOVE, LUCY from Amazon or The Book Depository – Int’l
  • 3 JANE posters (signed) – US only
Enter in the Rafflecopter below... Good luck! :D

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, January 24, 2015

The #FridayReads Review (1/23/15)



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 <<
Exit Strategy (Nadia Stafford #1)Wednesdays in the Tower (Castle Glower #2)

Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong (MMP)
Halfway through and while I'm enjoying it at the same time it's dragging a bit.

Wednesdays in the Tower by Jessica Day George (ARC)
On a whim I decided to finally give this series a try and OMG IT IS SO GOOD WHY DIDN'T ANYONE TELL ME?! After devouring Book 1 in under 2 days during the worst of my 3rd cold in a month (*sob*), I dove straight into Book 2! It's not quite as good as Book 1, but I'm excited to find out more about the mystery of the Castle!


>> JUST FINISHED <<
Tuesdays at the Castle
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George (PBK)
A lighthearted, magical and thrilling story about a sentient castle and a brave and delightful royal family that I absolutely adored and can't believe it took me this long to read! Review to come.


>> READING NEXT <<
Thursdays with the Crown (Castle Glower, #3)
Thursdays with the Crown by Jessica Day George (ARC)
Think I'll make a complete binge of the series!


So what are you reading this week?

Friday, January 23, 2015

Cover Reveal: Nobody’s Goddess (Amy McNulty) + Giveaway #M9BFridayReveals


This book has been one of my most anticipated 2015 reads since the sale was announced and I immediately added it to my Goodreads To-Read list (and Wishlists) exactly one year ago! Now I'm stoked to help reveal the cover, with only a few months left until the release! *flails* Check it out, add it to GR, and be sure to enter the giveaway at the bottom - this one looks to be amazing!


M9B-Friday-Reveal

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Nobody's Goddess (The Never Veil #1)
by Amy McNulty

presented by Month9Books!

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

Nobody's Goddess
Title: Nobody's Goddess (The Never Veil #1) 
Publication date: April 21, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC
Author: Amy McNulty 
In a village of masked men, each loves only one woman and must follow the commands of his “goddess” without question. A woman may reject the only man who will love her if she pleases, but she will be alone forever. And a man must stay masked until his goddess returns his love—and if she can’t or won’t, he remains masked forever. 
Where the rest of her village celebrates this mystery that binds men and women together, seventeen year old Noll is just done with it. She’s lost all her childhood friends as they’ve paired off, but the worst blow was when her closest companion, Jurij, finds his goddess in Noll’s own sister. Desperate to find a way to break this ancient spell, Noll instead discovers why no man has ever loved her: she is in fact the goddess of the mysterious lord of the village, a Byronic man who refuses to let Noll have her right as a woman to spurn him and who has the power to fight the curse. Thus begins a dangerous game between the two: the choice of woman versus the magic of man. And the stakes are no less than freedom and happiness, life and death—and neither Noll nor the veiled man is willing to lose.


Chapter-by-Chapter-header---About-the-Author
Amy McNulty
Amy McNulty is a freelance writer and editor from Wisconsin with an honors degree in English. She was first published in a national scholarly journal (The Concord Review) while in high school and currently spends her days alternatively writing on business and marketing topics and primarily crafting stories with dastardly villains and antiheroes set in fantastical medieval settings.
Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads


Chapter-by-Chapter-header---Giveaway

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
(Winners will receive their book on release day)




Thursday, January 22, 2015

Review: Kat, Incorrigible (Stephanie Burgis)

Kat, Incorrigible (Kat, Incorrigible, #1)
Title: Kat, Incorrigible
Series: Kat, Incorrigible, Book 1
Author: Stephanie Burgis
Publisher: Atheneum
Release Date: April 5, 2011
Genre: Middle Grade Historical Magical Realism
Content Rating: Middle Grade (some scary situations and darker content)
Format Read: Hardcover (library)
Find It OnGoodreads
Summary:

Katherine Ann Stephenson has just discovered that she's inherited her mother's magical talents, and despite Stepmama's stern objections, she's determined to learn how to use them. 

But with her eldest sister Elissa's intended fiancé, the sinister Sir Neville, showing a dangerous interest in Kat's magical potential; her other sister, Angeline, wreaking romantic havoc with her own witchcraft; and a highwayman lurking in the forest, even Kat's reckless heroism will be tested to the upmost. 

If she can learn to control her new powers, will Kat be able to rescue her family and win her sisters their true love?


