Wednesday 27 March 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (17)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week I'm waiting on:

Isla and the Happily Ever After
Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
Release date: September 17.

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.

Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.



I cannot wait to read this book! Anna and the French Kiss is my all-time favourite book, and if Isla's story is just remotely as good as Anna, I know I'll love it too. I liked the short glimpses of Isla in Anna, and I really, really liked Josh, so I think this book is bound to be amazing. And then of course, Anna and Étienne will be in it! Eeep! 
I think the cover is pretty, but I do think it's a shame that they're going to change all the covers. 

What are you waiting on this week? Leave a link below and let me know.

Cover reveal: Frigid by J.Lynn

Frigid

For twenty-one-year-old Sydney, being in love with Kyler isn't anything new. They'd been best friends ever since he pushed her down on the playground and she made him eat a mud pie. Somewhere over the years, she fell for him and fell hard. The big problem with that? Kyler puts the 'man' in man-whore. He's never stayed with a girl longer than a few nights, and with it being their last year in college, Syd doesn't want to risk their friendship by declaring her love.

Kyler has always put Syd on a pedestal that was too high for him to reach. To him, she's perfect and she's everything. But the feelings he has for her, he's always hidden away or focused on any other female. After all, Kyler will always be the poor boy from the wrong side of tracks, and Syd will always be the one girl he can never have.

But when they're stranded together at a posh ski resort due to a massive Nor'easter, there's nothing stopping their red-hot feelings for each other from coming to the surface. Can their friendship survive the attraction? Better yet, can they survive at all? Because as the snow falls, someone is stalking them, and this ski trip may be a life-changer in more ways than one.

Frigid will be available in digital formats on July 30th 2013
Print release of Frigid will be November 5th 2012
Goodreads


J. Lynn, also known as Jennifer L. Armentrout, is a # 1 New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author. She lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russel Loki.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.
She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.


Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Website

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Easy by Tammara Webber

Easy
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Rescued by a stranger.
Haunted by a secret
Sometimes, love isn’t easy…


He watched her, but never knew her. Until thanks to a chance encounter, he became her savior…
The attraction between them was undeniable. Yet the past he’d worked so hard to overcome, and the future she’d put so much faith in, threatened to tear them apart.
Only together could they fight the pain and guilt, face the truth—and find the unexpected power of love.
A groundbreaking novel in the New Adult genre, Easy faces one girl's struggle to regain the trust she's lost, find the inner strength to fight back against an attacker, and accept the peace she finds in the arms of a secretive boy.



My thoughts

Wow, this book! I'm completely blown away by it! I have to admit that I hadn't expected very much from it, but it seemes everybody was praising this book, so I thought I'd see what all the hype was about. And boy, was I in for a nice surprise. I devoured this book, I couldn't put it down! I don't even quite know what it is I like about the book - well, except for just all of it. So far this is the best New Adult book I've read. Okay, I haven't read that many yet, but still..! When it ended I wasn't ready to leave the characters yet. I could just read about them all day, and I wish the book had been even longer, so I could read more about them. Jacqueline and Lucas are characters that stays with you. 

The story begins when Jacqueline, leaving a party, is about to be raped, but the she is rescued by this mysterious guy, she has never seen before. Except, after the attack he seems to be everywhere. Jacqueline thinks (or rather her friend suggests) he would do as an excellent rebound after her boyfriend recently dumbed her. But Jaqueline soon realizes that he is more than simply a rebound. Jacqueline and Lucas has great chemistry, and I loved every scene they were together.

I loved Jacqueline. She was strong, independent, clever and funny. I never think she made stupid choices, and I always understood her actions, which is kind of rare for me. I also liked how mature she was, and how she picked up herself aften her a** of a boyfriend dumbed her. She moved on, and she never really looked back again. Well, I wouldn't either if I'd got Lucas. Another thing I really liked about Jacqueline was that she  wasn't constantly obssessing about him, she has other things to do, such as work, school and other normal things that she was equally occupied by this. 

Lucas was.. oh how to describe him. He was swoon-worthy! Simply put. He was sweet, caring, protective and brilliant. I loved that he was a bit shy, and wasn't the typical arrogant alpha male, used to getting excactly what he wants. He was genuinely interested in Jacqueline from the very beginning, but kept back and didn't force himself on her. And even though he was flawed, he was absolutely perfect. It's a persons imperfections that make them perfect, right? But Lucas had a good reason for being how he was, and after learning his secret I was so concerned for him. What he's been through.. Well, you'll have to read that for yourself, 'cause I'm not saying anymore. 

