Happy Halloween

The Friday 56 (42) In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Ruby can't look back. Fractured by an unbearable loss, she and the kids who survived the government's attack on Los Angeles travel north to regroup. With them is a prisoner: Clancy Gray, son of the president, and one of the few people Ruby has encountered with abilities like hers. Only Ruby has any power over him, and just one slip could lead to Clancy wreaking havoc on their minds.

They are armed only with a volatile secret: proof of a government conspiracy to cover up the real cause of IAAN, the disease that has killed most of America's children and left Ruby and others like her with powers the government will kill to keep contained. But internal strife may destroy their only chance to free the "rehabilitation camps" housing thousands of other Psi kids.

Meanwhile, reunited with Liam, the boy she would-and did-sacrifice everything for to keep alive, Ruby must face the painful repercussions of having tampered with his memories of her. She turns to Cole, his older brother, to provide the intense training she knows she will need to take down Gray and the government. But Cole has demons of his own, and one fatal mistake may be the spark that sets the world on fire...


"Be better than this, I thought, my nails digging into the palms of my hands. You have to be better than this. The adrenaline was slow to leave my system; I couldn't keep from shaking, not entirely."--In the Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

What are you reading this weekend?

Weekend Tidbits {#6} Star Wars & Pumpkin Scones

You know, I just had to talk about the new Star Wars trailer released last Monday. (If you haven't seen it yet then CLICK HERE.) All I have to say is that this trailer has me excited for this movie because of the nostalgia, the feels, and the musical score for Star Wars by John Williams. December can't get here soon enough!

Anyway moving on. I've had scones before, but I've never tried pumpkin ones. And my question from this Musing Mondays post sort of inspired me to give them a try. I used this Recipe from Cooking Classy with the addition of walnuts and raisins plus a maple glaze instead of a pumpkin one. They were pretty simple to make with delicious results. Pictured to the left are how mine came out.

My choice of tea for today is peppermint.

 

{Links for Weekend Tidbits can be found on the Features Page.}

ARC Review: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

Title: Wolf By Wolf
Author: Ryan Graudin
Source/Format: The Novl Newsletter (publisher), ARC
More Details: Young Adult, Fantasy, Alternative History
Publisher/Publication Date: Little Brown Books for Young Readers, October 22, 2015

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository

Synopsis from Goodreads...

The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule the world. To commemorate their Great Victory over Britain and Russia, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor's ball. Yael, who escaped from a death camp, has one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year's only female victor, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele twin's brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael's every move. But as Yael begins to get closer to the other competitors, can she bring herself to be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and complete her mission?

Hold on I need a second, to, you know, catch my breath…

**deep breaths**

Alright, Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin was absolutely fantastic, and one of the best books I’ve read this year. Period. End of Discussion. But I can’t end the review yet, I have to actually talk about the book. So here goes nothing…

From the start I was interested in Wolf by Wolf because it’s an alternative-history novel, a “what if such and such didn’t happen/end as we know it” kind of book—a genre I enjoy but haven’t read enough of (A good example of this type of book would be Scott Westerfeld’s Leviathan Trilogy). So, I had pretty high expectations, and Wolf by Wolf did not let me down.

What if the Axis powers won the war?

This book ultimately explores those possibilities by using its setting and time period to tell the story of Yael. Yael’s experience was nothing short of horrifying. These things were revealed by alternating chapters that told the “then” combined with the present, the “now”. The “then” told Yael’s history, showing her experience through her eyes when she was a child rather than just telling about it later. These chapters were essential to understanding Yael—her fears, determination, all of it. Yael was a complex and interesting character, like many of the others—Luka, Felix, Adele—they all had layers and stories to tell.

The concept of an alternative ending to World War II and a race that spans across continents was fantastic. The idea of skinshifting was also pretty cool. The world building was handled really well, and it was easy to get into the story. Even with all of the different things going on, it worked.

There’s so much more that I could say, but this review would never end. So, final thoughts. The ending left me with some questions, like: What’s in store for Yael next? I want to know, because Wolf by Wolf is a story I’m invested in. It made me root for the characters to succeed every step of the way. And that’s a good thing in my book.

Now the wait for book two begins.

 This copy of the book was provided by The Novl Newsletter (Publisher) for this review, thank you!