*          *          *

Young and adventurous but with a darker tone that, while it wasn't as good as the cover promised was still a magical read.

Looking back, the summary was rather misleading for me. Paired with the fun cover I expected a light and playful story about a young girl who discovers she has powers and looks to books to learn how to use them, causing magical mishaps along the way but ultimately coming into her own. Instead this was a surprisingly darker story about a young girl at odds with her older sisters who has to go behind their backs to learn about magic and in doing so comes to the attention of some dangerous adults who want to use her. There were still magical mishaps, and Kat discovered she had inherited a pretty cool power, but it was darker than the cheerful cover had led me to expect. Still, while not quite what I was hoping for, it was a pretty good Middle Grade historical magic story with secret societies, unusual twists, romantic high-jinks, and a strong and self-reliant heroine.

There are two more books in the series, and as I suspect the second will be closer to the magical lessons and mishaps I was expecting in this book, I'll give it a try someday.

(This was the January 2015 pick for Gail's Book Group. To find out more about the Group and see what we've been reading, click here!)

Scribble Rating
3 out of 5 Scribbles


Saturday, January 17, 2015

Small Screen Review (1/4/15-1/17/15)



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

Galavant: Absolutely ridiculous but it's only 4 episodes so why not. At least Episode 2 was better than Episode 1, for the most part.

The Great British Baking Show: We adored the American version last year, so when I noticed the original British version on PBS we were excited to watch it! The hosts are really funny, and we're learning quite a bit about British sweets and basic recipes.

Master Chef Junior: Last season saw a winner we were all happy with, and while the new season's contestants aren't as impressive as last season's, we have a few favorites.

The Taste: We gave this all of the 2-hour season start before we gave up. The competition between the group heads got even worse, and the way the show is set up just doesn't feel quite fair.

CONTINUING SHOWS

Agent Carter: I really wasn't expecting much from this, so I've been somewhat pleasantly surprised. The best character is the butler, though.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: 1/2 season ended, new to come in a month or two. After the explosive 1/2-season end, I'm excited to see what happens with Skye!

Bones: No new episodes yet. *sigh*

Castle: Richard Castle, Private Investigator!! This opens a whole new angle that should prove a lot of fun if the first episode was any indication.

Elementary: Although I do like Kitty, having Sherlock and Watson separate hasn't been quite as good. Apparently the network felt the same way because they've been spending more time together and sending Kitty on errands, which I'm okay with.

Forever: While this show has grown on me, I'm eagerly awaiting the time when he tells the cop about his condition. Probably won't come until the end of the season or next season, though. *sigh*

Gotham: While Arkham was interesting, and I loved seeing Morena Baccarin, less Penguin (or in this case, a kicked Penguin) always equals less fun for me.

The Mentalist: Quite enjoying the final season! We keep expecting the worst at the end of each episode and are happy when it doesn't come - I'm hoping the entire season will just be one happy ending, and so far so good.

Once Upon a Time: 1/2 season ended the Frozen arc, which didn't turn out to be too bad, I guess. The "preview" for the next 1/2 season arc looks absolutely ridiculous, though - I thought they scraped the bottom of the barrel with Frozen, but I've been proven wrong. I will only be watching for the Rumple/Belle story, which I'm now excited to follow again!

The Paradise: Ended last year. We were sad for it to go, and while the end was abrupt, it was acceptable.

Person of Interest: Part 2 of 3 = BEST. EPISODE. EVER. When The Machine "simplified the simulation" we had to watch the scene several times to catch all the "dialogue" - and could Not. Stop. Laughing. Part 3 of 3 = Meh. While John and Root were off having all the fun we were stuck tailing Control. Rather boring.

</Scorpion>: The son is the best part of the show for me, so I'm glad he's been playing a slightly bigger role as of late - and I was happy to have an episode that revolved around him! These have gotten pretty intense, which has been pretty cool.

Selfie: Cancelled. I was a little disappointed, but not much.

DVD

Haven: Finished everything on DVD, and of course it ended on a serious cliffhanger. (Well, I guess all the seasons did.) Nathan really got on our nerves after a while, and I'm still rooting for Audrey to end up with Duke, who is one of my favorite characters of all time.

Continuum: Season 1 = After Haven we went right into a new show (my new library rocks), and we're quite enjoying it! I love Kiera + Alec - the banter and team effort make the show for me (and it's a completely non-romantic relationship!). Kiera without him just wouldn't be very good, and I'm not impressed with her cop partner. Season 2 = Just started, only 1 episode in, and apparently the writers changed because it was awful. Kiera was like an info-dumping robot, the episode story was badly done, and the changes to the main story were horrible. I really hope it gets better.

