Now, 2013 wasn't all bad, amidst all the
misses there have been some really great hits.
Such as the books listed below:
Double Vision: Code Name 711 by F.T. Bradley
The Rithmatist by BrandonSanderson
Ink by Amanda Sun
Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger
Midnight Frost & Spartan Frost by Jennifer
Estep
The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth Laban
This is what Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman
A Tale of Two Centuries by Rachel Harris
Blurred by Tara Fuller
The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller
The Hero's Guide to Storming the Castle by Christopher Healy
Pivot Point by Kasie West
Hiding out at the Pancake Palace by Nan Marino
The Collector by Victoria Scott
Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza
The Seven Swords by Nils Johnson-Shelton
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
I'm sure I missed a few, but you get the point. So, what were your favorite books of 2013?
Monday, December 30, 2013
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Review: Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger
Title: Curtsies & Conspiracies (Click title for Synopsis)Source/Format: Won, Hardback
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Novermber 5, 2013 Little Brown Books for Young Readers
My Thoughts:
Curtsies & Conspiracies (C&C) by Gail Carriger was an interesting read—one that I happened to enjoy considering the lack of enthusiasm I’ve had for reading lately. I found the overall writing style and plot refreshing. It was nice to see an alternative-history based book targeted at a YA audience. I wasn't familiar with the characaters because I didn't read the first book prior to diving into C&C. But, I didn’t have any trouble following along with Sophronia’s adventures. As a main character, Sophronia was alright, and I liked seeing the relationships she developed with the people around her. She had a habit of being a bit nosey, but she did it with good intentions. There were a whole host of characters, but to avoid spoiling anything, I won’t go into them. Now as for the school, well, it’s one I’d like to attend after all it is in a dirigible. Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing School was a creative take on the boarding school concept sometimes found in YA. My only problem with C&C is that all the action, albeit brief as it was, happened at the very end of the book. And at times, the pacing seemed to slow down. But that didn’t hamper my overall enjoyment of the C&C. To sum it up, I liked Curtsies & Conspiracies, and I’m even more curious now than ever to see how the whole series started.
Check out the Trailer for the book below!
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
MOVIE, BOOK, OR BOTH? The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Directed by Peter Jackson Review
So there's an occasional thing we like to do on Our Thoughts Precisely. We'll go see a movie and then read the book after to see if there are any differences, if it's more detailed and whatnot. All to see if we like the Movie, the Book, or Both. So it's only fitting that we call it: Movie, Book, or Both? Now before I get to my thoughts on The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, take a look at the awesome trailer!
Title:The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Director: Peter Jackson
Screenwriter(s): Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens & Guillermo del Toro
Rating: PG-13
Official Site: Click Here
Release Date: December 13, 2013
My Thoughts:
Thanks to 760 AM KFMB, I attended an Advanced Screening of The
Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. I usually like to indicate if I liked the movie,
book, or both. I haven’t read the book, so for now let me just say that The
Desolation of Smaug is one of my favorite movies of 2013.
Although, I enjoyed The Hobbit: An Unexpected
Journey. It was fairly slow paced and some of the scenes were drawn-out, so I
was unsure of what to expect from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Was it
slow paced? Absolutely not. The Desolation of Smaug was action packed early on.
The battle scenes were epic and somewhat
graphic with disturbing images as indicated in the movies ratings; yet,
skillfully depicted. I don’t usually
like to watch movies in 3D, but this was the perfect effect for this movie. I
can’t speak for anyone else, but I found myself jumping off the seat during a
couple of the unpredictable action sequences. The movie kept me glued to the
screen. I was so captivated by the movie that I lost track of time. And just
right smack at the height of the action, there’s a turning point—and then the
end that left me saying, “Noooooo, you just can’t end the movie like this. A
big cliffhanger??? Really???” Oh well, other than leaving me on the edge wanting
answers, The Desolation of Smaug is an awesome must see movie.
*On a side note: Although I give all of the crew kudos, I should have known Guillermo del Toro had a hand in the creation of this movie because I loved it just as much as Pacific Rim, in which he was a director/producer/screenwriter.
*On a side note: Although I give all of the crew kudos, I should have known Guillermo del Toro had a hand in the creation of this movie because I loved it just as much as Pacific Rim, in which he was a director/producer/screenwriter.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Release Day Launch & Excerpt: Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L. Armentrout
EXCERPT:
Moving lightning fast, Dez shifted and I was suddenly
underneath him. His arms were on either side of my head, caging me in. Our
bodies didn’t touch, but I felt him to the tips of my toes anyway.
The teasing grin disappeared when I dragged in a deep breath and my chest
brushed his. Everything changed in an instant. The playful mood faded, replaced
by primal heaviness. Our gazes collided and locked. Neither of us moved. His
closeness sent a series of shivers skittering across my skin and made it hard
to take slow, even breaths. My body tensed when his gaze dropped to my mouth.
He tilted his head to the side. “I… I honestly have no idea what we were
talking about.”
“Good. Neither do I.”
He shifted his weight onto one arm, bring him closer. “Have you enjoyed your
trip so far?”
“Yes.” I felt as if I couldn’t get enough air into my lungs.
“Good.” He lowered his head. His breath was minty as it moved across my cheek
and then my lips. “I’m glad.”
I wasn’t really following the conversation and I wasn’t sure that he was fully
aware of what was coming out of his mouth. I searched my hazy brain for
something to say and wet my lips. I-
The sound that came out of Dez’s chest rumbled through me. A stuttered heartbeat
passed and then his lips were on mine. There was nothing slow about this kiss.
It scorched my skin and caused my body to stretch tight like a bowstring. The
kiss deepened, spinning my senses. I shuddered when his hand curved over my
shoulder and drifted down to my waist, his long fingers spreading out under the
hem of my shirt, grazing the bare skin of my stomach.
I gasped, floored by the raw sensations pounding through my blood. My skin felt
as if I was about to phase. Maybe I was.
“Jasmine,” he whispered, the word falling against my lips, and then his body
was pressing mine into the mattress, heavy, sweet and hard.
ABOUT BITTER SWEET LOVE (The Dark Elements #.5):
In a
sizzling prequel novella to her new series The Dark Elements, #1 New York
Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout draws readers into the
extraordinary, irresistible world of Wardens and demons.
Dez wasn't
just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms
with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining the balance between good
and evil. He was her everything…right until the moment he disappeared without a
trace. It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez
would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally.
And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again…
Don't miss White Hot Kiss, book one in Jennifer L. Armentrout's The Dark Elements series from Harlequin TEEN!
# 1
NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling author Jennifer 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 Russell 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. Her book
Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series
has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the
name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
Links:
WHITE HOT KISS Buy Links:
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