Release Week Blitz & Giveaway: Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin

I am so excited that WOLF BY WOLF by Ryan Graudin releases today and that I get to share the news, along with an awesome giveaway! If you haven’t yet heard about this book yet be sure to check out all the details below. And as always, there's a giveaway at the end of the post, so keep scrolling.

Special intro from the author...

"Once upon a different time, there was a girl who lived in a kingdom of death. Wolves howled up her arm. A whole pack of them--made of tattoo ink and pain, memory and loss. It was the only thing about her that ever stayed the same.

Her story begins on a train."

And so begins the story of Yael, a girl who can change her appearance to mimic any other female. A girl who must win a 20,000 kilometer cross-continental motorcycle race from Germania to Tokyo so that she can have an audience with Adolf Hitler. A girl who has every intention of killing him.

Whenever I describe the premise of WOLF BY WOLF to people, the reactions I get are quite similar. It's the "are-you-insane-or-are-you-onto-something" face: dropped jaw, squiggly eyebrows. I must admit, I felt many of those same feelings when I first started penning Yael's story. Alternate history + sci-fi + epic motorcycle journey felt like a strange recipe for a novel. But I pushed through my fears and kept writing, and I couldn't be happier with the result. I, for one, don't think I'm insane, but I'll let you, dear reader, come up with your own conclusion. Happy reading!"--Ryan Graudin

About The Book:

Title: WOLF BY WOLF

Author: Ryan Graudin

Release Date: October 20, 2015

Pages: 400

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

Code Name Verity meets Inglourious Basterds in this fast-paced novel from the author of The Walled City.

The year is 1956, and the Axis powers of the Third Reich and Imperial Japan rule the world. To commemorate their Great Victory over Britain and Russia, Hitler and Emperor Hirohito host the Axis Tour: an annual motorcycle race across their conjoined continents. The victor is awarded an audience with the highly reclusive Adolf Hitler at the Victor's ball.

Yael, who escaped from a death camp, has one goal: Win the race and kill Hitler. A survivor of painful human experimentation, Yael has the power to skinshift and must complete her mission by impersonating last year's only female victor, Adele Wolfe. This deception becomes more difficult when Felix, Adele twin's brother, and Luka, her former love interest, enter the race and watch Yael's every move. But as Yael begins to get closer to the other competitors, can she bring herself to be as ruthless as she needs to be to avoid discovery and complete her mission?

About Ryan:

Ryan Graudin grew up in Charleston and graduated from the College of Charleston with a degree in Creative Writing in 2009. She is the author of All That Glows and The Walled City. She resides near Charleston with her husband and wolf-dog. You can find her online at www.ryangraudin.com.

Website | Twitter |Tumblr | Goodreads | Pinterest | Blog

Now time for the giveaway. One winner will receive a signed finished copy of the book with a special WOLF BY WOLF pin. This contest is US Only and ends on October 26th at Midnight EST!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Friday 56 (40) The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Michael is a gamer. And like most gamers, he almost spends more time on the VirtNet than in the actual world. The VirtNet offers total mind and body immersion, and the more hacking skills you have, the more fun. Why bother following the rules when most of them are dumb, anyway? But some rules were made for a reason. Some technology is too dangerous to fool with. And one gamer has been doing exactly that, with murderous results. The government knows that to catch a hacker, you need a hacker. And they’ve been watching Michael. If he accepts their challenge, Michael will need to go off the VirtNet grid to the back alleys and corners of the system human eyes have never seen—and there’s the possibility that the line between game and reality will be blurred forever...

"Cutter glared. "Laugh all ya want. I'm not the one who needs something. Last I remember, that was you.""--The Eye of Minds by James Dashner




What are you reading this week?

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Grudging by Michelle Hauck

Today Michelle Hauck and Rockstar Book Tours are revealing the cover for Grudging, book one of the Birth of Saints series, which releases November 17, 2015! Check out the gorgeous cover and enter to win a copy of the eBook. Now, on to the reveal! 

Title: GRUDGING

Author: Michelle Hauck

Pub. Date: November 17, 2015

Publisher: Harper Voyager Impulse

Format: eBook

Find it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Goodreads

A world of chivalry and witchcraft…and the invaders who would destroy everything...

The North has invaded, bringing a cruel religion and no mercy. The ciudades-estados who have stood in their way have been razed to nothing, and now the horde is before the gates of Colina Hermosa…demanding blood.

On a mission of desperation, a small group escapes the besieged city in search of the one thing that might stem the tide of Northerners: the witches of the southern swamps.