Riders of Berk: I am on a serious How to Train Your Dragon kick right now after watching HTTYD1 and then the new HTTYD2, and then re-watching both again several times. When I remembered there was a TV show as well I immediately checked out all the DVDs from the library. While the animation isn't quite as good, I'm enjoying the stories from the copious books I found out have been published (at least I'm assuming that's where they come from).




How to Train Your Dragon 1 & 2: Had to re-watch 1 before seeing 2, and enjoyed both for several re-watches afterwards. The friendship between Hiccup and Toothless is just perfection. And then of course I cannot get enough of Toothless in general. TOOTHLESS. *hugs screen*

The 100 Foot Journey: Wasn't quite as good as we'd been hoping, but it was a sweet movie that we did enjoy.

The Maze Runner: This turned out to be much better than I was anticipating! I honestly didn't know much about the story going in, so not knowing exactly what to expect made it better, I think. I hope they make the rest of the books into movies as well!

Maleficent: Although I wish it had been anyone other than Jolie, it was a pretty good (if surprisingly short) fairy-tale story with no true bad or good guys, which gave it a bit of a Miyazaki flair.

The Wind Rises: Speaking of Miyazaki, I saw his "final" movie - and sadly didn't like it. If it had been by anyone else I would've stopped within the first few minutes of the odd and slightly confusing hallucination/dream sequence, but I persevered and was rewarded by the earthquake scene. My biggest (and really only) takeaway was learning a bit of Japanese history, although I can't be too sure it's all true without consulting a history book. Overall it was odd and sad and I will definitely be referring people to his earlier works to marvel at his greatness.


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

Friday, January 16, 2015

The #FridayReads Review (1/16/15)



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 <<
All Fall Down (Embassy Row, #1)Exit Strategy (Nadia Stafford #1)

All Fall Down by Ally Carter (ARC)
As an #AllyAmbassador I was excited to get the ARC and start a new Carter series, but sadly I'm really not enjoying it. At a little over 100 pages I finally had to set it aside, and although I hate to DNF it I think I might. :\

Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong (MMP)
I've been craving more adult this year, so when this caught my eye I just couldn't resist a re-read. Nadia Stafford was a favorite series of mine when I was a little younger, and although there is a lot more language in it than I remembered it's still a very enjoyable read.


>> JUST FINISHED <<
Kat, Incorrigible (Kat, Incorrigible, #1)
Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis (HBK)
A young and playful story with a darker undercurrent that, while it wasn't as good as the cover promised was still an interesting and magical read. Review to come.


>> READING NEXT <<
Polaris (Avalon, #2)
Polaris by Mindee Arnett (ARC)
Loved the first book, Avalon (see my review here), so I can't wait to find out what happens to the ship and its crew!!


So what are you reading this week?

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

WoW: Pretending to be Erica (Michelle Painchaud)

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:


Pretending to Be Erica
Title: Pretending to be Erica
Author: Michelle Painchaud
Release Date: July 21, 2015
Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Summary:
We Were Liars meets Heist Society in a riveting debut!

Seventeen-year-old Violet’s entire life has revolved around one thing: becoming Erica Silverman, an heiress kidnapped at age five and never seen again. Violet’s father, the best con man in Las Vegas, has a plan, chilling in its very specific precision. Violet shares a blood type with Erica; soon, thanks to surgery and blackmail, she has the same face, body, and DNA. She knows every detail of the Silvermans’ lives, as well as the PTSD she will have to fake around them. And then, when the time is right, she “reappears”—Erica Silverman, brought home by some kind of miracle. But she is also Violet, and she has a job: Stay long enough to steal the Silverman Painting, an Old Master legendary in the Vegas crime world. Walking a razor’s edge, calculating every decision, not sure sometimes who she is or what she is doing it for, Violet is an unforgettable heroine, and Pretending to be Erica is a killer debut.

Why I'm Looking Forward To ItI love a good con story, and becoming someone else to steal something is one of my favorites! And it takes place in Vegas, which always adds a fun and sinister flair. Really excited for this one!


So what book are you waiting on?