I liked all the secondary characters as well, and rather than just being there for.. you know, being there, they had a purpose. They were just as essential to the story - and to Jacqueline and Lucas - as the main characters themselves. I especially liked Erin, who was both fun, but also showed some impressive strength, determination and will. And she was always there for Jacqueline and was very understanding. She was a great best friend. 

The book dealed with some heavy issues, and I think it was handled very well by the author. I think her messages came through clearly, and it was very important ones at that.  

Overall, I loved this book, and I cannot recommend it enough. I know I'll be rereading it very soon. A new favorite.

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 

Top Ten Books I Recommend the Most


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week topic is: Top Ten Books I Recommend the Most. 

Recommending books are always difficult. Some books that you love others hate. Here are some books I would highly recommend, for one reason or the other, but mostly because several of them are my all-time favorites and books I just loooove.

1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: My absolute favorite book. If you like contemporary, Paris, a cute coming of age story or just something to make you smile, this is for you.

Anna and the French KissThe Fault in Our Stars

2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green: A thought-provoking book to say the least. This book is so amazing, but be prepared - you might cry.

3. Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout: Another favorite of mine, because it has everything I'm always looking for; a clever and funny heroine, a swoon-worthy guy, an interesting premise, steamy banter and much much more.

Obsidian (Lux, #1)The Iron King (The Iron Fey, #1)

4. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa: If you like fairies this is the book for you, it's the best book featuring fairies I've ever read, plus Kagawa writes exceptionally.

5. Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout: Greek Mythology? Then you're in for a treat with JLA's Covenant series.

Half-Blood (Covenant, #1)City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)

6. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare: This is a great book, the universe Clare has created is a mix of some the familiar elements and new, unique ones. The characters are awesome and the writing is just as good.

7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: One of my favorite classics, and if you haven't yet met Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy you're missing out.

Pride and PrejudiceA Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy, #1)

8. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness: This is a whole new spin to vampires and witches, and I love how Harkness weaves history, vampires, witches, mystery and other amazing things together.

9. Easy by Tammara Webber: So far this is my favorite New Adult (contemporary) book. The story and charachters are great, and it's one of those books I wish would never end, because I could read about the characters all day.
Easy

Which books would you recommend? Leave a link below and let me know!

Thursday 14 March 2013

Swoon Thursday (4) - Easy


SWOON is a weekly meme hosted by YA Bound.
From the book you’re currently reading, or one you just finished, tell us what made you SWOON. What got your heart pounding, your skin tingling, and your stomach fluttering. 

Shout it out on Twitter with the hashtag #YABound, post it here in the comments, or grab the adorable button above and share it on your blog. We want to know!

________

This week I've been swooning over Lucas from Easy by Tammara Webber:

Easy

“Choosing to be with you, isn't a difficult decision, Jacqueline...It's easy. Incredibly easy.” 



Who has made you swoon this week? Leave a link or just leave the quote in the comment below.

Wednesday 13 March 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (16)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
This week I'm waiting on:
Just One Year (Just One Day, #2)
Just One Year by Gayle Forman
Release date: October 15.

Can you fall in love in just one day? Can you become a new person? How about in just one year? In JUST ONE DAY and its companion novel JUST ONE YEAR, sheltered American good girl Allyson “LuLu” Healey and easygoing actor Willem De Ruiter are about to find out against a guidebook-worthy array of foreign backdrops. Equal parts romance, coming-of-age-tale, mystery and travel romp (with settings that span from England’s Stratford upon Avon to Paris to Amsterdam to India’s Bollywood) JUST ONE DAY and JUST ONE YEAR show how in looking for someone else, you just might wind up finding yourself.


I just finished Just One Day last week, and now I need Just One Year. I mean, it left on a huge cliffhanger!! That wasn't very nice. At least this sequel is going to be released this year and not, like, next year. Though October is still very, very far away.  
I really like the cover to this one, so pretty. And I can't wait to read Willem story and from his POV! Eeep! 

What are you waiting for this week? Leave a link below and let me know!