The Women of the Song.

But when tragedy strikes their negotiations, all that is left is a single untried knight and a witch who has never given voice to her power.  And time is running out.

A lyrical tale of honor and magic, Grudging is the opening salvo in the Book of Saints trilogy.

About Michelle: 

Michelle Hauck lives in the bustling metropolis of northern Indiana with her hubby and two teenagers. Two papillons help balance out the teenage drama. Besides working with special needs children by day, she writes all sorts of fantasy, giving her imagination free range. A book worm, she passes up the darker vices in favor of chocolate and looks for any excuse to reward herself. Bio finished? Time for a sweet snack.

She is a co-host of the yearly contests Query Kombat and Nightmare on Query Street, and Sun versus Snow.

Her epic fantasy, Kindar's Cure, is published by Divertir Publishing. Her short story, Frost and Fog, is published by The Elephant's Bookshelf Press in their anthology, Summer's Double Edge. She's repped by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary.

Website | Twitter | Facebook page | Tumblr | Goodreads

And now for the giveaway. Starting now you can enter for the chance to win an ebook copy of Grudging, this contest is International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

Title: The Halloween Tree
Author: Ray Bradbury
Source/Format: Purchased, Paperback
More Details: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Yearling, September 7, 1999

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository  

Synopsis from Goodreads...

"A fast-moving, eerie...tale set on Halloween night. Eight costumed boys running to meet their friend Pipkin at the haunted house outside town encounter instead the huge and cadaverous Mr. Moundshroud. As Pipkin scrambles to join them, he is swept away by a dark Something, and Moundshroud leads the boys on the tail of a kite through time and space to search the past for their friend and the meaning of Halloween. After witnessing a funeral procession in ancient Egypt, cavemen discovering fire, Druid rites, the persecution of witches in the Dark Ages, and the gargoyles of Notre Dame, they catch up with the elusive Pipkin in the catacombs of Mexico, where each boy gives one year from the end of his life to save Pipkin's. Enhanced by appropriately haunting black-and-white drawings."--Booklist

This book was the kind of book that if I say too much then I’ll end up unintentionally spoiling it for anyone who wants to read it—partly due to the fact that it was so short.

So what should I say about book?

Well for one, The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury was a delightful, quick, and fun novel. Going into it I was looking for a festive book that fit the season—October, so obviously Halloween—and with this book I can firmly say that I got what I was after.

Next, there were eight boys out on Halloween night—ready to go trick-or-treating and have a good time—but they were missing someone, another friend. And as they try to find this friend they’re taken on an adventure through different points of time all across the world. At times it was spooky, at times it was lighthearted, and altogether it made for a good novel.

And finally, The Halloween tree was as wonderful as it was magical, especially the part that directly tied-in with the title.

At the end of the day, I’m more than happy that I gave this book a chance.

Musing Mondays (39) Answers To All Of The Questions...

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm, that asks you to muse about something book related each week.

My Musings for the Week...

Its been some time since I did a Musing Mondays post, but today is a new day (and I've missed some great questions). So, I'm just going to answer them below...

Random weekly question(s): If you were forced to spend the rest of your life in a library, a museum, or a zoo, which would you choose — and why?

At first I thought I had it narrowed down to museum or library, but then again zoos are cool too. It kind of makes the decision difficult because I wouldn't mind being stuck in all of them. It would be nice if I could just combine all three, but that's too much of a cop-out. I would say museum, but then again libraries have history books. But at the same time libraries don't have exhibits. Man, what a dilemma. You know what, I'll just go with museum and library since I can't decide, which is still kind of a cop-out but whatever.

Do you make a seasonal reading list? How do you choose what goes on it?

I don't have a seasonal reading list, because I usually decide to read books based off of what I'm in the mood for at the time. So really, it varies.

Is a rainy day likely to inspire you to read?

Actually, not really. If I happen to read while it rains then yeah, ok, I can roll with that. Sometimes I draw, but rainy days are just another day to me.

Have you ever decorated your house around your love of books? Would you?

Hah, no way. If I ever decided to do that, the entire house would be covered from floor-to-ceiling with bookcases crammed with as many books as I could fit on the shelves. There wouldn't be room for anything else, even the couch could be one with shelves underneath the cushions. It would be kind of cool but also a disaster in the making mainly because California and earthquakes. 