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Duology Review: Mind Games & Perfect Lies (Kiersten White)

Mind Games (Mind Games, #1)Perfect Lies (Mind Games, #2)

Title: Mind Games, Perfect Lies
Series: Mind Games duology, Books 1 & 2
Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: December 3, 2013, February 18, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Magical Realism
Content Rating: Older Teen (Book 1: disturbing images and actions, some sensuality; Book 2: sensuality, intense situations, some violence)
Format Read: ARCs (trade)
Find On Goodreads: Book 1, Book 2
Purchase OnAmazon | B&N | Book Depository

Book 1 Summary:

Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future. 

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In a stunning departure from her New York Times bestselling Paranormalcy trilogy, Kiersten White delivers a slick, edgy, heartstoppingly intense psychological thriller about two sisters determined to protect each other—no matter the cost.


Book 2 Summary:

Annie and Fia are ready to fight back.

The sisters have been manipulated and controlled by the Keane Foundation for years, trapped in a never ending battle for survival. Now they have found allies who can help them truly escape. After faking her own death, Annie has joined a group that is plotting to destroy the Foundation. And Fia is working with James Keane to bring his father down from the inside.

But Annie's visions of the future can't show her who to trust in the present. And though James is Fia's first love, Fia knows he's hiding something. The sisters can rely only on each other - but that may not be enough to save them.

*          *          *

Three Words: Chilling. Engrossing. Balanced.

Writing & StoryA simple but edgy and engrossing story told in alternating First Person chapters from sisters Fia and Annie, as well as past and present timelines. Fia's choppy train of thought narration was a bit jarring at first but so raw and real that soon the choppier her chapters were, the better. Annie's sightless voice was comparatively rather passive-aggressive and kind of bland, but it balanced Fia's madness. The back-and-forth chapter layout made the individual timelines occasionally confusing and hard to follow, but the unbalanced story seemed to fit with Fia's unbalanced mind.

Characters: Fia was intense and seriously messed up, a train wreck I couldn't look away from. With her many tics she was so realistic, and I connected with her like no other character before. Compared to Fia, Annie was kind of passive-aggressive and bland - Fia outshone her by miles with so much originality and personality. Annie was the opposite of proactive, never doing much of anything, letting everyone take care of her. She even realizes this... and then doesn't do much to correct it. I know she was blind, but all her actions were reactions, even at the end, and this made them anticlimactic and rather predictable. That said though, she was a good contrast to Fia - a quiet, innocent soul to Fia's loud, broken one. She balanced out Fia's crazy so the book wasn't just one big mass of insanity.

Content: This was a dark story, but not a heavy dark. Although it was a story about a girl who hurts and kills people, the violence was described clinically and dispassionately which lightened the heavier content. 

Conclusion: While it had its flaws, the intensity of the story and the brilliance that was Fia made for one seriously engrossing read that I highly recommend and can't wait to rediscover again soon!

For Fans OfTransparent by Natalie Whipple

Scribble Rating
4 of 5 Scribbles

Friday, January 9, 2015

The #FridayReads Review (1/9/15)



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 <<
Kat, Incorrigible (Kat, Incorrigible, #1)
Kat, Incorrigible by Stephanie Burgis (HBK)
This month's Gail Book Group pick! I just started it this morning and so far I'm quite enjoying it - I can never resist a story about magic, especially a children's one!


>> JUST FINISHED <<
Prudence (The Custard Protocol, #1)Captive (The Blackcoat Rebellion, #2)Seconds: A Graphic Novel

Prudence by Gail Carriger (ARC)
4.5 Stars. Another stellar series from Miss Gail set in her alternate historical paranormal steampunk world that will this time appeal to New Adult fans with its young, adventurous, and slightly rebellious cast of characters! Present fans of Miss Gail will find much to get excited about with the return of many familiar faces as well as the introduction of a unique and colorful cast of new ones. Whether the book (and therefore the series) stands on its own apart from the other series, though, I'm not sure. Full review to come. (Bonus: you can enter to win a copy right now on Goodreads here!)

Captive by Aimee Carter (ARC)
4 Stars. Another quick and intense read! While it did begin a bit slow for me, with the first few chapters reading more like a recap prologue, the shift to Elsewhere brought exciting new characters and twists that expanded the story with big revelations and even bigger possibilities for the final installment. Full review to come!

Seconds by Bryan Lee O'Malley (HBK)
3.5 Stars. An amusing and imaginative story. Adored the house spirits.


>> READING NEXT <<
All Fall Down (Embassy Row, #1)
All Fall Down by Ally Carter (ARC)
Just received my #AllyAmbassador copy!! It releases in just a few weeks so to the top of the pile it went.


So what are you reading this week?