Tuesday 12 March 2013

Just One Day by Gayle Forman

Just One Day (Just One Day, #1)
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When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.


My thoughts

This is the first book I've read by Gayle Forman, but it certainly won't be the last. I didn't quite know what to expect from Just One Day, and it has got some varying reviews, but with a setting in Paris, it was hard to refuse. And I'm so glad I read it.
The story isn't so much a romantic one, as it is about self-discovery, figuring out who you really are and maybe breaking away from the conefinements others has put you in. In the beginning, Allyson think she knows excatly who she is, and she is happy with her life. But then she does something, that she thought she would never, ever do; she goes with Willem - a guy she only just met, and frankly know nothing about - to Paris for just one day. Here she becomes "Lulu", a name Willem gives her, and when she's pretending to be Lulu she dares to do a lot more than before, but most importantly she feels free. Being with Willem that one day makes her a whole other person, and she questions whether Lulu is an act or if she's finally finding herself.
I liked that while Willem first opened this hidden, unknown side of her, it's Allyson who has to piece the puzzle together, it's her who has to find herself.

He showed me how to get lost, and then I showed myself how to get found. 

At first I had a hard time connecting to the story and the characters, but as the book progressed I couldn't help but be concerned and invested in Allyson's life. I think Allyson was an amazing character. I think she was courageous, smart and independent. She made some tough choices and stood by them. And I recognized a lot of her feelings about figuring out who you really are, and where you're supposed to go from there. I think she - actually this book - was very inspiring, and I almost felt a need to jump on the nearest train and just go somewhere totally unplanned. Almost.

I really liked Willem. He seems like a great guy despite everything, and I liked those glimpses of vulnerability he gave. He's definitely one you shouldn't judge to fast, because you need the whole picture to truly understand him, his character, his actions. Another reason why I can't wait to read the sequel, Just One Year, which will be in his POV.

I also liked all the side charachters, and I think they were all well developed. I especially liked Dee, I actually think he, after Allyson, was my favourite in the book. He definitely wasn't who he appears to be either, and I think that's one of the important parts in the story: you shouldn't judge people on how they appear, but how they are. And you'll only know the difference if you're attentive and don't put them in a box to quickly. Another "character" in this story was Shakespeare, or rather his plays. They were amazingly incorporated in the story and where significant to the story, without taking to much attention and being too overwhelming. And I think I'm going to read As You Like It some time soon.

I very much liked this book, and I can't wait to read the next book, Just One Year, which thankfully is released later this year. I'll most definitely recommend this book. 

C'est courageux d'aller dans l'inconnu': It is courageous to go into territory unknown. 

☆ ☆ ☆ 

Wednesday 6 March 2013

Waiting on Wednesday (15)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines, #4)This week I'm waiting for:

The Fiery Heart by Richelle Mead
Release date: November 19.

In The Indigo Spell, Sydney was torn between the Alchemist way of life and what her heart and gut were telling her to do. And in one breathtaking moment that Richelle Mead fans will never forget, she made a decision that shocked even her. . . .

But the struggle isn't over for Sydney. As she navigates the aftermath of her life-changing decision, she still finds herself pulled in too many directions at once. Her sister Zoe has arrived, and while Sydney longs to grow closer to her, there's still so much she must keep secret. Working with Marcus has changed the way she views the Alchemists, and Sydney must tread a careful path as she harnesses her profound magical ability to undermine the way of life she was raised to defend. Consumed by passion and vengeance, Sydney struggles to keep her secret life under wraps as the threat of exposure—and re-education—looms larger than ever.

Pulses will race throughout this thrilling fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where no secret is safe.


The Bloodlines series has become one my absolute favourites, because Adrian it is simply amazing! I love the story, the characters, the writing, everything. While The Indigo Spell didn't end on the biggest cliffhanger, I still can't wait to read The Fiery Heart (love the title btw). And from the blurb it sounds totally awesome. But that's not even the best part, nope, this book is going to be partly in Adrian's pov!!!!!! Whoa!!! But wait, the release date is in .. November?!?!?!? Whaaaaaaat?! I cannot wait that long, I .. no, nuh-uh, it can't be true! I want it NOW! Okay, calm down, at least it's this year, and not, like, in 2014. *sigh*

What are you waiting for this week? Leave a link below and let me know.