Sneak Peek & Giveaway: Titans by Victoria Scott

Today, I'm super excited to share a sneak peek from the Titan Enquirer from Victoria Scott's upcoming young adult novel, Titans. And I get to share a giveaway, so make sure you scroll down to the bottom of the post. But first, more about the book...

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Ever since the Titans first appeared in her Detroit neighborhood, Astrid Sullivan’s world has revolved around the mechanical horses. She and her best friend have spent countless hours watching them and their jockeys practice on the track. It’s not just the thrill of the race. It’s the engineering of the horses and the way they’re programmed to seem so lifelike. The Titans are everything that fascinates Astrid, and nothing she’ll ever touch. She hates them a little, too. Her dad lost everything betting on the Titans. And the races are a reminder of the gap between the rich jockeys who can afford the expensive machines to ride, and the working class friends and neighbors of Astrid’s who wager on them. But when Astrid’s offered a chance to enter an early model Titan in this year’s derby, well, she decides to risk it all. Because for a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, it’s more than a chance at fame or money. Betting on herself is the only way she can see to hang on to everyone in the world she cares about...

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And now for the giveaway. Below, you can enter for a chance to win a copy of Titans by Victoria Scott. 

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Review: The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas

Title:The Perilous Sea
Author: Sherry Thomas
Source/Format: won, Hardcover
More Details: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher/Publication Date: Balzer + Bray, September 16, 2014

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

After spending the summer away from each other, Titus and Iolanthe (still disguised as Archer Fairfax) are eager to return to Eton College to resume their training to fight the Bane. Although no longer bound to Titus by a blood oath, Iolanthe is more committed than ever to fulfilling her destiny—especially with the agents of Atlantis quickly closing in.

Soon after arriving at school, though, Titus makes a shocking discovery, one that makes him question everything he previously believed about their mission. Faced with this devastating realization, Iolanthe is forced to come to terms with her new role, while Titus must choose between following his mother's prophecies—and forging a divergent path to an unknowable future...

This trilogy keeps getting better and better, and I can now firmly say that I enjoyed The Perilous Sea more than I did The Burning Sky. There were a lot of things I liked—the characters, setting, and especially the story. The chosen one trope was still present, but I liked the way it was handled anyway.

The plot was divided between the chapters—the Sahara Desert and England—it was evident from early on that the desert chapters took place after the parts in England. At first I had some confusion about what was going on, but then the plot evened out and from there the story took off.

Everything wasn’t as it seemed with prophesies written by Titus’ mother, and there was a lot of things that were revealed about the characters. There was also a lot of emotional turmoil throughout as situations changed quickly. I always had some suspicion about what was happening, but the story didn’t play out the way I thought it would. There were plenty of elements that surprised me. So, The Perilous Sea definitely wasn’t a boring book.

Iolanthe and Titus make a pretty good team, and I liked seeing their relationship continue to develop. They had chemistry, and it was easy to see that they cared for one another. Suffice to say, all of my favorite characters from book one were back—the boys at Eton—as well as some new ones.

The villains were terrible. From the scant pieces that were shown of them, they were developed well despite being absent for the majority of the book. They definitely had a lot of influence and knew how to use it. The Bane, despite my dislike for him, was an essential part of the story since the events that took place directly concerned him and were often times carried out under his orders.

The ending was just…unexpected, thus I will probably read The Immortal Heights next, because honestly, I want to know how Iolanthe and Titus’ story ends. I have my fingers crossed that they actually get a happy ending.

Musing Mondays (42) Holiday Movies

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...

Despite the title of this post, it actually does have something to do with books. But first, I'm going to start with the random weekly question that I missed last week:

What makes a book really enjoyable for you? And, conversely, what would turn you off about a book?

Just to name a few: good characters, interesting story, and world building most of the time. Mainly it’s a combination of reasons, and even if something is missing I might still like a story anyway just because I enjoy it. After all, I read to be entertained. If it’s got my attention, I’m bound to stick with it despite the faults. There’s no telling how I’ll react to a book until I’ve picked it up and started to read it.

Now things that I don’t enjoy could also be things that could make me like a book. It just depends on the book—like in some cases repetitive dialogue could be used to make a point and indicate moments of suspense/worry, which works, but in other instances the effect might end up as an element that I didn't enjoy. Really, it could go either way.  

Other Musings:

The holiday season is here! Well, technically it started a while ago, but Christmas is just weeks away. So, for today I wanted to talk about a few of my favorite Christmas movies based off of books. (**Note: just because I like the adaptation(s) doesn't necessarily mean that I've read the book; yet, this fact doesn't affect my enjoyment of the film(s)**)

1. First and foremost, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, which is a classic. I think what I enjoy most is how Scrooge learns his lesson by the end. So far, I’ve enjoyed many of the adaptations of this book. Currently, my favorite is the 2009 version.
2. This one is kind of obvious: The Grinch Who Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. This is just a movie I enjoy every year (the animated version). 
3. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Oh gosh, I absolutely adore the movie! The animation was done so well that even now I still enjoy watching the movie when it comes on.

What about you? Do you have any favorite Christmassy movies? Or, what’s your favorite seasonal food/drink? (A favorite of mine is the Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride Tea, which is absolutely fantastic.)

The Friday 56 (46) The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas

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...

After spending the summer away from each other, Titus and Iolanthe (still disguised as Archer Fairfax) are eager to return to Eton College to resume their training to fight the Bane. Although no longer bound to Titus by a blood oath, Iolanthe is more committed than ever to fulfilling her destiny—especially with the agents of Atlantis quickly closing in.

Soon after arriving at school, though, Titus makes a shocking discovery, one that makes him question everything he previously believed about their mission. Faced with this devastating realization, Iolanthe is forced to come to terms with her new role, while Titus must choose between following his mother's prophecies—and forging a divergent path to an unknowable future...
"Wintervale was on his feet. "I am all for it."
"And everyone else?" Sutherland gestured at the rest of the room.
"They too, of course," Wintervale answered for them."--The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas


Which do you prefer: a gift card or a book as as gift?

Review: The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Title: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Author: Brian Selznick
Source/Format: Won, Hardcover
More Details: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction
Publisher/Publication Date: Scholastic, April 1, 2007

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

An orphan and a thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy train station. He desperately believes a broken automation will make his dreams come true. But when his world collides with an eccentric girl and a bitter old man, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy...

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is the kind of book I want to share with my entire family. It was just really lovely, and I have no idea why I never read it before, though I’m happy I finally did.

The story belongs mainly to Hugo, an orphan after the death of his father and his uncle soon after. He secretly takes care of the clocks in the station, stealing food just to keep from going hungry. There were other characters too—Isabelle, Etienne, Georges, Jeanne—who were tied into Hugo’s story and affected his life in different ways. The story paired with Selznick style was the perfect combination. The way it was told was just fantastic—partly through pictures that depicted scenes throughout the novel.

From start to finish The Invention of Hugo Cabret was wonderful. I have two more of Brian Selznick’s books on my shelf, and I definitely plan to read them soon.