That's pretty much it for today, but since it's October I need a good question to ask (I'm automatically coming up with pumpkins). So, what is your favorite way to eat pumpkin/pumpkin related food? Pie, coffee, cake, scones, etc.?

The Friday 56 (39) The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Synopsis from Goodreads...

"A fast-moving, eerie...tale set on Halloween night. Eight costumed boys running to meet their friend Pipkin at the haunted house outside town encounter instead the huge and cadaverous Mr. Moundshroud. As Pipkin scrambles to join them, he is swept away by a dark Something, and Moundshroud leads the boys on the tail of a kite through time and space to search the past for their friend and the meaning of Halloween. After witnessing a funeral procession in ancient Egypt, cavemen discovering fire, Druid rites, the persecution of witches in the Dark Ages, and the gargoyles of Notre Dame, they catch up with the elusive Pipkin in the catacombs of Mexico, where each boy gives one year from the end of his life to save Pipkin's. Enhanced by appropriately haunting black-and-white drawings."--Booklist

""Easy," whispered Moundshroud. "Here comes--"
A funeral procession."--The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury


One of my favorite movies to watch around this time of year is Hocus Pocus. So, what's your favorite Halloween movie? 

Review: Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

Title: Never Fade
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Source/Format: Hardback, Borrowed from the Library
More Details: Young Adult, Dystopian
Publisher/Publication Date: Disney Hyperion, October 15, 2013

Goodreads     Amazon     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository      

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster. When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her. As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

Whenever I pick up a sequel to a book I really like there’s always that lingering worry that it’s not going to be good—that it might suffer from middle book syndrome where nothing happens, no plot development or otherwise. But thankfully, with Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken, stuff happens, lots of it actually.

Ruby is back and dealing with the consequences of her decisions from the end of book 1. She’s in the Children’s League, and right from the start I already knew that it wasn’t everything it first appeared to be, and the truth behind some of the agents was pretty much terrible—but their mindset tied in with the attitude that was often cast at the children. It wasn’t justified since Ruby and the others had no control over what happened to them, but at the same time these details fit with the established world set up by The Darkest Minds.

There were a few additions to the cast such as Liam’s older brother Caleb, along with Vida, Jude, and a few other kids she meets in the Children’s League. There were appearances by a few of my favorite characters from book 1, but they were changed by their circumstances and partially by some of Ruby’s decisions.

The plot was very interesting, and I felt like Bracken did a pretty good job with expanding the world. The pacing was excellent. The opening chapter really set up the tone of the story, and it was consistent throughout. There was never a point that I got bored with the book.

Really, my only complaint was that Ruby seemed to make some questionable choices again. But that minor details didn’t detract much from the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed Never Fade and look forward to eventually finishing this trilogy.

Quarterly Recap: July-September

Welcome to the third Quarterly Recap in which I'm going to quickly go over what's happened on the blog over the past three months. As always, I'm going to jump right in and start with reviews...

July Reviews:

• Jupiter Ascending (2015)
• Oleah Chronicles: Truth
• Shiver
• A Swiftly Tilting Planet
• Doctor Who: The Drosten's Curse

August Reviews:

• The Darkest Minds
• Splintered

September Reviews:

• Scorched
• The Body in the Woods
• The Madman's Daughter
• Doctor Who: Royal Blood

I'm making some changes to this section of the post (cleaning it up a bit). I'm going to list other post that have appeared on the blog except for weekly meme's.

Other July Posts:

• Quarterly Recap April-June
• Nintendo Book Tag

Other August Posts:

• Sweet Madness Release Day Launch
• Weekend Tidbits #5

Other September Posts:

• Queen of Shadows Release Day Blitz
• Sweet Temptation Release Week Blitz
• The Pirate Code Release Week Blitz
• Walk on Earth a Stranger Release Day Blitz
• Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award (Take 2)
• Q&A with author Michelle Johnson
• Summer Lovin' Book Tag

It's been a long time coming but I finally went to my local library, and I look forward to going more often. Plus, I feel like I've started a lot of series and I really need to finish them. But yeah, that's about it for now. Anyway, happy reading!

The Friday 56 (38) Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster. When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her. As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

"Rob did not like this, that much was clear, but he also had no choice. The door shut so hard behind him, it actually rattled the old glass Coke bottles lining the shelf over it."--Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken


What's on your page 56 this week?