Thursday, December 26, 2013

Review: Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School, #2)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.
     

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Release Day Launch & Excerpt: Bitter Sweet Love by Jennifer L. Armentrout


 
Jennifer L. Armentrout's amazing novella in her new The Dark Elements Series, BITTER SWEET LOVE, is out and we are excited to join in the release day launch for it. BITTER SWEET LOVE is the Prequel Novella for The Dark Elements Series and is full of Wardens, fantasy, and romance. The first novel in the series, WHITE HOT KISS, will be released February 25, 2014. Check out what we have for you today! There's also a fantastic excerpt for you to check out below!

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!


About Jennifer L. Armentrout:
 
# 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:
 
AMAZON     BARNES AND NOBLE     iTunes


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